and she, and Dr. Johnson were travelling; that he paid them all his proper compliments; but observing that Dr. Johnson, who was reading, did not see him, tapped him gently on the shoulder.' "Tis Mr. Cholmondeley,' says my husband. Well, Sir-and what if it is Mr. Cholmondeley?' says the other, sternly, just lifting his eyes a moment from his book, and returning to it again with renewed avidity."

"With thee conversing, I forget all time."

I certainly, then, do not claim too much in behalf of my illustrious friend in saying, that however smart and entertaining Mrs. Thrale's "Anecdotes" are, they must not be held as good evidence against him; for wherever an instance of harshness and severity is told, I beg leave to doubt its perfect authenticity; for though there may have been some foundation for it, yet, like that of his reproof to the "very celebrated lady," it may be so exhibited in the narration as to be very unlike the real fact.

The evident tendency of the following anecdote is to represent Dr. Johnson as extremely deficient in affection, tenderness, or even common civility.

cousin killed in America, — Prithee, my dear (said "When I one day lamented the loss of a first he), have done with canting; how would the world be the worse for it, I may ask, if all your relations were at once spitted like larks, and roasted for Presto's supper?- Presto was the dog that lay under the table while we talked.”

This surely conveys a notion of Johnson, as if he had been grossly rude to Mr. Cholmondeley, a gentleman whom he always loved and esteemed. If, therefore, there was an absolute necessity for mentioning the story at all, it might have been thought that her tenderness for Dr. Johnson's character would have disposed her to state any thing that could soften it. Why then is there a total silence as to what Mr. Cholmondeley told her? - that Johnson, who had known him from his earliest years, having been made sensible of what had doubtless a strange appearance, took occasion, when he afterwards met him, to make a very courteous and kind apology. There is another little circumstance which I cannot but remark. Her book was published in 1785; she had then in her possession a letter from Dr. Johnson, dated in 1777, which begins thus: "Cholmondeley's story shocks me, if it be true, which I can hardly think, for I am utterly unconscious of it: I am very sorry, and very much ashamed." Why then publish the anecdote? Or, if she did, why not add the cir- larks, laid down her knife and fork, and abruptly cumstances, with which she was well acquainted?

In his social intercourse she thus describes

him:

64

Ever musing till he was called out to converse, and conversing till the fatigue of his friends, or the promptitude of his own temper to take offence, consigned him back again to silent meditation."

Yet in the same book she tells us,

"He was, however, seldom inclined to be silent when any moral or literary question was started; and it was on such occasions that, like the sage in 'Rasselas,' he spoke, and attention watched his lips; he reasoned, and conviction closed his periods."

His conversation, indeed, was so far from ever fatiguing his friends, that they regretted when it was interrupted or ceased, and could exclaim in Milton's language,

I suspect this too of exaggeration and distortion. I allow that he made her an angry speech; but let the circumstances fairly appear, as told by Mr. Baretti', who was present:

“Mrs. Thrale, while supping very heartily upon

exclaimed, O, my dear Johnson ! do you know what has happened? The last letters from abroad have

brought us an account that our poor cousin's head

was taken off by a cannon-ball.' Johnson, who was shocked both at the fact and her light unfeeling manner of inentioning it, replied, Madamn, it would give you very little concern if all your relations were spitted like those larks, and dressed for Presto's supper.''

It is with concern that I find myself obliged to animadvert on the inaccuracies of Mrs. Piozzi's "Anecdotes," and perhaps I may be thought to have dwelt too long upon her little collection. But as from Johnson's long residence under Mr. Thrale's roof, and his intimacy with her, the account which she has given of him may have made an unfavourable and unjust impression, my duty, as a faithful biographer, has obliged me reluctantly to perform this unpleasing task.3

1 Baretti's evidence is worth nothing against Mrs. Piozzi. -CROKER.

2 Upon mentioning this to my friend Mr. Wilkes, he, with his usual readiness, pleasantly matched it with the following sentimental anecdote. He was invited by a young man of fashion at Paris to sup with him and a lady, who had been for some time his mistress, but with whom he was going to part. He said to Mr. Wilkes that he really felt very much for her, she was in such distress, and that he meant to make her a present of two hundred louis-d'ors. Mr. Wilkes ob. served the behaviour of mademoiselle, who sighed, indeed, very piteously, and assumed every pathetic air of grief, but ate no less than three French pigeons, which are as large as English partridges, besides other things. Mr. Wilkes whispered the gentleman, "We often say in England, ex

cessive sorrow is exceeding dry, but I never heard excesse sorrow is exceeding hungry. Perhaps one hundred will do." The gentleman took the hint. - BOSWELL.

3 Instead of answering seriatim (as I had done in my first edition) Boswell's objections to Mrs. Piozzi's anecdotes, I will here finally state my opinion that, although after ber deplorable marriage, she had lost much of her reverence and all her affection for her guide, philosopher, and friend, and was therefore disposed to give a harsh unfavourable colour to his character, and though her reports are rambling, flippant, and often inaccurate in expressions and details, they are never, I believe, intentionally nor substantially untrue, nor at all liable to the sweeping imputations that Boswell and Malone make against them.-CROKER, 1847.

Many words I hope are not necessary between you and me, to convince you what gratitude is and your kind offices. excited in my heart by the Chancellor's liberality, I have enclosed a letter to

the Chancellor, which, when you have read it, you will be pleased to seal with a head, or any other general seal, and convey it to him: had I sent it directly to him, I should have seemed to overlook the favour of your intervention."

"I am going, I hope, in a few days, to try the air of Derbyshire, but hope to see you before I go. Let me, however, mention to you what I have much at heart. If the Chancellor should continue his attention to Mr. Boswell's request, and confer TO THE LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR." with you on the means of relieving my languid state, I am very desirous to avoid the appearance of asking money upon false pretences. I desire you to represent to his lordship, what, as soon as it is suggested, he will perceive to be reasonable, that, if I grow much worse, I shall be afraid to leave my physicians, to suffer the inconveniences of travel, and pine in the solitude of a foreign country; that, if I grow much better, of which indeed there is now little appearance, I shall not wish to leave my friends and my domestic comforts, for I do not travel for pleasure or curiosity; yet if I should recover, curiosity would revive. In my present state I am desirous to make struggle for a little longer life, and hope to obtain some help from a softer climate. Do for me what you can.'

He wrote to me July 26. :

"I wish your affairs could have permitted a longer and continued exertion of your zeal and kindness. They that have your kindness may want your ardour. In the meantime I am very feeble and very dejected."

By a letter from Sir Joshua Reynolds I was informed that the Lord Chancellor had called on him, and acquainted him that the application had not been successful; but that his lordship, after speaking highly in praise of Johnson, as a man who was an honour to his country, desired Sir Joshua to let him know, that on granting a mortgage of his pension, he should draw on his lordship to the amount of five or six hundred pounds, and that his

1

1" This offer has in the first view of it the appearance rather of a commercial than a gratuitous transaction; but Sir Joshua clearly understood at the making it that Lord Thurlow designedly put it in that form. He was fearful that Johnson's high spirit would induce him to reject it as a donation, but thought that in the way of loan it might be accepted." Hawkins's Life, p. 571.CROKER.

2 Sir Joshua Reynolds, on account of the excellence both of the sentiment and expression of this letter, took a copy of it, which he showed to some of his friends: one of whom [Lady Lucan, it is said. C.], who admired it, being allowed to peruse it leisurely at home, a copy was made, and found its way into the newspapers and magazines. It was transcribed with some inaccuracies. I print it from

September, 1784. "MY LORD,-After a long and not inattentive observation of mankind, the generosity of your lordship's offer raises in me not less wonder than gratitude. Bounty, so liberally bestowed, I should gladly receive, if my condition made it necessary; for, to such a mind, who would not be proud to own his obligations? But it has pleased God to restore me to so great a measure of health, that if I should now appropriate so much of a fortune destined to do good, I could not escape from myself the charge of advancing a false claim. My journey to the Continent, though I once thought it necessary, was never much encouraged by my physicians; and I was very desirous that your lordship should be told of it by Sir Joshua Reynolds as an event very uncertain; for if I grew much better, I should not be willing, if much first solicited without my knowledge; but, when I worse, not able, to migrate. Your lordship was was told that you were pleased to honour me with your patronage, I did not expect to hear of a refusal; yet, as I have had no long time to brood hope, and have not rioted in imaginary opulence, this cold reception has been scarce a disappointment; and, from your lordship's kindness, I have received a benefit, which only men like you are able to bestow. I shall now live mihi carior, with a higher opinion of my own merit. I am, my Lord, &c.,

SAM. JOHNSON."

Upon this unexpected failure I abstain from presuming to make any remarks, or to offer any conjectures.3

the original draft in Johnson's own handwriting. -Bos

WELL.

3 This affair soon became a topic of conversation, and it was stated that the cause of the failure was the refusal of the King himself; but from the following letter it appears that the matter was never mentioned to his Majesty; that, as time pressed, Lord Thurlow proposed the before-mentioned arrangement as from himself-running the risk of obtaining the King's subsequent approbation when he should have an opportunity of mentioning it to his Majesty. This affords some, and yet not a satisfactory, explanation of the device suggested by Lord Thurlow of Johnson's giving him a mortgage on his pension. But it still seems very strange that Boswell, who evidently was much pained at the idea that the

Having, after repeated reasonings, brought Dr. Johnson to agree to my removing to London, and even to furnish me with arguments in favour of what he had opposed; I wrote to him, requesting he would write them for me. He was so good as to comply, and I shall extract that part of his letter to me, as a proof how well he could exhibit a cautious yet encouraging view of it.

JOHNSON TO BOSWELL.

"June 11.1784.

"I remember, and entreat you to remember, that virtus est vitium fugere, the first approach to riches is security from poverty. The condition upon which you have my consent to settle in London is, that your expense never exceeds your annual income. Fixing this basis of security, you cannot be hurt, and you may be very much advanced. The loss of your Scottish business, which is all that you can lose, is not to be reckoned as any equivalent to the hopes and possibilities that open here upon you.

"I know not in what state Dr. Edwards left his

book. Some of his emendations seemed to me to (be) irrefragably certain, and such, therefore, as ought not to be lost. His rule was not (to) change the text; and, therefore, I suppose he has left notes to be subjoined. As the book is posthumous, some

account of the editor ought to be given.

"You have now the whole process of the correspondence before you. When the prior is answered, let some apology be made for me."

At Bromley.

**July 12. 1784. "SIR, - Perhaps you may remember, that in dear wife. I now entreat your permission to lay the year 1753 you committed to the ground my a stone upon her; and have sent the inscription. that, if you find it proper, you may signify your

If you succeed, the question of JOHNSON TO THE REV. MR. BAGSHAW, prudence is at an end; every body will think that done right which ends happily; and though your expectations, of which I would not advise you to talk too much, should not be totally answered, you can hardly fail to get friends who will do for you all that your present situation allows you to hope; and if, after a few years, you should return to Scotland, you will return with a mind supplied by various conversation, and many opportunities of inquiry, with much knowledge, and materials for reflection and instruction."

[JOHNSON TO DR. ADAMS.

"London, 11th June (July), 1784. "DEAR SIR,I am going into Staffordshire and Derbyshire in quest of some relief, of which my need is not less than when I was treated at your house with so much tenderness.

"I have now received the collations for Xenophon, which I have sent you with the letters that relate to them. I cannot at present take any part in the work, but I would rather pay for a collation of Oppian than see it neglected; for the French

King had been the obstacle, should have been kept in ignorance of the real state of the case, as by the following letter, which I found in the Reynolds papers, it appears he was.

"LORD THURLOW TO SIR J. REYNOLDS.

"Thursday, Nov. 18. 1784. "DEAR SIR,My choice, if that had been left me, would certainly have been that the matter should not have been talked of at all. The only object I regarded was my own pleasure, in contributing to the health and comfort of a man whom I venerate sincerely and highly for every part, without exception, of his exalted character. This you know I proposed to do, as it might be without any expense-in all events at a rate infinitely below the satisfaction I proposed to myself. It would have suited the purpose better if nobody had heard of it, except Dr. Johnson, you, and J. Boswell. But the chief objection to the rumour is, that his Majesty is supposed to have refused it. Had that been so, I should not have communicated the circumstance. It was impossible for me to take the King's pleasure on the suggestion I presumed to move. I am an untoward solicitor. The time seemed to press, and I chose rather to take on myself the risk of his Majesty's concurrence than delay a journey which might conduce to Dr. Johnson's health and comfort.

"But these are all trifles, and scarce deserve even this cursory explanation. The only question of any worth is whether Dr. Johnson has any wish to go abroad, or other occasion for my assistance. Indeed he should give me credit

allowance.

"You will do me a great favour by showing the place where she lies, that the stone may protect her remains.

"Mr. Ryland will wait on you for the inscription [p. 77. n. 4], and procure it to be engraved. You will easily believe that I shrink from this mournfu! office. When it is done, if I have strength remaining, I will visit Bromley once again, and pay you part of the respect to which you have a right from, reverend Sir, your most humble servant,

SAM. JOHNSON."

That this letter was kept from Boswell's knowledge is certain, by his obvious vexation at thinking that the refusal had come from the King- that it was designedly kept from him is rendered probable by the following curious circumstance. On the face of the original letter his name has been obliterated with so much care that but for the different colour of the ink and some other small circumstances, would not have been discoverable; it is artfully done, and the sentence appears to run, “ercept Dr. Johnson, poll, and 1"-"Boswell" being erased. This looks like an un- ! candid trick, to defraud Boswell of his merit in this matter: but by whom the obliteration was made I cannot guessCROKER.

1 His Xenophon. See antè, p. 621. — C.

2 I suppose the prior of the Benedictines in Paris (at p. 460. n. 2.), who seem to have made, at Johnson's request, & collation of Xenophon with some copy of their own, and to have proposed a collation of Oppian, but for what precise purpose does not appear. - CROKER, 1847.

3 Mr. Ryland was one of his oldest friends, and bad proba bly been an acquaintance of his wife's. (See ante, pp. 36. 78.). Mr. Ryland died July 24. 1798, ætat. 81. CROKSE.

"Aug. 21.. -The kindness which you show by having me in your thoughts upon all occasions will, I hope, always fill my heart with gratitude. pleased to return my thanks to Sir George Baker', for the consideration which he has bestowed upon Is this the balloon that has been so long expected, this balloon to which I subscribed, but without payment? It is pity that philosophers have been disappointed, and shame that they have been cheated; but I know not well how to prevent either. Of this experiment I have read nothing: where was it exhibited? and who was the man that ran away with so much money? Continue, dear Sir, to write often, and more at a time; for none of your prescriptions operate to their proper uses more certainly than your letters operate as cordials."

"August 26.—I suffered you to escape last post without a letter, but you are not to expect such indulgence very often; for I write not so much because I have any thing to say, as because I hope for an answer; and the vacancy of my life

1 The eminent physician, who was created a Baronet in 1776, and died June 1809, ætat. 88. CROKER.

2 Does Dr. Johnson here allude to the unsuccessful attempt made, in 1784, by De Moret, who was determined to anticipate Lunardi in his first experiment in England? "Moret attempted to inflate his balloon with rarefied air, but by some accident in the process it sunk upon the fire; and the populace, who regarded the whole as an imposture,