OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. COLLECTED AND EDITED BY GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL, D.C.L. PEMBROKE COLLEGE, OXFORD EDITOR OF BOSWELL'S LIFE OF JOHNSON' IN TWO VOLUMES: VOL. II Jan. 15, 1777 - Dec. 18, 1784 OXFORD AT THE CLARENDON PRESS MDCCCXCII B HARVARD Oxford PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BY HORACE HART, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY LETTERS OF DR. JOHNSON. 506. To MRS. THRALE'. Wednesday, Jan. 15, One in the morning, 1777. Omnium rerum vicissitudo. The night after last Thursday was so bad, that I took ipecacuanha the next day. The next night was no better. On Saturday I dined with Sir Joshua. The night was such as I was forced to rise and pass some hours in a chair, with great labour of respiration. I found it now time to do something, and went to Dr. Lawrence 3, and told him I would do what he should order, without reading the prescription. He sent for a chirurgeon and took about twelve ounces of blood, and in the afternoon I got sleep in a chair. 4 At night, when I came to lie down after trial of an hour or two, I found sleep impracticable, and therefore did what the Doctor permitted in a case of distress; I rose, and opening the orifice, let out about ten ounces more. Frank and I were but awkward; but, with Mr. Levet's help 5, we stopped the stream, |