Page:Johnsonian Miscellanies II.djvu/188

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

180 Anecdotes by Hannah More.

I expected r . He was no sooner gone, than the most amiable and obliging of women (Miss Reynolds.) ordered the coach, to take us to Dr. Johnson's very own house ; yes, Abyssinia's Johnson ! Dictionary Johnson ! Rambler's, Idler's, and Irene's Johnson ! Can you picture to yourselves the palpitation of our hearts as we approached his mansion. The conversation turned upon a new work of his, just going to the press, (the Tour to the Hebrides 2 ,) and his old friend Richardson 3 . Mrs. Williams, the blind poet 4 , who lives with him, was introduced to us. She is engaging in her manners ; her conversation lively and entertaining. Miss Reynolds told the doctor of all our rapturous exclamations on the road. He shook his scientific head at Hannah, and said, " She was a silly thing" When our visit was ended, he called for his hat, (as it rained) to attend us down a very long entry to our coach, and not Rasselas could have acquitted himself more en cavalier 5 . We are engaged with him at Sir Joshua's, Wednesday evening. What do you think of us ? I forgot to mention, that not finding Johnson in his little parlour when we came in, Hannah seated herself in his great chair, hoping to catch a little ray of his genius ; when he heard it, he laughed heartily, and told her it was a chair on which he never sat 6 . He said it reminded him of Boswell and himself when they stopt a night at the spot (as they imagined) where the Weird Sisters appeared to Macbeth : the idea so worked upon their enthusiasm, that it quite deprived them of rest : however they learnt, the next morning, to their mortification,

1 Miss Burney wrote of him ' sought after.' Ib. iii. 314. seventeen years later : 'The Bishop 4 She published in 1766 a volume is perfectly easy and unassuming, of Miscellanies. Most of her poems very communicative, and though not were corrected by Johnson. Ib. ii. very entertaining because too prolix, 25 ; ante, i. 403 ; ii. 172.

he is otherwise intelligent and of 5 He was living in Johnson's

good conversation.' Mme. D'Ar- Court as late as May, 1775, but by

blay's Diary, v. 256. March, 1776, had removed to Bolt

2 Johnson wrote on June 21, Court. Life, ii. 375, 427. For his 1774: 'Yesterday I put the first conducting Madame de BoufHers to sheets of the Journey to the Hebrides her coach and ' showing himself a to the press.' Life, ii. 278. man of gallantry,' see ib. ii. 405, and

3 The author of Clarissa one of post, p. 260.

the very few men whom Johnson 6 Life, iv. 232, n. I.

that

�� �