WetalkedofthestateofthepoorinLondon——JOHNSON。’SaundersWelch，theJustice，whowasonceHigh-ConstableofHolborn，andhadthebestopportunitiesofknowingthestateofthepoor，toldme，thatIunder-ratedthenumber，whenIcomputedthattwentyaweek，thatis，aboveathousandayear，diedofhunger；notabsolutelyofimmediatehunger；butofthewastingandotherdiseaseswhicharetheconsequencesofhunger。ThishappensonlyinsolargeaplaceasLondon，wherepeoplearenotknown。Whatwearetoldaboutthegreatsumsgotbybeggingisnottrue：thetradeisoverstocked。
And，youmaydependuponit，therearemanywhocannotgetwork。A
particularkindofmanufacturefails：thosewhohavebeenusedtoworkatit，can，forsometime，workatnothingelse。Youmeetamanbegging；youchargehimwithidleness：hesays，“Iamwillingtolabour。Willyougivemework？“——“Icannot。“——“Why，thenyouhavenorighttochargemewithidleness。“’WeleftMr。Strahan’satseven，asJohnsonhadsaidheintendedtogotoeveningprayers。
Aswewalkedalong，hecomplainedofalittlegoutinhistoe，andsaid，’Ishan’tgotoprayersto-night；Ishallgoto-morrow：
WheneverImisschurchonaSunday，Iresolvetogoanotherday。
ButIdonotalwaysdoit。’Thiswasafairexhibitionofthatvibrationbetweenpiousresolutionsandindolence，whichmanyofushavetoooftenexperienced。
Iwenthomewithhim，andwehadalongquietconversation。
BOSWELL。’Why，Sir，dopeopleplaythistrickwhichIobservenow，whenIlookatyourgrate，puttingtheshovelagainstittomakethefireburn？’JOHNSON。’Theyplaythetrick，butitdoesnotmakethefireburn。THEREisabetter；settingthepokerperpendicularlyupatrightangleswiththegrate。Indaysofsuperstitiontheythought，asitmadeacrosswiththebars，itwoulddriveawaythewitch。’
BOSWELL。’Byassociatingwithyou，Sir，Iamalwaysgettinganaccessionofwisdom。Butperhapsaman，afterknowinghisowncharacter——thelimitedstrengthofhisownmind，shouldnotbedesirousofhavingtoomuchwisdom，considering，quidvaleanthumeri，howlittlehecancarry。’JOHNSON。’Sir，beaswiseasyoucan；letamanbealiislaetus，sapienssibi：
“Thoughpleas’dtoseethedolphinsplay，Imindmycompassandmyway。“
Youmaybewiseinyourstudyinthemorning，andgayincompanyatatavernintheevening。Everymanistotakecareofhisownwisdomandhisownvirtue，withoutmindingtoomuchwhatothersthink。’
Hesaid，’DodsleyfirstmentionedtometheschemeofanEnglishDictionary；butIhadlongthoughtofit。’BOSWELL。’Youdidnotknowwhatyouwereundertaking。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，IknewverywellwhatIwasundertaking，——andverywellhowtodoit，——andhavedoneitverywell。’BOSWELL。’Anexcellentclimax!anditHAS
availedyou。InyourPrefaceyousay，“Whatwoulditavailmeinthisgloomofsolitude？“Youhavebeenagreeablymistaken。’
InhisLifeofMiltonheobserves，’Icannotbutremarkakindofrespect，perhapsunconsciously，paidtothisgreatmanbyhisbiographers：everyhouseinwhichheresidedishistoricallymentioned，asifitwereaninjurytoneglectnaminganyplacethathehonouredbyhispresence。’Ihad，beforeIreadthisobservation，beendesirousofshewingthatrespecttoJohnson，byvariousinquiries。Findinghimthiseveninginaverygoodhumour，Iprevailedonhimtogivemeanexactlistofhisplacesofresidence，sinceheenteredthemetropolisasanauthour，whichI
subjoininanote。*
*1。Exeter-street，offCatherine-street，Strand。2。Greenwich。
3。Woodstock-street，nearHanover-square。4。Castle-street，Cavendish-square，No。6。5。Strand。6。Boswell-Court。7。
Strand，again。8。Bow-street。9。Holborn。10。Fetter-lane。
11。Holborn，again。12。Gough-square。13。StapleInn。14。
Gray’sInn。15。InnerTemple-lane，No。1。16。Johnson’s-court，No。7。17。Bolt-court。No。8——BOSWELL。
OnTuesday，October12，IdinedwithhimatMr。Ramsay’s，withLordNewhaven，andsomeothercompany，noneofwhomIrecollect，butabeautifulMissGraham，arelationofhisLordship’s，whoaskedDr。
Johnsontohobornobwithher。Hewasflatteredbysuchpleasingattention，andpolitelytoldher，heneverdrankwine；butifshewoulddrinkaglassofwater，hewasmuchatherservice。Sheaccepted。’Oho，Sir!saidLordNewhaven，youarecaught。’
JOHNSON。’Nay，IdonotseeHOWIamCAUGHT；butifIamcaught，I
don’twanttogetfreeagain。IfIamcaught，Ihopetobekept。’
Thenwhenthetwoglassesofwaterwerebrought，smilingplacidlytotheyounglady，hesaid，’Madam，letusRECIPROCATE。’
LordNewhavenandJohnsoncarriedonanargumentforsometime，concerningtheMiddlesexelection。Johnsonsaid，’Parliamentmaybeconsideredasboundbylawasamanisboundwherethereisnobodytotietheknot。AsitisclearthattheHouseofCommonsmayexpelandexpelagainandagain，whynotallowofthepowertoincapacitateforthatparliament，ratherthanhaveaperpetualcontestkeptupbetweenparliamentandthepeople。’LordNewhaventooktheoppositeside；butrespectfullysaid，’Ispeakwithgreatdeferencetoyou，Dr。Johnson；Ispeaktobeinstructed。’Thishaditsfulleffectonmyfriend。Hebowedhisheadalmostaslowasthetable，toacomplimentingnobleman；andcalledout，’MyLord，myLord，Idonotdesireallthisceremony；letustellourmindstooneanotherquietly。’Afterthedebatewasover，hesaid，’I
havegotlightsonthesubjectto-day，whichIhadnotbefore。’
Thiswasagreatdealfromhim，especiallyashehadwrittenapamphletuponit。
Ofhisfellow-collegian，thecelebratedMr。GeorgeWhitefield，hesaid，’Whitefieldneverdrewasmuchattentionasamountebankdoes；hedidnotdrawattentionbydoingbetterthanothers，butbydoingwhatwasstrange。WereAstleytopreachasermonstandinguponhisheadonahorse’sback，hewouldcollectamultitudetohearhim；butnowisemanwouldsayhehadmadeabettersermonforthat。InevertreatedWhitefield’sministrywithcontempt；I
believehedidgood。Hehaddevotedhimselftothelowerclassesofmankind，andamongthemhewasofuse。Butwhenfamiliarityandnoiseclaimthepraiseduetoknowledge，art，andelegance，wemustbeatdownsuchpretensions。’
PartFive
WhatIhavepreservedofhisconversationduringtheremainderofmystayinLondonatthistime，isonlywhatfollows：ItoldhimthatwhenIobjectedtokeepingcompanywithanotoriousinfidel，acelebratedfriendofourssaidtome，’Idonotthinkthatmenwholivelaxlyintheworld，asyouandIdo，canwithproprietyassumesuchanauthority。Dr。Johnsonmay，whoisuniformlyexemplaryinhisconduct。Butitisnotveryconsistenttoshunaninfidelto-
day，andgetdrunkto-morrow。’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，thisissadreasoning。Becauseamancannotberightinallthings，ishetoberightinnothing？Becauseamansometimesgetsdrunk，ishethereforetosteal？Thisdoctrinewouldverysoonbringamantothegallows。’
He，Iknownotwhy，sheweduponalloccasionsanaversiontogotoIreland，whereIproposedtohimthatweshouldmakeatour。
JOHNSON。’ItisthelastplacewhereIshouldwishtotravel。’
BOSWELL。’ShouldyounotliketoseeDublin，Sir？’JOHNSON。’No，Sir!Dublinisonlyaworsecapital。’BOSWELL。’IsnottheGiant’s-Causewayworthseeing？’JOHNSON。’Worthseeing？yes；butnotworthgoingtosee。’
YethehadakindnessfortheIrishnation，andthusgenerouslyexpressedhimselftoagentlemanfromthatcountry，onthesubjectofanUNIONwhichartfulPoliticianshaveoftenhadinview——’Donotmakeanunionwithus，Sir。Weshouldunitewithyou，onlytorobyou。WeshouldhaverobbedtheScotch，iftheyhadhadanythingofwhichwecouldhaverobbedthem。’
Ofanacquaintanceofours，whosemannersandeverythingabouthim，thoughexpensive，werecoarse，hesaid，’Sir，youseeinhimvulgarprosperity。’
Aforeignministerofnoveryhightalents，whohadbeeninhiscompanyforaconsiderabletimequiteoverlooked，happenedluckilytomentionthathehadreadsomeofhisRamblerinItalian，andadmireditmuch。Thispleasedhimgreatly；heobservedthatthetitlehadbeentranslated，IlGenioerrante，thoughIhavebeentolditwasrenderedmoreludicrously，IlVagabondo；andfindingthatthisministergavesuchaproofofhistaste，hewasallattentiontohim，andonthefirstremarkwhichhemade，howeversimple，exclaimed，’TheAmbassadoursayswell——HisExcellencyobserves——’Andthenheexpandedandenrichedthelittlethathadbeensaid，insostrongamanner，thatitappearedsomethingofconsequence。Thiswasexceedinglyentertainingtothecompanywhowerepresent，andmanyatimeafterwardsitfurnishedapleasanttopickofmerriment：’TheAmbassadoursayswell，’becamealaughabletermofapplause，whennomightymatterhadbeenexpressed。
IleftLondononMonday，October15，andaccompaniedColonelStuarttoChester，wherehisregimentwastolyeforsometime。
1780：AETAT。71。]——In1780，theworldwaskeptinimpatienceforthecompletionofhisLivesofthePoets，uponwhichhewasemployedsofarashisindolenceallowedhimtolabour。
HisfriendDr。Lawrencehavingnowsufferedthegreatestafflictiontowhichamanisliable，andwhichJohnsonhimselfhadfeltinthemostseveremanner；Johnsonwrotetohiminanadmirablestrainofsympathyandpiousconsolation。
’TODR。LAWRENCE。
’DEARSIR，——Atatimewhenallyourfriendsoughttoshewtheirkindness，andwithacharacterwhichoughttomakeallthatknowyouyourfriends，youmaywonderthatyouhaveyetheardnothingfromme。
’Ihavebeenhinderedbyavexatiousandincessantcough，forwhichwithinthesetendaysIhavebeenbledonce，fastedfourorfivetimes，takenphysickfivetimes，andopiates，Ithink，six。Thisdayitseemstoremit。
’Theloss，dearSir，whichyouhavelatelysuffered，Ifeltmanyyearsago，andknowthereforehowmuchhasbeentakenfromyou，andhowlittlehelpcanbehadfromconsolation。Hethatoutlivesawifewhomhehaslongloved，seeshimselfdisjoinedfromtheonlymindthathasthesamehopes，andfears，andinterest；fromtheonlycompanionwithwhomhehassharedmuchgoodorevil；andwithwhomhecouldsethismindatliberty，toretracethepastoranticipatethefuture。Thecontinuityofbeingislacerated；thesettledcourseofsentimentandactionisstopped；andlifestandssuspendedandmotionless，tillitisdrivenbyexternalcausesintoanewchannel。Butthetimeofsuspenseisdreadful。
’Ourfirstrecourseinthisdistressedsolitude，is，perhapsforwantofhabitualpiety，toagloomyacquiescenceinnecessity。Oftwomortalbeings，onemustlosetheother；butsurelythereisahigherandbettercomforttobedrawnfromtheconsiderationofthatProvidencewhichwatchesoverall，andabeliefthatthelivingandthedeadareequallyinthehandsofGod，whowillreunitethosewhomhehasseparated；orwhoseesthatitisbestnottoreunite。Iam，dearSir，yourmostaffectionate，andmosthumbleservant，’January20，1780。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
Onthe2ndofMayIwrotetohim，andrequestedthatwemighthaveanothermeetingsomewhereintheNorthofEngland，intheautumnofthisyear。
FromMr。LangtonIreceivedsoonafterthistimealetter，ofwhichIextractapassage，relativebothtoMr。BeauclerkandDr。
Johnson。
’ThemelancholyinformationyouhavereceivedconcerningMr。
Beauclerk’sdeathistrue。Hadhistalentsbeendirectedinanysufficientdegreeastheyought，Ihavealwaysbeenstronglyofopinionthattheywerecalculatedtomakeanillustriousfigure；