the fight of those different dispositions of wood and water, hill and valley, that travelling through England and France affords a man. But when he wished to point them out to his companion : "Never heed such nonfenfe," would be the reply: "a blade of grass is always a blade of grass, whether in one country or another: let us if we do talk, talk about fomething; men and women are my subjects of enquiry; let us see how these differ from those we have left behind." When we were at Rouen together, he took a great fancy to the Abbé Roffette, with whom he conversed about the destruction of the order of Jesuits, and condemned it loudly, as a blow to the general power of the church, and likely to be followed with many and dangerous innovations, which might at length become fatal to religion itself, and shake even the foundation of Christianity. The gentleman seemed to wonder and de light in his conversation: the talk was all in Latin, which both spoke fluently, and Mr. Johnfon pronounced a long eulogium upon Milton with so much ardour, eloquence, and ingenuity, that the Abbé rose from his feat and embraced him. My husband feeing them apparently fo charmed with the company of each other, politely invited the Abbé to England, intending to oblige his friend; who, instead of thanking, reprimanded him feverely before the man, for such a fudden burst of tenderness towards a person he could know nothing at all of; and thus put a fudden finish to all his own and Mr. Thrale's entertainment, from the company of the Abbé Roffette, When at Versailles the people shewed us the theatre. As we stood on the stage looking at some machinery for playhouse purposes: Now we are here, what shall we act, Mr. Johnson, - The Englishman at Paris? No, no (replied he), we will 66 try to act Harry the Fifth." His dissike of the French was well known to both nations, I believe; but he applauded the number of their books and the graces of their style. "They have few sentiments (faid he), but they express them neatly; they have little meat too, but they dress it well." Johnson's own notions about eating however were nothing less than delicate; a leg of pork boiled till it dropped from the bone, a veal-pye with plums and fugar, or the outfide cut of a falt buttock of beef, were his favourite dainties: with regard to drink, his liking was for the strongest, as it was not the flavour, but the effect he fought for, and professed to defire; and when I first knew him, he used to pour capillaire into his Port wine. For the last twelve years however, he left off all fermented liquors. To make himself fome amends indeed, he took his chocolate liberally, pouring in large quantities of cream, or even melted butter; and was fo fond of fruit, that though he usually eat seven 1 or eight large peaches of a morning before breakfast began, and treated them with proportionate attention after dinner again, yet I have heard him protest that he never had quite as much as he wished of wall-fruit, except once in his life, and that was when we were all together at Ombersley, the feat of my Lord Sandys. I was saying to a friend one day, that I did not like goofe; one fimells it so while it is roasting, said I: "But you, Madam (replies the Doctor), have been at all times a fortunate woman, having always had your hunger fo forestalled by indulgence, that you never experienced the delight of smelling your dinner beforehand." Which pleasure, answered I pertly, is to be enjoyed in perfection by such as have the happiness to pass through Porridge- Island * of a morning. Come, come (says he gravely), let's have no fneering at what is ferious to fo many: hundreds of your fellow-creatures, dear Lady, turn another way, that they may not be tempted by the luxuries of Porridge- Island to wish for gratifications they are not able to obtain: you are certainly not better than all of them; give God thanks that you are happier." * Porridge-Island is a mean street in London, filled with cooks shops for the convenience of the poorer inhabitants; the real name of it I know not, but fufpect that it is generally known by, to have been originally a term of derision. ✓ I received on another occafion as just a rebuke from Mr. Johnson, for an offence of the fame nature, and hope I took care never to provoke a third; for after a very long fummer particularly hot and dry, I was wishing naturally but thoughtlessly for fome rain to lay the dufst as we drove along the Surry roads. *" I cannot bear (replied he, with much afperity and an altered look), when I know how many poor families will perish next winter for want of that bread which the prefent drought will deny them, to |