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 at his own success,' though the entreaties of Hannah and her mother induced him to persevere. Her eldest sister was sent to take lessons at a French school at Bristol, and communicated her knowledge to Hannah, who further improved herself by talking to some French officers living on parole in the neighbourhood. She began to scribble childish essays. About 1757 her eldest sister, who was not quite twenty-one, set up a boarding-school in Trinity Street, Bristol, in which she was joined by the other sisters. The school flourished so well that the sisters built a new house in Park Street after a few years, and another for their father at Stony Hill, Bristol. Hannah took lessons from masters at the school, and acquired Italian, Spanish, and Latin. She made various translations, which she afterwards destroyed, except one from Metastasio's 'Regulus,' which she published in 1774 as 'The Inflexible Captive.' It was acted in 1775 at Exeter and Bath. In 1762 she published a 'pastoral drama ' called 'The Search after Happiness,' intended to be learnt by heart by the schoolchildren instead of less edifying dramas. She saw such literary and scientific people as were to be found at Bristol, and during a visit to Weston-super-Mare, caused by ill-health, made friends with the poet John Langhorne [q.v.], who wrote letters and addressed verses to her. At Bristol she was on friendly terms with Dean Tucker and Sir James Stonehouse, a clergyman who had previously been a physician. When she was about twenty-two she received an offer of marriage from a Mr. Turner, who had a fine house at Belmont, six miles from Bristol. He was an accomplished and honourable man, but was twenty years her senior and had a queer temper. She accepted him, and the wedding-day was more than once fixed. When it arrived, however, Turner did not feel himself equal to the occasion, and kept on putting off the marriage for six years. Stonehouse was at last asked to intervene. The engagement was broken off, and as Miss More had given up her share in the school in view of the marriage, Turner wished to make compensation. He offered 200 ayear, which Miss More declined positively to accept. Stonehouse, however, agreed to become trustee for the fund without the lady's knowledge. She was afterwards induced to take the money. Turner continued to admire her, visited her at Cowslip Green, and left her 1,000l. She resolved never to listen to another offer, and, it is added, had an opportunity soon afterwards of showing that she adhered to her decision. In 1773 or 1774 Hannah More paid a visit to London with two of her sisters, Sarah and Martha (' Patty '). She had written a letter describing the effect produced upon her mind by Garrick's Lear. Her correspondent knew Garrick and showed him the letter. He met his admirer a week after her arrival in town. She soon became intimate with Garrick and his wife, and in 1776 spent some months with them at the Adelphi and Hampton. She had been introduced in 1774 to Burke and Reynolds, and at Reynolds's house first met Dr. Johnson. She was soon afterwards thrilled by seeing the great doctor in his own house. Miss More became one of his favourites, and at a meeting at Reynolds's house the two tried, according to Sarah More, which could 'pepper the highest' (, i. 54). The exchange of flattery became, indeed, too strong for Johnson's taste. It was to Hannah More that he remarked, according to Mrs. Piozzi's version (Anecdotes, p. 183), that she should 'consider what her flattery was worth before she choked him with it,' Boswell, on the authority of Malone, softens the phrase, which is also repeated by Mme. d'Arblay (Diary, i. 103). Johnson afterwards asked Miss Reynolds to advise Miss More to flatter him less (, Johnson, ed. Hill, iii. 293, iv. 341-2). The lady staying at Bath in April 1776 of whom Johnson said that she was 'empty-headed' was certainly not Hannah More, who was then in London with the Garricks. Johnson called Miss More 'little fool,' 'love,' and 'dearest,' (, i. 66), declared to Beattie that she was the most (powerful versificatrix in the English language' (, Seattle, 1824, p. 320), and said that 'there was no name in poetry that might not be glad to own her "Bas Bleu" ' (, i. 319). The flattery was certainly not one-sided.

The 'Bas Bleu' was circulated in manuscript in 1784, when Johnson saw it. It describes the 'blue-stocking clubs,' then popular among the literary ladies (, ed. Hill, iii. 109 ; and art. ). Hannah More had long been a popular member. She had been introduced by Garrick on their first acquaintance to Mrs. Montagu, 'the wisest where all are wise' (, i. 57). She knew the venerable Mrs. Delany, and the respectable Mrs. Carter, and the admirable Mrs. Chapone, and the excellent Mrs. Boscawen, and all the good ladies who read the 'Spectator,' the 'Rambler,' and admired Mrs. Montagu's triumph over Voltaire. She resolved to put her merits to a better test by publishing an original poem. 'Sir Eldred of the Bower' was accordingly published in 1776. Cadell offered her a good price, and said that he would make it up to whatever Goldsmith had received for 'The Deserted Village.' The