s situated, 'Vivendi recte qui prorogat horam,'
&c. I said to Mr. Young, that I had been told his father was cheerful.
'Sir, (said he,) he was too well-bred a man not to be cheerful in
company; but he was gloomy when alone. He never was cheerful after my
mother's death, and he had met with many disappointments.' Dr. Johnson
observed to me afterwards, 'That this was no favourable account of Dr.
Young; for it is not becoming in a man to have so little acquiescence in
the ways of Providence, as to be gloomy because he has not obtained as
much preferment as he expected; nor to continue gloomy for the loss
of his wife. Grief has its time.' The last part of this censure was
theoretically made. Practically, we know that grief for the loss of a
wife may be continued very long, in proportion as affection has been
sincere. No man knew this better than Dr. Johnson.

Upon the road we talked of the uncertainty of profit with which authours
and booksellers engage in the publication of literary works. JOHNSON.
'My judgement I have found is no certain rule as to the sale of a book.'
BOSWELL. 'Pray, Sir, have you been much plagued with authours sending
you their works to revise?' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; I have been thought
a sour, surly fellow.' BOSWELL. 'Very lucky for you, Sir,--in that
respect.' I must however observe, that notwithstanding what he now
said, which he no doubt imagined at the time to be the fact, there was,
perhaps, no man who more frequently yielded to the solicitations even
of very obscure authours, to read their manuscripts, or more liberally
assisted them with advice and correction.

He found himself very happy at 'Squire Dilly's, where there is always
abundance of excellent fare, and hearty welcome.

On Sunday, June 3, we all went to Southill church, which is very near
to Mr. Dilly's house. It being the first Sunday of the month, the holy
sacrament was administered, and I staid to partake of it. When I came
afterwards into Dr. Johnson's room, he said, 'You did right to stay and
receive the communion; I had not thought of it.' This seemed to
imply that he did not choose to approach the altar without a previous
preparation, as to which good men entertain different opinions, some
holding that it is irreverent to partake of that ordinance without
considerable premeditation.

Although upon most occasions I never heard a more strenuous advocate for
the advantages of wealth, than Dr. Johnson: he this day, I know not from