ridiculous in their own nature, and serve to heighten the humour
in the farce of life, which I am determined to enjoy as long as I
can.

Those follies, that move my uncle's spleen, excite my laughter.
He is as tender as a man without a skin; who cannot bear the
slightest touch without flinching. What tickles another would
give him torment; and yet he has what we may call lucid
intervals, when he is remarkably facetious -- Indeed, I never knew
a hypochondriac so apt to be infected with good-humour. He is the
most risible misanthrope I ever met with. A lucky joke, or any
ludicrous incident, will set him a-laughing immoderately, even in
one of his most gloomy paroxysms; and, when the laugh is over, he
will curse his own imbecility. In conversing with strangers, he
betrays no marks of disquiet -- He is splenetic with his familiars
only; and not even with them, while they keep his attention
employed; but when his spirits are not exerted externally, they
seem to recoil and prey upon himself -- He has renounced the waters
with execration; but he begins to find a more efficacious, and,
certainly, a much more palatable remedy in the pleasures of
society. He has discovered some old friends, among the invalids
of Bath; and, in particular, renewed his acquaintance with the
celebrated James Quin, who certainly did not come here to drink
water. You cannot doubt, but that I had the strongest curiosity
to know this original; and it was gratified by Mr Bramble, who
has had him twice at our house to dinner.

So far as I am able to judge, Quin's character is rather more
respectable than it has been generally represented. His bon mots
are in every witling's mouth; but many of them have a rank