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I expressed a horror at the thought of death. Masi KNOWLES." Nay, thou should'st not have a horrour for what is the gate of life" JOHNSON (standing upon the hearth rolling about, with a serious, solemn, and somewhat gloomy air :)" No rational man candie without uneasy apprehension." MRS. KNOWLES." The Scriptures tell us, The righteous shall have hope in his death.'"JOHNSON. Yes, Madam; that is, he shall not have despair. But, consider, his hope of! sala vation must be founded on the terms on which it is promised, that the mediation of our SAVIOUR shall be applied to us, namely, obedience and where obedience has failed, then, as suppletory to it, repentance. But what man can say that his obedience has been such, as he would approve of in another, or even in himself upon close examination, or that his repentance has not been such as to require being repented of? No man can be sure that his obedience and repentance will obtain salvation." MRS. KNOWLES." But divine intima tion of acceptance may be made to the soul." JOHNSON.“ Madam, it may; but I should not think the better of a man who should tell me on his death-bed, he was sure of salvation. A man cannot be sure himself that he has divine intimation of acceptance; much less can he make others sure that he has it." BOSWELL "Then, Sir, we must be contented to acknowledge that death is a terrible thing." JOHNSON. Yes, Siratell have made no approaches to a state which can look on it as not terrible? MRS. KNOWLES, (seeming to enjoy a pleasing serenity in the persuasion of benignant divine light :) "Does not St. Paul say, I have fought the good fight of faith, I have finished my course; hence

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forth is laid up for me a crown of life ???JoйNSON. "Yes, Madam but here was a man oinspired;?a mafi who had been converted by supernatural interposition?! BOSWELL In prospect death is dreadful but in fact we find that people die easy!? JOHNSON." Why, Sir! most people have not thought much of the matter, så cannot say much, and it is supposed they die ‹éasy) Few believe it certain they are then to die; and those who do, set themselves to behave with resolution, as a man does who is going to be hanged: he is {inot the less unwilling to be hanged.to MISS. SEWARDI "There is one mode of the fear of death, which is certainly absurd and that is the dread of annihilation, which is only a pleasing sleep without a dream!"-JOHN÷ SON. "It is neither pleasing, nor sleep; it is nothing. Now mere existence is so much better than nothing; that one would rather exist even in pain, than not exist." BOSWELL. If annihilation be nothing, then existing in pain is not a comparative state, but is a positive evil, which I cannot think we should choose! I must be allowed to differ here, and it would dessen the hope of a future state founded on the argument, that the Supreme Being, who cist good as he is great, will hereafter compensate for our present sufferings in this life. For if existence, such as we have it here, bé comparatively a good, we have no reason to complain, though no more of it should be given to us. But if dur only state of existence were in this world, then we might with some reason complain that we are so dissatisfied with our enjoyments compared with our desires.?? JOHNSON," The lady confounds annihilation, which sis nothing, with the apprehension. of it, which is dreadful. It is in the apprehension of it that the horrour of annihilation consists." IT 32 to 290€ “ (Agil -90 Of John Wesley, he said, "He can talk well on any

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subject." BOSWELL.“ Pray, Sir, what has he made of his story of a ghost?" JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, he believes it; but not on sufficient authorityHe did not take time enough to examine the girl. It was at Newcastle where the ghost was said to have appeared to a young woman several times, mentioning something about the right to an old house, advising application to be made to an attorney, which was done; and at the same time, saying the attorney would do nothing, which proved to be the fact. This (says John) is a proof that a ghost knows our thoughts. Now (laughing) it is not necessary to know our thoughts, to tell that an attorney will sometimes do nothing. Charles Westey, whobisbal more stationary man, does not believe the story. I am sorry that John did not take more pains to enquire into the evidence for it." Miss SEWARD, (with an incredulous smile :) What, Sir be about a ghost ?” JOHNSON, (with solemn vehemence :)1593 Yes, Madam: this is a question which, after five thousand years, is yet undecided; a question, whether in theos logy or philosophy, one of the most important that can come before the human understanding tong aft le Mrs. Knowles mentioned, as a proselyte to Quakers ism, Miss a young lady well known to Dr. Johnson, for whom he had shewn much affection; while she ever had, and still retained, a great respect for him, Mrs. Knowles at the same time took an opportunity of letting him know" that the amiable young creature was sorry at finding that he was offended at her leaving the Church of England, and embracing a simpler faith;" and, in the gentlest and most persuasive manner, solicited his kind indulgence' for what was sincerelya matter of conscience."JOHNSON, (frowning very angrily,) “Madam, she is an odious wench. She could not have any proper conviction that it was her duty to

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change her religion, which is the most important of all subjects, and should be studied with all care, and with all the helps we can get. She knew no more of the Church which she left, and that which she embraced, than she did of the difference between the Copernican and Ptolemaick systems. MRS. KNOWLES......“ She had the New Testamento before her? JOHNSONS "Madam, she could not understand the New Testad menty the most difficult book in the world, for which the study of a life is required." MRS. KNOWLES “It is clear as to essentials." JOHNSON. off But not as to controversial points. The heathens were easily con verted, because they had nothing to give up; but we ought not, without very strong convictions indeed, to desert the religion in which we have been educated. That is the religion given you, the religion in which it may be said Providence has placed your If you live conscientiously in that religion, you may be safe. But errour is dangerous indeed, if you err when you choose a religion for yourself." MRS. KNOWLES. Must we then go by implicit faith?" JOHNSON. Why, Madam, the greatest part of our knowledge is implicit faith} and as to religion, have we heard all that a disciple of Confucius, all that a Mahometan, can say for himself??? He then rose again into passion, and attacked the young proselyte in the severest, terms of reproach, so that both the ladies seemed to be much shocked. neskanu Aseilk My vindoor pamov shhis od tedi wond and gnitol Mrs, Knowles, not satisfied with the fame of her needle-work, the "sutile pictures," mentioned by Johnson, in which she has indeed displayed much dexterity, muy by Johnson, in the of reasoning better that women generally do, as I have fairly shewn her to have done, communicated to me a Dialogue of considerable length, which, after many years had elapsed, she wrote down as having passed between Dr. Johnson and her at this interview. As I had lection offe it, and did not find the the smallest trace of it est trace the least recolmy Record taken at the time, I could not in consistency with my firm regard

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Weremained together till it was pretty date withstanding occasional explosions of violence, we were all delighted upon the whole with JohnsonIocompared whim at this timetoa warm West-Indian cli ɑnate, where you have a bright sun, quick vegetation, luxuriant foliage, luscious fruits; but where the same heat sometimes produces thunder, lightning, and earthquakes, in a terrible degree. Bet pay den dedW 9vnApril 17 being Good-Friday, I waited on Johnson, asiusuaki I observed at breakfast that although it was a part of his abstemious discipline on this most solemn fast; to take no milk in his tea, yet when Miss Desmou lins inadvertently poured it in, he did not reject ituo!I talked of the strange indecision of mind, and imbecility in the common occurrences of life which we may ob serve in some peoplewooJOHNSON. Why Sir, I am in the habit of getting others to do things for me??? ¡vBosWIRLLA What, Sir! have you that weakness? JOHN SON! Yes, Sir. But I always think afterwards I should have done better for myselffRaser of{T' | dòng?'}} be I told him that at a gentleman's house where there was thought to be such extravagance orbad management, that he was living much beyond his income, his lady had objected to the cutting of a pickled mango, and that I had taken an opportunity to ask the price of it, and found it was only two shillings; so here was a very poor saving JOHNSON. Siry that is the blundering Gutsel 12 yd enob li naz

12 ouT for end.ad gode gad a daisy los cuneob 32 and to authenticity, insert it in my work. It has, however, been pubEstfed in a The Gentleman's Magazine" for June 1791. It chiefly relates to the principles of the sect called Quakers; and no doubt the lady appears to have greatly the advantage of Dr. Johnson in argument as well as expression From what I have now stated, and from the internal evidence of the paper itself, any one who may have the curiosity to peruse it, will judge whether it was wrong in me to reject it, however willing to gratify Mrs Knowles, lo soon pannema