AcircumstancewhichcouldnotfailtobeverypleasingtoJohnsonoccurredthisyear。TheTragedyofSirThomasOverbury，writtenbyhisearlycompanioninLondon，RichardSavage，wasbroughtoutwithalterationsatDrury-lanetheatre。TheProloguetoitwaswrittenbyMr。RichardBrinsleySheridan；inwhich，afterdescribingverypatheticallythewretchednessof’Ill-fatedSavage，atwhosebirthwasgiv’nNoparentbuttheMuse，nofriendbutHeav’n：’
heintroducedanelegantcomplimenttoJohnsononhisDictionary，thatwonderfulperformancewhichcannotbetoooftenortoohighlypraised；ofwhichMr。Harris，inhisPhilologicalInquiries，justlyandliberallyobserves：’Suchisitsmerit，thatourlanguagedoesnotpossessamorecopious，learned，andvaluablework。’TheconcludinglinesofthisProloguewerethese：——
’SopleadsthetalethatgivestofuturetimesTheson’smisfortunesandtheparent’scrimes；
Thereshallhisfameifown’dto-nightsurvive，Fix’dbyTHEHANDTHATBIDSOURLANGUAGELIVE。’
Mr。Sheridanhereatoncedidhonourtohistasteandtohisliberalityofsentiment，byshewingthathewasnotprejudicedfromtheunluckydifferencewhichhadtakenplacebetweenhisworthyfatherandDr。Johnson。Ihavealreadymentioned，thatJohnsonwasverydesirousofreconciliationwitholdMr。Sheridan。Itwill，therefore，notseematallsurprizingthathewaszealousinacknowledgingthebrilliantmeritofhisson。Whileithadasyetbeendisplayedonlyinthedrama，JohnsonproposedhimasamemberofTHELITERARYCLUB，observing，that’Hewhohaswrittenthetwobestcomediesofhisage，issurelyaconsiderableman。’Andhehad，accordingly，thehonourtobeelected；foranhonouritundoubtedlymustbeallowedtobe，whenitisconsideredofwhomthatsocietyconsists，andthatasingleblackballexcludesacandidate。
Onthe23rdofJune，IagainwrotetoDr。Johnson，enclosingaship-master’sreceiptforajaroforange-marmalade，andalargepacketofLordHailes’sAnnalsofScotland。
’DR。JOHNSONTOMRS。BOSWELL。
’MADAM，——ThoughIamwellenoughpleasedwiththetasteofsweetmeats，verylittleofthepleasurewhichIreceivedatthearrivalofyourjarofmarmaladearosefromeatingit。Ireceiveditasatokenoffriendship，asaproofofreconciliation，thingsmuchsweeterthansweetmeats，anduponthisconsiderationIreturnyou，dearMadam，mysincerestthanks。ByhavingyourkindnessI
thinkIhaveadoublesecurityforthecontinuanceofMr。
Boswell’s，whichitisnottobeexpectedthatanymancanlongkeep，whentheinfluenceofaladysohighlyandsojustlyvaluedoperatesagainsthim。Mr。BoswellwilltellyouthatIwasalwaysfaithfultoyourinterest，andalwaysendeavouredtoexaltyouinhisestimation。Youmustnowdothesameforme。Wemustallhelponeanother，andyoumustnowconsiderme，as，dearMadam，yourmostobliged，andmosthumbleservant，’July22，1777。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
’ToJAMESBOSWELL，ESQ。
’DEARSIR，——IamthisdaycometoAshbourne，andhaveonlytotellyou，thatDr。Taylorsaysyoushallbewelcometohim，andyouknowhowwelcomeyouwillbetome。Makehastetoletmeknowwhenyoumaybeexpected。
’MakemycomplimentstoMrs。Boswell，andtellher，Ihopeweshallbeatvariancenomore。Iam，dearSir，yourmosthumbleservant，’August30，1777。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
OnSundayevening，Sept。14，IarrivedatAshbourne，anddrovedirectlyuptoDr。Taylor’sdoor。Dr。JohnsonandheappearedbeforeIhadgotoutofthepost-chaise，andwelcomedmecordially。
ItoldthemthatIhadtravelledalltheprecedingnight，andgonetobedatLeekinStaffordshire；andthatwhenIrosetogotochurchintheafternoon，Iwasinformedtherehadbeenanearthquake，ofwhich，itseems，theshockhadbeenfeltinsomedegreeatAshbourne。JOHNSON。’Siritwillbemuchexaggeratedinpopulartalk：for，inthefirstplace，thecommonpeopledonotaccuratelyadapttheirthoughtstotheobjects；nor，secondly，dotheyaccuratelyadapttheirwordstotheirthoughts：theydonotmeantolie；but，takingnopainstobeexact，theygiveyouveryfalseaccounts。Agreatpartoftheirlanguageisproverbial。Ifanythingrocksatall，theysayitrockslikeacradle；andinthiswaytheygoon。
Thesubjectofgriefforthelossofrelationsandfriendsbeingintroduced，Iobservedthatitwasstrangetoconsiderhowsoonitingeneralwearsaway。Dr。TaylormentionedagentlemanoftheneighbourhoodastheonlyinstancehehadeverknownofapersonwhohadendeavouredtoRETAINgrief。HetoldDr。Taylor，thatafterhisLady’sdeath，whichaffectedhimdeeply，heRESOLVEDthatthegrief，whichhecherishedwithakindofsacredfondness，shouldbelasting；butthathefoundhecouldnotkeepitlong。
JOHNSON。’Allgriefforwhatcannotinthecourseofnaturebehelped，soonwearsaway；insomesooner，indeed，insomelater；butitnevercontinuesverylong，unlesswherethereismadness，suchaswillmakeamanhavepridesofixedinhismind，astoimaginehimselfaKing；oranyotherpassioninanunreasonableway：forallunnecessarygriefisunwise，andthereforewillnotbelongretainedbyasoundmind。If，indeed，thecauseofourgriefisoccasionedbyourownmisconduct，ifgriefismingledwithremorseofconscience，itshouldbelasting。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，wedonotapproveofamanwhoverysoonforgetsthelossofawifeorafriend。’JOHNSON。’Sir，wedisapproveofhim，notbecausehesoonforgetshisgrief，forthesooneritisforgottenthebetter，butbecausewesuppose，thatifheforgetshiswifeorhisfriendsoon，hehasnothadmuchaffectionforthem。’
IwassomewhatdisappointedinfindingthattheeditionofTheEnglishPoets，forwhichhewastowritePrefacesandLives，wasnotanundertakingdirectedbyhim：butthathewastofurnishaPrefaceandLifetoanypoetthebooksellerspleased。Iaskedhimifhewoulddothistoanydunce’sworks，iftheyshouldaskhim。
JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，andSAYhewasadunce。’Myfriendseemednownotmuchtorelishtalkingofthisedition。
Afterbreakfast，*JohnsoncarriedmetoseethegardenbelongingtotheschoolofAshbourne，whichisveryprettilyformeduponabank，risinggraduallybehindthehouse。TheReverendMr。Langley，thehead-master，accompaniedus。
*Nextmorning——ED。
WehadwithusatdinnerseveralofDr。Taylor’sneighbours，goodcivilgentlemen，whoseemedtounderstandDr。Johnsonverywell，andnottoconsiderhiminthelightthatacertainpersondid，whobeingstruck，orratherstunnedbyhisvoiceandmanner，whenhewasafterwardsaskedwhathethoughtofhim，answered。’He’satremendouscompanion。’
Johnsontoldme，that’Taylorwasaverysensibleacuteman，andhadastrongmind；thathehadgreatactivityinsomerespects，andyetsuchasortofindolence，thatifyoushouldputapebbleuponhischimney-piece，youwouldfinditthere，inthesamestate，ayearafterwards。’
AndhereistheproperplacetogiveanaccountofJohnson’shumaneandzealousinterferenceinbehalfoftheReverendDr。WilliamDodd，formerlyPrebendaryofBrecon，andchaplaininordinarytohisMajesty；celebratedasaverypopularpreacher，anencouragerofcharitableinstitutions，andauthourofavarietyofworks，chieflytheological。Havingunhappilycontractedexpensivehabitsofliving，partlyoccasionedbylicentiousnessofmanners，heinanevilhour，whenpressedbywantofmoney，anddreadinganexposureofhiscircumstances，forgedabondofwhichheattemptedtoavailhimselftosupporthiscredit，flatteringhimselfwithhopesthathemightbeabletorepayitsamountwithoutbeingdetected。Theperson，whosenamehethusrashlyandcriminallypresumedtofalsify，wastheEarlofChesterfield，towhomhehadbeentutor，andwho，heperhaps，inthewarmthofhisfeelings，flatteredhimselfwouldhavegenerouslypaidthemoneyincaseofanalarmbeingtaken，ratherthansufferhimtofallavictimtothedreadfulconsequencesofviolatingthelawagainstforgery，themostdangerouscrimeinacommercialcountry；buttheunfortunatedivinehadthemortificationtofindthathewasmistaken。Hisnoblepupilappearedagainsthim，andhewascapitallyconvicted。
JohnsontoldmethatDr。Doddwasverylittleacquaintedwithhim，havingbeenbutonceinhiscompany，manyyearsprevioustothisperiodwhichwaspreciselythestateofmyownacquaintancewithDodd；butinhisdistresshebethoughthimselfofJohnson’spersuasivepowerofwriting，ifhaplyitmightavailtoobtainforhimtheRoyalMercy。Hedidnotapplytohimdirectly，but，extraordinaryasitmayseem，throughthelateCountessofHarrington，whowrotealettertoJohnson，askinghimtoemployhispeninfavourofDodd。Mr。Allen，theprinter，whowasJohnson’slandlordandnextneighbourinBolt-court，andforwhomhehadmuchkindness，wasoneofDodd’sfriends，ofwhomtothecreditofhumanitybeitrecorded，thathehadmanywhodidnotdeserthim，evenafterhisinfringementofthelawhadreducedhimtothestateofamanundersentenceofdeath。Mr。AllentoldmethathecarriedLadyHarrington’slettertoJohnson，thatJohnsonreaditwalkingupanddownhischamber，andseemedmuchagitated，afterwhichhesaid，’IwilldowhatIcan；’——andcertainlyhedidmakeextraordinaryexertions。
Hethisevening，ashehadobliginglypromisedinoneofhisletters，putintomyhandsthewholeseriesofhiswritingsuponthismelancholyoccasion。
Dr。Johnsonwroteinthefirstplace，Dr。Dodd’sSpeechtotheRecorderofLondon，attheOld-Bailey，whensentenceofdeathwasabouttobepronounceduponhim。
HewrotealsoTheConvict’sAddresstohisunhappyBrethren，asermondeliveredbyDr。Dodd，inthechapelofNewgate。
TheotherpiecesmentionedbyJohnsonintheabove-mentionedcollection，aretwoletters，onetotheLordChancellorBathurst，notLordNorth，asiserroneouslysupposed，andonetoLordMansfield；——APetitionfromDr。DoddtotheKing；——APetitionfromMrs。DoddtotheQueen；——Observationsofsomelengthinsertedinthenews-papers，onoccasionofEarlPercy’shavingpresentedtohisMajestyapetitionformercytoDodd，signedbytwentythousandpeople，butallinvain。HetoldmethathehadalsowrittenapetitionfromthecityofLondon；’butsaidhe，withasignificantsmiletheyMENDEDit。’
ThelastofthesearticleswhichJohnsonwroteisDr。Dodd’slastsolemnDeclaration，whichheleftwiththesheriffattheplaceofexecution。
IfoundalettertoDr。JohnsonfromDr。Dodd，May23，1777，inwhichTheConvict’sAddressseemsclearlytobemeant。
’Iamsopenetrated，myeverdearSir，withasenseofyourextremebenevolencetowardsme，thatIcannotfindwordsequaltothesentimentsofmyheart……’
OnSunday，June22，hewrites，beggingDr。Johnson’sassistanceinframingasupplicatorylettertohisMajesty。