posed to have fermons more their own than your's will be. Take care to regifter fomewhere or other the authors from whom your feveral difcourfes are borrowed; and do not imagine that you fhall always remember even what perhaps you now think it impoffible to forget. My advice however is, that you attempt from time to time an original fermon, and in the labour of compofition do not burden your mind with too much at once; do not exact from yourself at one effort of excogitation propriety of thought and elegance of expreffion. Invent first, and then embellifh. The production of fomething, where nothing was before, is an act of greater energy than the expanfion or decoration of the thing produced. Set down diligently your thoughts as they rife in the first words that occur, and when you have matter you will eafily give it form; nor perhaps will this method be always neceffary, for by habit your thoughts and diction will flow together. The compofition of fermons is not very difficult: the divifions not only help the memory of the hearer, but direct the judgment of the writer; they fupply fources of invention, and keep every part in its proper place. What I like leaft in your letter is your account of the manners of the parish; from which I gather that it has been long neglected by the parfon. The Dean of Carlifle*, who was then a little rector in Northamptonshire, told me that it might be difcerned whether or no there was a clergyman refident in a parifh, by the civil or favage manners of the people. Such a congregation as yours ftand in much need of reformation; and I would not have you think it impoffible to reform them. A * Now Bishop of Dromore. vely very favage parish was civilized by a decayed gentlewoman, who came among them to teach a petty school. My learned friend, Dr. Wheeler, of Oxford, when he was a young man, had the care of a neighbouring parish for fifteen pounds a year, which he was never paid; but he counted it a convenience that it compelled him to make a fermon weekly. One woman he could not bring to the communion; and when he reproved or exhorted her, fhe only answered that she was no scholar. He was advised to set fome good woman or man of the parish, a little wifer than herself, to talk to her in language level to her mind. Such honeft, I may call them holy artifices, must be practifed by every clergyman, for all means must be tried by which fouls may be faved. Talk to your people, however, as much as you can, and you will find that the more frequently you converse with them upon religious fubjects, the more willingly they will attend, and the more fubmiffively they will learn. A clergyman's diligence always makes him venerable. I think I have now only to fay, that in the momentous work that you have undertaken I pray God to blefs you. I am, SIR, Your most humble fervant, Bolt-court, Aug. 30, 1780. SAM. JOHNSON. LETTER TO THE HON. WARREN HASTINGS, Esq. GOVERNOR - GENERAL OF BENGAL. SIR, AMIDST the importance and multiplicity of affairs in which your great office engages you, I take the liberty of recalling your attention for a moment to literature, and will not prolong the interruption by an apology, which your character makes needlefs. Mr. Hoole, a gentleman long known and long efteemed in the India-Houfe, after having tranflated Taffo, has undertaken Ariofto. How well he is qualified for his undertaking, he has already fhewn. He is defirous, Sir, of your favour in promoting his proposals, and flatters me by fuppofing that my teftimony may advance his interest. It is a new thing for a clerk of the India-Houfe to tranflate poets. It is new for a Governor of Bengal to patronize learning. That he may find his ingenuity rewarded, and that learning may flourish under your protection, is the wish of, SIR, Your most humble fervant, Jan. 9, 1781. SAM. JOHNSON. LETTER LETTER XXIX. To DR. LAWRENCE. SIR, Jan. 17, 1782. OUR old friend Mr. Levett, who was laft night eminently chearful, died this morning. The man who lay in the fame room hearing an uncommon noise got up, tried to make him fpeak, but without effect. He then called Mr. Holder, the apothecary, who, though when he came he thought him dead, opened a vein, but could draw no blood. So has ended the long life of a very useful and very blameless man. CONSCIOUS of the motive from which I write, and trufting that it will readily and clearly appear; I fhall leave it to plead my excufe for the trouble I may 'hereby give you. Without farther preface, therefore, I take the liberty to inform you, that, in the Morning Chronicle of Dec. 12 laft, a perfon, in the character of a mafter of an academy, recommended the "Beauties of your Writings," a book published laft year, to all perfons who have the care of youth, as well calculated to convey at once both pleafure and inftruction, particularly to young minds. However, he pointed out one paffage in it, under the article DEATH, which, he faid, is fuppofed by fome readers to recommend fuicide; but, knowing your principles too well to join in this opinion, he hoped you would favour the public, through the channel of the fame paper, with an explanation, which will effectually remove fo erroneous an idea. The paffage is as follows: "To die, is the fate of man; but to die with lingering anguifh is generally his folly." I confefs, I have joined in the wifh of the letter-writer, but have not had the pleasure of feeing it gratified. Poffibly the letter has not come to your knowledge, and therefore I take this method of acquainting you with it; or probably the paffage, when taken with the context, lofes its exceptionable appearance. I own, I do not recollect my having met with it in any of your works, though I cannot but fuppofe it is to be found there, and on that account you may have thought it unneceffary to give it any farther explanation. Whatever may be the cause of your not having taken any notice of the letter, I cannot be fatisfied whilft any thing, which has the fanction of your name, even appears, uncontroverted, to recommend fuicide; whilft the acknowledged friend of Religion and Virtue is fuppofed, uncontradicted, to have published any fentiment inconfiftent with the Chriftian Religion. I fhall ftill hope, therefore, that you will not think your time mis-spent by publicly re |