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 Pray tell Sir Joshua that I have examined Mr. Thrale's Man 1, and find no foundation for the story of the Alehouse and mulled Beer. He was at the play two nights before, with one of the chief men in the Brewhouse, and came home at the regular time. This, I believe, is true, for Mrs. Thrale told me that she had sent him to his friend Murphy's play 2 , and if there had been [anything] to be told, I should then have heard it.

We are going to Bath this morning, but I could not part without telling you the real state of your visit. I am, dearest Madam,

Your most humble Servant,

SAM. JOHNSON.

Apr. 15, 1776.

��TO MISS REYNOLDS 3.

MY DEAREST DEAR,

When I am grown better, which is, I hope, at no great distance, for I mend gradually, we will make a little time to ourselves, and look over your dear little production, and try

1 Samuel Greaves, who after Mr. 279 n. In his letter to her of April 8, Thrale's death kept the Essex Head, 1782, as printed in the Letters, ii. where Johnson's last club met. Life, 249, from Croker's Boswell, is the iv. 253 ; ante, i. no n. following passage :

2 Murphy's Three Weeks after * Your system of the mental fabric Marriage, which under the title of is exceedingly obscure, and without What -we must all come to had been more attention than will be willingly hissed off the stage in 1764, was re- bestowed is unintelligible. The plans vived on March 30, 1776, and was of Burnaby will be more safely under- successful. Diet. Nat. Biog. stood, and are often charming. I

3 From a copy of the original in the was delighted with the different possession of Lady Colomb. bounty of different ages/

Mr. Johnson was recovering from In the copy of the original sent

the gout. On June 3 he wrote : me by Lady Colomb the last para-

' I receive ladies and dismiss them graph runs : ' The Ideas of Beauty

sitting. Painful pre-eminence' Let- will be more easily understood, and

ters, \. 403. are often charming. I am delighted

He more than once corrected Miss with the different beauty of different

Keynolds's productions. Ante, ii. ages.'

VOL. II. G g to

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