peculiarity of his style, she found out that he teized her by writing in the newspapers concerning battles and plots which had no existence, only to feed her with new accounts of the division of Poland perhaps, or the disputes between the states of Russia and Turkey, she was exceedingly angry to be sure, and scarcely I think forgave the offence till the domestic distresses of the year 1772 reconciled them to and taught them the true value of each other; excellent as they both were, far beyond the excellence of any other man and woman I ever yet saw. As her conduct too extorted his truest esteem, her cruel illness excited all his tenderness; nor was the sight of beauty, scarce to be subdued by disease, and wit, flashing through the apprehension of evil, a scene which Dr. Johnson could see without sensibility. He acknowledged himself improved by her piety, and astonished at her fortitude, and hung over her bed with the affection of a parent, and the reverence of a son. Nor did it give me less pleasure to see her sweet mind cleared of all its latent prejudices, and left at liberty to admire and applaud that force of thought and versatility of genius, that comprehensive soul and benevolent heart which attracted and commanded veneration from all, but inspired peculiar sensations of delight mixed with reverence in those who, like her, had the opportunity to observe these qualities, stimulated by gratitude, and actuated by friendship. When Mr. Thrale's perplexities disturbed his peace, dear Dr. Johnson left him scarce a moment, and tried every artifice to amuse as well as every argument to console him: nor is it more possible to describe than to forget his prudent, his pious attentions towards the man who had some years before certainly saved his valuable life, perhaps his reason, by half obliging him to change the foul air of Fleet-street for the wholesome breezes of the Sussex Downs. The epitaph engraved on my mother's monument shews how deserving she was of general applause, I asked Johnson why he named her person before her mind: he said it was, "because every body could judge of the one, and but few of the other." "Juxta sepulta est HESTERA MARIA Thome Cotton de Combermere baronetti Cestriensis filia, Omnibus jucunda, suorum amantissima. Ut loquenti nunquam deessent Ut domestica inter negotia literis oblectaretur. Mr. Murphy, who admired her talents and delighted in her company, did me the favour to paraphrase this elegant inscription in verses which I fancy have never yet been published. His fame has long been out of my power to increase as a poet; as a man of sensibility perhaps these lines may set him higher than he now stands. I remember with gratitude the friendly tears which prevented him from speaking as he put them into my hand. "Near this place Are deposited the remains of The daughter of Sir Thomas Cotton of Combermere, in the county of of the county of Flint, Esquire. She was born in the year 1707, married in 1739, and died in 1773. A heart that for her friends with love o'erflow'd: . The following epitaph on Mr. Thrale, who has now a monument close by her's in Streatham church, I have seen printed and commended in Maty's Review for April 1784; and a friend has favoured me with the translation. Hic conditur quod reliquum est Qui res seu civiles, seu domesticas, ita egit Ut quam brevem esset habiturus præscire videretur; In senatu, regi patriæque Vulgi obstrepentis contemptor animosus, Consortes tumuli habet Rodolphum patrem, strenuum Domus felix et opulenta, quam crexit Et vicibus rerum humanarum perspectis, "Here are deposited the remains of Who managed all his concerns in the present And all that related to a future world, Simple, open, and uniform in his manners, He looked down with contempt on the clamours Though engaged in a very extensive business, with his advice, his influence, and his purse. Thus a happy and opulent family, And reflecting on the vicissitudes of I never recollect to have heard that Dr. Johnson wrote inscriptions for any sepulchral stones, except Dr. Goldsmith's in Westminster abbey, and these two in Streatham church. He made four lines once on the death of poor Hogarth, which were equally true and pleasing: I know not why Garrick's were preferred to them. "The hand of him here torpid lies, Mr. Hogarth, among the variety of kindnesses shewn to me when I was too young to have a proper sense of them, was used to be very earnest that I should obtain the acquaintance, and if possible the friendship of Dr. Johnson, whose conversation was to the talk of other men, like Titian's painting compared to Hudson's, he said: "but don't you tell people now, that I say so (continued he), for the connoisseurs and I are at war, you know; and because I hate them, they think I hate Titian—and let them!" Many were indeed the lectures I used to have in my very early days from dear Mr. Hogarth, whose regard for my father induced him perhaps to take notice of his little girl, and give her some odd particular directions about dress, dancing, and many other matters, interesting now only because they were his. As he made all his talents, however, subservient to the great purposes of morality, and the earnest desire he had to mend mankind, his discourse generally ended in an ethical dissertation, and a serious charge to me, never to forget his picture of the Lady's last Stake. Of Dr. Johnson, when my father and he were talking together about him one day: "That man (says Hogarth) is not contented with believing the Bible, but he fairly resolves, I think, to believe nothing but the Bible. Johnson (added he), though so wise a fellow, is more like king David than king Solomon; for he says in his haste that all men are liars." This charge, as I afterwards came to know, was but too well founded: Mr. Johnson's incredulity amounted almost to disease, and I have seen it mortify his companions exceedingly. But the truth is, Mr. Thrale had a very powerful influence over the Doctor, and could make him suppress many rough answers: he could likewise prevail on him to change his shirt, his coat, or his plate, almost before it came indispensably necessary to the comfortable feelings of his friends: But as I never had any ascendancy at all over Mr. Johnson, except just in the things that concerned his health, it grew extremely perplexing and difficult to live in the house with him when the master of it was no more; the worse indeed, because his dislikes grew capricious; and he could scarce bear to have any body come to the house whom it was absolutely necessary for me to see. Two gentlemen, I perfectly well remember, dining with us at Streatham in the summer 1782, when Elliot's brave defence of Gibraltar was a subject of common discourse, one of these men naturally enough begun some talk about red-hot balls thrown with surprising dexterity and effect: which Dr. Johnson having listened some time to, "I would advise you, Sir (said he with a cold sneer), never to relate this story again: you really can scarce imagine how very poor a figure you make in the telling of it." Our guest being bred a Quaker, and I believe a man of an extremely gentle disposition, needed no more reproofs for the same folly; so if he ever did speak again, it was in a low voice to the friend who came with him. The check was given before dinner, and after coffee I left the room. When in the evening, however, our companions were returned to London, and Mr. Johnson and myself were left alone, with only our usual family about us, "I did not quarrel with those Quaker fellows," (said he, very seriously.) "You did perfectly right," replied I; "for they |