第12章

’Thereisoneexpedientbywhichyoumay，insomedegree，continueherpresence。Ifyouwritedownminutelywhatyourememberofherfromyourearliestyears，youwillreaditwithgreatpleasure，andreceivefromitmanyhintsofsoothingrecollection，whentimeshallremoveheryetfartherfromyou，andyourgriefshallbematuredtoveneration。Tothis，howeverpainfulforthepresent，I

cannotbutadviseyou，astoasourceofcomfortandsatisfactioninthetimetocome；forallcomfortandallsatisfactionissincerelywishedyouby，dearSir，yourmostobliged，mostobedient，andmosthumbleservant，’SAM。JOHNSON。’

TheRamblerhasincreasedinfameasinage。Soonafteritsfirstfolioeditionwasconcluded，itwaspublishedinsixduodecimovolumes；anditsauthourlivedtoseetennumerouseditionsofitinLondon，besidethoseofIrelandandScotland。

ThestyleofJohnsonwas，undoubtedly，muchformeduponthatofthegreatwritersinthelastcentury，Hooker，Bacon，Sanderson，Hakewell，andothers；those’GIANTS，’astheywerewellcharacterisedbyAGREATPERSONAGE，whoseauthority，wereItonamehim，wouldstampareverenceontheopinion。

Johnsonassuredme，thathehadnottakenuponhimtoaddmorethanfourorfivewordstotheEnglishlanguage，ofhisownformation；

andhewasverymuchoffendedatthegenerallicence，bynomeans’modestlytaken’inhistimenotonlytocoinnewwords，buttousemanywordsinsensesquitedifferentfromtheirestablishedmeaning，andthosefrequentlyveryfantastical。

SirThomasBrown，whoselifeJohnsonwrote，wasremarkablyfondofAnglo-Latindiction；andtohisexamplewearetoascribeJohnson’ssometimesindulginghimselfinthiskindofphraseology。Johnson’scomprehensionofmindwasthemouldforhislanguage。Hadhisconceptionsbeennarrower，hisexpressionwouldhavebeeneasier。

Hissentenceshaveadignifiedmarch；and，itiscertain，thathisexamplehasgivenageneralelevationtothelanguageofhiscountry，formanyofourbestwritershaveapproachedveryneartohim；and，fromtheinfluencewhichhehashaduponourcomposition，scarcelyanythingiswrittennowthatisnotbetterexpressedthanwasusualbeforeheappearedtoleadthenationaltaste。

ThoughTheRamblerwasnotconcludedtilltheyear1752，Ishall，underthisyear，sayallthatIhavetoobserveuponit。Someofthetranslationsofthemottosbyhimselfareadmirablydone。Heacknowledgestohavereceived’eleganttranslations’ofmanyofthemfromMr。JamesElphinston；andsomeareveryhappilytranslatedbyaMr。F。Lewis，ofwhomIneverheardmore，exceptthatJohnsonthusdescribedhimtoMr。Malone：’Sir，helivedinLondon，andhunglooseuponsociety。’

HisjustabhorrenceofMilton’spoliticalnotionswaseverstrong。

ButthisdidnotpreventhiswarmadmirationofMilton’sgreatpoeticalmerit，towhichhehasdoneillustriousjustice，beyondallwhohavewrittenuponthesubject。AndthisyearhenotonlywroteaPrologue，whichwasspokenbyMr。GarrickbeforetheactingofComusatDrury-lanetheatre，forthebenefitofMilton’sgrand-

daughter，buttookaveryzealousinterestinthesuccessofthecharity。

1751：AETAT。42。]——In1751wearetoconsiderhimascarryingonbothhisDictionaryandRambler。

ThoughJohnson’scircumstanceswereatthistimefarfrombeingeasy，hishumaneandcharitabledispositionwasconstantlyexertingitself。Mrs。AnnaWilliams，daughterofaveryingeniousWelshphysician，andawomanofmorethanordinarytalentsandliterature，havingcometoLondoninhopesofbeingcuredofacataractinbothhereyes，whichafterwardsendedintotalblindness，waskindlyreceivedasaconstantvisitorathishousewhileMrs。Johnsonlived；andafterherdeath，havingcomeunderhisroofinordertohaveanoperationuponhereyesperformedwithmorecomforttoherthaninlodgings，shehadanapartmentfromhimduringtherestofherlife，atalltimeswhenhehadahouse。

1752：AETAT。43。]——In1752hewasalmostentirelyoccupiedwithhisDictionary。ThelastpaperofhisRamblerwaspublishedMarch2，thisyear；afterwhich，therewasacessationforsometimeofanyexertionofhistalentsasanessayist。But，inthesameyear，Dr。

Hawkesworth，whowashiswarmadmirer，andastudiousimitatorofhisstyle，andthenlivedingreatintimacywithhim，beganaperiodicalpaper，entitledTheAdventurer，inconnectionwithothergentlemen，oneofwhomwasJohnson’smuch-belovedfriend，Dr。

Bathurst；and，withoutdoubt，theyreceivedmanyvaluablehintsfromhisconversation，mostofhisfriendshavingbeensoassistedinthecourseoftheirworks。

Thatthereshouldbeasuspensionofhisliterarylaboursduringapartoftheyear1752，willnotseemstrange，whenitisconsideredthatsoonafterclosinghisRambler，hesufferedalosswhich，therecanbenodoubt，affectedhimwiththedeepestdistress。Foronthe17thofMarch，O。S。，hiswifedied。

ThefollowingverysolemnandaffectingprayerwasfoundafterDr。

Johnson’sdecease，byhisservant，Mr。FrancisBarber，whodeliveredittomyworthyfriendtheReverendMr。Strahan，VicarofIslington，whoatmyearnestrequesthasobliginglyfavouredmewithacopyofit，whichheandIcomparedwiththeoriginal：

’April26，1752，beingafter12atNightofthe25th。

’OLord!Governourofheavenandearth，inwhosehandsareembodiedanddepartedSpirits，ifthouhastordainedtheSoulsoftheDeadtoministertotheLiving，andappointedmydepartedWifetohavecareofme，grantthatImayenjoythegoodeffectsofherattentionandministration，whetherexercisedbyappearance，impulses，dreamsorinanyothermanneragreeabletothyGovernment。Forgivemypresumption，enlightenmyignorance，andhowevermeaneragentsareemployed，grantmetheblessedinfluencesofthyholySpirit，throughJesusChristourLord。Amen。’

Thathisloveforhiswifewasofthemostardentkind，and，duringthelongperiodoffiftyyears，wasunimpairedbythelapseoftime，isevidentfromvariouspassagesintheseriesofhisPrayersandMeditations，publishedbytheReverendMr。Strahan，aswellasfromothermemorials，twoofwhichIselect，asstronglymarkingthetendernessandsensibilityofhismind。

’March28，1753。IkeptthisdayastheanniversaryofmyTetty’sdeath，withprayerandtearsinthemorning。IntheeveningI

prayedforherconditionally，ifitwerelawful。’

’April23，1753。IknownotwhetherIdonottoomuchindulgethevainlongingsofaffection；butIhopetheyinteneratemyheart，andthatwhenIdielikemyTetty，thisaffectionwillbeacknowledgedinahappyinterview，andthatinthemeantimeIamincitedbyittopiety。Iwill，however，notdeviatetoomuchfromcommonandreceivedmethodsofdevotion。’

Herweddingring，whenshebecamehiswife，was，afterherdeath，preservedbyhim，aslongashelived，withanaffectionatecare，inalittleroundwoodenbox，intheinsideofwhichhepastedaslipofpaper，thusinscribedbyhiminfaircharacters，asfollows：

’Eheu!

Eliz。JohnsonNuptaJul。91736，Mortua，eheu!

Mart。171752。’

Afterhisdeath，Mr。FrancisBarber，hisfaithfulservantandresiduarylegatee，offeredthismemorialoftendernesstoMrs。LucyPorter，Mrs。Johnson’sdaughter；butshehavingdeclinedtoacceptofit，hehaditenamelledasamourningringforhisoldmaster，andpresentedittohiswife，Mrs。Barber，whonowhasit。

Ihave，indeed，beentoldbyMrs。Desmoulins，who，beforehermarriage，livedforsometimewithMrs。JohnsonatHampstead，thatsheindulgedherselfincountryairandniceliving，atanunsuitableexpense，whileherhusbandwasdrudginginthesmokeofLondon，andthatshebynomeanstreatedhimwiththatcomplacencywhichisthemostengagingqualityinawife。Butallthisisperfectlycompatiblewithhisfondnessforher，especiallywhenitisrememberedthathehadahighopinionofherunderstanding，andthattheimpressionswhichherbeauty，realorimaginary，hadoriginallymadeuponhisfancy，beingcontinuedbyhabit，hadnotbeeneffaced，thoughsheherselfwasdoubtlessmuchalteredfortheworse。Thedreadfulshockofseparationtookplaceinthenight；

andheimmediatelydispatchedalettertohisfriend，theReverendDr。Taylor，which，asTaylortoldme，expressedgriefinthestrongestmannerhehadeverread；sothatitismuchtoberegrettedithasnotbeenpreserved。TheletterwasbroughttoDr。

Taylor，athishouseintheCloisters，Westminster，aboutthreeinthemorning；andasitsignifiedanearnestdesiretoseehim，hegotup，andwenttoJohnsonassoonashewasdressed，andfoundhimintearsandinextremeagitation。Afterbeingalittlewhiletogether，Johnsonrequestedhimtojoinwithhiminprayer。Hethenprayedextempore，asdidDr。Taylor；andthus，bymeansofthatpietywhichwaseverhisprimaryobject，histroubledmindwas，insomedegree，soothedandcomposed。

Thenextdayhewroteasfollows：

’ToTHEREVERENDDR。TAYLOR。

’DEARSIR，——Letmehaveyourcompanyandinstruction。Donotliveawayfromme。Mydistressisgreat。

’PraydesireMrs。TaylortoinformmewhatmourningIshouldbuyformymotherandMissPorter，andbringanoteinwritingwithyou。

’Remembermeinyourprayers，forvainisthehelpofman。Iam，dearSir，&c。

’March18，1752。’

’SAM。JOHNSON。’