Thrale's family.
"'Almighty God, Father of all mercy, help me by Thy grace, that I
may, with humble and sincere thankfulness, remember the comforts and
conveniences which I have enjoyed at this place; and that I may
resign them with holy submission, equally trusting in Thy protection
when Thou givest, and when Thou takest away. Have mercy upon me, O
Lord! have mercy upon me! To Thy fatherly protection, O Lord, I
commend this family. Bless, guide, and defend them, that they may so
pass through this world, as finally to enjoy in Thy presence
everlasting happiness, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.'
"One cannot read this prayer without some emotions not very
favourable to the lady whose conduct occasioned it.
"The next day, he made the following memorandum:
"'_October 7._--I was called early. I packed up my bundles, and used
the foregoing prayer, with my morning devotions somewhat, I think,
enlarged. Being earlier than the family, I read St. Paul's farewell
in the Acts, and then read fortuitously in the Gospels,--which was my
parting use of the library.'"
Mr. Croker, whose protest against the groundless insinuations of
Boswell should have put subsequent writers on their guard, states in
a note:--"He seems to have taken leave of the kitchen as well as the
church at Streatham in Latin." The note of his last dinner there,
done into English, would run thus:
"Oct. 6th, Sunday, 1782.
"I dined at Streatham on boiled leg of lamb, with spinach, the
stuffing of flour and raisins, round of beef, and turkey poult; and
after the meat service, figs, grapes, not yet ripe in consequence of
the bad season, with peaches, also hard.
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