CAS སྒྲ་རྗེསས་ རྩྭ།ན་སྒྲོན་ bus Talking of an acquaintance of ours2, distinguished for knowing an uncommon variety of miscellaneous articles both in antiquities and polite literature, he observed, "You know, sir, he runs about with little weight upon his mind." And talking of another! very ingenious gentleman, who from the warmth of his temper was at variance with many of his acquaintance, and wished to avoid them, he said, "Sir, he leads the life of an outlaw." On Friday, May 12, as he had been so good as to assign me a room in his house, where I might sleep occasionally, when I happened to sit with him to a My very honourable friend, General Sir George Howard, who served in the Duke of Cumberland's army, has assured me that the cruelties were not imputable to his royal highness.-BOSWELL. [On the morning of the battle of Culloden, Lord George Murray, the chief of the Pretender's staff, issued an order to give no quarter to the royal forces. The jacobites affected to say that this was the act of the individual, and not of the prince or his party; but it is undeniable that such a general order was given, and that it was the excuse, if not the cause, of the severities which followed the battle on the part of the conquerors. -ED.] 2 [Probably Dr. Percy.-ED.] 3 [No doubt Mr. George Steevens.-ED.] 1 attended by late hour, I took possession of it this night, found every thing in excellent order, and was honest Francis with a most civil assiduity. I asked Johnson whether I might go to a consultation with another lawyer upon Sunday, as that appeared to me to be doing work as much in my way, as if an artisan should work on the day appropriated for religious rest. JOHNSON. "Why, sir, when you are of consequence enough to oppose the practice of consulting upon Sunday, you should do it: but you may go now. It is not criminal, though it is not what one should do, who is anxious for the preservation and increase of piety, to which a peculiar observance of Sunday is a great help. The distinction is clear between what is of moral and what is of ritual obligation 1." 1 "TO MRS. THRALE. "12th May, 1775. "I wish I could say or send any thing to divert you; but I have done nothing, and seen nothing. I dined one day with Paoli, and yesterday with Mrs. Southwells, and called on Congreve3. Mr. Twiss, hearing that you talked of despoiling his book of the fine print, has sent you a copy to frame. He is going to Ireland, and I have given him letters to Dr. Leland and Mr. Falkner +. "Mr. Montagu] is so ill that the lady is not visible; but yesterday I had I know not how much kiss of Mrs. Abington, and very good looks from Miss **** *5, the maid of honour. "Boswell has made me promise not to go to Oxford till he leaves London; I had no great reason for haste, and therefore might as well gratify a friend. I am always proud and pleased to have my company desired. Boswell would have thought my absence a loss, and I know not who else would have considered my presence as profit. He has entered himself at the Temple, and I joined in his bond. He is to plead before the 1 lords, and hopes very nearly to gain the cost of his journey. He lives much with his friend Paoli, who says, a man must see Wales to enjoy England. The book which is now most read, but which, as far as I have gone, is but dull, is Gray's Letters, prefixed by Mr. Mason to his poems. I have borrowed mine, and therefore cannot lend it, and I can hardly recommend the purchase 1. . "I have offended; and, what is stranger, have justly offended the nation of Rasay. If they could come hither, they would be as fierce as the Americans. Rasay has written to Boswell an account of the injury done him, by representing his home as subordinate to that of Dunvegan. Boswell has his letter, and I believe copied my answer. I have appeased him, if a degraded chief can possibly be appeased; but it will be thirteen daysdays of resentment and discontent-before my recantation can reach him. Many a dirk will imagination, during that interval, fix in my heart. I really question if at this time my life would not be in danger, if distance did not secure it. "Boswell will find his way to Streatham before he goes, and will detail this great affair. I would have come on Saturday, but that I am engaged to do Dr. Lawrence a little service on Sunday. Which day shall I come next week? I hope you will be well enough to see me often." On Saturday, May 13, I breakfasted with him by invitation, accompanied by Mr. Andrew Crosbie, a Scotch advocate, whom he had seen at Edinburgh, and the Hon. Colonel (now General) Edward Stopford, brother to Lord Courtown, who was desirous of being introduced to him. His tea and rolls and butter, and whole breakfast apparatus, were all in such decorum, and his behaviour was so courteous, that Colonel Stopford was quite surprised, and wondered at his having heard so much said of Johnson's slovenliness and roughness. I have preserved nothing of what passed, except that Crosbie pleased him much by talking learnedly of alchymy, as to which Johnson [Nothing but a strong prejudice could have made Johnson thus speak of those very entertaining letters.-ED.] 2 [Second son of the first Lord Courtown; born 1732; a major-general in 1782.--ED.] 1 was not a positive unbeliever, but rather delighted in considering what progress had actually been made in the transmutation of metals, what near approaches there had been to the making of gold; and told us that it was affirmed that a person in the Russian dominions had discovered the secret, but died without revealing it, as imagining it would be prejudicial to society. He added, that it was not impossible but it might in time be generally known. It being asked whether it was reasonable for a man to be angry at another whom a woman had preferred to him? JOHNSON. "I do not see, sir, that it is reasonable for a man to be angry at another, whom a woman has preferred to him: but angry he is, no doubt; and he is loth to be angry at himself." Before setting out for Scotland on the 23d, I was frequently in his company at different places, but during this period have recorded only two remarks; one concerning Garrick: "He has not Latin enough. He finds out the Latin by the meaning rather than the meaning by the Latin." And another concerning writers of travels, who, he observed, "were more defective than any other writers." I passed many hours with him on the 17th, of which I find all my memorial is, "much laughing.” It should seem he had that day been in a humour for jocularity and merriment, and upon such occasions I never knew a man laugh more heartily. We may suppose that the high relish of a state so different from his habitual gloom produced more than ordinary exertions of that distinguishing faculty of man, which has puzzled philosophers so much to explain. Johnson's laugh was as remarkable as any circumstance in his manner. It was a kind of good-humoured growl. Tom Davies described it drolly enough: "He laughs like a rhinoceros." 523 "21st May, 1775. “DEAR SIR,—I have an old amanuensis in great distress1. I have given what I think I can give, and begged till I cannot tell where to beg again. I put into his hands this morning four guineas. If you could collect three guineas more, it would clear him from his present difficulty. I am, sir, your most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." "One thing or other still hinders me, besides, perhaps, what is the great hindrance, that I have no great mind to go. Boswell went away at two this morning. Langton] I suppose goes this week. B[oswell] got two-and-forty guineas in fees while he was here. He has, by his wife's persuasion and mine, taken down a present for his mother-in-law. "" I am not sorry that you read Boswell's journal. Is it not a merry piece? There is much in it about poor me. I "Do not buy C's travels, they are duller than T- 's3. W- 4 is too fond of words, but you may read him. I shall take care that Adair's account of America may be sent you, for I shall have it of my own. 66 Beattie has called once to see me. He lives grand at the archbishop's."] "DEAR SIR, "TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "27th May, 1775. make no doubt but you are now safely lodged in your own habitation, and have told all your adven tures to Mrs. Boswell and Miss Veronica. Pray teach Veronica Bid her not mind mamma. “ Mrs. Thrale has taken cold, and been very much disordered, but I hope is grown well. Mr. Langton went yesterday to Lincolnshire, and has invited Nicolaida ' to follow him. Beau ! [He had written to Mrs. Thrale the day before. "Peyton and Macbean are both starving, and I cannot keep them."-Lett. v. i. p. 218.-ED.] · 2 [Probably Chandler's Travels in Asia Minor.-ED.] 3 [Probably Travels through Spain and Portugal in 1772 and 1775, by Richard Twiss, Esq."-ED.] 4 [Probably "Cursory Remarks made in a Tour through some of the Northern Parts of Europe, by Nathaniel Wraxall, jun."-ED.] 5 A learned Greek.-BOSWELL. [Mr. Langton was an enthusiast about Greek.-ED.] |