DEAR SIR: TO SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS I heard yesterday of your late disorder, and should think ill of myself if I had heard of it without alarm. I heard likewise of your recovery, which I sincerely wish to be complete and permanent. Your country has 5 been in danger of losing one of its brightest ornaments, and I of losing one of my oldest and kindest friends; but I hope you will still live long, for the honor of the nation; and that more enjoyment of your elegance, your intelligence, and your benevolence, is still reserved 10 for, dear Sir, your most affectionate, &c., Brighthelmston, SAM. JOHNSON. TO SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS March 4, 1783. 15 SIR: I have sent you back Mr. Crabbe's poem, which I read with great delight. It is original, vigorous, and elegant. The alterations which I have made I do not require 20 him to adopt, for my lines are, perhaps, not often better [than] his own; but he may take mine and his own together, and perhaps between them produce something better than either. He is not to think his copy wantonly defaced; a wet sponge will wash all the red lines away, 25 and leave the pages clean. His Dedication will be least liked; it were better to contract it into a short, sprightly address. I do not doubt of Mr. Crabbe's success. I am, Sir, 30 SAM. JOHNSON. Your most humble servant, DEAR MADAM: TO MRS. THRALE London, Nov. 29, 1783. The life of my dear, sweet, pretty, lovely, delicious Miss Sophy is safe; let us return thanks to the great 5 Giver of existence, and pray that her continuance amongst us may be a blessing to herself and to those that love her. Multos et felices, my dear girl. Now she is recovered, she must write me a little history of her sufferings, and impart her schemes of study 10 and improvement. Life, to be worthy of a rational being, must be always in progression; we must always purpose to do more or better than in times past. The mind is enlarged and elevated by mere purposes, though they end as they begin, by airy contemplation. 15 compare and judge, though we do not practise. We She will go back to her arithmetic again; a science which will always delight her more, as by advancing further she discerns more of its use, and a science devoted to Sophy's ease of mind; for you told in the last 20 winter that she loved metaphysics more than romances. Her choice is certainly as laudable as it is uncommon; but I would have her like what is good in both. 25 God bless you and your children; so says, Dear Madam, Your old Friend, SAM. JOHNSON. TO THE REVEREND DR. TAYLOR, ASHBOURNE, DERBYSHIRE DEAR SIR: What can be the reason that I hear nothing from you? I hope nothing disables you from writing. What 30 I have seen, and what I have felt, gives me reason to fear every thing. Do not omit giving me the comfort of knowing, that after all my losses I have yet a friend left. I want every comfort. My life is very solitary and very cheerless. Though it has pleased God wonderfully to deliver me from the dropsy, I am yet very weak, and have not passed the door since the 13th of December. I hope for some help from warm weather, which 5 will surely come in time. I could not have the consent of physicians to go to church yesterday; I therefore received the holy sacrament at home, in the room where I communicated with dear Mrs. Williams, a little before her death. O! my 10 friend, the approach of death is very dreadful. I am afraid to think on that which I know I cannot avoid. It is vain to look round and round for that help which cannot be had. Yet we hope and hope, and fancy that he who has lived to-day may live to-morrow. us learn to derive our hope only from God. But let 15 I In the meantime let us be kind to one another. have no friend now living but you and Mr. Hector, that was the friend of my youth. Do not neglect, dear Sir, Yours affectionately, London, Easter Monday, April 12, 1784. SAM. JOHNSON. TO MISS JANE LANGTON, ROCHESTER MY DEAREST MISS JENNY: 20 I am sorry that your pretty letter has been so long 25 without being answered; but, when I am not pretty well, I do not always write plain enough for young ladies. I am glad, my dear, to see that you write so well, and hope that you mind your pen, your book, and your needle, for they are all necessary. Your books 30 will give you knowledge, and make you respected; and your needle will find you useful employment when you do not care to read. When you are a little older, I hope you will be very diligent in learning arithmetic, Johnson, as described in Boswell's Tour, drawn and etched by Trotter. He wore," says Boswell, a full suit of plain brown clothes, with twisted hair-buttons of the same color, a large bushy, grayish wig, a plain shirt, black worsted stockings, and silver buckles. Upon this tour, when journeying, he wore boots, and a very wide brown cloth great-coat, with pockets which might have almost held the two volumes of his folio Dictionary. and he carried in his hand a large English oak stick.' On the journey the stick was lost. |