character Dr. Johnson had treated so slight- could have remembered their size." Mr. Thrale appeared very lethargic today. I saw him again on Monday evening, at which time he was not thought to be in immediate danger; but early in the morning of Wednesday the 4th, he expired. Johnson was in the house, and thus mentions the event: "I felt almost the last flutter of his pulse, and looked for the last time upon the face that for fifteen years had never been turned upon me but with respect and benignity." Upon that day there was a Call of the LITERARY CLUB; but Johnson apologized for his absence by the following note: 'MR. JOHNSON knows that Sir Joshua Reynolds and the other gentlemen will excuse his incompliance with the Call, when they are told that Mr. Thrale died this morning. he had scarcely any share in the real business of life. His friends of the CLUB were in hopes that Mr. Thrale might have made a liberal provision for him for his life, which. as Mr. Thrale left no son, and a very large fortune, it would have been highly to his honour to have done; and, considering Dr. Johnson's age, could not have been of long duration; but he bequeathed him only two hundred pounds, which was the legacy given to each of his executors. I could not but be somewhat diverted by hearing Johnson talk in a pompous manner of his new office, and particularly of the concerns of the brew. ery, which it was at last resolved should be sold. Lord Lucan tells a very good story, which, if not precisely exact, is certainly characteristical: that when the sale of Thrale's brewery was going forward, John. son appeared bustling about, with an inkhorn and pen in his button-hole, like an exciseman; and on being asked what he really considered to be the value of the property which was to be disposed of, answered, "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice.' On Friday, April 6, he carried me to dine at a club, which, at his desire, had been lately formed at the Queen's Arms, in St. Paul's Church-yard. He told Mr. Hoole, that he wished to have a City Club, and asked him to collect one; but, said he, "Don't let them be patriots." The company were to day very sensible, well-behaved men. I have preserved only two particulars of bas conversation. He said he was glad Lad George Gordon had escaped, rather than that a precedent should be established it hanging a man for constructive trenson: which, in consistency with his true, many constitutional Toryism, he considered we be a dangerous engine of arbitrary pere. And upon its being mentioned that an lent and very indolent Scotch noble who totally resigned the management his affairs to a man of knowledge and Mr. Thrale's death was a very essential ties, had claimed some merit by s loss to Johnson, who, although he did not "The next best thing to managing a foresee all that afterwards happened, was own affairs well, is being sensible of in sufficiently convinced that the comforts city, and not attempting it, but hav which Mr. Thrale's family afforded him, confidence in one who can do it :" Jus would now in a great measure cease. SON: He, Nay, Sir, this is paltry. There a however, continued to shew a kind attenmiddle course. Let a man give appliosta. tion to his widow and children as long as it and depend upon it he will soon get showi was acceptable: and he took upon him, with despicable state of helplessness, and som a very earnest concern, the office of one of the power of acting for himself." his executors, the importance of which seemed greater than usual to him, from his circumstances having been always such, that "Wednesday." • Prayers and Meditations, p. 191. [Johnson's expressions on this occasion remind us of Isaac Walton's eulogy on Whitgift, in his Life of Hooker." He lived to be present at the expiration of her [Q. Elizabeth's] last breath, and to behold the closing of those eyes that had long looked upon him with reverence and affection." K.] On Saturday, April 7, I dined with hum & Mr. Hoole's with Governor Bouche Captain Orme, both of whom had bee in the East-Indies; and being men itzsense and observation, were very ence ing. Johnson defended the oriental tion of different casts of men.+ wa [Rajapouts, the military cat: the Fr and abstemious. K.] "We see, objected to as totally destructive of the hopes | On Thursday, April 12, I dined with him * TO MRS. LUCY PORTER, IN LICHFIELD. "DEAR MADAM, “LIFE is full of troubles. I have just ost my dear friend Thrale. I hope he is happy; but I have had a great loss. I am otherwise pretty well. I require some care of myself, but that care is not ineffectual; and when I am out of order, I think it often ny own fault. "The spring is now making quick ad'ances. As it is the season in which the whole world is enlivened and invigorated, I ope that both you and I shall partake of its enefits. My desire is to see Lichfield; ut being left executor to my friend, I know not whether I can be spared; but I will try, for it is now long since we saw one another; and how little we can promise ourselves many more interviews, we are taught by hourly examples of mortality. Let us try to live so as that mortality may not be an evil. Write to me soon, my dearest; your letters will give me great pleasure. "I am sorry that Mr. Porter has not had his box; but by sending it to Mr. Mathias, who very readily undertook its conveyance, I did the best I could, and perhaps before now he has it. "Be so kind as to make my compliments to my friends; I have a great value for their kindness, and hope to enjoy it before sum. mer is past. Do write to me. "I am, dearest love, "Your most humble servant, "London, April 12, 1781." On Friday, April 13, being Good-Friday, I went to St. Clement's church with him, as usual. There I saw again his old fellowcollegian, Edwards, to whom I said, "I think, Sir, Dr. Johnson and you meet only at Church."-" Sir, (said he,) it is the best place we can meet in, except Heaven, and I hope we shall meet there too." Dr. Johnson told me, that there was very little communication between Edwards and him, after their unexpected renewal of acquaintance. But (said he, smiling) he met me once, and said, I am told you have written a very pretty book called The Rambler.' I was unwilling that he should leave the world in total darkness, and sent him a set." Mr. Berenger visited him to-day, and was very pleasing. We talked of an evening society for conversation at a house in town, of which we are all members, but of which Johnson said, "It will never do, Sir. There is nothing served about there, neither tea, nor coffee, nor lemonade, nor any thing whatever; and depend upon it, Sir, a man does not love to go to a place from whence he comes out exactly as he went in." I endeavoured, for argument's sake, to maintain that men of learning and talents might have very good intellectual society, without the aid of any little gratifications of the senses. Berenger joined with Johnson, and said, that without these any meeting would be dull and insipid. He would therefore have all the slight refreshments; nay, it would not be amiss to have some cold meat, and a bottle of wine upon a sideboard. "Sir, (said Johnson to me with an air of triumph,) Mr. Berenger knows the world. body love to have good things furnished to them without any trouble." I told Mrs. Thrale once, that as she did not choose to Every [Richard Berenger, Esq. many years Gentleman of the Horse to his present Majesty, and author of "The History and Art of Horsemanship," in two volumes, 4to. 1771. M.] 3 N have card-tables, she should have a profu- | sion of the best sweetmeats, and she would be sure to have company enough come to her." I agreed with my illustrious friend upon this subject; for it has pleased GOD to make man a composite animal, and where there is nothing to refresh the body, the mind will languish. On Sunday, April 15, being Easter-day, after solemn worship in St. Paul's church, I found him alone; Dr. Scott, of the Commons, came in. He talked of its having been said, that Addison wrote some of his best papers in "The Spectator," when warm with wine. Dr. Johnson did not seem willing to admit this. Dr. Scott, as a confirmation of it, related, that Blackstone, a sober man, composed his "Commentaries" with a bottle of port before him; and found his mind invigorated and supported in the fatigue of his great Work, by a temperate use of it. I told him, that, in a company where I had lately been, a desire was expressed to know his authority for the shocking story of Addison's sending an execution into Steele's house.* "Sir, (said he,) it is generally known; it is known to all who are acquainted with the literary history of that period: it is as well known as that he wrote 'Cato." " Mr. Thomas Sheridan once defended Addison to me, by alleging that he did it in order to cover Steele's goods from other creditors, who were going to seize them. We talked of the difference between the mode of education at Oxford, and that in those colleges where instruction is chiefly conveyed by lectures. JOHNSON: "Lectures were once useful; but now, when all can read, and books are so numerous, lectures are unnecessary. If your attention fails, and you miss a part of the lecture, it is lost; you cannot go back, as you do upon a book." Dr. Scott agreed with him. But yet, (said I,) Dr. Scott, you yourself gave lectures at Oxford." He smiled. "You laughed then (said I) at those who came to you." Dr. Scott left us, and soon afterwards we went to dinner. Our company consisted of Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Desmoulins, Mr. Levett, Mr. Allen the printer, [Mr. Macbean,] and Mrs. Hall, sister of the Reverend Mr. John Wesley, and resembling him, as I thought, both in figure and manner. Johnson produced now, for the first time, some handsome silver salvers, which he told me he had bought fourteen years ago; so it was a great day. I was not a little amused by observing Allen perpetually struggling to talk in the manner of Johnson, like the little frog in the fable blowing himself up to resemble the stately ox. I mentioned a kind of religious Robin See this explained, p. 447. hood Society, which met every Sunday evening at Coachmaker's hall, for free debate; and that the subject for this night was, the text which relates, with other iniracles which happened at our Saviour's death, " And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resur. rection, and went into the holy city, and ap peared unto many.” Mrs. Hall said it was a very curious subject, and she should like to hear it discussed. JOHNSON, (Somewhat warmly :) "One would not go to such a place to hear it,-one would not be seen in such a place-to give countenance to such a meeting." I, however, resolved that I would go. "But, Sir, (said she to Johnson,) I should like to hear you discuss it." He seemed reluctant to engage in it. She talked of the resurrection of the human race in general, and maintained that we shall be raised with the same bodies. JouNSON: Nay, Madam, we see that it is not to be the same body; for the Scripture uses the illustration of grain sown, and we know that the grain which grows is not the same with what is sown. You cannot suppose 66 that we shall rise with a diseased body: it is enough if there be such a sameness as to distinguish identity of person." She seemed desirous of knowing more, but he left the question in obscurity. Of apparitions,+ he observed, "A total disbelief of them is adverse to the opinion of the existence of the soul between death and the last day; the question simply is, whe ther departed spirits ever have the power d making themselves perceptible to us: a SE who thinks he has seen an apparition, only be convinced himself; his authority wid not convince another; and his conviction if rational, must be founded on being told something which cannot be known but by supernatural means. He mentioned a thing as not unfrequent of which I had never heard before,-b called, that is, hearing one's name proncarced by the voice of a known person at great distance, far beyond the possibility being reached by any sound uttered by man organs. "An acquaintance, on wh veracity I can depend, told me, that wa home one evening to Kilmarnock, he bas himself called from a wood, by the va a brother who had gone to America; and the next packet brought accounts of that brother's death. Macbean asserted that this inexplicable calling was a thing very well known. Dr. Johnson said, that one day at Oxford, as he was turning the key of his chamber, he heard his mother distinctly call-Sam. She was then at Lichfield; but nothing ensued. This phenomenon is, I think, as wonderful as any other mysterious fact, which many people are very slow to believe, or rather, indeed, reject with an obstinate contempt. Some time after this, upon his making a remark which escaped my attention, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Hall were both together striving to answer him. He grew angry, and called out loudly, "Nay, when you both speak at once, it is intolerable." But check ing himself, and softening, he said, "This one may say, though you are ladies." Then he brightened into gay humour, and addressed them in the words of one of the songs in "The Beggar's Opera "But two at a time there's no mortal can bear. "What, Sir, (said I,) are you going to turn Captain Macheath ?" There was something as pleasantly ludicrous in this scene as can be imagined. The contrast between Macheath, Polly, and Lucy-and Dr. Samuel Johnson; blind. peevish Mrs. Williams, and lean, lank, preaching Mrs. Hall, was exquisite. I stole away to Coachmakers'-hall, and heard the difficult text of which we had talked, discussed with great decency, and some intelligence, by several speakers. There was a difference of opinion as to the appearance of ghosts in modern times, though the arguments for it, supported by Mr. Addison's authority, preponderated. The immediate subject of debate was embarrassed by the bodies of the saints having been said to rise, and by the question what became of them afterwards :-did they return again to their graves? or were they translated to heaven? Only one evangelist mentions the fact, and the commentators whom I have looked at do not make the passage clear. There is, however, no occasion for our understanding it farther, than to know that it was one of the extraordinary manifestations of divine power, which accompanied the most important event that ever happened. On Friday, April 20, I spent with him one of the happiest days that I remember to have enjoyed in the whole course of my life. Mrs. Garrick, whose grief for the loss of her husband was, I believe, as sincere as wounded affection and admiration could produce, had this day, for the first time St. Matthew, chap. xxvii. v. 52, 53. since his death, a select party of his friends to dine with her. The company was Miss Hannah More, who lived with her, and whom she called her Chaplain; Mrs. Boscawen, Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Dr. Burney, Dr. Johnson, and myself. We found ourselves very elegantly entertained at her house in the Adelphi, where I have passed many a pleasing hour with him, “who gladdened life." She looked well, talked of her husband with complacency, and while she cast her eyes on his portrait, which hung over the chimneypiece, said, that "death was now the most agreeable object to her." The very semblance of David Garrick was cheering. Mr. Beauclerk, with happy propriety, inscribed under that fine portrait of him, which by Lady Diana's kindness is now the property of my friend Mr. Langton, the following passage from his beloved Shakspeare: " A merrier man, Within the limit of becoming mirth, We were all in fine spirits; and I whispered to Mrs. Boscawen," I believe this is as much as can be made of life." In addition to a splendid entertainment, we were regaled with Lichfield ale, which had a peculiar appropriate value. Sir Joshua, and Dr. Burney, and I, drank cordially of it to Dr. Johnson's health; and though he would not join us, he as cordially answered, “ Gentlemen, I wish you all as well as you do me." 66 The general effect of this day dwells upon my mind in fond remembrance; but I do not find much conversation recorded. What I have preserved shall be faithfully given. One of the company mentioned Mr. Thomas Hollis, the strenuous Whig, who used to send over Europe presents of democratical books, with their boards stamped with daggers and caps of liberty. Mrs. Carter said, "he was a bad man : he used to talk unchari tably." JOHNSON: "Poh! poh! Madam: who is the worse for being talked of uncharitably? Besides, he was a dull poor creature have done harm to a man whom he knew to as ever lived: and I believe he would not be of very opposite principles to his own. I remember once at the Society of Arts, when an advertisement was to be drawn up, he pointed me out as the man who could do it best. This, you will observe, was kindness I however slipt away, and escaped to me. it." Mrs. Carter having said of the same person, "I doubt he was an atheist." JOHNSON: "I don't know that. He might perhaps have become one, if he had had time to ripen, (smiling.) He might have exuberated | fundamentally sensible;" as if he had said, into an atheist." hear this now, and laugh if you dare. We all sat composed as at a funeral. Sir Joshua Reynolds praised" Mudge's* Sermons." JOHNSON: "Mudge's Sermons are good, but not practical. He grasps more sense than he can hold; he takes more corn than he can make into meal; he opens a wide prospect, but it is so distant, it is indistinct. I love Blair's Sermons.' Though the dog is a Scotchman, and a Presbyterian, and every thing he should not be, I was the first to praise them. Such was my candour." (Smiling.) MRS. BOSCAWEN:" Such his great merit, to get the better of all your prejudices." JOHNSON: "Why, Madam, let us compound the matter; let us ascribe it to my candour, and his merit." In the evening we had a large company in the drawing-room; several ladies, the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr. Percy, Mr. Chamberlayne of the Treasury, &c. &c. Somebody said, the life of a mere literary man could not be very entertaining. JOHNSON: "But it certainly may. This is a remark which has been made, and repeated, without justice; why should the life of a literary man be less entertaining than the life of any other man? Are there not as interesting varieties in such a life? As a literary life, it may be very entertaining." BOSWELL: "But it must be better, surely, when it is diversified with a little active variety-such as his having gone to Jamaica ;-or-his having gone to the Hebrides." Johnson was not displeased at this. Talking of a very respectable author, he told us a curious círcumstance in his life, which was, that he had married a printer's devil. REYNOLDS: "A printer's devil, Sir! Why, I thought a printer's devil was a creature with a black face and in rags." JOHNSON: "Yes, Sir. But I suppose he had her face washed, and put clean clothes on her. (Then looking very serious, and very earnest.) And she did not disgrace him;-the woman had a bottom of good sense." The word bottom thus introduced, was so ludicrous when contrasted with his gravity, that most of us could not forbear tittering and laughing; though I recollect that the Bishop of Killaloe kept his countenance with perfect steadiness, while Miss Hannah More slyly hid her face behind a lady's back who sat on the same settee with her. His pride could not bear that any expression of his should excite ridicule, when he did not intend it; he therefore resolved to assume and exercise despotic power, glanced sternly around, and called out in a strong tone, "Where's the merriment" Then collecting himself, and looking awful, to make us feel how he could impose restraint, and as it were searching his mind for a still more ludicrous word, he slowly pronounced, I say the woman was See page 455. He and I walked away together; we stopped a little while by the rails of the Adel. phi, looking on the Thames, and I said to him with some emotion, that I was now thinking of two friends we had lost, who once lived in the buildings behind us, Beauclerk and Garrick: “ Ay, Sir, (said he, tenderly,) and two such friends as cannot be supplied." For some time after this day, I did not see him very often, and of the conversation which I did enjoy, I am sorry to find I have preserved but little. I was at this time engaged in a variety of other matters, which required exertion and assiduity, and necessarily occupied almost all my time. One day, having spoken very freely of those who were then in power, he said to me, "Between ourselves, Sir, I do not like to give opposition the satisfaction of knowing how much I disapprove of the ministry." And when I mentioned that Mr. Burke had boasted how quiet the nation was in George the Second's reign, when Whigs were in power, compared with the present reign, when Tories governed;-" Why, Sir, (said he,) you are to consider that Tories. having more reverence for government, will not oppose with the same violence as Whigs, who, being unrestrained by that principle, will oppose by any means.' This month he lost not only Mr. Thrale, but another friend, Mr. William Strahan, junior, printer, the eldest son of his old and constant friend, Printer to his Majesty. "TO MRS. STRAHAN. "DEAR MADAM, "THE grief which I feel for the loss of a very kind friend, is sufficient to make me know how much you suffer by the death of an amiable son; a man, of whom I think it may be truly said, that no one knew him who does not lament him. I look upon myself as having a friend, another friend, taken from me. "Comfort, dear Madam, I would give you, if I could; but I know how little the forms of consolation can avail. Let me however, counsel you not to waste your health in unprofitable sorrow, but ge Bath, and endeavour to prolong your out life; but when we have all done all that we can, one friend must in time lose the othe I am, dear Madam, "Your most humble servant, "April 23, 1781." On Tuesday, May 8, I had the pleasure again dining with him and Mr. Wilkes & Mr. Dilly's. No negociation was now re ed to bring them together; for Johnson we so well satisfied with the former interex®, |