A Nest of Linnets

her singing of Handel's "Sweet Bird." He affirmed that she was the greatest singer in the world. All that Pacchierotti and the Agujari had said about her singing

fair' with true effect now, I promise yo

e her father had touched the keys of the har

. All the pure maidenly ecstasy, all the virginal rapture was made visible. Before she had ended the recitative, every one who ever heard that lovely singer was prepared to hear the rustling of

" said Sir Joshua Reynolds. "She sings and dr

ingling h

ther, taking his hands off the keys b

lking-and began to improvise an obbligato with the confidence of a master of the instrument. And

ever brigh

ake me to y

ly they drew nigh, increasing in volume and intensity, until at the end of the first part the air was thrilling with the sound of harps, and through all the joyous confidence of the last phrases came that glorious harp-music, now floating away into the

ought he knew all the magic that could be accomplished o

ver bright

take me to

ge

f the beauty of that aria. I think I caught a glimpse of the country to which it leads one. Tha

t has been done, and I give you my word that here, in this room, a point of musical ex

Polly. "Yes, we are all geniuses, and the half of Bath

entlemen who accompanied them. Richly painted chairs had been set down on the pavement, and the roofs tilted up to allow of the sound of the music reaching the occupants, whose heads, white with powder, sometimes protruded beyond the

his hands, "Pierrepont Street

e to return to us this evening. I feared that we should not be allowed to have a quiet hour or two to ourselves. The good f

y la

ied. "Look out again, Tom, and try if

erceive something that suggests one of the great hounds which I saw at the Hos

n, rolling at anchor?" sug

scription,

ugh your occupation as a singer entitles every jackanapes to see you for half a crown, still, in order to inculcate upon you the charm of a life of domesticity,

s delicate, though he may be in one's company a long

truth, Miss Linnet,' said he at last. 'Tell the truth: do you indeed welcome my offer, or do you not rather regret that the young rascals-ay, and the old rascals

ather; and indeed Miss Polly had given a ve

ly succeeds in keeping away Mrs. Th

son was trying to convince that she had no ri

ed the crowds of idlers in Bath, Dr. Johnson had posted himself at the door of 5, Pierrepont Street, when he learned that Tom had reach

at least one bon mot respecting Tom circulated among the early visitors to the Pump Room before any of her rival gossips had a c

n of a public character! Every fellow who has ever heard Miss Linley sing fancies he is privileged to enter her house upon the most sacred occasion; and

in Bath whose inquisitiveness makes them disregardful of

e lady, "you are c

f taking a just view of a very simple matter, and that, let me tell you, mada

behalf of Mr. Boswell. If you do not permit him to enter the house and bring us a faithful

fancy that it will wait for any report of the young gentleman b

invariably so accurate in his repor

; he smirked and bowed low beneath the force of the lady's compliment. He had not a nice ear e

ron was not Zeph

allow him to cross this threshold. List to those sounds, Mrs. Thrale"-Polly in the room upstairs had just begun to sing, w

edifying to find Dr. Johnson the patron of mus

is an abstraction. One may be a patron of a musician or a painter-nay, I have even heard of a poet having

he patron of the musici

ent custodian of your tea-cupboard. Come, Mrs. Thrale, sweet though the sounds of that hymn may be-if indeed it be a hymn and

. Thrale. "But who will take charge of

will be proud of that duty

nter this house, I swear that I shall play it, and if every one does not fly then

c was of all noises the least disagreeable,

have said 'least disagreeable'-no, sir; least

leman in an undertone to another, when Johnson and Mrs. Thrale had walked away, and G

ll of Dr. Goldsmith since the night you sat beside

Walpole. "Surely a man may call another a scare

e had not a good word to say for Goldsmith since the former had boasted, on the narrowest ground, of having detected the forgeries of Chatt

hey had gone a dozen yards they were bowing to the ground at the side of a gorgeous chair carri

when the hood was raised, caused her folded fan to describe a

the Assembly to-n

e left it: we are on the fring

ley's window,"

e Duchess of Devonshire listens is

o him," said the duchess; "Miss Linley seems to have equal powers; for were it o

iss Linley's concerts in the Assembly Rooms to hear

ce for a young woman to be so beautiful of feature, and so divine of voice at the same time. Either of her attractions should be enough for one in a humble

in the world; the first was Helen of Troy, the s

a pause that invited a question-the pause of the professed raconteur who fu

ace the Duchess of Devonshi

ir. I protest that you have no right to take me at such a disadvantage. Pray consider that I have sunk t

of acquiescence, m

" said the duchess. "As a rule he is able to spe

came into my mind when George spoke of hi

Nature could

d she joined t

ich I vow there is no resisting. What return can I make for such favours-a sweet nosegay of favours in full bloom and t

e for ever!"

tion," said the duchess. "I asked you wha

ver!' in other words, give Mr. Gainsborough an

g," said the duchess. "Alas! that we poor women must be

cept on his canvas," said Walpole. "But let me join my entreaty to Mr. Selwy

feel like to is King He

said Walpole: "we are the innoce

, like the daughter of Herodias, have demanded a human head-in pigment. But I have pledged myself, and I will e'en send a note

ught about this happy accident, we should rest secure in the tho

all rise up and call u

Gainsborough say?

n despair of ever being able to execute the tas

to the next by the thought of being for anoth

p both her hands in prett

ua Reynolds and the full company of Academicians; so a good-night to you pair of flatter

sauntered on to Gilly Williams's; long after Johnson had lectured the saturnine brewer, Mr. Thrale, on the evil of Mr. Thrale's practice of over-eating (Johnson himself was enough of an anchorite to limit himself when at Streatham to fifteen peaches before breakfast, and an equal number before dinner, and had never been known to swallow more than twenty cups of tea at a sitting); long after Dr. Goldsmith had worried poor Mr. Boswell by pretending to be taking a note of Dr. Johnson'

in imitation of the prowling young man on the stage. He kept on the dark side of the street and looked furtively round every now and agai

is head. "Sleep, knowing naught of the passion that burns in the h

elf had come. The other was somewhat taller, and his carriage was better displayed by the circumstance of his being uncloaked, and of his walking frankl

e-a man who quickly turned away his head and let

ing to your bedroom half an hour ago. What, man, have you turned

et walk without having to give an explanat

before he became a patriarch, took many a stroll in the cool of the ni

n his voice, "what was your motive in coming hither, broth

od heavens, brother! what would become of the Sheridan family if the elder son were to fall among thieves? Do you think that our patriarchal father would be satisfied if he were shown his Joseph's cloak saturated with red claret?

erwards assumed by the representative of the part of Joseph in The School for Scanda

dreaming of-of you, maybe, Charles. Think of that, man-think of that-dreaming of you! Oh, if you have any a

eir house on the Terrace Walks, protesting all the time that the man who rushed hastily to conclusions was more to

re or two of those sentiments when we get home. Father has a copy o