'It was on the 18: day of July 1773 that we were sitting in the blue Room at Streatham and were talking of Writers - Steele's Essays were mentioned - but they are too thin said Mr Johnson; being mere Observations on Life and Manners without a sufficiency of solid Learning acquired from Books, they have the flavour, like the light French wines you so often hear commended; but having no Body, they cannot keep. Speaking of Mason Gray &c. he said The Poems they write must I should suppose greatly delight the Authors; they seem to have attained that which themselves consider as the Summit of Excellence, and Man can do no more: yet surely such unmeaning & verbose Language if in the Morning it appears to be in bloom, must fade before Sunset like Cloe's Wreath.'