t of his coat was sewed a
Moor's head, the crest of Corsica, surrounded with branches of laurel.
He had also a cartridge-pouch, into which was stuck a stiletto, and on
his left side a pistol was hung upon the belt of his cartridge-pouch. He
had a fusee slung across his shoulder, wore no powder in his hair, but
had it plaited at full length with a knot of blue ribbons at the end of
it. He had, by way of a staff, a very curious vine all of one piece,
emblematical of the sweet bard of Avon. He wore no mask, saying it was
not proper for a gallant Corsican. So soon as he came into the room he
drew universal attention. The novelty of the Corsican dress, its
becoming appearance, and the character of the brave nation concurred to
distinguish the armed Corsican chief. He was first accosted by Mrs
Garrick, with whom he had a good deal of conversation. There was an
admirable dialogue between Lord Grosvenor, in the character of a Turk,
and the Corsican on the different constitution of the countries so
opposite to each other,--Despotism and Liberty; and Captain Thomson, of
the navy, in the character of an honest tar, kept it up very well; he
expressed a strong inclination to stand by the brave islanders. Mr
Boswell danced both a minuet and a country dance with a very pretty
lady, Mrs Sheldon, wife to Captain Sheldon, of the 38th Regiment of
Foot, who was dressed in a genteel domino, and before she danced threw
off her mask.'

He adds a cool puff of his own verses, 'which, it is thought, are well
suited to the occasion, while at the same time they preserve the true
Corsican character.' About a month after this masquerade, Goldsmith
dined at Boswell's lodging with Garrick, Johnson, Davies, and others,
where 'Goldsmith,' says the biographer, 'strutted about, bragging of his
dress, and I believe was seriously vain of it, for his mind was
wonderfully prone to such impressions!' Bozzy could criticise, as on all
occasions, the bloom coloured coat of 'honest Goldsmith,' yet he was
eager for Garrick to fall in with the idea of the tradesmen of Stratford
to make the Jubilee an annual event in the interests of local trade, and
'I flatter myself with the prospect of attending you at several more
Jubilees.'

Though he had again commenced in London his attendance on Johnson and
note-taking, there was now a divided source of attraction. Things had
gone hard with Paoli since Boswell had been in the island. In spite of
his Irish brigades and his B