1773. he appeared to be almost in a convulfion; and, in order to fupport himself, laid hold of one of the pofts at the fide of the foot-pavement, and fent forth peals fo loud, that in the filence of the night his voice feemed to refound from Temple-bar to Fleet-ditch. This most ludicrous exhibition of the aweful, melancholy, and venerable Johnfon, happened well to counteract the feelings of fadnefs which I used to experience when parting with him for a confiderable time. I accompanied him to his door, where he gave me his bleffing. He records of himself this year, " Between Easter and Whitfuntide, having always confidered that time as propitious to ftudy, I attempted to learn the Low Dutch language." It is to be obferved, that he here admits an opinion of the human mind being influenced by feasons, which he ridicules in his writings. His progrefs, he fays, "was interrupted by a fever, which, by the imprudent ufe of a small print, left an inflammation in his ufeful eye." We cannot but admire his spirit when we know, that amidst a complication of bodily and mental distress, he was ftill animated with the defire of intellectual improvement. Various notes of his ftudies appear on different days, in his manuscript diary of this year; fuch as, "Inchoavi letionem Pentateuchi-Finivi lectionem Conf. Fab. Burdonum.-Legi primum a&tum Trcadum.-Legi Dissertationem Clerici poftremam de Pent.-2 of Clark's Sermons.-L. Appolonii pugnam Betriciam.-L. centum verfus Homeri." Let this ferve as a specimen of what acceffions of literature he was perpetually infufing into his mind, while he charged himself with idleness. This year died Mrs. Salusbury, (mother of Mrs. Thrale,) a lady whom he appears to have esteemed much, and whose memory he honoured with an Epitaph. In a letter from Edinburgh, dated the 29th of May, I preffed him to perfevere in his refolution to make this year the projected vifit to the Hebrides, of which he and I had talked for many years, and which I was confident would afford us much entertainment. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "WHEN your letter came to me, I was fo darkened by an inflammation in my eye, that I could not for fome time read it. I can now write + Mrs. Piozzi's Anecdotes of Johnfon, p. 131. without 3 Prayers and Meditations, p. 129. 1773. without trouble, and can read large prints. My eye is gradually growing stronger; and I hope will be able to take fome delight in the furvey of a Etat. 64. Caledonian loch. "Chambers is going a Judge, with fix thousand a year, to Bengal. He and I shall come down together as far as Newcastle, and thence I fhall easily get to Edinburgh. Let me know the exact time when your Courts intermit. I must conform a little to Chambers's occafions, and he must conform a little to mine. The time which you fhall fix, must be the common point to which we will come as near as we can. Except this eye, I am very well. "Beattie is fo careffed, and invited, and treated, and liked, and flattered, by the great, that I can fee nothing of him. I am in great hope that he will be well provided for, and then we will live upon him at the Marischal College, without pity or modesty. dudgeon to legacy? left the town without taking leave of me, and is gone in deep "I hope your dear lady and her dear baby are both well. I fhall see them too when I come; and I have that opinion of your choice, as to fufpect that when I have seen Mrs. Bofwell, I fhall be lefs willing to go away. I am, dear Sir, I again wrote to him, informing him that the Court of Seffion rofe on the twelfth of Auguft, hoping to fee him before that time, and expreffing, perhaps in too extravagant terms, my admiration of him, and my expectation of pleasure from our intended tour. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "I SHALL fet out from London on Friday the fixth of this month, and purpose not to loiter much by the way. Which day I fhall be at Edinburgh, I cannot exactly tell. I fuppofe I muft drive to an inn, and fend a porter to find you. 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 staying 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 fealed it; bringing it hither for a frank, I found yours. If any thing could reprefs my ardour, it would be fuch a letter as yours. To difappoint a friend is unpleafing: and he that forms expectations like yours, must be difappointed. Think only when you fee me, that you see a man who loves you, and is proud and glad that you love him. I am, Sir, "Your most affectionate "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 moft humble fervant, My compliments to your lady." To the fame. "SAM. JOHNSON. "MR. JOHNSON fends his compliments to Mr. Bofwell, being juft arrived at Boyd's." 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 vifit which was the principal object he had in view. He vifited the ifles of Sky, Rafay, Col, Mull, Inchkenneth, and 1773. 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 Univerfities 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 lefs delighted with the hofpitality 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 feparate and remarkable portion of his life, which may be there feen 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 inferting here the character which my friend Mr. Courtenay has been pleafed to give of that work: "With Reynolds' pencil, vivid, bold, and true, "And Samuel fings, The King fhall have his ain." 5 The celebrated Flora Macdonald, See Bofwell's Tour." Iii 2 During 1773. Etat. 64. During his ftay 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 last 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 disappointed. 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 fecond; further I cannot go. Quicken Dr. Webfter. 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 difagreeable to a lady. Eefides, 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, fhe 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 Professors 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 diftinguifhed abilities, who had promised him information concerning the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, fettled |