Dr. Johnson said in the morning, 'Is not this a fine lady[580]?' There
was not a word now of his 'impatience to be in civilized
life[581];--though indeed I should beg pardon,--he found it here. We had
slept well, and lain long. After breakfast we surveyed the castle, and
the garden. Mr. Bethune, the parish minister,--Magnus M'Leod, of
Claggan, brother to Talisker, and M'Leod of Bay, two substantial
gentlemen of the clan, dined with us. We had admirable venison, generous
wine; in a word, all that a good table has. This was really the hall of
a chief. Lady M'Leod had been much obliged to my father, who had settled
by arbitration a variety of perplexed claims between her and her
relation, the Laird of Brodie, which she now repaid by particular
attention to me. M'Leod started the subject of making women do penance
in the church for fornication. JOHNSON. 'It is right, Sir. Infamy is
attached to the crime, by universal opinion, as soon as it is known. I
would not be the man who would discover it, if I alone knew it, for a
woman may reform; nor would I commend a parson who divulges a woman's
first offence; but being once divulged, it ought to be infamous.
Consider, of what importance to society the chastity of women is. Upon
that all the property in the world depends[582]. We hang a thief for
stealing a sheep; but the unchastity of a woman transfers sheep, and
farm and all, from the right owner. I have much more reverence for a
common prostitute than for a woman who conceals her guilt. The
prostitute is known. She cannot deceive: she cannot bring a strumpet
into the arms of an honest man, without his knowledge. BOSWELL. 'There
is, however, a great difference between the licentiousness of a single
woman, and that of a married woman.' JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir; there is a
great difference between stealing a shilling, and stealing a thousand
pounds; between simply taking a man's purse, and murdering him first,
and then taking it. But when one begins to be vicious, it is easy to go
on. Where single women are licentious, you rarely find faithful married
women.' BOSWELL. 'And yet we are told that in some nations in India, the
distinction is strictly observed.' JOHNSON. 'Nay, don't give us India.
That puts me in mind of Montesquieu, who is really a fellow of genius
too in many respects; whenever he wants to support a strange opinion, he
quotes you the practice of Japan or of some other distant country of
which he knows nothing. To support polygamy, he tells you of the island
of Formosa, where there are ten women born for one man[583]. He had but
to suppose another island, where there are ten men born for one woman,
and so make a marriage between them.[584]' At supper, Lady Macleod
mentioned Dr. Cadogan's book on the gout[585]. JOHNSON. 'It is a good
book in general, but a foolish one in particulars. It is good in
general, as recommending temperance and exercise, and cheerfulness. In
that respect it is only Dr. Cheyne's book told in a new way; and there
should come out such a book every thirty years, dressed in the mode of
the times. It is foolish, in maintaining that the gout is not
hereditary, and that one fit of it, when gone, is like a fever when
gone.' Lady Macleod objected that the author does not practise what he
teaches[586]. JOHNSON. 'I cannot help that, madam. That does not make
his book the worse. People are influenced more by what a man says, if
his practice is suitable to it,--because they are blockheads. The more
intellectual people are, the readier will they attend to what a man
tells them. If it is just, they will follow it, be his practice what it
will. No man practises so well as he writes. I have, all my life long,
been lying till noon[587]; yet I tell all young men, and tell them with
great sincerity, that nobody who does not rise early will ever do any
good. Only consider! You read a book; you are convinced by it; you do
not know the authour. Suppose you afterwards know him, and find that he
does not practise what he teaches; are you to give up your former
conviction? At this rate you would be kept in a state of equilibrium,
when reading every book, till you knew how the authour practised.[588]'
'But,' said Lady M'Leod, 'you would think better of Dr. Cadogan, if he
acted according to his principles.' JOHNSON. 'Why, Madam, to be sure, a
man who acts in the face of light, is worse than a man who does not know
so much; yet I think no man should be the worse thought of for
publishing good principles. There is something noble in publishing
truth, though it condemns one's self.[589]' I expressed some surprize at
Cadogan's recommending good humour, as if it were quite in our own power
to attain it. JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, a man grows better humoured as he
grows older. He improves by experience. When young, he thinks himself of
great consequence, and every thing of importance. As he advances in
life, he learns to think himself of no consequence, and little things of
little importance; and so he becomes more patient, and better pleased.
All good-humour and complaisance are acquired. Naturally a child seizes
directly what it sees, and thinks of pleasing itself only. By degrees,
it is taught to please others, and to prefer others; and that this will
ultimately produce the greatest happiness. If a man is not convinced of
that, he never will practise it. Common language speaks the truth as to
this: we say, a person is well _bred_. As it is said, that all material
motion is primarily in a right line, and is never _per circuitum_, never
in another form, unless by some particular cause; so it may be said
intellectual motion is.' Lady M'Leod asked, if no man was naturally
good? JOHNSON. 'No, Madam, no more than a wolf.' BOSWELL. 'Nor no woman,
Sir?' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir.[590]' Lady M'Leod started at this, saying, in a
low voice, 'This is worse than Swift.'
M'Leod of Ulinish had come in the afternoon. We were a jovial company at
supper. The Laird, surrounded by so many of his clan, was to me a
pleasing sight. They listened with wonder and pleasure, while Dr.
Johnson harangued. I am vexed that I cannot take down his full strain of
eloquence.