Monday 17th. Walked back to town & got to the Musm. by ten.
Remained there till 4. Ellis came to tell us some of his odd
stories, as usual, & from the anecdotes he related of ^the Revd Thomas Maurice,
quondam Sub-libn. ^at the Museum, the latter must have been the most drunken
^and immoral beast that ever lived! Ellis stated also, what is not, I believe,
generally known, that ^George Steevens, the Commentator on Shakespeare,
to gratify his dislike of Mr Ampner, a quiet, innocent sort of
man, wrote the prurient notes on stewed prunes, eringo and
potatoes, and then added to them Mr A’s name, – and they
are still reprinted with this signature! How infamous!
In the course of conversation also with Mr Lee, & speaking
of the impostor Psalmanazar; who pretended to be a native
of Formosa, and even went so far as to compose a pretended
grammar of the language;- ^he told me he was undoubtedly a man of some
talent, & from his pen proceeded the abridgement of Basnage’s
Histy of the Jews, inserted in the Univl. Histy. Dined with
Henry in Rupert St., as usual, & then walked in Green Park.
Leave a Reply