perhaps, ever is the lot of man, he shuddered at the thought
of his dissolution. His friends awakened the comfortable reflection of a
well-spent life; and, as his end drew near, they had the satisfaction of
seeing him composed, and even cheerful, insomuch that he was able, in
the course of his restless nights, to make translations of Greek
epigrams from the Anthologia; and to compose a Latin epitaph for his
father, his mother, and his brother Nathaniel. He meditated, at the same
time, a Latin inscription to the memory of Garrick; but his vigour was
exhausted.

His love of literature was a passion that stuck to his last sand. Seven
days before his death he wrote the following letter to his friend Mr.
Nichols:

"SIR,--The late learned Mr. Swinton, of Oxford, having one day
remarked, that one man, meaning, I suppose, no man but himself, could
assign all the parts of the Ancient Universal History to their proper
authors, at the request of sir Robert Chambers, or myself, gave the
account which I now transmit to you, in his own hand, being willing
that of so great a work the history should be known, and that each
writer should receive his due proportion of praise from posterity.

I recommend to you to preserve this scrap of literary intelligence, in
Mr. Swinton's own hand, or to deposit it in the Museum[y], that the
veracity of this account may never be doubted.

I am, sir,

Your most humble servant,

SAM. JOHNSON.

Dec. 6, 1784."

Mr. Swinton.

The History of the Carthaginians.
--Numidians.
--Mauritanians.
--Gaetulians.
--Garamantes.
--Melano-Gaetulians.
--Nigritae.
--Cyrenaica.
--Marmarica.
--Regio Syrtica.
--Turks, Tartars, and Moguls.
--Indians.
--Chinese.
The Dissertation on the peopling of America.
The Dissertation on the Independency of the Arabs.
The Cosmogony, and a small part of the History immediately following.
By Mr. Sale.
To the Birth of Abraham. Chiefly by Mr. Shelvock.
History of the Jews, Gauls, and Spaniards. By Mr. Psalmanazai.
Xenophon's Retreat. By the same.
History of the Persians, and the Constantinopolitan Empire. By Dr.
Campbell.
History of the Romans. By Mr. Bower[z].

On the morning of December 7, Dr. Johnson