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from those more formidable dangers which extend their mischief to eternity. You have brought into the world a rational being: have seen him happy during the little life that has been granted to him; and can have no doubt but that his happiness is now." What mother will not, under similar mournful circumstances, feel her sorrow chastened by words like these, from such a heart of truth?

The above instances but show imperfectly the power and constancy of Johnson's religion. We must behold it in his charity and humanity, the fruits of his faith: we must view it as it pervaded his entire life. In every good thing he grows better by acquaintance: and though rough at times, yet, as Goldsmith said, he had nothing of the bear but the skin. When he was told that Sir James Macdonald, who had never seen him, had a great respect for him, somewhat mingled with terror," Sir," he said, "if he were to be acquainted with me, it might lessen both." Wise and great as Dr. Johnson was in this world, yet was he humble and earnest in his longing after immortality, and could have said in the language of one of our best divines,* though not the most celebrated, "I have but this one business to do, to ensure this dear soul of mine in its voyage to eternity: let who will gain the reputation of a wise man by a clearer foresight and thriftier management of affairs, by an unwearied attendance and insinuating applications, I shall think myself wise enough, if I can but be saved, and great enough if I enjoy but the smiles of Heaven."

* Lucas.

And pleasing is it to know that this resolution was followed out to the last. We have the testimony of an excellent individual, to which more may be added in its proper place, who writes, "No action of his life became him like the leaving of it. His death makes a kind of era in literature: piety and goodness will not easily find a more able defender; and it is delightful to see him set, as it were, his dying seal to the professions of his life, and the truth of Christianity." *

Gratifying also is it to find that the conduct of Pope in the hours of death was such as became the author of the ecstatic speech addressed by the Dying Christian to his Soul. "Pope," says Dr. Johnson,† "expressed undoubting confidence of a future state. Being asked by his friend Mr. Hooke, a Papist, whether he would not die like his father and mother, and whether a priest should not be called, he answered, "I do not think it essential, but it will be very right: and I thank you for putting me in mind of it." Mr. Hooke, on this occasion, told Dr. Warburton, "that the priest whom he had provided to do the last office to the dying man, came out from him, penetrated to the last degree with the state of mind in which he found his penitent: resigned and wrapt up in the love of God and man." Rightly, as devoutly, may we here exclaim with the poet,

"You see the man; you see his hold on heaven! "

* Memoirs of Hannah More, vol. i. p. 394.
Life of William Bowyer, by John Nicholls, p. 394.

CHAPTER V.

HIS HUMANITY.

WE speak of a man's religion, and of his humanity or benevolence, when in fact these are inseparable; for, although men by nature are enabled to perform offices of kindness, yet it is religion that cultivates and increases the kindnesses of human nature, and religion without the practice of benevolence would be a nonentity. It is so much our interest to be kind one to another, that very much of our benevolence may be leavened with selfish feelings; still there are innumerable acts of charity which can spring only from the energy of faith acting on our hearts-faith in God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and a world to come; not that the hope of reward hereafter solely stimulates the mind, for this would be looking forward to a larger reward than man can give, (albeit such a motive is sanctioned in God's word, for we are to rejoice and leap for joy that great is our reward in heaven,*) but mainly because we know that it is pleasing to God that we should relieve the poor, comfort the afflicted, speak kindly to and encourage the wretched. The mournful, the meek, the merciful, the pure, the peaceable, the poor in spirit, are to be the favourites of man, inasmuch as they are pronounced to be the favourites of God:

Luke vi. 23.

and let men profess whatever zeal they may in the cause of religion, and be ever so orthodox, or ever so warm in peculiar views adopted by themselves, the saying holds good, that the worst of all heretics is the uncharitable man.

Having become acquainted with something of the depth, and fervour, and thorough sincerity, of Dr. Johnson's religion, we are led to expect many acts of humanity emanating from him whom the pious Hannah More describes as one "whose faith is strong, whose morals are irreproachable!" Yet, so filled is Boswell's Life of him with literary achievement and anecdote, so fraught with wise observations on common and worldly things, that the scarlet thread of his true beneficences may, in some degree, escape that notice and regard of the hurried reader, to which they are entitled. Still it does exist in no mean quantity and quality, proving with what trueheartedness he said on one occasion," Getting money is not all a man's business; to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life."

At the very outset of this consideration of Dr. Johnson's life in its humane aspect, it must be candidly stated that at times he was exceedingly rough, and even coarse, in his manner; and yet seldom was he so without subsequent repentance and remorse. That he did good, as much as lay in his power, to many persons, is very apparent; and it will not be found that he ever designedly did an injury to any one; so that we may exclaim with Burke, when he spoke in reference to the alleged roughness of Johnson's manner,-" It is well if,

when a man comes to die, he has nothing heavier upon his conscience than having been a little rough in conversation."

Great minds have often great failings as well as great virtues, and although we cannot call the occasional roughness of Johnson's manner a great failing, yet we can see that the ponderous power of his thought, when provoked to vehemence, naturally led him to seek at once to annihilate an antagonist, especially if he was one in whom presumption or flippancy of remark was observable. "How very false is the notion," says Boswell," that has gone the round of the world, of the rough, and passionate, and harsh manners of this great and good man!" And although Boswell allows that sometimes he displayed impetuosity of temper, too easily excited by the folly and absurdity of others, and perhaps at times unwarrantably shown, yet he tells us, that during by far the greater portion of his time, he was civil, obliging, polite, insomuch that many persons who were long acquainted with him,* never received a harsh word from him, or heard him express himself with heat or

* The ingenious Mr. Mickle thus wrote of Dr. Johnson, in a letter to Boswell:

"I was upwards of twelve years acquainted with him, was frequently in his company, always talked with ease to him, and can truly say, that I never received from him one rough word."

For some people, however, he had words rough indeed, and many of these persons deserved them.

Hannah More writes (1785)-" Boswell tells me he is printing anecdotes of Johnson, not his life, but, as he has the vanity to call it, his pyramid. I besought his tenderness for our virtuous and most revered departed friend, and begged he would mitigate some of his asperities. He said, roughly, He would not cut off his claws, nor make a tiger a cat, to please any body."-Memoirs of Hannah More, vol. i. p. 403.

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