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1-778.

Atat. 69.

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which I had any thing particular to fay; and general expreslions of good will, I hope, our long friendship is grown too folid to want.

« Of publick affairs you have information from the news-papers whereever you go, for the English keep no secret; and of other things, Mrs. Nollekens informs you. My intelligence could therefore be of no use; and Miss Nancy's letters made it unnecessary to write to you for information: I was likewise for some time out of humour, to find that motion, and nearer approaches to the sun, did not restore your health so fast as I expected. Of your health, the accounts have lately been more pleasing; and I have the gratification of imaging to myself a length of years which I hope you have gained, and of which the enjoyment will be improved, by a vast accession of images and observations which your journeys and various residence have enabled you to make and accumulate. You have travelled with this felicity, almoft peculiar to yourself, that your companion is not to part from you at your journey's end; but you are to live on together, to help each other's recollection, and to supply each other's omissions. The world has few greater pleasures than that which two friends enjoy, in tracing back, at some distant time, those transactions and events through which they have passed together. One of the old man's miseries is, that he cannot easily find a companion able to partake with him of the past. You and your fellow-traveller have this comfort in store, that your conversation will be not easily exhausted; one will always be glad to say what the other will always be willing to hear.

“ That you may enjoy this pleasure long, your health must have your constant attention. I suppose you purpose to return this year. There is no need of hafte: do not come hither before the heighth of summer, that you may fall gradually into the inconveniences of your native climate. July seems to be the proper month. August and September will prepare you for the winter. After having travelled so far to find health, you must take care not to lose it at home, and I hope a little care will effectually preserve it.

“ Miss Nancy has doubtless kept a constant and copious journal. She must not expect to be welcome when she returns without a great mass of information. Let her review her journal often, and set down what she finds herself to have omitted, that she may trust to memory as little as possible, for memory is soon confused by a quick succession of things; and she will grow every day less confident of the truth of her own narratives, unless she can recur to some written memorials. If she has satisfied herself with hints, instead of full representations, let her supply the deficiencies now while her memory yet

fresh,

is

1778.

Ætat. 69.

fresh, and while her father's memory may help her. If she observes this direction, she will not have travelled in vain ; for she will bring home a book with which she may entertain herself to the end of life. If it were not now too late, I would advise her to note the impression which the first sight of any thing new and wonderful made upon her mind. Let her now set her thoughts down as he can recollect them; for faint as they may already be, they will grow every day fainter.

Perhaps I do not flatter myself unreasonably when I imagine that you may wish to know something of me. I can gratify your benevolence with no account of health. The hand of time, or of disease, is very heavy upon me. I pass restless and uneasy nights, harrassed with convulsions of my breast, and Aatulencies at my stomach ; and restless nights make heavy days. But nothing will be mended by complaints, and therefore I will make an end. When we meet, we will try to forget our cares and our maladies, and contribute, as we can, to the cheerfulness of each other. If I had gone with you,

I believe I should have been better ; but I do not know that it was in my power. I am, dear Sir,

" Your most humble servant, « Feb. 3, 17780

SAM. Johnson.”

This letter, while it gives admirable advice how to travel to the best advantage, and will therefore be of very general use, is another eminent proof of Johnson's warm and affectionate heart 4.

I wrote to him on the 25th of May, from Thorpe, in Yorkshire, one of the feats of Mr. Bosville, and gave him an account of my having passed a day at Lincoln, unexpectedly, and therefore without having any letters of introduction, but that I had been honoured with civilities from the Reverend Mr. Simpson, an acquaintance of his, and Captain Broadley, of the Lincolnshire Militia ; but more particularly from the Reverend Dr. Gordon, the Chancellor, who first received me with great politeness as a stranger, and when I had informed him who I was, entertained me at his house with the most Aattering attention; I also expressed the pleasure with which I had found. that our worthy friend Langton was highly esteemed in his own county town.

4 The friendship between Mr. Welch and him was unbroken. Mr. Welch died not many months before him, and bequeathed him five guincas for a ring, which Johnson received with tenderness, as a kind memorial. His regard was constant for his friend Mr. Welch's daughters; of whom, Jane is married to Mr. Nollekens the statuary, whose merit is too well known to require any praise from me,

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“ SINCE my return to Scotland, I have been again at Lanark, and have had more conversation with Thomson's sister. It is strange that Murdoch, who was his intimate friend, should have mistaken his mother's maiden name, which he says was Hume, whereas Hume was the name of his grandmother by the mother's side. His mother's name was Beatrix Trotters, a daughter of Mr. Trotter, of Fogo, a small proprietor of land. Thomson had one brother, whom he had with him in England as his amanuensis; but he was seized with a consumption, and having returned to Scotland, to try what his native air would do for him, died young. He had three sisters, one married

, to Mr. Bell, minister of the parish of Strathaven; one to Mr. Craig, father of the ingenious architect, who gave the plan of the New Town of Edinburgh; and one to Mr. Thomson, master of the grammar-school at Lanark. He was of a humane and benevolent disposition ; not only sent valuable presents to his fifters, but an yearly allowance in money, and was always wishing to have it in his power to do them more good. Lord Lyttelton's observation, that che lothed much to write,' was very true. His letters to his filter, Mrs. Thomson, were not frequent, and in one of them he says, “ All my friends who know me, know how backward I am to write letters; and never impute the negligence of my hand to the coldness of my heart.' I send you a copy of the last letter which she had from him; she never heard that he had any intention of going into holy orders. From this late interview with his sister, I think much more favourably of him, as I hope you will. I am eager to see more of your Prefaces to the Poets; I solace myself with the few proofsheets which I have.

« I send another parcel of Lord Hailes's · Annals,' which you will please to return to me as soon as you conveniently can. He says, 'he wishes you would cut a little deeper ;' but - he may be proud that there is so little occasion to use the critical knife. I ever am, my dear Sir, " Your faithful and affectionate humble servant,

“ JAMES BOSWELL.”

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s Dr. Johnson was by no means attentive to minute accuracy in his “ Lives of the Poets ;" for notwithstanding my having detected this mistake, he has continued it.

Mr.

Mr. Langton has been pleased, at my request, to favour me with some

1778. particulars of Dr. Johnson's visit to Warley-Camp, where this gentleman was Arat. 69. at the time stationed, as a Captain in the Lincolnshire militia. I shall give them in his own words in a letter to me.

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“ It was in the summer of the year 1778, that he complied with my invitation
to come down to the Camp at Warley, and he staid with me about a week;
the scene appeared, notwithstanding a great degree of ill health that he seemed
to labour under, to interest and amuse him, as agreeing with the dis-
position that I believe you know he constantly manifested towards enquiring
into subjects of the military kind. He sate, with a patient degree of attention,
to observe the proceedings of a regimental court-martial, that happened to
be called in the time of his stay with us; and one night, as late as at eleven
o'clock, he accompanied the Major of the regiment in going what are styled,
the Rounds, where he might observe the forms of visiting the guards, for the
seeing that they and their sentries are ready in their duty on their several posts.
He took occasion to converse at times on military topicks, one in particular,
that I see the mention of, in your · Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides,
which lies open before me', as to gun-powder; which he spoke of to the
same effect, in part, that you relate.

,
On one occasion, when the regiment were going through their exercise,
he went quite close to the men at one of the extremities of it, and watched
all their practices attentively; and, when he came away, his remark was,
* The men indeed do load their musquets and fire with wonderful celerity.'
He was likewise particular in requiring to know what was the weight of
the musquet-balls in use, and within what distance they might be expected
to take effect when fired off.

“ In walking among the tents, and observing the difference between those
of the officers and private men, he said that the superiority of accommoda-
tion of the better conditions of life, to that of the inferiour ones, was never
exhibited to him in so distinct a view. The civilities paid to him in the
camp were, from the gentlemen of the Lincolnshire regiment, one of the
officers of which accommodated him with a tent in which he Nept; and from
General Hall, who very courteously invited him to dine with him, where he
appeared to be very well pleased with his entertainment, and the civilities he

Third Edition, p. ill.

Vol. II.

Nn

received

1778.

Ætat. 69.

received on the part of the General”; the attention likewise of the General's
aid-de-camp, Captain Smith, seemed to be very welcome to him, as appeared
by their engaging in a great deal of discourse together. The gentlemen of the
East York regiment likewise on being informed of his coming, solicited his
company at dinner, but by that time e had fixed his departure, so that he
could not comply with the invitation.”

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TO JAMES BOSWELL, Eji. « DEAR SIR,

“ I HAVE received two letters from you, of which the second complains of the neglect shown to the first. You must not tye your friends to such punctual correspondence. You have all possible assurances of my affection and esteem ; and there ought to be no need of reiterated profesions. When it may happen that I can give you either counsel or comfort, I hope it will never happen to me that I should neglect you; but you must not think me criminal or cold if I say nothing, when I have nothing to say.

" You are now happy enough. Mrs. Boswell is recovered ; and I congratulate you upon the probability of her long life. If general approbation will add any thing to your enjoyment, I can tell you that I have heard you mentioned as a man whom every body likes.

I think life has little more to give.

has gone to his regiment. He has laid down his coach, and talks of making more contractions of his expence : how he will succeed I know not. It is difficult to reform a household gradually; it may be better done by a system totally new. I am afraid he has always something to hide. When we pressed him to go to , he objected the necessity of artending his navigation; yet he could talk of going to Aberdeen, a place not much nearer his navigation. I believe he cannot bear the thought of living at -- in a state of diminution ; and of appearing among the gentlemen of the neighbourhood shorn of his beams. This is natural, but it is cowardiy. What I told him of the encreasing expence of a growing family seems to have struck him. He certainly had gone on with very confused views, and we have, I think, shown him that he is wrong; though, with the common deficience of advisers, we have not shown him how to do right.

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? When I one day at Court expressed to General Hal my sense of the honour he had done my
friend, he politely answered, “Sir, I did myself honour."
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" I wish

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