The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-01-22
Anecdotes OF Authors.

u AAAS1h W Oat thO otuCk ouC oOkAs
can tell 'ee."
Anecdotes OF Authors.
Cottle, in his Life of Coleridge,"
relates the following amusing incident:
~ led the horse to the stable, when
fresh perplexity arose. 1 removed the
harness without difficulty; but after
many strenuous efforts / could not re-
move the collar. In despair I called
for assistance, when aid soon drew near,
MIR. Wordsworth brought his ingenuity
into exercise, but after several unsuc-
cessful attempts he relinquished the
achievement as thing altogether i'm
practicable. Mr.. Coleridge now tried
his hand, but showed no more groom
ing skill than his predecessors; for, aft
er twisting the poor horses neck al
most to strangulation and the great
danger of his eyes, he gave up the task,
pronouncing that the horses head must
have grown (gout or dropsyP) since the
collar was put on; for, he said, it was
"a downright impossibility for such
huge os fronts to pass through so mar
row q collar Just at this instant q
servant-girl came near, and, under
standing the cause of our consternation,
La, MASTER said she, 'yo, don't go
about the work in the right way; 20,
should go like this when, turning the
collar completely upside down, she
slipped it off in q moment, to our great
humiliation and wonderment, each sat
isfied afresh that there were heights of
knowledge in the world to which we
had not yet attained" -tAs
We are told of Fielding's "Tom
Tov,a, - <kok xrxba tho xrnrtr
pleted, the author "being at the time
hard pressed for money, took it to a
second-rate publisher with the view of
selling it for what it would fetch at the
moment. He left it with the bookseller,
and called upon him next day for his
decision. The publisher hesitated,
and requested another day for consid-
eration; and, at parting, Fielding Of
fered him the manuscript for f25. On
his way home Fielding met Thomson,
the poet, whom he told of the negotia-
ton for the sale of the manuscript;
when Thomson, knowing the high
merit of the work, conjured him to be
off the bargain, and offered to find a
| better purchaser. Next morning,
Fielding hastened to his appointment
with as much apprehension, lest the
bookseller should keep to his bargain,
as he had felt the day before lest he
should altogether decline it. To the
authors great Joy. the ignorant traf-
flicker in literature declined, and re-
turned the manuscript to Fielding. He
next set off with q light heart to his
friend Thomson; and the novelist and
poet then went to Andrew Millar,
the great publisher of the day.
Millar, as was his practice with
works of light reading, handed
the manuscript to his wife, who, having
read it, advised him by no means to let
it slip through his fingers. Millar now
invited the two friends to meet him at
q coffee-house in the Strand, where,
after dinner, the bookseller, with great
caution, offered Fielding f2O0 for the
manuscript. The novelist was amazed
at the largeness of the offer. Then,
my good SIR said he, recovering him
self from this unexpected stroke of
good fortune, give me your hand-the
book is yours; and WAITER continued
he, bring couple of bottles of your
best port Before Millar died, he had
cleared f1s,OOO by tom Jones' out
of which he generously made Fielding
various presents, to the amount of f2,
600; and when he died he bequeathe ed
a handsome legacy to each OF Field
ing's sons"
There are some amusing stories told
of the two Sheridans, father and son.
Sheridan-probably with view to i'm
proving the financial condition of the
family-was very desirous that his son
Tom should marry young lady Of
fortune; but he knew that Miss Cal
lander had already won his heart The
father, expatiating on the folly of his
son; at length broke out: "Tom, if you
off with shillingr'
Tom, looking maliciously at his faith
er, said, Then, sir, you must borrow
itr'
In a large party one evening, the con.
versafion turned upon young mems al
lowances at college. Tom deplored the
ill-judging parsimony of parents in that
respect.
az am sure, Tom," said his father,
"you have no reason to complain; al
ways allowed you f80O year"
"Yes, father, confess you allowed
it; but, then, it was never paidr'
Hannah More and her sister visited
London in 1773 or 1774, and were the
guests of Garrick. They were received
with favor by johnson, Reynolds and
Burke. Hannah More's sister has thus
described their first interview with
johnson: 1--WE have paid another visi,
to Miss Reynolds; she had sent to en-
gage DIR. Percy Percy's Collection,
now you know him-quite sprightly
modern, instead Of rusty antique, as
expected. He was no sooner gone thar
the most amiable and obliging OF
women, Miss Reynolds, ordered the
coach to take us to DR.. JOhnson's very
own house. Yes, Abyssinian johnson
Dictionary Johnson! Rans6lers, Idler,
and Irene Johnson! Can you picture
to yourselves the palpitation of oul
hearts as we approached this mansioni
The conversation turned upon q new
work of his just going to the press
THE Tour TO the Hebrides,' and his
old friend Richardson. Mrs. Williams
the blind poetess, who lives with him.
was introduced to us. She is engaging
in her manners, her conversation live
ly, and entertaining. Miss Reynolds
told the doctor Of all our rapturous ex.
clamations on the road. He shook his
scientific head at Hannah, and said she
was "a silly thing When our visi
was ended, he called for his hat, as il
rained, to attend us down a very long
entry TO our coach, and not Rassela.
could have acquitted himself more er
cavalier.
"Dr. Johnson's wigs were in genera
very shabby, and their fore-parts were
burned away by the near approach tG
the candle which his short-sightedness
rendered necessary in reading. A
Streatham Mr.. Thrale's butler alway!
had q wig ready; and as johnson passed
from the drawing-room, when dinner
was announced, the servant would re
move the ordinary wig and replace i