When we were by ourselves he told me, ’Forty years ago, Sir, I was in love with an actress here, Mrs. Emmet, who acted Flora, in Hob in the Well.’  What merit this lady had as an actress, or what was her figure, or her manner, I have not been informed:  but, if we may believe Mr. Garrick, his old master’s taste in theatrical merit was by no means refined; he was not an elegans formarum spectator.  Garrick used to tell, that Johnson said of an actor, who played Sir Harry Wildair at Lichfield, ‘There is a courtly vivacity about the fellow;’ when in fact, according to Garrick’s account, ’he was the most vulgar ruffian that ever went upon boards.’

We had promised Mr. Stanton to be at his theatre on Monday.  Dr. Johnson jocularly proposed me to write a Prologue for the occasion:  ’A Prologue, by James Boswell, Esq. from the Hebrides.’  I was really inclined to take the hint.  Methought, ’Prologue, spoken before Dr. Samuel Johnson, at Lichfield, 1776;’ would have sounded as well as, ’Prologue, spoken before the Duke of York, at Oxford,’ in Charles the Second’s time.  Much might have been said of what Lichfield had done for Shakspeare, by producing Johnson and Garrick.  But I found he was averse to it.

We went and viewed the museum of Mr. Richard Green, apothecary here, who told me he was proud of being a relation of Dr. Johnson’s.  It was, truely, a wonderful collection, both of antiquities and natural curiosities, and ingenious works of art.  He had all the articles accurately arranged, with their names upon labels, printed at his own little press; and on the staircase leading to it was a board, with the names of contributors marked in gold letters.  A printed catalogue of the collection was to be had at a bookseller’s.  Johnson expressed his admiration of the activity and diligence and good fortune of Mr. Green, in getting together, in his situation, so great a variety of things; and Mr. Green told me that Johnson once said to him, ’Sir, I should as soon have thought of building a man of war, as of collecting such a museum.’  Mr. Green’s obliging alacrity in shewing it was very pleasing.

We drank tea and coffee at Mr. Peter Garrick’s, where was Mrs. Aston, one of the maiden sisters of Mrs. Walmsley, wife of Johnson’s first friend, and sister also of the lady of whom Johnson used to speak with the warmest admiration, by the name of Molly Aston, who was afterwards married to Captain Brodie of the navy.

On Sunday, March 24, we breakfasted with Mrs. Cobb, a widow lady, who lived in an agreeable sequestered place close by the town, called the Friary, it having been formerly a religious house.  She and her niece, Miss Adey, were great admirers of Dr. Johnson; and he behaved to them with a kindness and easy pleasantry, such as we see between old and intimate acquaintance.  He accompanied Mrs. Cobb to St. Mary’s church, and I went to the cathedral, where I was very much delighted with the musick, finding it to be peculiarly solemn and accordant with the words of the service.