The concluding remark, coming from such a source, may supply an improving subject of meditation or inquiry; if found true, it may help to suppress envy and promote contentment.  Thrale’s state of health, however, accounts for his depression independently of his wealth, which rested on too precarious a foundation to allow of unbroken confidence and gaiety.

“At tea (continues the diarist) we all met again, and Dr. Johnson was gaily sociable.  He gave a very droll account of the children of Mr. Langton—­

“‘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?’

“Indeed, the freedom with which Dr. Johnson condemns whatever he disapproves, is astonishing; and the strength of words he uses would, to most people, be intolerable; but Mrs. Thrale seems to have a sweetness of disposition that equals all her other excellences, and far from making a point of vindicating herself, she generally receives his admonitions with the most respectful silence.”

But it must not be supposed that this was done without an effort.  When Boswell speaks of Johnson’s “accelerating her pulsation,” she adds, “he checked it often enough, to be sure.”

Another of the conversations which occurred during this visit is characteristic of all parties: 

“We had been talking of colours, and of the fantastic names given to them, and why the palest lilac should be called a soupir etouffe.

“‘Why, Madam,’ said he, with wonderful readiness, ’it is called a stifled sigh because it is checked in its progress, and only half a colour.’

“I could not help expressing my amazement at his universal readiness upon all subjects, and Mrs. Thrale said to him,

“’Sir, Miss Burney wonders at your patience with such stuff; but I tell her you are used to me, for I believe I torment you with more foolish questions than anybody else dares do.’

“‘No, Madam,’ said he, ’you don’t torment me;—­you teaze me, indeed, sometimes.’

“‘Ay, so I do, Dr. Johnson, and I wonder you bear with my nonsense.’

“’No, Madam, you never talk nonsense; you have as much sense, and more wit, than any woman I know!’