Grampian Club > Boswelliana

BOSWELLIANA. " 299
the best hon mots I have heard for a long time. It goes deep
into human nature.' "
" M. D'Ankerville (9th May, 1785) at General Paoli's paid
me the compliment that I was the man of genius who had the
best heart he had ever known,"
" The king cannot give to Langton because he is not in the
political sphere. He cannot take a handful of the gold upon
the faro table, and give it to any man, however worthy, who is
only looking on or stalking round the room. Let him play, let
him part, and take his chance. The king is but the marker
at the great billiard-table of the state. He can mark a man
three, fovir, or five, or whatever number according to his play, and
if he goes off the table into opposition, can rub out the chalk ;
like the marker, he can give what money he has for himself as
he pleases, and employ his own tailor or shoemaker, and buy his
own snuff and ballads, take a walk or a ride at his idle hours
where he pleases/'
" The first time Suard saw Burke, who was at Reynolds's,
Johnson touched him on the shoulder and said, 'Le grande
Burke.' "
" My journal is ready ; it is in the larder, only to be sent
to the kitchen, or perhaps trussed and larded a little."
" Mrs. Cosway* said she had often expressed a wish to see
me. General (Paoli) did not tell me this. He has been affraid
of making me too vain and turning the head of his freind. No,
he knows the value of things — it was not worth telling."
"At Mr. Aubrey's, 19th April, Wilkes and I hard at it. I
warm on monarchy. ' Po, your'n old Tory.' Boswell. ' And
you're a new Tory. Let that stand for that.' "
* Nee ]\Iiss Hadfield, bom at Leghorn, of English parents. She
married Richard Cosway, E.A., and shared her husband's reputation
as an artist. Her musical soirees, at which she was prima donna, were
much resorted to by persons of rank and fashion.