PAPER S

WRITTEN BY

DR. JOHNSON

FOR

DR. DODD, DURING HIS IMPRISONMENT.

WH

INTRODUCTION.

HAT is to be expected in the following papers, their titles fufficiently indicate. The intereft taken by the public in the fentence of the unfortunate man to whom they relate, naturally produced this publication.

He that commits these papers to the press, defires not to be confidered as approving or condemning. He means to gratify the honeft curiofity of the reader, and hopes that his curiofity may end in useful meditation.

The papers are printed without any alteration, except the omiffion of a few words in one of the letters, which had a perfonal reference, and which therefore it was proper to fupprefs.

The

The most important of these pieces is the criminal's account of himself, which one of his friends advised him to have dilated more; but the day of execution was approaching, and he may be eafily forgiven if he left his ftory imperfect. He had, we ought to hope, other employment.

* Dr. DODD's Account of Himself.

THE greatest affliction and oppreffion to my mind at prefent is, the piercing reflection that I, who have lived all my life in an endeavour to promote the truth of Christianity, fhould now become an obstacle to that truth, and a fcandal to that profeffion :-that I, who have with all my power, and with all fincerity, laboured to do good, and be a bleffing to my fellow-creatures, fhould now become an evil and a curfe. What fhall I, can I, ought I to do, to prevent, as much as in me lies, any fuch dreadful confequences of my fhame and my crime? Will a public atteftation of my fincere belief of Christianity, and an ingenuous detail and confeffion of my offences, be of any avail ?-In order to do this, and to acquaint you in few words with a perfect knowledge

Of this account Dr. Dodd may be faid to have only drawn the outlines; the picture, as it appears, was finished by Dr. Johnson.

of

of myself, (though I fhould wish to do it more fully) be fo good as to confider the few following particulars.

I entered very young on public life, very innocentvery ignorant-and very ingenuous. I lived many happy years at Weft Ham, in an uninterrupted and fuccessful discharge of my duty. A difappointment in the living of that parish obliged me to exert myself, and I engaged for a chapel near Buckingham Gate. Great fuccefs attended the undertaking: it pleased and elated me. At the fame time Lord Chesterfield, to whom I was per fonally unknown, offered me the care of his heir, Mr. S-*. By the advice of my dear friend, now in heaven, Dr. Squire, I engaged under promises which were not performed. Such a distinction too, you must know, ferved to increase a young man's vanity. I was naturally led into more extensive and important connections, and, of course, into greater expences, and more diffipations. Indeed, before, I never diffipated at all-for many, many years, never seeing a play-house, or any public place, but living entirely in Chriftian duties. Thus brought to town, and introduced to gay life, I fell into its fnares. Ambition and vanity led me on. My temper, naturally chearful, was pleased with company; naturally generous, it knew not the use of money; it was a stranger to the useful science of œconomy and frugality; nor could it withhold from diftrefs, what it too much (often) wanted itself.

Befides this, the habit of uniform, regular, fober piety, and of watchfulness and devotion, wearing off, amidst

The prefent Lord Chesterfield,

I

this unavoidable fcene of diffipation, I was not, as at West Ham, the innocent man that I lived there. committed offences against my God! which yet, I bless him, were always, in reflection, detestable to me.

But my greatest evil was expence. To fupply it I fell into the dreadful and ruinous mode of raising money by annuities. The annuities devoured me. Still I exerted myself by every means to do what I thought right, and built my hopes of perfect extrication from all my difficulties when my young and beloved pupil fhould come of age. But alas! during this interval, which was not very long, I declare with folemn truth, that I never varied from the steady belief of the Chriftian doctrines! I preached them with all my power, and kept back nothing from my congregations which I thought might tend to their best welfare; and I was very fuccefsful in this way during the time. Nor, though I spent in diffipation many hours which I ought not, but to which my connections inevitably led, was I idle during this period: as my Commentary on the Bible, my Sermons to Young Men, and several other publications prove. I can say too, with pleasure, that I ftudiously employed my tereft, through the connections I had, for the good of others; I never forgot or neglected the caufe of the diftreffed; many, if need were, could bear me witness. Let it fuffice to fay, that during this period I inftituted the charity for the Discharge of Debtors.

in

Such is the plain and ingenuous detail of myself. I fincerely lament all I have done wrong. I love, and ever did, religion and goodness. I hate and abhor vice, and myself for ever having committed any. I look D d

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with peculiar deteftation on the crime to which I am at prefent obnoxious; and I with before I die, of all things, if it be poffible, to make amends-by the moft fincere and full confeffion and humiliation of myself.

W. DOD D.

May 21, 1777.

The following DECLARATION Dr. DODD inclosed in a Letter to a Friend fome time before he suffered.

THOUGH I acknowledge in all its atrocity, and more especially with a view to my peculiar circumftances and character, the offence for which I fuffer,-yet, confidering that it is punished with fuch fanguinary severity in no commercial ftate under heaven; and that in my cafe it has been fully atoned for, fo far as human creatures can atone to each other; I cannot but judge my punishment rather hard-and ftill more fo, as that public (for whose benefit and example fuch ignominious death and punishment can alone be intended) has with a pleading, and almost unanimous voice fupplicated the throne, in the most humble manner, to fhew mercy, and avert the abhorred stroke, by aligning another, though perhaps not lefs afflictive punishment.

In this fpenfation, however, I look far beyond the hand of poor human vengeance, and adore the justice

and