Many of our friends were earnest that he should write the lives of our famous prose authors; but he never made any answer that I can recollect to the proposal, excepting when Sir Richard Musgrave once was singularly warm about it, getting up and entreating him to set about the work immediately, he coldly replied, "_Sit down_, _sir_!" When Mr. Thrale built the new library at Streatham, and hung up over the books the portraits of his favourite friends, that of Dr. Johnson was last finished, and closed the number. It was almost impossible _not_ to make verses on such an accidental combination of circumstances, so I made the following ones. But as a character written in verse will for the most part be found imperfect as a character, I have therefore written a prose one, with which I mean, not to complete, but to conclude these "Anecdotes" of the best and wisest man that ever came within the reach of my personal acquaintance, and I think I might venture to add, that of all or any of my readers:-- Gigantic in knowledge, in virtue, in strength, Our company closes with JOHNSON at length; So the Greeks from the cavern of Polypheme past, When wisest, and greatest, Ulysses came last. To his comrades contemptuous we see him look down, On their wit and their worth with a general frown. Since from Science' proud tree the rich fruit he receives, Who could shake the whole trunk while they turned a few leaves. His piety pure, his morality nice-- Protector of virtue, and terror of vice; In these features Religion's firm champion displayed, Shall make infidels fear for a modern crusade. While th' inflammable temper, the positive tongue, Too conscious of right for endurance of wrong: We suffer from JOHNSON, contented to find, That some notice we gain from so noble a mind; And pardon our hurts, since so often we've found The balm of instruction poured into the wound. 'Tis thus for its virtues the chemists extol Pure rectified spirit, sublime alcohol; From noxious putrescence, preservative pure, A cordial in health, and in sickness a cure; But exposed to the sun, taking fire at his rays, Burns bright to the bottom, and ends in a blaze.