ignorance, or presuming petulance; and allowance must be made for his uttering hasty and satirical sallies even against his best friends.  And, surely, when it is considered, that, ’amidst sickness and sorrow[1292],’he exerted his faculties in so many works for the benefit of mankind, and particularly that he atchieved the great and admirable DICTIONARY of our language, we must be astonished at his resolution.  The solemn text, ’of him to whom much is given, much will be required[1293],’ seems to have been ever present to his mind, in a rigorous sense, and to have made him dissatisfied with his labours and acts of goodness, however comparatively great; so that the unavoidable consciousness of his superiority was, in that respect, a cause of disquiet.  He suffered so much from this, and from the gloom which perpetually haunted him, and made solitude frightful, that it may be said of him, ’If in this life only he had hope, he was of all men most miserable[1294].’  He loved praise, when it was brought to him; but was too proud to seek for it.  He was somewhat susceptible of flattery.  As he was general and unconfined in his studies, he cannot be considered as master of any one particular science; but he had accumulated a vast and various collection of learning and knowledge, which was so arranged in his mind, as to be ever in readiness to be brought forth.  But his superiority over other learned men consisted chiefly in what may be called the art of thinking, the art of using his mind; a certain continual power of seizing the useful substance of all that he knew, and exhibiting it in a clear and forcible manner; so that knowledge, which we often see to be no better than lumber in men of dull understanding, was, in him, true, evident, and actual wisdom.  His moral precepts are practical; for they are drawn from an intimate acquaintance with human nature.  His maxims carry conviction; for they are founded on the basis of common sense, and a very attentive and minute survey of real life.  His mind was so full of imagery, that he might have been perpetually a poet; yet it is remarkable, that, however rich his prose is in this respect, his poetical pieces, in general, have not much of that splendour, but are rather distinguished by strong sentiment and acute observation, conveyed in harmonious and energetick verse, particularly in heroick couplets.  Though usually grave, and even aweful, in his deportment, he possessed uncommon and peculiar powers of wit and humour; he frequently indulged himself in colloquial pleasantry; and the heartiest merriment[1295] was often enjoyed in his company; with this great advantage, that as it was entirely free from any poisonous tincture of vice or impiety, it was salutary to those who shared in it.  He had accustomed himself to such accuracy in his common conversation[1296], that he at all times expressed his thoughts with great force, and an elegant choice of language, the effect of which was aided by his having a loud voice, and a slow deliberate utterance[1297].