[271] William Weller Pepys, Esq., one of the Masters in the High Court of Chancery, and well known in polite circles.  My acquaintance with him is not sufficient to enable me to speak of him from my own judgement.  But I know that both at Eton and Oxford he was the intimate friend of the late Sir James Macdonald, the Marcellus of Scotland [ante, i.449], whose extraordinary talents, learning, and virtues, will ever be remembered with admiration and regret.  BOSWELL.

[272] See note, ante, p. 65, which describes an attack made by Johnson on Pepys more than two months after this conversation.

[273] Johnson once said to Mrs. Thrale:—­’Why, Madam, you often provoke me to say severe things by unreasonable commendation.  If you would not call for my praise, I would not give you my censure; but it constantly moves my indignation to be applied to, to speak well of a thing which I think contemptible.’  Mme. D’Arblay’s Diary, i.132.  See ante, iii.225.

[274] ‘Mrs. Thrale,’ wrote Miss Burney in 1780, ’is a most dear creature, but never restrains her tongue in anything, nor, indeed, any of her feelings.  She laughs, cries, scolds, sports, reasons, makes fun—­does everything she has an inclination to do, without any study of prudence, or thought of blame; and, pure and artless as is this character, it often draws both herself and others into scrapes, which a little discretion would avoid.’ Ib. i.386.  Later on she writes:—­’Mrs. Thrale, with all her excellence, can give up no occasion of making sport, however unseasonable or even painful...  I knew she was not to be safely trusted with anything she could turn into ridicule.’ Ib. ii.24 and 29.

[275] Perhaps Mr. Seward, who was constantly at the Thrales’ (ante, iii. 123).

[276] See ante, iii.228, 404.

[277] It was the seventh anniversary of Goldsmith’s death.

[278] ‘Mrs. Garrick and I,’ wrote Hannah More (Memoirs, i. 208), ’were invited to an assembly at Mrs. Thrale’s.  There was to be a fine concert, and all the fine people were to be there.  Just as my hair was dressed, came a servant to forbid our coming, for that Mr. Thrale was dead.’

[279] Pr. and Med. p 191.  BOSWELL.  The rest of the entry should be given:—­’On Wednesday, 11, was buried my dear friend Thrale, who died on Wednesday 4; and with him were buried many of my hopes and pleasures. [On Sunday, 1st, the physician warned him against full meals, on Monday I pressed him to observance of his rules, but without effect, and Tuesday I was absent, but his wife pressed forbearance upon him again unsuccessfully.  At night I was called to him, and found him senseless in strong convulsions.  I staid in the room, except that I visited Mrs. Thrale twice.] About five, I think, on Wednesday morning he expired; I felt, &c.  Farewell.  May God that delighteth in mercy have had mercy on thee.  I