gardenabotanicalgarden？’Whentoldthattherewasashrubberytotheextentofseveralmiles：’Thatismakingaveryfoolishuseoftheground；alittleofitisverywell。’Whenitwasproposedthatweshouldwalkonthepleasure-ground；’Don’tletusfatigueourselves。Whyshouldwewalkthere？Here’safinetree，let’sgettothetopofit。’Butuponthewhole，hewasverymuchpleased。Hesaid，’ThisisoneoftheplacesIdonotregrethavingcometosee。Itisaverystatelyplace，indeed；inthehousemagnificenceisnotsacrificedtoconvenience，norconveniencetomagnificence。Thelibraryisverysplendid：thedignityoftheroomsisverygreat；andthequantityofpicturesisbeyondexpectation，beyondhope。’
Ithappenedwithoutanypreviousconcert，thatwevisitedtheseatofLordButeupontheKing’sbirthday；wedinedanddrankhisMajesty’shealthataninn，inthevillageofLuton。
IntheeveningIputhiminmindofhispromisetofavourmewithacopyofhiscelebratedLettertotheEarlofChesterfield，andhewasatlastpleasedtocomplywiththisearnestrequest，bydictatingittomefromhismemory；forhebelievedthathehimselfhadnocopy。Therewasananimatedglowinhiscountenancewhilehethusrecalledhishigh-mindedindignation。
OnTuesday，June5，JohnsonwastoreturntoLondon。Hewasverypleasantatbreakfast；Imentionedafriendofminehavingresolvednevertomarryaprettywoman。JOHNSON。’Siritisaveryfoolishresolutiontoresolvenottomarryaprettywoman。Beautyisofitselfveryestimable。No，Sir，Iwouldpreferaprettywoman，unlessthereareobjectionstoher。Aprettywomanmaybefoolish；
aprettywomanmaybewicked；aprettywomanmaynotlikeme。Butthereisnosuchdangerinmarryingaprettywomanasisapprehended：shewillnotbepersecutedifshedoesnotinvitepersecution。Aprettywoman，ifshehasamindtobewicked，canfindareadierwaythananother；andthatisall。’
AtSheffordIhadanotheraffectionatepartingfrommyreveredfriend，whowastakenupbytheBedfordcoachandcarriedtothemetropolis。IwentwithMessieursDilly，toseesomefriendsatBedford；dinedwiththeofficersofthemilitiaofthecounty，andnextdayproceededonmyjourney。
Johnson’scharitytothepoorwasuniformandextensive，bothfrominclinationandprinciple。Henotonlybestowedliberallyoutofhisownpurse，butwhatismoredifficultaswellasrare，wouldbegfromothers，whenhehadproperobjectsinview。Thishedidjudiciouslyaswellashumanely。Mr。PhilipMetcalfetellsme，thatwhenhehasaskedhimforsomemoneyforpersonsindistress，andMr。MetcalfehasofferedwhatJohnsonthoughttoomuch，heinsistedontakingless，saying，’No，no，Sir；wemustnotPAMPER
them。’
IamindebtedtoMr。Malone，oneofSirJoshuaReynolds’sexecutors，forthefollowingnote，whichwasfoundamonghispapersafterhisdeath，andwhich，wemaypresume，hisunaffectedmodestypreventedhimfromcommunicatingtomewiththeotherlettersfromDr。Johnsonwithwhichhewaspleasedtofurnishme。Howeverslightinitself，asitdoeshonourtothatillustriouspainter，andmostamiableman，Iamhappytointroduceit。
’TOSIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。
’DEARSIR，——ItwasnotbeforeyesterdaythatIreceivedyoursplendidbenefaction。Toahandsoliberalindistributing，Ihopenobodywillenvythepowerofacquiring。Iam，dearSir，yourobligedandmosthumbleservant，’June23，1781。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
ThefollowingcuriousanecdoteIinsertinDr。Burney’sownwords：——
’Dr。BurneyrelatedtoDr。JohnsonthepartialitywhichhiswritingshadexcitedinafriendofDr。Burney’s，thelateMr。
Bewley，wellknowninNorfolkbythenameofthePhilosopherofMassingham：who，fromtheRamblersandPlanofhisDictionary，andlongbeforetheauthour’sfamewasestablishedbytheDictionaryitself，oranyotherwork，hadconceivedsuchareverenceforhim，thatheurgentlybeggedDr。Burneytogivehimthecoverofthefirstletterhehadreceivedfromhim，asarelickofsoestimableawriter。Thiswasin1755。In1760，whenDr。BurneyvisitedDr。
JohnsonattheTempleinLondon，wherehehadthenchambers，hehappenedtoarrivetherebeforehewasup；andbeingshewnintotheroomwherehewastobreakfast，findinghimselfalone，heexaminedthecontentsoftheapartment，totrywhetherhecouldundiscoveredstealanythingtosendtohisfriendBewley，asanotherrelickoftheadmirableDr。Johnson。Butfindingnothingbettertohispurpose，hecutsomebristlesoffhishearth-broom，andenclosedtheminalettertohiscountryenthusiast，whoreceivedthemwithduereverence。TheDoctorwassosensibleofthehonourdonehimbyamanofgeniusandscience，towhomhewasanutterstranger，thathesaidtoDr。Burney，“Sir，thereisnomanpossessedofthesmallestportionofmodesty，butmustbeflatteredwiththeadmirationofsuchaman。I’llgivehimasetofmyLives，ifhewilldomethehonourtoacceptofthem。“Inthishekepthisword；andDr。Burneyhadnotonlythepleasureofgratifyinghisfriendwithapresentmoreworthyofhisacceptancethanthesegmentfromthehearth-broom，butsoonafterofintroducinghimtoDr。JohnsonhimselfinBolt-court，withwhomhehadthesatisfactionofconversingaconsiderabletime，notafortnightbeforehisdeath；whichhappenedinSt。Martin’s-street，duringhisvisittoDr。Burney，inthehousewherethegreatSirIsaacNewtonhadlivedanddiedbefore。’
Inoneofhislittlememorandum-booksisthefollowingminute：——
’August9，3P。M。，aetat。72，inthesummer-houseatStreatham。
’Afterinnumerableresolutionsformedandneglected，Ihaveretiredhither，toplanalifeofgreaterdiligence，inhopethatImayyetbeuseful，andbedailybetterpreparedtoappearbeforemyCreatorandmyJudge，fromwhoseinfinitemercyIhumblycallforassistanceandsupport。
’Mypurposeis，’Topasseighthourseverydayinsomeseriousemployment。
’Havingprayed，IpurposetoemploythenextsixweeksupontheItalianlanguage，formysettledstudy。’
InautumnhewenttoOxford，Birmingham，Lichfield，andAshbourne，forwhichverygoodreasonsmightbegivenintheconjecturalyetpositivemannerofwriters，whoareproudtoaccountforeveryeventwhichtheyrelate。Hehimself，however，says，’ThemotivesofmyjourneyIhardlyknow；Iomitteditlastyear，andamnotwillingtomissitagain。’
Butsomegoodconsiderationsarise，amongstwhichisthekindlyrecollectionofMr。Hector，surgeonatBirmingham：’Hectorislikewiseanoldfriend，theonlycompanionofmychildhoodthatpassedthroughtheschoolwithme。Wehavealwayslovedoneanother；perhapswemaybemadebetterbysomeseriousconversation，ofwhichhoweverIhavenodistincthope。’Hesaystoo，’AtLichfield，mynativeplace，Ihopetoshewagoodexamplebyfrequentattendanceonpublickworship。’
1782：AETAT。73。]——In1782，hiscomplaintsincreased，andthehistoryofhislifethisyear，islittlemorethanamournfulrecitalofthevariationsofhisillness，inthemidstofwhich，however，itwillappearfromhisletters，thatthepowersofhismindwereinnodegreeimpaired。
Atatimewhenhewaslessablethanhehadoncebeentosustainashock，hewassuddenlydeprivedofMr。Levett，whicheventhethuscommunicatedtoDr。Lawrence：——
’SIR，——Ouroldfriend，Mr。Levett，whowaslastnighteminentlycheerful，diedthismorning。Themanwholayinthesameroom，hearinganuncommonnoise，gotupandtriedtomakehimspeak，butwithouteffect，hethencalledMr。Holder，theapothecary，who，thoughwhenhecamehethoughthimdead，openedavein，butcoulddrawnoblood。Sohasendedthelonglifeofaveryusefulandveryblamelessman。Iam，Sir，yourmosthumbleservant，’Jan。17，1782。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
Inoneofhismemorandum-booksinmypossession，isthefollowingentry：——’January20，Sunday。RobertLevettwasburiedinthechurch-yardofBridewell，betweenoneandtwointheafternoon。HediedonThursday17，aboutseveninthemorning，byaninstantaneousdeath。Hewasanoldandfaithfulfriend；Ihaveknownhimfromabout46。Commendavi。MayGODhavemercyonhim。
Mayhehavemercyonme。’
Onthe30thofAugust，Iinformedhimthatmyhonouredfatherhaddiedthatmorning；acomplaintunderwhichhehadlonglabouredhavingsuddenlycometoacrisis，whileIwasuponavisitattheseatofSirCharlesPreston，fromwhenceIhadhastenedthedaybefore，uponreceivingaletterbyexpress。
Inanswertomynextletter，Ireceivedonefromhim，dissuadingmefromhasteningtohimasIhadproposed；whatisproperforpublicationisthefollowingparagraph，equallyjustandtender：——
’Oneexpence，however，Iwouldnothaveyoutospare：letnothingbeomittedthatcanpreserveMrs。Boswell，thoughitshouldbenecessarytotransplantherforatimeintoasofterclimate。Sheisthepropandstayofyourlife。Howmuchmustyourchildrensufferbylosingher。’
Mywifewasnowsomuchconvincedofhissincerefriendshipforme，andregardforher，that，withoutanysuggestiononmypart，shewrotehimaverypoliteandgratefulletter：——
’DR。JOHNSONTOMRS。BOSWELL。
’DEARLADY，——IhavenotoftenreceivedsomuchpleasureasfromyourinvitationtoAuchinleck。Thejourneythitherandbackis，indeed，toogreatforthelatterpartoftheyear；butifmyhealthwerefullyrecovered，Iwouldsuffernolittleheatandcold，norawetoraroughroadtokeepmefromyou。Iam，indeed，notwithouthopeofseeingAuchinleekagain；buttomakeitapleasantplaceI
mustseeitsladywell，andbrisk，andairy。Formysake，therefore，amongmanygreaterreasons，takecare，dearMadam，ofyourhealth，sparenoexpence，andwantnoattendancethatcanprocureease，orpreserveit。Beverycarefultokeepyourmindquiet；anddonotthinkittoomuchtogiveanaccountofyourrecoveryto，Madam，yours，&c。
’London，Sept。7，1782。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
ThedeathofMr。ThralehadmadeaverymaterialalterationwithrespecttoJohnson’sreceptioninthatfamily。Themanlyauthorityofthehusbandnolongercurbedthelivelyexuberanceofthelady；
andashervanityhadbeenfullygratified，byhavingtheColossusofLiteratureattachedtoherformanyyears，shegraduallybecamelessassiduoustopleasehim。Whetherherattachmenttohimwasalreadydividedbyanotherobject，Iamunabletoascertain；butitisplainthatJohnson’spenetrationwasalivetoherneglectorforcedattention；foronthe6thofOctoberthisyear，wefindhimmakinga’partinguseofthelibrary’atStreatham，andpronouncingaprayer，whichhecomposedonleavingMr。Thrale’sfamily：——
’AlmightyGod，Fatherofallmercy，helpmebythygrace，thatI
may，withhumbleandsincerethankfulness，rememberthecomfortsandconvenienceswhichIhaveenjoyedatthisplace；andthatImayresignthemwithholysubmission，equallytrustinginthyprotectionwhenthougivest，andwhenthoutakestaway。Havemercyuponme，OLord，havemercyuponme。
’Tothyfatherlyprotection，OLord，Icommendthisfamily。Bless，guide，anddefendthem，thattheymaysopassthroughthisworld，asfinallytoenjoyinthypresenceeverlastinghappiness，forJesusChrist’ssake。Amen。’
Onecannotreadthisprayer，withoutsomeemotionsnotveryfavourabletotheladywhoseconductoccasionedit。
Inoneofhismemorandum-booksIfind，’Sunday，wenttochurchatStreatham。Templovaledixicamosculo。’
HemetMr。PhilipMetcalfeoftenatSirJoshuaReynolds’s，andotherplaces，andwasagooddealwithhimatBrighthelmstonthisautumn，beingpleasedatoncewithhisexcellenttableandanimatedconversation。Mr。Metcalfeshewedhimgreatrespect，andsenthimanotethathemighthavetheuseofhiscarriagewheneverhepleased。Johnson3rdOctober，1782returnedthispoliteanswer：——
’Mr。Johnsonisverymuchobligedbythekindofferofthecarriage，buthehasnodesireofusingMr。Metcalfe’scarriage，exceptwhenhecanhavethepleasureofMr。Metcalfe’scompany。’