PIOZZI, Hester Lynch (1741-1821), the daughter of John Salisbury of Bod ville, Carnarvonshire, was born there, as it would appear from a protracted dispute between Croker and Macaulay, 27th January 1741. After an education which extended considerably beyond that given to most ladies of her period—for she was acquainted with the learned languages as well as with French, Italian, and Spanish—she was married in 1763 to Henry Thrale, a brewer of Southwark, whose house was at Streatham on the south-east corner of Tooting Beck Common. In this retreat she drew around her many of the most distinguished men of letters of the age. She was introduced to Johnson by Arthur Murphy in the year after her marriage, and for nearly twenty years the sage remained on the closest intimacy with her. He travelled with them in Wales in 1774, and visited France in their company in 1775. Boswell’s first visit to Streatham took place in October 1769. Madame D’Arblay was first received there in August 1778. In spite of this intercourse with the principal writers of the day troubles grew upon her in her married life. Her talents were not appreciated by her husband; he was always ill and frequently in pecuniary anxiety; and when children were born to her they often succumbed to sickness. After some years’ illness Mr Thrale died on April 4, 1781, and, as the brewery in the borough sold for .£135,000, the widow found herself amply provided for. At the time of Mr Thrale’s death Dr Johnson was in declining health, and he soon began to think himself slighted, nor was his indignation abated at the announcement in the spring of 1783 of her engagement to Piozzi, an Italian musician. For a time the engagement was broken off, but it was quickly resumed, and on the 25th of July 1784 they were ...