[676] In her foolish Essay on Shakespeare, p. 15.  See ante, ii. 88.

[677] No man has less inclination to controversy than I have, particularly with a lady.  But as I have claimed, and am conscious of being entitled to credit for the strictest fidelity, my respect for the publick obliges me to take notice of an insinuation which tends to impeach it.

Mrs. Piozzi (late Mrs. Thrale), to her Anecdotes of Dr. Johnson, added the following postscript:—­

’Naples, Feb. 10, 1786.

’Since the foregoing went to the press, having seen a passage from Mr. Boswell’s Tour to the Hebrides, in which it is said, that I could not get through Mrs. Montague’s “Essay on Shakspeare," I do not delay a moment to declare, that, on the contrary, I have always commended it myself, and heard it commended by every one else; and few things would give me more concern than to be thought incapable of tasting, or unwilling to testify my opinion of its excellence.’

It is remarkable that this postscript is so expressed, as not to point out the person who said that Mrs. Thrale could not get through Mrs. Montague’s book; and therefore I think it necessary to remind Mrs. Piozzi, that the assertion concerning her was Dr. Johnson’s, and not mine.  The second observation that I shall make on this postscript is, that it does not deny the fact asserted, though I must acknowledge from the praise it bestows on Mrs. Montague’s book, it may have been designed to convey that meaning.

What Mrs. Thrale’s opinion is or was, or what she may or may not have said to Dr. Johnson concerning Mrs. Montague’s book, it is not necessary for me to enquire.  It is only incumbent on me to ascertain what Dr. Johnson said to me.  I shall therefore confine myself to a very short state of the fact.  The unfavourable opinion of Mrs. Montague’s book, which Dr. Johnson, is here reported to have given, is, known to have been that which he uniformly expressed, as many of his friends well remember.  So much, for the authenticity of the paragraph, as far as it relates to his own sentiments.  The words containing the assertion, to which Mrs. Piozzi objects, are printed from my manuscript Journal, and were taken down at the time.  The Journal was read by Dr. Johnson, who pointed out some inaccuracies, which I corrected, but did not mention any inaccuracy in the paragraph in question:  and what is still more material, and very flattering to me, a considerable part of my Journal, containing this paragraph, was read several years ago by, Mrs. Thrale herself [see ante, ii. 383], who had it for some time in her possession, and returned it to me, without intimating that Dr. Johnson had mistaken her sentiments.