Our journey was charming.  The kind Mrs. Thrale would give courage to the most timid.  She did not ask me questions, or catechise me upon what I knew, or use any means to draw me out, but made it her business to draw herself outthat is, to start subjects, to support them herself, and to take all the weight of the conversation, as if it behoved her to find me entertainment.  But I am so much in love with her, that I shall be obliged to run away from the subject, or shall write of nothing else.

When we arrived here, Mrs. Thrale showed me my room, which is an exceedingly pleasant one, and then conducted me to the library, there to divert myself while she dressed.

Miss Thrale soon joined me:  and I begin to like her.  Mr. Thrale was neither well nor in spirits all day.  Indeed, he seems not to be a happy man, though he has every means of happiness in his power.  But I think I have rarely seen a very rich man with a light heart and light spirits.

Dr. Johnson was in the utmost good humour.

There was no other company at the house all day.

After dinner, I had a delightful stroll with Mrs. Thrale, and she gave me a list of all her " good neighbours " in the town of Streatham, and said she was determined to take me to see Mr. T—­, the clergyman, who was a character i could not but be diverted with, for he had so furious and so absurd a rage for building, that in his garden he had as many temples, and summer-houses, and statues as in the gardens of Stow, though 81’

he had so little room for them that they all seemed tumbling one upon another.

In short, she was all unaffected drollery and sweet good humour.  At tea we all met again, and Dr. Johnson was gaily sociable.  He gave a very droll account of the children of Mr. Langton.(46) “Who,” he said, “might be very good children if they were let alone; but the father is never easy when he is not making them do something which they cannot do; they must repeat a fable, or a speech, or the Hebrew alphabet; and they might as well count twenty, for what they know of the matter:  however, the father says half, for he prompts every other word.  But he could not have chosen a man who would have been less entertained by such means.”

“I believe not !” cried Mrs. Thrale:  “nothing is more ridiculous than parents cramming their children’s nonsense down other people’s throats.  I keep mine as much out of the way as I can.”

“Yours, madam,” answered he, “are in nobody’s way — no children can be better managed or less troublesome; but your fault is, a too great perverseness in not allowing anybody to give them anything.  Why Should they not have a cherry, or a gooseberry, as well as bigger children?”

“Because they are sure to return such gifts by wiping their hands upon the giver’s gown or coat, and nothing makes children more offensive.  People only make the offer to please the parents, and they wish the poor children at Jericho when they accept it.”