“Do,” cried he, “put away that now, and prattle with us; I can’t make this little Burney prattle, and I am sure she prattles well; but I shall teach her another lesson than to sit thus silent before I have done with her.”

“To talk,” cried I, “is the only lesson I shall be backward to learn from you, sir.”

“You shall give me,” cried he, “a discourse upon the passions:  come, begin!  Tell us the necessity of regulating them

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Watching over and curbing them!  Did you ever read Norris’s “Theory of Love?"(67)

“No, sir,” said I, laughing, yet staring a little.

Dr. J.-It is well worth your reading.  He will make you see that inordinate love is the root of all evil” inordinate love of wealth brings on avarice; of wine, brings on intemperance; of power, brings on cruelty; and so on.  He deduces from inordinate love all human frailty.”

Mrs. T.-To-morrow, sir, Mrs. Montagu dines here, and then you will have talk enough.

Dr. Johnson began to see-saw, with a countenance strongly expressive of inward fun, and after enjoying it Some time in silence, he suddenly, and with great animation, turned to me and cried,

“Down with her, Burney!—­down with her!—­spare her not!—­attack her, fight her, and down with her at once!  You are a rising wit, and she is at the top; and when I was beginning the world, and was nothing and nobody, the joy of my life was to fire at all the established wits! and then everybody loved to halloo me on.  But there is no game now; every body would be glad to see me conquered:  but then, when I was new, to vanquish the great ones was all the delight of my poor little dear soul!  So at her, Burney—­at her, and down with her!”

Oh, how we were all amused!  By the way I must tell you that Mrs. Montagu is in very great estimation here, even with Dr. Johnson himself, when others do not praise her improperly.  Mrs. Thrale ranks her as the first of women in the literary way.  I should have told you that Miss Gregory, daughter of the Gregory who wrote the “Letters,” or, “Legacy of Advice,” lives with Mrs. Montagu, and was invited to accompany her.(68)

“Mark now,” said Dr. Johnson, “if I contradict her tomorrow.  I am determined, let her say what she will, that I will not contradict her.”

Mrs. T.-Why, to be sure, sir, you did put her a little out Of countenance the last time she came.  Yet you were neither rough, nor cruel, nor ill-natured, but still, when a lady changes colour, we imagine her feelings are not quite composed.

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Dr. j.-Why, madam, I won’t answer that I shan’t Contradict her again, if she provokes me as she did then ; but a less provocation I will withstand.  I believe I am not high in her good graces already ; and I begin (added he, laughing heartily), to tremble for my admission into her new house.  I doubt I shall never see the inside of it.