the man we looked at at Piozzi's benefit; for it required a painful attention to hear him. And while he sings, he looks the gentlest of all dying Corydons!

Ŏh, what must he have thought of Mrs. Bowdler, who, when he was trying to recollect an air from the Hermit, called out,

"Pray, Mr. Jerningham, can't you sing us some of your own poetry?"

I really feared he would have fainted away at so gross a question; but, to my great relief, I observed he only looked down and smiled.

Wednesday.—At the desire of Miss F. Bowdler, we all went to the play, to see an actress she is dotingly fond of, Mrs. Siddons, in "Belvidera";1 but instead of falling in love with her, we fell in love with Mr. Lee, who played "Pierre "and so well! I did not believe such an actor existed now our dear Garrick is gone; a better, except Garrick, never did I see-nor any one nearly equal to him -for sense, animation, looks, voice, grace-Oh, for everything the part would admit-he is indeed delightful.

Augusta Byron and Miss Gregory were of our party. They are both so much my friends, that they made me divide the evening between them.

In the evening we had Mrs. L, a fat, round, panting, short-breathed old widow; and her daughter, a fubsy, good-humoured, laughing, silly, merry old maid. They are rich folks, and live together very comfortably, and the daughter sings -not in your fine Italian taste! no, that she and her mother agree to hold very cheap-but all about

1 Belvidera is the heroine of Otway's Venice Preserved, 1682. It was one of Mrs. Siddons's earliest characters.

2 Lee of Bath, d. 1781, aged fifty-six. He was "extremely admired"— says the Bath Chronicle of February 21, 1781-" for the propriety, force, and justness of his delivery” (Penley's Bath Stage, 1892, p. 47).

Daphne, and Chloe, and Damon, and Phillis, and Jockey!

Friday. In the morning, to my great concern, Lord Mulgrave called to take leave. He takes away with him more wit than he leaves behind him in all Bath, except what is lodged with Mrs. Thrale. As to Mrs. Montagu, she reasons well, and harangues well, but wit she has none. Mrs. Thrale has almost too much; for when she is in spirits, it bursts forth in a torrent almost overwhelming. Ah! 'tis a fault she has as much to herself as her virtues!

Mrs. Cholmley was so kind as to call this morning, and as I happened to be alone, we had a very comfortable chat together, and then Mrs. Thrale came in, and I had the pleasure of introducing them to each other. She is a woman of as much real delicacy as Mr. Jerningham (whom Lord Mulgrave calls a pink-and-white poet-for not only his cheeks, but his coat is pink) is a man of affected delicacy.

In the evening we went to visit Mrs. K———.

Mrs. K is a Welsh lady, of immense fortune, who has a house in the Crescent, and lives in a most magnificent style. She is about fifty, very good-humoured, well-bred, and civil, and her waist does not measure above a hogshead. She is not very deep, I must own; but what of that? If all were wits, where would be the admirers at them?

She received me very graciously, having particularly desired Mrs. Thrale to bring me: for she is an invalid, and makes no visits herself. She told me she knew my uncle at Shrewsbury very well.

"And pray, ma'am," says she, "how does Dr. Burney do?"

"Very well," I thanked her.

"Do you know Dr. Burney, ma'am?" said Mr. Thrale.

"No, sir, but I know his book. I think it's vastly pretty."

"Why, yes, ma'am," said Mrs. Thrale, "Dr. Burney has found out the art of making all people like both him and his book."

It is comical enough to see how she is always provoked at hearing these underlings praise him. She is ready to kill them for liking him, and has a whimsical notion that their applause degrades him. "Yes, ma'am," answered Mrs. Kthere is somebody else too that has made all people like her book."

"and

"True, ma'am; Dr. Burney's daughter inherits that art from him."

"Oh, ma'am, I was so entertained! Oh, dear! and I was quite ill too, ma'am, quite ill when I read it. But for all that-why, why, ma'am, I was as eager, and I wanted sadly to see the author."

Soon after this, arrived Mrs. Montagu and Miss Gregory. Miss Gregory brought a chair next to mine, and filled up the rest of my evening. I am really half sorry she appeared to such disadvantage that evening we saw her together at Mrs. Ord's, for I now begin to like her very much. She is frank, open, shrewd, and sensible, and speaks her opinion both of matters and things with a plumpness of honesty and readiness that both pleases and diverts me. And though she now makes it a rule to be my neighbour wherever we meet, she has never made me even a hint of a compliment; and that is not nothing as times go.

Afterwards, who should be announced but the author of the Bath Guide, Mr. Anstey.1 I was

1 Christopher Anstey, 1724-1805. His New Bath Guide; or, Memoirs of the B-r-d Family, had been published in 1766. From 1770 to 1805 he lived at Bath (No. 5 Royal Crescent). He is buried in Walcot Church; and has an honorary monument in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey. 2 A

VOL. I

now all eye; but not being able to be all ear, I heard but little that he said, and that little was scarce worth hearing. He had no opportunity of shining, and was as much like another man as you can imagine. It is very unfair to expect wonders from a man all at once; yet it was impossible to help being disappointed, because his air, look, and manner are mighty heavy and unfavourable to him.

But here see the pride of riches! and see whom the simple Mrs. K can draw to her house! However, her party was not thrown away upon her, as I ought to say, because highly honoured by her exultingly whispering to Mrs. Thrale,

"Now, ma'am, now, Mrs. Thrale, I'm quite happy; for I'm surrounded with people of sense! Here's Mrs. Montagu, and Mrs. Thrale, and Mr. Anstey, and Miss Burney. I'm quite surrounded, as I may say, by people of sense!

PART VIII

1780

Dr. Harrington-Chatterton-Bishop Porteus-A dull evening -A busy day-Mrs. Dobson-A MS. tragedy-A long story about nothing-An evening party-Pliny MelmothA comical day-A fine lady-A disappointed gentleman-A grand-daughter of Richardson-Bath diary resumed-Dr. Johnson His fondness for Miss Burney - Sir Thomas Lawrence's family- Anstey-Bishop of Peterborough -A bishop's lady-The Duchess of Devonshire-Lady Spencer-Lord Mulgrave-Sea captains-Younger brothers -A mistake-Bath gossips-Anecdotes of Abyssinian Bruce -The Bowdler family-Table-talk-Admiral Byron-Mrs. Cholmley-An evening party-Anstey-Lady Miller-An agreeable rattle-A private concert-An accident-Lord Althorpe-A Bath beau-Lord Huntingdon-Lord Mulgrave-The Bishop of Peterborough-Mrs. Elizabeth Carter Ferry's folly-A singular collation-An evening partyA public breakfast-A singular character-A female misanthrope-The results of Hume's Essays-Love and suicide -Beattie versus Bolingbroke-The Belvidere-Anecdote of Lord Mulgrave-A Bath ball-Love-making-Chit-chatBlue-stockings-Flirtation-A good match-Mrs. Thrale— Match-making-The dangers of levity.

Saturday. In the morning my ever kind Mrs. T. accompanied me to the Belvidere, to call upon Mrs. and Miss Leigh, and to invite the latter to our house in the evening, to meet the Bowdlers. Mrs. Leigh herself cannot make any visits, because she has dreadfully sprained her ankle, and is obliged to wear a large shoe and flannel. She is a very