company dined at Lleweney 9-Talk of Greek, The Duke of Marlborough's - Read Phocylidis ", distinI looked in Leland: "Lichfield an unpleasant book of mere hints that the fruit was bad-It was truly the dinner of a country gentleman' - Two tables were filled with company, not inelegant After dinner, the talk was of preserving the Welsh language-I offered them a scheme Poor Evan Evans was mentioned as incorrigibly addicted to strong drink - Worthington was commended 2 - Myddleton is the only man Wednesday, Aug. 10.-At Lloyd's, of Maeswho, in Wales, has talked to me of literature mynnan; a good house, and a very large -I wish he were truly zealous - I recomwalled garden - I read Windus's Account of mended the republication of David ap Rhees's his Journey to Mequinez, and of Stewart's Welsh Grammar -Two sheets of Hebrides Embassy 13-I had read in the morning Wasse's came to me for correction to-day, F, G.3 Greek Trochaics to Bentley: they appeared Saturday, Aug. 6. — Kál[apoic] dp[aorik]. inelegant, and made with difficulty - The I corrected the two sheets My sleep last Latin elegy contains only common-place, hastily night was disturbed-Washing at Chester and expressed, so far as I have read, for it is long here, 5s. 1d. I did not read- I saw to-day-They seem to be the verses of a scholar, more of the outhouses at Lleweney It is, in the whole, a very spacious house. -- who has no practice of writing- The Greek I did not always fully understand - I am in doubt about the sixth and last paragraphs; perhaps they are not printed right, for EUTOKOV perhaps evoToxov. q? The following days [11th, 12th, and 13th], I read here and there -The Bibliotheca Literaria was so little supplied with papers that could interest curiosity, that it could not hope for long continuance 1Wasse 15, the chief contributor, was an unpolished scholar, who, with much literature, had no art or elegance of diction, at least in English. Sunday, Aug. 7.-I was at church at Bodfari. There was a service used for a sick woman, not canonically, but such as I have heard, I think, formerly at Lichfield, taken out of the visitation.. Καθ. μετριως. — The church is mean, but has a square tower for the bells, rather too stately for the church. Observations. Dixit injustus, Ps. 36., has no relation to the English-Preserve us, Lord, has the name of Robert Wisedome, 1618. Barker's Bible — Battologiam ab iteratione, recte distinguit Erasmus. Mod. Orandi Deum, p. 56. 144.6-Southwell's Thoughts of his own death 7. Baudius on Erasmus.8 Monday, Aug. 8. The bishop and much 1 Mrs. Piozzi, in one of her letters to Mr. Duppa on this passage, says, " Dr. Johnson loved a fine dinner, but would eat perhaps more heartily of a coarse one-boiled beef or veal pie; fish he seldom passed over, though he said that he only valued the sauce, and that every body eat the first as a vehicle for the second. When he poured oyster sauce over plum pudding, and the melted butter flowing from the toast into his chocolate, one might surely say that he was nothing less than delicate."- CROKER. 2 Johnson's friend, Dr. Worthington, was resident in a Welsh living, which the family afterwards visited, post, 8th Sept. CROKER. 3 F, G, are the printer's signatures, by which it appears that at this time five sheets had already been printed.DUPPA. 4 Dr. Johnson meant that the words of the Latin version, "Dixit injustus," prefixed to the 36th Psalm (one of those appointed for the day), had no relation to the English version in the Liturgy: "My heart showeth me the wickedness of the ungodly." The biblical version, however, has some accordance with the Latin, "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart;" and Bishop Lowth renders it " The wicked man, according to the wickedness of his heart, saith." It is a very perplexed passage. See Quarterly Review, vol. 50. p. 540. The biblical version of the Psalins was made by the translators of the whole Bible, under James 1., from the original Hebrew, and is closer than the version used in the Liturgy, which was made in the reign of Henry VIII. from the Greek. CROKER. 5 This alludes to " A Prayer by R. W." (evidently Robert Wisedom) which Sir Henry Ellis, of the British Museum, has found among the Hymns which follow the old version of the singing Psalms, at the end of Barker's Bible of 1639. It begins, "Preserve us, Lord, by thy dear word, From Turk and Pope, defend us, Lord! 6 In allusion to our Saviour's censure of vain repetition in prayer (battologia— Matt. vi. 7.). Erasmus, in the passage cited, defends the words "My God! My God!" as an expression of justifiable earnestness. - CROKER. 7 This alludes to Southwell's stanzas " Upon the Image of Death," in his Mæonia, a collection of spiritual poems : "Before my face the picture hangs, That daily should put me in mind Do think theron that I must die," &c. Robert Southwell was an English Jesuit, who was imprisoned, tortured, and finally, in Feb. 1598, tried, convicted, and next day executed, for teaching the Roman Catholic tencts in England. CROKER. 8 This work, which Johnson was now reading, was, most probably, a little book, entitled Baudii Epistolæ, as, in his "Life of Milton," he has made a quotation from it. DUPPA. 9 During our stay at this place, one day at dinner, I meant to please Mr Johnson particularly with a dish of very young peas. "Are not they charming?" said I to him while he was eating them. "Perhaps," he answered, "they would be so to a pig."— Piozzi MS. CROKER. 10 Bishop Shipley had been a chaplain with the Duke of Cumberland, and probably now entertained Dr Johnson with some anecdotes collected from his military acquaintance, by which Johnson was led to conclude that the "Duke of Marlborough's officers were useless;" that is, probably, that the duke saw and did every thing himself; a fact which, it is presumed, may be told of all great captains.- CHOKER. 1 The title of the poem is Ποίημα νουθετικόν. - Dupra. 12 An extract from Leland's Itinerary, published by Hearne, 1710 DUPPA. 13" To the present Emperor of Fez and Morocco, for the Redemption of Captives, in 1721.” — DUPPA. 14 The Bibliotheca Literaria only extended to ten numbers. - DUPPA. 15 Joseph Wasse was born in 1672, and died Dec. 13. 1738. He published an edition of Sallust, and contributed some papers to the Philosophical Transactions. — CROKER. "Lleweney, in Denbighshire, Aug. 16. 1774. "DEAR SIR, Mr. Thrale's affairs have kept him here a great while, nor do I know exactly when we shall come hence. I have sent you a bill upon Mr. Strahan. — I have made nothing of the ipecacuanha, but have taken abundance of pills, and hope that they have done me good. "Wales, so far as I have yet seen of it, is a very beautiful and rich country, all enclosed and planted. Denbigh is not a mean town. Make my compli. ments to all my friends, and tell Frank I hope he remembers my advice. When his money is out let him have more. I am, Sir, your humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." Thursday, Aug. 18.- We left Lleweney, and went forwards on our journey- We came to Abergeley, a mean town, in which little but Welsh is spoken, and divine service is seldom performed in English-Our way then lay to the seaside, at the foot of a mountain, called Penmaen Rhôs Here the way was so steep, that we walked on the lower edge of the hill, to meet the coach, that went upon a road higher on the hill Our walk was not long, nor unpleasant: the longer I walk, the less I feel its inconvenience - As I grow warm, my breath mends, and I think my limbs grow pliable. We then came to Conway ferry, and passed in small boats, with some passengers from the stage coach, among whom were an Irish gentlewoman, with two maids, and three little children, of which, the youngest was only a few months old. The tide did not serve the large ferryboat, and therefore our coach could not very soon follow us - We were, therefore, to stay at the inn. It is now the day of the race at Conway, and the town was so full of company, that no money could purchase lodgings. We were not very readily supplied with cold dinner. We would have staid at Conway if we could have found entertainment, for we were afraid of passing Penmaen Mawr, over which lay our way to Bangor, but by bright daylight, and the CROKER. 1 Sic, probably for nálægσis àgils 2 "A weakness of the knees, not without some pain in walking, which I feel increased after I have dined."DUPPA. 3 Penmaen Mawr is a huge rocky promontory, rising nearly 1550 feet perpendicular above the sea. Along a shelf of this precipice is formed an excellent road, well guarded, toward the sea, by a strong wall, supported in many parts by arches turned underneath it. Before this wall was built, travellers sometimes fell down the precipices.- Duppa. 4 The inner wall was, as I have seen, and once nearly ex delay of our coach made our departure necessarily late. There was, however, no stay on any other terms than of sitting up all night. The poor Irish lady was still more distressed -Her children wanted rest-She would have been content with one bed, but, for a time, none could be had Mrs. Thrale gave her what help she could At last two gentlemen were persuaded to yield up their room, with two beds, for which she gave half a guinea. Our coach was at last brought, and we set out with some anxiety, but we came to Penmaen Mawr by daylight; and found a way, lately made, very easy, and very safe 3 It was cut smooth, and enclosed between parallel walls; the outer of which secures the passenger from the precipice, which is deep and dreadful - This wall is here and there broken by mischievous wantonness-The inner wall preserves the road from the loose stones, which the shattered steep above it would pour down +-That side of the mountain seems to have a surface of loose stones, which every accident may crumble The old road was higher, and must have been very formidable - The sea beats at the bottom of the way. At evening the moon shone eminently bright, and our thoughts of danger being now past, the rest of our journey was very pleasant. At an hour somewhat late we came to Bangor, where we found a very mean inn, and had some difficulty to obtain lodging-I lay in a room, where the other bed had two men. 5 Friday, Aug. 19. We obtained boats to convey us to Anglesey, and saw Lord Bulkeley's house, and Beaumaris Castle.-I was accosted by Mr. Lloyd, the schoolmaster of Beaumaris, who had seen me at University College; and he, with Mr. Roberts, the register of Bangor, whose boat we borrowed, accompanied us. Lord Bulkeley's house is very mean, but his garden is spacious and shady, with large trees and smaller interspersed The walks are straight, and cross each other, with no variety of plan; but they have a pleasing coolness and solemn gloom, and extend to a great length. The castle is a mighty pile; the outward wall has fifteen round towers, besides square towers at the angles - There is then a void space between the wall and the castle, which has an area enclosed with a wall, which again has towers, larger than those of the outer wall The towers of the inner castle are, I think, eightThere is likewise a chapel entire, built upon an arch, as I suppose, and beautifully arched with - The a stone roof, which is yet unbroken perienced, but an insignificant defence—indeed, none at all— when after frosts or heavy rains the superimpendent masses were disturbed. A rail-road is now in progress along the face of this promontory.-CROKER, 1846. 5 Baron Hill is situated just above the town of Beaumaris, at the distance of three quarters of a mile, commanding so fine a view of the sea, and the coast of Caernarvon, that it has been sometimes compared to Mount Edgecombe, in Devonshire. DUPPA. In some respects the prospect is much finer, the Snowdon range being its background. - CROKER entrance into the chapel is about eight or nine feet high, and was, I suppose, higher, when there was no rubbish in the area This castle corresponds with all the representations of romancing narratives. Here is not wanting the private passage, the dark cavity, the deep dungeon, or the lofty tower-We did not discover the well -This is the most complete view that I have yet had of an old castle-It had a moat The towers -We went to Bangor. - -- Saturday, Aug. 20. We went by water from Bangor to Caernarvon, where we met Paoli and Sir Thomas W - Meeting by Vynne chance with one Troughton 2, an intelligent and loquacious wanderer, Mr. Thrale invited him to dinner-He attended us to the castle, an edifice of stupendous magnitude and strength; it has in it all that we observed at Beaumaris, and much greater dimensions: many of the smaller rooms floored with stone are entire; of the larger rooms, the beams and planks are all left: this is the state of all buildings left to time-We mounted the eagle tower by one hundred and sixty-nine steps, each of ten inches - We did not find the well; nor did I trace the moat; but moats there were, I believe, to all castles on the plain, which not only hindered access, but prevented mines - We saw but a very small part of this mighty ruin, and in all these old buildings, the subterraneous works are concealed by the rubbish-To survey this place would take much time: I did not think there had been such buildings; it surpassed my ideas. - Sunday, Aug. 21. [At Caernarvon]. We were at church; the service in the town is always English; at the parish-church at a small distance, always Welsh The town has by degrees, I suppose, been brought nearer to the sea-side We received an invitation to Dr. Worthington-We then went to dinner at Sir Thomas Wynne's-the dinner mean, Sir Thomas civil, his lady nothing 3 - Paoli civil-We supped with Colonel Wynne's lady, who lives in one of the towers of the castleI have not been very well. Monday, Aug. 22. We went to visit Bodville, the place where Mrs. Thrale was born, and the churches called Tydweilliog and Llangwinodyl, which she holds by impropria Sir Thomas Wynne, created Lord Newborough, 1778: died 1807. DUPPA.. "Lieutenant Troughton I do recollect; loquacious and Intelligent he was. He wore a uniform, and belonged, I think, to a man of war." - Piozzi MS. He was made a lieutenant in 1762, and died in 1786. in that rank: he was on half-pay and did not belong to any ship when he met Dr. Johnson, in 1774. It seems then that, even so late as this, half pay officers wore their uniform in the ordinary course of life. CROKER. 3 Lady Catharine Percival, daughter of the second Earl of Egmont this was, it appears, the lady of whom Mrs. Piozzi relates, that"For a lady of quality, since dead, who received us at her husband's seat in Wales with less attention than he had long been accustomed to, he had a rougher denunciation: That woman,' cried Johnson, is like sour small beer, the beverage of her table, and produce of the wretched country she lives in like that, she could never have been a good : tion -We had an invitation to the house of Mr. Griffiths of Bryn o dol, where we found a small neat new-built house, with square-rooms: the walls are of unhewn stone, and therefore thick; for the stones not fitting with exactness, are not strong without great thickness - He had planted a great deal of young wood in walks - Fruit trees do not thrive; but having grown a few years, reach some barren stratum and wither-We found Mr. Griffiths not at home; but the provisions were good. Tuesday, Aug. 23. Mr. Griffiths came home the next day - He married a lady who has a house and estate at [Llanver], over against Anglesea, and near Caernarvon, where she is more disposed, at it seems, to reside, than at Bryn o dol-I read Lloyd's account of Mona, which he proves to be Anglesea - In our way to Bryn o dol, we saw at Llanerk a church built crosswise, very spacious and magnificent for this country-We could not see the parson, and could get no intelligence about it. Wednesday, Aug. 24.-We went to see Bodville-Mrs. Thrale remembered the rooms, and wandered over them, with recollection of her childhood - This species of pleasure is always melancholy - The walk was cut down, and the pond was dry-Nothing was better. We surveyed the churches, which are mean, and neglected to a degree scarcely imaginable -They have no pavement, and the earth is full of holes-The seats are rude benches; the altars have no rails. One of them has a breach in the roof-On the desk, I think, of each lay a folio Welsh Bible of the black letter, which the curate cannot easily read - Mr. Thrale purposes to beautify the churches, and, if he prospers, will probably restore the tithes. -The two parishes are, Llangwinodyl and Tydweilliog The methodists are here very prevalent-A better church will impress the people with more reverence of public worship Mrs. Thrale visited a house where she had been used to drink milk, which was left, with an estate of two hundred pounds a year, by one Lloyd, to a married woman who lived with him- We went to Pwlheli, a mean old town, at the extremity of the country — Here we bought something to remember the place. thing, and even that bad thing is spoiled."" And it is probably of her too that another anecdote is told: "We had been visiting at a lady's house, whom, as we returned, some of the company ridiculed for her ignorance:- She is not ignorant,' said he, I believe, of any thing she has been taught, or of any thing she is desirous to know; and I suppose if one wanted a little run tea, she might be a proper person enough to apply to.'" Mrs. Piozzi says, in her MS. letters, that Lady Catharine comes off well in the diary. He said many severe things of her, which he did not commit to paper." She died in 1782. — CROKER. 4 Situated among the mountains of Caernarvonshire.Piozzi MS. - CROKER. 5 It does not appear that Mr. Thrale carried his good intentions into effect, as in 1809 one parish was only fortythree pounds, and the other forty-five pounds, a year.DUPPA. Thursday, Aug. 25.-We returned to Caernarvon, where we eat with Mrs. Wynne. Friday, Aug. 26.-We visited, with Mrs. Wynne, Llyn Badarn and Llyn Beris, two lakes, joined by a narrow strait-They are formed by the waters which fall from Snowdon, and the opposite mountains-On the side of Snowdon are the remains of a large fort, to which we climbed with great labour-I was breathless and harassed- The lakes have no great breadth, so that the boat is always near one bank or the other-Note. Queeny's goats, one hundred and forty-nine, I think. Note.-On the day when we visited Bodville, we turned to the house of Mr. Griffiths, of Kefnamwycllh, a gentleman of large fortune, remarkable for having made great and sudden improvements in his seat and estate - he has enclosed a large garden with a brick wallHe is considered as a man of great accomplishments He was educated in literature at the university, and served some time in the army, then quitted his commission, and retired to his lands. He is accounted a good man, and endeavours to bring the people to church. In our way from Bangor to Conway, we passed again the new road upon the edge of Penmaen Mawr, which would be very tremendous, but that the wall shuts out the idea of danger In the wall are several breaches, made, as Mr. Thrale very reasonably conjectures, by fragments of rocks which roll As we were rowing on the lake. Mrs. Glynn Wynne, wife of Lord Newburgh's brother, who accompanied us, sang Welsh songs to the harp. Piozzi MS.-CROKER. - 2 Mr. Thrale was near-sighted, and could not see the goats browsing on Snowdon, and he promised his daughter, who was a child of ten years old, a penny for every goat she would show him, and Dr. Johnson kept the account; so that it appears her father was in debt to her one hundred and forty-nine pence. Queeny was an epithet, which had its origin in the nursery, by which [in allusion to Queen Esther] Miss Thrale (whose name was Esther) was always distinguished by Johnson. DUPPA. 3" It is very likely I did say so. My relations were not quite as forward as I thought they might have been to welcome a long distant kinswoman. The Myddeltons were more cordial. The old colonel had been a fellow collegian with Mr. Thrale and Lord Sandys of Ombersley."Prozzi MS.-CROKER. However this may have been, he was both happy and amused, during his stay at Gwaynynog, and Mr. Myddelton was flattered by the honur of his visit. To perpetuate the recollection of it, he (to use Mr. Boswell's words) erected an urn on the banks of the rivulet, in the park, where Johnson delighted to stand and recite verses; on which is this inscrip tion:-"This spot was often dignified by the presence of SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D, whose Moral Writings, exactly conformable to the Precepts of Christianity, gave ardour to Virtue, and confidence to Truth." In 1777, it would appear from a letter by Johnson to Mrs. Thrale, that he was informed that Mr. Myddelton meditated this honour, which down the mountain, broken perhaps by frost, or worn through by rain. We then viewed Conway-To spare the horses at Penmaen Rhôs, between Conway and St. Asaph, we sent the coach over the road across the mountain with Mrs. Thrale, who had been tired with a walk some time before; and I, with Mr. Thrale and Miss, walked along the edge, where the path is very narrow, and much encumbered by little loose stones, which had fallen down, as we thought, upon the way since we passed it before. At Conway we took a short survey of the castle, which afforded us nothing new - It is larger than that of Beaumaris, and less than that of Caernarvon-It is built upon a rock so high and steep, that it is even now very difficult of access- -We found a round pit, which was called the Well; it is now almost filled, and therefore dry- We found the Well in no other castle-There are some remains of leaden pipes at Caernarvon, which, I suppose, only conveyed water from one part of the building to another-Had the garrison had no other supply, the Welsh, who must know where the pipes were laid, could easily have cut them. We came to the house of Mr. Myddelton (on Monday), where we staid to September 6., and were very kindly entertained- How we spent our time, I am not very able to tell+-We saw the wood, which is diversified and romantic. Sunday, Sept. 4.-We dined with Mr. Myddelton, the clergyman, at. Denbigh, where I saw the harvest men very decently dressed, after the afternoon service, standing to be hired-On other days, they stand at about four in the morning-they are hired from day to day. Tuesday, Sept. 6. We lay at Wrexham ; a busy, extensive, and well-built town-it has a very large and magnificent church. famous fair.5 It has a Wednesday, Sept. 7.- We came to Chirk Castle. seemed to be but little to his taste:-"Mr. Myddelton's erection of an urn looks like an intention to bury me alive: I would as willingly see my friend, however benevolent and hospitable, quietly Inurned. Let him think, for the present, of some more acceptable memorial." DUPPA. 5 It was probably on the 6th Sept., in the way from Wrexham to Chirk, that they passed through Ruabon, where the following occurrence took place:-"A Welch parson of mean abilities, though a good heart, struck with reverence at the sight of Dr. Johnson, whom he had heard of as the greatest man living, could not find any words to answer his inquiries concerning a motto round somebody's arms which adorned a tombstone in Ruabon churchyard. If I remember right, the words were, Heb Dw, Heb Dym, Dw o' diggon.'* And though of no very difficult construction, the gentleman seemed wholly confounded, and unable to explain them; till Mr. Johnson, having picked out the meaning by little and little, said to the man, Heb is a preposition, I believe, Sir, is it not? My countryman, recovering some spirits upon the sudden question, cried out, So I humbly presume, Sir,' very comically."-Piozzi's Anecdotes. — CROKER. The Myddelton motto, meaning, Without God, without all! God is all-sutficient! - Piozzi MS. — CROKER. Thursday, Sept. 8- We came to the house of Dr. Worthington', at Llanrhaiadr2- Our entertainment was poor, though his house was not bad. The situation is very pleasant, by the side of a small river, of which the bank rises high on the other side, shaded by gradual rows of trees -The gloom, the stream, and the silence, generate thoughtfulness. The town is old, and very mean, but has, I think, a market In this house, the Welsh translation of the Old Testament was made - The Welsh singing psalms were written by Archdeacon Price They are not considered as elegant, but as very literal, and accurate-We came to Llanrhaiadr through Oswestry; a town not very little, nor - the church, which I saw only at a distance, seems to be an edifice much too good for the present state of the place. very mean Friday, Sept. 9.-We visited the waterfall, which is very high, and in rainy weather very copious-There is a reservoir made to supply it-In its fall, it has perforated a rock - There is a room built for entertainment - There was some difficulty in climbing to a near view Lord Lyttelton 3 came near it, and turned back-When we came back, we took some cold meat, and notwithstanding the Doctor's importunities, went that day to Shrewsbury. Saturday, Sept. 10.-I sent for Gwynn+, and he showed us the town-the walls are broken, and narrower than those of Chester The town is large, and has many gentlemen's houses, but the streets are narrow-I saw Taylor's library-We walked in the Quarry; a very pleasant walk by the river-Our ing was not bad. - Sunday, Sept. 11. - We were at St. Chad's, a very large and luminous church-We were on the Castle Hill. Monday, Sept. 12.- We called on Dr. Adams, and travelled towards Worcester, through Wenlock; a very mean place, though a borough - At noon, we came to Bridgenorth, and walked about the town, of which one part stands on a high rock, and part very low, by the river - There is an old tower, which, being crooked, leans so much, that it is frightful to pass by it-In the afternoon we came through Kinver, a town in Staffordshire, neat and closely built-I believe it has only one street - The road was so steep and miry, that we were forced to stop at Hartlebury, where we had a very neat inn, though it made a very poor appearance. Tuesday, Sept. 13.- We came to Lord Sandys's, at Ombersley, where we were treated with great civility -The house is largeThe hall is a very noble room. 6 Thursday, Sept. 15.- We went to Worcester, a very splendid city-The cathedral is very noble, with many remarkable monuments -The library is in the chapter-house - On the table lay the Nuremberg Chronicle, I think, of the first edition. We went to the china warehouse - The cathedral has a cloister-The long aisle is, in my opinion, neither so wide nor so high as that of Lichfield. Friday, Sept. 16. We went to Hagley, where we were disappointed of the respect and kindness that we expected.? Saturday, Sept. 17.- We saw the house and park, which equalled my expectation — The house is one square mass- -The offices are below - The rooms of elegance on the first floor, with two stories of bedchambers, very well disposed above it-The bedchambers have low windows, which abates the dignity of the house- The park has one artificial ruin, and wants water; there is, however, one temporary cascade - From the farthest hill there is a very wide prospect. Sunday, Sept. 18.-I went to church The church is, externally, very mean, and is therefore diligently hidden by a plantation There are in it several modern monuments of the Lytteltons - There dined with us Lord Dudley, and Sir Edward Lyttelton, of Staffordshire, and his lady - They were all persons of agreeable conversation-I found time to reflect on my birthday, and offered a prayer, which I hope was heard. Monday Sept. 19.-We made haste away from a place where all were offended 10— In the way we visited the Leasowes It was rain, yet we visited all the waterfalls There are, in one place, fourteen falls in a short line - It is the next place to Ilam gardens - Poor Shenstone never tasted his pension - It is not 1 Dr. Johnson thus notices his death (on the 6th Oct. 1778, aged seventy-five) in a letter to Mrs. Thrale: "My clerical friend Worthington is dead. I have known him long and to die is dreadful. I believe he was a very good man."— Letters.-- CROKER. 2 Llanrhaiadr means The Village of the Waterfall, and takes its name from a waterfall, the chief feature of the vicinity. CROKER. 3 Thomas, the second Lord. - DUPPA. 4 Mr. Gwynn, an architect of considerable celebrity, was a native of Shrewsbury, and was at this time completing a bridge across the Severn, called the English Bridge. DUPPA. See antè, p. 181.-C. 5 The master of Pembroke College, Oxford; who was also Rector of St. Chad's, in Shrewsbury. Duppa. 6 It was here that Johnson had as much wall-fruit as he wished, and, as he told Mrs. Thrale, for the only time in his life. - DUPPA. Perhaps it was the only time he ever was at a fine country house at that season. -CROKER. 7 This visit was not to Lord Lyttelton, but to his uncle [called Billy Lyttelton, afterwards, by successive creations, Lord Westcote, and Lord Lyttelton], the father of the present Lord, who lived at a house called Little Hagley DUPPA. This gentleman was a friend of Mr. Thrale, and had some years before invited Johnson (through Mrs. Thrale) to visit him at Hagley. CROKER. 8 He was enraged at artificial ruins and temporary cascades, so that I wonder at his leaving his opinion of them dubious besides he hated the Lytteltons, and would rejoice at an opportunity of insulting them.-Piazzi MS.-CROKER, 9 John, second Viscount Dudley and Ward, who died in 1788, and Sir Edward Lyttelton, who represented Staffordshire, in several parliaments, and died in May, 1812, æt. 86, a remarkable specimen of a country gentleman of the old school. CROKER. 10 Mrs. Lyttelton, ci-devant Caroline Bristow, forced me to play at whist against my liking, and her husband took away Johnson's candle that he wanted to read by at the other end of the room. Those, I trust, were the offences.Prozzi MS. CROKER. |