Whilewewereleftbyourselves，aftertheDutchmanhadgonetobed，Dr。Johnsontalkedofthatstudiedbehaviourwhichmanyhaverecommendedandpractised。Hedisapprovedofit；andsaid，’I
　　neverconsideredwhetherIshouldbeagraveman，oramerryman，butjustletinclination，forthetime，haveitscourse。’
　　Iteizedhimwithfancifulapprehensionsofunhappiness。Amothhavingflutteredroundthecandle，andburntitself，helaidholdofthislittleincidenttoadmonishme；saying，withaslylook，andinasolemnbutquiettone，’Thatcreaturewasitsowntormentor，andIbelieveitsnamewasBOSWELL。’
　　NextdaywegottoHarwichtodinner；andmypassageinthepacket-
　　boattoHelvoetsluysbeingsecured，andmybaggageputonboard，wedinedatourinnbyourselves。IhappenedtosayitwouldbeterribleifheshouldnotfindaspeedyopportunityofreturningtoLondon，andbeconfinedtosodullaplace。JOHNSON。’Don’tSir，accustomyourselftousebigwordsforlittlematters。ItwouldNOTbeTERRIBLE，thoughIWEREtobedetainedsometimehere。’
　　Wewentandlookedatthechurch，andhavinggoneintoitandwalkeduptothealtar，Johnson，whosepietywasconstantandfervent，sentmetomyknees，saying，’Nowthatyouaregoingtoleaveyournativecountry，recommendyourselftotheprotectionofyourCREATORandREDEEMER。’
　　Afterwecameoutofthechurch，westoodtalkingforsometimetogetherofBishopBerkeley’singenioussophistrytoprovethenon-
　　existenceofmatter，andthateverythingintheuniverseismerelyideal。Iobserved，thatthoughwearesatisfiedhisdoctrineisnottrue，itisimpossibletorefuteit。InevershallforgetthealacritywithwhichJohnsonanswered，strikinghisfootwithmightyforceagainstalargestone，tillhereboundedfromit，’IrefuteitTHUS。’
　　Myreveredfriendwalkeddownwithmetothebeach，whereweembracedandpartedwithtenderness，andengagedtocorrespondbyletters。Isaid，’Ihope，Sir，youwillnotforgetmeinmyahsence。’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，itismorelikelyyoushouldforgetme，thanthatIshouldforgetyou。’Asthevesselputouttosea，Ikeptmyeyesuponhimforaconsiderabletime，whileheremainedrollinghismajestickframeinhisusualmanner：andatlastI
　　perceivedhimwalkhackintothetown，andhedisappeared。
　　1764：AETAT。55。]——Earlyin1764JohnsonpaidavisittotheLangtonfamily，attheirseatofLangton，inLincolnshire，wherehepassedsometime，muchtohissatisfaction。HisfriendBennetLangton，itwillnothedoubted，dideverythinginhispowertomaketheplaceagreeabletosoillustriousaguest；andtheelderMr。Langtonandhislady，beingfullycapableofunderstandinghisvalue，werenotwantinginattention。
　　Johnson，duringhisstayatLangton，hadtheadvantageofagoodlibrary，andsawseveralgentlemenoftheneighbourhood。IhaveobtainedfromMr。Langtonthefollowingparticularsofthisperiod。
　　Hewasnowfullyconvincedthathecouldnothavebeensatisfiedwithacountryliving；for，talkingofarespectableclergymaninLincolnshire，heobserved，’Thisman，Sir，fillsupthedutiesofhislifewell。Iapproveofhim，butcouldnotimitatehim。’
　　Toaladywhoendeavouredtovindicateherselffromblameforneglectingsocialattentiontoworthyneighbours，bysaying，’I
　　wouldgotothemifitwoulddothemanygood，’hesaid，’Whatgood，Madam，doyouexpecttohaveinyourpowertodothem？Itisshewingthemrespect，andthatisdoingthemgood。’
　　Sosociallyaccommodatingwashe，thatoncewhenMr。Langtonandheweredrivingtogetherinacoach，andMr。Langtoncomplainedofbeingsick，heinsistedthattheyshouldgooutandsitonthebackofitintheopenair，whichtheydid。Andbeingsensiblehowstrangetheappearancemustbe，observed，thatacountrymanwhomtheysawinafield，wouldprobablybethinking，’Ifthesetwomadmenshouldcomedown，whatwouldbecomeofme？’
　　SoonafterhisreturntoLondon，whichwasinFebruary，wasfoundedthatCLUBwhichexistedlongwithoutaname，butatMr。Garrick’sfuneralbecamedistinguishedbythetitleofTHELITERARYCLUB。
　　SirJoshuaReynoldshadthemeritofbeingthefirstproposerofit，towhichJohnsonacceded，andtheoriginalmemberswere，SirJoshuaReynolds，Dr。Johnson，Mr。EdmundBurke，Dr。Nugent，Mr。
　　Beauclerk，Mr。Langton，Dr。Goldsmith，Mr。Chamier，andSirJohnHawkins。TheymetattheTurk’sHead，inGerrard-street，Soho，oneeveningineveryweek，atseven，andgenerallycontinuedtheirconversationtillaprettylatehour。Thisclubhasbeengraduallyincreasedtoitspresentnumber，thirty-five：Afterabouttenyears，insteadofsuppingweekly，itwasresolvedtodinetogetheronceafortnightduringthemeetingofParliament。Theiroriginaltavernhavingbeenconvertedintoaprivatehouse，theymovedfirsttoPrince’sinSackville-street，thentoLeTelier’sinDover-
　　street，andnowmeetatParsloe’s，St。James’s-street。Betweenthetimeofitsformation，andthetimeatwhichthisworkispassingthroughthepress，June1792，thefollowingpersons，nowdead，weremembersofit：Mr。Dunning，afterwardsLordAshburton，Mr。
　　SamuelDyer，Mr。Garrick，Dr。ShipleyBishopofSt。Asaph，Mr。
　　Vesey，Mr。ThomasWartonandDr。AdamSmith。Thepresentmembersare，——Mr。Burke，Mr。Langton，LordCharlemont，SirRobertChambers，Dr。PercyBishopofDromore，Dr。BarnardBishopofKillaloc，Dr。
　　MarlayBishopofClonfert，Mr。Fox，Dr。GeorgeFordyce，SirWilliamScott，SirJosephBanks，SirCharlesBunbury，Mr。WindhamofNorfolk，Mr。Sheridan，Mr。Gibbon，SirWilliamJones，Mr。Colman，Mr。Steevens，Dr。Burney，Dr。JosephWarton，Mr。Malone，LordOssory，LordSpencer，LordLucan，LordPalmerston，LordEliot，LordMacartney，Mr。RichardBurkejunior，SirWilliamHamilton，Dr。
　　Warren，Mr。Courtenay，Dr。HinchcliffeBishopofPeterborough，theDukeofLeeds，Dr。DouglasBishopofSalisbury，andthewriterofthisaccount。
　　Notverylongaftertheinstitutionofourclub，SirJoshuaReynoldswasspeakingofittoGarrick。’Ilikeitmuch，saidhe，IthinkIshallbeofyou。’WhenSirJoshuamentionedthistoDr。Johnson，hewasmuchdispleasedwiththeactor’sconceit。
　　’HE’LLBEOFUS，saidJohnsonhowdoesheknowwewillPERMIT
　　him？ThefirstDukeinEnglandhasnorighttoholdsuchlanguage。’However，whenGarrickwasregularlyproposedsometimeafterwards，Johnson，thoughhehadtakenamomentaryoffenceathisarrogance，warmlyandkindlysupportedhim，andhewasaccordinglyelected，wasamostagreeablemember，andcontinuedtoattendourmeetingstothetimeofhisdeath。
　　ItwasJohnson’scustomtoobservecertaindayswithapiousabstraction；viz。New-year’s-day，thedayofhiswife’sdeath，GoodFriday，Easter-day，andhisownbirth-day。Hethisyearsays：——’I
　　havenowspentfifty-fiveyearsinresolving；having，fromtheearliesttimealmostthatIcanremember，beenformingschemesofabetterlife。Ihavedonenothing。Theneedofdoing，therefore，ispressing，sincethetimeofdoingisshort。OGOD，grantmetoresolvearight，andtokeepmyresolutions，forJESUSCHRIST’S
　　sake。Amen。’
　　Aboutthistimehewasafflictedwithaveryseverereturnofthehypochondriackdisorder，whichwaseverlurkingabouthim。Hewassoill，as，notwithstandinghisremarkableloveofcompany，tobeentirelyaversetosociety，themostfatalsymptomofthatmalady。
　　Dr。Adamstoldme，thatasanoldfriendhewasadmittedtovisithim，andthathefoundhiminadeplorablestate，sighing，groaning，talkingtohimself，andrestlesslywalkingfromroomtoroom。Hethenusedthisemphaticalexpressionofthemiserywhichhefelt：’Iwouldconsenttohavealimbamputatedtorecovermyspirits。’
　　Talkingtohimselfwas，indeed，oneofhissingularitieseversinceIknewhim。Iwascertainthathewasfrequentlyutteringpiousejaculations；forfragmentsoftheLord’sPrayerhavebeendistinctlyoverheard。HisfriendMr。ThomasDavies，ofwhomChurchillsays，’ThatDavieshathaveryprettywife，’
　　whenDr。Johnsonmuttered’leadusnotintotemptation，’usedwithwaggishandgallanthumourtowhisperMrs。Davies，’You，mydear，arethecauseofthis。’
　　Hehadanotherparticularity，ofwhichnoneofhisfriendseverventuredtoaskanexplanation。Itappearedtomesomesuperstitioushabit，whichhehadcontractedearly，andfromwhichhehadnevercalleduponhisreasontodisentanglehim。Thiswashisanxiouscaretogooutorinatadoororpassagebyacertainnumberofstepsfromacertainpoint，oratleastsoasthateitherhisrightorhisleftfoot，Iamnotcertainwhich，shouldconstantlymakethefirstactualmovementwhenhecameclosetothedoororpassage。ThusIconjecture：forIhave，uponinnumerableoccasions，observedhimsuddenlystop，andthenseemtocounthisstepswithadeepearnestness；andwhenhehadneglectedorgonewronginthissortofmagicalmovement，Ihaveseenhimgobackagain，puthimselfinaproperposturetobegintheceremony，and，havinggonethroughit，breakfromhisabstraction，walkbrisklyon，andjoinhiscompanion。Astrangeinstanceofsomethingofthisnature，evenwhenonhorseback，happenedwhenhewasintheisleofSky。SirJoshuaReynoldshasobservedhimtogoagoodwayabout，ratherthancrossaparticularalleyinLeicester-fields；
　　butthisSirJoshuaimputedtohishavinghadsomedisagreeablerecollectionassociatedwithit。
　　Thatthemostminutesingularitieswhichbelongedtohim，andmadeveryobservablepartsofhisappearanceandmanner，maynotbeomitted，itisrequisitetomention，thatwhiletalkingorevenmusingashesatinhischair，hecommonlyheldhisheadtoonesidetowardshisrightshoulder，andshookitinatremulousmanner，movinghisbodybackwardsandforwards，andrubbinghisleftkneeinthesamedirection，withthepalmofhishand。Intheintervalsofarticulatinghemadevarioussoundswithhismouth，sometimesasifruminating，orwhatiscalledchewingthecud，sometimesgivingahalfwhistle，sometimesmakinghistongueplaybackwardsfromtheroofofhismouth，asifcluckinglikeahen，andsometimesprotrudingitagainsthisuppergumsinfront，asifpronouncingquicklyunderhisbreath，TOO，TOO，TOO：allthisaccompaniedsometimeswithathoughtfullook，butmorefrequentlywithasmile。Generallywhenhehadconcludedaperiod，inthecourseofadispute，bywhichtimehewasagooddealexhaustedbyviolenceandvociferation，heusedtoblowouthisbreathlikeaWhale。ThisIsupposedwasarelieftohislungs；andseemedinhimtobeacontemptuousmodeofexpression，asifhehadmadetheargumentsofhisopponentflylikechaffbeforethewind。