than what Johnson wrote on Thrale T , on Goldsmith 2 , and Mrs. Salusbury 3 . By the way, one of these was criticised, by some men of learning and taste, from the table of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and conveyed to him in a round robin 4 . Maty, in his Review 5 , praises his Latin epitaphs very highly. This son of study and of indigence died worth above seventeen hundred pounds 6 : Milton died worth fifteen hundred 7 . His legacy to his black servant, Frank, is noble and exemplary 8 . Milton left in his hand-writing the titles of some future subjects for his pen 9 : so did Johnson I0 .
Johnson died by a quiet and silent expiration, to use his own words on Milton : and his funeral was splendidly and numerously attended ". The friends of the Doctor were happy on his easy departure, for they apprehended he might have died hard. At the end of this sketch, it may be hinted (sooner might have been prepossession) that Johnson told this writer, for he saw he always had his eye and his ear upon him, that at some time or other he might be called upon to assist a posthumous account of him I2 .
A hint was given to our author, a few years ago, by this Rhapsodist, to write his own life, lest somebody should write it for him. He has reason to believe, he has left a manuscript biography behind him l3 . His executors, all honourable men, will
1 Ante, i. 238 ; Life, iv. 85, n. I. 9 Johnson's Works, vii. 90.
2 Life, iii. 82. 10 Life, iv. 381, n. I.
3 Ante, i. 236 ; Life, ii. 263. " These words also are taken from
4 Life, iii. 83. Round robin is not Johnson's account of Milton. Works, in Johnson's Dictionary. vii. 112. Johnson's funeral however
5 The Neiv Review by Henry was not ' splendidly' attended in the Maty, April, 1784. Ante, i. 237. ordinary use of the word not as
6 He left more than .2,000. The Garrick's was, or Reynolds's, or bequest to Frank Barber Hawkins Burke's. There was not a single estimated at a sum little short of nobleman present. Life, iv. 419; ^1,500. The proceeds of his house Letters, ii. 434 ; ante, ii. 136.
at Lichfield, which sold for ^235, 12 Life, i. 26, n. I ; ante, i. 165.
were divided among his relations. l3 Boswell, speaking of the papers
He left besides in legacies ,300 in which Johnson burnt a few days
money, and 500 in the three per before his death, says : ' Two very
cents., worth about ,280. valuable articles, I am sure, we have
7 Johnson's Works, vii. 114. lost, which were two quarto volumes,
8 Ante, ii. 126. containing a full, fair, and most par-
sit
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