Dean did not value himself on elegance of style.1 He said he knew nobody whose style was more perspicuous, manly, and vigorous, or better suited to his subject. I was not a little pleased with this tribute to the worthy Dean's merit, from such a judge of merit; that man, too, professedly differing from him in opinion.

Adelphi, 1776.

Did I tell you we had a very agreeable day at Mrs. Boscawen's? I like Mr. Berenger 2 prodigiously. I met the Bunbury family at Sir Joshua's. Mr. Boswell (Corsican Boswell) was here last night; he is a very agreeable good-natured man; he perfectly adores Johnson; they have this day set out together for Oxford, Lichfield, &c. that the Doctor may take leave of all his old friends and acquaintances, previous to his great expedition across the Alps. I lament his undertaking such a journey at his time of life, with beginning infirmities; I hope he will not leave his bones on classic ground.

MRS. HANNAH MORE TO HER SISTER (p. 168).

London, 1780.

I spent a very comfortable day yesterday with Miss Reynolds; only Dr. Johnson, and Mrs. Williams and myself. He is in but poor health, but his mind has lost nothing of its vigour. He never opens his mouth but one learns something; one is sure either of hearing a new idea, or an old one expressed in an original manner. We did not part till eleven. He scolded me heartily, as usual, when I differed from him in opinion, and, as usual, laughed when I flattered him. I was very bold in combatting some of his darling prejudices: nay, I ventured to defend one or two of the Puritans,

1 Hannah More having once asked the Dean, Whether it might not be advisable to polish his style rather more? "Oh, no," he replied, "they don't expect a fine style from me. All that I care for are the authenticity of my facts, and the truth of my principles." He never failed to communicate his political pamphlets to her; and when she represented to him that such subjects were out of the reach of her comprehension, he would answer, "Pish! no such thing! common sense will ever appeal to common sense."

2 Richard Berenger, Esq., many years Gentleman of the Horse and Equerry to his late Majesty. He wrote a history of Horsemanship.

whom I forced him to allow to be good men, and good writers. He said he was not angry with me at all for liking Baxter. He liked him himself; "but then," said he, "Baxter was bred up in the establishment, and would have died in it, if he could have got the living of Kidderminister. He was a very good man." Here he was wrong; for Baxter was offered a bishoprick after the

I never saw Johnson really angry with me but once; and his displeasure did him so much honour that I loved him the better for it. I alluded rather flippantly, I fear, to some witty passage in "Tom Jones: he replied, "I am shocked to hear you quote from so vicious a book. I am sorry to hear you have read it: a confession which no modest lady should ever make. I scarcely know a more corrupt work." I thanked him for his correction; assured him I thought full as ill of it now as he did, and had only read it at an age when I was more subject to be caught by the wit, than able to discern the mischief. Of" Joseph Andrews " I declared my decided abhorrence. He went so far as to refuse to Fielding the great talents which are ascribed to him, and broke out in a noble panegyric on his competitor, Richardson; who, he said, was as superior to him in talents as in virtue; and whom he pronounced to be the greatest genius that had shed its lustre on this path of literature.

Instead of going to Audley Street, where I was invited, I went to Mrs. Reynolds, and sat for my picture. Just as she began to paint, in came Dr. Johnson, who staid the whole time, and said good things by way of making me look well. I did not forget to ask him for a page for your memorandum book,1 and he promised to write, but said you ought to be contented with a quotation; this however, I told him you would not accept.

MRS. HANNAH MORE TO HER SISTER (p. 212).

London, 1781. We begin now to be a little cheerful at home, and to have our small parties. One such we have just had, and the day and

A collection of autographs of eminent persons which her sister was making at that time.

evening turned out very pleasant. Johnson was in full song, and I quarrelled with him sadly. I accused him of not having done justice to the "Allegro," and "Penseroso." He spoke disparagingly of both. I praised Lycidas, which he absolutely abused, adding, "if Milton had not written the 'Paradise Lost,' he would have only ranked among the minor poets: he was a Phidias that could cut a Colossus out of a rock, but could not cut heads out of cherry stones." 1

Boswell brought to my mind the whole of a very mirthful conversation at dear Mrs. Garrick's, and my being made by Sir William Forbes, the umpire in a trial of skill between Garrick and Boswell, which could most nearly imitate Dr. Johnson's I remember I gave it for Boswell in familiar conversation, and for Garrick in reciting poetry.

manner.

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MRS. HANNAH MORE TO HER SISTER (p. 249).

London, 1782.

Poor Johnson is in a bad state of health; I fear his constitution is broken up: I am quite grieved at it, he will not leave an abler defender of religion and virtue behind him, and the following little touch of tenderness which I heard of him last night from one of the Turk's Head Club, endears him to me exceedingly. There are always a great many candidates ready, when any vacancy happens in that club, and it requires no small interest and reputation to get elected; but upon Garrick's death, when numberless applications were made to succeed him, Johnson was deaf to them all; he said, No, there never could be found any successor worthy of such a man; and he insisted upon it there should be a year's widowhood in the club, before they thought of a new election. In Dr. Johnson some contrarieties very harmoniously meet; if he has too little charity for the opinions of others, and too little patience with their faults, he has the greatest tenderness for their persons. He told me the other day, he hated

1 This has probably been recorded in his Life, but is given here as being written on the day on which, and by the person to whom, it was said.

to hear people whine about metaphysical distresses, when there was so much want and hunger in the world. I told him I supposed then he never wept at any tragedy but " Jane Shore," who had died for want of a loaf. He called me a saucy girl, but did not deny the inference.

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I dined very pleasantly one day last week at the Bishop of Chester's. Johnson was there, and the Bishop was very desirous to draw him out, as he wished to show him off to some of the company who had never seen him. He begged me to sit next him at dinner, and to devote myself to making him talk. To this end, I consented to talk more than became me, and our stratagem succeeded. You would have enjoyed seeing him take me by the hand in the middle of dinner, and repeat with no small enthusiasm, many passages from the "Fair Penitent," &c. I urged him to take a little wine, he replied, “I can't drink a little child, therefore I never touch it. Abstinence is as easy to me, as temperance would be difficult." He was very good-humoured and gay. One of the company happened to say a word about poetry, "Hush, hush," said he, "it is dangerous to say a word of poetry before her; it is talking of the art of war before Hannibal." He continued his jokes, and lamented that I had not married Chatterton, that posterity might have seen a propagation of poets.

MRS. HANNAH MORE TO HER SISTER (p. 261). Oxford, June 13, 1782.

Who do you think is my principal Cicerone at Oxford? Only Dr. Johnson! and we do so gallant it about! You cannot imagine with what delight he showed me every part of his own College (Pembroke) nor how rejoiced Henderson looked, to make one in the party. Dr. Adams, the Master of Pembroke, had contrived a very pretty piece of gallantry. We spent the day and evening at his house. After dinner Johnson begged to conduct me to see the College, he would let no one show it me but himself" This was my room; this Shenstone's." Then after pointing out all the rooms of the poets who had been of his college, "In short," said he, we were a nest of singing-birds "—" Here we walked, there we played at cricket." He ran over with

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pleasure the history of the juvenile days he passed there. When we came into the common room, we spied a fine large print of Johnson, framed and hung up that very morning, with this motto: "And is not Johnson ours, himself a host." Under which stared you in the face, "From Miss More's Sensibility." This little incident amused us ;—but alas! Johnson looks very ill indeed— spiritless and wan. However, he made an effort to be cheerful, and I exerted myself much to make him so.

MRS. HANNAH MORE TO HER SISTER (p. 278).

London, March 29, 1783.

Saturday I went to Mrs. Reynolds's to meet Sir Joshua and Dr. Johnson; the latter is vastly recovered. Our conversation ran very much upon religious opinions, chiefly those of the Roman Catholics. He took the part of the Jesuits, and I declared myself a Jansenist. He was very angry because I quoted Boileau's bon mot upon the Jesuits, that they had lengthened the creed and shortened the decalogue; but I continued sturdily to vindicate my old friends of the Port Royal.

Saturday we had a dinner at home, Mrs. Carter, Miss Hamilton, the Kennicotts, and Dr. Johnson. Poor Johnson exerted himself exceedingly; but he was very ill and looked so dreadfully, that it quite grieved me. He is more mild and complacent than he used to be. His sickness seems to have softened his mind, without having at all weakened it. I was struck with the mild radiance of this setting sun. We had but a small party of such of his friends as we knew would be most agreeable to him, and as we were all very attentive, and paid him the homage he both expects and deserves, he was very communicative, and of course instructive and delightful in the highest degree.

MRS. HANNAH MORE TO HER SISTER (p. 319).

April, 1784. Did I tell you I went to see Dr. Johnson? Miss Monckton carried me, and we paid him a very long visit. He received me