Page:Johnsonian Miscellanies I.djvu/357

 ��coldly, There, there, now we have had enough for one lecture, Dr. Johnson ; we will not be upon education any more till after dinner, if you please or some such speech x : but when there was nobody to restrain his dislikes, it was extremely difficult to find any body with whom he could converse, without living always on the verge of a quarrel, or of something too like a quarrel to be pleasing 2. I came into the room, for example, one evening, where he and a gentleman, whose abilities we all respect exceedingly, were sitting ; a lady who walked in two minutes before me had blown 'em both into a flame, by whisper ing something to Mr. S d, which he endeavoured to explain

away, so as not to affront the Doctor, whose suspicions were all alive. ' And have a care, Sir (said he), just as I came in ; the Old Lion will not bear to be tickled.' The other was pale with rage, the Lady wept at the confusion she had caused 3, and I could only say with Lady Macbeth,

Soh ! you've displac'd the mirth, broke the good meeting With most admir'd disorder 4.

Such accidents however occurred too often, and I was forced to take advantage of my lost lawsuit 5, and plead inability of

1 'I know no man (said Johnson) '"For Seward?" cried Sir Philip who is more master of his wife and [Clerk]; "did she cry for Seward?" family than Thrale. If he but holds ' " Seward," said Mrs. Thrale, " had up a finger he is obeyed.' Life, affronted Johnson, and then John- i. 494. He was, it seems, master son affronted Seward, and then the also of his guest, even when his S. S. cried."

guest was Johnson. ' SIR PHILIP. " But what did

2 See ante, p. 310, where she Seward do ? was he not melted ?" writes : ' I saw Mr. Johnson in none 'MRS. THRALE. " Not he ; he was but a tranquil uniform state, passing thinking only of his own affront and the evening of his life among friends taking fire at that." ' Mme. D'Ar- who loved, honoured, and admired blay's Diary, i. 227.

him.' 4 ' You have displaced ' &c. Mac-

3 Mr. S d was no doubt William beth, Act iii. sc. 5. ' Soh ! ' is Mrs. Seward (Life, iii. 123), and the lady Thrale's addition.

who wept was most probably Sophy 5 Mrs. Piozzi seems to have thought

Streat field, that her lost lawsuit was known

"Tin sure," said Mrs. Thrale, to all the world. What it was is " when she cried for Seward I never shown by the following entries. ' My saw her louk half so lovely." uncle's widow, Lady Salusbury, had

z 2 purse

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