said in Horace, another pause ; then Fisher remarked, that he knew no metre in Horace to which the words could be reduced ; upon which Johnson said dictatorially ' The young man is right.' Dr. Fisher recollects another conversation during this visit to Oxford, when there was a Mr. Mortimer 1 , a shallow, vulgar man, who had no sense of Johnson's superiority, and talked a great deal of flippant nonsense. At last he said, that ' metaphysics were all stuff nothing but vague words.' ' Sir,' said Johnson, 'do you know the meaning of the word meta physics ? ' ' To be sure,' said the other. ' Then, Sir, you must know that two and two make four, is a metaphysical pro position.' ' I deny it,' rejoined Mortimer, ' 't is an arithmetical one; I deny it utterly.' 'Why, then, Sir/ said Johnson, 'if you deny that we arrive at that conclusion by a metaphysical process, I can only say, that plus in und hora unus asinus negabit, quam centum philosophi in centum annis probaverint 2 .'
The following letter was written with an agitated hand, from the very chamber of death, by the amiable Bennet Langton, and obviously interrupted by his feelings 3 . It is not addressed, but Mr. Langton's family believe it was intended for Mr. Boswell :
'MY DEAR SIR, After many conflicting hopes and fears respecting the event of this heavy return of illness which has assailed our honoured friend, Dr. Johnson, since his arrival from Lichfield, about four days ago the appearances grew more and more awful, and this afternoon at eight o'clock, when I arrived at his house to see how he should be going on, I was acquainted
1 John James wrote on Sept. 16, the same evening, Mr. Langton came 1781 : ' No news in Oxford, except to me, and in an agony of mind gave the death of the Head of Lincoln, me to understand that our friend had who is succeeded by one Mortimer, wounded himself in several parts of a notorious sloven. The blackguard the body.' Ante, ii. 134. If this ac- Stinton was a beau to him.' Letters count is true, Langton thought that of Radcliffe and James, p. 155. Johnson had wounded himself in the
2 According to Lord Eldon, John- intention, not to lengthen his life, as son quoted these words as the saying was really the case, but to shorten of ' an author.' Twiss's Eldon, ed. it. It was perhaps the shock given 1846, i. 65. on learning of these wounds which
3 Hawkins writes : ' At eleven, interrupted the letter.
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