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 originates in piety and benevolence V These sentences, extracted from the Rev. Mr. Strahan's preface, if they are not a full justifi cation, are, at least, a beautiful apology. It will not be improper to add what Johnson himself has said on the subject. Being asked by Mr. BoswelL what he thought of purgatory, as believed by the Roman Catholics? His answer was, ' It is a very harm less doctrine. They are of opinion, that the generality of man kind are neither so obstinately wicked as to deserve everlasting punishment ; nor so good as to merit being admitted into the society of blessed spirits ; and, therefore, that God is graciously pleased to allow a middle state, where they may be purified by certain degrees of suffering. You see [Sir] there is nothing un reasonable in this ' ; [BOSWELL. * But then, Sir, their masses for the dead ? ' JOHNSON. ' Why, Sir] if it be once established that there are souls in purgatory, it is as proper to pray for them, as for our brethren of mankind, who are yet in this life V This was Dr. Johnson's guess into futurity ; and to guess is the utmost that man can do. Shadozvs, clouds, and darkness, rest iipon it*.

Mrs. Johnson left a daughter, Lucy Porter, by her first husband. She had contracted a friendship with Mrs. Anne Williams, the daughter of Zachary Williams, a physician of eminence in South Wales, who had devoted more than thirty years of a long life to the study of the longitude, and was thought to have made great advances towards that important discovery. His letters to Lord Halifax, and the Lords of the Admiralty, partly corrected and partly written by Dr. Johnson, are still extant in the hands of Mr. Nichols 4. We there find Dr. Williams, in the eighty-third year of his age, stating, that he

1 Prayers and Meditations, Pre- an immense view of what is and

face, pp. 10-13. Murphy's extracts what is past. Clouds, indeed, and

are not accurately made. darkness rest upon the future:

3 Life, ii. 104. Burke's Speech on Conciliation.

3 Addison, Cato, Act v. sc. I. Payne's Burke, i. 172.

'Mr. Speaker, I cannot prevail 4 Published in the Gentleman's

upon myself to hurry over this great Magazine, 1787, pp. 757, 1041. Life,

consideration. // is good for us to i. 274, 11. 2, 301. be here. We stand where we have

VOL. I. D d

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