ThisletterwasbroughttoDr。Johnsonwheninchurch。Hestoopeddownandreadit，andwrote，whenhewenthome，thefollowingletterforDr。DoddtotheKing：
　　’SIR，——MayitnotoffendyourMajesty，thatthemostmiserableofmenapplieshimselftoyourclemency，ashislasthopeandhislastrefuge；thatyourmercyismostearnestlyandhumblyimploredbyaclergyman，whomyourLawsandJudgeshavecondemnedtothehorrourandignominyofapublickexecution……’
　　Subjoinedtoitwaswrittenasfollows：——
　　’TODR。DODD。
　　’SIR，——ImostseriouslyenjoinyounottoletitbeatallknownthatIhavewrittenthisletter，andtoreturnthecopytoMr。
　　Alleninacovertome。IhopeIneednottellyou，thatIwishitsuccess——Butdonotindulgehope——Tellnobody。’
　　IthappenedluckilythatMr。Allenwaspitchedontoassistinthismelancholyoffice，forhewasagreatfriendofMr。Akerman，thekeeperofNewgate。Dr。JohnsonneverwenttoseeDr。Dodd。Hesaidtome，’itwouldhavedoneHIMmoreharm，thangoodtoDodd，whoonceexpressedadesiretoseehim，butnotearnestly。’
　　AllapplicationsfortheRoyalMercyhavingfailed，Dr。Doddpreparedhimselffordeath；and，withawarmthofgratitude，wrotetoDr。Johnsonasfollows：——
　　’June25，Midnight。
　　’Accept，thouGREATandGOODheart，myearnestandferventthanksandprayersforallthybenevolentandkindeffortsinmybehalf——
　　Oh!Dr。Johnson!asIsoughtyourknowledgeatanearlyhourinlife，wouldtoheavenIhadcultivatedtheloveandacquaintanceofsoexcellentaman!——IprayGODmostsincerelytoblessyouwiththehighesttransports——theinfeltsatisfactionofHUMANEandbenevolentexertions!——Andadmitted，asItrustIshallbe，totherealmsofblissbeforeyou，IshallhailYOURarrivaltherewithtransports，andrejoicetoacknowledgethatyouwasmyComforter，myAdvocateandmyFRIEND!GODBEEVERWITHYOU!’
　　Dr。JohnsonlastlywrotetoDr。Doddthissolemnandsoothingletter：——
　　’TOTHEREVERENDDR。DODD。
　　’DEARSIR，——Thatwhichisappointedtoallmenisnowcominguponyou。Outwardcircumstances，theeyesandthethoughtsofmen，arebelowthenoticeofanimmortalbeingabouttostandthetrialforeternity，beforetheSupremeJudgeofheavenandearth。Becomforted：yourcrime，morallyorreligiouslyconsidered，hasnoverydeepdyeofturpitude。Itcorruptednoman’sprinciples；itattackednoman’slife。Itinvolvedonlyatemporaryandreparableinjury。Ofthis，andofallothersins，youareearnestlytorepent；andmayGOD，whoknowethourfrailty，anddesirethnotourdeath，acceptyourrepentance，forthesakeofhisSONJESUSCHRIST
　　ourLord。
　　’Inrequitalofthosewell-intendedofficeswhichyouarepleasedsoemphaticallytoacknowledge，letmebegthatyoumakeinyourdevotionsonepetitionformyeternalwelfare。Iam，dearSir，youraffectionateservant，’June26，1777。’
　　’SAM。JOHNSON。’
　　UnderthecopyofthisletterIfoundwritten，inJohnson’sownhand，’Nextday，June27，hewasexecuted。’
　　Tuesday，September16，Dr。JohnsonhavingmentionedtometheextraordinarysizeandpriceofsomecattlerearedbyDr。Taylor，I
　　rodeoutwithourhost，surveyedhisfarm，andwasshownonecowwhichhehadsoldforahundredandtwentyguineas，andanotherforwhichhehadbeenofferedahundredandthirty。Taylorthusdescribedtomehisoldschoolfellowandfriend，Johnson：’Heisamanofaveryclearhead，greatpowerofwords，andaverygayimagination；butthereisnodisputingwithhim。Hewillnothearyou，andhavingaloudervoicethanyou，mustroaryoudown。’
　　Intheevening，theReverendMr。Seward，ofLichfield，whowaspassingthroughAshbourneinhiswayhome，drankteawithus。
　　Johnsondescribedhimthus：——’Sir，hisambitionistobeafinetalker；sohegoestoBuxton，andsuchplaces，wherehemayfindcompaniestolistentohim。And，Sir，heisavaletudinarian，oneofthosewhoarealwaysmendingthemselves。Idonotknowamoredisagreeablecharacterthanavaletudinarian，whothinkshemaydoanythingthatisforhisease，andindulgeshimselfinthegrossestfreedoms：Sir，hebringshimselftothestateofahoginastye。’
　　Dr。Taylor’snosehappeningtobleed，hesaid，itwasbecausehehadomittedtohavehimselfbloodedfourdaysafteraquarterofayear’sinterval。Dr。Johnson，whowasagreatdabblerinphysick，disapprovedmuchofperiodicalbleeding。’Forsaidhe，youaccustomyourselftoanevacuationwhichNaturecannotperformofherself，andthereforeshecannothelpyou，shouldyou，fromforgetfulnessoranyothercause，omitit；soyoumaybesuddenlysuffocated。Youmayaccustomyourselftootherperiodicalevacuations，becauseshouldyouomitthem，Naturecansupplytheomission；butNaturecannotopenaveintobloodyou。’——’Idonotliketotakeanemetick，saidTaylor，forfearofbreakingsomesmallvessels。’——’Poh!saidJohnson，ifyouhavesomanythingsthatwillbreak，youhadbetterbreakyourneckatonce，andthere’sanendon’t。Youwillbreaknosmallvessels：’blowingwithhighderision。
　　ThehorrourofdeathwhichIhadalwaysobservedinDr。Johnson，appearedstrongto-night。Iventuredtotellhim，thatIhadbeen，formomentsinmylife，notafraidofdeath；thereforeIcouldsupposeanothermaninthatstateofmindforaconsiderablespaceoftime。Hesaid，’heneverhadamomentinwhichdeathwasnotterribletohim。’Headded，thatithadbeenobserved，thatscarceanymandiesinpublick，butwithapparentresolution；fromthatdesireofpraisewhichneverquitsus。Isaid，Dr。Doddseemedtobewillingtodie，andfullofhopesofhappiness。’Sir，saidhe，Dr。Doddwouldhavegivenbothhishandsandbothhislegstohavelived。Thebetteramanis，themoreafraidheisofdeath，havingaclearerviewofinfinitepurity。’Heowned，thatourbeinginanunhappyuncertaintyastooursalvation，wasmysterious；andsaid，’Ah!wemustwaittillweareinanotherstateofbeing，tohavemanythingsexplainedtous。’EventhepowerfulmindofJohnsonseemedfoiledbyfuturity。
　　OnWednesday，September17，Dr。Butter，physicianatDerby，drankteawithus；anditwassettledthatDr。JohnsonandIshouldgoonFridayanddinewithhim。Johnsonsaid，’I’mgladofthis。’HeseemedwearyoftheuniformityoflifeatDr。Taylor’s。
　　Talkingofbiography，Isaid，inwritingalife，aman’speculiaritiesshouldbementioned，becausetheymarkhischaracter。
　　JOHNSON。’Sir，thereisnodoubtastopeculiarities：thequestionis，whetheraman’svicesshouldbementioned；forinstance，whetheritshouldbementionedthatAddisonandParnelldranktoofreely：forpeoplewillprobablymoreeasilyindulgeindrinkingfromknowingthis；sothatmoreillmaybedonebytheexample，thangoodbytellingthewholetruth。’Herewasaninstanceofhisvaryingfromhimselfintalk；forwhenLordHailesandhesatonemorningcalmlyconversinginmyhouseatEdinburgh，IwellrememberthatDr。Johnsonmaintained，that’IfamanistowriteA
　　Panegyrick，hemaykeepvicesoutofsight；butifheprofessestowriteALife，hemustrepresentitreallyasitwas：’andwhenI
　　objectedtothedangeroftellingthatParnelldranktoexcess，hesaid，that’itwouldproduceaninstructivecautiontoavoiddrinking，whenitwasseen，thateventhelearningandgeniusofParnellcouldbedebasedbyit。’AndintheHebrideshemaintained，asappearsfrommyJournal，thataman’sintimatefriendshouldmentionhisfaults，ifhewriteshislife。
　　Thursday，September18。LastnightDr。Johnsonhadproposedthatthecrystallustre，orchandelier，inDr。Taylor’slargeroom，shouldbelightedupsometimeorother。Taylorsaid，itshouldbelightedupnextnight。’Thatwilldoverywell，saidI，foritisDr。Johnson’sbirth-day。’WhenwewereintheIsleofSky，Johnsonhaddesiredmenottomentionhisbirth-day。HedidnotseempleasedatthistimethatImentionedit，andsaidsomewhatsternly，’hewouldnothavethelustrelightedthenextday。’
　　Someladies，whohadbeenpresentyesterdaywhenImentionedhisbirth-day，cametodinnerto-day，andplaguedhimunintentionally，bywishinghimjoy。Iknownotwhyhedislikedhavinghisbirth-
　　daymentioned，unlessitwerethatitremindedhimofhisapproachingnearertodeath，ofwhichhehadaconstantdread。
　　Imentionedtohimafriendofminewhowasformerlygloomyfromlowspirits，andmuchdistressedbythefearofdeath，butwasnowuniformlyplacid，andcontemplatedhisdissolutionwithoutanyperturbation。’Sir，saidJohnson，thisisonlyadisorderedimaginationtakingadifferentturn。’
　　Heobserved，thatagentlemanofeminenceinliteraturehadgotintoabadstyleofpoetryoflate。’Heputssaidhe，averycommonthinginastrangedresstillhedoesnotknowithimself，andthinksotherpeopledonotknowit。’BOSWELL。’ThatisowingtohisbeingsomuchversantinoldEnglishpoetry。’JOHNSON。
　　’Whatisthattothepurpose，Sir？IfIsayamanisdrunk，andyoutellmeitisowingtohistakingmuchdrink，thematterisnotmended。No，Sir，——hastakentoanoddmode。Forexample，he’dwritethus：
　　“Hermithoar，insolemncell，Wearingoutlife’seveninggray。“
　　Grayeveningiscommonenough；buteveninggrayhe’dthinkfine——
　　Stay；——we’llmakeoutthestanza：
　　“Hermithoar，insolemncell，Wearingoutlife’seveninggray；
　　Smitethybosom，sage，andtell，Whatisbliss？andwhichtheway？“’
　　BOSWELL。’Butwhysmitehisbosom，Sir？’JOHNSON。’Why，toshewhewasinearnest，’smiling。——Heatanafterperiodaddedthefollowingstanza：
　　’ThusIspoke；andspeakingsigh’d；——
　　Scarcerepress’dthestartingtear；——
　　Whenthesmilingsagereply’d——
　　Come，mylad，anddrinksomebeer。’