Records of my life / By the late John Taylor, esq. Complete in one volume.

  • John Taylor
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Records of my life / By the late John Taylor, esq. Complete in one volume. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    he thought even Garrick could not have performed Holla so well. I ventured to ask him if this opinion did not savour of parental par¬ tiality in the author of that character. He contradicted this conjecture, and then I asked him if he would have written a monody on the death of Kemble. He said no, because Garrick was universally ex¬ cellent, but that Kemble, whatever might be his merit, was limited in his genius. Mr. Sheridan was averse to punning, to which I was perhaps at that time too much addicted, and resuming our conversation on Garrick, I asked which of Garrick’s performances he thought the best ? “ Oh !” said he, “ the Lear, the Lear.” Indulging my usual habit, I could not forbear to observe, “ No wonder you were fond of a Leer, since you married an Ogle .” He then mentioned the name of a notorious punster of our acquaintance, and said it was too bad even for him. Mr. Richardson was very attentive to Mr. Sheridan, but spoke little. I believe many will envy me the conversation of two such men, which I enjoyed till three in the morning. CHAPTER XLVIII. Mr. Richardson I had introduced to Dr. Monsey’s table at Chelsea, and they were conversing on the subject of the universe; the doctor’s manner of admitting the existence of a Supreme Being was in the following words: <s I can’t do without an intelligent agent.” After all, what are the opinions of any human being ? The wisest can only form his opinion on the opinion of others, and they must be wholly made up of the habits, prejudices, inclinations, and passions of each individual. Monsey was an enemy to all forms, but was capable of very generous actions. He had a peculiar clock of a complicated descrip¬ tion, which required a skilful workman, perfectly acquainted with its structure, to regulate its movements when necessary. For this purpose he became acquainted with a Mr. Barber, a watch-maker, who lived in Dean-street, Soho, to whom he gave five pounds a year for that service. On those occasions Barber used to dine with him, and I was one day of the party. When Barber was upon the steps performing his office on the clock, the doctor was sitting by the fire with his legs on the table, as he said he courted as much as he could the horizontal posture, in order to give less trouble to the blood in its travels through the body. While Barber was wholly absorbed in his business, Monsey said in a loud tone, “ Barber, I don’t believe you’ll ever be able to pay me the 100Z. that I lent to you.” Barber turned round, raised his spectacles on his forehead, and with ludicrous sincerity, as regular as the mechanism he had been handling, answered,