Soon after the parties changed again and young Mr. Burke[164] came and
sat by me. He is a very civil and obliging, and a sensible and agreeable
young man. Old Lady Galway trotted from her corner, in the middle of
the evening, and leaning her hands upon the backs of two chairs, put
her little round head through two fine high dressed ladies on purpose to
peep at me, and then trotted back to her place! Ha, ha!
Miss Monckton now came to us again, and I congratulated her upon her
power in making Dr. Johnson sit in a group upon which she immediately
said to him,--
“Sir, Miss Burney says you like best to sit in a circle.”
“Does she?” said he, laughing; “Ay, never mind what she says. Don't you
know she is a writer of romances?”
“Yes, that I do, indeed,” said Miss Monckton, and every one joined in a
laugh that put me horribly out of countenance.
“She may write romances and speak truth,” said my dear Sir Joshua, who,
as well as young Burke, and Mr. Metcalf, and two strangers, joined now
in our little party.
“But, indeed, Dr. Johnson,” said Miss Monckton, “you must see Mrs.
Siddons. Won't you see her in some fine part?”
“Why, if I must, madam, I've no choice.”
“She says, sir, she shall be very much afraid of you.”
“Madam, that cannot be true.”
“Not true,” cried Miss Monckton, staring, “yes it is.”
“It cannot be, madam.”
“But she said so to me; I heard her say it myself.”
“Madam, it is not possible! remember, therefore, in future, that even
fiction should be supported by probability.”
Miss Monckton looked all amazement, but insisted upon the--truth of what
she had said.
“I do not believe, madam,” said he, warmly, “she knows my name.”
“Oh, that is rating her too low,” said a gentleman stranger.
“By not knowing my name,” continued he, “I do not mean so literally; but
that, when she sees it abused in a newspaper, she may possibly recollect
that she has seen it abused in a newspaper before.”
“Well, sir,” said Miss Monckton, “but you must see her for all this.”
“Well, madam, if you desire it, I will go. See her I shall not, nor hear
her; but I'll go, and that will do. The last time I was at a play, I was
ordered there by Mrs. Abington, or Mrs. Somebody, I do not well remember
who; but I placed myself in the middle of the first row of the front
boxes, to show that when I was called I came.”
The talk upon this matter went on very long, and with great spirit. At
last, a large party of ladies arose at the same time', and I tripped
after them; Miss Monckton, however, made me come back, for she said
I must else wait in the other room till those ladies' carriages drove
away.
When I returned, Sir Joshua came and desired he might convey me home; I
declined the offer, and he pressed it a good deal, drolly saying,--
“Why, I am old enough, a'n't I?” And when he found me stout, he said to
Dr. Johnson,--“Sir, is not this very hard? Nobody thinks me very young,
yet Miss Burney won't give me the privilege of age in letting me see her
home? She says I a'n't old enough.”[165]