第106章

’Can’stthounotministertoaminddiseas’d；

Pluckfromthememoryarootedsorrow；

Razeoutthewrittentroublesofthebrain；

And，withsomesweetobliviousantidote，Cleansethestuff’dbosomofthatperilousstuff，Whichweighsupontheheart？’

TowhichDr。Brocklesbyreadilyanswered，fromthesamegreatpoet：——

’——thereinthepatientMustministertohimself。’

Johnsonexpressedhimselfmuchsatisfiedwiththeapplication。

Onanotherdayafterthis，whentalkingonthesubjectofprayer，Dr。BrocklesbyrepeatedfromJuvenal，——

’Orandumest，utsitmenssanaincorporesano，’

andsoontotheendofthetenthsatire；butinrunningitquicklyover，hehappened，intheline，’Quispatiumvitaeextremumintermuneraponat，’

topronouncesupremumforextremum；atwhichJohnson’scriticalearinstantlytookoffence，anddiscoursingvehementlyontheunmetricaleffectofsuchalapse，heshewedhimselfasfullaseverofthespiritofthegrammarian。

Havingnonearrelations，ithadbeenforsometimeJohnson’sintentiontomakealiberalprovisionforhisfaithfulservant，Mr。

FrancisBarber，whomhelookeduponasparticularlyunderhisprotection，andwhomhehadallalongtreatedtrulyasanhumblefriend。HavingaskedDr。Brocklesbywhatwouldbeaproperannuitytoafavouriteservant，andbeingansweredthatitmustdependonthecircumstancesofthemaster；and，thatinthecaseofanobleman，fiftypoundsayearwasconsideredasanadequaterewardformanyyears’faithfulservice；’Then，(saidJohnson，)shallIbenobilissimus，forImeantoleaveFrankseventypoundsayear，andIdesireyoutotellhimso。’Itisstrange，however，tothink，thatJohnsonwasnotfreefromthatgeneralweaknessofbeingaversetoexecuteawill，sothathedelayeditfromtimetotime；

andhaditnotbeenforSirJohnHawkins’srepeatedlyurgingit，I

thinkitisprobablethathiskindresolutionwouldnothavebeenfulfilled。Aftermakingone，which，asSirJohnHawkinsinformsus，extendednofurtherthanthepromisedannuity，Johnson’sfinaldispositionofhispropertywasestablishedbyaWillandCodicil。

Theconsiderationofnumerouspapersofwhichhewaspossessed，seemstohavestruckJohnson’smind，withasuddenanxiety，andastheywereingreatconfusion，itismuchtobelamentedthathehadnotentrustedsomefaithfulanddiscreetpersonwiththecareandselectionofthem；insteadofwhich，heinaprecipitatemanner，burntlargemassesofthem，withlittleregard，asIapprehend，todiscrimination。NotthatIsupposewehavethusbeendeprivedofanycompositionswhichhehadeverintendedforthepublickeye；

but，fromwhatescapedtheflames，Ijudgethatmanycuriouscircumstancesrelatingbothtohimselfandotherliterarycharactershaveperished。

Twoveryvaluablearticles，Iamsure，wehavelost，whichweretwoquartovolumes，containingafull，fair，andmostparticularaccountofhisownlife，fromhisearliestrecollection。Iownedtohim，thathavingaccidentallyseenthem，Ihadreadagreatdealinthem；andapologizingforthelibertyIhadtaken，askedhimifIcouldhelpit。Heplacidlyanswered，’Why，Sir，Idonotthinkyoucouldhavehelpedit。’IsaidthatIhad，foronceinmylife，felthalfaninclinationtocommittheft。Ithadcomeintomymindtocarryoffthosetwovolumes，andneverseehimmore。Uponmyinquiringhowthiswouldhaveaffectedhim，’Sir，(saidhe，)I

believeIshouldhavegonemad。’

Duringhislastillness，Johnsonexperiencedthesteadyandkindattachmentofhisnumerousfriends。Mr。Hoolehasdrawnupanarrativeofwhatpassedinthevisitswhichhepaidhimduringthattime，fromthe10thofNovembertothe13thofDecember，thedayofhisdeath，inclusive，andhasfavouredmewithaperusalofit，withpermissiontomakeextracts，whichIhavedone。NobodywasmoreattentivetohimthanMr。Langton，towhomhetenderlysaid，Teteneammoriensdeficientemanu。AndIthinkithighlytothehonourofMr。Windham，thathisimportantoccup

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