little justice as to attribute all his languors to affectation.

When Mrs. Thrale joined us, he told us he had just seen Dr. Jebb,-Sir Richard, I mean,'-and that he had advised him to marry.

"No," cried Mrs. Thrale, "that will do nothing for you; but if you should marry, I have a wife for you.

"Who?" cried he, "the S. S. ?"

"The S. S.-no ?-she's the last person for you, -her extreme softness, and tenderness, and weeping, would add languor to languor, and irritate all your disorders; 'twould be drink to a dropsical man."

"No, no,-it would soothe me.

"Not a whit! it would only fatigue you. The wife for you is Lady Anne Lindsay. She has birth, wit, and beauty, she has no fortune, and she'd readily accept you; and she is such a spirit that she'd animate you, I warrant you! Oh, she would trim you well! You'd be all alive presently. She'd take all the care of the money affairs,-and allow you out of them eighteenpence a week! That's the wife for you!"

3

66

Mr. Seward was no means agreeable" to the proposal; he turned the conversation upon the S. S., and gave us an account of two visits he had made her, and spoke in favour of her manner of living, temper, and character. When he had run on in this strain for some time, Mrs. Thrale cried,

66

Well, so you are grown very fond of her?" "Oh dear, no!" answered he drily, "not at all!"

1 See ante, p. 103.

2 Lady Anne Lindsay, 1750-1825, daughter of James Lindsay, fifth Earl of Balcarres. In 1771 she had written " Auld Robin Gray." She

married in 1793, becoming Lady Anne Barnard.

This in Sheridan's sense of "scold "-seems to have been a favourite

word at Streatham. See ante, p. 127.

66

"Why, I began to think," said Mrs. Thrale, you intended to supplant the parson."

"No, I don't: I don't know what sort of an old woman she'd make; the tears won't do then. Besides, I don't think her so sensible as I used to do."

"But she's very pleasing," cried I, "and very amiable."

"Yes, she's pleasing,-that's certain; but I don't think she reads much; the Greek has spoilt her. "Well, but you can read for yourself." "That's true; but does she work well?"

66

"I believe she does, and that's a better thing.' Ay, so it is," said he saucily, "for ladies; ladies should rather write than read."

"But authors," cried I, "before they write should read.”1

Returning again to the S. S., and being again rallied about her by Mrs. Thrale, who said she believed at last he would end there,-he said,

66

Why, if I must marry-if I was bid to choose between that and racking on the wheel, I believe I should go to her."

We all laughed at this exquisite compliment; but, as he said, it was a compliment, for though it proved no passion for her, it proved a preference. "However," he continued, "it won't do."

66

Upon my word," exclaimed I, "you settle it all your own way!-the lady would be ready at any rate!"

"Oh yes! any man might marry Sophy Streatfield."

I quite stopped to exclaim against him.

"I mean," said he, "if he'd pay his court to her." And now I cannot resist telling you of a dispute which Dr. Johnson had with Mrs. Thrale, the next morning, concerning me, which that sweet woman

1 See Editor's Introduction, p. 7.

Dr.

had the honesty and good sense to tell me. Johnson was talking to her and Sir Philip Jennings of the amazing progress made of late years in literature by the women. He said he was himself astonished at it, and told them he well remembered when a woman who could spell a common letter was regarded as all accomplished; but now they vied with the men in everything.1

"I think, sir," said my friend Sir Philip, "the young lady we have here is a very extraordinary proof of what you say.'

"So extraordinary, sir," answered he, "that I know none like her, nor do I believe there is, or there ever was, a man who could write such a book so young.'

They both stared-no wonder, I am sure—and Sir Philip said,

"What do you think of Pope, sir? could not Pope have written such a one?

"Nay, nay," cried Mrs. Thrale, "there is no need to talk of Pope; a book may be a clever book, and an extraordinary book, and yet not want a Pope for its author. I suppose he was no older than Miss Burney when he wrote Windsor Forest ;2 and I suppose Windsor Forest is equal to Evelina!"

66

2

"Windsor Forest," repeated Dr. Johnson, though so delightful a poem, by no means required the knowledge of life and manners, nor the accuracy of observation, nor the skill of penetration, necessary for composing such a work as Evelina: he who could ever write Windsor Forest, might as well write it young as old. Poetical abilities require

1 Compare Swift to Mrs. Pendarves, afterwards Mrs. Delany, January 29, 1736-"A woman of quality, who had excellent good sense, was formerly my correspondent, but she scrawled and spelt like a Wapping wench... and I know several others of very high quality with the same defect."

The first part of Windsor Forest was written in 1704; the remainder was not added until 1713, when the whole was published. In 1704 Pope was sixteen.

not age to mature them; but Evelina seems a work that should result from long experience, and deep and intimate knowledge of the world; yet it has been written without either. Miss Burney is a real wonder. What she is, she is intuitively. Dr. Burney told me she had had the fewest advantages of any of his daughters, from some peculiar circumstances. And such has been her timidity, that he himself had not any suspicion of her powers.

"Her modesty," said Mrs. Thrale (as she told me), "is really beyond bounds. It quite provokes me. And, in fact, I can never make out how the mind that could write that book could be ignorant of its value."

66

'That, madam, is another wonder," answered my dear, dear Dr. Johnson, "for modesty with her is neither pretence nor decorum; 'tis an ingredient of her nature; for she who could part with such a work for twenty pounds,' could know so little of its worth, or of her own, as to leave no possible doubt of her humility."

My kind Mrs. Thrale told me this with a pleasure that made me embrace her with gratitude; but the astonishment of Sir Philip Clerke at such an éloge from Dr. Johnson was quite, she says, comical.

1 Lowndes had apparently not yet paid the supplementary £10, which he gave her after the third edition (Memoirs of Dr. Burney, 1832, ii. 151).

PART VI

1779

Dr. Johnson-His brilliant conversation-His preference of men of the world to scholars-The late General Phipps-Dr. Johnson teaches Miss Burney Latin-Fatal effect of using cosmetics Mrs. Vesey and Anstey-English ladies taken by a French privateer-Letters-Miss Burney to Mr. Crisp -Miss Burney's comedy, The Witlings-Miss Burney to her father-The Witlings condemned by him and Mr. CrispShe determines not to bring it forward-Admired by Mrs. Thrale and Mr. Murphy - Miss Burney to Mr. CrispLamentations for her comedy-Mr. Crisp to Miss BurneyThe dangers of sincerity-Littleness and vanity of GarrickIdeas for another comedy-An eccentric family-Loss of the Grenadas-Dinner at Dr. Burney's-Mr. Crisp-Byron and D'Estaing-Diary resumed-Visit to Brighton-Mr. Chamier -A dandy of fifty years ago-A visit to Knowle Park— Description of the pictures and state apartments-Sevenoaks -Tunbridge Wells-A female oddity-The Pantiles-Mr. Wedderburn - A runaway match-Its miseries — Extraordinary child-Brighton-A character-A fascinating bookseller-Topham Beauclerk-Lady Di Beauclerk - Mrs. Musters-A mistake-Lady Pembroke-Scenes in a ballroom-How to put down impertinence-A provincial company-Dryden's Tempest-Cumberland-Singular anecdotes of him—His hatred of all contemporary authors-Scene with him and Mrs. Thrale in a ball-room-A singular character Table - talk - Mystification - A solemn coxcomb - Dr. Johnson-Sir Joshua Reynolds-Price of his portraitsArtists and actors-Garrick-Fifty pounds for a songLearned ladies-Married life-A lordly brute-Physicians and patients-Single-speech Hamilton-The humours of a newspaper-Odd names-A long story-Letter from Miss Burney to Mr. Crisp-Character and objects of her Journal. Streatham, July 5.—I have hardly had any power to write, my dear Susy, since I left you, for my