第105章

WenowbeholdJohnsonforthelasttime，inhisnativecity，forwhichheeverretainedawarmaffection，andwhich，byasuddenapostrophe，underthewordLich，heintroduceswithreverence，intohisimmortalWork，THEENGLISHDICTIONARY：——Salve，magnaparens!

Whilehere，hefeltarevivalofallthetendernessoffilialaffection，aninstanceofwhichappearedinhisorderingthegrave-

stoneandinscriptionoverElizabethBlaney*tobesubstantiallyandcarefullyrenewed。

*Hismother——ED。

ToMr。HenryWhite，ayoungclergyman，withwhomhenowformedanintimacy，soastotalktohimwithgreatfreedom，hementionedthathecouldnotingeneralaccusehimselfofhavingbeenanundutifulson。’Once，indeed，(saidhe，)Iwasdisobedient；I

refusedtoattendmyfathertoUttoxeter-market。Pridewasthesourceofthatrefusal，andtheremembranceofitwaspainful。A

fewyearsago，Idesiredtoatoneforthisfault；IwenttoUttoxeterinverybadweather，andstoodforaconsiderabletimebareheadedintherain，onthespotwheremyfather’sstallusedtostand。IncontritionIstood，andIhopethepenancewasexpiatory。’

’Itoldhim(saysMissSeward)inoneofmylatestvisitstohim，ofawonderfullearnedpig，whichIhadseenatNottingham；andwhichdidallthatwehaveobservedexhibitedbydogsandhorses。

Thesubjectamusedhim。“Then，(saidhe，)thepigsarearaceunjustlycalumniated。PIGhas，itseems，notbeenwantingtoMAN，butMANtoPIG。WedonotallowTIMEforhiseducation，wekillhimatayearold。“Mr。HenryWhite，whowaspresent，observedthatifthisinstancehadhappenedinorbeforePope’stime，hewouldnothavebeenjustifiedininstancingtheswineasthelowestdegreeofgrovelinginstinct。Dr。Johnsonseemedpleasedwiththeobservation，whilethepersonwhomadeitproceededtoremark，thatgreattorturemusthavebeenemployed，eretheindocilityoftheanimalcouldhavebeensubdued。“Certainly，(saidtheDoctor；)

but，(turningtome，)howoldisyourpig？“Itoldhim，threeyearsold。“Then，(saidhe，)thepighasnocausetocomplain；hewouldhavebeenkilledthefirstyearifhehadnotbeenEDUCATED，andprotractedexistenceisagoodrecompenceforveryconsiderabledegreesoftorture。“’

AsJohnsonhadnowveryfainthopesofrecovery，andasMrs。Thralewasnolongerdevotedtohim，itmighthavebeensupposedthathewouldnaturallyhavechosentoremaininthecomfortablehouseofhisbelovedwife’sdaughter，andendhislifewherehebeganit。

Buttherewasinhimananimatedandloftyspirit，andhowevercomplicateddiseasesmightdepressordinarymortals，allwhosawhim，beheldandacknowledgedtheinvictumanimumCatonis。Suchwashisintellectualardourevenatthistime，thathesaidtoonefriend，’Sir，Ilookuponeverydaytobelost，inwhichIdonotmakeanewacquaintance；’andtoanother，whentalkingofhisillness，’Iwillbeconquered；Iwillnotcapitulate。’AndsuchwashisloveofLondon，sohigharelishhadheofitsmagnificentextent，andvarietyofintellectualentertainment，thathelanguishedwhenabsentfromit，hismindhavingbecomequiteluxuriousfromthelonghabitofenjoyingthemetropolis；and，therefore，althoughatLichfield，surroundedwithfriends，wholovedandreveredhim，andforwhomhehadaverysincereaffection，hestillfoundthatsuchconversationasLondonaffords，couldbefoundnowhereelse。Thesefeelings，joined，probably，tosomeflatteringhopesofaidfromtheeminentphysiciansandsurgeonsinLondon，whokindlyandgenerouslyattendedhimwithoutacceptingfees，madehimresolvetoreturntothecapital。

FromLichfieldhecametoBirmingham，wherehepassedafewdayswithhisworthyoldschoolfellow，Mr。Hector，whothuswritestome：——’Hewasverysolicitouswithmetorecollectsomeofourmostearlytransactions，andtransmitthemtohim，forIperceivenothinggavehimgreaterpleasurethancallingtomindthosedaysofourinnocence。Icompliedwithhisrequest，andheonlyreceivedthemafewdaysbeforehisdeath。Ihavetranscribedforyourinspection，exactlytheminutesIwrotetohim。’Thispaperhavingbeenfoundinhisrepositoriesafterhisdeath，S

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