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 the impression I felt in his favour, on his saying that as he return'd to his lodgings about one or two o'clock in the morning, he often saw poor children asleep on thresholds and stalls, and that he used to put pennies I into their hands to buy them a breakfast.

And at the first interview which was at that lady's house to whom he address'd his galant [sic] letter 2 was, as I well remember, the flattering notice he took of a lady present, on her saying that she was inclined to estimate the morality of every person according as they liked or disliked Clarissa Harlowe. He was a great admirer of Richardson's works in general, but of Clarissa he always spoke with the highest enthusiastic praise. He used to say, that it was the first Book in the world for the knowledge it displays of the human Heart 3. Yet of the Author I never heard him speak with any degree of cordiality, but rather as if impress'd with some cause of resentment against him 4 ; and this has been imputed to something of jealousy, not to say envy, on account of Richardson's having engross'd the attentions and affectionate assiduities of several very in genious literary ladies, whom he used to call his addopted [sic] daughters, and for whom Dr. Johnson had conceived a paternal affection (particularly for two of them, Miss Carter 5 and Miss Mulso 6, now Mrs. Chapone), previous to their acquaintance with


 * 'Dr. Johnson's own expression.' to controvert his opinions; and that

Miss REYNOLDS. his desire of distinction was so great,

2 ' At the end of the second vol. of that he used to give large vails to the Dr. Johnson's Letters to Mrs.Thrale.' Speaker Onslow's servants, that they MISS REYNOLDS. 'The lady was might treat him with respect.' Life, Miss Cotterell.' Letters, i. 43. v. 395. See also ib. p. 396, n. i, and

3 ' Sir, there is more knowledge of ante, i. 273.

the heart in one letter of Richardson's 5 Miss Carter was only eight years

tha.nma.ll Tom Jones.' Life,\\. 174. See younger than Johnson, so that the

also ante, ii. 190, and Letters, i. 21. affection was scarcely paternal. For

4 At Edinburgh he said of Richard- her puddings and her Greek see son that * his perpetual study was ante, ii. 1 1.

to ward off petty inconveniences and 6 Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale :

procure petty pleasures ; that his * You make verses, and they are read

love of continual superiority was in publick, and I know nothing about

such, that he took care to be always them. This very crime, I think,

surrounded by women, who listened broke the link of amity between

to him implicitly, and did not venture Richardson and Miss M, after a

Richardson

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