Thathissufferingsuponthedeathofhiswifeweresevere，beyondwhatarecommonlyendured，Ihavenodoubt，fromtheinformationofmanywhowerethenabouthim，tononeofwhomIgivemorecreditthantoMr。FrancisBarber，hisfaithfulnegroservant，whocameintohisfamilyaboutafortnightafterthedismalevent。Thesesufferingswereaggravatedbythemelancholyinherentinhisconstitution；andalthoughheprobablywasnotoftenerinthewrongthanshewas，inthelittledisagreementswhichsometimestroubledhismarriedstate，duringwhich，heownedtome，thatthegloomyirritabilityofhisexistencewasmorepainfultohimthanever，hemightverynaturally，afterherdeath，betenderlydisposedtochargehimselfwithslightomissionsandoffences，thesenseofwhichwouldgivehimmuchuneasiness。Accordinglywefind，aboutayearafterherdecease，thathethusaddressedtheSupremeBeing：
’OLORD，whogivestthegraceofrepentance，andhearesttheprayersofthepenitent，grantthatbytruecontritionImayobtainforgivenessofallthesinscommitted，andofalldutiesneglectedinmyunionwiththewifewhomthouhasttakenfromme；fortheneglectofjointdevotion，patientexhortation，andmildinstruction。’Thekindnessofhisheart，notwithstandingtheimpetuosityofhistemper，iswellknowntohisfriends；andI
cannottracethesmallestfoundationforthefollowingdarkanduncharitableassertionbySirJohnHawkins：’Theapparitionofhisdepartedwifewasaltogetheroftheterrifickkind，andhardlyaffordedhimahopethatshewasinastateofhappiness。’Thathe，inconformitywiththeopinionofmanyofthemostable，learned，andpiousChristiansinallages，supposedthattherewasamiddlestateafterdeath，previoustothetimeatwhichdepartedsoulsarefinallyreceivedtoeternalfelicity，appears，Ithink，unquestionablyfromhisdevotions：’And，OLORD，sofarasitmaybelawfulinme，Icommendtothyfatherlygoodnessthesoulofmydepartedwife；beseechingtheetograntherwhateverisbestinherpresentstate，andfinallytoreceivehertoeternalhappiness。’
Butthisstatehasnotbeenlookeduponwithhorrour，butonlyaslessgracious。
HedepositedtheremainsofMrs。JohnsoninthechurchofBromley，inKent，towhichhewasprobablyledbytheresidenceofhisfriendHawkesworthatthatplace。Thefuneralsermonwhichhecomposedforher，whichwasneverpreached，buthavingbeengiventoDr。Taylor，hasbeenpublishedsincehisdeath，isaperformanceofuncommonexcellence，andfullofrationalandpiouscomforttosuchasaredepressedbythatsevereafflictionwhichJohnsonfeltwhenhewroteit。Whenitisconsideredthatitwaswritteninsuchanagitationofmind，andintheshortintervalbetweenherdeathandburial，itcannotbereadwithoutwonder。
FromMr。FrancisBarberIhavehadthefollowingauthentickandartlessaccountofthesituationinwhichhefoundhimrecentlyafterhiswife’sdeath：
’Hewasingreataffliction。Mrs。Williamswasthenlivinginhishouse，whichwasinGough-square。HewasbusywiththeDictionary。
Mr。Shiels，andsomeothersofthegentlemenwhohadformerlywrittenforhim，usedtocomeabouthim。Hehadthenlittleforhimself，butfrequentlysentmoneytoMr。Shielswhenindistress。
Thefriendswhovisitedhimatthattime，werechieflyDr。
Bathurst，andMr。Diamond，anapothecaryinCork-street，Burlington-gardens，withwhomheandMrs。WilliamsgenerallydinedeverySunday。TherewasatalkofhisgoingtoIcelandwithhim，whichwouldprobablyhavehappenedhadhelived。TherewerealsoMr。Cave，Dr。Hawkesworth，Mr。Ryland，merchantonTowerHill，Mrs。
Masters，thepoetess，wholivedwithMr。Cave，Mrs。Carter，andsometimesMrs。Macaulay，alsoMrs。Gardiner，wifeofatallow-
chandleronSnow-hill，notinthelearnedway，butaworthygoodwoman；Mr。nowSirJoshuaReynolds；Mr。Millar，Mr。Dodsley，Mr。
Bouquet，Mr。PayneofPaternoster-row，booksellers；Mr。Strahan，theprinter；theEarlofOrrery，LordSouthwell，Mr。Garrick。’
Manyare，nodoubt，omittedinthiscatalogueofhisfriends，and，inparticular，hishumblefriendMr。RobertLevet，anobscurepractiserinphysickamongstthelowerpeople，hisfeesbeingsometimesverysmallsums，sometimeswhateverprovisionshispatientscouldaffordhim；butofsuchextensivepracticeinthatway，thatMrs。Williamshastoldme，hiswalkwasfromHounsditchtoMarybone。ItappearsfromJohnson’sdiarythattheiracquaintancecommencedabouttheyear1746；andsuchwasJohnson’spredilectionforhim，andfancifulestimationofhismoderateabilities，thatIhaveheardhimsayheshouldnotbesatisfied，thoughattendedbyalltheCollegeofPhysicians，unlesshehadMr。
Levetwithhim。EversinceIwasacquaintedwithDr。Johnson，andmanyyearsbefore，asIhavebeenassuredbythosewhoknewhimearlier，Mr。Levethadanapartmentinhishouse，orhischambers，andwaiteduponhimeverymorning，throughthewholecourseofhislateandtediousbreakfast。Hewasofastrangegrotesqueappearance，stiffandformalinhismanner，andseldomsaidawordwhileanycompanywaspresent。
Thecircleofhisfriends，indeed，atthistimewasextensiveandvarious，farbeyondwhathasbeengenerallyimagined。Totracehisacquaintancewitheachparticularperson，ifitcouldbedone，wouldbeatask，ofwhichthelabourwouldnotberepaidbytheadvantage。Butexceptionsaretobemade；oneofwhichmustbeafriendsoeminentasSirJoshuaReynolds，whowastrulyhisdulcedecus，andwithwhomhemaintainedanuninterruptedintimacytothelasthourofhislife。WhenJohnsonlivedinCastle-street，Cavendish-square，heusedfrequentlytovisittwoladies，wholivedoppositetohim，MissCotterells，daughtersofAdmiralCotterell。
Reynoldsusedalsotovisitthere，andthustheymet。Mr。
Reynolds，asIhaveobservedabove，had，fromthefirstreadingofhisLifeofSavage，conceivedaveryhighadmirationofJohnson’spowersofwriting。Hisconversationnolessdelightedhim；andhecultivatedhisacquaintancewiththelaudablezealofonewhowasambitiousofgeneralimprovement。SirJoshua，indeed，wasluckyenoughattheirveryfirstmeetingtomakearemark，whichwassomuchabovethecommon-placestyleofconversation，thatJohnsonatonceperceivedthatReynoldshadthehabitofthinkingforhimself。
Theladieswereregrettingthedeathofafriend，towhomtheyowedgreatobligations；uponwhichReynoldsobserved，’Youhave，however，thecomfortofbeingrelievedfromaburthenofgratitude。’Theywereshockedalittleatthisalleviatingsuggestion，astooselfish；butJohnsondefendeditinhisclearandforciblemanner，andwasmuchpleasedwiththeMIND，thefairviewofhumannature，whichitexhibited，likesomeofthereflectionsofRochefaucault。Theconsequencewas，thathewenthomewithReynolds，andsuppedwithhim。
SirJoshuatoldmeapleasantcharacteristicalanecdoteofJohnsonaboutthetimeoftheirfirstacquaintance。WhentheywereoneeveningtogetherattheMissCotterells’，thethenDuchessofArgyleandanotherladyofhighrankcamein。JohnsonthinkingthattheMissCotterellsweretoomuchengrossedbythem，andthatheandhisfriendwereneglected，aslowcompanyofwhomtheyweresomewhatashamed，grewangry；andresolvingtoshocktheirsupposedpride，bymakingtheirgreatvisitorsimaginethathisfriendandhewerelowindeed，headdressedhimselfinaloudtonetoMr。
Reynolds，saying，’HowmuchdoyouthinkyouandIcouldgetinaweek，ifweweretoWORKASHARDaswecould？’——asiftheyhadbeencommonmechanicks。
HisacquaintancewithBennetLangton，Esq。ofLangton，inLincolnshire，anothermuchvaluedfriend，commencedsoonaftertheconclusionofhisRambler；whichthatgentleman，thenayouth，hadreadwithsomuchadmiration，thathecametoLondonchieflywiththeviewofendeavouringtobeintroducedtoitsauthour。ByafortunatechancehehappenedtotakelodgingsinahousewhereMr。
Levetfrequentlyvisited；andhavingmentionedhiswishtohislandlady，sheintroducedhimtoMr。Levet，whoreadilyobtainedJohnson’spermissiontobringMr。Langtontohim；as，indeed，Johnson，duringthewholecourseofhislife，hadnoshyness，realoraffected，butwaseasyofaccesstoallwhowereproperlyrecommended，andevenwishedtoseenumbersathislevee，ashismorningcircleofcompanymight，withstrictpropriety，becalled。
Mr。Langtonwasexceedinglysurprisedwhenthesagefirstappeared。
Hehadnotreceivedthesmallestintimationofhisfigure，dress，ormanner。Fromperusinghiswritings，hefanciedheshouldseeadecent，well-drest，inshort，remarkablydecorousphilosopher。
Insteadofwhich，downfromhisbed-chamber，aboutnoon，came，asnewlyrisen，ahugeuncouthfigure，withalittledarkwigwhichscarcelycoveredhishead，andhisclotheshanginglooseabouthim。
Buthisconversationwassorich，soanimated，andsoforcible，andhisreligiousandpoliticalnotionssocongenialwiththoseinwhichLangtonhadbeeneducated，thatheconceivedforhimthatvenerationandattachmentwhichheeverpreserved。JohnsonwasnotthelessreadytoloveMr。Langton，forhisbeingofaveryancientfamily；forIhaveheardhimsay，withpleasure，’Langton，Sir，hasagrantoffreewarrenfromHenrytheSecond；andCardinalStephenLangton，inKingJohn’sreign，wasofthisfamily。’
Mr。LangtonafterwardswenttopursuehisstudiesatTrinityCollege，Oxford，whereheformedanacquaintancewithhisfellowstudent，Mr。TophamBeauclerk；who，thoughtheiropinionsandmodesoflifeweresodifferent，thatitseemedutterlyimprobablethattheyshouldatallagree，hadsoardentaloveofliterature，soacuteanunderstanding，sucheleganceofmanners，andsowelldiscernedtheexcellentqualitiesofMr。Langton，agentlemaneminentnotonlyforworthandlearning，butforaninexhaustiblefundofentertainingconversation，thattheybecameintimatefriends。
Johnson，soonafterthisacquaintancebegan，passedaconsiderabletimeatOxford。HeatfirstthoughtitstrangethatLangtonshouldassociatesomuchwithonewhohadthecharacterofbeingloose，bothinhisprinciplesandpractice；but，bydegrees，hehimselfwasfascinated。Mr。Beauclerk’sbeingoftheSt。Alban’sfamily，andhaving，insomeparticulars，aresemblancetoCharlestheSecond，contributed，inJohnson’simagination，tothrowalustreuponhisotherqualities；and，inashorttime，themoral，piousJohnson，andthegay，dissipatedBeauclerk，werecompanions。’Whatacoalition!saidGarrick，whenheheardofthis；IshallhavemyoldfriendtobailoutoftheRound-house。’ButIcanbeartestimonythatitwasaveryagreeableassociation。Beauclerkwastoopolite，andvaluedlearningandwittoomuch，tooffendJohnsonbysalliesofinfidelityorlicentiousness；andJohnsondelightedinthegoodqualitiesofBeauclerk，andhopedtocorrecttheevil。
InnumerablewerethescenesinwhichJohnsonwasamusedbytheseyoungmen。Beauclerkcouldtakemorelibertywithhim，thananybodywithwhomIeversawhim；but，ontheotherhand，Beauclerkwasnotsparedbyhisrespectablecompanion，whenreproofwasproper。Beauclerkhadsuchapropensitytosatire，thatatonetimeJohnsonsaidtohim，’Youneveropenyourmouthbutwithintentiontogivepain；andyouhaveoftengivenmepain，notfromthepowerofwhatyousaid，butfromseeingyourintention。’Atanothertimeapplyingtohim，withaslightalteration，alineofPope，hesaid，’Thyloveoffolly，andthyscornoffools