I find in this, as in former years, notices of his kind attention to Mrs. Gardiner, who, though in the humble station of a tallow-chandler upon Snow-hill, was a woman of excellent good sense, pious, and charitable.  She told me, she had been introduced to him by Mrs. Masters, the poetess, whose volumes he revised, and, it is said, illuminated here and there with a ray of his own genius.  Mrs. Gardiner was very zealous for the support of the Ladies’ charity-school, in the parish of St. Sepulchre.  It is confined to females; and, I am told, it afforded a hint for the story of Betty Broom in The Idler.

The late ingenious Mr. Mickle, some time before his death, wrote me a letter concerning Dr. Johnson, in which he mentions,—­’I was upwards of twelve years acquainted with him, was frequently in his company, always talked with ease to him, and can truly say, that I never received from him one rough word.’

Mr. Mickle reminds me in this letter of a conversation, at dinner one day at Mr. Hoole’s with Dr. Johnson, when Mr. Nicol the King’s bookseller and I attempted to controvert the maxim, ’better that ten guilty should escape, than one innocent person suffer;’ and were answered by Dr. Johnson with great power of reasoning and eloquence.  I am very sorry that I have no record of that day:  but I well recollect my illustrious friend’s having ably shewn, that unless civil institutions insure protection to the innocent, all the confidence which mankind should have in them would be lost.

Notwithstanding the complication of disorders under which Johnson now laboured, he did not resign himself to despondency and discontent, but with wisdom and spirit endeavoured to console and amuse his mind with as many innocent enjoyments as he could procure.  Sir John Hawkins has mentioned the cordiality with which he insisted that such of the members of the old club in Ivy-lane as survived, should meet again and dine together, which they did, twice at a tavern and once at his house:  and in order to insure himself society in the evening for three days in the week, he instituted a club at the Essex Head, in Essex-street, then kept by Samuel Greaves, an old servant of Mr. Thrale’s.

’To sir Joshua Reynolds.

’Dear sir,—­It is inconvenient to me to come out, I should else have waited on you with an account of a little evening Club which we are establishing in Essex-street, in the Strand, and of which you are desired to be one.  It will be held at the Essex Head, now kept by an old servant of Thrale’s.  The company is numerous, and, as you will see by the list, miscellaneous.  The terms are lax, and the expences light.  Mr. Barry was adopted by Dr. Brocklesby, who joined with me in forming the plan.  We meet thrice a week, and he who misses forfeits two-pence.

’If you are willing to become a member, draw a line under your name.  Return the list.  We meet for the first time on Monday at eight.  I am, &c.