profusion which always made him necessitous."--"If that were the case,
(said Johnson,) and that he only wanted to alarm Steele, he would
afterwards have _returned_ the money to his friend, which it is not
pretended he did."--"This too, (he added,) might be retorted by an
advocate for Steele, who might alledge, that he did not repay the loan
_intentionally_, merely to see whether Addison would be mean and
ungenerous enough to make use of legal process to recover it. But of
such speculations there is no end: we cannot dive into the hearts of
men; but their actions are open to observation[185]."

'I then mentioned to him that some people thought that Mr. Addison's
character was so pure, that the fact, _though true_, ought to have been
suppressed[186]. He saw no reason for this[187]. "If nothing but the
bright side of characters should be shewn, we should sit down in
despondency, and think it utterly impossible to imitate them in _any
thing_. The sacred writers (he observed) related the vicious as well as
the virtuous actions of men; which had this moral effect, that it kept
mankind from _despair_, into which otherwise they would naturally fall,
were they not supported by the recollection that others had offended
like themselves, and by penitence and amendment of life had been
restored to the favour of Heaven."

'E.M.'

'March 15, 1782.'

The last paragraph of this note is of great importance; and I request
that my readers may consider it with particular attention. It will be
afterwards referred to in this work[188].

_Various Readings in the Life of_ ADDISON.

'[But he was our first great example] _He was, however, one of our
earliest examples_ of correctness.

And [overlook] _despise_ their masters.

His instructions were such as the [state] _character_ of his [own time]
_readers_ made [necessary] _proper_.

His purpose was to [diffuse] _infuse_ literary curiosity by gentle and
unsuspected conveyance [among] _into_ the gay, the idle, and
the wealthy.

Framed rather for those that [wish] _are learning_ to write.

Domestick [manners] _scenes_.'

In his Life of PARNELL, I wonder that Johnson omitted to insert an
Epitaph which he had long before composed for that amiable man, without
ever writing it down, but which he was so good as, at my request, to
dictate to me, by which means it has been preserved.

'_Hic requiescit_ THOMAS PARNELL, _S.T.P.
Qui sacerdos pariter et poeta,
Utrasque