New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-01
sTUDIES IN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
BY CHARLES t. coNGpoN.
MRS. PIOZZI. QHRALE.l


together at Florence. took a fancy to while away
their time in scribbug high-Gown pancgyrics ON
Themselves and complimentary 'canzoncttas on
twoor three Italians, who understood too attic oi
The language IN which they were written to he
disgustcd with them In this there was not much
harm MOI, indeed, much good hut as FOLLY is
progressive they soon wrought themselves mt" the
opinion that they really deserved the inc things
which were mutually said and sung OF each other.
Tins GOO, natnred paragraph marks the posi-Johh-
-sonian period Of Mrs. Tnralcs life. Dr. johnson
died in 1854. But the OF friendship which had
existed between Bolt court and Strcatham had for
some time been concluded She who had so long
good nat uredly tolerated the lad manners OF tho
lexicographer had numOred his fOlbles and Sedu-
lousy mimistcTed to his capnciOus comfort hAd
seen fit TO marry as she pleased JohnsOn's conduct
when he heard Of Ms Thrae's engagement with
Mir PiOlz has always struck me as slnguarly brutal
and British. The match in the first place was
simply none Of his business. He was one Of the
brewers executors. but there were no instructions
In the will providing that Mrs Thrae should not
remarry without the consent Of DR.. Johnson. The
placid man of malt and hops knew has wife and
perhaps knew johnson too well to indulge in
any such testanentary instructions las the lawyers
saw in restraint of marriage" Johnson, IN his
last letter addressed to her on her marriage with
the Italian singing master. admits that he had no
pretence to resent it," There once foolish talk
of his winning her himself ] have 40 right to the
least rcDut alton "a student and observer vi those
times but il bad would stake II upon the OpIn-
ion that such AZ alliance never fST momeh en-
tered into the ughts of eitherae Doctor or the
Dame. II the impO,sib,lty of srfch January ana
MAY matter is considered. a who'll, food Of light
will lie thrown pom the who:e business. hr.
Thiale died in l7eI. Mrs. Thrac was then forty
two years Of age. johnson wac scvcrty-three years
old before the death OF his old friend Thaic gave
even him the opportunity of marrying Hester. Inc
common Sc sc Ofjhat great nature would have been
aroused TO a feeling OF the incomydGll,y Il believe
that such is the proper word of mating his age ms
habits ana Gwen ms tastes with a woman near'y
half century his junior. lie would have oaid
"No" to her, firmly believe, even if she had
given HIN a womans iniimatlon. II once the no
ton of marriage Is dismissed oil the rest ~ easy
enough. The foolish business Of innGmerabie
speculaions at once becomes insoyent.
The in macy of MI. Th1alc with johnson shows
nothin. upon he most scrupulous examination, cX-
cept that she liked to have uap Of such large
literary reputation 10 BIER house while h' EN- Dyed
her Hosptality. IN, friendship of MI. Ihrale him
relf must rot, 10 making up an estimate oil TINS
social intercourse be forgotten. thc admission TO
the house am its comfortable dinners aud dorrni-
tories was originally made through the PERMISSION
OF Mr. ThTaIr himself aud It was Mr. Arthur
Murphy, lon The fricnd and confidential intimate
OF that Gentleman. Who brought aEoIt the inter
course ana SUBSEQUENT intimacy. lie was a grave
tall ana stately man, UubcudlHg when } Johnson first
knew h.m, but changing aftcrNaid under The press
Of donrsI .c hereaseIucnts and business diiculIcs
Mrs Thraie upon the most liberal estimate would
appear 10 bee a superficial woman of KIND not I'M
common any more in tins age than the asl, gwen TO
literary spreulation> and fond of writing verses In
the most cngagino and gooi-naturcd way she made
a hon OF ID. Johnson AMI sue had the skill aud
the opportunity to attach him pretty closely TO her
own home II is easy 70 see that she was proud OF
the intercourse II was certainly something thus I"
have "a monopoly of the learned Doctor and to he
able to vile HIM from the peacock saloons OF Mrs.
soptaru from the dinneT-table OF Sir Joshua Rey-
nolds and from the loquaciouS delocta ions of the
club johnson at first liked her, and lad reason
for liking her. What he did not like was her per
petua yivacity, her lack of scrupuosty IN nara
tive and two OF three foibles viii IA he constantly
Jaw aud as constantly condonet. lie was content
10 share in h-r literary labors, aud she might well
have been content with her assistance. together !
they made versions from the Latin of BTthius. If
he scoldcd her he admitted that she bore 1t like an
angel and wa, the better Tor it. But he insisted |
that she provoked him to say severe things by her
unreasonable hattcry. lie WAS coutplaisant enough
however TO advise her to write sort oiautobioG /
raphy.
She was Welshwoman with fine family ances-
Try which has now no special interest. Dr COLLECT
an early and particular friend taught her Lam. so
far rs she ever knew the Language She was
thought to be making a great match when she mar
ried Thrale lie took her to Streatham. and her /
married life began. Il was not precisely happy
one Once d. johnson said that She lived like her
husbands kept mistress-shut from the world It's
pleasures or it, cares" All went we'll enough until
the brewery got INTO pecun.lry difficulties. There
was a certain Humphrey Jackson-"a vulgar fol
low" rs Mrs Thrale calls him-who prlc:iSed on
Tbrale's credulity till by mixing two cold liquors
which prodn ed heat perhaps, or two coiorleSs
Gouor, which produced brancy he at length
prcvailed on him to think that he could produce
beer too. without the beggarly elements OF beer ana
hops" Jackson took other methods OF dipping deep
INTO poor Thrale's pocket. He pretended to have
discovered a curious stun, which should preserve
ships no toms from the worms. Money was tn be
got in some way from Government to deiray the
enormous expenses of these speculatons; but all
went wrong The beer was spoiled and there was
none TO start for customers" sudden run men
aced fine house Mrs Thralo showed herself to be a
coed business woman at this crisis. She lent Mr..
Thrale her IN Others savIngs-+ahout $4,000. She
begged and borrowed 10000 more. Some 10000
were procured Of Mr. kush-some 13,oOo oil
LADY Lale Mrs. Thrale went about raising money
in all directions with pc tlnacIous asslduty The
debts of the brewery We, fl"' 900, besides Dor
rowed money. Mrs rhr. Their proudly that
in nine years every shlM VS. paid. She seems to
have been rather the better bu-iness man; and TINS
acknowledgements ought TO be made her explicitly,
aecaUSe when we come to speak OF her n literary
woman. we may not be able to speak IN such com
plimentary terms.
81, this because after all her association with
,;terarv reonlc and her literary habits, Mrs Ihrac