We got up between seven and eight, and found Mr. Boyd in the
dining-room, with tea and coffee before him, to give us breakfast. We
were in an admirable humour. Lady Errol had given each of us a copy of
an ode by Beattie, on the birth of her son, Lord Hay. Mr. Boyd asked Dr.
Johnson how he liked it. Dr. Johnson, who did not admire it, got off
very well, by taking it out, and reading the second and third stanzas of
it with much melody. This, without his saying a word, pleased Mr. Boyd.
He observed, however, to Dr. Johnson, that the expression as to the
family of Errol,
'A thousand years have seen it shine,'
compared with what went before, was an anticlimax, and that it would
have been better
'Ages have seen,' &c.
Dr. Johnson said, 'So great a number as a thousand is better. _Dolus
latet in universalibus_. Ages might be only two ages.' He talked of the
advantage of keeping up the connections of relationship, which produce
much kindness. 'Every man (said he,) who comes into the world, has need
of friends. If he has to get them for himself, half his life is spent
before his merit is known. Relations are a man's ready friends who
support him. When a man is in real distress, he flies into the arms of
his relations. An old lawyer, who had much experience in making wills,
told me, that after people had deliberated long, and thought of many for
their executors, they settled at last by fixing on their relations. This
shews the universality of the principle.'
I regretted the decay of respect for men of family, and that a Nabob now
would carry an election from them. JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, the Nabob will
carry it by means of his wealth, in a country where money is highly
valued, as it must be where nothing can be had without money; but, if it
comes to personal preference, the man of family will always carry
it[322]. There is generally a _scoundrelism_ about a low man[323].' Mr.
Boyd said, that was a good _ism_.
I said, I believed mankind were happier in the ancient feudal state[324]
of subordination, than they are in the modern state of independency.
JOHNSON. 'To be sure, the _Chief_ was: but we must think of the number
of individuals. That _they_ were less happy, seems plain; for that state
from which all escape as soon as they can, and to which none return
after they have left it, must be less happy; and this is the case with
the state of dependance on a chief or great man.'
I mentioned the happiness of the French in their subordination, by the
reciprocal benevolence and attachment between the great and those in
lower rank[325]. Mr. Boyd gave us an instance of their gentlemanly
spirit. An old Chevalier de Malthe, of ancient _noblesse_, but in low
circumstances, was in a coffee-house at Paris, where was Julien, the
great manufacturer at the Gobelins, of the fine tapestry, so much
distinguished both for the figures and the _colours_. The chevalier's
carriage was very old. Says Julien, with a plebeian insolence, 'I think,
Sir, you had better have your carriage new painted.' The chevalier
looked at him with indignant contempt, and answered, 'Well, Sir, you may
take it home and _dye_ it!' All the coffee-house rejoiced at Julien's
confusion.
We set out about nine. Dr. Johnson was curious to see one of those
structures which northern antiquarians call a Druid's temple. I had a
recollection of one at Strichen; which I had seen fifteen years ago; so
we went four miles out of our road, after passing Old Deer, and went
thither. Mr. Fraser, the proprietor, was at home, and shewed it to us.
But I had augmented it in my mind; for all that remains is two stones
set up on end, with a long one laid upon them, as was usual, and one
stone at a little distance from them. That stone was the capital one of
the circle which surrounded what now remains. Mr. Fraser was very
hospitable[326]. There was a fair at Strichen; and he had several of his
neighbours from it at dinner. One of them, Dr. Fraser, who had been in
the army, remembered to have seen Dr. Johnson at a lecture on
experimental philosophy, at Lichfield. The doctor recollected being at
the lecture; and he was surprised to find here somebody who knew him.
Mr. Fraser sent a servant to conduct us by a short passage into the
high-road. I observed to Dr. Johnson, that I had a most disagreeable
notion of the life of country gentlemen; that I left Mr. Fraser just
now, as one leaves a prisoner in a jail. Dr. Johnson said, that I was
right in thinking them unhappy; for that they had not enough to keep
their minds in motion[327].
I started a thought this afternoon which amused us a great part of the
way. 'If, (said I,) our club should come and set up in St. Andrews, as a
college, to teach all that each of us can, in the several departments of
learning and taste, we should rebuild the city: we should draw a
wonderful concourse of students.' Dr. Johnson entered fully into the
spirit of this project. We immediately fell to distributing the offices.
I was to teach Civil and Scotch law[328]; Burke, politicks and
eloquence; Garrick, the art of publick speaking; Langton was to be our
Grecian[329], Colman our Latin professor[330]; Nugent to teach
physick[331]; Lord Charlemont, modern history[332]; Beauclerk, natural
philosophy[333]; Vesey, Irish antiquities, or Celtick learning[334];
Jones, Oriental learning[335]; Goldsmith, poetry and ancient history;
Chamier, commercial politicks[336]; Reynolds, painting, and the arts
which have beauty for their object; Chambers, the law of England[337].
Dr. Johnson at first said, 'I'll trust theology to nobody but myself.'
But, upon due consideration, that Percy is a clergyman, it was agreed
that Percy should teach practical divinity and British antiquities; Dr.
Johnson himself, logick, metaphysicks[338], and scholastick divinity. In
this manner did we amuse ourselves;--each suggesting, and each varying
or adding, till the whole was adjusted. Dr. Johnson said, we only wanted
a mathematician since Dyer[339] died, who was a very good one; but as to
every thing else, we should have a very capital university[340].
We got at night to Banff. I sent Joseph on to Duff-house; but Earl Fife
was not at home, which I regretted much, as we should have had a very
elegant reception from his lordship. We found here but an indifferent
inn[341]. Dr. Johnson wrote a long letter to Mrs. Thrale. I wondered to
see him write so much so easily. He verified his own doctrine that 'a
man may always write when he will set himself _doggedly_ to it[342].'