The loss of her sight made but a small | ladies, and, as the foundation-stone of a abatement of her cheerfulness, and was fund for its future subsistence, she bescarce any interruption of her studies. With queathed to it the whole of the little which the assistance of two female friends, she she had been able to accumulate. To the translated from the French of Père La Ble- endowments and qualities here ascribed to trie "the Life of the Emperor Julian 1," her, may be added, a larger share of experand, in 1766, she published, by subscription, imental prudence than is the lot of most of a quarto volume of miscellanies, in prose her sex. Johnson, in many exigences, and verse, and thereby increased her little found her an able counsellor, and seldom fund to three hundred pounds, which, being showed his wisdom more than when he prudently invested, yielded an income that, hearkened to her advice. In return, she under such protection as she experienced received from his conversation the advanfrom Dr. Johnson, was sufficient for her tages of religious and moral improvement, support. which she cultivated so, as in a great measShe was a woman of an enlightened under- ure to smooth the constitutional asperity of standing; plain, as it is called, in her person, her temper. When these particulars are and easily provoked to anger, but possess-known, this intimacy, which began with ing, nevertheless, some excellent moral qual- compassion, and terminated in a friendship ities, among which no one was more con- that subsisted till death dissolved it, will be spicuous than her desire to promote the wel- easily accounted for. fare and happiness of others, and of this she gave a signal proof, by her solicitude in favour of an institution for the maintenance and education of poor deserted females in the parish of St. Sepulchre, London, supported by the voluntary contributions of

ter being at least half of her nourishment. Some

[Mrs. Chapone, in one of her ED. letters, gives an interesting account of her meeting Johnson and Miss Williams at Richardson's country-house near Fulham, about this time.

"" MRS. CHAPONE TO MISS CARTER.
“10th July, 1752.

Chap. Works, vol. 1.

p. 72.

"Lady Phillips made her a small annual allowance, and some other Welsh ladies, to all of "We had a visit, whilst at North whom she was related. Mrs. Montagu, on the end, from your friend Mr. Johnson death of Mr. Montagu, settled upon her (by deed) and poor Mrs. Williams. I was tes pounds per annum.-As near as I can calcu- charmed with his behaviour to her, late, Mrs. Williams had about thirty-five or forty which was like that of a fond father to his pounds a year. The furniture she used [in her daughter. She seemed much pleased with her apartment in Dr. Johnson's house] was her own; visit; showed very good sense, with a great her expenses were small, tea and bread and but-deal of modesty and humility; and so much times she had a servant or char-woman to do the rader offices of the house; but she was herself active and industrious. I have frequently seen her at work. Upon remarking one day her facility in moving about the house, searching into drawers, and finding books, without the help of sight, Believe me (said she), persons who cannot do these common offices without sight, did bat little while they enjoyed that blessing.'— Scanty circumstances, bad health, and blindness, are surely a sufficient apology for her being sometimes impatient: her natural disposition was good, friendly, and humane."-MALONE.

I had

patience and cheerfulness under her misfortune, that it doubled my concern for her. Mr. Johnson was very communicative and entertaining, and did me the honour to address most of his discourse to me. the assurance to dispute with him on the subject of human malignity, and wondered to hear a man, who, by his actions, shows so much benevolence, maintain that the human heart is naturally malevolent, and that all the benevolence we see in the few who are good is acquired by reason and religion. You may believe I entirely disagreed with [The following description of Mrs. Williams him, being, as you know, fully persuaded (at a later date) may be here introduced: "I that benevolence, or the love of our fellowsee her now a pale, shrunken old lady, dressed creatures, is as much a part of our natures in scarlet, made in the handsome French fashion as self-love; and that it cannot be suppressof the time (1775), with a lace cap, with two ed or extinguished without great violence rised projecting wings on the temples, and a from the force of other passions. I told him, black lace hood over it. Her temper has been I suspected him of these bad notions from recorded as marked with Welsh fire, and this git be excited by some of the meaner inmates some of his Ramblers, and had accused him of the upper floors [of Dr. Johnson's house]; but to you; but that you had persuaded me I had mistaken his sense. To which he anher gentle kindness to me I never shall forget, or tak consistent with a bad temper. I know swered, that if he had betrayed such sentibedy from whose discourse there was a better ments in the Ramblers, it was without dechance of deriving high ideas of moral rectitude." sign; for that he believed that the doctrine -Mus Hawkins's Memoirs, vol. 2, p. 152.of human malevolence, though a true one, Ea.] is not a useful one, and ought not to be pub1See it mentioned in Nichols's Life of Bowyer.lished to the world. Is there any truth that

p. 322, 327.

Burlington-gardens, with whom he and Mrs. Williams generally dined every Sunday. There was a talk of his going to Iceland with him, which would probably have happened, had he lived. There were also Mr. Cave, Dr. Hawkesworth, Mr. Ryland, merchant on Tower-hill, Mrs. Masters, the poetess, who lived with Mr. Cave, Mrs. Carter, and sometimes Mrs. Macaulay 5; also, Mrs. Gardiner, wife of a tallow-chandler, on Snow-hill, not in the learned way, but a worthy good woman 6; Mr. (now Sir Joshua) Reynolds; Mr. Miller, Mr. Dodsley, Mr. Boquet, Mr. Payne, of Paternoster-row, booksellers; Mr. Strahan, the printer; the Earl of Orrery", Lord Southwell, Mr. Garrick."

would not be useful, or that should not be | Diamond, an apothecary in Cork-street, known?"] [By some papers, in the hands of Hawk. Sir John Hawkins, it seems that, notwithstanding Johnson was paid for writing the Rambler, he had a remaining interest in the copy-right of that paper, which about this time he sold. The produce thereof, the pay he was receiving for his papers in the Adventurer 1, and the fruits of his other literary labours, had now exalted him to such a state of comparative 2 affluence, as, in his judgment, made a man-servant necessary. Soon after the decease of Mrs. Johnson, the father of Dr. Bathurst arrived in England, from Jamaica, and brought with him a negroservant, a native of that island, whom he caused to be baptized, and named Francis Barber, and sent for instruction to Bur-catalogue of his friends, and in particular, ton-upon-Tees, in Yorkshire. Upon the decease of Captain Bathurst (for so he was called), Francis went to live with his son, who willingly parted with him to Johnson. The uses for which he was intended to serve this his last master were not very apparent, for Diogenes himself never wanted a servant less than he seemed to do. The great bushy wig, which, throughout his life, he affected to wear, by that closeness of texture which it had contracted and been suffered to retain, was ever nearly as impenetrable by a comb as a quickset hedge; and little of the dust that had once settled on his outer garments was ever known to have been disturbed by the brush.]

From Mr. Francis Barber I have had the following authentick and artless account of the situation in which he found him recently after his wife's death: "He was in great affliction. Mrs. Williams was then living in his house, which was in Gough-square. He was busy with the Dictionary. Mr. Shiels, and some others of the gentlemen who had formerly written for him, used to come about him. He had then little for himself, but frequently sent money to Mr. Shiels 3 when in distress. The friends who visited him at that time were chiefly Dr. Bathurst, and Mr.

1 [Mr. Boswell states on evidence, which (however improbable the fact) it is hard to resist, that Johnson resigned to Dr. Bathurst some, if not all, the profits of the Adventurer, which at most were two guineas a paper for about thirty papers. -ED.]

2 [This is hardly consistent with all the other accounts, which lead to a belief that Johnson was, from the death of his wife in 1752, to the time of his pension in 1762, in very narrow circumstances. He most probably was induced to take the negro by charity and his love for Dr. Bathurst. --ED.]

[See ante, p. 75.-ED.]

Many are, no doubt, omitted in this his humble friend Mr. Robert Levet, an obscure practiser in physick amongst the lower people, his fees being sometimes very small sums, sometimes whatever provisions his patients could afford him; but of such extensive practice in that way, that Mrs. Williams has told me his walk was from Houndsditch to Mary bone. It appears,

4 [Mary Masters published a small volume of poems about 1738, and, in 1755—“ Familiar Letters and Poems," in octavo. She is supposed to have died about 1759.-ED.]

5 [Catharine Sawbridge, sister of Mrs. Alderman Sawbridge, was born in 1733; but it was not till 1760 that she was married to Dr. Macauly, a physician; so that Barber's account was, in respect to her, incorrect, either in date or name. She was married a second time, in 1778, to a Mr. Graham, with no increase of respectability. She died in 1791.-ED.]

6 [With this good woman, who was introduced to him by Mrs. Masters, he kept up a constant intercourse, and remembered her in his will, by the bequest of a book. See post, Nov. 1783.— ED.]

[John Boyle, born in 1707; educated first under the private tuition of Fenton the poet, and afterwards, at Westminster school and Christ Church College, Oxford; succeeded his father as fifth Earl of Örrery in 1737; D. C. L. of Oxford in 1743; F. R. S. in 1750; and, on the death of his cousin, 1753, fifth Earl of Corke. He published several works, but the only original one of any note is his Life of Swift, written with great professions of friendship, but in fact with considerable severity towards the dean. Lord Orrery's acquaintance may have tended to increase Johnson's aversion to Swift. Lord Orrery's estate was much encumbered, and his circumstances were consequently embarrassed. Mr. Tyers intimates (Biog. Sk. p. 7.) that, if it had been in his power, Lord Orrery would have afforded Johnson pecuniary assistance.-ED.]

8 [Thomas, second Lord Southwell, F. R. S., born 1698, succeeded his father in 1720, and died 1766.-ED.]

from Johnson's diary, that their acquain- | tance commenced about the year 1746; and such was Johnson's predilection for him, and fanciful estimation of his moderate abilities, that I have heard him say he should not be satisfied, though attended by all the college of physicians, unless he had Mr. Levet with him. Ever since I was acquainted with Dr. Johnson, and many years before, as I have been assured by those who knew him earlier, Mr. Levet had an apartment in his house, or his chambers, and waited upon him every morning, through the whole course of his late and tedious breakfast. He was of a strange grotesque appearance, stiff and formal in his manner, and seldom said a word while any company was present 1.

Cotterells, daughters of Admiral Cotterell 4. Reynolds 5 used also to visit there, and thus they met. Mr. Reynolds, as I have observed above, had, from the first reading of his "Life of Savage," conceived a very high admiration of Johnson's powers of writing. His conversation no less delighted him; and he cultivated his acquaintance with the laudable zeal of one who was ambitious of general improvement. Sir Joshua, indeed, was lucky enough, at their very first meeting, to make a remark, which was so much above the common-place style of conversation, that Johnson at once perceived that Reynolds had the habit of thinking for himself. The ladies were regretting the death of a friend, to whom they owed great obligations; upon which Reynolds observed, "You have, however, the comfort of being relieved from a burden of gratitude." They were shocked a little at this alleviating suggestion, as too selfish; but Johnson defended it in his clear and forcible manner, and was much pleased with the mind, the fair view of human nature 6 which it exhibited, like some of the

The circle of his friends, indeed, at this time was extensive and various, far beyond what has been generally imagined2. To trace his acquaintance with each particular person, if it could be done, would be a task, of which the labour would not be repaid by the advantage. But exceptions are to be made; one of which must be a friend so eminent as Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was truly his dulce decus, and with two in his letters to Barretti (see post, 1761 and whom he maintained an uninterrupted in- 1762), that these ladies were connexions of his timacy to the last hour of life. When wife, but Dr. Harwood informs me, on the auJohnson lived in Castle-street, Cavendish-thority of Mrs. Pearson, that there was no relasquare, he used frequently to visit two tionship.-ED.] ladies, who lived opposite to him 3, Miss

A more particular account of this person may be found in the Gentleman's Magazine for February, 1785. It originally appeared in the St. James's Chronicle, and, I believe, was written by the late George Steevens, Esq.-MALONE.

["Captain Charles Cotterell retired totally from the service in July, 1747, being put, with a number of other gentlemen, on the superannuated list, with the rank and pay of a rear-admiral. He died in July, 1754." Biog. Nav.-Ed.]

[It would be naturally inferred from Mr. Boswell's account, that the acquaintance between [Mr. Murphy, who is, as to this period, bet- Johnson and Sir Joshua took place so early as the ter authority than Mr. Boswell, says, "It was time when the former resided in Castle-street. late in life before he had the habit of mixing, This can hardly have been the case. Reynolds, erwise than occasionally, with polite compa- then a youth under age, passed the years 1741 57; and Dr. Harwood has favoured me with the and 1742 in London, but did not again revisit the flowing memorandum, in Johnson's writing, metropolis till the end of 1752. (See Northmade about this time, of certain visits which he cote's Life, p. 12, 31, and 32.) That the acto make (perhaps on his return from Ox-quaintance did not commence on the first visit, is fndin 1754), and which, as it contains the proved by its having occurred after the publicas of some of the highest and lowest of his tion of the Life of Savage, which was in 1744. tance, is probably a list of nearly all his Barber also must have been in error when he described Reynolds as one of Johnson's intimates at the period of his wife's death.-ED.]

Fat to

Bodie

Tenke

Taylor

Drew

Elphinston

Lawrence

Oxborne

Garrick

Millar

Garden[er]

Robinson, sen.

Craster

Richardson

Boyle

Scaban

Wilson

Millar

Henry

Tyers

Dodaley

Hawkins

Reynolds

Ryland

Payne

Gully

Newberry

Gregory
Desmoulins
Lloyd
Sherrard.

ED.] [It might be inferred, from an expression or

6 Johnson himself has a sentiment somewhat similar in his 87th Rambler: "There are minds so impatient of inferiority, that their gratitude is a species of revenge, and they return benefits, not because recompense is a pleasure, but because obligation is a pain."-J. BOSWELL. [This is, no doubt, "a somewhat similar sentiment;" but in the Rambler, Johnson mentions it with the censure it deserves; whereas, in the text, he is represented as applauding it. Such an observation is very little like the usual good manners, good nature, and good sense of Sir Joshua; and we cannot but suspect the authority, whatever it was, on which Boswell admitted this anecdote.ED.]

reflections of Rochefoucault. The consequence was, that he went home with Reynolds, and supped with him.

nied the army from England; he pro therefore, joined the expedition in the Indies.

Ha

His

Sir Joshua told me a pleasant characteristical anecdote of Johnson about the time "DR. BATHURST TO DR. JOHNSO of their first acquaintance. When they "Barbadoes, 13 Jan. were one evening together at the Miss Cot- "DEAR SIR,-The many acts terells', the then Duchess of Argyle and of friendship and affection you 1 another lady of high rank came in. John- have conferred upon me, so fully p. son thinking that the Miss Cotterells were convince me of your being intertoo much engrossed by them, and that he ested in my welfare, that even my p and his friend were neglected, as low com- stupidity will not prevent my taking pany, of whom they were somewhat asham- in my hand to acquaint you that I a ed, grew angry; and resolving to shock instant arrived safe at Barbadoes, and their supposed pride, by making their great I may add, without having forgot all yo visitors imagine that his friend and he were sons; and I am confident not without pr low indeed, he addressed himself in a loud most fervently that the Supreme Bein tone to Mr. Reynolds, saying, "How much enable me to deserve the approbatio do you think you and I could get in a friendship of so great and so good a week, if we were to work as hard as we alas! you little know how undeserving could?" as if they had been common me- of the favours I have received from chanicks. May health and happiness forever you. Excuse my dropping my pen, is impossible that it should express th itude that is due to you, from your affectionate friend, and most oblige vant,

Piozzi,

[Of Dr. Bathurst, who stands p. 14, 64. first in the foregoing list of his friends, Dr. Johnson told Mrs. Piozzi that he loved "dear, dear Bathurst, better than he ever loved any human creature;" and it was on him that he bestowed the singular eulogy of being a good hater. "Dear Bathurst," said he to Mrs. Piozzi, 66 was a man to my very heart's content; he hated a fool, and he hated a rogue, and he hated a whig-he was a very good hater!"]

"RICHARD BATHUR

"P. S. Let me trouble you with c ments to Miss Williams, to Mrs. L to Dr. Lawrence, and his family; in to all who shall be so obliging as to i after me; and if it will put you to no inconvenience, let me beg that you wi to Mr. Scrocold and to Mr. Bathurst Dr. Bathurst, though a physician of no count of my arrival at this place. I inconsiderable merit, had not the good for- you will call me a lazy dog, and, in t tune to get much practice in London 2. He deserve it; but I am afraid I shall was, therefore, willing to accept of employ- mend. I have indeed long known ment abroad, and, to the regret of all who can love my friends without being knew him, fell a sacrifice to the destructive | tell them so. I find that I can write climate, in the expedition against the Ha-postscript, though I was not bred vannah. Mr. Langton recollects the fol- Richardson's school: how easy is it t lowing passage in a letter from Dr. Johnson imperfections.-Is it not better to b to Mr. Beauclerk: "The Havannah is ta- than to be able to see our faults with ken;-a conquest too dearly obtained; for ing able to correct them? I must Bathurst died before it. you once more, my dear Mr. John continue your forgiveness to me. my dearest friend."

"Vix Priamus tanti totaque Troja fuit.”

[It would seem from the two folED. lowing letters that Dr. Bathurst left London and returned to the West Indies some years before the expedition against the Havannah; nor is his name to be found in the list of medical officers who accompa

' [Jane Warburton, second wife of John, second Duke of Argyle. His Grace died in 1743. She survived till 1767.—ED.]

2

[Sir John Hawkins is the authority on which these few and meagre particulars, relative to Dr. Bathurst, have been preserved. He adds, how ever, that Dr. Bathurst, before he went abroad, had been elected physician to an hospital (the Middlesex); but though Sir John tells so little (and that little not, it seems, very correctly) of the immediate subject of his notice, he gives a

"DR. BATHURST TO DR JOHNS "Jamaica. 18 March

"DEAR SIR,-In compliance with my promise to acquaint you H by the first conveyance of my p. arrival at this place, I have now taken a pen into my hand, but with fear and dread it is impossible for me press; the danger of offending the friends, to whom I stand indebted for little virtue and knowledge that I could scarcely compel me to it; and

very amusing account of the various ch and fortunes of several of the medical pr in London about the middle of the last See his Life of Johnson, pp. 234, &c.