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THE

LIFE

SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D.

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N the 21ft of March, I was happy to find myself again in my friend's ftudy, and was glad to fee my old acquaintance, Mr. Francis Barber, who was now returned home. Dr. Johnson received me with a hearty welcome; faying, "I am glad you are come, and glad you are come upon fuch an errand." (alluding to the cause of the schoolmafter.) BoSWELL. "I hope, Sir, he will be in no danger. It is a very delicate matter to interfere between a master and his scholars nor do I fee how you can fix the degree of feverity that a mafter may ufe." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, till you can fix the degree of obftinacy and negligence of the scholars, you cannot fix the degree of severity of the mafter. Severity muft be continued until obftinacy be fubdued, and negligence be cured.". He mentioned the severity of Hunter, his own mafter. "Sir, (faid I,) Hunter is a Scotch name: fo it fhould feem this schoolVOL. II. master

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1772.

Etat. 63.

mafter who beat you fo feverely was a Scotchman. I can now account for your prejudice against the Scotch. JOHNSON. "Sir, he was not Scotch; and, abating his brutality, he was a very good

master."

We talked of his two political pamphlets, "The Falfe Alarm," and "Thoughts concerning Falkland's Islands." JOHNSON. JOHNSON. "Well, Sir, which of them did you think the best?" BOSWELL. "I liked the fecond beft." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, I liked the first beft; and Beattie liked the first beft. Sir, there is a fubtlety of difquifition in the first, that is worth all the fire of the second." BOSWELL. "Pray, Sir, is it true that Lord North paid you a visit, and that you got two hundred a year in addition to your penfion?" JOHNSON. "No, Sir. Except what I had from the bookfeller, I did not get a farthing by them. And, between you and me, I believe Lord North is no friend to me." BOSWELL. "How fo, Sir?" JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, you cannot account for the fancies of men.-Well, how does Lord Elibank? and how does Lord Monboddo?" BosWELL. "Very well, Sir. Lord Monboddo ftill maintains the fuperiority of the favage life." JOHNSON. "What ftrange narrowness of mind now is that, to think the things we have not known are better than the things which we have known." BOSWELL. "Why, Sir, that is a common prejudice." JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir; but a common prejudice fhould not be found in one whose trade it is to rectify errour."

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A gentleman having come in who was to go as a Mate in the fhip along with Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, Dr. Johnson afked what were the names of the fhips deftined for the expedition. The gentleman answered, they were once to be called the Drake and the Raleigh, but now they were to be called the Refolution and the Adventure. JOHNSON. "Much better; for had the Raleigh returned without going round the world, it would have been ridiculous. To give them the names of the Drake and the Raleigh was laying a trap for fatire." BOSWELL. "Had not you fome defire to go upon this expedition, Sir?" JOHNSON. "Why yes, but I foon laid it afide. Sir, there is very little of intellectual, in the course. Besides, I fee but at a small distance. So it was not worth my while to go to fee birds fly, which I should not have seen fly; and fifhes fwim, which I fhould not not have seen swim."

The gentleman being gone, and Dr. Johnson having left the room for fome time, a debate arofe between the Reverend Mr. Stockdale and Mrs. Defmoulins, whether Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander were entitled to any fhare of glory from their expedition. When Dr. Johnfon returned to us, I told him the subject of their difpute. JOHNSON: "Why, Sir, it was properly for botany that they went out I believe they thought only of culling of fimples."

I thanked him for fhowing civilities to Beattie, "Sir, (faid he,) I should thank you. We all love Beattie. Mrs. Thrale fays, if ever the has another hufband, fhe'll have Beattie. He funk upon us

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1772.

Etat. 63.

1772.

Atat. 63.

that he was married; elfe we fhould have fhown his lady more civilities. She is a very fine woman. But how can you show civilities to a non-entity? I did not think he had been married. Nay, I did not think about it one way or other; but he did not tell us of his lady till late."

He then fpoke of St. Kilda, the most remote of the Hebrides. I told him, I thought of buying it.

JOHNSON. "Pray do, Sir.

We fhall go and pass a winter amid the blafts there. We fhall have fine fish, and we shall take fome dried tongues with us, and fome books. We fhall have a strong built veffel, and fome Orkney men to navigate her. We must build a tolerable houfe: but we may carry with us a wooden house ready made, and requiring nothing but to be put up. Confider, Sir, by buying St. Kilda, you may keep the people from falling into worse hands. We must give them a clergyman, and he shall be one of Beattie's choofing. He fhall be educated at Marifchal College. I'll be your Lord Chancellor, or what you please." BOSWELL. "Are you ferious, Sir, in advifing me to buy St. Kilda? for if you should advise me to go to Japan, I believe I should do it." JOHNSON. "Why yes, Sir, I am ferious." BoSWELL. "Why then I'll fee what can be done."

I gave him an account of the two parties in the church of Scotland, thofe for fupporting the rights of patrons, independent of the people, and those against it. JOHNSON. "It fhould be fettled one way or other. I cannot wish well to a popular election of the clergy, when I confider that it occafions fuch animofities, fuch unworthy courting of the people, fuch

flanders

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