JOHNSON：’No，Sir；starkinsensibility。’
HehadaloveandrespectforJorden，notforhisliterature，butforhisworth。’WheneversaidheayoungmanbecomesJorden’spupil，hebecomeshisson。’
Havinggivenaspecimenofhispoeticalpowers，hewasaskedbyMr。
Jorden，totranslatePope’sMessiahintoLatinverse，asaChristmasexercise。Heperformeditwithuncommonrapidity，andinsomasterlyamanner，thatheobtainedgreatapplausefromit，whicheverafterkepthimhighintheestimationofhisCollege，and，indeed，ofalltheUniversity。
Itissaid，thatMr。Popeexpressedhimselfconcerningitintermsofstrongapprobation。Dr。Taylortoldme，thatitwasfirstprintedforoldMr。Johnson，withouttheknowledgeofhisson，whowasveryangrywhenheheardofit。
The’morbidmelancholy，’whichwaslurkinginhisconstitution，andtowhichwemayascribethoseparticularities，andthataversiontoregularlife，which，ataveryearlyperiod，markedhischaracter，gatheredsuchstrengthinhistwentiethyear，astoafflicthiminadreadfulmanner。WhilehewasatLichfield，inthecollegevacationoftheyear1729，hefelthimselfoverwhelmedwithanhorriblehypochondria，withperpetualirritation，fretfulness，andimpatience；andwithadejection，gloom，anddespair，whichmadeexistencemisery。Fromthisdismalmaladyheneverafterwardswasperfectlyrelieved；andallhislabours，andallhisenjoyments，werebuttemporaryinterruptionsofitsbalefulinfluence。HetoldMr。Paradisethathewassometimessolanguidandinefficient，thathecouldnotdistinguishthehouruponthetown-clock。
Johnson，uponthefirstviolentattackofthisdisorder，strovetoovercomeitbyforcibleexertions。HefrequentlywalkedtoBirminghamandbackagain，andtriedmanyotherexpedients，butallinvain。Hisexpressionconcerningittomewas’Ididnotthenknowhowtomanageit。’Hisdistressbecamesointolerable，thatheappliedtoDr。Swinfen，physicianinLichfield，hisgod-father，andputintohishandsastateofhiscase，writteninLatin。Dr。
Swinfenwassomuchstruckwiththeextraordinaryacuteness，research，andeloquenceofthispaper，thatinhiszealforhisgodsonheshewedittoseveralpeople。Hisdaughter，Mrs。
Desmoulins，whowasmanyyearshumanelysupportedinDr。Johnson’shouseinLondon，toldme，thatuponhisdiscoveringthatDr。
Swinfenhadcommunicatedhiscase，hewassomuchoffended，thathewasneverafterwardsfullyreconciledtohim。Heindeedhadgoodreasontobeoffended；forthoughDr。Swinfen’smotivewasgood，heinconsideratelybetrayedamatterdeeplyinterestingandofgreatdelicacy，whichhadbeenentrustedtohiminconfidence；andexposedacomplaintofhisyoungfriendandpatient，which，inthesuperficialopinionofthegeneralityofmankind，isattendedwithcontemptanddisgrace。
ToJohnson，whosesupremeenjoymentwastheexerciseofhisreason，thedisturbanceorobscurationofthatfacultywastheevilmosttobedreaded。Insanity，therefore，wastheobjectofhismostdismalapprehension；andhefanciedhimselfseizedbyit，orapproachingtoit，attheverytimewhenhewasgivingproofsofamorethanordinarysoundnessandvigourofjudgement。Thathisowndiseasedimaginationshouldhavesofardeceivedhim，isstrange；butitisstrangerstillthatsomeofhisfriendsshouldhavegivencredittohisgroundlessopinion，whentheyhadsuchundoubtedproofsthatitwastotallyfallacious；thoughitisbynomeanssurprisingthatthosewhowishtodepreciatehim，should，sincehisdeath，havelaidholdofthiscircumstance，andinsisteduponitwithveryunfairaggravation。
Thehistoryofhismindastoreligionisanimportantarticle。I
havementionedtheearlyimpressionsmadeuponhistenderimaginationbyhismother，whocontinuedherpiouscarewithassiduity，but，inhisopinion，notwithjudgement。’SundaysaidhewasaheavydaytomewhenIwasaboy。Mymotherconfinedmeonthatday，andmademeread“TheWholeDutyofMan，“fromagreatpartofwhichIcouldderivenoinstruction。When，forinstance，I
hadreadthechapterontheft，whichfrommyinfancyIhadbeentaughtwaswrong，Iwasnomoreconvincedthattheftwaswrongthanbefore；sotherewasnoaccessionofknowledge。Aboyshouldbeintroducedtosuchbooks，byhavinghisattentiondirectedtothearrangement，tothestyle，andotherexcellenciesofcomposition；
thatthemindbeingthusengagedbyanamusingvarietyofobjects，maynotgrowweary。’
Hecommunicatedtomethefollowingparticularsuponthesubjectofhisreligiousprogress。’Ifellintoaninattentiontoreligion，oranindifferenceaboutit，inmyninthyear。ThechurchatLichfield，inwhichwehadaseat，wantedreparation，soIwastogoandfindaseatinotherchurches；andhavingbadeyes，andbeingawkwardaboutthis，IusedtogoandreadinthefieldsonSunday。Thishabitcontinuedtillmyfourteenthyear；andstillI
findagreatreluctancetogotochurch。IthenbecameasortoflaxTALKERagainstreligion，forIdidnotmuchTHINKagainstit；
andthislastedtillIwenttoOxford，whereitwouldnotbeSUFFERED。WhenatOxford，ItookupLaw’sSeriousCalltoaHolyLife，expectingtofinditadullbookassuchbooksgenerallyare，andperhapstolaughatit。ButIfoundLawquiteanovermatchforme；andthiswasthefirstoccasionofmythinkinginearnestofreligion，afterIbecamecapableofrationalinquiry。’
Fromthistimeforwardreligionwasthepredominantobjectofhisthoughts；though，withthejustsentimentsofaconscientiousChristian，helamentedthathispracticeofitsdutiesfellfarshortofwhatitoughttobe。
TheparticularcourseofhisreadingwhileatOxford，andduringthetimeofvacationwhichhepassedathome，cannotbetraced。
Enoughhasbeensaidofhisirregularmodeofstudy。Hetoldmethatfromhisearliestyearshelovedtoreadpoetry，buthardlyeverreadanypoemtoanend；thathereadShakspeareataperiodsoearly，thatthespeechoftheghostinHamletterrifiedhimwhenhewasalone；thatHorace’sOdeswerethecompositionsinwhichhetookmostdelight，anditwaslongbeforehelikedhisEpistlesandSatires。HetoldmewhathereadSOLIDLYatOxfordwasGreek；nottheGrecianhistorians，butHomerandEuripides，andnowandthenalittleEpigram；thatthestudyofwhichhewasthemostfondwasMetaphysicks，buthehadnotreadmuch，eveninthatway。Ialwaysthoughtthathedidhimselfinjusticeinhisaccountofwhathehadread，andthathemusthavebeenspeakingwithreferencetothevastportionofstudywhichispossible，andtowhichafewscholarsinthewholehistoryofliteraturehaveattained；forwhenIonceaskedhimwhetheraperson，whosenameIhavenowforgotten，studiedhard，heanswered’No，Sir；Idonotbelievehestudiedhard。Ineverknewamanwhostudiedhard。Iconclude，indeed，fromtheeffects，thatsomemenhavestudiedhard，asBentleyandClarke。’Tryinghimbythatcriterionuponwhichheformedhisjudgementofothers，wemaybeabsolutelycertain，bothfromhiswritingsandhisconversation，thathisreadingwasveryextensive。
Dr。AdamSmith，thanwhomfewwerebetterjudgesonthissubject，onceobservedtomethat’Johnsonknewmorebooksthananymanalive。’Hehadapeculiarfacilityinseizingatoncewhatwasvaluableinanybook，withoutsubmittingtothelabourofperusingitfrombeginningtoend。Hehad，fromtheirritabilityofhisconstitution，atalltimes，animpatienceandhurrywhenheeitherreadorwrote。Acertainapprehension，arisingfromnovelty，madehimwritehisfirstexerciseatCollegetwiceover；buthenevertookthattroublewithanyothercomposition；andweshallseethathismostexcellentworkswerestruckoffataheat，withrapidexertion。
Nomanhadamoreardentloveofliterature，orahigherrespectforitthanJohnson。HisapartmentinPembrokeCollegewasthatuponthesecondfloor，overthegateway。Theenthusiastsoflearningwillevercontemplateitwithveneration。Oneday，whilehewassittinginitquitealone，Dr。Panting，thenmasteroftheCollege，whomhecalled’afineJacobitefellow，’overheardhimutteringthissoliloquyinhisstrong，emphatickvoice：’Well，I
haveamindtoseewhatisdoneinotherplacesoflearning。I’llgoandvisittheUniversitiesabroad。I’llgotoFranceandItaly。
I’llgotoPadua——AndI’llmindmybusiness。ForanAthenianblockheadistheworstofallblockheads。’
Dr。AdamstoldmethatJohnson，whilehewasatPembrokeCollege，’wascaressedandlovedbyallabouthim，wasagayandfrolicksomefellow，andpassedtherethehappiestpartofhislife。’Butthisisastrikingproofofthefallacyofappearances，andhowlittleanyofusknowoftherealinternalstateevenofthosewhomweseemostfrequently；forthetruthis，thathewasthendepressedbypoverty，andirritatedbydisease。WhenImentionedtohimthisaccountasgivenmebyDr。Adams，hesaid；’Ah，Sir，Iwasmadandviolent。Itwasbitternesswhichtheymistookforfrolick。Iwasmiserablypoor，andIthoughttofightmywaybymyliteratureandmywit；soIdisregardedallpowerandallauthority。’
TheBishopofDromoreobservesinalettertome，’Thepleasurehetookinvexingthetutorsandfellowshasbeenoftenmentioned。ButIhaveheardhimsay，whatoughttoberecordedtothehonourofthepresentvenerablemasterofthatCollege，theReverendWilliamAdams，D。D。，whowasthenveryyoung，andoneofthejuniorfellows；thatthemildbutjudiciousexpostulationsofthisworthyman，whosevirtueawedhim，andwhoselearningherevered，madehimreallyashamedofhimself，“thoughI
fearsaidheIwastooproudtoownit。“
’IhaveheardfromsomeofhiscotemporariesthathewasgenerallyseenloungingattheCollegegate，withacircleofyoungstudentsroundhim，whomhewasentertainingwithwit，andkeepingfromtheirstudies，ifnotspiritingthemuptorebellionagainsttheCollegediscipline，whichinhismatureryearshesomuchextolled。’
Idonotfindthatheformedanycloseintimacieswithhisfellow-
collegians。ButDr。AdamstoldmethathecontractedaloveandregardforPembrokeCollege，whichheretainedtothelast。A
shorttimebeforehisdeathhesenttothatCollegeapresentofallhisworks，tobedepositedintheirlibrary；andhehadthoughtsofleavingtoithishouseatLichfield；buthisfriendswhowereabouthimveryproperlydissuadedhimfromit，andhebequeathedittosomepoorrelations。HetookapleasureinboastingofthemanyeminentmenwhohadbeeneducatedatPembroke。