Principal Robertson came to us as we sat at breakfast; he advanced to
Dr Johnson, repeating a line of Virgil, which I forget. I suppose,
either
Post varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum,
[Footnote: Through various hazards and events we move.]
or
... multum ille et terris jactatus, et alto.
[Footnote: Long labours both by sea and land he bore. DRYDEN.]
Every body had accosted us with some studied compliment on our return.
Dr Johnson said, 'I am really ashamed of the congratulations which we
receive. We are addressed as if we had made a voyage to Nova Zembla,
and suffered five persecutions in Japan.' And he afterwards remarked,
that, 'to see a man come up with a formal air, and a Latin line, when
we had no fatigue and no danger, was provoking.' I told him, he was
not sensible of the danger, having lain under cover in the boat during
the storm: he was like the chicken, that hides its head under its
wing, and then thinks itself safe.
Lord Elibank came to us, as did Sir William Forbes. The rash attempt
in 1745 being mentioned, I observed, that it would make a fine piece
of history. Dr Johnson said it would. Lord Elibank doubted whether any
man of this age could give it impartially. JOHNSON. 'A man, by talking
with those of different sides, who were actors in it, and putting down
all that he hears, may in time collect the materials of a good
narrative. You are to consider, all history was at first oral. I
suppose Voltaire was fifty years in collecting his Louis XIV which he
did in the way that I am proposing.' ROBERTSON. 'He did so. He lived
much with all the great people who were concerned in that reign, and
heard them talk of every thing: and then either took Mr Boswell's way,
of writing down what he heard, or, which is as good, preserved it in
his memory; for he has a wonderful memory.' With the leave, however,
of this elegant historian, no man's memory can preserve facts or
sayings with such fidelity as may be done by writing them down when
they are recent. Dr Robertson said, 'it was now full time to make such
a collection as Dr Johnson suggested; for many of the people who were
then in arms, were dropping off; and both Whigs and Jacobites were now
come to talk with moderation.' Lord Elibank said to him, 'Mr
Robertson, the first thing that gave me a high opinion of you, was
your saying in the Select Society, [Footnote: A society for debate in
Edinburgh, consisting of the most eminent men.] while parties ran
high, soon after the year 1745, that you did not think worse of a
man's moral character for his having been in rebellion. This was
venturing to utter a liberal sentiment, while both sides had a
detestation of each other.'
Dr Johnson observed, that being in rebellion from a notion of
another's right, was not connected with depravity; and that we had
this proof of it, that all mankind applauded the pardoning of rebels;
which they would not do in the case of robbers and murderers. He said,
with a smile, that 'he wondered that the phrase of UNNATURAL rebellion
should be so much used, for that all rebellion was natural to man'.
As I kept no journal of any thing that passed after this morning, I
shall, from memory, group together this and the other days, till that
on which Dr Johnson departed for London. They were in all nine days;
on which he dined at Lady Colvill's, Lord Hailes's, Sir Adolphus
Oughton's, Sir Alexander Dick's, Principal Robertson's, Mr McLaurin's,
and thrice at Lord Elibank's seat in the country, where we also passed
two nights. He supped at the Honourable Alexander Gordon's, now one of
our judges, by the title of Lord Rockville; at Mr Nairne's, now also
one of our judges, by the title of Lord Dunsinan; at Dr Blair's, and
Mr Tytler's; and at my house thrice, one evening with a numerous
company, chiefly gentlemen of the law; another with Mr Menzies of
Culdares, and Lord Monboddo, who disengaged himself on purpose to meet
him; and the evening on which we returned from Lord Elibank's, he
supped with my wife and me by ourselves.
He breakfasted at Dr Webster's, at old Mr Drummond's, and at Dr
Blacklock's; and spent one forenoon at my uncle Dr Boswell's, who
shewed him his curious museum; and, as he was an elegant scholar, and
a physician bred in the school of Boerhaave, Dr Johnson was pleased
with his company.
On the mornings when he breakfasted at my house, he had, from ten
o'clock till one or two, a constant levee of various persons, of very
different characters and descriptions. I could not attend him, being
obliged to be in the Court of Session; but my wife was so good as to
devote the greater part of the morning to the endless task of pouring
out tea for my friend and his visitors.
Such was the disposition of his time at Edinburgh. He said one evening
to me, in a fit of langour, 'Sir, we have been harrassed by
invitations.' I acquiesced. 'Ay, sir,' he replied; 'but how much worse
would it have been, if we had been neglected?'
From what has been recorded in this Journal, it may well be supposed
that a variety of admirable conversation has been lost, by my neglect
to preserve it. I shall endeavour to recollect some of it, as well as
I can.
At Lady Colvill's, to whom I am proud to introduce any stranger of
eminence, that he may see what dignity and grace is to be found in
Scotland, an officer observed, that he had heard Lord Mansfield was
not a great English lawyer. JOHNSON. 'Why, sir, supposing Lord
Mansfield not to have the splendid talents which he possesses, he must
be a great English lawyer, from having been so long at the bar, and
having passed through so many of the great offices of the law. Sir,
you may as well maintain that a carrier, who has driven a packhorse
between Edinburgh and Berwick for thirty years, does not know the
road, as that Lord Mansfield does not know the law of England.'
At Mr Nairne's, he drew the character of Richardson, the author of
Clarissa, with a strong yet delicate pencil. I lament much that I have
not preserved it: I only remember that he expressed a high opinion of
his talents and virtues; but observed, that 'his perpetual study was
to ward off petty inconveniencies, and procure petty pleasures; that
his love of continual superiority was such, that he took care to be
always surrounded by women, who listened to him implicitly, and did
not venture to controvert his opinions; and that his desire of
distinction was so great, that he used to give large vails to the
Speaker Onslow's servants, that they might treat him with respect'.
On the same evening, he would not allow that the private life of a
judge, in England, was required to be so strictly decorous as I
supposed. 'Why then, sir,' said I, 'according to your account, an
English judge may just live like a gentleman.' JOHNSON. 'Yes, sir--if
he CAN.'
At Mr Tytler's, I happened to tell that one evening, a great many
years ago, when Dr Hugh Blair and I were sitting together in the pit
of Drury-lane play-house, in a wild freak of youthful extravagance, I
entertained the audience PRODIGIOUSLY, by imitating the lowing of a
cow. A little while after I had told this story, I differed from Dr
Johnson, I suppose too confidently, upon some point, which I now
forget. He did not spare me. 'Nay, sir,' said he, 'if you cannot talk
better as a man, I'd have you bellow like a cow.' [Footnote: As I have
been scrupulously exact in relating anecdotes concerning other
persons, I shall not withhold any part of this story, however
ludicrous.--I was so successful in this boyish frolick, that the
universal cry of the galleries was, 'Encore the cow! Encore the cow!'
In the pride of my heart, I attempted imitations of some other
animals, but with very inferior effect. My reverend friend, anxious
for my fame, with an air of the utmost gravity and earnestness,
addressed me thus: 'My dear sir, I would CONFINE myself to the COW!']
At Dr Webster's, he said, that he believed hardly any man died without
affectation. This remark appears to me to be well founded, and will
account for many of the celebrated death-bed sayings which are
recorded.
On one of the evenings at my house, when he told that Lord Lovat
boasted to an English nobleman, that though he had not his wealth, he
had two thousand men whom he could at any time call into the field,
the Honourable Alexander Gordon observed, that those two thousand men
brought him to the block. 'True, sir,' said Dr Johnson: 'but you may
just as well argue, concerning a man who has fallen over a precipice
to which he has walked too near, "His two legs brought him to
that"--is he not the better for having two legs?'
At Dr Blair's I left him, in order to attend a consultation, during
which he and his amiable host were by themselves. I returned to
supper, at which were Principal Robertson, Mr Nairne, and some other
gentlemen. Dr Robertson and Dr Blair, I remember, talked well upon
subordination and government; and, as my friend and I were walking
home, he said to me, 'Sir, these two doctors are good men, and wise
men.' I begged of Dr Blair to recollect what he could of the long
conversation that passed between
Dr Johnson and him alone, this evening, and he obligingly wrote to me
as follows:
March 3, 1785.
Dear Sir,
... As so many years have intervened, since I chanced to have that
conversation with Dr Johnson in my house, to which you refer, I have
forgotten most of what then passed, but remember that I was both
instructed and entertained by it. Among other subjects, the discourse
happening to turn on modern Latin poets, the Dr expressed a very
favourable opinion of Buchanan, and instantly repeated, from beginning
to end, an ode of his, intituled Calendae Maiae (the eleventh in his
Miscellaneorum Liber), beginning with these words, Salvete sacris
deliciis sacrae, with which I had formerly been unacquainted; but upon
perusing it, the praise which he bestowed upon it, as one of the
happiest of Buchanan's poetical compositions, appeared to me very
just. He also repeated to me a Latin ode he had composed in one of the
western islands, from which he had lately returned. We had much
discourse concerning his excursion to those islands, with which he
expressed himself as having been highly pleased; talked in a
favourable manner of the hospitality of the inhabitants; and
particularly spoke much of his happiness in having you for his
companion; and said, that the longer he knew you, he loved and
esteemed you the more. This conversation passed in the interval
between tea and supper, when we were by ourselves. You, and the rest
of the company who were with us at supper, have often taken notice
that he was uncommonly bland and gay that evening, and gave much
pleasure to all who were present. This is all that I can recollect
distinctly of that long conversation.
Yours sincerely,