From my fondness for conversation, my imagination had
been early fired with Dr. Johnson's remark, that there is no
pleasure on earth comparable to the fine full flow of London
talk, I, who, since I had quitted college had seldom had
my mind refreshed, but with the petty rills and penurious
streams of knowledge which coimtry society afforded, now
expected to meet it in a strong and rapid current, fertilizing
wherever it flowed, producing in abundance the rich fruits
of argument, and the gay flowers of rhetoric. I looked for
an uninterrupted course of profit and delight. I flattered
myself that every dinner would add to my stock of images ;
that every debate would clear up some diflSculty, every dis-
cussion elucidate some truth ; that every allusion would be
purely classical, every sentence abound with instruction, and
every period be pointed with wit

On the tiptoe of expectation I went to dine with Sir John
Belfield, in Cavendish-square. I looked at my watch fifty
times. I thought it would never be six o'clock. I did not
care to show my country breeding, by going too early, to
incommode my friend, nor my town breeding, by going too
late, and spoiling his dinner. Sir John is a valuable, elegant-
minded man, and, next to Mr. Stanley, stood highest in my
father's esteem for his mental accomplishmenU and correct




moralB. Aa I knew he was remarkable for assembling at
tiia table men of eeosc, taste, and learuiog, my expectations
of pleasure were very high. " Here, at least," said I as I
beard the name of one clever man anconnoed after another,
" here at least, I can not fail to find

The foosC of reason and tho flow of soul :

here, at least, all the energies of my mind will bo brought
into eiercise. From this society 1 shall carry away docu-
ments for the improvement of ray lAsto ; I shall treasure
up hints to enrich my understanding, and collect ophorismt
for the conduct of life."

At first there was no fair opportunity to introduce any
conversation beyond tlio topics of the day, and to those, it
must be confessed, this evcnlful period gives a new and pow-
erfiil interest. 