wishing to be immaculate he destroyed his peace by unnecessary scruples. He observes, that on surveying his own life, he could discover nothing but a barren waste of time, with some disorders of body and disturb ances of mind, very nearly allied to madness; that his life from his earliest years, was wasted in a morningbed, and his prevailing sin was a general sluggishness, to which he had always been inclined; and in part of his life almost compelled, by the attacks of his neverfailing disease, and the consequent weariness of his mental faculties. Indeed it appears that from the time of his consultation with Dr. Swinfen, already alluded to, he was never free from an apprehension of the worst calamity with which human nature can be afflicted, and which, like the sword of the tyrant suspended over his guest, kept him for the remainder of his life in a state of the most dreadful suspense.

In 1756, he undertook to superintend and contribute largely to a monthly publication, entitled, The Literary Magazine, and Universal Review; and he wrote for it without intermission till the fifteenth number; during which time he was drawn into several controversies, by the severity of his criticisms. In the same year he issued proposals of considerable length for his edition of Shakspeare, with notes; and his anticipated activity was so great, that he promised the work should be completed by Christmas, 1757, though it did not make its appearance till seven years after that period.

In 1757 it does not appear that he wrote any thing of consequence; but on the 15th of April, 1758, he began the Idler, which appeared every Saturday, in a weekly newspaper, called, The Universal Chronicle. The essays were 103 in number, of which twelve only were contributed by his friends. Of these, numbers 33, 93, and 96, were written by Mr. Warton, number 67 by

Mr. Langton, and number 76, 79, and 82, by Sir Joshua Reynolds. When the Idler was completed Johnson added the Essay on Epitaphs, the Dissertation on those of Pope, and an Essay on the Bravery of the English common soldiers. The Idler is allowed to possess more variety of real life, and greater facility of language, but less body and spirit, than the Rambler.

In January 1759, his mother died at the advanced age of 90. He had not seen her for many years previous to her last illness, though he had often impoverished himself to contribute to her support.-When he heard of her confinement, he was anxious to repair to Litchfield to pay her the last offices of his filial duty, but he had no money to defray his carriage; he therefore finished his tale of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, for which Mr. Johnson, the bookseller, very liberally gave him 1001. With this supply he set off, but did not arrive in time to close the eyes of his beloved parent. He told Sir Joshua Reynolds, that he composed Rasselas in the evenings of one week, sent it to the press in portions as it was written, and never afterwards read it. When it passed through a second edition, Mr. Johnson made him a present of an additional 251.

When he was engaged upon the Idler, he found it necessary to retrench his expenses, and quitting his house in Gough-square, he retired first to Gray's Inn, and afterwards to Inner Temple Lane, "where he lived," says Mr. Murphy, "in poverty, total idleness, and the pride of literature." Mr. Fitzherbert, the father of Lord St. Helens, used to say, that he once paid him a morning visit at his chambers, intending to send a letter to the city, but he found this author by profession without pen, ink, or paper.-In 1762, however, his fortune suddenly changed, and no longer left him to struggle against the inconveniences of a preca

rious subsistence. The King granted him a pension of 3001. per annum, as a recompense for the excellence of his writings and the benefit of their moral tendency.

Being now possessed of a comparative independency, he left the Temple, took a house in Johnson's court, Fleet-street, and formed a new weekly club, amongst the members of 'which were Mr. Edmund Burke, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and other distinguished characters. He also formed a connexion in 1763 with Mr. Boswell, and continued to live with him in the greatest intimacy for the remainder of his life. In 1765, while enjoying his comfortable state of independence, he met with another resource, which contributed more than any other circumstance to exempt him from the solicitudes of life he was introduced to the family of the late Mr. Thrale.

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He published his Shakspeare in 1765, and shortly after the University of Dublin created him a Doctor of Laws the University of Oxford followed the example ten years afterwards, and till that period he never assumed his title. In 1766 his constitution seemed to be in a rapid decline, and the morbid melancholy to which he had always been a victim, then came upon him with redoubled force. About this time Mr. and Mrs. Thrale paid him a visit, and found him on his knees with Dr. Delap, beseeching God to continue him in the use of his understanding.

From 1766, till the year 1775, we find him engaged in no very material literary avocations. He was much in the habit of writing Prefaces and Introductions to the works of various authors. He passed much of his time at Streatham, the residence of Mr. Thrale; and in 1776 he removed to a larger house in Bolt-court, where the whole of the second floor was fitted up for his library, which now consisted of 5000 volumes. Miss Wil

liams partook of his new mansion; and he also gave apartments to Mrs. Desmoulins, daughter of his godfather, Dr. Swinfen, and her daughter, a Miss Carmichael. Such likewise was his generosity, that he allowed Mrs. Desmoulins half a guinea a week out of his pension. Yet Johnson used to observe to Mrs. Piozzi, that from the dissensions of his inmates they made his life miserable, by the impossibility he found of making their's happy.

Amongst the constant visitors of Dr. Johnson was Robert Levett, an obscure practitioner of medicine. He had scarcely sufficient practice to keep him from starving but Johnson had such a high opinion of his abilities that he always consulted him, and declared "he was hardly able to live without him." He also gave this man an apartment in his house, in which he continued for the rest of his life. The figure and manner of Levett exactly resembled those of Johnson; and when nearly sixty years of age he married a common street-walker, who persuaded him that she was a woman of family and fortune.-This man was highly remarkable for the tenderness and gratitude which he always shewed towards his benefactor.

In August 1773, he set out on his journey to Scotland, in company with Mr. Boswell, and returned to London in November. His various adventures during his tour have been well described by Mr. Boswell in his journal. In 1774, he published a political pamphlet, entitled, The Patriot: and in 1775, another, called, Taxation no Tyranny; as well as the Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. His first publication of the Lives of the Poets was in 1779, and in 1781 he completed this work, which in his seventy-first year, closed his literary labours. It was this work which contributed to immortalize his name, and procured him

that rational esteem which was not diminished even by the injudicious zeal of his friends.

On the 4th of May, 1781, he lost his valuable friend, Mr. Thrale, who appointed him one of his executors, with a legacy of 2001. He has given a true character of this gentleman in a Latin Epitaph, which is to be seen in the church at Streatham. By the loss of Mr. Thrale, Johnson was deprived of many of the comforts of his life; and his visits becoming less agreeable at Streatham, he took his final leave of Mrs. Thrale in April 1783, after a connexion of nearly twenty years. It appears from the anecdotes of Mrs. Piozzi, (formerly Mrs. Thrale,) that her politeness to Johnson was principally in consequence of an habitual yoke imposed upon her by her husband. "Veneration," says she, "for his virtues, reverence for his talents, and an habitual endurance of which my husband bore his share for seventeen years, made me go on so long with Mr. Johnson; but the perpetual confinement I will own to have been terrifying in the first years of our friendship, and irksome in the last, nor would I pretend to support it when my coadjutor was no more." Previous to her marriage with the Italian music-master, Johnson sent her a severe remonstrance, on her intimation of her intentions, which she answered by an indignant vindication of her conduct.

From this time the malady with which Johnson had been afflicted throughout his life, came upon him with redoubled violence, and his strength daily declined. In June 1783, he was afflicted with a paralytic stroke, which deprived him at first of his speech, but which he gradually recovered, so that in July he was able to pay a visit to Mr. Langton, at Rochester. He afterwards went to Mr. Bowles, at Heale, in Wiltshire, and during his visit Miss Williams expired. This, as he was ever agitated with the dread of his own dissolution, gave his