[27] See p. 148.
_Mrs Thrale_
From what we already know of Johnson, we do not picture him at his ease
in ladies' drawing-rooms. But he had violent fits of gallantry, as we
have just seen, and he told Boswell once that he considered himself a
"very polite man." He could, indeed, be as happy in a boudoir as in a
tavern, provided the dinner had been good and his hostess would allow
him to have his talk out.
"This year [1765] was distinguished by his being introduced into the
family of Mr Thrale, one of the most eminent brewers in England, and
Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark.... Mr Thrale had
married Miss Hesther Lynch Salusbury, of good Welsh extraction, a
lady of lively talents, improved by education.... Mr Murphy, who was
intimate with Mr Thrale, having spoken very highly of Dr Johnson, he
was requested to make them acquainted. This being mentioned to Johnson,
he accepted of an invitation to dinner at Thrale's, and was so much
pleased with his reception, both by Mr and Mrs Thrale, and they so
much pleased with him, that his invitations to their house were more
and more frequent, till at last he became one of the family, and an
apartment was appropriated to him, both in their house at Southwark,
and in their villa at Streatham. Johnson had a very sincere esteem
for Mr Thrale, as a man of excellent principles, a good scholar, well
skilled in trade, of a sound understanding, and of manners such as
presented the character of a plain independent English Squire.... 'I
know no man, (said he,) who is more master of his wife and family
than Thrale. If he but holds up a finger, he is obeyed. It is a great
mistake to suppose that she is above him in literary attainments. She
is more flippant; but he has ten times her learning: he is a regular
scholar; but her learning is that of a school-boy in one of the lower
forms.' ... Mr Thrale was tall, well proportioned, and stately. As for
_Madam_, or _my Mistress_, by which epithets Johnson used to mention
Mrs Thrale, she was short, plump, and brisk. She has herself given
us a lively view of the idea which Johnson had of her person, on her
appearing before him in a dark-coloured gown; 'You little creatures
should never wear those sort of clothes, however; they are unsuitable
in every way. What! have not all insects gay colours?' Mr Thrale gave
his wife a liberal indulgence, both in the choice of their company, and
in the mode of entertaining them. He understood and valued Johnson,
without remission, from their first acquaintance to the day of his
death. Mrs Thrale was enchanted with Johnson's conversation, for its
own sake, and had also a very allowable vanity in appearing to be
honoured with the attention of so celebrated a man. Nothing could
be more fortunate for Johnson than this connection. He had at Mr
Thrale's all the comforts and even luxuries of life; his melancholy
was diverted, and his irregular habits lessened by association with
an agreeable and well-ordered family. He was treated with the utmost
respect and even affection. The vivacity of Mrs Thrale's literary talk
roused him to cheerfulness and exertion, even when they were alone. But
this was not often the case; for he found here a constant succession of
what gave him the highest enjoyment: the society of the learned, the
witty, and the eminent in every way, who were assembled in numerous
companies, called forth his wonderful powers, and gratified him with
admiration, to which no man could be insensible."
[Illustration: MRS THRALE]
Such was the beginning of this friendship, as told by Boswell, who
was not introduced to the Thrale family for some years and could not
always conceal a little jealousy of this new intimacy of his hero. Mrs
Thrale has left us a book of _Anecdotes of Dr Johnson_, and, though
Boswell declares that they are not always accurate, we must quote a few
passages from them to shew how Johnson used to the full the "comforts
and even luxuries" of a well-furnished home. For he did not trouble to
adapt himself to the household; he made the household adapt itself to
him, "often sitting up as long as the fire and candles lasted, and much
longer than the patience of the servants subsisted."
"Dr Johnson" says Mrs Thrale "was always exceeding fond of chemistry;
and we made up a sort of laboratory at Streatham one summer, and
diverted ourselves with drawing essences and colouring liquors. But
the danger Mr Thrale found his friend in one day when I was driven to
London, and he had got the children and servants round him to see some
experiments performed, put an end to all our entertainment; so well
was the master of the house persuaded, that his short sight would have
been his destruction in a moment, by bringing him close to a fierce
and violent flame. Indeed it was a perpetual miracle that he did not
set himself on fire reading a-bed, as was his constant custom, when
exceedingly unable even to keep clear of mischief with our best help;
and accordingly the fore-top of all his wigs were burned by the candle
down to the very net-work. Mr Thrale's valet-de-chambre, for that
reason, kept one always in his own hands, with which he met him at
the parlour-door, when the bell had called him down to dinner, and as
he went up stairs to sleep in the afternoon, the same man constantly
followed him with another.... Mr Johnson's amusements were thus reduced
to the pleasures of conversation merely.... Conversation was all he
required to make him happy; and when he would have tea made at two
o'clock in the morning, it was only that there might be a certainty of
detaining his companions round him. On that principle it was that he
preferred winter to summer, when the heat of the weather gave people an
excuse to stroll about, and walk for pleasure in the shade, while he
wished to sit still on a chair, and chat day after day, till somebody
proposed a drive in the coach; and that was the most delicious moment
of his life. 'But the carriage must stop sometime (as he said), and the
people would come home at last'; so his pleasure was of short duration.
I asked him why he doated on a coach so? and received for answer,
'That in the first place, the company was shut in with him _there_;
and could not escape, as out of a room: in the next place he heard all
that was said in a carriage, where it was my turn to be deaf': and
very impatient was he at my occasional difficulty of hearing. On this
account he wished to travel all over the world; for the very act of
going forward was delightful to him, and he gave himself no concern
about accidents, which he said never happened."
Johnson travelled a great deal with the Thrales, visiting Bath, North
Wales, Brighton, and even France in their company[28]. Mr Thrale used
to persuade him to mount a horse, as well as ride in a coach:
"He certainly rode on Mr Thrale's old hunter with a good firmness, and
though he would follow the hounds fifty miles on end sometimes, would
never own himself either tired or amused. 'I have now learned (said
he) by hunting, to perceive, that it is no diversion at all, nor ever
takes a man out of himself for a moment.' ... He was, however, proud to
be amongst the sportsmen; and I think no praise ever went so close to
his heart, as when Mr Hamilton called out one day upon Brighthelmstone
Downs, 'Why Johnson rides as well, for aught I see, as the most
illiterate fellow in England.'"
Having settled in her house as one of the family, Johnson did not
hesitate to give Mrs Thrale fatherly advice on such domestic subjects
as dress, food, and children.
"I advised Mrs Thrale," he told Boswell "who has no card-parties at her
house, to give sweetmeats, and such good things, in an evening, as are
not commonly given, and she would find company enough come to her; for
everybody loves to have things which please the palate put in their
way, without trouble or preparation."
"Johnson's own notions about eating" says Mrs Thrale "were nothing less
than delicate; a leg of pork boiled till it dropped from the bone, a
veal-pye with plums and sugar, or the outside cut of a salt buttock of
beef, were his favourite dainties."
[Illustration: MRS THRALE'S BREAKFAST-TABLE]
Johnson expressed strong views to Mrs Thrale about children's books:
"'Babies do not want (said he) to hear about babies; they like to be
told of giants and castles, and of somewhat which can stretch and
stimulate their little minds.' When in answer I would urge the numerous
editions and quick sale of _Tommy Prudent_ or _Goody Two Shoes_,
'Remember always (said he) that the parents _buy_ the books, and that
the children never read them.'"
When he suspected her of insincerity, Johnson was as blunt with his
hostess as with any of his friends at the club:
"Mrs Thrale, while supping very heartily upon larks, laid down her
knife and fork, and abruptly exclaimed, 'O, my dear Mr Johnson, do you
know what has happened? The last letters from abroad have brought us an
account that our poor cousin's head was taken off by a cannon-ball.'
Johnson, who was shocked both at the fact, and her light unfeeling
manner of mentioning it, replied 'Madam, it would give _you_ very
little concern if all your relations were spitted like those larks, and
drest for Presto's[29] supper.'"
At another dinner-party on Sunday, April 1, 1781, when Boswell was
present,
"Mrs Thrale gave high praise to Mr Dudley Long, (now North). JOHNSON.
'Nay, my dear lady, don't talk so. Mr Long's character is very
_short_[30]. It is nothing. He fills a chair. He is a man of genteel
appearance, and that is all. I know nobody who blasts by praise as you
do: for whenever there is exaggerated praise, every body is set against
a character.... By the same principle, your malice defeats itself; for
your censure is too violent. And yet (looking to her with a leering
smile) she is the first woman in the world, could she but restrain that
wicked tongue of hers;--she would be the only woman, could she but
command that little whirligig.'"
Shortly after this party Mr Thrale died, having made Johnson one of the
executors of his will.
"I could not but be somewhat diverted" says Boswell "by hearing Johnson
talk in a pompous manner of his new office, and particularly of the
concerns of the brewery, which it was at last resolved should be
sold.... When the sale ... was going forward, Johnson appeared bustling
about, with an ink-horn and pen in his button-hole, like an excise-man;
and on being asked what he really considered to be the value of the
property which was to be disposed of, answered, 'We are not here to
sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing
rich, beyond the dreams of avarice[31].'"
"The death of Mr Thrale ... made a very material alteration with
respect to Johnson's reception in that family. The manly authority
of the husband no longer curbed the lively exuberance of the lady;
and as her vanity had been fully gratified, by having the Colossus of
Literature attached to her for many years, she gradually became less
assiduous to please him."
Johnson, however, continued to spend much of his time with Mrs Thrale
both in London and Brighton.
But near the end of Johnson's life there came the final blow to the
friendship:
"Dr Johnson had the mortification of being informed by Mrs Thrale,
that, 'what she supposed he never believed,' was true; namely, that she
was actually going to marry Signor Piozzi, an Italian musick-master. He
endeavoured to prevent it; but in vain."
Though he wrote rather bitterly of the marriage to his friends, Johnson
was generous in his farewell letter to Mrs Thrale:
"What you have done, however I may lament it, I have no pretence to
resent, as it has not been injurious to me. I therefore breathe out
one sigh more of tenderness, perhaps useless, but at least sincere....
Whatever I can contribute to your happiness I am very ready to repay,
for that kindness which soothed twenty years of a life radically
wretched."