Boswelliana: The Commonplace Book of James Boswell, with a Memoir and AnnotationsBoswell, James
History
Boswelliana: The Commonplace Book of James Boswell, with a Memoir and Annotations
Boswell, James
Boswell, James, 1740-1795
“Dr. Johnson desired me to tell Sheridan[373] he’d be glad to see him
and shake hands with him. I said Sheridan was unwilling to come, as he
never could forget the attack —— half told him. ‘But it was wrong to
keep up resentment so long,’ said the Doctor; ‘the truth is, he knows
I despise his character; ’tis not all resentment; partly out of habit,
and rather disgust, as at a drug that has made him sick.’”
* * * * *
“Lady Townshend[374] sent to Mr. Winnington for his coach and six
horses one day. He asked her afterwards if they came in proper time,
and her ladyship was pleased with them. ‘Oh,’ said she, ‘I only invited
them to dine. I wished they should have one good dinner, so I ordered
them plenty of hay and straw.’”
MR. LANGTON.
* * * * *
“I said it was a strange thing that Short,[375] the famous telescope
maker in London, left a legacy of a thousand pounds to Lady Mary
Douglas, who had no need of money, when he had a number of poor
relations. Thomas Earl of Kelly said upon this, ‘He was not a
reflecting telescope maker.’”
* * * * *
“It was mentioned at Lady Colville’s[376] that Mrs. C., of S., whose
husband was a very big man, had once been very fond of Colonel M., and
had suffered much from his forsaking her. ‘What!’ said a lady; ‘she
seems to like her husband so well, that I could not believe she was
ever fond of any other man.’ ‘She _was_ very fond of another man,’ said
I. ‘But her husband _smothered_ that passion.’” 1783.
* * * * *
“At a dinner at Mr. Crosbie’s, when the company were very merry, the
Rev. Dr. Webster told them he was sorry to go away so early, but was
obliged to catch the tide, to cross the Frith of Forth to Fife. ‘Better
stay a little,’ said Thomas Earl of Kelly,[377] ‘till you be half seas
over.’”
Rev. DR. WEBSTER.
* * * * *
“Harry Erskine and another advocate, had written papers in a cause
before Lord Westhall.[378] They thought them very good papers. But a
clerk came to Mr. Erskine with a message that ‘My Lord had read the
papers, and could not _understand_ them, and he would send a note of
what he _wanted_.’ ‘Make my compliments to his lordship,’ said Erskine,
‘and tell him (pointing to his forehead) I have none to spare.’”
From MR. ERSKINE himself.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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