There dined with us, Lord Dudley, and Sir Edward Lyttelton, of Staffordshire, and his Lady.  They were all persons of agreeable conversation.

I found time to reflect on my birthday, and offered a prayer, which I hope was heard.

SEPTEMBER 19.

We made haste away from a place, where all were offended[1242].  In the way we visited the Leasowes[1243].  It was rain, yet we visited all the waterfalls.  There are, in one place, fourteen falls in a short line.  It is the next place to Ham Gardens[1244].  Poor Shenstone never tasted his pension.  It is not very well proved that any pension was obtained for him.  I am afraid that he died of misery[1245].

We came to Birmingham, and I sent for Wheeler, whom I found well.

SEPTEMBER 20.

We breakfasted with Wheeler,[1246] and visited the manufacture of Papier Mache.  The paper which they use is smooth whited brown; the varnish is polished with rotten stone.  Wheeler gave me a tea-board.  We then went to Boulton’s,[1247] who, with great civility, led us through his shops.  I could not distinctly see his enginery.

Twelve dozen of buttons for three shillings.[1248] Spoons struck at once.

SEPTEMBER 21.

Wheeler came to us again.

We came easily to Woodstock.

SEPTEMBER 22.

We saw Blenheim and Woodstock Park.[1249] The Park contains two thousand five hundred acres; about four square miles.  It has red deer.  Mr. Bryant[1250] shewed me the Library with great civility. Durandi Rationale, 1459[1251].  Lascaris’ Grammar of the first edition, well printed, but much less than later editions[1252].  The first Batrachomyomachia[1253].

The Duke sent Mr. Thrale partridges and fruit.

At night we came to Oxford.

SEPTEMBER 23.

We visited Mr. Coulson[1254].  The Ladies wandered about the University.

SEPTEMBER 24.

We dine with Mr. Coulson.  Vansittart[1255] told me his distemper.

Afterwards we were at Burke’s, where we heard of the dissolution of the
Parliament.  We went home[1256].

FOOTNOTES: 

[1] See ante, ii. 434, note 1, and iii. 209.

[2] His Account of Corsica, published in 1768.

[3] Horace Walpole wrote on Nov.6, 1769 (Letters, v. 200):—­’I found Paoli last week at Court.  The King and Queen both took great notice of him.  He has just made a tour to Bath, Oxford, &c., and was everywhere received with much distinction.’  See ante, ii. 71.

[4] Boswell, when in London, was ‘his constant guest.’  Ante, iii 35.

[5] Boswell’s son James says that ’in 1785 Mr. Malone was shewn at Mr. Baldwin’s printing-house a sheet of the Tour to the Hebrides which contained Johnson’s character.  He was so much struck with the spirit and fidelity of the portrait that he requested to be introduced to its writer.  From this period a friendship took place between them, which ripened into the strictest and most cordial intimacy.  After Mr. Boswell’s death in 1795 Mr. Malone continued to shew every mark of affectionate attention towards his family.’ Gent.  Mag. 1813, p. 518.