But I understand that this great scholar, and warm admirer of Johnson, has yielded to repeated solicitations, and executed the very difficult undertaking.  BOSWELL.  Dr. Johnson’s Monument, consisting of a colossal figure leaning against a column, has since the death of our authour been placed in St. Paul’s Cathedral.  The Epitaph was written by the Rev. Dr. Parr, and is as follows: 

SAMVELI IOHNSON
GRAMMATICO ET CRITICO
SCRIPTORVM ANGLICORVM LITTERATE PERITO
POETAE LVMINIBVS SENTENTIARVM
ET PONDERIBVS VERBORVM ADMIRABILI
MAGISTRO VIRTVTIS GRAVISSIMO
HOMINI OPTIMO ET SINGVLARIS EXEMPLI
QVI VIXIT ANN LXXV MENS IL.  DIEB XIII
DECESSIT IDIB DECEMBR ANN CHRIST cIo Iocc LXXXIIII
SEPVLT IN AED SANCT PETR WESTMONASTERIENS
XIII KAL IANVAR ANN CHRIST cIo Iocc LXXXV
AMICI ET SODALES LITTERARII
PECVNIA CONLATA
H M FACIVND CVRAVER.

On a scroll in his hand are the following words:  [Greek:  ENMAKARESSIPONONANTAXIOSEIHAMOIBH].

On one side of the Monument—–­ FACIEBAT JOHANNES BACON SCVLPTOR ANN.  CHRIST. M.DCC.-LXXXXV.

The Subscription for this monument, which cost eleven hundred guineas, was begun by the LITERARY CLUB.  MALONE.  See Appendix I.

[1283] ’"Laetus sum laudari me,” inquit Hector, opinor apud Naevium, “abs te, pater, a laudato viro."’ Cicero, Ep. ad Fam. xv. 6.

[1284] To prevent any misconception on this subject, Mr. Malone, by whom these lines were obligingly communicated, requests me to add the following remark:—­

’In justice to the late Mr. Flood, now himself wanting, and highly meriting, an epitaph from his country, to which his transcendent talents did the highest honour, as well as the most important service; it should be observed that these lines were by no means intended as a regular monumental inscription for Dr. Johnson.  Had he undertaken to write an appropriated and discriminative epitaph for that excellent and extraordinary man, those who knew Mr. Flood’s vigour of mind, will have no doubt that he would have produced one worthy of his illustrious subject.  But the fact was merely this:  In Dec. 1789, after a large subscription had been made for Dr. Johnson’s monument, to which Mr. Flood liberally contributed, Mr. Malone happened to call on him at his house, in Berners-street, and the conversation turning on the proposed monument, Mr. Malone maintained that the epitaph, by whomsoever it should be written, ought to be in Latin.  Mr. Flood thought differently.  The next morning, in the postscript to a note on another subject, he mentioned that he continued of the same opinion as on the preceding day, and subjoined the lines above given.’  BOSWELL.  Cowper also composed an epitaph for Johnson—­though not one of much merit.  See Southey’s Cowper, v. 119.

[1285] As I do not see any reason to give a different character of my illustrious friend now, from what I formerly gave, the greatest part of the sketch of him in my Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, is here adopted.  BOSWELL.