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A TOPOGRAPHICAL 



supported by the Right Hon. Edmund Burke, Right Hon. William 

 Wyndham, Sir Joseph Banks, Sir Charles Bunbury, George Col- 

 man, and Bennet Langton, Esqs. His executors and a considerable 

 number of his friends attended, and paid this last tribute of affec- 

 tion to his memory. His schoolfellow, Dr. Taylor, performed the 

 mournful office of reading the funeral service, and over the grave 

 was placed a large blue flag stone, with this inscription: 



SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D. 

 Obiit XIII. Die Decembris. 



Anno Douiini, 

 M.DCC.LXXXV. 

 yEtatis SIKE, LXXV. 



By the first clause of his will he left an annuity of seventy 

 pounds to his old faithful black servant Francis Barber, who lived 

 "with him near forty years. He also left two hundred pounds to a 

 descendant of Mr. Iriuys, a bookseller, to whom his father was in- 

 debted thirty pounds at the time of his death, about thirty years 

 before ; and several smaller legacies to distant relations and 

 friends. Dr. Johnson not only advised others to be charitable, but 

 was charitable himself. He gave away all he had, except the two 

 thousand pounds he left behind ; he had numerous dependants out 

 of doors, as well as under his own roof, and for these people he 

 used to raise contributions on his richer friends. 



The following fact is strongly illustrative of his characteristic 

 humanity. " Coming up Fleet Street alone about two o'clock in 

 the morning, he was alarmed with the cries of a person seemingly 

 in great distress. He followed the sound of the voice for some 

 time, when, by the glimmer of an expiring lamp, he perceived an 

 unhappy female, almost naked, and perishing on a truss of straw, 

 who had just strength enough to tell him, she was turned out by 

 an inhuman landlord in that condition, and to beg his charitable 

 assistance not to let her die in the street. The Doctor melted at 

 her story, desired her to place her confidence in God, for that 

 under him he would be her protector. He accordingly looked 

 about for a coach to put her into, but there was none to be had. 

 He then kneeled down, raised her in his arms, wrapped his great 

 coat about her, and carried her on his back to his own house. 

 Next day, from the nature of her disorder, he was advised to 

 abandon her, but he nobly replied, ' I am determined to give her 

 the chance of a reformation/ Accordingly she was attended by a 

 physician during thirteen weeks, and restored to health; and Dr. 



