Sir Joshua Reynolds observed, with great truth, that Johnson considered Garrick to be as it were his property.  He would allow no man either to blame or to praise Garrick in his presence, without contradicting him.

Having fallen into a very serious frame of mind, in which mutual expressions of kindness passed between us, such as would be thought too vain in me to repeat, I talked with regret of the sad inevitable certainty that one of us must survive the other.  Johnson.  ’Yes, Sir, that is an affecting consideration.  I remember Swift, in one of his letters to Pope, says, “I intend to come over, that we may meet once more; and when we must part, it is what happens to all human beings."’ Boswell.  ’The hope that we shall see our departed friends again must support the mind.’  Johnson.  ‘Why yes, Sir.’  Boswell.  ’There is a strange unwillingness to part with life, independent of serious fears as to futurity.  A reverend friend of ours (naming him) tells me, that he feels an uneasiness at the thoughts of leaving his house, his study, his books.’  Johnson.  ’This is foolish in *****.  A man need not be uneasy on these grounds; for, as he will retain his consciousness, he may say with the philosopher, Omnia mea mecum porto.’  Boswell.  ’True, Sir:  we may carry our books in our heads; but still there is something painful in the thought of leaving for ever what has given us pleasure.  I remember, many years ago, when my imagination was warm, and I happened to be in a melancholy mood, it distressed me to think of going into a state of being in which Shakspeare’s poetry did not exist.  A lady whom I then much admired, a very amiable woman, humoured my fancy, and relieved me by saying, “The first thing you will meet in the other world, will be an elegant copy of Shakspeare’s works presented to you."’ Dr. Johnson smiled benignantly at this, and did not appear to disapprove of the notion.

We went to St. Clement’s church again in the afternoon, and then returned and drank tea and coffee in Mrs. Williams’s room; Mrs. Desmoulins doing the honours of the tea-table.  I observed that he would not even look at a proof-sheet of his Life of Waller on Good-Friday.

On Saturday, April 14, I drank tea with him.  He praised the late Mr. Duncombe, of Canterbury, as a pleasing man.  ’He used to come to me:  I did not seek much after him.  Indeed I never sought much after any body.’  Boswell.  ‘Lord Orrery, I suppose.’  Johnson.  ’No, Sir; I never went to him but when he sent for me.’  Boswell.  ‘Richardson?’ Johnson.  ’Yes, Sir.  But I sought after George Psalmanazar the most.  I used to go and sit with him at an alehouse in the city.’

I am happy to mention another instance which I discovered of his seeking after a man of merit.  Soon after the Honourable Daines Barrington had published his excellent Observations on the Statutes, Johnson waited on that worthy and learned gentleman; and, having told him his name, courteously said, ’I have read your book, Sir, with great pleasure, and wish to be better known to you.’  Thus began an acquaintance, which was continued with mutual regard as long as Johnson lived.