1775.

before the translation was printed, but was not indulged with having it altered, Etat. 66. and he has brought an action for damages, on account of a fuppofed injury, as if the defignation given to him were an inferiour one, tending to make it be fuppofed he is not a Phyfician, and, confequently to hurt his practice. My father has difmiffed the action as groundless, and now he has appealed to the whole Court"."

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"I LONG to hear how you like the book; it is, I think, much liked here. But Macpherson is very furious; can you give me any more intelligence about him, or his Fingal? Do what you can, and do it quickly. Is Lord Hailes on our fide?

Pray let me know what I owed you when I left you, that I may send it to you.

"I am going to write about the Americans. If you have picked up any hints among your lawyers, who are great masters of the law of nations, or if your own mind fuggefts any thing, let me know. But mum,-it is a fecret.

"I will fend your parcel of books as foon as I can; but I cannot do as I wish. However, you find every thing mentioned in the book which you recommended.

"Langton is here; we are all that ever we were. He is a worthy fellow, without malice, though not without refentment.

"Poor Beauclerk is fo ill, that his life is thought to be in danger. Lady Di. nurses him with very great affiduity.

"Reynolds has taken too much to strong liquor', and seems to delight in his new character.

"This is all the news that I have; but as you love verfes, I will fend you a few which I made upon Inchkenneth; but remember the condition, that you shall not show them, except to Lord Hailes, whom I love better than any man whom I know fo little. If he afks you to transcribe them for him, you may do it, but I think he must promise not to let them be copied again, nor to fhow them as mine.

9 In the Court of Seffion of Scotland an action is firft tried by one of the Judges, who is called the Lord Ordinary; and if either party is diffatisfied, he may appeal to the whole Court, confifting of fifteen, the Lord Prefident and fourteen other Judges, who have both in and out of Court the title of Lords, from the name of their eftates; as, Lord Auchinleck, Lord Monboddo, &c. It fhould be recollected, that this fanciful defcription of his friend was given by Johnfon after he had become a water-drinker.

See them in "Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides," 3d edit. p. 337.

"I have

"I have at laft fent back Lord Hailes's fheets. I never think about returning them, because I alter nothing. You will fee that I might as well have kept them. However, I am afhamed of my delay; and if I have the honour of receiving any more, promife punctually to return them by the next poft. Make my compliments to dear Mrs. Bofwell, and to Mifs Veronica. I am, dear Sir,

1775.

Etat. 66.

"YOU rate our lawyers here too high, when you call them great mafters of the law of nations.

"As for myself, I am ashamed to say that I have read little and thought little on the fubject of America. I will be much obliged to you, if you will direct me where I fhall find the best information of what is to be faid on both fides. It is a subject vast in its prefent extent and future confequences. The imperfect hints which now float in my mind, tend rather to the formation of an opinion that our government has been precipitant and fevere in the refolutions taken against the Bostonians. Well do you know that I have no kindness for that But nations, or bodies of men, fhould, as well as individuals, have a fair trial, and not be condemned on character alone. Have we not express contracts with our colonies, which afford a more certain foundation of judgement, than general political fpeculations on the mutual rights of ftates and their provinces or colonies? Pray let me know immediately what to read,

race.

3 He now fent me a Latin infcription for my hiftorical picture of Mary Queen of Scots, and afterwards favoured me with an English translation. Mr. Alderman Boydell has subjoined them to the engraving from my picture.

1775.

Etat. 66.

and I fhall diligently endeavour to gather for you any thing that I can find. Is Burke's speech on American Taxation published by himself? Is it authentick? I remember to have heard you say, that you had never confidered East Indian affairs; though, furely, they are of much importance to Great-Britain. Under the recollection of this, I fhelter myself from the reproach of ignorance about the Americans. If you write upon the subject, I fhall certainly underftand it. But, fince you feem to expect that I fhould know fomething of it, without your instruction, and that my own mind fhould fuggeft something, I trust you will put me in the way.

"What does Becket mean by the Originals of Fingal and other poems of Offian, which he advertises to have lain in his fhop?"

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"YOU fent me a cafe to confider, in which I have no facts but what are against us, nor any principles on which to reafon. It is vain to try to write thus without materials. The fact feems to be against you, at least I cannot know nor fay any thing to the contrary. I am glad that you like the book fo well. I hear no more of Macpherfon. I fhall long to know what Lord Hailes fays of it. Lend it him privately. I fhall fend the parcel as soon as I can. Make my compliments to Mrs. Bofwell. I am, Sir, &c. "January 28, 1775.

SAM. JOHNSON."

Mr. BOSWELL to Dr. JOHNSON.

Edinburgh, Feb. 2, 1775.

"AS to Macpherson, I am anxious to have from yourself a full and pointed account of what has paffed between you and him. It is confidently told here, that before your book came out he fent to you, to let you know that he understood you meant to deny the authenticity of Offian's Poems; that the originals were in his poffeffion; that you might have infpection of them, and might take the evidence of people skilled in the Erfe language; and that he hoped, after this fair offer, you would not be fo uncandid as to affert that he had refused reasonable proof. That you paid no regard to his meffage, but published your strong attack upon him; that then he wrote a letter to you, in

1775

fuch terms as he thought fuited to one who had not acted as a man of veracity. You may believe it gives me pain to hear your conduct reprefented as Etat 66 unfavourable, while I can only deny what is faid, on the ground that your character refutes it, without having any information to oppofe. Let me, I beg it of you, be furnished with a fufficient anfwer to any calumny upon this occafion.

"Lord Hailes writes to me, (for we correfpond more than we talk together,) As to Fingal, I fee a controverfy arifing, and purpose to keep out of its way. There is no doubt that I might mention fome circumstances; but I do not choose to commit them to paper.' What his opinion is, I do not know. He fays, I am fingularly obliged to Dr. Johnson for his accurate and useful criticisms. Had he given fome ftrictures on the general plan of the work, it would have added much to his favours.' He is charmed with your verses on Inchkenneth, fays they are very elegant, but bids me tell you he doubts whether

be according to the rubrick: but that is your concern; for, you know, he is a Prefbyterian."

"SIR,

To Dr. LAWRENCE 4.

February 7, 1775.

"ONE of the Scotch phyficians is now profecuting a corporation that in fome publick inftrument have stiled him Doctor of Medicine instead of Phyfician. Bofwell defires, being advocate for the corporation, to know whether Doctor of Medicine is not a legitimate title, and whether it may be confidered as a difadvantageous diftinction. I am to write to-night, be pleased to tell me. I am, Sir, your most, &c.

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"MY DEAR BOSWELL,

"SAM. JOHNSON."

"I AM furprized that, knowing as you do the difpofition of your countrymen to tell lies in favour of each other, you can be at all affected by

4 The learned and worthy Dr. Lawrence, whom Dr. Johnson refpected and loved as his physician

and friend.

5 My friend has, in this letter, relied upon my teftimony with a confidence, of which the ground has escaped my recollection.

any

1775.

any reports that circulate among them. Macpherfon never in his life offered Atat. 66. me the fight of any original or of any evidence of any kind, but thought only of intimidating me by noife and threats, till my last answer,--that I would not be deterred from detecting what I thought a cheat, by the menaces of a ruffian,-put an end to our correfpondence.

"The state of the question is this. He, and Dr. Blair, whom I confider as deceived, fay, that he copied the poem from old manufcripts. His copies, if he had them, and I believe him to have none, are nothing. Where are the manufcripts? They can be fhown if they exift, but they were never fhown. De non exiftentibus et non apparentibus, fays our law, eadem eft ratio. No man has a claim to credit upon his own word, when better evidence, if he had it, may be easily produced. But, fo far as we can find, the Erfe language was never written till very lately for the purposes of religion. A nation that cannot write, or a language that was never written, has no manuscripts.

"But whatever he has, he never offered to fhow. If old manuscripts. should now be mentioned, I fhould, unless there were more evidence than can be easily had, fuppofe them another proof of Scotch conspiracy in national falfehood.

"Do not cenfure the expreffion; you know it to be true.

"Dr. Memis's queftion is fo narrow as to allow no fpeculation; and I have no facts before me but those which his advocate has produced against you.

"I confulted this morning the Prefident of the London College of Phyficians, who fays, that with us, Doctor of Phyfick (we do not fay Doctor of Medicine) is the highest title that a practicer of phyfick can have; that Doctor implies not only Phyfician, but teacher of phyfick; that every Doctor is legally a Physician, but no man, not a Doctor, can practice phyfick but by licence particularly granted. The Doctorate is a licence of itself. It seems to us a very flender cause of profecution.

"I am now engaged, but in a little time I hope to do all you would have. My compliments to Madam and Veronica. I am, Sir, "Your most humble fervant,

"February 7, 1775.

SAM. JOHNSON."

What words were used by Mr. Macpherson in his letter to the venerable Sage, I have never heard; but they are generally faid to have been of a nature very different from the language of literary conteft. Dr. Johnson's anfwer appeared in the newspapers of the day, and has fince been frequently

re-published;