Dublin sent over a diploma, in honourable terms, creating him a Doctor of Laws *. Oxford in eight or ten years afterwards followed the example ; and till then Johnson never assumed the title of Doctor 2 . In 1 766 his constitution seemed to be in a rapid decline, and that morbid melancholy, which often clouded his understanding, came upon him with a deeper gloom than ever. Mr. and Mrs. Thrale paid him a visit in this situation, and found him on his knees, with Dr. Delap, the rector of Lewes, in Sussex, beseeching God to continue to him the use of his understanding 3 . Mr. Thrale took him to his house at Streatham ; and Johnson from that time became a constant resident in the family. He went occasionally to the club in Gerrard-street ; but his head quarters were fixed at Streatham 4 . An apartment was fitted up for him, and the library was greatly enlarged. Parties were constantly invited from town ; and Johnson was every day at an elegant table, with select and polished company. What ever could be devised by Mr. and Mrs. Thrale to promote the happiness, and establish the health of their guest, was studiously performed from that time to the end of Mr. Thrale's life 5 . Johnson accompanied the family in all their summer excursions to Brighthelmstone, to Wales 6 , and to Paris 7 . It is but justice to Mr. Thrale to say, that a more ingenuous frame of mind no man possessed. His education at Oxford gave him the habits of a gentleman 8 ; his amiable temper recommended his
1 Life, i. 488. Mr. Thrale's house in Southwark.
2 The Oxford degree was conferred Life, i. 493.
in 1775. Ib. ii. 331. According to 5 Had Mr. Thrale lived only four
Hawkins (p. 446) : * His attachment years longer how different would have
to Oxford prevented Johnson from been the closing scene of Johnson's
receiving this honour [the Dublin life !
degree] as it was intended, and he 6 Life, ii. 285 ; v. 42?-
never assumed the title which it 7 Ib. ii. 384.
conferred.' 8 Murphy perhaps is thinking of
Boswell states : ' It is remarkable Boswell, who writing of Thrale had
that he never, so far as I know, said: 'There may be some who
assumed his title of Z?0<r/0r, but called think that a new system of gentility
himself Mr. Johnson.' Life, ii. 332, might be established upon principles
. i. In this Boswell was not per- totally different from what have
fectly accurate. Ib. hitherto prevailed. . . . Such are the
3 Ante, p. 234. specious, but false arguments for a
4 He had his apartment also in proposition which always will find
conversation,
�� �
