Mr. Allen immediately rofe to his affiftance, and, in the morning, difpatched a meffage to Dr. Heberden and Dr. Brocklefby, who, in a few days, fo far relieved him, that his speech became, to a good degree, articulate, and, till his organs began to tire, he was able to hold converfation. By the fkill and attention of thefe two worthy perfons, he was, at length, restored to fuch a degree of health that, on the 27th of the fame month, he was able to water his garden, and had no remaining symptoms of difeafe, excepting that his legs were observed to be fwoln, and he had fome prefages of an hydropic affection. These gave him fome concern, and induced him to note, more particularly than he had formerly done *, the variations of the flate of his health.

But bodily afflictions were not the only trials he had to undergo. He had been a mourner for many friends, and was now in danger of lofing one, who had not only cheared him in his folitude, and helped him to pass with comfort thofe hours which, otherwife, would have been irkfome to him, but had relieved him from domeftic cares, regulated and watched over the expences of his houfe, and kept at a diftance fome of thofe neceffitous vifitants, towards whom his bounty, though it had feldom wrought any good, had often been exercifed.

*Of his being feized with the palfy, I find in his diary the following note:

June 16. I went to bed, and, as I conceive, about 3 in the morning, I had a ftroke of the pally.

17.

25.

I fent for Dr. Heberden and Dr. Brocklesby. God

bless them.

Dr. Heberden took leave.'

This perfon was Mrs. Williams, whofe calamitous history is related among the events recorded in the foregoing pages. She had for fome months been declining, and during the doctor's late illness was confined to her bed. The restoration of his health made it neceffary for him to retire into the country; but, before his departure, he compofed and made use of the following energetic prayer.

Almighty God, who, in thy late vifitation, haft fhewn mercy to me, and now fendeft to my companion disease and decay, grant me grace fo to employ the life which thou haft prolonged, and the faculties which thou haft preferved, and fo to receive the admonition, which the fickness of my friend, by thy appointment, gives me, that I may be conftant in all holy duties, and be received at laft to eternal happiness.

Permit, O Lord, thy unworthy creature to offer < up this prayer for Anna Williams, now languifhing upon her bed, and about to recommend herfelf to thy infinite mercy. O God, who defireft not the death of a finner, look down with mercy upon her: forgive her fins, and ftrengthen her faith. Be ' merciful, O Father of mercy, to her and to me: guide us by thy holy fpirit through the remaining part of life; fupport us in the hour of death, and pardon us in the day of judgment, for Jefus Chrift's fake. Amen.'

During his abfence from London, viz. on the fixth day of September 1783, Mrs. Williams was released from all her cares and troubles by an easy death, for which he was well prepared. The last offices were performed for her by thofe of her friends who were

about

about her in the time of her illness, and had administered to her all the affiftance in their power.

At his return to London, Johnfon found himself in a forlorn and helpless condition: his habitual melancholy had now a real fubject to work on, and represented his houfe as a dreary manfion. Solitude was ever ungrateful to him, and the want of a companion, with whom he might pass his evening hours, often drove him to feek relief in the converfation of perfons in all refpects his inferiors. To talk much, and to be well attended to, was, throughout his life, his chief delight: his vein of difcourse, which has often enough been defcribed, was calculated to attract the applaufe, and even admiration, of small circles; to him, therefore, a confraternity of perfons, affembled for the purpose of free communication, or, in other words, a club, could not but be a fource of pleasure, and he now projected one, which will hereafter be defcribed. In every affociation of this kind, he was fure, unless by conceffion, to prefide, and, ex cathedra, to discuss the subjects of enquiry and debate.

The death of Mr. Thrale, and Johnfon's eftrangement from the dwelling and family of this his valued friend, have already been mentioned: it remains to fay of this event, that it was not followed by a total oblivion, on the part of his relict, of the intimacy that had fubfifted between him and her husband, it appearing, that an intercourfe by letters was ftill kept up between them. It was, nevertheless, eafy to difcover by his converfation, that he no longer looked on himself as a welcome gueft at Streatham, and that he did but ill brook the change in his courfe of life that he now experienced. He had, for near twenty years, participated

ticipated in moft of thofe enjoyments that make wealth and affluence defirable; had partaken, in common with their owners, of the delights of a villa, and the convenience of an equipage; and had been entertained with a variety of amufements and occupations. In fhort, during the whole of that period, his life had been as happy as it had been in the power of fuch perfons to make it.

That this celebrated friendship fubfifted fo long as it did, was a fubject of wonder to moft of Johnfon's intimates, for fuch were his habits of living, that he was by no means a defirable inmate. His unmanly thirst for tea made him very troublesome. At Streatham, he would fuffer the mistress of the houfe to fit up and make it for him, till two or three hours after midnight. When retired to reft, he indulged himself in the dangerous practice of reading in bed. It was a very hard matter to get him decently dreffed by dinner-time, even when select companies were invited; and no one could be fure, that in his table converfation with ftrangers, he would not, by contradiction, or the general afperity of his behaviour, offend them.

These irregularities were not only borne with by Mr. Thrale, but he feemed to think them amply atoned for by the honour he derived from such a gueft as no table in the three kingdoms could produce; but, he dying, it was not likely that the fame fentiments and opinions fhould defcend to those of his family who were left behind. Such a friendly connection and correspondence as I have just mentioned, continued, however, between Johnson and the widow, till it was interrupted by an event that will fhortly be related.

I have in his diary met with fundry notes, fignifying that, while he was at Streatham, he endeavoured, by reading, to acquire a knowledge of the Dutch language, but that his progrefs in the ftudy thereof was very flow.

It has been already related that, being seized with a paralyfis about the month of June 1783, he was fo far recovered therefrom, as to entertain a hope, that he had nearly worn out all his disorders. 'What

a man am I!' faid he to me, in the month of November following, who have got the better of three difeafes, the palfy, the gout, and the afthma, and can now enjoy the converfation of my friends, without the interruptions of weakness or pain!'-To thefe flattering teftimonies I muft add, that in this feeming fpring-tide of his health and fpirits, he wrote me the following note:

'Dear SIR,

As Mr. Ryland was talking with me of old friends and paft times, we warmed ourfelves into a wish, that all who remained of the club fhould < meet and dine at the houfe which once was Horfe

• man's, in Ivy lane. I have undertaken to folicit

you, and therefore defire you to tell on what day

next week you can conveniently meet your old friends.

< I am, Sir,

Your most humble fervant,

Bolt court, Nov. 22, 1783.'

SAM. JOHNSON.'

Our intended meeting was prevented by a circumftance, which the following note will explain :

VOL. I.

Oo

'Dear