Everythingthoudostshewstheone，andeverythingthousay’sttheother。’Atanothertimehesaidtohim，’Thybodyisallvice，andthymindallvirtue。’Beauclerknotseemingtorelishthecompliment，Johnsonsaid，’Nay，Sir，AlexandertheGreat，marchingintriumphintoBabylon，couldnothavedesiredtohavehadmoresaidtohim。’
JohnsonwassometimewithBeauclerkathishouseatWindsor，wherehewasentertainedwithexperimentsinnaturalphilosophy。OneSunday，whentheweatherwasveryfine，Beauclerkenticedhim，insensibly，tosaunteraboutallthemorning。Theywentintoachurch-yard，inthetimeofdivineservice，andJohnsonlaidhimselfdownathiseaseupononeofthetomb-stones。’Now，Sir，saidBeauclerkyouarelikeHogarth’sIdleApprentice。’WhenJohnsongothispension，Beauclerksaidtohim，inthehumorousphraseofFalstaff，’Ihopeyou’llnowpurgeandlivecleanlylikeagentleman。’
OnenightwhenBeauclerkandLangtonhadsuppedatataverninLondon，andsattillaboutthreeinthemorning，itcameintotheirheadstogoandknockupJohnson，andseeiftheycouldprevailonhimtojointheminaramble。TheyrappedviolentlyatthedoorofhischambersintheTemple，tillatlastheappearedinhisshirt，withhislittleblackwigonthetopofhishead，insteadofanightcap，andapokerinhishand，imagining，probably，thatsomeruffianswerecomingtoattackhim。Whenhediscoveredwhotheywere，andwastoldtheirerrand，hesmiled，andwithgreatgoodhumouragreedtotheirproposal：’What，isityou，youdogs!I’llhaveafriskwithyou。’Hewassoondrest，andtheysalliedforthtogetherintoCovent-Garden，wherethegreengrocersandfruitererswerebeginningtoarrangetheirhampers，justcomeinfromthecountry。Johnsonmadesomeattemptstohelpthem；butthehonestgardenersstaredsoathisfigureandmanner，andoddinterference，thathesoonsawhisserviceswerenotrelished。Theythenrepairedtooneoftheneighbouringtaverns，andmadeabowlofthatliquorcalledBishop，whichJohnsonhadalwaysliked；whileinjoyouscontemptofsleep，fromwhichhehadbeenroused，herepeatedthefestivelines，’Short，Oshortthenbethyreign，Andgiveustotheworldagain!’
Theydidnotstaylong，butwalkeddowntotheThames，tookaboat，androwedtoBillingsgate。BeauclerkandJohnsonweresowellpleasedwiththeiramusement，thattheyresolvedtopersevereindissipationfortherestoftheday：butLangtondesertedthem，beingengagedtobreakfastwithsomeyoungLadies。Johnsonscoldedhimfor’leavinghissocialfriends，togoandsitwithasetofwretchedUN-IDEA’Dgirls。’Garrickbeingtoldofthisramble，saidtohimsmartly，’Iheardofyourfrolickt’othernight。You’llbeintheChronicle。’UponwhichJohnsonafterwardsobserved，’HE
durstnotdosuchathing。HisWIFEwouldnotLEThim!’
1753：AETAT。44。]——Heentereduponthisyear1753withhisusualpiety，asappearsfromthefollowingprayer，whichItranscribedfromthatpartofhisdiarywhichheburntafewdaysbeforehisdeath：
’Jan。1，1753，N。S。whichIshalluseforthefuture。
’AlmightyGod，whohastcontinuedmylifetothisday，grantthat，bytheassistanceofthyHolySpirit，Imayimprovethetimewhichthoushaltgrantme，tomyeternalsalvation。Makemetoremember，tothyglory，thyjudgementsandthymercies。Makemesotoconsiderthelossofmywife，whomthouhasttakenfromme，thatitmaydisposeme，bythygrace，toleadtheresidueofmylifeinthyfear。Grantthis，OLORD，forJESUSCHRIST’Ssake。Amen。’
HenowrelievedthedrudgeryofhisDictionary，andthemelancholyofhisgrief，bytakinganactivepartinthecompositionofTheAdventurer，inwhichhebegantowriteApril10。
InoneofthebooksofhisdiaryIfindthefollowingentry：
’Apr。3，1753。Ibeganthesecondvol。ofmyDictionary，roombeingleftinthefirstforPreface，Grammar，andHistory，noneofthemyetbegun。
’OGod，whohasthithertosupportedme，enablemetoproceedinthislabour，andinthewholetaskofmypresentstate；thatwhenI
shallrenderup，atthelastday，anaccountofthetalentcommittedtome，Imayreceivepardon，forthesakeofJESUS
CHRIST。Amen。’
1754：AETAT。45。]——TheDictionary，wemaybelieve，affordedJohnsonfulloccupationthisyear。Asitapproachedtoitsconclusion，heprobablyworkedwithredoubledvigour，asseamenincreasetheirexertionandalacritywhentheyhaveanearprospectoftheirhaven。
LordChesterfield，towhomJohnsonhadpaidthehighcomplimentofaddressingtohisLordshipthePlanofhisDictionary，hadbehavedtohiminsuchamannerastoexcitehiscontemptandindignation。
Theworldhasbeenformanyyearsamusedwithastoryconfidentlytold，andasconfidentlyrepeatedwithadditionalcircumstances，thatasuddendisgustwastakenbyJohnsonuponoccasionofhishavingbeenonedaykeptlonginwaitinginhisLordship’santechamber，forwhichthereasonassignedwas，thathehadcompanywithhim；andthatatlast，whenthedooropened，outwalkedColleyCibber；andthatJohnsonwassoviolentlyprovokedwhenhefoundforwhomhehadbeensolongexcluded，thathewentawayinapassion，andneverwouldreturn。IrememberhavingmentionedthisstorytoGeorgeLordLyttelton，whotoldme，hewasveryintimatewithLordChesterfield；andholdingitasawell-knowntruth，defendedLordChesterfield，bysaying，that’Cibber，whohadbeenintroducedfamiliarlybytheback-stairs，hadprobablynotbeenthereabovetenminutes。’Itmayseemstrangeeventoentertainadoubtconcerningastorysolongandsowidelycurrent，andthusimplicitlyadopted，ifnotsanctioned，bytheauthoritywhichI
havementioned；butJohnsonhimselfassuredme，thattherewasnottheleastfoundationforit。Hetoldme，thatthereneverwasanyparticularincidentwhichproducedaquarrelbetweenLordChesterfieldandhim；butthathisLordship’scontinuedneglectwasthereasonwhyheresolvedtohavenoconnectionwithhim。WhentheDictionarywasupontheeveofpublication，LordChesterfield，who，itissaid，hadflatteredhimselfwithexpectationsthatJohnsonwoulddedicatetheworktohim，attempted，inacourtlymanner，tosooth，andinsinuatehimselfwiththeSage，conscious，asitshouldseem，ofthecoldindifferencewithwhichhehadtreateditslearnedauthour；andfurtherattemptedtoconciliatehim，bywritingtwopapersinTheWorld，inrecommendationofthework；anditmustbeconfessed，thattheycontainsomestudiedcompliments，sofinelyturned，thatiftherehadbeennopreviousoffence，itisprobablethatJohnsonwouldhavebeenhighlydelighted。*Praise，ingeneral，waspleasingtohim；butbypraisefromamanofrankandelegantaccomplishments，hewaspeculiarlygratified。
*Boswellcouldnothavereadthesecondpapercarefully。ItissillyandindecentandwascertaintooffendJohnson——ED。
Thiscourtlydevicefailedofitseffect。Johnson，whothoughtthat’allwasfalseandhollow，’despisedthehoneyedwords，andwasevenindignantthatLordChesterfieldshould，foramoment，imaginethathecouldbethedupeofsuchanartifice。HisexpressiontomeconcerningLordChesterfield，uponthisoccasion，was，’Sir，aftermakinggreatprofessions，hehad，formanyyears，takennonoticeofme；butwhenmyDictionarywascomingout，hefellascribblinginTheWorldaboutit。Uponwhich，Iwrotehimaletterexpressedincivilterms，butsuchasmightshewhimthatI
didnotmindwhathesaidorwrote，andthatIhaddonewithhim。’
Thisisthatcelebratedletterofwhichsomuchhasbeensaid，andaboutwhichcuriosityhasbeensolongexcited，withoutbeinggratified。IformanyyearssolicitedJohnsontofavourmewithacopyofit，thatsoexcellentacompositionmightnotbelosttoposterity。Hedelayedfromtimetotimetogiveitme；tillatlastin1781，whenwewereonavisitatMr。Dilly’s，atSouthillinBedfordshire，hewaspleasedtodictateittomefrommemory。
Heafterwardsfoundamonghispapersacopyofit，whichhehaddictatedtoMr。Baretti，withitstitleandcorrections，inhisownhandwriting。ThishegavetoMr。Langton；addingthatifitweretocomeintoprint，hewishedittobefromthatcopy。ByMr。
Langton’skindness，Iamenabledtoenrichmyworkwithaperfecttranscriptofwhattheworldhassoeagerlydesiredtosee。
’TOTHERIGHTHONOURABLETHEEARLORCHESTERFIELD
’February7，1755。
’MYLORD，Ihavebeenlatelyinformed，bytheproprietorofTheWorld，thattwopapers，inwhichmyDictionaryisrecommendedtothepublick，werewrittenbyyourLordship。Tobesodistinguished，isanhonour，which，beingverylittleaccustomedtofavoursfromthegreat，Iknownotwellhowtoreceive，orinwhattermstoacknowledge。
’When，uponsomeslightencouragement，IfirstvisitedyourLordship，Iwasoverpowered，liketherestofmankind，bytheenchantmentofyouraddress；andcouldnotforbeartowishthatI
mightboastmyselfLevainqueurduvainqueurdelaterre；——thatI
mightobtainthatregardforwhichIsawtheworldcontending；butIfoundmyattendancesolittleencouraged，thatneitherpridenormodestywouldsuffermetocontinueit。WhenIhadonceaddressedyourLordshipinpublick，Ihadexhaustedalltheartofpleasingwhicharetiredanduncourtlyscholarcanpossess。IhaddoneallthatIcould；andnomaniswellpleasedtohavehisallneglected，beiteversolittle。
’Sevenyears，myLord，havenowpast，sinceIwaitedinyouroutwardrooms，orwasrepulsedfromyourdoor；duringwhichtimeI
havebeenpushingonmyworkthroughdifficulties，ofwhichitisuselesstocomplain，andhavebroughtit，atlast，tothevergeofpublication，withoutoneactofassistance，onewordofencouragement，oronesmileoffavour。SuchtreatmentIdidnotexpect，forIneverhadaPatronbefore。
’TheshepherdinVirgilgrewatlastacquaintedwithLove，andfoundhimanativeoftherocks。
’IsnotaPatron，myLord，onewholookswithunconcernonamanstrugglingforlifeinthewater，and，whenhehasreachedground，encumbershimwithhelp？Thenoticewhichyouhavebeenpleasedtotakeofmylabours，haditbeenearly，hadbeenkind；butithasbeendelayedtillIamindifferent，andcannotenjoyit；tillIamsolitary，andcannotimpartit；tillIamknown，anddonotwantit。Ihopeitisnoverycynicalasperitynottoconfessobligationswherenobenefithasbeenreceived，ortobeunwillingthatthePublickshouldconsidermeasowingthattoaPatron，whichProvidencehasenabledmetodoformyself。
’Havingcarriedonmyworkthusfarwithsolittleobligationtoanyfavoureroflearning，IshallnotbedisappointedthoughI
shouldconcludeit，iflessbepossible，withless；forIhavebeenlongwakenedfromthatdreamofhope，inwhichIonceboastedmyselfwithsomuchexultation，myLord，yourLordship’smosthumble，mostobedientservant，’SAMJOHNSON。’