A JOURNEY INTO NORTH WALES IN

THE YEAR 1774.1

Tuesday, July 5.-We left Streatham II A.M.-Price of four horses two shillings a mile.-Barnet 1 40' P.M.-On the road I read Tully's Epistles-At night at Dunstable.

Wednesday, July 6.-To Lichfield, eighty-three miles. To the

Swan.

Thursday, July 7.-To Mrs. Porter's-to the cathedral-To Mrs. Aston's To Mr. Green's-Mr. Green's museum was much admired, and Mr. Newton's china.

Friday, July 8.-To Mr. Newton's-To Mrs. Cobb's-Dr. Darwin's I went again to Mrs. Aston's. She was sorry to part.

3

Saturday, July 9.-Breakfasted at Mr. Garrick's '-Visited Miss Vyse-Miss Seward -Went to Dr. Taylor's [at Ashbourn]-I read a little on the road in Tully's Epistles and Martial-Mart. 8th, 44, lino pro limo.

1

Sunday, July 10.-Morning, at church. Company at dinner.

1 Mr. Duppa, in his short preface, acknowledges his obligations to Mrs. Piozzi for her kind assistance in explaining many facts, otherwise unintelligible, in this Diary.

2 We, i.e. Mr., Mrs., and Miss Thrale and Johnson. See vol. ii., p. 124.-Editor.

* Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of the illustrious Charles Darwin.— Editor.

"Peter Garrick, the elder brother of David. I think he was an attorney, but he seemed to lead an independent life, and talked all about fishing. Dr. Johnson advised him to read Walton's Angler, repeating some verses from it."-Piozzi MS.-Croker.

5

Daughter of Archdeacon Vyse, wife afterwards of Madan, Bishop of Peterborough.-Croker.

"Dr. Johnson would not suffer me to speak to Miss Seward.”— Piozzi MS. So early was the coolness between them.-Croker.

7 In the edition of Martial, which he was reading, the last word of the line "Defluat, et lento splendescat turbida limo,”

was, no doubt, misprinted lino.-Croker.

Monday, July 11.-At Ilam-At Oakover-I was less pleased with Ilam than when I saw it first; but my friends were much delighted. Tuesday, July 12.-At Chatsworth-The water willow'-The cascade shot out from many spouts-The fountains-The water tree— The smooth floors in the highest rooms-Atlas fifteen hands inch and half-River running through the park-The porticoes on the sides support two galleries for the first floor-My friends were not struck with the house-It fell below my ideas of the furniture—The staircase is in the corner of the house-The hall in the corner the grandest room, though only a room of passage-On the ground-floor, only the chapel and breakfast-room, and a small library; the rest, servants' rooms and offices-A bad inn.

Wednesday, July 13.-At Matlock.

Thursday, July 14.-At dinner at Oakover; too deaf to hear, or much converse-Mrs. Gell-The chapel at Oakover-The wood of the pews grossly painted-I could not read the epitaph-Would learn the old hands.

Friday, July 15.-At Ashbourn-Mrs. Dyott and her daughters came in the morning-Mr. Dyott dined with us-We visited Mr. Flint.

“ Τὸ πρῶτον Μῶρος, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον εἷλεν Ερασμός,

Τὸ τριτὸν ἐκ Μουσῶν στέμμα Μίκυλλος ἔχει.” 5

6

Saturday, July 16.—At Dovedale, with Mr. Langley and Mr. Flint.

"There was a water-work at Chatsworth with a concealed spring, which, upon touching, spouted out streams from every bough of a willow tree. I remember Lady Keith (Miss Thrale), then ten years old, was the most amused by it of any of the party.”—Piozzi MS.-Croker.

2 Old oak floors polished by rubbing. Johnson, I suppose, wondered that they should take such pains with the garrets.—Piozzi MS.—Croker. 3 This was a race-horse, which was very handsome and very gentle, and attracted so much of Dr. Johnson's attention, that he said, “of all the Duke's possessions, I like Atlas best."-Duppa.

4

The Dyotts are a respectable and wealthy family, still residing near Lichfield. The royalist who shot Lord Brooke when assaulting St. Chad's Cathedral, in Lichfield, on St. Chad's day, is said to have been a Mr. Dyott.— Croker.

5 "More bore away the first crown of the Muses, Erasmus the second, and Micyllus has the third." Micyllus's real name was Moltser; see his article in Bayle. His best work was De re Metrica.-Croker.

The Rev. Mr. Langley was master of the grammar-school at Ashbourn; a near neighbour of Dr. Taylor's, but not always on friendly terms with him ; which used to perplex their common friend Johnson.—Croker.