letter of greater length, written, as it afterwards appeared, too late to do any good, in which he expreffed an opinion, that the perfon to whom it was addreffed had forfeited her fame. The answer to this I have feen: it is written from Bath, and contains an indignant vindication as well of her conduct as her fame, an inhibition of Johnson from following her to Bath, and a farewell, concluding Till you have changed your ⚫ opinion of let us converse no more.'

In this tranfaction, Johnson feemed to have forgotten the story of the Ephefian Matron, related by Petronius, but was, by this time, convinced that, in his endeavours to prevent an attachment, which he forefaw would be prejudicial to the interests of his friend's children, and fix an indelible difgrace on their mother, who was about to abandon them and her country, he had been labouring to hedge in the cuckow. From the ftyle of the last mentioned letter, a conclufion was to be drawn, that baffled all the powers of reafoning and perfuafion:

'One argument she summ'd up all in,

The thing was done, and paft recalling *; which being the cafe, he contented himself with reflecting on what he had done to prevent that which he thought one of the greateft evils that could befall the progeny of his friend, the alienation of the affections of their mother. He looked upon the defertion of children by their parents, and the withdrawing from them that protection, that mental nutriment which, in their youth they are capable of receiving, the expofing them to the fnares and temptations of the world, and the folicitations and deceits of the

Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies, Phyllis or the Progrefs of love.'

artful

artful and defigning, as moft unnatural; and, in a letter on the fubject to me, written from Afhbourn, thus delivered his fentiments:

Poor Thrale! I thought that either her virtue or her vice,' [meaning, as I understood, by the former, the love of her children, and, by the latter, her pride,] would have reftrained her from fuch a marriage. She is now become a fubject for her enemies to exult over, and for her friends, if fhe has any left, to forget or pity.'

In the mention of the above particulars, it is far from my defign to reprehend the conduct of the lady to whom they relate. Being her own miftrefs, fhe had a right to dispose of herself, and is unamenable to any known judicature. Johnfon, in his relation of executor to her husband, as alfo in gratitude to his memory, was under an obligation to promote the welfare of his family. It was also his duty, as far as he was able, to avert an evil which threatened their interefts. What he endeavoured, for that purpose, is part of his hiftory, and, as fuch only, I relate it.

While Dr. Johnson was in the country, his friends in town were labouring for his benefit. Mr. Thrale, a short time before his death, had meditated a journey to Italy, and formed a party, in which Johnson was included, but the defign never took effect. It was now conceived, by Johnfon's friends, that a foreign air would contribute to the restoration of his health; and his inclination concurring with their fentiments, a plan was formed for his vifiting the continent, attended with a male-fervant; which was become fo well known, that, as a lady then refident at Rome afterwards informed me, his arrival was anxiously expected throughout Italy. The only obftacle to the journey

<

was, an apprehension, that the expence of it would be greater than his income would bear; and, to get over this difficulty, Sir Joshua Reynolds undertook to folicit an addition of 2001. to his penfion, and to that end, applied to lord Thurlow, who, as the public have been fully informed, exerted his endeavours for the purpose, but the application failing, he declared himself willing, upon the fecurity of that penfion of which Johnfon was in poffeffion, to advance him 500 1*. This generous offer Johnson thought proper to decline by a letter, of which the following is an authentic copy, being taken from his own draft now in hands.

my

'My LORD,

After a long and not inattentive obfervation of • mankind, the generosity of your lordship's offer • raises in me not lefs wonder than gratitude. Bounty, fo liberally bestowed, I should gladly receive, if condition made it neceffary, for, to fuch a mind, who would not be proud to own his obligations? But it has pleased God to restore me to fo great a < measure of health, that if I fhould now appropriate fo much of a fortune deftined to do good, I could

my

not escape from myself the charge of advancing a falfe claim. My journey to the continent, though I once thought it neceffary, was never much encouraged by my phyficians; and I was very defirous

* The offer above-mentioned has, in the first view of it, the appearance rather of a commercial than a gratuitous transaction; but Sir Joshua clearly understood at the making it, that lord Thurlow defignedly put it in that form: he was fearful that Johnson's high spirit would induce him to reject it as a donation, but thought that, in the way of a loan, it might be accepted.

that

that your lordship fhould be told of it by Sir Joshua Reynolds, as an event very uncertain, for, if I grew much better, I fhould not be willing, if much worse, I fhould not be able, to migrate.Your lordship was firft folicited without my knowledge; but, when I was told, that you were pleased <to honour me with your patronage, I did not ex

pect to hear of a refufal; yet, as I have had no long time to brood hope, and have not rioted in imaginary opulence, this cold reception has been fcarce a disappointment; and, from your lordship's • kindness, I have received a benefit, which only men ⚫ like you are able to bestow. I fhall now live mihi carior, with a higher opinion of my own merit. 'I am, my lord,

с

Sept. 1784.

Your lordship's most obliged,
• Most grateful,

• And most humble fervant,
SAM. JOHNSON.'

An incorrect copy of the above letter, though of a private nature, found its way into the public papers in this manner. It was given to Sir Joshua Reynolds, unfealed, to be delivered to lord Thurlow. Sir Joshua, looking upon it as a handsome teftimony of gratitude, and, as it related to a transaction in which he had concerned himself, took a copy of it, and fhewed it to a few of his friends. Among these was a lady of quality, who, having heard it red, the next day defired to be gratified with the perufal of it at home the ufe fhe made of this favour was, the copying and fending it to one of the news-papers,

Among the corruptions in the printed copies, are the words, you was pleafed, for you were pleased, and refted for rioted. whence

whence it was taken and inferted in others, as alfo in the Gentleman's and many other Magazines. Johnson, upon being told that it was in print, exclaimed in my hearing- I am betrayed,'-but foon after forgot, as he was ever ready to do all real or fuppofed injuries, the error that made the publication poffible.

Dr. Brocklesby was one of those physicians who would not encourage Johnson in a wish to visit the continent; neverthelefs, to confole him for his late dif appointment, and that the fuppofed narrowness of his circumstances might be no hindrance to fuch a design, he made him a voluntary offer of 100l. a year, payable quarterly, towards his fupport abroad, but could not prevail on him to accept it *.

Actuated by a like fpirit of beneficence, the fame person, by his intereft with his friends, and in conjunction with that chriftianlike jew, Sampfon Gideon, procured a contribution, amounting to upwards of 100l. a year, for the fupport, during the remaining years of his life, of old Captain Coram, the original mover in the establishment of the Foundling-hofpital. Upon Dr. Brocklefby's applying to the good old man, to know whether his fetting on foot a fubfcription for his benefit would not offend him, he received this noble anfwer: I have not wasted the little wealth, of which I was formerly poffeffed, in felf-indulgence, or vain expences, and am not ashamed to confess, that in this my old age I am poor.'-Upon the death of Coram, this penfion was continued to Leveridge, a worn-out finger at the theatres, who, at the age of ninety, had fcarce any other prospect than that of a parish fubfiftence.

Those writers on morality, fuch as Hobbes and Mandeville, who refolve all beneficence into felf-love, would be hard put to it to reconcile fuch acts as thefe with their tenets. They would fay, that the motive to them was a defire to get rid of those fenfations which the diftreffes of others are apt to excite, and, by confequence, that the exertions of beneficence are selfish. Never confidering that, before these fenfations can arife, a man must be kindly affectioned to his fellow-creatures, and poffefs that benevolence which the objection fuppofes to be wanting.

His