i86 Anecdotes by Hannah More.
confounded in noise ; the gallant youth, at one in the morning, set us down at our lodgings. Memoirs, i. 66.
[From HANNAH MORE to her family.]
London, 1776.
At six, I begged leave to come home [from the Garricks], as I expected my petite assembled a little after seven. Mrs. Garrick offered me all her fine things, but, as I hate admixtures of finery and meanness, I refused every thing except a little cream, and a few sorts of cakes. They came at seven. The dramatis persona were, Mrs. Boscawen, Mrs. Garrick, and Miss Reynolds ; my beaux were Dr. Johnson, Dean Tucker x , and last, but not least in our love, David Garrick. You know that wherever Johnson is, the confinement to the tea-table is rather a durable situation ; and it was an hour and a half before I got my enlarge ment. However, my ears were opened, though my tongue was locked, and they all stayed till near eleven.
Garrick was the very soul of the company, and I never saw Johnson in such perfect good humour. Sally knows we have often heard that one can never properly enjoy the company of these two unless they are together 2 . There is great truth in this remark ; for after the Dean and Mrs. Boscawen (who were the only strangers) were withdrawn, and the rest stood up to go, Johnson and Garrick began a close encounter, telling old stories,
- e'en from their boyish days 3 ,' at Lichfield. We all stood round
them above an hour, laughing in defiance of every rule of de corum and Chesterfield 4 . I believe we should not have thought
1 Josiah Tucker, Dean of Glou- has a most shrewd and keen old face.'
cester, who had published Tracts Mme. D'Arblay's Diary, iv. 182. about the American Colonies, to 2 Boswell describes how one day
which Johnson had replied in Taxa- ' Garrick played round Johnson with
tion no Tyranny ( Works, vi. 259) a fond vivacity, taking hold of the
and Burke with great severity in his breasts of his coat, and, looking up
Speech on American Taxation. Burke in his face with a lively archness,
had said : ' This Dr. Tucker is al- complimented him on the good
ready a dean, and his earliest labours health which he seemed then to
in this vineyard will, I suppose, raise enjoy ; while the sage, shaking his
him to a bishopric.' Burke's Select head, beheld him with a gentle com-
Works, ed. E. J. Payne, i. 140. placency.' Life, ii. 82.
Miss Burney writing of him in 3 Othello, Act i. sc. 3, 1. 132.
1788 says, ' He is past eighty, and 4 Life, ii. 378, n. 2.
of
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