' His Lordship, he said, behaved in the
handsomest manner. He repeated the words twice, that he might be sure
Johnson heard them, and thus set his mind perfectly at ease. This
nobleman, who has been so virulently abused, acted with great honour in
this instance, and displayed a mind truly liberal. A minister of a more
narrow and selfish disposition would have availed himself of such an
opportunity to fix an implied obligation on a man of Johnson's powerful
talents to give him his support.
[Page 375: Murphy's account of the pension. AEtat 53.]
Mr. Murphy and the late Mr. Sheridan severally contended for the
distinction of having been the first who mentioned to Mr. Wedderburne
that Johnson ought to have a pension. When I spoke of this to Lord
Loughborough, wishing to know if he recollected the prime mover in the
business, he said, 'All his friends assisted:' and when I told him that
Mr. Sheridan strenuously asserted his claim to it, his Lordship said,
'He rang the bell.' And it is but just to add, that Mr. Sheridan told
me, that when he communicated to Dr. Johnson that a pension was to be
granted him, he replied in a fervour of gratitude, 'The English language
does not afford me terms adequate to my feelings on this occasion. I
must have recourse to the French. I am _penetre_ with his Majesty's
goodness.' When I repeated this to Dr. Johnson, he did not contradict
it[1109].
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