away.  I changed so often from hot to cold that I really felt myself in a fever and an ague.  I never even attempted to speak to them, and I looked with all the frigidity I possibly could, in hopes they would tire of bestowing such honours on a subject so ungrateful.

One moment I had hopes that Mr. G. Cambridge, in Christian charity, was coming to offer some interruption ; for, when these speeches were in their height, he came and sat down on a chair immediately opposite Miss Thrale, and equally near, in profile, to me; but he merely said, “I hope Dr. Burney has not wanted his pamphlet?” Even Mrs. Thrale would not come near me, and told me afterwards it had been such a settled thing before my arrival, that I was to belong to Mr. Soame Jenyns, that she did not dare.

The moment they were gone, “Well, Miss Burney,” said Mrs. Ord, “have you and Mr. Jenyns had a great deal of conversation together?”

“O yes, a great deal on my part!”

“Why you don’t look quite recovered from it yet—­did not you like it?”

“O yes, it was perfectly agreeable to me!”

“Did he oppress you?” cried Mr. Cambridge, and then he began a very warm praise of him for his talents, wit, and understanding, his knowledge, writings, and humour.

I should have been very ready to have joined with him, had I not feared he meant an implied reproach to me, for not being more grateful for the praise of a man such as he described.  I am sorry he was present if that is the case; but the truth is, the evening was not merely disagreeable but painful to me.

An Italian singer’s views of England.

Saturday.-While Mr. George Cambridge was here Pacchierotti called-very grave, but very sweet.  Mr. G. C. asked if he spoke
English.

“O, very well,” cried I, “pray try him; he is very amiable, and I fancy you will like him.”

Pacchierotti began with complaining of the variable weather. "

I cannot,” he said, “be well such an inconsistent day.”

We laughed at the word “inconsistent,” and Mr. Cambridge said,-

“It is curious to see what new modes all languages may take in the hands of foreigners.  The natives dare not try such ex-

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periments; and, therefore, we all talk pretty much alike ; but a foreigner is obliged to hazard new expressions, and very often he shews us a force and power in our words, by an unusual adaptation of them, that we were not ourselves aware tlley would admit.”

And then, to draw Pacchierotti out, he began a dispute, of the different merits of Italy and England; defending his own country merely to make him abuse it; while Pacchierotti most eagerly took up the gauntlet on the part of Italy.

“This is a climate,” said Pacchierotti, “never in the same case for half an hour at a time; it shall be fair, and wet, and dry, and humid, forty times in a morning in the least.  I am tired to be so played with, sir, by your climate.”