MR. WELLER'S STORY OF THE CRUMPETS.
170 THE EDITOR OF THE 'SPECTATOR."]
Sra,—The reference to Mr. Weller's story of the crumpets in the Spectator of March 16th (review of "Stray Papers by Thackeray," p. 388) recalls the fact that the story— good or bad—is substantially much older than the time of Dickens. In Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson it will be found in
the following form, Mr. Beauelerk being the speaker Mr. —, who loved buttered muffins, but durst not eat them because they disagreed with his stomach, resolved to shoot himself; and then he ate three buttered muffins for breakfast, before shooting himself, knowing that he should not be troubled with indigestion ; he had two charged pistols ; one was found lying charged on the table by him after he had shot himself with the other."--(" Temple Classics" Edition, Vol. V., p. 74.) It will be remembered that the story—which was evidently accepted as referring to a recent and well-known occurrence—led to a sharp altercation between Johnson and
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