’Thereisoneexpedientbywhichyoumay，insomedegree，continueherpresence。Ifyouwritedownminutelywhatyourememberofherfromyourearliestyears，youwillreaditwithgreatpleasure，andreceivefromitmanyhintsofsoothingrecollection，whentimeshallremoveheryetfartherfromyou，andyourgriefshallbematuredtoveneration。Tothis，howeverpainfulforthepresent，I
　　cannotbutadviseyou，astoasourceofcomfortandsatisfactioninthetimetocome；forallcomfortandallsatisfactionissincerelywishedyouby，dearSir，yourmostobliged，mostobedient，andmosthumbleservant，’SAM。JOHNSON。’
　　TheRamblerhasincreasedinfameasinage。Soonafteritsfirstfolioeditionwasconcluded，itwaspublishedinsixduodecimovolumes；anditsauthourlivedtoseetennumerouseditionsofitinLondon，besidethoseofIrelandandScotland。
　　ThestyleofJohnsonwas，undoubtedly，muchformeduponthatofthegreatwritersinthelastcentury，Hooker，Bacon，Sanderson，Hakewell，andothers；those’GIANTS，’astheywerewellcharacterisedbyAGREATPERSONAGE，whoseauthority，wereItonamehim，wouldstampareverenceontheopinion。
　　Johnsonassuredme，thathehadnottakenuponhimtoaddmorethanfourorfivewordstotheEnglishlanguage，ofhisownformation；
　　andhewasverymuchoffendedatthegenerallicence，bynomeans’modestlytaken’inhistimenotonlytocoinnewwords，buttousemanywordsinsensesquitedifferentfromtheirestablishedmeaning，andthosefrequentlyveryfantastical。
　　SirThomasBrown，whoselifeJohnsonwrote，wasremarkablyfondofAnglo-Latindiction；andtohisexamplewearetoascribeJohnson’ssometimesindulginghimselfinthiskindofphraseology。Johnson’scomprehensionofmindwasthemouldforhislanguage。Hadhisconceptionsbeennarrower，hisexpressionwouldhavebeeneasier。
　　Hissentenceshaveadignifiedmarch；and，itiscertain，thathisexamplehasgivenageneralelevationtothelanguageofhiscountry，formanyofourbestwritershaveapproachedveryneartohim；and，fromtheinfluencewhichhehashaduponourcomposition，scarcelyanythingiswrittennowthatisnotbetterexpressedthanwasusualbeforeheappearedtoleadthenationaltaste。
　　ThoughTheRamblerwasnotconcludedtilltheyear1752，Ishall，underthisyear，sayallthatIhavetoobserveuponit。Someofthetranslationsofthemottosbyhimselfareadmirablydone。Heacknowledgestohavereceived’eleganttranslations’ofmanyofthemfromMr。JamesElphinston；andsomeareveryhappilytranslatedbyaMr。F。Lewis，ofwhomIneverheardmore，exceptthatJohnsonthusdescribedhimtoMr。Malone：’Sir，helivedinLondon，andhunglooseuponsociety。’
　　HisjustabhorrenceofMilton’spoliticalnotionswaseverstrong。
　　ButthisdidnotpreventhiswarmadmirationofMilton’sgreatpoeticalmerit，towhichhehasdoneillustriousjustice，beyondallwhohavewrittenuponthesubject。AndthisyearhenotonlywroteaPrologue，whichwasspokenbyMr。GarrickbeforetheactingofComusatDrury-lanetheatre，forthebenefitofMilton’sgrand-
　　daughter，buttookaveryzealousinterestinthesuccessofthecharity。
　　1751：AETAT。42。]——In1751wearetoconsiderhimascarryingonbothhisDictionaryandRambler。
　　ThoughJohnson’scircumstanceswereatthistimefarfrombeingeasy，hishumaneandcharitabledispositionwasconstantlyexertingitself。Mrs。AnnaWilliams，daughterofaveryingeniousWelshphysician，andawomanofmorethanordinarytalentsandliterature，havingcometoLondoninhopesofbeingcuredofacataractinbothhereyes，whichafterwardsendedintotalblindness，waskindlyreceivedasaconstantvisitorathishousewhileMrs。Johnsonlived；andafterherdeath，havingcomeunderhisroofinordertohaveanoperationuponhereyesperformedwithmorecomforttoherthaninlodgings，shehadanapartmentfromhimduringtherestofherlife，atalltimeswhenhehadahouse。
　　1752：AETAT。43。]——In1752hewasalmostentirelyoccupiedwithhisDictionary。ThelastpaperofhisRamblerwaspublishedMarch2，thisyear；afterwhich，therewasacessationforsometimeofanyexertionofhistalentsasanessayist。But，inthesameyear，Dr。
　　Hawkesworth，whowashiswarmadmirer，andastudiousimitatorofhisstyle，andthenlivedingreatintimacywithhim，beganaperiodicalpaper，entitledTheAdventurer，inconnectionwithothergentlemen，oneofwhomwasJohnson’smuch-belovedfriend，Dr。
　　Bathurst；and，withoutdoubt，theyreceivedmanyvaluablehintsfromhisconversation，mostofhisfriendshavingbeensoassistedinthecourseoftheirworks。
　　Thatthereshouldbeasuspensionofhisliterarylaboursduringapartoftheyear1752，willnotseemstrange，whenitisconsideredthatsoonafterclosinghisRambler，hesufferedalosswhich，therecanbenodoubt，affectedhimwiththedeepestdistress。Foronthe17thofMarch，O。S。，hiswifedied。
　　ThefollowingverysolemnandaffectingprayerwasfoundafterDr。
　　Johnson’sdecease，byhisservant，Mr。FrancisBarber，whodeliveredittomyworthyfriendtheReverendMr。Strahan，VicarofIslington，whoatmyearnestrequesthasobliginglyfavouredmewithacopyofit，whichheandIcomparedwiththeoriginal：
　　’April26，1752，beingafter12atNightofthe25th。
　　’OLord!Governourofheavenandearth，inwhosehandsareembodiedanddepartedSpirits，ifthouhastordainedtheSoulsoftheDeadtoministertotheLiving，andappointedmydepartedWifetohavecareofme，grantthatImayenjoythegoodeffectsofherattentionandministration，whetherexercisedbyappearance，impulses，dreamsorinanyothermanneragreeabletothyGovernment。Forgivemypresumption，enlightenmyignorance，andhowevermeaneragentsareemployed，grantmetheblessedinfluencesofthyholySpirit，throughJesusChristourLord。Amen。’
　　Thathisloveforhiswifewasofthemostardentkind，and，duringthelongperiodoffiftyyears，wasunimpairedbythelapseoftime，isevidentfromvariouspassagesintheseriesofhisPrayersandMeditations，publishedbytheReverendMr。Strahan，aswellasfromothermemorials，twoofwhichIselect，asstronglymarkingthetendernessandsensibilityofhismind。
　　’March28，1753。IkeptthisdayastheanniversaryofmyTetty’sdeath，withprayerandtearsinthemorning。IntheeveningI
　　prayedforherconditionally，ifitwerelawful。’
　　’April23，1753。IknownotwhetherIdonottoomuchindulgethevainlongingsofaffection；butIhopetheyinteneratemyheart，andthatwhenIdielikemyTetty，thisaffectionwillbeacknowledgedinahappyinterview，andthatinthemeantimeIamincitedbyittopiety。Iwill，however，notdeviatetoomuchfromcommonandreceivedmethodsofdevotion。’
　　Herweddingring，whenshebecamehiswife，was，afterherdeath，preservedbyhim，aslongashelived，withanaffectionatecare，inalittleroundwoodenbox，intheinsideofwhichhepastedaslipofpaper，thusinscribedbyhiminfaircharacters，asfollows：
　　’Eheu!
　　Eliz。JohnsonNuptaJul。91736，Mortua，eheu!
　　Mart。171752。’
　　Afterhisdeath，Mr。FrancisBarber，hisfaithfulservantandresiduarylegatee，offeredthismemorialoftendernesstoMrs。LucyPorter，Mrs。Johnson’sdaughter；butshehavingdeclinedtoacceptofit，hehaditenamelledasamourningringforhisoldmaster，andpresentedittohiswife，Mrs。Barber，whonowhasit。
　　Ihave，indeed，beentoldbyMrs。Desmoulins，who，beforehermarriage，livedforsometimewithMrs。JohnsonatHampstead，thatsheindulgedherselfincountryairandniceliving，atanunsuitableexpense，whileherhusbandwasdrudginginthesmokeofLondon，andthatshebynomeanstreatedhimwiththatcomplacencywhichisthemostengagingqualityinawife。Butallthisisperfectlycompatiblewithhisfondnessforher，especiallywhenitisrememberedthathehadahighopinionofherunderstanding，andthattheimpressionswhichherbeauty，realorimaginary，hadoriginallymadeuponhisfancy，beingcontinuedbyhabit，hadnotbeeneffaced，thoughsheherselfwasdoubtlessmuchalteredfortheworse。Thedreadfulshockofseparationtookplaceinthenight；
　　andheimmediatelydispatchedalettertohisfriend，theReverendDr。Taylor，which，asTaylortoldme，expressedgriefinthestrongestmannerhehadeverread；sothatitismuchtoberegrettedithasnotbeenpreserved。TheletterwasbroughttoDr。
　　Taylor，athishouseintheCloisters，Westminster，aboutthreeinthemorning；andasitsignifiedanearnestdesiretoseehim，hegotup，andwenttoJohnsonassoonashewasdressed，andfoundhimintearsandinextremeagitation。Afterbeingalittlewhiletogether，Johnsonrequestedhimtojoinwithhiminprayer。Hethenprayedextempore，asdidDr。Taylor；andthus，bymeansofthatpietywhichwaseverhisprimaryobject，histroubledmindwas，insomedegree，soothedandcomposed。
　　Thenextdayhewroteasfollows：
　　’ToTHEREVERENDDR。TAYLOR。
　　’DEARSIR，——Letmehaveyourcompanyandinstruction。Donotliveawayfromme。Mydistressisgreat。
　　’PraydesireMrs。TaylortoinformmewhatmourningIshouldbuyformymotherandMissPorter，andbringanoteinwritingwithyou。
　　’Remembermeinyourprayers，forvainisthehelpofman。Iam，dearSir，&c。
　　’March18，1752。’
　　’SAM。JOHNSON。’