1773. Etat. 64. " I am afraid Beattie will not be at his College foon enough for us, and I fhall be forry to miss him; but there is no ftaying for the concurrence of all conveniences. We will do as well as we can. I am, Sir, "August 3, 1773. "Your most humble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON." To the fame. "DEAR SIR, "NOT being at Mr. Thrale's when your letter came, I had written the inclosed paper and sealed it; bringing it hither for a frank, I found yours. If any thing could repress my ardour, it would be fuch a letter as yours. To disappoint a friend is unpleafing: and he that forms expectations like yours, must be disappointed. Think only when you see me, that you see a man who loves you, and is proud and glad that you love him. I am, Sir, "Your most affectionate August 3, 1773. SAM. JOHNSON." To the fame. "DEAR SIR, Newcastle, Aug. 11, 1771. "I CAME hither last night, and hope, but do not abfolutely promise, to be in Edinburgh on Saturday. Beattie will not come fo foon. I am, Sir, "Your most humble fervant, "My compliments to your lady." "SAM. JOHNSON. To the fame. "MR. JOHNSON fends his compliments to Mr. Bofwell, being juft arrived at Boyd's." Saturday night." His stay in Scotland was from the 18th of Auguft, on which day he arrived, till the 22d of November, when he fet out on his return to London; and I believe ninety-four days were never paffed by any man in a more vigorous exertion. He came by the way of Berwick upon Tweed to Edinburgh, where he remained a few days, and then went by St. Andrew's, Aberdeen, Inverness, and Fort Auguftus, to the Hebrides, to visit which was the principal object he had 1773. in view. He vifited the ifles of Sky, Rafay, Col, Mull, Inchkenneth, and Icolmkill. He travelled through Argylefhire by Inveraray, and from thence Etat. 64. by Lochlomond and Dunbarton to Glasgow, then by Loudon to Auchinleck in Ayrshire, the feat of my family, and then by Hamilton, back to Edinburgh, where he again spent fome time. He thus faw the four Universities of Scotland, its three principal cities, and as much of the Highland and infular life as was fufficient for his philofophical contemplation. I had the pleasure of accompanying him during the whole of this journey. He was refpectfully entertained by the great, the learned, and the elegant, wherever he went; nor was he less delighted with the hospitality which he experienced in humbler life. His various adventures, and the force and vivacity of his mind, as exercifed during this peregrination, upon innumerable topicks, have been faithfully and to the best of my abilities difplayed in my " Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides," to which, as the publick has been pleased to honour it by a very extensive circulation, I beg to refer, as to a separate and remarkable portion of his life, which may be there seen in detail, and which exhibits as striking a view of his powers in converfation, as his works do of his excellence in writing. Nor can I deny to myself the very flattering gratification of inserting here the character which my friend Mr. Courtenay has been pleased to give of that work: "With Reynolds' pencil, vivid, bold, and true, THE LIFE OF DR. JOHNSON. During his stay at Edinburgh, after his return from the Hebrides, he was at great pains to obtain information concerning Scotland; and it will appear from his fubfequent letters, that he was not lefs folicitous for intelligence on this fubject after his return to London. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "I CAME home laft night, without any incommodity, danger, or weariness, and am ready to begin a new journey. I fhall go to Oxford on Monday. I know Mrs. Bofwell wifhed me well to go"; her wishes have not been difappointed. Mrs. Williams has received Sir A's letter. "Make my compliments to all thofe to whom my compliments may be welcome. 8 "Let the box be fent as foon as it can, and let me know when to expect it. Enquire, if you can, the order of the Clans: Macdonald is firft, Maclean second; further I cannot go. Quicken Dr. Webster. I am, Sir, "Yours affectionately, "Nov. 27, 1773. SAM. JOHNSON." Mr. BOSWELL to Dr. JOHNSON. Edinburgh, Dec. 2, 1773. "YOU fhall have what information I can procure as to the order of the Clans. A gentleman of the name of Grant tells me, that there is no • In this he fhewed a very acute penetration. My wife paid him the most affiduous and respectful attention, while he was our gueft; so that I wonder how he discovered her wishing for his departure. The truth is, that his irregular hours and uncouth habits, fuch as turning the candles with their heads downwards, when they did not burn bright enough, and letting the wax drop upon the carpet, could not but be disagreeable to a lady. Befides, fhe had not that high admiration of him which was felt by most of those who knew him; and what was very natural to a female mind, the thought he had too much influence over her husband. She once in a little warmth, made, with more point than justice, this remark upon that fubject: "I have feen many a bear led by a man; but I never before faw a man led by a bear." 7 Sir Alexander Gordon, one of the Profeffors at Aberdeen. 8 This was a box containing a number of curious things which he had picked up in Scotland, particularly fome horn fpoons. 9 The Reverend Dr. Alexander Webster, one of the minifters of Edinburgh, a man of distinguished abilities, who had promifed him information concerning the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, fettled 1773. settled order among them; and he says, that the Macdonalds were not placed upon the right of the army at Culloden; the Stuarts were. I fhall, however, Etat. 64. examine witnesses of every name that I can find here. Dr. Webster shall be quickened too. I like your little memorandums; they are symptoms of your being in earnest with your book of northern travels. "Your box fhall be fent next week by fea. You will find in it fome pieces of the broom bush, which you faw growing on the old castle of Auchinleck. The wood has a curious appearance when sawn across. You may either have a little writing-ftandish made of it, or get it formed into boards for a treatise on witchcraft, by way of a fuitable binding." "YOU promised me an inscription for a print to be taken from an historical picture of Mary Queen of Scots being forced to resign her crown, which Mr. Hamilton at Rome has painted for me. The two following have been fent to me: • Maria Scotorum Regina meliori feculo digna, jus regium civibus feditiofis invita refignat.' Cives feditiofi Mariam Scotorum Reginam fefe muneri abdicare invitam cogunt.' "Be fo good as to read the paffage in Robertson, and fee if you cannot give me a better infcription. I must have it both in Latin and English; fo if you should not give me another Latin one, you will at least choose the best of these two, and send a translation of it." His humane forgiving difpofition was put to a pretty strong teft on his return to London, by a liberty which Mr. Thomas Davies had taken with him in his absence, which was, to publish two volumes, entitled, "Mifcellaneous and fugitive Pieces," which he advertised in the newfpapers, " By the Authour of the Rambler.” In this collection, feveral of Dr. Johnson's acknowledged writings, and several of his anonymous performances, and fome which he had written for others, were inferted; but there were also fome in which he had no concern whatever. He was at firft very angry, as he had good 1773. Etat. 64. 1774. good reafon to be. But, upon confideration of his poor friend's narrow circumstances, and that he had only a little profit in view, and meant no harm, he foon relented, and continued his kindness to him as formerly. In the course of his felf-examination with retrofpect to this year, he seems to have been much dejected; for he fays, January 1, 1774, "This year has paft with fo little improvement, that I doubt whether I have not rather impaired than increased my learning':" and yet we have seen how he read, and we know how he talked during that period. He was now seriously engaged in writing an account of our travels in the Hebrides, in confequence of which I had the pleasure of a more frequent correfpondence with him. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "MY operations have been hindered by a cough; at least I flatter myself, that if the cough had not come, I should have been further advanced. But I have had no intelligence from Dr. W-, [Webster,] nor from the excife-office, nor from you. No account of the little borough. Nothing of the Erfe language. I have yet heard nothing of my box. "You must make hafte and gather me all you can, and do it quickiy, or I will and fhall do without it. "Make my compliments to Mrs. Bofwell, and tell her that I do not love her the less for wishing me away. I gave her trouble enough, and fhall be glad, in recompence, to give her any pleasure. "I would fend fome porter into the Hebrides, if I knew which way it could be got to my kind friends there. Enquire, and let me know. "Make my compliments to all the Doctors of Edinburgh, and to all my friends from one end of Scotland to the other. "Write to me, and send me what intelligence you can: and if any thing is too bulky for the post, let me have it by the carrier. I do not like trusting winds and waves. I am, dear Sir, |