Mrs. Lennox and her husband met them. Johnfon, after an invocation of the muses, and fome other ceremonies of his own invention, invested the authoress with a laurel crown. The feftivity was protracted till morning, and Johnson through 'the night was a Bachanalian, without the use of wine.

Though his circumstances, at this time, were far from being eafy, he received as a constant visitor at his house, Miss Anna Williams, daughter of a Welsh physician, and a woman of more than ordinary talents and literature, who had just lost her fight. She had contracted a clofe intimacy with his wife; and after her death, she had an apartment from him, at all times when he had a house. In 1755, Garrick gave her a benefit, which produced 2001. In 1766, fhe published a quarto volume of " Mifcellanies," and thereby increased her little ftock to 300l. This,

and Johnson's protection, fupported her during the rest of her life.

In 1752, he republished his version of Pope's Meffiab, in the Gentleman's Magazine. Soon after his clofing the Rambler, March 2, he fuffered a lofs which affected him with the deepest distress, On the 17th of March, O. S. his wife died; and after a cohabitation of feventeen years, left him a childlefs widower, abandoned to forrow, and incapable of confolation. She was buried in the chapel of Bromley in Kent, under the care of his friend, Dr. Hawkefworth, who refided at that place. In the interval between her death and burial, he composed a funeral fermon for her, which was never preached; but, being given to Dr. Taylor, has been published fince his death. With the fingularity of his prayers for Tetty, from that time to the end of his life, the world is fufficiently acquainted. By her first husband

the left a daughter, and a fon, a captain in the navy, who, at his death, left 10,000l, to his fifter.

On this melancholy event Johnson felt the most poignant diftrefs. She is, however, reported not to have been worthy of this fincere attachment. Mrs. Defmoulins, who lived for fome time with her at Hampstead, told Mr. Bofwell, that fhe indulged herself in country air and nice living, at an unfuitable expence, while her husband was drudging in the smoke of London; that fhe was negligent of economy in her domeftic affairs; and that fhe by no means treated him with that complacency which is the most engaging quality in a wife. But all this is perfectly compatible with his fondness for her; especially when it is remembered, that he had a high opinion of her understanding; and that the impreffion which her beauty, real, or imaginary, had originally made

upon his imagination, being continued by habit, had not been effaced, though fhe herself was, doubtlefs, much altered for the worse. Sir John Hawkins has declared himself inclined to think, "that if this fondness of Johnson for his wife was not diffembled, it was a leffon that he had learned by rote; and that when he practifed it, he knew not where to ftop, until he became ridiculous." To argue from her being much older than Johnson, or any other circumftances, that he could not really love her, is abfurd; for love is not a fubject of reafoning, but of feeling; and, therefore, there are no common principles upon which one can perfuade another concerning it. That Johnson married her for love is believed. During her life he was fond and indulgent. At her death he was agonized; and, ever after, cherished her image as the companion of his most folemn hours. If seventeen years passed in

acts of tenderness during their union, and a longer period spent in regret after death had divided them, cannot fix our opinion that Johnson's fondness was not the effect of diffimulation, or the unfelt leffon of a parrot, where fhall we fix bounds to fufpicion, or place limits to the prefumption of man, in paffing fentence upon the feelings of his neighbour?

The following authentic and artless account of his fituation after his wife's death, was given to Mr. Bofwell, by Francis Barbar, his faithful negro-fervant, who was brought from Jamaica by Colonel Bathurst, father of his friend Dr. Bathurst, and came into his family about a fortnight after the difmal event.

"He was in great affliction :-Mifs Wil liams was then living in his house, which was in Gough-Square. He was bufy with his Dictionary; Mr. Shiels, and fome others of the gentlemen who had formerly writ