JOHNSON. 31 



daughter, though his rooms were so small, that she and 

 Miss Williams had to live in one apartment. The only 

 satisfaction apparently which he could receive from the 

 society of this lady, was the gratification of his charitable 

 disposition ; and he made her an allowance of near 

 thirty pounds a-year from the time that he received his 

 pension.* She survived him. 



Robert Levett, a poor apothecary, lived with him in a 

 similar way almost from the time he came to London. 

 He practised among the poor for very small sums ; but 

 it was one of Johnson's ignorant prejudices, partly 

 founded on his contracted knowledge of scientific sub- 

 jects, partly from his not unamiable bias in favour of his 

 friends, that he never could be satisfied with the skill of 

 any medical attendant if Levett did not also assist their 

 care. He died two years before Johnson, who wrote 

 some very affecting verses to the memory of this humble 

 friend. It was among Johnson's fancies to suppose he 

 knew something of medicine and chemistry, because he 

 read occasionally in his accustomed desultory manner 

 parts of old-fashioned books on these subjects ; and he 

 even used to make experiments without any method or 

 any acquaintance with the subject, upon mixing, and boil- 

 ing, and melting different substances, and even upon 

 distilling them. But his knowledge of all the parts of 

 natural science was extremely limited and altogether 

 empirical. Doubtless Levett's conversation was on these 



* The temper and dispositions of his poor inmates were far from 

 conducing to their own comfort or to his peace. He describes them 

 in one of his letters to Mrs. Thrale : " Mrs. Williams hates every 

 body; Levett hates Desmouliues, and does not love Williams; 

 Desmoulines hates them both; Polly loves none of them." 



