blessyou，mydear!“Thesewerethelastwordshespoke。Hisdifficultyofbreathingincreasedtillaboutseveno’clockintheevening，whenMr。BarberandMrs。Desmoulins，whoweresittingintheroom，observingthatthenoisehemadeinbreathinghadceased，wenttothebed，andfoundhewasdead。’
Abouttwodaysafterhisdeath，thefollowingveryagreeableaccountwascommunicatedtoMr。Malone，inaletterbytheHonourableJohnByng，towhomIammuchobligedforgrantingmepermissiontointroduceitinmywork。
’DEARSIR，——SinceIsawyou，IhavehadalongconversationwithCawston，whosatupwithDr。Johnson，fromnineo’clock，onSundayevening，tillteno’clock，onMondaymorning。And，fromwhatIcangatherfromhim，itshouldseem，thatDr。Johnsonwasperfectlycomposed，steadyinhope，andresignedtodeath。Attheintervalofeachhour，theyassistedhimtositupinhisbed，andmovehislegs，whichwereinmuchpain；whenheregularlyaddressedhimselftoferventprayer；andthough，sometimes，hisvoicefailedhim，hissensesneverdid，duringthattime。Theonlysustenancehereceived，wascyderandwater。Hesaidhismindwasprepared，andthetimetohisdissolutionseemedlong。Atsixinthemorning，heinquiredthehour，and，onbeinginformed，saidthatallwentonregularly，andhefelthehadbutafewhourstolive。
’Atteno’clockinthemorning，hepartedfromCawston，saying，“YoushouldnotdetainMr。Windham’sservant：——Ithankyou；bearmyremembrancetoyourmaster。“Cawstonsays，thatnomancouldappearmorecollected，moredevout，orlessterrifiedatthethoughtsoftheapproachingminute。
’Thisaccount，whichissomuchmoreagreeablethan，andsomewhatdifferentfrom，yours，hasgivenusthesatisfactionofthinkingthatthatgreatmandiedashelived，fullofresignation，strengthenedinfaith，andjoyfulinhope。’