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    who had always appeared fond of her , was amount the greatest mortifications of her then situation . Once she came home in tears , and told her friend she had met Dr . Johnson in the street and had ventured to ask him how he

    did ; but that he would not deign to answer her , and walked scornfully o , n . fehe added , you aie to meet him soon at Mr , Dilly ' splead for me . " Thus far as prefaratory to those requested minutes which I made at the time of the ensuing

    conversation . — It commenced with Mrs Knowles saying , — Ct I am to ask thy indulgence , Doctor , towards a gentle female to whom thou usedst to be kind , and who is uneasy in the loss of that kindness , Jenny Harry weeps at the consciousness that thou wilt not speak to her ' /' Madam , I hate the odious wench , and desire you will not talk lo me about her .. " Li Yet what is her crime . Doctor r

    Apostacy , Madam ; apostacy from the community in which she was educated . " 4 t Surely , the quitting one community , for another cannot be a crime , if it is done from motives of conscience . Hadst thou beea educated in the Romish Church , I must suppose thou wouldst have abjured its errors , and that there would have been merit in the abjuration , ' ' u Madam , if I had hern educated in the Roman Catholic faith , I believe I should have questioned my right to quit the leligion of my fathers ; therefore , well may 1 hate the arrogance of a young wench who sets herself up 4 i > ra judge on theological points ,

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    and deserts the religion in whose "bosom she was nurtured * 46 She has not done so ; the name and the faith of Christian ? are not denied to the sectaries /' 46 If the name is not , the com .

    mon sense is . " " I will not dispute this point with thee , Doctor , at least at ore . sent , it would carry us too far . Suppose it granted , that , in tlie mind of a young girl , the weaker arguments appeared the strongest , her want of better judgment should excite thy pity not thy resent , nient . "

    Madam , it has my anger and my contempt , and always will have them . " " Consider , Doctor , she must be sincere * —Consider what anoble fortune she has sacrificed /'

    " Madam , Madam , I have never taught myself to consider that the association of folly can extenuate guilt . ' * <; Ah ! Doctor , we cannot

    rationally suppose that the Deity will not pardon a defect in judgment ( supposing it should prove one ) in that breast where the consideralion of serving him , according to its idea , in spirit and truth , has been a preferable inducement to that oi worldly interest . "

    " Madam , I pretend not to set bounds to the mercy of the Deity ; but I hate the wench , and shall ever hate her . I hate all impudence ; but the impudence of a chit ' s apostacy I nauseate "

    ** Jenny is a very gentle creature . —She trembles to have offended her parent , though far removed from his presence ; s « c grieves to have offended her guardian , and she is sorry to have offended Dr . Johnson , whom she loved , admired and honoured /

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    520 _ Dr , Johnson ' s Dispute with Mrs * Knowles .

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1811, page 520, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2420/page/8/