owe to an Italian finging-mafter's wife, who treats my name in print with as much freedom as if it were allied to that of the folks at Brefcia, who call her fifter, coufin, aunt, and niece? Yet there is another circumftance ftill, that excludes her from all claim to my tenderness; and it is, that he is fully confcious of my having by heart the long rubric of her fins, and knows I can tell them all one by one, without fear of the leaft contradiction from her confcience: yet fhe has attacked me with fuch arrogant temerity, as could not be borne by Patience itself fitting on the monument of Job, or that of Saint Lawrence, who fuffered himself to be roafted alive without uttering the leaft complaint.

The following periods, penned by the witty Madam, and not by Johnfon, fo wickedly traduce my moral character, that I will now haften to confute their import, and prove that they contain a moft infamous calumny. Here I copy the whole paragraph out of one of her letters to Dr. Johnfon, dated May 3, 1776, from Bath, where, prefently after the fudden death of her only fon, fhe thought of retiring for a fhort time with her eldest daughter. The paragraph runs thus How does Door Taylor do? He was very kind, I remember, when my thunder ftorm came firft on. So was Count Manucci: fo was Mrs. Montague: fo was every body. The world is not guilty of much general harshness, nor inclined, I believe, to increafe pain, which they do not perceive to be deferved. Baretti alone tried to irritate a wound fo very deeply inflicted, and he will find few to approve his cruelty.

How this women could be fo difhoneft as to speak of me in fuch terms, and to accufe me fo audaciously of a favage inclination to encreafe the affliction of the afflicted, without fpecitying how and in what manner I difplayed that favagenefs, is what I fhould not be able to comprehend, had I not frequently bestowed my attention upon the tortuouties of her dilpofition, and with much greater attention than ever Doctor Johnfon would be at the trouble of beftowing. But, that I may not digrefs from the matter in hand, the only motive the ever had, in my opinion, for writing that beaftly paragraph, was what I am going to relate.

On the coming-on of her thunderform, by which the means the fudden death of her fon, Count Manucci, a young nobleman from Florence, who was then on his travels, happening that fatal mor

ning to be at her houfe, and fully fenfible of the attachment I then had to the Thrale family, hurried his fervant to me with the dreadful news.

Not an inftant did I delay to run from Titchfield-street, Marybone, to the Borough, to affift the Count in administering comfort to the wretched parents; and there, as you may well imagine, was I witness to a scene of woe not often vifible, though we live in a world replete with woeful fcenes. Mr. Thrale, both his hands in his waistcoat pocket, fat on an arm-chair in a corner of the room with his body fo ftiffly erect, and with fuch a ghaftly fmile in his face, as was quite horrid to behold. Count Manucci and a female fervant, both as pale as ashes, and as if panting for breath, were evidently fpent with keeping Madam from going frantic (and well the might) every time the recovered from her fainting-fits, that followed each other in a very quick fucceffion. It matters not whether Doctor Taylor and Mrs. Montague went to her fuccour in that diftrefs, as her paragraph feems to import, by joining their names to that of Count Manucci. I do not recollect that either of them appeared at that difconfolate houfe before her fetting out for Bath, and have reafon to suspect her honefty at the time the penned those few periods. Was the paragraph a due compliment to Dr. Taylor and that Lady, or were their names brought in it but the other day as a contraft to mine, that the blow the aimed at me might fall with redoubled force upon my poor head? Hef ter Lynch, Hefter Lynch, I have often read the blackest pages of thy heart, as thou well knoweft; therefore be not furprized at my furmife. My fufpecting thee of dealing falfe with me is backed by the inefficacy of thy malicious paragraph, which, as it will prefently be feen, produced as much effect in the mind of him to whom it was directed, as if he had never received that letter of thine.

Be this as it will, all that day and the two following, the parents, the Count, and myself, were quite immerfed in forrow, as the boy had been a favourite with us all, and had well deferved to be fo. But on the fourth day, as the fits had nearly ceafed, Madam abruptly propofed to fet out immediately for Bath, as withing to avoid the fight of the funeral, that began now to be thought on. Her eldeft daughter, who had been a while in a precarious itate of health, he would take with her, in hopes that the journey and the air of Bath would do her good; but the had

no

no man-friend to go with her, and take care of her during the excurfion. Totravel with people in the deepest affliction is certainly no pleasant thing; yet as the Count did not offer to go, I made a tender of myself without the leaft hesitation, and my company was accepted with thanks, that I am confident were unfeigned, at least in that fingle inftance. I juft afked leave to run home to fetch fome wearing-apparel while the horfes were putting to her coach, reached Salthill that fame evening, and Bath in three days more. I must however not forget telling, that a few minutes before our fetting out, Dr. Johnfon arrived in a post-chaise from Litchfield, as Madam, among her first fits, had found a lucky interval to acquaint him with _her_thunder ftorm, as we fee by his anfwer in her publication; and her letter brought him to town in a hurry. I expected at that moment that he would spare me the jaunt, and go himfelf to Bath with her; but he made no motion to that effect; therefore, after the fad exchange of a few mournful periods, as is customary on fuch occafions, we got into the coach and were foon out of fight. And here I will leave the reader to guefs at the torture I put my brains to during the journey, to furnish talk for the relief of the mother, and inventions proportionate to a child's mind to keep the daughter diverted and in fpirits: nor do I think that my efforts were quite thrown away, though the task was not one of the eafieft, confidering that I myself could not get poor little Harry out of my thoughts, and mourned internally for him as much as ever I did for any other dear object that ever I loft during the long courfe of my life.

We had been at Bath but a day, when, on the arrival of the poft, Madam proved fo very wife, as to fhew me a letter from Dr. Jebb, afterwards Sir Richard, in which the was pretty bluntly reprimanded for her playing the phyfician with her children, and earnestly entreated at the fame time to forbear giving her daughter what he termed tin-pills. It may be true, faid the Doctor in that letter, that the child has worms, and you will probably kill them by means of thofe pills; but ftill the remedy is greatly worse than the dif eafe, as the tin, though ever so much beaten to powder, will tear the child's bowels to pieces. How the Doctor came to hear of Madam's pills, I do not know; but guess it was from Old Nurfe, as, after Mr. Thrale's death, Old Nurie was pre fently turned out of the houfe by her

lady, though fhe had been a fervant there no less than forty years, and would probably have ended her wretched days in fome parifh-workhouse, had not Mifs Thrale, as foon as the came of age, been more merciful to the poor woman than her virtuous mother, who, I have heard, was much vexed at the tranfaction.

In the act of giving me the Doctor's letter to read, See, fee, faid Madam with a pert promptitude that always formed one of her chief characteristics, see what fools thefe phyficians are! They presume to know better how to manage children than their mothers themselves!

On my receiving in this odd manner this odd piece of information about Madam's private doings in her medical capacity, and hearing to boot such a mad comment on a letter that I thought very wife and very timely, my bile fuddenly rose to fuch a degree, that I am fure I uttered my indignation in the most severe terms, and fwore that he would foon fend the daughter to keep company with the fon, if the gave her any more of her damn'd pills and not fatisfied with this, I informed the daughter of the horrid quality of the phyfic that her good mamma adminiftered her against the pofitive order of Dr. Jebb, of whofe letter I told her the contents, exhorting her to refift the taking of any tin. pills, and affuring her that they would foon destroy her.

:

My fiding in fo vehement a manner with Dr. Jebb against her abfurd expecta tion, made Madam's grief presently give way to her fury; and, after a pretty long exchange of very strong words, I fuppofe the proceeded to write the above paragraph in the above letter to Dr. Johnson, fuppofing that he did actually write it at that time, and not eleven years after, for the noble purpose of injuring me. But, tell me freely, honeft reader, was I on fo important an occafion to play the fyco. phant to a woman at once fo proud and fo abfurd, as to tell me without referve that the utterly defpifed Dr. Jebb's knowledge and remonftrances? to a woman, that, to fpight him, probably would have run that inftant to the pill box and forced some part of its contents down her child's throat, though energetically warned, that the life of the amiable thing was at stake, had I not deadened her refolution by thewing myfelf ready to oppofe it with all my power?

Some water-gruel foul may poffibly reply, that I ought not to have taken up the matter in fo rude and violent a manner, but gently expoftulated with Madam

Siz

about

about the prepofteroufnefs of her wild notions, and endeavoured by kind reafoning to bring her over to the opinion of the Doctor, confidering efpecially that I had no manner of right to interfere. What? no right to interfere when I conceive a child's life in danger through the ignorance and fuperlative pride of a mother expoftulate gently with a creature fo infernally conceited, that he makes nothing of Dr. Jebb's medical knowledge, and, ruat calum, will go impetuously on in her mad career? Little does he know what he lays, who talks of gentle expoftulation and kind reafoning with Hefter Lynch, when he has gotten any idea, however strange, in her head! We fhall fee by the fequel what Johnson himfelf got by only offering to expoftulate and reafon with her about another point of as great importance to her as the welfare of a daughter. The woman, I tell you, may be forced into a measure; but, perfuaded! Satan may poflibly do it; but I am fure no man would ever fucceed in fuch an attempt! Give me but time for a few ftrictures, and I will bring you acquainted with her, much better than you will ever be by your going every concert night to hear her turn Italian ftupidity into English wit.

However, notwithstanding our hot words, the morning after my rough boutode, Madam thought befter of it; and well aware that he could not bring me to any terms of accommodation with regard to the tin-pills, refolved for the preient on diffembling her rage, came down to break fan with fome ferenity in her looks, talked to me as affably as ufual, and entirely made it up with me before dinner by a prefent of a red morocco memorandum-bock, nearly as large as a common vihiting-ticket, that the bought on purpofe at the great toy-fhop in Mellomftreet, for half a-crown at leaft. In confequence of her fweet condefcenfion, if you except a bite the gave her under lip because I did not fly into an extacy of admiration once, that the came home with a great bunch of black cock feathers in her hat, which I thought an untimely piece of finery to oon after her ion's death-xcepting that bite, I fay, we be. came as good friends as ever, and continued to all the time we ftaid at Bath; especially as Mits affired me that mamma had given her no tin-pills, and even perwitted her to eat at dinner whatever the liked beft.

Bui, though matters were fo foon and fo happily made up between Madam and me,

the letter to Dr. Johnfon with the vengeful paragraph in it was already difpatched,it we credit the publication that now exhibits it. Had he an answer to that letter? Sure, the must have had one, as Johnfon could not have heard with apathical frig dity a charge of cruelty brought by his divine mistress against his friend; and it is rationally to be fuppofed that he could not have helped taking the moft ferious notice of it, had he received her letter. Yet we do not find the Doctor's answer in that fame publication, and have not the leaft hint of any rebuff to me either from him or from Mr. Thrale, to whom Johnfon would have fhewn her letter, had he been convinced in his own mind that the charge was a just one. Let now the woman account for her fuppreffing the Doctor's anfwer, and fay what he has to fay in fupport of that paragraph, which I call`a wicked calumny. Doublefs Dr. Johnfon must have defired her to specify the particulars of my favage cruelty to her, or we must think him a very forry correfpondent to his dearest dearest Madam.

Ay, ay, the may reply: I have no anfwer from Johnfon to produce, as we left Bath foon after your acts of cruelty to me, and went back fide by fide in the fame coach that had carried us there!

Be it even fo, fhuffling Madam! But ftill, how did it come to pafs that, on our arrival at your house, the cruel Baretti heard not a fingle word about his cruelty to you, though the charge had gone before in black and white? How came it to país that the fharp-fanged favage continued with you, with your husband, and with Johnfon, on the ufual friendly footing for feveral months after our return from Bath? Account, my pretty, in fome plaufible manner for fuch frange peculiarities, and, above all, for the hundred pounds which, foon after that return, Mir. Thrale made me a prefent of, for my having, as he faid, brought back in good health and fpirits both the mother and the daughter!

Well, Signora Piozzi! I have now told in my own way the reason that, I think, induced you to write your iniquitous pa ragraph, no matter whether on the 3d of May 1776, or on any day in the year 1737. Aflign you in your turn, and in your own way, any caute different from that which I have afligned for your paragraph, and give us the true reason why Mr. Thrale and Dr. Johnfon took no kind of rotice of my cruelty to you, be the caule of it what you shall please o have been. Subliantiate your accufa

tion,

tion, Mistress Hefter Lynch, and take pains to fubftantiate it well, or give me leave to fay once more, and a thousand times more, that you are a wicked calumniator; and to continue firm in my

perfuafion, that, as far as I have furveyed the circle of life, I could not easily have met with a worfe misfortune than that of your acquaintance.

END OF STRICTURE THE FIRST.

J. BARETT I.

LET ER I.

From Dr. WILLIAM HARRIS to THOMAS HOLLIS, Efq.

Praife and honour be ever to Mrs. Macauley ! T. H.

ΜΕ

RS. Macauley's work pleafes me. She has fenfe, fpirit, and dignity, Let fcoundrels look up and admire. She fhall have a place, however, in my parlour, and be honoured with the company of Sir Harry Vane, Cromwell (war felfish good Doctor!), Thurloe, &c.

If the lady accepts my trifles, I shall be much pleafed. You may affure her of my elteem (the efteem certainly of an Englishman without guile, and ingenuous), and the free loan of any thing my library contains, which may be any way ferviceable to her work.

The writer of the Confeffional, I fuppofe, is aware of the fate of a reformer; but I am perfuaded (and the writer) he has a spirit to brave it. Thank God! we can all of us do for ourfelves; or, I know (and the writer), we should have little reafon to expel any thing from what is called the World.

What a writer is that FREEBODY in the St. James's Chronicle!

LEMUEL.

IT is with great pleasure I hear, by our friend, of your return. I hope you received benefit from the waters, and continue well. Colds here are almost univerfal, fo that few efcape being difordered by them. Mine, I think, is on the mending hand, fo that I hope to be tolerably well again foon.

By the waggon was fent you yesterday a paper parcel, containing a few books and pamphlets, of which I intreat your kind acceptance.

I much applaud your advertising the Loofe Remarks with your name; they do honour to your judgment, and will be sad with attention and applaufe by men of virtue and understanding. The high and mighty villains, the hunters and oppreffors, the vain, the foolin, and the proud, that is, almost all the titled animals, the plagues and pets of every focicty, will, without understanding, run your excellent work down; but I am much miftaken if your fame is not handed down to very diftant ages.

Clarendon daily finks into contempt;

Pall-Mall, Feb. 28, 1767.

efteemed; and Smollet is dwindled into merely a romancer. Truth was not their

object i