“The death of Mr. Thrale had made a very material alteration with respect to Johnson’s reception in that family.  The manly authority of the husband no longer curbed the lively exuberance of the lady; and as her vanity had been fully gratified, by having the Colossus of Literature attached to her for many years, she gradually became less assiduous to please him.  Whether her attachment to him was already divided by another object, I am unable to ascertain; but it is plain that Johnson’s penetration was alive to her neglect or forced attention; for on the 6th of October this year we find him making a ‘parting use of the library’ at Streatham, and pronouncing a prayer which he composed on leaving Mr. Thrale’s family.

“’Almighty God, Father of all mercy, help me by Thy grace, that I may, with humble and sincere thankfulness, remember the comforts and conveniences which I have enjoyed at this place; and that I may resign them with holy submission, equally trusting in Thy protection when Thou givest, and when Thou takest away.  Have mercy upon me, O Lord! have mercy upon me!  To Thy fatherly protection, O Lord, I commend this family.  Bless, guide, and defend them, that they may so pass through this world, as finally to enjoy in Thy presence everlasting happiness, for Jesus Christ’s sake.  Amen.’

“One cannot read this prayer without some emotions not very favourable to the lady whose conduct occasioned it.

“The next day, he made the following memorandum: 

“’October 7.—­I was called early.  I packed up my bundles, and used the foregoing prayer, with my morning devotions somewhat, I think, enlarged.  Being earlier than the family, I read St. Paul’s farewell in the Acts, and then read fortuitously in the Gospels,—­which was my parting use of the library.’”

Mr. Croker, whose protest against the groundless insinuations of Boswell should have put subsequent writers on their guard, states in a note:—­“He seems to have taken leave of the kitchen as well as the church at Streatham in Latin.”  The note of his last dinner there, done into English, would run thus: 

“Oct. 6th, Sunday, 1782.

“I dined at Streatham on boiled leg of lamb, with spinach, the stuffing of flour and raisins, round of beef, and turkey poult; and after the meat service, figs, grapes, not yet ripe in consequence of the bad season, with peaches, also hard.  I took my place at table in no joyful mood, and partook of the food moderately, lest I should finish by intemperance.  If I rightly remember, the banquet at the funeral of Hadon came into my mind.[1] When shall I revisit Streatham?”

[Footnote 1:  “Si recte memini in mentem venerunt epulae in exequiis Hadoni celebratae.”  I cannot explain this allusion.]

The exclamation “When shall I revisit Streatham?” loses much of its pathos when connected with these culinary details.

Madame D’Arblay’s description of the last year at Streatham is too important to be much abridged: