To fay the truth, Mr. Garrick was rather forward in offering the use of his library to the writers of the time: he did it to Mr. Whalley, when editing the works of Ben Jonfon; and to Dr. Percy, the collector and publisher of the Reliques of ancient English poetry.' His view, as I conjecture, was, to receive, in return for his kindness, thanks, with perhaps fome additional compliment; and in these two inftances he was gratified with both. I imagine that Johnson was unwilling to buy the favour intended him at that price, and that therefore he declined it..

We are not to fuppofe that the publication of Shakespeare, a work undertaken without any impulfe, and executed with reluctance, would greatly add to the literary reputation of Johnson; yet fuch was the character he had acquired by his Dictionary, and other of his writings, that the heads of the university of Dublin were moved to teftify their fenfe of his merits; and accordingly, on the twenty-third day of July 1765, he was, by them, prefented with a diploma, creating him doctor in both laws; a diftinction the more to be valued, as it was unfolicited, and a voluntary teftimony of the esteem in which he was held by that learned body. The caufes affigned for beftowing

fon had fo strange a forgetfulness of obligations of this fort, that few who lent him books ever faw them again. Among the books in his library, at the time of his difeafe, I found a very old and curious edition of the works of Politian, which appeared to belong to Pembroke college, Oxford. It was probably taken out of the library when he was preparing to publifh a part of that author, viz. in 1734, and had been used as his own for upwards of fifty years.

it are contained in the following words, part of the inftrument, ob egregiam fcriptorum elegantiam et • utilitatem.'

His great affection for our own universities, and particularly his attachment to Oxford, prevented Johnson from receiving this honour as it was intended, and he never affumed the title which it conferred. He was as little pleased to be called Doctor in confequence of it, as he was with the title of Domine, which a friend of his once incautiously addreffed him by. He thought it alluded to his having been a school-master; and, though he has ably vindicated Milton from the reproach that Salmafius meant to fix on him, by faying that he was of that profeffion*, he wifhed to have it forgot, that himself had ever been driven to it as the means of fubfiftence, and had failed in the attempt.

Johnson was now arrived at the fifty-fixth year of his age, and had actually attained to that state of independence, which before he could only affect. He was now in poffeffion of an income that freed him from the apprehenfions of want, and exempted him from the neceffity of mental labour. He had difcharged his obligations to the public, and, with no incumbrance of a family, or any thing to controul his wishes or defires, he had his mode of living to chufe. Bleft with what was to him a competence, he had it now in his power to study, to meditate, and to put in practice a variety of good refolutions, which, almoft from his first entrance into life, he had been making.

See his Life of Milton among the Lives of the Poets.

Some fpecimens of these have been given in a collection of prayers and devotional exercises lately published by his direction, to which I could add a great number. They are the effufions of a fervent piety, and the refult of moft fevere examinations of himself in his hours of retirement; and have for their objects, early rifing, a good use of time, abftinence, the study of the Scriptures, and a conftant attendance on divine worship; in the performance of all which duties he seems to conftrue his frequent interruptions into criminal remiffness. One extract from his diary I however here infert, for the purpose of fhewing the ftate of his mind at about the beginning of the year 1766.

Since the last reception of the Sacrament, I hope ⚫ I have no otherwise grown worse, than as continu⚫ance in fin makes the finner's condition more dange

rous. Since laft New-year's day, I have rifen every ⚫ morning by eight, at leaft, not after nine: which is more fuperiority over my habits than I have ever ⚫ before been able to obtain. Scruples ftill diftrefs me. My refolution, with the bleffing of God, is, to contend with them, and, if I can, to conquer them.

My refolutions are,

To conquer fcruples.

To read the Bible this year.

To try to rife more early.
To ftudy divinity.

• To live methodically.

To oppose idleness.

To frequent divine worship."

It was a frequent practice with him, in his addreffes to the divine Majefty, to commemorate and recommend to mercy his wife and departed friends; and the knowledge thereof has induced a fufpicion, that he adopted the Romish tenet of Purgatory. To clear his memory from this imputation, I am neceffitated to mention a few particulars which I learned from him in converfation, that may serve to fhew, that no fuch conclufion is to be drawn from his practice in this refpect; for that his acquiefcence therein arose from a controverfy, which, about the year 1715, was agitated between certain divines of a Proteftant communion, that profeffed to deny, not lefs than they did the doctrine of tranfubftantiation, that of purgatory.

These were, the non-juring clergy of the time; of whom, and alfo of their writings, Johnson was ever used to speak with great refpect. One of them, Dr. Thomas Brett, was a man profoundly skilled in ritual literature, as appears by a differtation of his, printed, together with a collection of ancient liturgies, in 1720*; and he, as I infer from the ftyle of the book and the method of reasoning therein, wrote a tract intitled, 'Reasons for reftoring fome prayers and directions, as they stand in the communion-fervice of the firft English reformed liturgy, compiled by the bishops in the second and third years of king Edward • VI.' among which he argues for the following pe

*Johnfon once told me, he had heard his father fay, that, when he was young in trade, king Edward the Sixth's firft liturgy was much enquired for, and fetched a great price; but that the publi cation of this book, which contained the whole communion-office as it flands in the former, reduced the price of it to that of a com mon book.

tion, part of the prayer for the whole ftate of Chrift's church, fince called a prayer for the whole state of Chrift's church militant here on earth. We 'commend unto thy mercye, O Lord, all other thy feruauntes, which are departed hence from us, with "the figne of faythe, and nowe do 'refte in the flepe of peace: Graunte unto them, we beseche thee, thy 'mercy, and euerlastyng peace, and that at the daie ' of the generall refurreccion, we and all they which • bee of the misticall body of thy fonne, may altogether bee fet on his right hand, and heare that his most ioyfull voice: Come unto me, O ye that be bleffed of my father, and poffeffe the kingdome whiche is prepared for you from the begynning of the worlde: Graunt this, O Father, for Jefus Chriftes fake, our onely mediatour and aduocate.'

He first shews, that the recommending the 'dead to the mercy of God is nothing of the remains of popery, but a constant ufage of the primitive church; and for this affertion, he produces the authority of Tertullian, who flourished within an hundred years after the death of the apostle St. John, and alfo, the authority of St. Cyprian, St. Cyril, St. Ambrofe, St. Epiphanius, St. Chryfoftom, and St. Auguftine, by citations from the feveral writings of thofe fathers.

He then argues, that this custom neither fuppofes the modern purgatory, nor gives encouragement to libertinism and vice; that the ancient church believed the recommending the dead a ferviceable office; that the custom feems to have gone upon this principle, that fupreme happiness is not to be expected till the refurrection, and that the interval G g

between