Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-09-03
DR.. johnson, Lady Miller, Sarah Fielding

DR.. johnson, Lady Miller, Sarah Fielding
and Madame D'Arblay.
Mrs. Piozzi was one of the most beauti-
full and accomplished women of England.
She frat married a rich brewer named
Thrale. The couple lived in great splen-
dor at Bath, and DIR. johnson was the
lsdy's acknowledged greatest admirer.
Shortly after the death of Mr.. Thrale the
sprightly widow tired of the ponderous
devotion of DR.. johnson, and became the
wife of a music master named Piozzi A
complete rupture with johnson was the
consequence; and the famous lexicograph-
all womankind. After q brilliant career
In Italy Mrs. Piozzi returned to Bath,
where, in 1920, she celebrated her eightieth
birthday by one of the most famous balls
and suppers ever given in England. where
the sprightly female antique led off the
dancing with her adopted son, Sir John
Salisbury, with astonishing elasticity"
But she died the next year. Her "Anec-
dotes of johnson" and her own Literary
Remains" are among the most piquant It'd
bits of biographical literature.
Lady Miller was conspicuous figure at
Bath in these good old times. Walpole
and Madame D'Arblay both charmingly
describe the "fsir of Parnassus," sort of
literary tournament instituted at her noted
residence, Bathesston villa. A Roman
vase, dressed with laces, costly ribbons
and myrtle, received the poetry, which
was drawn at every festival by six judges
who read all the compositions and an
nounced the successful competitor. The
latter was crowned with myrtle and per-
mitted to kneel and kiss the fat and
freckled hand of Lady Miller, who was
"coarse. plump looking dame whose aim
it was to appear a woman of fashion and
pstroness of letters 1t was Gsrrick who
slipped the following effusion into the sa-
cred urn:
"The Vase speaking:
For heavens sake bestow on me
A little wit-snd that would be
Indeed an Act of CHARITY
In tie residence of famous literary men
Bath was immensely fortunate. Christie
pher Anstey, the poet. lived nearly all his
life in Bath. William Beckfo-d, at one
time the richest and most luxurious man
in England, who expended nearly a mil
lion and half dollars on Inflated Font
hill abbey alone, but whose enduring fame
will rest on the authorship of that most
wonderful of all Oriental tales, "Vathek,"
was for many years a citizen of Bath, and
built the palstial tower on Lansdown, be-
meath whose shadows his body now lies.
The memories of DIR. johnson are go rife
in the old Pelican Inn that in passing
through it's oaken paneled rooms one can
almost scent the musty aroma of his candle
scorched wigs, and see the ludicrous pic
ture of Frank, the servant, lying in wait
to clasp q fresh one On his hard old head
the moment q caller was announced be-
low.
Samuel T. Coleridge often preached at
the Sawclose chapel here. 1t was when
referring to these days here he said to
Charles Lamb: 81 think, Charles, you
never heard me preach" ''My dear boy"
replied Lamb, 81 never heard you do any
thing else"
Alexander Pope lived on the bounty of
the rich philanthropist, Allen, here for
yesrs, only leaving, like the ugly little
wasp he was, when his host refused to
grant him his manor house at Bathamp-
ton for the occupancy of his psramour,
Martha Blount. Thomas Gainsborough
finished many of his most famous por-
traits in Bath; and Sir Joshua Reynolds
not only used his marvellous pencil here,
but recovered from a paralytic stroke
through the use of Baths thermal waters.
Tobias Smollett was for 8 long time one of
the litera.i gathered here, and every reader
of 'Peregrine Pickle" and Humphrey Clin-
ker" il favored with pictures of Bath as
sociations, customs and habits of that
time.
Oliver Goldsmith visited Bath in 177l.
with the literary result of THE Life of
Richard NASH" hardly a fitting subject
for the pen of the author of The Vicar
of Wakefeld;" but through this event
BeSu Nash's memory became more impsr-
ishsble than through all the monuments,
epitaphs and paintings TO be found to his
honor in the ancient ci'y; and If you tire
of identifying the great of ol3en times
with their ancient hsbitations here. a
pleasant walk of two miles to the west of
the city will bring you to the little villsge
of Twerton. Here in tiny, neat cottage,
now known as Firlding's house, Fielding's
Terrace, was chiefly written "Tom Jones"
for which, through its fret reading in
manuscript by the wife of Andrew Mil
lar, the great London publisher, Fielding
secured the, to him, incredible sum of two
hundred pounds, which so sstounded him
that for hiEcself, the publisher, who after
ward cleared eighteen thousand pounds
from the sale of the work, and his friend
Thomson, the poet, Fielding straightway
deliriously ordered Of the waiter, Two
bottles of your best port"
EnGAR T., WkEKNkx