“18_th July_, 1778.—­Mr. Thrale overbrewed himself last winter and made an artificial scarcity of money in the family which has extremely lowered his spirits.  Mr. Johnson endeavoured last night, and so did I, to make him promise that he would never more brew a larger quantity of beer in one winter than 80,000 barrels[1], but my Master, mad with the noble ambition of emulating Whitbread and Calvert, two fellows that he despises,—­could scarcely be prevailed on to promise even this, that he will not brew more than four score thousand barrels a year for five years to come.  He did promise that much, however; and so Johnson bade me write it down in the ’Thraliana’;—­and so the wings of Speculation are clipped a little—­very fain would I have pinioned her, but I had not strength to perform the operation.”

[Footnote 1:  “If he got but 2_s._ 6_d._ by each barrel, 80,000 half crowns are L10,000; and what more would mortal man desire than an income of ten thousand a year—­five to spend, and five to lay up?”]

That Johnson’s advice was neither thrown away nor undervalued, may be inferred from an incident related by Boswell.  Mr. Perkins had hung up in the counting-house a fine proof of the mezzotinto of Dr. Johnson by Doughty; and when Mrs. Thrale asked him, somewhat flippantly, “Why do you put him up in the counting-house?” Mr. Perkins answered, “Because, Madam, I wish to have one wise man there.”  “Sir,” said Johnson, “I thank you.  It is a very handsome compliment, and I believe you speak sincerely.”

He was in the habit of paying the most minute attention to every branch of domestic economy, and his suggestions are invariably marked by shrewdness and good sense.  Thus when Mrs. Thrale was giving evening parties, he told her that though few people might be hungry after a late dinner, she should always have a good supply of cakes and sweetmeats on a side table, and that some cold meat and a bottle of wine would often be found acceptable.  Notwithstanding the imperfection of his eyesight, and his own slovenliness, he was a critical observer of dress and demeanour, and found fault without ceremony or compunction when any of his canons of taste or propriety were infringed.  Several amusing examples are enumerated by Mrs. Thrale: 

“I commended a young lady for her beauty and pretty behaviour one day, however, to whom I thought no objections could have been made.  ‘I saw her,’ said Dr. Johnson, ’take a pair of scissors in her left hand though; and for all her father is now become a nobleman, and as you say excessively rich, I should, were I a youth of quality ten years hence, hesitate between a girl so neglected, and a negro.’

“It was indeed astonishing how he could remark such minuteness with a sight so miserably imperfect; but no accidental position of a riband escaped him, so nice was his observation, and so rigorous his demands of propriety.  When I went with him to Litchfield, and came downstairs to breakfast at the inn, my dress did not please him, and he made me alter it entirely before he would stir a step with us about the town, saying most satirical things concerning the appearance I made in a riding-habit; and adding, ’’Tis very strange that such eyes as yours cannot discern propriety of dress:  if I had a sight only half as good, I think I should see to the centre.’