“The first time I ever saw this extraordinary man was in the year 1764, when Mr. Murphy, who had long been the friend and confidential intimate of Mr. Thrale, persuaded him to wish for Johnson’s conversation, extolling it in terms which that of no other person could have deserved, till we were only in doubt how to obtain his company, and find an excuse for the invitation.  The celebrity of Mr. Woodhouse, a shoemaker, whose verses were at that time the subject of common discourse, soon afforded a pretence[1], and Mr. Murphy brought Johnson to meet him, giving me general caution not to be surprised at his figure, dress, or behaviour[1]....  Mr. Johnson liked his new acquaintance so much, however, that from that time he dined with us every Thursday through the winter, and in the autumn of the next year he followed us to Brighthelmstone, whence we were gone before his arrival; so he was disappointed and enraged, and wrote us a letter expressive of anger, which we were very desirous to pacify, and to obtain his company again if possible.  Mr. Murphy brought him back to us again very kindly, and from that time his visits grew more frequent, till in the year 1766 his health, which he had always complained of, grew so exceedingly bad, that he could not stir out of his room in the court he inhabited for many weeks together, I think months.”

[Footnote 1:  “He (Johnson) spoke with much contempt of the notice taken of Woodhouse, the poetical shoemaker.  He said that it was all vanity and childishness, and that such objects were to those who patronised them, mere mirrors of their own superiority.  They had better, said he, furnish the man with good implements for his trade, than raise subscriptions for his poems.  He may make an excellent shoemaker, but can never make a good poet.  A schoolboy’s exercise may be a pretty thing for a schoolboy, but it is no treat to a man.”—­Maxwell’s Collectanea.]

The “Anecdotes” were written in Italy, where she had no means of reference.  The account given in “Thraliana” has a greater air of freshness, and proves Boswell right as to the year.

“It was on the second Thursday of the month of January, 1765, that I first saw Mr. Johnson in a room.  Murphy, whose intimacy with Mr. Thrale had been of many years’ standing, was one day dining with us at our house in Southwark, and was zealous that we should be acquainted with Johnson, of whose moral and literary character he spoke in the most exalted terms; and so whetted our desire of seeing him soon that we were only disputing how he should be invited, when he should be invited, and what should be the pretence.  At last it was resolved that one Woodhouse, a shoemaker, who had written some verses, and been asked to some tables, should likewise be asked to ours, and made a temptation to Mr. Johnson to meet him:  accordingly he came, and Mr. Murphy at four o’clock brought Mr. Johnson to dinner.  We liked each other so well that the next Thursday was appointed for the same company to meet, exclusive of the shoemaker, and since then Johnson has remained till this day our constant acquaintance, visitor, companion, and friend.”