156 Narrative by John Hoole.
despondingly several times : Mr. Ryland comforted him, observing that ' we had great hopes given us.' Yes/ he replied, ' we have hopes given us ; but they are conditional, and I know not how far I have fulfilled those conditions I .' He afterwards said c However, I think that I have now corrected all bad and vicious habits.' Sir Joshua Reynolds called on him : we left them to gether. Sir Joshua being gone, he called Mr. Ryland and me again to him : he continued talking very seriously, and repeated a prayer or collect with great fervour, when Mr. Ryland took his leave. My son came to us from his church : we were at dinner Dr. Johnson, Mrs. Gardiner, myself, Mrs. Hoole, my son? and Mr. De Moulins. He ate a tolerable dinner, but retired directly after dinner. He had looked out a sermon of Dr. Clarke's 2 , ' On the Shortness of Life,' for me to read to him after dinner, but he was too ill to hear it. After six o'clock he called us all into his room, when he dismissed us for that night with a prayer, delivered as he sat in his great chair in the most fervent and affecting manner, his mind appearing wholly em ployed with the thoughts of another life. He told Mr. Ryland that he wished not to come to God with opium 3 , but that he hoped he had been properly attentive. He said before us all, that when he recovered the last spring, he had only called it a reprieve, but that he did think it was for a longer time ; how ever he hoped the time that had been prolonged to him might be the means of bringing forth fruit meet for repentance.
Monday, Dec. 6. Sent in the morning to make inquiry after him ; he was much the same ; called in the evening ; found Mr. Cruikshanks 4 the surgeon with him ; he said he had been that day quarrelling with all his physicians ; he appeared in tolerable spirits.
Tuesday, Dec. 7. Called at dinner time ; saw him eat a very good dinner : he seemed rather better, and in spirits.
1 Life, iv. 299 ; Letters^ ii. 380. Dictionary/ but on his death-bed ' Quid sum miser tune dicturus, ' he pressed Dr. Brocklesby to read
Quern patronum rogaturus, his sermons.' Life, iv. 416 ; ante,
Quum vix Justus sit securus ? ' i. 38.
Dies Irae. 3 Ante> ii. 128.
2 Johnson ' had made it a rule not 4 W. C. Cruikshank. Life, iv. to admit Dr. Clarke's name in his 239.
Wednesday
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