Editing Samuel Johnson (section)

===Final years===
[[File:Hester Thrale.jpg|200px|thumb|upright|alt=Grandly dressed woman, seated, with her daughter kneeling on her right|[[Hester Thrale]] and her daughter Queeney]]

Although he had recovered his health by August, Johnson experienced emotional trauma when he was given word that Hester Thrale would sell the residence that Johnson shared with the family. What hurt Johnson most was the possibility that he would be left without her constant company.<ref name="Bate p. 566">{{Harvnb|Bate|1977|p=566}}</ref> Months later, on 6 October 1782, Johnson attended church for the final time in his life, to say goodbye to his former residence and life. The walk to the church strained him, but he managed the journey unaccompanied.<ref name="Bate p. 569">{{Harvnb|Bate|1977|p=569}}</ref> While there, he wrote a prayer for the Thrale family:

{{blockquote|To thy fatherly protection, O Lord, I commend this family. Bless, guide, and defend them, that they may pass through this world, as finally to enjoy in thy presence everlasting happiness, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boswell|1986|p=284}}</ref>}}

Hester Thrale did not completely abandon Johnson, and asked him to accompany the family on a trip to [[Brighton]].<ref name="Bate p. 569"/> He agreed, and was with them from 7 October to 20 November 1782.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bate|1977|p=570}}</ref> On his return, his health began to fail, and he was left alone after Boswell's visit on 29 May 1783.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bate|1977|p=575}}</ref>

On 17 June 1783, Johnson's poor circulation resulted in a stroke<ref>{{Harvnb|Wiltshire|1991|p=51}}</ref> and he wrote to his neighbour, Edmund Allen, that he had lost the ability to speak.<ref>{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|p=71}}</ref> Two doctors were brought in to aid Johnson; he regained his ability to speak two days later.<ref>{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|pp=71–72}}</ref> Johnson feared that he was dying, and wrote:

{{blockquote|The black dog I hope always to resist, and in time to drive, though I am deprived of almost all those that used to help me. The neighbourhood is impoverished. I had once Richardson and Lawrence in my reach. Mrs. Allen is dead. My house has lost Levet, a man who took interest in everything, and therefore ready at conversation. Mrs. Williams is so weak that she can be a companion no longer. When I rise my breakfast is solitary, the black dog waits to share it, from breakfast to dinner he continues barking, except that Dr. Brocklesby for a little keeps him at a distance. Dinner with a sick woman you may venture to suppose not much better than solitary. After dinner, what remains but to count the clock, and hope for that sleep which I can scarce expect. Night comes at last, and some hours of restlessness and confusion bring me again to a day of solitude. What shall exclude the black dog from an habitation like this?<ref>{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|p=72}}</ref>}}
By this time he was sick and [[gout|gout-ridden]]. He had surgery for gout, and his remaining friends, including novelist [[Frances Burney|Fanny Burney]] (the daughter of Charles Burney), came to keep him company.<ref name="Watkins p.73">{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|p=73}}</ref> He was confined to his room from 14 December 1783 to 21 April 1784.<ref name="Watkins p.74">{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|p=74}}</ref>

{{quote box|width=25em|align=right
|quote=A few days before his death, he had asked Sir John Hawkins, one of his executors, where he should be buried; and on being answered, "Doubtless, in Westminster Abbey," seemed to feel a satisfaction, very natural to a Poet.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boswell|1986|p=341}}</ref>
|source=Boswell's ''Life of Samuel Johnson''
}}

His health began to improve by May 1784, and he travelled to Oxford with Boswell on 5 May 1784.<ref name="Watkins p.74"/> By July, many of Johnson's friends were either dead or gone; Boswell had left for Scotland and Hester Thrale had become engaged to Piozzi. With no one to visit, Johnson expressed a desire to die in London and arrived there on 16 November 1784. On 25 November 1784, he allowed Burney to visit him and expressed an interest to her that he should leave London; he soon left for [[Islington]], to George Strahan's home.<ref>{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|pp=76–77}}</ref> His final moments were filled with mental anguish and delusions; when his physician, Thomas Warren, visited and asked him if he were feeling better, Johnson burst out with: "No, Sir; you cannot conceive with what acceleration I advance towards death."<ref name="Watkins p.78">{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|p=78}}</ref>

Many visitors came to see Johnson as he lay sick in bed, but he preferred only Langton's company.<ref name="Watkins p.78"/> Burney waited for word of Johnson's condition, along with Windham, Strahan, Hoole, Cruikshank, Des Moulins and Barber.<ref name="Watkins p.79">{{Harvnb|Watkins|1960|p=79}}</ref> On 13 December 1784, Johnson met with two others: a young woman, Miss Morris, whom Johnson blessed, and Francesco Sastres, an Italian teacher, who was given some of Johnson's final words: "''Iam Moriturus''" ("I who am about to die").<ref name="Bate p. 599">{{Harvnb|Bate|1977|p=599}}</ref> Shortly afterwards he fell into a coma, and died at 7:00&nbsp;p.m.<ref name="Watkins p.79"/>

Langton waited until 11:00&nbsp;p.m. to tell the others, which led to John Hawkins' becoming pale and overcome with "an agony of mind", along with Seward and Hoole describing Johnson's death as "the most awful sight".<ref>{{Harvnb|Hill|1897|p=160 (Vol. 2)}}</ref> Boswell remarked, "My feeling was just one large expanse of Stupor&nbsp;... I could not believe it. My imagination was not convinced."<ref name="Bate p. 599"/> [[William Gerard Hamilton]] joined in and stated, "He has made a chasm, which not only nothing can fill up, but which ''nothing has a tendency to fill up''. –Johnson is dead.– Let us go to the next best: There is nobody; –''no man can be said to put you in mind of Johnson''."<ref name="Watkins p.79"/>

He was buried on 20 December 1784 at [[Westminster Abbey]] with an inscription that reads:

{{poemquote|Samuel Johnson, [[LL.D.]]
''Obiit XIII die Decembris,''
''Anno Domini''
M.DCC.LXXXIV.
''Ætatis suœ'' LXXV.<ref>{{Harvnb|Boswell|1986|pp=341–342}}</ref>}}