SoonafterthistimeDr。JohnsonhadthemortificationofbeinginformedbyMrs。Thrale，that，’whatshesupposedheneverbelieved，’wastrue；namely，thatshewasactuallygoingtomarrySignorPiozzi，anItalianmusick-master。Heendeavouredtopreventit；butinvain。IfshewouldpublishthewholeofthecorrespondencethatpassedbetweenDr。Johnsonandheronthesubject，weshouldhaveafullviewofhisrealsentiments。Asitis，ourjudgementmustbebiassedbythatcharacteristickspecimenwhichSirJohnHawkinshasgivenus：’PoorThrale!Ithoughtthateitherhervirtueorhervicewouldhaverestrainedherfromsuchamarriage。Sheisnowbecomeasubjectforherenemiestoexultover；andforherfriends，ifshehasanyleft，toforget，orpity。’
ItmustbeadmittedthatJohnsonderivedaconsiderableportionofhappinessfromthecomfortsandelegancieswhichheenjoyedinMr。
Thrale’sfamily；butMrs。Thraleassuresushewasindebtedforthesetoherhusbandalone，whocertainlyrespectedhimsincerely。
HavingleftthePIOUSNEGOCIATION，asIcalledit，inthebesthands，Ishallhereinsertwhatrelatestoit。JohnsonwrotetoSirJoshuaReynoldsonJuly6，asfollows：——
’Iamgoing，Ihope，inafewdays，totrytheairofDerbyshire，buthopetoseeyoubeforeIgo。Letme，however，mentiontoyouwhatIhavemuchatheart。IftheChancellorshouldcontinuehisattentiontoMr。Boswell’srequest，andconferwithyouonthemeansofrelievingmylanguidstate，Iamverydesiroustoavoidtheappearanceofaskingmoneyuponfalsepretences。IdesireyoutorepresenttohisLordship，what，assoonasitissuggested，hewillperceivetobereasonable，——That，ifIgrowmuchworse，I