160.
July 30.
Almighty God, Creator and Governor of the World, who sendest sickness and restorest health, enable me to consider, with a just sense of thy mercy, the deliverance which Thou hast lately granted me, and assist by thy Blessing, as is best for me, the means which I shall use for the cure of the disease with which I am now afflicted. Encrease my patience, teach me submission to thy will, and so rule my thoughts and direct my actions, that I may be finally received to everlasting happiness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen[1].
161.
Aug. 15, 1783.
I cut from the vine 41 leaves, which weighed five oz. and a half, and eight scruples: – I lay them upon my book-case, to see what weight they will lose by drying[2].
162.
August 28. I came to Heale without fatigue.
30. I am entertained quite to my mind.
To endeavour to conquer scruples about, Comedy. Books in Garret. Books on Shelves. Hebrew. Pollution. [?] Deus, juva[3].
1 G. Strahan inserts this prayer among those of which it is not known in what year they were written. It belongs to 1783, at a time when Johnson had recovered from the stroke of the palsy, and 'was troubled with a complaint which threatened him with a surgical operation.' Life, iv. 239.
2 Life, iii. 398, n. 3, where by mistake is given the date of Aug. 15, 1773.
The vine grew up his house in Bolt Court. Three years earlier he had written to Mrs. Thrale: – 'I have three bunches of grapes on a vine in my garden.' Letters, ii. 193.
3 From the original in the possession of Mr. Locker-Lampson of Rowfant. The first two lines of this entry are quoted in the Life, iv. 234.
For Johnson's visit to Heale, near Salisbury, see Life, iv. 234; Letters, ii. 328.
For his scruples, see ante, pp. 41, 93.
