told that the critic had lost his wife, Johnson added/ ' I believe that the loss of teeth may deprave the voice of a singer, and that lameness will impede the motions of a dancing master, but I have not yet been taught to regard the death of a wife as the grave of literary exertions. When my dear Mrs. Johnson expired I sought relief in my studies, and strove to lose the recollection of her in the toils of literature x . Perhaps, however, I wrong the feelings of this poor fellow. His wife might have held the pen in his name. Hinc illcz lachrymce" 2 . Nay, I think I observe, throughout his two pieces, a woman's irritability, with a woman's impotence of revenge.' Yet such were Johnson's tender remembrances of his own wife, that after her death, though he had a whole house at command, he would study nowhere but in a garret. Being asked the reason why he chose a situation so incommodious, he answered, ' Because in that room only I never saw Mrs. Johnson 3 /
'What think you, Dr. Johnson, of Mr. M n's 4 conversation?'
- I think, Sir, it is a constant renovation of hope, and an unvaried
succession of disappointment/
' My dear Sir, don't disturb my feelings (said Garrick to Johnson one night behind the scenes); consider the exertions I have to go through.' ' As to your feelings, David/ replied Johnson, ' Punch has just as many ; and as for your exertions, those of a man who cries turnips about the streets are greater V
'Were you ever, Sir, in company with Dr. Warburton?' { I never saw him till one evening about a week ago, at the Bishop of St. 's 6 . At first he looked surlily at me ; but
1 See ante, i. 12, for his prayer 4 Macklin. Ante, ii. 2 n., and Life, 'as preparatory to his return to life ii. 122.
to-morrow.' 5 Ante, \. 457 ; ii. 438.
2 Terence, Andrta, i. I. 99. 6 The Bishop of St. Asaph. Bos-
3 It was in Gough Square that he well, who had seen this account, was living at the time of her death, writes : 'If I am rightly informed, It was in an upper room, probably after a careful enquiry, they [John- a garret, that his assistants in the son and Warburton] never met but Dictionary worked. Life, i. 188. once, which was at the house of
after
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