Page:Johnsonian Miscellanies II.djvu/199

 Adplphi, 1780.

The other evening they carried me to Mrs. Ord's assembly x ; I was quite dressed for the purpose. Mrs. Garrick gave me an elegant cap, and put it on herself; so that I was quite sure of being smart : but how short-lived is all human joy ! and see what it is to live in the country ! When I came into the draw ing-rooms, I found thern full of company, every human creature in deep mourning, and I, poor I, all gorgeous in scarlet. I never recollected that the mourning for some foreign Wilhelmina Jaquelina was not over. However I got over it as well as I could, made an apology, lamented the ignorance in which I had lately lived, and I hope this false step of mine will be buried in oblivion. There was all the old set, the Johnsons, the Burneys, the Chapones 2, the Thrales, the Smelts 3 , the Pepyses 4 , the Ramsays 5, and so on ad infinitum. Even Jacobite Johh'son 6 was in deep mourning. Memoir s> i. 170.

London, 1780.

I was, the other night, at Mrs. Ord's. Every body was there, and in such a crowd I thought myself well off to be wedged in

twaddle) is better than Fielding, I am the high appellation of the King's

quite certain. There is nothing at all friend.' This appellation is to be dis-

comparable to Lovelace in all Field- tinguished from that of the Court

ing, whose characters are common faction 'the King's friends.' Life,

and vulgar types of squires, ostlers, iv. 165, n. 3.

lady's maids, &c., very easily drawn, 4 Ante, i. 244.

. . . Think of' Clarissa being one of IVtr. Pepys, advising Hannah More

Alfred de Musset's favourite books. to choose interesting subjects for her

It reminded me of our Tennyson letters, as they might hereafter be

... of his once saying to me of published, continues : ' Why don't

Clarissa, "I love those large still you wear your ring, my dear ?' says

books." ' Letters of Edward Fitz- a father, in some play, to his daughter.

gerald, ii. 131, 243. ( Because, papa, it hurts me when

1 Johnson mentions going to Mrs. anybody squeezes my hand.' ' What Ord's in April, 1780. Letters, ii. 146, business have you to have your hand X 49- squeezed?' 'Certainly not; but

2 The ' admirable ' Mrs. Chapone. still you know, papa, one would like Life, iv. 246 ; Letters, ii. 141. to keep it in squeezable order' Me-

3 Ib. ii. 149, n. 4. 'Mr. Smelt,' moirs, iii. 380. writes H. More (Memoirs, i. 274*, 5 Life, iii. 331.

'was preceptor to the Prince of Wales, 6 For Johnson's 'affectation of and as he would receive no settled Jacobitism ' see ib. i. 429. appointment he is distinguished by

with

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