mentioned as king. He was, I believe, more
than once apprehended in the reign of King William, and once at the
accession of George. He was the familiar friend of Hicks[959] and
Nelson[960]; a man of letters, but injudicious; and very curious and
inquisitive, but credulous. He lived[961] in 1743, or 44, about 75 years
old.'_ The subject of luxury having been introduced, Dr. Johnson
defended it. 'We have now (said he) a splendid dinner before us; which
of all these dishes is unwholesome?' The duke asserted, that he had
observed the grandees of Spain diminished in their size by luxury. Dr.
Johnson politely refrained from opposing directly an observation which
the duke himself had made; but said, 'Man must be very different from
other animals, if he is diminished by good living; for the size of all
other animals is increased by it[962].' I made some remark that seemed
to imply a belief in _second sight_. The duchess said, 'I fancy you will
be a _Methodist_.' This was the only sentence her grace deigned to utter
to me; and I take it for granted, she thought it a good hit on my
_credulity_ in the Douglas cause.

A gentleman in company, after dinner, was desired by the duke to go to
another room, for a specimen of curious marble, which his grace wished
to shew us. He brought a wrong piece, upon which the duke sent him back
again. He could not refuse; but, to avoid any appearance of servility,
he whistled as he walked out of the room, to shew his independency. On
my mentioning this afterwards to Dr. Johnson, he said, it was a nice
trait of character.

Dr. Johnson talked a great deal, and was so entertaining, that Lady
Betty Hamilton, after dinner, went and placed her chair close to his,
leaned upon the back of it, and listened eagerly. It would have made a
fine picture to have drawn the Sage and her at this time in their
several attitudes. He did not know, all the while, how much he was
honoured. I told him afterwards. I never saw him so gentle and
complaisant as this day.

We went to tea. The duke and I walked up and down the drawing-room,
conversing. The duchess still continued to shew the same marked coldness
for me; for which, though I suffered from it, I made every allowance,
considering the very warm part that I had taken for Douglas, in the
cause in which she thought her son deeply interested. Had not her grace
discovered some displeasure towards me, I should have suspected her of
insensibility or dissimulation.

H