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Proteftantism, gives up fo much of what he has held as facred as any thing 1769. that he retains; there is fo much laceration of mind in fuch a converfion, that it Etat. 60. can hardly be fincere and lafting." The truth of this reflection may be confirmed by many and eminent instances, fome of which will occur to most of my readers.

When we were alone, I introduced the subject of death, and endeavoured to maintain that the fear of it might be got over. I told him that David Hume faid, he was no more uneafy to think he should not be after this life, than that he bad not been before he began to exift. JOHNSON. "Sir, if he really thinks fo, his perceptions are disturbed; he is mad: if he does not think fo, he lies. He may tell you, he holds his finger in the flame of a candle, without feeling pain; would you believe him? When he dies, he at least gives up all he has." BOSWELL. "Foote, Sir, told me, that when he was very ill he was not afraid to die." JOHNSON. "It is not true, Sir. Hold a pistol to Foote's breast, or to Hume's breast, and threaten to kill them, and you'll fee how they behave." BoSWELL. "But may we not fortify our minds for the approach of death?"-Here I am fenfible I was in the wrong, to bring before his view what he ever looked upon with horrour; for although when in a celestial frame, in his " Vanity of human Wishes," he has fuppofed death to be "kind Nature's fignal for retreat," from this ftate of being to "a happier feat," his thoughts upon this aweful change were in general full of dismal apprehenfions. His mind resembled the vaft amphitheatre, the Colifæum at Rome. In the centre ftood his judgement, which, like a mighty gladiator, combated those apprehenfions that, like the wild beasts of the Arena, were all around in cells, ready to be let out upon him. After a conflict, he drives them back into their dens; but not killing them, they were still affailing him. To my question, whether we might not fortify our minds for the approach of death, he answered, in a paffion, "No, Sir, let it alone. It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The act of dying is not of importance, it lasts fo short a time." He added, (with an earnest look,) "A man knows it must be fo, and submits. It will do him no good to whine."

I attempted to continue the converfation. He was fo provoked, that he faid, "Give us no more of this ;" and was thrown into such a state of agitation, that he expreffed himself in a way that alarmed and diftreffed me; fhewed an impatience that I should leave him, and when I was going away, called to me fternly, " Don't let us meet to-morrow."

I went home exceedingly uneafy. All the harsh obfervations which I had ever heard made upon his character, crowded into my mind; and I feemed U u

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1769. to myself like the man who had put his head into the lion's mouth a great Etat. 60. many times with perfect fafety, but at laft had it bit off.

Next morning I fent him a note, ftating, that I might have been in the wrong, but it was not intentionally; he was therefore, I could not help thinking, too fevere upon me. That notwithstanding our agreement not to meet that day, I would call on him in my way to the city, and stay five minutes by my watch. "You are, (faid I,) in my mind, fince laft night, furrounded with cloud and ftorm. Let me have a glimpse of funshine, and go about my affairs in ferenity and cheerfulness."

Upon entering his ftudy, I was glad that he was not alone, which would have made our meeting more aukward. There were with him, Mr. Steevens. and Mr. Tyers, both of whom I now faw for the first time. My note had, on his own reflection, foftened him, for he received me very complacently; fo that I unexpectedly found myself at eafe, and joined in the conversation.

He faid, the criticks had done too much honour to Sir Richard Blackmore, by writing fo much against him. That in his "Creation" he had been helped by various wits, a line by Philips and a line by Tickell; fo that by theiraid, and that of others, the poem had been made out. I defended Blackmore's lines,. which have been ridiculed as abfolute nonfense:

"A painted veft Prince Voltiger had on,,

"Which from a naked Pict his grandfire won."

I maintained it to be a poetical conceit. A Pict being painted, if he is flain in battle, and a veft is made of his fkin, it is a painted veft won from him, though he was naked.

Johnson spoke unfavourably of a certain pretty voluminous authour, faying, "He used to write anonymous books, and then other books commending those books, in which there was fomething of rafcality."

I whispered him, "Well, Sir, you are now in good humour." JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir." I was going to leave him, and had got as far as the stair-case. He stopped me, and smiling, faid, "Get you gone," in a curious mode of inviting me to stay, which I accordingly did for fome time longer.

This little incidental quarrel and reconciliation, which, perhaps, I may be thought to have detailed too minutely, must be esteemed as one of many proofs which his friends had, that though he might be charged with bad humour at times, he was always a good-natured man; and I have heard Sir Joshua. Reynolds, a nice and delicate obferver of manners, particularly remark, that

Ætat. 60.

when upon any occasion Johnson had been rough to any person in company, 1769. he took the first opportunity of reconciliation, by drinking to him or addreffing his discourse to him; but if he found his dignified indirect overtures fullenly neglected, he was quite indifferent, and confidered himself as having done all that he ought to do, and the other as now in the wrong.

Being to fet out for Scotland on the 10th of November, I wrote to him at Streatham, begging that he would meet me in town on the 9th; but if this fhould be very inconvenient to him, I would go thither. His anfwer was as follows:

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"UPON balancing the inconveniencies of both parties, I find it will lefs incommode you to fpend your night here, than me to come to town. I wish to see you, and am ordered by the lady of this houfe to invite you hither. Whether you can come or not, I fhall not have any occasion of writing to you again before your marriage, and therefore tell you now, that with great fincerity I wish you happiness. I am, dear Sir, "Your most affectionate humble fervant,

"Nov. 9, 1769.

SAM. JOHNSON."

on the 9th, fo went to him
"Now (faid he,) that you
than life will afford. You

I was detained in town till it was too late early in the morning of the tenth of October. are going to marry, do not expect more from life, may often find yourself out of humour, and you may often think your wife not studious enough to please you; and yet you may have reafon to confider yourself as upon the whole very happily married."

Talking of marriage in general, he obferved, "Our marriage fervice is too refined. It is calculated only for the beft kind of marriages; whereas, we should have a form for matches of convenience, of which there are many." He agreed with me that there was no abfolute neceffity for having the marriage ceremony performed by a regular clergyman, for this was not commanded in fcripture.

I was volatile enough to repeat to him a little epigrammatick fong of mine, on matrimony, which Mr. Garrick had a few days before procured to be fet to mufick.

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1769.

Etat. 60.

1770.

A MATRIMONIAL THOUGHT.

IN the blithe days of honey-moon,
With Kate's allurements fmitten,
I lov'd her late, I lov'd her foon,
And call'd her dearest kitten.

But now my kitten's grown a cat,
And crofs like other wives,
O! by my foul, my honeft Mat,

I fear fhe has nine lives.

My illuftrious friend faid, "It is very well, Sir; but you fhould not fwear."
Upon which I altered "O! by my foul," to "alas, alas!"

He was fo good as to accompany me to London, and fee me into the postchaife which was to carry me on my road to Scotland. And fure I am, that however inconfiderable many of the particulars recorded at this time may appear to fome, they will be esteemed by the beft part of my readers as genuine traits of his character, contributing together to give a full, fair, and distinct view of it.

In 1770 he published a political pamphlet, entitled "The Falfe Alarm," intended to justify the conduct of ministry and their majority in the House of Commons, for having virtually affumed it as an axiom, that the expulfion of a Member of Parliament was equivalent to exclusion, and thus having declared Colonel Lutterel to be duly elected for the county of Middlesex, notwithstanding Mr. Wilkes had a great majority of votes. This being justly confidered as a grofs violation of the right of election, an alarm for the conftitution extended itself all over the kingdom. To prove this alarm to be false, was the purpofe of Johnson's pamphlet; but even his vast powers were inadequate to cope with conftitutional truth and reason, and his argument failed of effect; and the House of Commons have fince expunged the offenfive refolution from their Journals. That the Houfe of Commons might have expelled Mr. Wilkes repeatedly, and as often as he should be re-chofen, was not denied; but incapacitation cannot be but by an act of the whole legiflature. It was wonderful to see how a prejudice in favour of government in general, and an averfion to popular clamour, could blind and contract

fuch

1770.

fuch an understanding as Johnson's, in this particular cafe; yet the wit, the farcafm, the eloquent vivacity which this pamphlet difplayed, made it be Etat. 61. read with great avidity at the time, and it will ever be read with pleasure, for the fake of its compofition. That it endeavoured to infufe a narcotick indifference, as to publick concerns, into the minds of the people, and that it broke out fometimes into an extreme coarfenefs of contemptuous abuse, is but too evident.

It must not, however, be omitted, that when the ftorm of his violence fubfides, he takes a fair opportunity to pay a grateful compliment to the King, who had rewarded his merit: "Thefe low-born rulers have endeavoured, furely without effect, to alienate the affections of the people from the only King who for almost a century has much appeared to desire, or much endeavoured to deserve them." And, "Every honeft man muft lament, that the faction has been regarded with frigid neutrality by the Tories, who being long accuftomed to signalise their principles by opposition to the Court, do not yet confider, that they have at laft a King who knows not the name of party, and who wishes to be the common father of all his people.”

To this pamphlet, which was at once difcovered to be Johnson's, feveral answers came out, in which, care was taken to remind the publick of his former attacks upon government, and of his now being a penfioner, without allowing for the honourable terms upon which Johnson's penfion was granted and accepted, or the change of fyftem which the British court had undergone upon the acceffion of his prefent Majefty. He was, however, foothed in the highest strain of panegyrick, in a poem called "The Remonftrance," by the Reverend Mr. Stockdale, to whom he was, upon many occafions, a kind protector.

The following admirable minute made by him, describes fo well his own ftate, and that of numbers to whom felf-examination is habitual, that I cannot omit it:

June 1, 1770. Every man naturally perfuades himfelf that he can keep his refolutions, nor is he convinced of his imbecillity but by length of time and frequency of experiment. This opinion of our own conftancy is so prevalent, that we always defpife him who fuffers his general and settled purpose to be overpowered by an occafional defire. They, therefore, whom frequent failures have made defperate, cease to form refolutions; and they who are become cunning, do not tell them. Those who do not make them are very few, but of their effect little is perceived; for fcarcely any man perfifts in a course of

life

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