which I thought could really hurt any one | now living. Vanity and self-conceit indeed may sometimes suffer. With respect to what is related, I considered it my duty to "extenuate nothing, nor set down aught in malice;" and with those lighter strokes of Dr. Johnson's satire, proceeding from a warmth and quickness of imagination, not from any malevolence of heart, and which, on account of their excellence, could not be omitted, I trust that they who are the subjects of them have good sense and good temper enough not to be displeased. I have only to add, that I shall ever reflect with great pleasure on a Tour, which has been the means of preserving so much of the enlightened and instructive conversation of one whose virtues will, I hope, ever be an object of imitation, and whose powers of mind were so extraordinary, that ages may revolve before such a man shall again appear. A contemptible scribbler, of whom I have He saw the four universities of Scotland, its three principal cities, and as much of the Highland and insular life as was sufficient for his philosophical contemplation. He was respectfully 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 2. His various adventures, and the force and vivacity of his mind, as exercised during this peregrination, upon innumerable topicks, have been faithfully, and to the best of my abilities, displayed in [the foregoing] learned no more than that, after having disgraced visited the isles of Sky, Rasay, Col, Mull, The authour was not a small gainer by this extraordinary Journey; for Dr. Johnson thus writes to Mrs. Thrale, 3d Nov. 1773: "Boswell will praise my resolution and perseverance, and I shall in return celebrate his good humour and perpetual cheerfulness. He has better faculties than I had imagined; more justness of discernment, and more fecundity of images. It is very convenient to travel with him; for there is no house where he is not received with kindness and respect."-Let. 90, to Mrs. Thrale.-MALONE. [The editor asked Lord Stowell in what estimation he found Boswell amongst his countrymen. "Generally liked as a good-natured jolly fellow," replied his lordship. "But was he respected?" Why, I think he had about the proportion of respect that you might guess would be shown to a jolly fellow." His lordship evidently thought that there was more regard than respect.-ED.] 2 [He was long remembered amongst the lower orders of Hebrideans by the title of the Sassenach More, the big Englishman.— WALTER SCOTT.] "Journal of our Tour," which exhibits as striking a view of his powers in conversation, 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, So fervent Boswell gives him to our view: In every trait we see his mind expand; The master rises by the pupil's hand: We love the writer, praise his happy vein, Graced with the naïveté of the sage Montaigne; Hence not alone are brighter parts display'd, But e'en the specks of character pourtray'd: We see the Rambler with fastidious smile Mark the lone tree, and note the heath-clad isle; But when th' heroic tale of Flora' charms, Deck'd in a kilt, he wields a chieftain's arms: The tuneful piper sounds a martial strain, And Samuel sings, The king shall have his ain.'” 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 subsequent letters, that he was not less solicitous for intelligence on this subject after his return to London. "TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "27th Nov. 1773. "DEAR SIR,-I came home last night, without any incommodity, danger, or weariness, and am ready to begin a new journey. I shall go to Oxford on Monday. I know Mrs. Boswell wished me well to go 3; her wishes have not been disappointed. 1 [Here followed in the original text, "to the Hebrides, to which, as the public has been pleased to honour it by a very extensive circulation, I beg leave to refer, as to a separate and remarkable portion of his life, which may be there seen in detail, and—”—Ed.] 2 The COURTENAY. celebrated Flora Macdonald.”— 3 In this he showed a very acute penetration. My wife paid him the most assiduous and respectful attention while he was our guest; so that I wonder how he discovered her wishing for his departure. The truth is, that his irregular hours and uncouth habits, such 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. Besides, she 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, she 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 subject: "I have seen many a bear led by a man; but I never before saw a man led by a bear."-BOSWELL. [The reader will, however, hereafter see that the repetition of this observation as to Mrs. Boswell's feelings towards him was made so frequently and pertinaciously, as is hard "You shall 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 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 shall, however, 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 shall be sent next week by sea. You will find in it some pieces of the broom-bush which you saw growing on the old castle of Auchinleck. The wood has a curious appearance when sawn across. You may either have a little writing-standish made of it, or get it formed into boards for a treatise on witchcraft, by way of a suitable binding." ly reconcileable with good taste and good manners.-ED.] 4 Sir Alexander Gordon, one of the professors at Aberdeen.-BOSWELL. 5 This was a box containing a number of curious things which he had picked up in Scotland, particularly some horn-spoons.-BOSWELL. [The Macdonalds always laid claim to be placed on the right of the whole clans, and those of that tribe assign the breach of this order at Culloden as one cause of the loss of the day. The Macdonalds, placed on the left wing, refused to charge, and positively left the field unassailed and unbroken. Lord George Murray in vain endeavoured to urge them on by saying that their behaviour would make the left the right, and that he himself would take the name of Macdonald. On this subject there are some curious notices, in a very interesting journal written by one of the seven men of Moidart, as they were called— Macdonalds of the Clanronald sept, who were the first who declared for the prince at his landing in their chief's country. It is in the Lockhart papers, vol. ii. p. 510.—WALTER SCOTT.] 7 The Reverend Dr. Alexander Webster, one of the ministers of Edinburgh, a man of distinguished abilities, who had promised him information concerning the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.-BoSWELL. [See ante, p. 337.— ED.] "" MR. BOSWELL TO DR. JOHNSON. "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 sent to me: "Maria Scotorum Regina meliori seculo digna, jus regium civibus seditiosis invita resignat.' "Cives seditiosi Mariam Scotorum Reginam sese muneri abdicare invitam cogunt.' "Be so good as to read the passage in Robertson, and see if you cannot give me a better inscription. I must have it both in Latin and English; so 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." "MADAM,-Having committed one fault by inadvertency, I will not commit another by sullenness. When I had the honour of your card, I could not comply with your invitation, and must now suffer the shame of confessing that the necessity of an answer did not come into my mind. "This omission, madam, you may easily excuse, as the consciousness of your own character must secure you from suspecting that the favour of your notice can ever His humane forgiving disposition was put miss a suitable return, but from ignorance to a pretty strong test on his return to Lon- or thoughtlessness, and to be ignorant of don by a liberty which Mr. Thomas Da- your eminence is not easy, but to him who vies had taken with him in his absence, lives out of the reach of the publick voice. which was, to publish two volumes entitled-I am, madam, your most obedient and "Miscellaneous and Fugitive Pieces," most humble servant, which he advertised in the newspapers, "SAM. JOHNSON."] "By the Author of the Rambler." In this collection, several of Dr. Johnson's acknowledged writings, several of his anonymous performances, and some which he had written for others, were inserted; but there were also some in which he had no concern whatever. He was at first very angry, as he had good reason to be. But, upon consideration of his poor friend's narrow circumstances, and that he had only a little profit in view, and meant no harm, he soon relented, and continued his kindness to him as formerly. Piozzi, p. 42, 43. ་ [When Mrs. Thrale on this occasion said to him, "How would Pope have raved, had he been served so? We should never,' replied he, have heard the last on 't, to be sure; but then Pope was a narrow man. I will, however,' added he, 'storm and bluster myself a little this time;'-so went to London in all the wrath he could muster up. At his return, Mrs. Thrale asked how the affair ended: 'Why,' said he, I was a fierce fellow, and pretended to be very angry, and Thomas was a good-natured fellow, and pretended to be very sorry; so there the matter ended. I believe the dog loves me dearly. Mr. Thrale, turning round to him,What shall you and I do that is good for Tom Davies ? We will do something for him, to be sure.""] In the course of his self-examination with retrospect to this year, he seems to 60 VOL. I. He was now seriously engaged_in_writing an account of our travels in the Hebrides, in consequence of which I had the pleasure of a more frequent correspondence with him. 66 TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "29th Jan. 1774. "DEAR SIR,-My operations have been hindered by a cough; at least I flatter myself, that if my cough had not come, I should have been further advanced. But I have had no intelligence from Dr. Webster, nor from the excise-office, nor from you. No account of the little borough 1. Nothing of the Erse language. I have yet heard nothing of my box. "You must make haste and gather me all you can, and do it quickly, or I will and shall do without it. "Make my compliments to Mrs. Boswell, and tell her that I do not love her the less for wishing me away. I gave her trouble enough, and shall be glad, in recompense, to give her any pleasure. "I would send some porter into the Hebrides, if I knew which way it could be got to my kind friends there. Inquire, 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. The ancient burgh of Prestick, in Ayrshire.— BoSWELL. "Write to me, and send me what intelli- | this day before the lords. Murphy drew gence you can; and if any thing is too up the appellants' case, that is, the plea bulky for the post, let me have it by the against the perpetual right. I have not carrier. I do not like trusting winds and seen it, nor heard the decision. I would waves.-I am, dear sir, your most, &c. not have the right perpetual. "SAM. JOHNSON." "TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "I will write to you as any thing occurs, and do you send me something about my Scottish friends. I have very great kindness for them. Let me know likewise how "DEAR SIR,-In a day or two after I fees come in, and when we are to see you. had written the last discontented letter, I-I am, sir, yours affectionately, "SAM. JOHNSON." received my box, which was very welcome. But still I must entreat you to hasten Dr. Webster, and continue to pick up what you can that may be useful. "Mr. Oglethorpe was with me this morning; you know his errand. He was not unwelcome. "Tell Mrs. Boswell that my good intentions towards her still continue. I should be glad to do any thing that would either benefit or please her. "Chambers is not yet gone, but so hurried, or so negligent, or so proud, that I rarely see him. I have indeed, for some weeks past, been very ill of a cold and cough, and have been at Mrs. Thrale's, that I might be taken care of. I am much better: nova redeunt in prælia vires; but I am yet tender, and easily disordered. How happy it was that neither of us were ill in the Hebrides. "The question of literary property 1 is [The question was not decided till the 22d Feb.; the following summary of this matter is extracted from the Annual Register" for 1774, pp. 95-6: This day came on, in the house of lords, the final determination on the cause of literary property, which rested principally on these three points: "I. Whether the authour of a book, or literary composition, has a common law right to the sole and exclusive publication of such book or literary composition? "II. Whether an action for a violation of common law right will lie against those persons who publish the book or literary composition of an authour without his consent? "HI. How far the statute of the 8th Queen Anne affects the supposition of a common law right? "The judges having previously delivered their opinions on these points, Lord Camden rose and spoke very learnedly for near two hours against the literary claimants, and in defence of the statute of Queen Anne, which he said took away any right at common law for an authour's exclusively multiplying copies, if any such right existed. The Lord Chancellor spoke for three quarters of an hour to the same effect. The young Lord Lyttelton next rose, and made a short but florid harangue in favour of literary property. The Bishop of Carlisle and Lord Howard of Effingham spoke against it; and the question being put by the Lord Chancellor, whether it was their lordships' plea He at this time wrote the following letters to Mr. Steevens, his able associate in editing Shakspeare: "TO GEORGE STEEVENS, ESQ. HAMPSTEAD. "7th February, 1774. "SIR,-If I am asked when I have seen Mr. Steevens, you know what answer I must give; if I am asked when I shall see him, I wish you could tell me what to say. "If you have 'Lesley's History of Scotland,' or any other book about Scotland, except Boetius and Buchanan, it will be a kindness if you send them to, sir, your "SAM. JOHNSON." humble servant, "TO GEORGE STEEVENS, ESQ. "SIR,-Last night you became a member of the club; if you call on me on Friday, sure that the decree should be reversed, it was agreed without a division, with costs. 66 By the above decision of the important question respecting copyright in books, near 200,0002. worth of what was honestly purchased at public sales, and which was yesterday thought property, is now reduced to nothing. The booksellers of London and Westminster, many of whom sold estates and houses to purchase copyright, are in a manner ruined; and those who, after many years' industry, thought they had acquired a competency to provide for their families, now find themselves without a shilling to devise to their successor. "The English booksellers have now no other security in future, for any literary purchase they may make, but the statute of the 8th of Queen Anne, which secures to the authour's assigns an exclusive property for fourteen years, to revert again to the authour, and vest in him for fourteen years more."-ED.] I will introduce you. A gentleman proposed after you, was rejected. "I thank you for Neander 1, but wish he were not so fine. I will take care of him. I am, sir, your humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." "TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. 5th March, 1774. "DEAR SIR,-Dr. Webster's informations were much less exact, and much less determinate than I expected: they are, indeed, much less positive than, if he can trust his own book which he laid before me, he is able to give. But I believe it will always be found, that he who calls much for information will advance his work but slowly. "I am, however, obliged to you, dear sir, for your endeavours to help me, and hope, that between us something will some time be done, if not on this on some occasion. "Chambers is either married, or almost married, to Miss Wilton 3, a girl of sixteen, exquisitely beautiful, whom he has, with his lawyer's tongue, persuaded to take her chance with him in the East. | consider ourselves as even, forgive one another, and begin again. I care not how soon, for he is a very pleasing man. Pay my compliments to all my friends, and remind Lord Elibank of his promise to give me all his works. "I hope Mrs. Boswell and little Miss are well. When shall I see them again? She is a sweet lady, only she was so glad to see me go, that I have almost a mind to come again, that she may again have the same pleasure. Inquire if it be practicable to send a small present of a cask of porter to Dunvegan, Řasay, and Col. I would not wish to be thought forgetful of civilities. I am, sir, your humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." On the 5th of March I wrote to him, requesting his counsel whether I should this spring come to London. I stated to him on the one hand some pecuniary embarrassments, which, together with my wife's situation at that time, made me hesitate; and on the other, the pleasure and improvement which my annual visit to the metropolis always afforded me; and particularly mentioned a peculiar satisfaction which I experienced in celebrating the festival of Easter in St. Paul's cathedral; that, to my "Return my thanks to Dr. Webster. fancy, it appeared like going up to JeruTell Dr. Robertson I have not much to re-salem at the feast of the Passover; and that ply to his censure of my negligence: and tell Dr. Blair, that since he has written hither 6 what I said to him, we must now "We have added to the club, Charles Fox 4, Sir Charles Bunbury, Dr. Fordyce, and Mr. Steevens 5. See the Catalogue of Mr. Steevens's Library, No. 265:- Neandri (Mich.) Opus aureum, Gr. et Lat. 2 tom. 4to. corio turcico, foliis deauratis. Lipsia, 1577." This was doubtless the book which appears to have been lent by Mr. Steevens to Dr. Johnson.-MALONE. A manuscript account drawn by Dr. Webster of all the parishes in Scotland, ascertaining their length, breadth, number of inhabitants, and distinguishing Protestants and Roman Catholicks. This book has been transmitted to government, and Dr. Johnson saw a copy of it in Dr. Webster's possession.-BOSWELL. 3 [Daughter of Mr. Wilton, the sculptor. After Sir Robert Chambers's death she returned to England, and is now (1830) living at Putney. Miss Chambers, her daughter, married, as the Editor is informed, Colonel Macdonald, the son of Flora. See ante, p. 386.—ED.] [Mr. Fox was brought in by Mr. Burke, and this meeting at the Club was the only link of acquaintance between Mr. Fox and Johnson.MACKINTOSH.] [It is odd that he does not mention Mr. Gibbon, whose admission seems, by Mr. Hatchett's list, to have been contemporary with Steevens's.-ED.] [This applies to one of Johnson's rude speeches, the mere repetition of which by Dr. Blair, Johnson, with more ingenuity than justice, the strong devotion which I felt on that occasion diffused its influence on my mind through the rest of the year. "TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. Not dated, but written about the 15th of March. "DEAR SIR,-I am ashamed to think that since I received your letter I have passed so many days without answering it. "I think there is no great difficulty in resolving your doubts. The reasons for which you are inclined to visit London are, I think, not of sufficient strength to answer the objections. That you should delight to come once a year to the fountain of intelligence and pleasure is very natural; but both information and pleasure must be regulated by propriety. Pleasure, which cannot be obtained but by unseasonable or unsuitable expense, must always end in pain; and pleasure, which must be enjoyed at the expense of another's pain, can never be such as a worthy mind can fully delight in. "What improvement you might gain by coming to London, you may easily supply or easily compensate, by enjoining yourself some particular study at home, or opening some new avenue to information. Edinburgh is not yet exhausted; and I am sure chose to consider as equivalent to the original offence; but it turned out that Blair had not told the story.-ED.] |