Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Selwyn, Mr. Tidy, and Mr. Thrale seated themselves to whist ; the rest looked on :  but the General, as he always does, took up the newspaper, and, with various comments, made aloud, as he went on reading to himself, diverted the whole company.  Now he would cry, “Strange! strange that!”—­presently, “What stuff!  I don’t believe a word of it!”—­a little after, “Mr. Bate,(115) I wish your ears were cropped!”—­then, “Ha! ha! ha! funnibus! funnibus! indeed!”—­and, at last, in a great rage, he exclaimed, “What a fellow is this, to presume to arraign the conduct of persons of quality!”

Having diverted himself and us in this manner, till he had read every column methodically through, he began all over again, and presently called out, “Ha! ha! here’s a pretty thing!” and then, in a plaintive voice, languished out some wretched verses.

(73) This was not the famous philosopher and statesman, but the Rev. Thomas Franklin, D.D., who was born in 1721, and died in 1784.  He published various translations from the classics, as well as plays and miscellaneous works; but is best known for his translation of Sophocles, published in 1759.-Ed.

(74) “Warley:  a Satire,” then just published, by a Mr. Huddisford.  “Dear little Burney’s” name was coupled in it with that of Sir Joshua Reynolds, in a manner which seemed to imply that Sir Joshua had special reasons for desiring her approbation.  It will be remembered that, before he knew that Miss Burney was the author of “Evelina,” Sir Joshua had jestingly remarked that If the author proved to be a woman, he should be sure to make love to her.  See ante, p. 94.-Ed.

(75) Mrs. Horneck and Mrs. Bunbury (her eldest daughter) had declared that they would walk a hundred and sixty miles, to see the author of “Evelina."-Ed.

(76) See note 37 ante, p. 68.-Ed,

(77) A kinsman of the great Edmund Burke, and, like him, a politician and member of Parliament.  Goldsmith has drawn his character in “Retaliation.”

“Here lies honest William, whose heart was a mint,
 While the owner ne’er knew half the good that was in ’t;
The pupil of impulse, it forced him along,
His conduct still right, with his argument wrong
Still aiming at honour, yet fearing to roam,
The coachman was tipsy, the chariot drove home;
Would-you ask for his merits ? alas! he had none;
What was good was spontaneous, his faults were his own."-Ed.

(78) Henry Temple, second Viscount Palmerston, and father of the celebrated Lord Palmerston.-Ed.

(79) Mrs. Cholmondeley imitates the language of Madame Duval, the Prench woman in “Evelina."-Ed.

(80) A character in “Evelina."-Ed.

(81) Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was born at Plympton, in Devonshire, in 1723-ed.

(82) Mr. Qwatkin afterwards married Miss Offy Palmer.-Ed.