the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第26章

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　attracted　by　the　book　in　spite　of　themselves。　　Malone　computed　the　gains　of　the　publishers　at　five　or　six　thousand　pounds。　　But　the　writer　was　very　poorly　remunerated。　　Intending　at　first　to　write　very　short　prefaces；　he　had　stipulated　for　only　two　hundred　guineas。　　The　booksellers；　when　they　saw　how　far　his　performance　had　surpassed　his　promise；　added　only　another　hundred。　　Indeed；　Johnson；　though　he　did　not　despise；　or　affect　to　despise；　money；　and　though　his　strong　sense　and　long　experience　ought　to　have　qualified　him　to　protect　his　own　interests；　seems　to　have　been　singularly　unskilful　and　unlucky　in　his　literary　bargains。　　He　was　generally　reputed　the　first　English　writer　of　his　time。　　Yet　several　writers　of　his　time　sold　their　copyrights　for　sums　such　as　he　never　ventured　to　ask。　　To　give　a　single　instance；　Robertson　received　four　thousand　five　hundred　pounds　for　the　History　of　Charles　V。；　and　it　is　no　disrespect　to　the　memory　of　Robertson　to　say　that　the　History　of　Charles　V。　is　both　a　less　valuable　and　a　less　amusing　book　than　the　Lives　of　the　Poets。　Johnson　was　now　in　his　seventy…second　year。　　The　infirmities　of　age　were　coming　fast　upon　him。　　That　inevitable　event　of　which　he　never　thought　without　horror　was　brought　near　to　him；　and　his　whole　life　was　darkened　by　the　shadow　of　death。　　He　had　often　to　pay　the　cruel　price　of　longevity。　　Every　year　he　lost　what　could　never　be　replaced。　　The　strange　dependents　to　whom　he　had　given　shelter；　and　to　whom；　in　spite　of　their　faults；　he　was　strongly　attached　by　habit；　dropped　off　one　by　one；　and；　in　the　silence　of　his　home；　he　regretted　even　the　noise　of　their　scolding　matches。　　The　kind　and　generous　Thrale　was　no　more；　and　it　would　have　been　well　if　his　wife　had　been　laid　beside　him。　　But　she　survived　to　be　the　laughing…stock　of　those　who　had　envied　her；　and　to　draw　from　the　eyes　of　the　old　man　who　had　loved　her　beyond　anything　in　the　world　tears　far　more　bitter　than　he　would　have　shed　over　her　grave。　　With　some　estimable　and　many　agreeable　qualities；　she　was　not　made　to　be　independent。　　The　control　of　a　mind　more　steadfast　than　her　own　was　necessary　to　her　respectability。　　While　she　was　restrained　by　her　husband；　a　man　of　sense　and　firmness；　indulgent　to　her　taste　in　trifles；　but　always　the　undisputed　master　of　his　house；　her　worst　offences　had　been　impertinent　jokes；　white　lies；　and　short　fits　of　pettishness　ending　in　sunny　good　humour。　　But　he　was　gone；　and　she　was　left　an　opulent　widow　of　forty；　with　strong　sensibility；　volatile　fancy；　and　slender　judgment。　　She　soon　fell　in　love　with　a　music…master　from　Brescia；　in　whom　nobody　but　herself　could　discover　anything　to　admire。　　Her　pride；　and　perhaps　some　better　feelings；　struggled　hard　against　this　degrading　passion。　　But　the　struggle　irritated　her　nerves；　soured　her　temper；　and　at　length　endangered　her　health。　　Conscious　that　her　choice　was　one　which　Johnson　could　not　approve；　she　became　desirous　to　escape　from　his　inspection。　　Her　manner　towards　him　changed。　　She　was　sometimes　cold　and　sometimes　petulant。　　She　did　not　conceal　her　joy　when　he　left　Streatham；　she　never　pressed　him　to　return；　and；　if　he　came　unbidden；　she　received　him　in　a　manner　which　convinced　him　that　he　was　no　longer　a　welcome　guest。　　He　took　the　very　intelligible　hints　which　she　gave。　　He　read；　for　the　last　time；　a　chapter　of　the　Greek　testament　in　the　library　which　had　been　formed　by　himself。　　In　a　solemn　and　tender　prayer　he　commended　the　house　and　its　inmates　to　the　Divine　protection；　and；　with　emotions　which　choked　his　voice　and　convulsed　his　powerful　frame；　left　for　ever　that　beloved　home　for　the　gloomy　and　desolate　house　behind　Fleet　Street；　where　the　few　and　evil　days　which　still　remained　to　him　were　to　run　out。　　Here；　in　June　1783；　he　had　a　paralytic　stroke；　from　which；　however；　he　recovered；　and　which　does　not　appear　to　have　at　all　impaired　his　intellectual　faculties。　　But　other　maladies　came　thick　upon　him。　　His　asthma　tormented　him　day　and　night。　　Dropsical　symptoms　made　their　appearance。　　While　sinking　under　a　complication　of　diseases；　he　heard　that　the　woman　whose　friendship　had　been　the　chief　happiness　of　sixteen　years　of　his　life　had　married　an　Italian　fiddler；　that　all　London　was　crying　shame　upon　her；　and　that　the　newspapers　and　magazines　were　filled　with　allusions　to　the　Ephesian　matron；　and　the　two　pictures　in　Hamlet。　　He　vehemently　said　that　he　would　try　to　forget　her　existence。　　He　never　uttered　her　name。　　Every　memorial　of　her　which　met　his　eye　he　flung　into　the　fire。　　She　meanwhile　fled　from　the　laughter　and　hisses　of　her　countrymen　and　countrywomen　to　a　land　where　she　was　unknown；　hastened　across　Mount　Cenis；　and　learned；　while　passing　a　merry　Christmas　of　concerts　and　lemonade　parties　at　Milan；　that　the　great　man　with　whose　name　hers　is　inseparably　associated　had　ceased　to　exist。　He　had；　in　spite　of　much　mental　and　much　bodily　affliction；　clung　vehemently　to　life。　　The　feeling　described　in　that　fine　but　gloomy　paper　which　closes　the　series　of　his　Idlers　seemed　to　grow　stronger　in　him　as　his　last　hour　drew　near。　　He　fancied　that　he　should　be　able　to　draw　his　breath　more　easily　in　a　southern　climate；　and　would　probably　have　set　out　for　Rome　and　Naples；　but　for　his　fear　of　the　expense　of　the　journey。　　That　expense；　indeed；　he　had　the　means　of　defraying；　for　he　had　laid　up　about　two　thousand　pounds；　the　fruit　of　labours　which　had　made　the　fortune　of　several　publishers。　　But　he　was　unwilling　to　break　in　upon　this　hoard；　and　he　seems　to　have　wished　even　to　keep　its　existence　a　secret。　　Some　of　his　friends　hoped　that　the　government　might　be　induced　to　increase　his　pension　to　six　hundred　pounds　a　year：　　but　this　hope　was　disappointed；　and　he　resolved　to　stand　one　English　winter　more。　　That　winter　was　his　last。　　His　legs　grew　weaker；　his　breath　grew　shorter；　the　fatal　water　gathered　fast；　in　spite　of　incisions　which　he；　courageous　against　pain；　but　timid　against　death；　urged　his　surgeons　to　make　deeper　and　deeper。　　Though　the　tender　care　which　had　mitigated　his　sufferings　during　months　of　sickness　at　Streatham　was　withdrawn；　he　was　not　left　desolate。　　The　ablest　physicians　and　surgeons　attended　him；　and　refused　to　accept　fees　from　him。　　Burke　parted　from　him　with　deep　emotion。　　Windham　sate　much　in　the　sick　room；　arranged　the　pillows；　and　sent　his　own　servant　to　watch　a　night　by　the　bed。　　Frances　Burney；　whom　the　old　man　had　cherished　with　fatherly　kindness；　stood　weeping　at　the　door；　while　Langton；　whose　piety　eminently　qualified　him　to　be　an　adviser　and　comforter　at　such　a　time；　received　the　last　pressure　of　his　friend's　hand　within。　　When　at　length　the　moment；　dreaded　through　so　many　years；　came　close；　the　dark　cloud　passed　away　from　Johnson's　mind。　　His　temper　became　unusually　patient　and　gentle；　he　ceased　to　think　with　terror　of　death；　and　of　that　which　lies　beyond　death；　and　he　spoke　much　of　the　mercy　of　God；　and　of　the　propitiation　of　Christ。　　In　this　serene　frame　of　mind　he　died　on　the　13th　of　December　1784。　　He　was　laid；　a　week　later；　in　Westminster　Abbey；　among　the　eminent　men　of　whom　he　had　been　the　historian；Cowley　and　Denham；　Dryden　and　Congreve；　Gay；　Prior；　and　Addison。　Since　his　death　the　popularity　of　his　worksthe　Lives　of　t