第30章

TheHonourableThomasHerveyandhisladyhavingunhappilydisagreed，andbeingabouttoseparate，Johnsoninterferedastheirfriend，andwrotehimaletterofexpostulation，whichIhavenotbeenabletofind；butthesubstanceofitisascertainedbyalettertoJohnsoninanswertoit，whichMr。Herveyprinted。TheoccasionofthiscorrespondencebetweenDr。JohnsonandMr。Harvey，wasthusrelatedtomebyMr。Beauclerk。’TomHarveyhadagreatlikingforJohnson，andinhiswillhadlefthimalegacyoffiftypounds。Onedayhesaidtome，“Johnsonmaywantthismoneynow，morethanafterwards。Ihaveamindtogiveithimdirectly。Willyoubesogoodastocarryafiftypoundnotefrommetohim？“

ThisIpositivelyrefusedtodo，ashemight，perhaps，haveknockedmedownforinsultinghim，andhaveafterwardsputthenoteinhispocket。ButIsaid，ifHarveywouldwritehimaletter，andencloseafiftypoundnote，Ishouldtakecaretodeliverit。Heaccordinglydidwritehimaletter，mentioningthathewasonlypayingalegacyalittlesooner。Tohisletterheadded，“P。S。I

amgoingtopartwithmywife。“Johnsonthenwrotetohim，sayingnothingofthenote，butremonstratingwithhimagainstpartingwithhiswife。’

InFebruary，1767，therehappenedoneofthemostremarkableincidentsofJohnson’slife，whichgratifiedhismonarchicalenthusiasm，andwhichhelovedtorelatewithallitscircumstances，whenrequestedbyhisfriends。ThiswashisbeinghonouredbyaprivateconversationwithhisMajesty，inthelibraryattheQueen’shouse。Hehadfrequentlyvisitedthosesplendidroomsandnoblecollectionofbooks，whichheusedtosaywasmorenumerousandcuriousthanhesupposedanypersoncouldhavemadeinthetimewhichtheKinghademployed。Mr。Barnard，thelibrarian，tookcarethatheshouldhaveeveryaccommodationthatcouldcontributetohiseaseandconvenience，whileindulginghisliterarytasteinthatplace；sothathehadhereaveryagreeableresourceatleisurehours。

HisMajestyhavingbeeninformedofhisoccasionalvisits，waspleasedtosignifyadesirethatheshouldbetoldwhenDr。Johnsoncamenexttothelibrary。Accordingly，thenexttimethatJohnsondidcome，assoonashewasfairlyengagedwithabook，onwhich，whilehesatbythefire，heseemedquiteintent，Mr。BarnardstoleroundtotheapartmentwheretheKingwas，and，inobediencetohisMajesty’scommands，mentionedthatDr。Johnsonwastheninthelibrary。HisMajestysaidhewasatleisure，andwouldgotohim；

uponwhichMr。BarnardtookoneofthecandlesthatstoodontheKing’stable，andlightedhisMajestythroughasuiteofrooms，tilltheycametoaprivatedoorintothelibrary，ofwhichhisMajestyhadthekey。Beingentered，Mr。BarnardsteppedforwardhastilytoDr。Johnson，whowasstillinaprofoundstudy，andwhisperedhim，’Sir，hereistheKing。’Johnsonstartedup，andstoodstill。HisMajestyapproachedhim，andatoncewascourteouslyeasy。

HisMajestybeganbyobserving，thatheunderstoodhecamesometimestothelibrary；andthenmentioninghishavingheardthattheDoctorhadbeenlatelyatOxford，askedhimifhewasnotfondofgoingthither。TowhichJohnsonanswered，thathewasindeedfondofgoingtoOxfordsometimes，butwaslikewisegladtocomebackagain。TheKingthenaskedhimwhattheyweredoingatOxford。Johnsonanswered，hecouldnotmuchcommendtheirdiligence，butthatinsomerespectstheyweremended，fortheyhadputtheirpressunderbetterregulations，andwereatthattimeprintingPolybius。HewasthenaskedwhethertherewerebetterlibrariesatOxfordorCambridge。Heanswered，hebelievedtheBodleianwaslargerthananytheyhadatCambridge；a

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