The time was now approaching when Thy handmaid, my mother Monica, was to depart this life.  She fell sick of a fever, and on the ninth day of that sickness, and the fifty-sixth year of her age, and the three and thirtieth of mine, was that religious and holy soul set free from the body.  Being thus forsaken of so great comfort in her, my soul was wounded.  Little by little the wound was healed as I recovered my former thoughts of her holy conversation towards Thee and her holy tenderness and observance towards us.  May she rest in peace with her sometime husband Patricius, whom she obeyed, “with patience bringing forth fruit” unto Thee, that she might win him also unto Thee.

This is the object of my confessions now of what I am, not of what I have been—­to confess this not before Thee only, but in the ears also of the believing sons of men.  Too late I loved Thee!  Thou wast with me, but I was not with Thee.  And now my whole hope is in nothing but Thy great mercy.  Since Thou gavest me continency I have observed it; but I retain the memory of evil habits, and their images come up oft before me.  And Thou hast taught me concerning eating and drinking, that I should set myself to take food as medicine.  I strive daily against concupiscence in eating and drinking.  Thou hast disentangled me from the delights of the ear and from the lusts of the eye.  Into many snares of the senses my mind wanders miserably, but Thou pluckest me out mercifully.  By pride, vainglory, and love of praise I am tempted, but I seek Thy mercy till what is lacking in me by Thee be renewed and perfected.  Thou knowest my unskillfulness; teach me the wondrous things out of Thy law and heal me.

* * * * *

JAMES BOSWELL

The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.

James Boswell, born on October 18, 1740, was the son of Alexander Boswell of Auchinleck, better known as Lord Auchinleck, one of the senators of the College of Justice, or Supreme Court, of Scotland.  Boswell was educated at Edinburgh and Utrecht universities, and was called both to the Scots and the English Bar.  He was early interested in letters, and while still a student, published some poems and magazine articles.  Boswell was introduced to Dr. Johnson on May 16, 1763.  The friendship rapidly ripened, and from 1772 to the death of the illustrious moralist, was unbroken.  As an introduction to “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.”—­perhaps the greatest of all biographies—­we can hardly do better than use the words of the biographer himself.  “To write the life of him who excelled all mankind in writing the lives of others, and who, whether we consider his extraordinary endowments or his various works, has been equalled by few in any age, is an arduous, and may be reckoned in me a presumptuous, task.  But as I had the honour and happiness of enjoying Dr. Johnson’s friendship for upwards of twenty years; as I