mature age and a widow. But such seems not to have heen the idea among Johnson’s friends, even in a matter so purely personal. Our Critic becomes positively peevish, if not ill-natured in his notes upon the Anecdotes. Her economy, rather ill-judged perhaps upon one occasion, increased this irritation. Mr. Cator of the Adelphi, who as guardian of the daughters was interested in the affairs of the family, wrote to Mrs. Piozzi in Italy in 1785, that for Dr. Johnson’s monument two guineas only would be accepted from subscribers; and that sum he had paid for her and for each of her daughters. Proving however insufficient for the object, further aid became necessary, and Malone writes: “The committee for the monument of Dr. Johnson applied, among others, to Mrs. Piozzi. She had gained 500l. by this book (Anecdotes) and 600l. by publishing his letters. The answer sent me by this worthless woman with three guineas 4th February 1791 or 92 was—‘Mrs. Piozzi sends her compliments to Mr. Malone, assuring him that she has already subscribed two guineas for this purpose, and has now sent three guineas more to make up five.’”[1]
Toward the end of the year, a present from a friend put him in possession of a small volume of ancient English verse, of which by an alluring table of contents, an admirer of that age might reasonably be proud.
“Diana or the Sonnets of H. C. (Henry Constable) 1592 or 1594; Daniel’s Sonnets, with the
- ↑ From the copy of Anecdotes, obligingly lent me by J. H. Markland, Esq., who purchased it at the younger Boswell’s sale in 1825.
