“Thrale's Entire”

This chapter considers that Hester Lynch Thrale had met with earlier refusals from women who could neither bear the nature of business nor thought of living in Borough. London porter established market leadership in price and quality over all other beers. 'Thrale's entire' porter', so called from its being drawn from an entire butt, retailed throughout London at three pence a quart pot. Hester's life was transformed by Samuel Johnson introduced by Thrale's friend, the dramatist and lawyer Arthur Murphy. Thrale was no great talker, but Hester reveled in combative conversation, and her effervescent volubility encouraged, and provided a perfect foil for, Johnson's erudite pronouncements. Gabriel Piozzi was now 'Thrale's Entire' and her loving sheet-anchor to ride the storms of class and religious prejudice. The crude and tasteless sarcasm of the London prints and papers at the expense of 'La Signora Piozzi, late Thrale's Entire' was like porter off a duck's back.