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Dr. Johnson said, "So great a number as a | which northern antiquarians call a Druid's thousand is better. Dolus latet in univer- temple. I had a recollection of one at Strisalibus. Ages might be only two ages." chen, which I had seen fifteen years ago; He talked of the advantage of keeping up so we went four miles out of our road, af the connexions of relationship, which pro- ter passing Old Deer, and went thither. duce much kindness. "Every man (said Mr. Fraser, the proprietor, was at home, he) who comes into the world has need of and showed it to us. But I had augmented friends. If he has to get them for himself, it in my mind; for all that remains is two half his life is spent before his merit is known. stones set up on end, with a long one laid Relations are a man's ready friends who upon them, as was usual, and one stone at support him. When a man is in real dis- a little distance from them. That stone tress, he flies into the arms of his relations. was the capital one of the circle which surAn old lawyer, who had much experience rounded what now remains. Mr. Fraser in making wills, told me, that after people was very hospitable 2. There was a fair at had deliberated long, and thought of many Strichen; and he had several of his neighfor their executors, they settled at last by bours from it at dinner. One of them, Ďr. fixing on their relations. This shows the Fraser, who had been in the army, rememuniversality of the principle. bered 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.

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. There is generally a scoundrelism about a low man." Mr. Boyd said, that was a good ism,

I said, I believed mankind were happier in the ancient feudal state 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 dependence 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. 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,

1 [What a commentary on this opinion has the French revolution written!-ED.]

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.

in

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 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

2 He is the worthy son of a worthy father, the late Lord Strichen, one of our judges, to whose kind notice I was much obliged. Lord Strichen was a man not only honest, but highly generous; for, after his succession to the family estate, he paid a large sum of debts, contracted by his predecessor, which he was not under any obligation to pay. Let me here, for the credit of Ayrshire, my own county, record a noble instance of liberal honesty in William Hutchison, drover, in Lanehead, Kyle, who formerly obtained a ful discharge from his creditors upon a composition of his debts; but, upon being restored to good circumstances, invited his creditors last winter to a dinner, without telling the reason, and paid them their full sums, principal and interest. They presented him with a piece of plate, with an inscription to commemorate this extraordinary instance of true worth; which should make some people in Scotland blush, while, though mean themselves, they strut about under the protection of great alliance, conscious of the wretchedness of numbers who have lost by them, to whom they never think of making reparation, but indulge themselves and their families in most unsuitable expense.-BoSWELL.

Thursday, 26th August.-We got a fresh chaise here, a very good one, and very good horses. We breakfasted at Cullen. They set down dried haddocks broiled, along with our tea. I ate one; but Dr. Johnson was disgusted by the sight of them, so they were

pearance, though but a very small town, and the houses mostly poor buildings.

into the spirit of this project. We immedi- | so much so easily. He verified his own ately fell to distributing the offices. I was doctrine that "a man may always write to teach civil and Scotch law; Burke, poli- when he will set himself doggedly to it." ticks and eloquence; Garrick, the art of publick speaking; Langton was to be our Grecian, Colman our Latin professor; Nugent to teach physick; Lord Charlemont, modern history; Beauclerk, natural philosophy; Vesey, Irish antiquities, or Celtick learning; 1 Jones, Oriental learning; Gold-removed 4. Cullen has a comfortable apsmith, poetry and ancient history; Chamier, commercial politicks; Reynolds, painting, and the arts which have beauty for their object; Chambers, the law of England. 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, 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 died, who was a very good one; but as to every thing else, we should have a very capital university?. 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 3. Dr. Johnson wrote a long letter to Mrs. Thrale. I wondered to see him write

1 Since the first edition, it has been suggested by one of the club, who knew Mr. Vesey better than Dr. Johnson and I, that we did not assign him a proper place, for he was quite unskilled in Irish antiquities and Celtick learning, but might with propriety have been made professor of architecture, which he understood well, and has left a very good specimen of his knowledge and taste in that art, by an elegant house built on a plan of his own formation, at Lucan, a few miles from Dublin.-BOSWELL.

2 [Here Mr. Boswell has inserted a note relative to the CLUB, the substance of which will be found in the appendix to the first volume.ED.]

3 Here, unluckily, the windows had no pulleys, and Dr. Johnson, who was constantly eager for fresh air, had much struggling to get one of them kept open. Thus he had a notion impressed upon him, that this wretched defect was general in Scotland, in consequence of which he has erroneously enlarged upon it in his " Journey." I regretted that he did not allow me to read over his book before it was printed. I should have changed very little, but I should have suggested an alteration in a few places where he has laid himself open to be attacked. I hope I should have prevailed with him to omit or soften his assertion, that " a Scotsman must be a sturdy moralist, who does not prefer Scotland to truth,"for I really think it is not founded, and it is harshly said.-BoswELL.

I called on Mr. Robertson, who has the charge of Lord Findlater's affairs, and was formerly Lord Monboddo's clerk, was three times in France with him, and translated Condamine's Account of the Savage Girl, to which his lordship wrote a preface, containing several remarks of his own. Robertson said he did not believe so much as his lordship did; that it was plain to him the girl confounded what she imagined with what she remembered; that, besides, she perceived Condamine and Lord Monboddo forming theories, and she adapted her story to them.

Dr. Johnson said, "It is a pity to see Lord Monboddo publish such notions as he has done; a man of sense, and of so much elegant learning. There would be little in a fool doing it; we should only laugh: but when a wise man does it, we are sorry. Other people have strange notions; but they conceal them. If they have tails, they hide them; but Monboddo is as jealous of his tail as a squirrel." I shall here put down some more remarks of Dr. Johnson's on Lord Monboddo, which were not made exactly at this time, but come in well from connexion. He said he did not approve of a judge's calling himself Farmer Burnett 5,

4 [A protest, may be entered on the part of most Scotsmen against the Doctor's taste in this particular. A Finnon haddock dried over the smoke of the sea-weed, and sprinkled with salt water during the process, acquires a relish of a very peculiar and delicate flavour, inimitable on any other coast than that of Aberdeenshire. Some of our Edinburgh philosophers tried to produce their equal in vain. I was one of a party at a dinner, where the philosophical haddocks were placed in competition with the genuine Finnon-fish. These were served round without distinction whence they came; but only one gentleman, out of twelve present, espoused the cause of philosophy.-WALTER SCOTT.]

It is the custom in Scotland for the judges of the court of session to have the title of lords, from their estates; thus Mr. Burnett is Lord Monboddo, as Mr. Home was Lord Kames. There is something a little awkward in this; for they are denominated in deeds by their names, with the addition of" one of the senators of the college of justice;" and subscribe their christian and surname, as James Burnett, Henry Home, even in judicial acts.-BOSWELL. [We see that the

and going about with a little round hat1. | vanity. Even those who partake of a man's He laughed heartily at his lordship's saying hospitality have but a transient kindness for he was an enthusiastical farmer; "for (said him. If he has not the command of money, he), what can he do in farming by his en- people know he cannot help them if he thusiasm?" Here, however, I think Dr. would; whereas the rich man always can, Johnson mistaken. He who wishes to be if he will, and for the chance of that, will successful, or happy, ought to be enthusiast- have much weight." BOSWELL. "But ical, that is to say, very keen in all the oc-philosophers and satirists have all treated a cupations or diversions of life. An ordinary miser as contemptible." JOHNSON. "He gentleman-farmer will be satisfied with look- is so philosophically; but not in the pracing at his fields once or twice a day; antice of life." BOSWELL. "Let me see enthusiastical farmer will be constantly em- now: I do not know the instances of misers ployed on them; will have his mind earnest- in England, so as to examine into their inly engaged; will talk perpetually of them. fluence." JOHNSON. "We have had few But Dr. Johnson has much of the nil admi- misers in England," BOSWELL. "There rari in smaller concerns. That survey of was Lowther 2." JOHNSON. "Why, sir, life which gave birth to his "Vanity of Lowther, by keeping his money, had the Human Wishes" early sobered his mind. command of the county, which the family Besides, so great a mind as his cannot be has now lost, by spending it 3. I take it he moved by inferior objects: an elephant does lent a great deal; and that is the way to not run and skip like lesser animals. have influence, and yet preserve one's wealth. A man may lend his money upon very good security, and yet have his debtor much under his power." BosWELL. "No doubt, sir. He can always distress him for the money; as no man borrows who is able to pay on demand quite conveniently."

Mr. Robertson sent a servant with us, to show us through Lord Findlater's wood, by which our way was shortened, and we saw some part of his domain, which is indeed admirably laid out. Dr. Johnson did not choose to walk through it. He always said that he was not come to Scotland to see fine places, of which there were enough in England; but wild objects,-mountains, water-falls, peculiar manners; in short, things which he had not seen before. I have a notion that he at no time has had much taste for rural beauties. I have myself very little.

Dr. Johnson said there was nothing more contemptible than a country gentleman living beyond his income, and every year growing poorer and poorer. He spoke strongly of the influence which a man has by being rich. "A man (said he) who keeps his money, has in reality more use from it than he can have by spending it." I observed that this looked very like a paradox; but he explained it thus: "If it were certain that a man would keep his money locked up forever, to be sure he would have no influence; but as so many want money, and he has the power of giving it, and they know not but by gaining his favour they may obtain it, the rich man will always have the greatest influence. He again who lavishes his money is laughed at as foolish, and in a great degree with justice, considering how much is spent from same custom prevailed amongst other gentlemen as well as the judges. All the lairds who are called by the names of their estates, as Rasay, Col, &c. sign their christian and surnames, as J. Macleod, A. Maclean, &c. The dignity of the judicial bench has consecrated, in the case of the judges, what was once the common practice of the country.-ED.]

[Why not, in a remote country retirement? ED.]

We dined at Elgin, and saw the noble ruins of the cathedral. Though it rained much, Dr. Johnson examined them with the most patient attention. He could not here feel any abhorrence at the Scottish reformers, for he had been told by Lord Hailes, that it was destroyed before the reformation, by the Lord of Badenoch 4, who

2

[He means, no doubt, Sir James Lowther, of rich, but without issue, and his estates devolved Whitehaven, bart., who died in 1755, immensely on his relation, Sir James, afterwards first Earl of Lonsdale.-ED.]

3 I do not know what was at this time the state

of the parliamentary interest of the ancient family of Lowther; a family before the conquest: but all the nation knows it to be very extensive at present. A due mixture of severity and kindness, economy and munificence, characterizes its present representative.-BOSWELL. [The second viscount and first Earl Lonsdale of his branch, who was recommended to Boswell's peculiar favour by having married Lady Mary Stuart, the daughter of John, Earl of Bute.-ED.]

4 Note, by Lord Hailes." The cathedral of Elgin was burnt by the Lord of Badenoch, because the Bishop of Moray had pronounced an award not to his liking. The indemnification that the see obtained was, that the Lord of Badenoch stood for three days barefooted at the great gate of the cathedral. The story is in the chartulary of Elgin."-BOSWELL. [Light as this penance was, an Irish chieftain fared still better. The eighth Earl of Kildare was charged before Henry VII. with having burned the cathedral of Cashel: he expressed his contrition for this sacrilege, adding, that he never would have done it had he not thought that the archbishop had been in it. The king made him lord-lieutenant.—ED.]