THE

OF

I PASSED many hours with him on the 17th, [May], of which I find all my memorial is, "much laughing." It should seem he had that day been in a humour for jocularity and merriment, and upon such occasions I never knew a man laugh more heartily. We may suppose that the high relish of a state so different from his habitual gloom produced more than ordinary exertions of that distinguishing faculty of man, which has puzzled philosophers so much to explain. Johnson's laugh was as remarkable as any circumstance in his manner. It was a kind of good-humoured growl. Tom Davies described it drolly enough: "He laughs like a rhinoceros."

"DEAR SIR,-I make no doubt but you are now safely lodged in your own habitation, and have told all your adventures to Mrs. Boswell and Miss Veronica. Pray teach Veronica to love me. Bid her not mind mamma.

"Mrs. Thrale has taken cold, and been very much disordered, but I hope is grown Mr. Langton went yesterday to well. Lincolnshire, and has invited Nicolaida 5 to follow him. Beauclerk talks of going to Bath. I am to set out on Monday; so there is nothing but dispersion.

66

"I have returned Lord Hailes's entertaining sheets, but must stay till I come back for more, because it will be inconvenient to send them after me in my vagrant state.

"I promised Mrs. Macaulays that I

2 [Probably "Chandler's Travels in Asia Minor."—ED.]

3 [Probably "Travels through Spain and Portugal in 1772 and 1775, by Richard Twiss, Esq.” —Ep.]

[Probably "Cursory Remarks made in a Tour through some of the Northern Parts of Europe, by Nathaniel Wraxall, jun."--ED.]

5 A learned Greek.-BOSWELL. [Mr. Langton was an enthusiast about Greek.-ED.]

6 Wife of the Reverend Mr. Kenneth Macaulay, author of "The History of St. Kilda.”— BOSWELL.

will do the same at [Lewes]. Do not make them speeches. Unusual compliments, to which there is no stated and prescriptive answer, embarrass the feeble who do not know what to say, and disgust the wise, who, knowing them to be false, suspect them to be hypocritical. * * * * * ** * You never told me, and I omitted to inquire, how you were entertained by Boswell's Journal. One would think the man had been hired to be a spy upon me; he was very diligent, and caught opportunities of writing from time to time. You may now conceive yourself tolerably well acquainted with the expedition. Folks want me to go to Italy, but I say you are not for it."

"Lichfield is full of box-clubs. The ladies have one for their own sex. They have incorporated themselves under the appellation of the Amicable Society; and pay each twopence a week to the box. Any woman who can produce the weekly twopence is admitted to the society; and when any of the poor subscribers is in want, she has six shillings a week; and, I think, when she dies five pounds are given to her children. Lucy is not one, nor Mrs. Cobb. The subscribers are always quarrelling; and every now and then, a lady, in a fume, withdraws her name; but they are an hundred pounds beforehand.

"Mr. Green has got a cast of Shakspeare, which he holds to be a very exact resemblance.

"There is great lamentation here for the death of Col. Lucy is of opinion that he was wonderfully handsome.

"Boswell is a favourite, but he has lost ground since I told them that he is married, and all hope is over."]

passion, but never have I known or experienced the reality of those virtues, till this joyful morning, when I received the honour of your most tender and affectionate letter with its most welcome contents. Madam, I may with truth say, I have not words to express my gratitude as I ought to a lady, whose bounty has, by an act of benevolence, doubled my income, and whose tender, compassionate assurance has removed the future anxiety of trusting to chance, the terror of which only could have prompted me to stand a public candidate for Mr. Hetherington's bounty. May my sincere and grateful thanks be accepted by you, and may the Author of all good bless and long continue a life, whose shining virtues are so conspicuous and exemplary, is the most ardent prayer of her who is, with the greatest obliged, and obedient humble servant, respect, madam, your most devoted, truly “ANNA WILLIAMS."]

[The following letter, addressed to ED. Dr. Johnson, though it does not belong to his personal history, describes a scene o public amusement, and affords some details concerning the habits of society, which may amuse the reader, and in a work of this nature will hardly be considered as misplaced.]

["MRS. THRALE TO DR. JOHNSON.

"24th June, 1775.

Lett.

v. i. p.

247.

"Now for the regatta, of which, Baretti says, the first notion was taken from Venice, where the gondoliers practise rowing against each other perpetually; and I dare say 'tis good diversion where the weather invites, and the water seduces to such entertainments. Here, however, it was not likely to answer; and I think nobody was pleased.

"Well! Croesus promised a reward, you remember, for him who should produce a new delight; but the prize was never obtained, for nothing that was new proved delightful; and Dr. Goldsmith, three thousand years afterwards, found out that whoever did a new thing did a bad thing, and whoever said a new thing said a false thing. So yestermorning, a flag flying from some conspicuous steeple in Westminster gave notice of the approaching festival, and at noon the managers determined to hold it on that day. In about two hours the wind rose very high, and the river was exceedingly rough; but the lot was cast, and the ladies went on with their dresses. It had been agreed that all should wear white; but the ornaments were left to our own choice. I was afraid of not being fine enough; so 1 trimmed my white lutestring with silver gauze, and wore black riband intermixed. We had obtained more tickets than I hoped for, though Sir Thomas Robinson 1 gave us [Ante, v. i. p. 173.-ED.]