And they pretend,” cried he, " to mend them; but it is not possible.  Do you think it is?—­what?”

“No, sir, not often, I believe ;-the fault, commonly, lies in the very foundation.”

“Yes, or they might mend the mere speeches —­but the characters are all bad from the beginning to the end.”

Then he specified several; but I had read none of them, and consequently could say nothing about the matter -till, at last, he came to Shakspeare.

“Was there ever,” cried he, “such stuff as great part of Shakspeare only one must not say so!  But what think you?—­ What?—­Is there not sad stuff? what?—­what?”

“Yes, indeed, I think so, sir, though mixed with such excellences, that——­”

“O!” cried he, laughing good-humouredly, “I know it is not to be said! but it’s true.  Only it’s Shakspeare, and nobody dare abuse him.”

Then he enumerated many of the characters and parts of plays that he objected to — and when he had run them over, finished with again laughing, and exclaiming,

“But one should be stoned for saying so!”

“Madame de Genlis, sir,” said I, “had taken such an impression of the English theatre, that she told me she thought no woman ought to go to any of our comedies.”

This, which, indeed, is a very overstrained censure of our dramas, made him draw back, and vindicate the stage from a sentence so severe ; which, however, she had pronounced to me, as if she looked upon it to be an opinion in which I should join as a thing past dispute.

The king approved such a denunciation no more than his little subject; and he vindicated the stage from so hard an aspersion, with a warmth not wholly free from indignation.

This led on to a good deal more dramatic criticism; but what was said was too little followed up to be remembered for writing.  His majesty stayed near two hours, and then wished Mrs. Delany good night, and having given me a bow, shut the door himself, to prevent Mrs. Delany, or even me, from attending him out, and, with only Miss Port to wait upon him, put on his own great coat in the passage, and walked away to the lower Lodge, to see the Princess Elizabeth, without carriage 319

or attendant.  He is a pattern of modest, but manly superiority to’rank.  I should say more of this evening, and of the king, with whose unaffected conversation and unassuming port and manner I was charmed, but that I have another meeting to write,-a long, and, to me, very delightful private conference with the queen.  It happened the very next morning.

Literarytalk with the queen.

Tuesday, Dec. 20.-1st, summons; 2ndly, entr6e.

" Miss Burney, have you heard that Boswell is going to publish a life of your friend Dr. Johnson?”

“No, ma’am.”

“I tell you as I heard.  I don’t know for the truth of it, and I can’t tell what he will do.  He is so extraordinary a man, that perhaps he will devise something extraordinary.  What do you think of Madame de Genlis’ last work?”