Streatham, Sunday, Aug. 23--I know not how to express the fullness of my
contentment at this sweet place. All my best expectations are exceeded,
and you know they were not very moderate. If, when my dear father comes,
Susan and Mr. Crisp were to come too, I believe it would require at
least a day's pondering to enable me to form another wish.
Our journey was charming. The kind Mrs. Thrale would give courage to the
most timid. She did not ask me questions, or catechise me upon what I
knew, or use any means to draw me out, but made it her business to draw
herself out, that is, to start subjects, to support them herself, and to
take all the weight of the conversation, as if it behoved her to find
me entertainment. But I am so much in love with her, that I shall be
obliged to run away from the subject, or shall write of nothing else.
When we arrived here, Mrs. Thrale showed me my room, which is an
exceedingly pleasant one, and then conducted me to the library, there to
divert myself while she dressed.
Miss Thrale soon joined me: and I begin to like her. Mr. Thrale was
neither well nor in spirits all day. Indeed, he seems not to be a happy
man, though he has every means of happiness in his power. But I think I
have rarely seen a very rich man with a light heart and light spirits.
Dr. Johnson was in the utmost good humour.
There was no other company at the house all day.
After dinner, I had a delightful stroll with Mrs. Thrale, and she gave
me a list of all her “good neighbours” in the town of Streatham, and
said she was determined to take me to see Mr. T--, the clergyman, who
was a character I could not but be diverted with, for he had so furious
and so absurd a rage for building, that in his garden he had as many
temples, and summer-houses, and statues as in the gardens of Stow,
though he had so little room for them that they all seemed tumbling one
upon another.
In short, she was all unaffected drollery and sweet good humour. At tea
we all met again, and Dr. Johnson was gaily sociable. He gave a very
droll account of the children of Mr. Langton.[46] “Who,” he said, “might
be very good children if they were let alone; but the father is never
easy when he is not making them do something which they cannot do; they
must repeat a fable, or a speech, or the Hebrew alphabet; and they might
as well count twenty, for what they know of the matter: however, the
father says half, for he prompts every other word. But he could not have
chosen a man who would have been less entertained by such means.”
“I believe not!” cried Mrs. Thrale: “nothing is more ridiculous than
parents cramming their children's nonsense down other people's throats.
I keep mine as much out of the way as I can.”
“Yours, madam,” answered he, “are in nobody's way--no children can
be better managed or less troublesome; but your fault is, a too great
perverseness in not allowing anybody to give them anything. Why should
they not have a cherry, or a gooseberry, as well as bigger children?”
“Because they are sure to return such gifts by wiping their hands upon
the giver's gown or coat, and nothing makes children more offensive.
People only make the offer to please the parents, and they wish the poor
children at Jericho when they accept it.”
“But, madam, it is a great deal more offensive to refuse them. Let
those who make the offer look to their own gowns and coats, for when you
interfere, they only wish you at Jericho.”
“It is difficult,” said Mrs. Thrale, “to please everybody.” She then
asked whether--Mr. Langton took any better care of his affairs than
formerly?
“No, madam,” cried the doctor, “and never will; he complains of the ill
effects of habit, and rests contentedly upon a confessed indolence. He
told his father himself that he had 'no turn to economy;' but a thief
might as well plead that he had 'no turn to honesty.'”
Was not that excellent? At night, Mrs. Thrale asked if I would have
anything? I answered, “No,” but Dr. Johnson said,
“Yes: she is used, madam, to suppers; she would like an egg or two, and
a few slices of ham, or a rasher--a rasher, I believe, would please her
better.”
How ridiculous! However, nothing could persuade Mrs. Thrale not to have
the cloth laid: and Dr. Johnson was so facetious, that he challenged Mr.
Thrale to get drunk!
“I wish,” said he, “my master[47] would say to me, Johnson, if you will
oblige me, you will call for a bottle of Toulon, and then we will set
to it, glass for glass, till it is done; and after that, I will say,
Thrale, if you will oblige me, you will call for another bottle of
Toulon, and then we will set to it, glass for glass, till that is done:
and by the time we should have drunk the two bottles, we should be so
happy, and such good friends, that we should fly into each other's arms,
and both together call for the third!”
Now for this morning's breakfast.
Dr. Johnson, as usual, came last into the library; he was in high
spirits, and full of mirth and sport. I had the honour of sitting next
to him: and now, all at once, he flung aside his reserve, thinking,
perhaps, that it was time I should fling aside mine.
Mrs. Thrale told him that she intended taking me to Mr. T--'s.
“So you ought, madam,” cried he; “'tis your business to be Cicerone to
her.”
Then suddenly he snatched my hand, and kissing it, “Ah!” he added, “they
will little think what a tartar you carry to them!”
“No, that they won't!” cried Mrs. Thrale; “Miss Burney looks so meek
and so quiet, nobody would suspect what a comical girl she is---but I
believe she has a great deal of malice at heart.”
“Oh, she's a toad!” cried the doctor, laughing--“a sly young rogue! with
her Smiths and her Branghtons!”
“Why, Dr. Johnson,” said Mrs. Thrale, “I hope you are well this morning!
if one may judge by your spirits and good humour, the fever you
threatened us with is gone off.”
He had complained that he was going to be ill last night.
“Why no, madam, no,” answered he, “I am not yet well. I could not sleep
at all; there I lay, restless and uneasy, and thinking all the time of
Miss Burney. Perhaps I have offended her, thought I; perhaps she is
angry--I have seen her but once and I talked to her of a rasher!--Were
you angry?”