ent
And most humble servant,
SAM. JOHNSON.'

'November, 19, 1783[762].'

I find in this, as in former years, notices of his kind attention to
Mrs. Gardiner[763], who, though in the humble station of a
tallow-chandler upon Snow-hill, was a woman of excellent good sense,
pious, and charitable. She told me, she had been introduced to him by
Mrs. Masters[764], the poetess, whose volumes he revised, and, it is
said, illuminated here and there with a ray of his own genius. Mrs.
Gardiner was very zealous for the support of the Ladies' charity-school,
in the parish of St. Sepulchre. It is confined to females; and, I am
told, it afforded a hint for the story of _Betty Broom_ in _The
Idler_[765]. Johnson this year, I find, obtained for it a sermon from
the late Bishop of St. Asaph, Dr. Shipley, whom he, in one of his
letters to Mrs. Thrale[766], characterises as 'knowing and conversible;'
and whom all who knew his Lordship, even those who differed from him in
politicks, remember with much respect[767].

The Earl of Carlisle having written a tragedy, entitled _The Fathers
Revenge_[768], some of his Lordship's friends applied to Mrs.
Chapone[769] to prevail on Dr. Johnson to read and give his opinion of
it[770], which he accordingly did, in a letter to that lady. Sir Joshua
Reynolds having informed me that this letter was in Lord Carlisle's
possession, though I was not fortunate enough to have the honour of
being known to his Lordship, trusting to the general courtesy of
literature, I wrote to him, requesting the favour of a copy of it, and
to be permitted to insert it in my _Life of Dr. Johnson_. His Lordship
was so good as to comply with my request, and has thus enabled me to
enrich my work with a very fine piece of writing, which displays both
the critical skill and politeness of my illustrious friend; and perhaps
the curiosity which it will excite, may induce the noble and elegant
Authour to gratify the world by the publication[771] of a performance,
of which Dr. Johnson has spoken in such terms.

'To MRS. CHAPONE.

'MADAM,

'By sending the tragedy to me a second time[772], I think that a very
honourable distinction has been shewn me, and I did not delay the
perusal, of which I am now to tell the effect.

'The construction of the play is not completely regular; the stage is
too often vacant, and the scenes are not sufficiently connected. This,
however, would be called by Dryden only a mec