don’t believe that doctrine.’  Johnson.  ‘Hold, Sir, do you believe that some will be punished at all?’ Dr. Adams.  ’Being excluded from Heaven will be a punishment; yet there may be no great positive suffering.’  Johnson.  Well, Sir; but, if you admit any degree of punishment, there is an end of your argument for infinite goodness simply considered; for, infinite goodness would inflict no punishment whatever.  There is not infinite goodness physically considered; morally there is.’  Boswell.  ’But may not a man attain to such a degree of hope as not to be uneasy from the fear of death?’ Johnson.  ’A man may have such a degree of hope as to keep him quiet.  You see I am not quiet, from the vehemence with which I talk; but I do not despair.’  Mrs. Adams.  ’You seem, Sir, to forget the merits of our Redeemer.’  Johnson.  ’Madam, I do not forget the merits of my Redeemer; but my Redeemer has said that he will set some on his right hand and some on his left.’  He was in gloomy agitation, and said, ’I’ll have no more on’t.’  If what has now been stated should be urged by the enemies of Christianity, as if its influence on the mind were not benignant, let it be remembered, that Johnson’s temperament was melancholy, of which such direful apprehensions of futurity are often a common effect.  We shall presently see that when he approached nearer to his aweful change, his mind became tranquil, and he exhibited as much fortitude as becomes a thinking man in that situation.

From the subject of death we passed to discourse of life, whether it was upon the whole more happy or miserable.  Johnson was decidedly for the balance of misery:  in confirmation of which I maintained, that no man would choose to lead over again the life which he had experienced.  Johnson acceded to that opinion in the strongest terms.

On Sunday, June 13, our philosopher was calm at breakfast.  There was something exceedingly pleasing in our leading a College life, without restraint, and with superiour elegance, in consequence of our living in the Master’s house, and having the company of ladies.  Mrs. Kennicot related, in his presence, a lively saying of Dr. Johnson to Miss Hannah More, who had expressed a wonder that the poet who had written Paradise Lost should write such poor Sonnets:—­’Milton, Madam, was a genius that could cut a Colossus from a rock; but could not carve heads upon cherry-stones.’

On Monday, June 14, and Tuesday, 15, Dr. Johnson and I dined, on one of them, I forget which, with Mr. Mickle, translator of the Lusiad, at Wheatley, a very pretty country place a few miles from Oxford; and on the other with Dr. Wetherell, Master of University College.  From Dr. Wetherell’s he went to visit Mr. Sackville Parker, the bookseller; and when he returned to us, gave the following account of his visit, saying, ’I have been to see my old friend, Sack Parker; I find he has married his maid; he has