’The bearer is my god-son, whom I take the liberty of recommending to your kindness; which I hope he will deserve by his respect to your excellence, and his gratitude for your favours.

’I am, Sir,

’Your most humble servant,

‘SAM.  JOHNSON.’

‘April 10, 1784.’

To THE SAME.

’SIR,

’I am very much obliged by your civilities to my god-son, but must beg of you to add to them the favour of permitting him to see you paint, that he may know how a picture is begun, advanced and completed.

’If he may attend you in a few of your operations, I hope he will shew that the benefit has been properly conferred, both by his proficiency and his gratitude.  At least I shall consider you as enlarging your kindness to, Sir,

’Your humble servant,

‘SAM.  JOHNSON.’

‘May 31, 1784.’

’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 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[832].  I hope for some help from warm weather, which will surely come in time.

’I could not have the consent of the 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 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.  But let us learn to derive our hope only from GOD.

’In the mean time, let us be kind to one another.  I have no friend now living but you and Mr. Hector, that was the friend of my youth.  Do not neglect, dear Sir,

’Yours affectionately,

‘SAM.  JOHNSON[833].’

’London, Easter-Monday,

April 12, 1784.’

What follows is a beautiful specimen of his gentleness and complacency to a young lady his god-child, one of the daughters of his friend Mr. Langton, then I think in her seventh year.  He took the trouble to write it in a large round hand, nearly resembling printed characters, that she might have the satisfaction of reading it herself.  The original lies before me, but shall be faithfully restored to her; and I dare say will be preserved by her as a jewel as long as she lives[834].

’To Miss JANE LANGTON, IN ROCHESTER, KENT.

’MY DEAREST MISS JENNY,