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 ��Prayers and Meditations.

��I was away been in bed. Letters from Langton and Boswel. I promised Lowe z six guineas. Corrected proofs for Shaw.

24. Sunday. I rose not early. Visitors Allen 2, Davies 3 , Windham 4, Dr. Horseley 5. Palfry, 2s. 6d. Dinner at Strahan's. Came home and chatted with Williams 6, and read Romans ix. in Greek.

To-morrow begin again to read the Bible put rooms in order ; copy Lowe's Letter.

25. M. I had from Strahan 78. At night of the Bible I read up. and something more in 55'.

26. Tu. I copied Lowe's Letter. Then wrote to Mrs. Thrale 7. Cox visited me. I sent home Dr. Laurence's papers with notes. I gave Desmoulins a guinea, and found her a gown.

27. W. At Harley-street 8. bad nights in the evening Dr. Bromfield 9 and his Family. Merlin's steelyard I0 given me.

28. Th. I came home. Sold Rymer for Davies : wrote to Boswel ". Visitor Dr. Percy I2 . Mr. Crofts. I have in ten days written to Aston, Lucy, Hector, Langton, Boswel ; perhaps to all by whom my Letters are desired.

The Weather, which now begins to be warm gives me great help. I have hardly been at Church this year, certainly not since the 15 of Jan. My Cough and difficulty of Breath would not permit it.

This is the day on which in 1752 dear Tetty died. I have

��1 Life, \v. 202 ; Letters, ii. 66, 274. 8 Ante, p. 100.

3 Thomas Davies the bookseller.

4 Right Hon. William Windham. Life, iv. 407 ; Letters, ii. 439.

5 Afterwards Bishop, first of St. David's, and next of Rochester. He was a member of Johnson's Essex Head Club. Life, iv. 254, 437. Gib bon (Misc. Works, i. 232) celebrates his 'mighty spear.' According to Jeremy Bentham ' he was a man of free conversation ; he was proud and insolent ... His discourse was such as none but an unbeliever could use. Wilberforce knew his character ; he had a perfect abhorrence of him, and

��I have heard him call him "a dirty rascal" and "a dirty scoundrel.'" Bentham's Works, x. 41.

6 Miss Williams. Post, p. 114.

7 This letter has not been published.

8 Mrs. Thrale had taken a house in this street for three months of this year. Hay ward's Piozzi, 2nd ed., i. 165.

9 Letters, i. 178, n. 6.

10 Mention is made of ' Mr. Merlin, the very ingenious mechanic' in the Early Diary of Frances Burney, ii. 58, 300. See also Mme. D'Arblay's Diary, ii. 6, 52.

" Life, iv. 148.

12 Editor of the Reliques.

now

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