“On this principle partly, and partly on worse, was dear Mr. Johnson something unwilling—­but not much at last—­to give up a trade by which in some years 15,000_l._ or 16,000_l._ had undoubtedly been got, but by which, in some years, its possessor had suffered agonies of terror and tottered twice upon the verge of bankruptcy.  Well! if thy own conscience acquit, who shall condemn thee?  Not, I hope, the future husbands of our daughters, though I should think it likely enough; however, as Johnson says very judiciously, they must either think right or wrong:  if they think right, let us now think with them; if wrong, let us never care what they think.  So adieu to brewhouse, and borough wintering; adieu to trade, and tradesmen’s frigid approbation; may virtue and wisdom sanctify our contract, and make buyer and seller happy in the bargain!”

[Footnote 1:  There is a curious similarity here to Johnson’s phrase, “the potentiality of becoming rich beyond the dreams of avarice.”]

After mentioning some friends who disapproved of the sale, she adds:  “Mrs. Montagu has sent me her approbation in a letter exceedingly affectionate and polite.  ‘Tis over now, tho’, and I’ll clear my head of it and all that belongs to it; I will go to church, give God thanks, receive the sacrament and forget the frauds, follies, and inconveniences of a commercial life this day.”

Madame D’Arblay was at Streatham on the day of the sale, and gives a dramatic colour to the ensuing scene: 

“Streatham, Thursday.—­This was the great and most important day to all this house, upon which the sale of the brewery was to be decided.  Mrs. Thrale went early to town, to meet all the executors, and Mr. Barclay, the Quaker, who was the bidder.  She was in great agitation of mind, and told me, if all went well she would wave a white pocket-handkerchief out of the coach window.

“Four o’clock came and dinner was ready, and no Mrs. Thrale.  Five o’clock followed, and no Mrs. Thrale.  Queeny and I went out upon the lawn, where we sauntered, in eager expectation, till near six, and then the coach appeared in sight, and a white pocket-handkerchief was waved from it.  I ran to the door of it to meet her, and she jumped out of it, and gave me a thousand embraces while I gave my congratulations.  We went instantly to her dressing-room, where she told me, in brief, how the matter had been transacted, and then we went down to dinner.  Dr. Johnson and Mr. Crutchley had accompanied her home.”

The event is thus announced to Langton by Johnson, in a letter printed by Boswell, dated June 16, 1781:  “You will perhaps be glad to hear that Mrs. Thrale is disencumbered of her brewhouse, and that it seemed to the purchaser so far from an evil that he was content to give for it 135,000_l_.  Is the nation ruined.” Marginal note:  “I suppose he was neither glad nor sorry.”