half the wits of the age. The only fault that charming woman has, is, that she is fond of collecting too many of them together at one time z . There were nineteen persons assembled at dinner, but after the repast, she has a method of dividing her guests, or rather letting them assort themselves into little groups of five or six each. I spent my time in going from one to the other of these little societies, as I happened more or less to like the subjects they were discussing. Mrs. Scott 2 , Mrs. Montagu's sister, a very good writer, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Barbauld 3 , and a man of letters, whose name I have forgotten, made up one of these little parties. When we had canvassed two or three sub jects, I stole off and joined in with the next group, which was composed of Mrs. Montagu, Dr. Johnson, the Provost of Dublin 4 , and two other ingenious men. In this party there was a diversity of opinions, which produced a great deal of good argument and reasoning. There were several other groups less interesting to me, as they were more composed of rank than talent, and it was amusing to see how the people of sentiment singled out each other, and how the fine ladies and pretty gentlemen naturally slid into each other's society.
1 Miss Burney describes 'a very a mean thing to bring thus every fine public breakfast 3 Mrs. Mon- idle word into judgment the judg- tagu gave, at which there were * not ment of the public/ Barbauld's fewer than four or five hundred Works, ed. 1825, ii. 158. In the people. It was like a full Ranelagh same year she wrote : ' Mrs. Mon- by daylight.' Mme. D'Arblay's tagu, who entertains all the aris- Diary, v. 302. tocrats [the French fugitives], had
For 'public dinners,' see Life, iv. invited a Marchioness of BoufHers and
367, n. 3. Johnson describes how her daughter to dinner. After making
Swift * opened his house by a publick her wait till six the marchioness
table two days a week.' Works, viii. came, and made an apology for her
208. daughter, that just as she was going
2 The sister of Mrs. Montagu, to dress she was seized with a degout and the wife of that George Lewis momentanee \sic\ du monde, and Scott, who once 'with Johnson and could not wait on her.' Ib. p. 139. Hercules made out the triumvirate 4 Dr. John Hely Hutchinson. On comically enough.' Ante, i. 180. his appointment Topham Beauclerk
3 Ante, i. 157, and Life, ii. 408. wrote to Lord Charlemont : 'I Mrs. Barbauld, reading Boswell's agree with you that there never was Life of Johnson the month it came a more scandalous thing than making out, writes: 'It is like going to the man provost that is made.' Char- Ranelagh ; you meet all your ac- lemont Papers, Hist. MSS. Comm., quaintance ; but it is a base and 1891^.231.
I had
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