Miss McPherson, who pleased Dr. Johnson much, by finging Erfe fongs, and playing on the guittar. He afterwards fent her a prefent of his Raffelas. In his bed-chamber was a press stored with books, Greek, Latin, French, and English, most of which had belonged to the father of our hoft, the learned Dr. M'Pherson; who, though his Differtations have been mentioned in a former page as unfatisfactory, was a man of distinguished talents. Dr. Johnson looked at a Latin paraphrase of the song of Mofes, written by him, and published in the Scots Magazine for 1747, and faid, "It does him honour; he has a great deal of Latin, and good Latin."-Dr. M'Pherson published also in the same magazine, June 1739, an original Latin ode, which he wrote from the ifle of Barra, where he was minif ter for fome years. It is very poetical, and exhibits a striking proof how much all things depend upon comparison for Barra, it feems, appeared to him fo much worse than Sky, his natale folum, that he languished for its "bleffed mountains," and thought himself buried alive amongst barbarians where he was. My readers will probably not be difpleased to have a specimen of this ode: "Hei mihi! quantos patior dolores, After withing for wings to fly over to his dear country, which was in his view, from what he calls Thule, Thule, as being the most western ifle of Scotland, except St. Kilda; after defcribing the pleafures of fociety, and the miseries of folitude, he at laft, with becoming propriety, has recourfe to the only fure relief of thinking men,-Surfum corda,-the hope of a better world, and difpofes his mind to refig nation : "Interim fiat, tua, rex, voluntas: He concludes in a noble strain of orthodox piety: Wednesday, 29th September. After a very good fleep, I rofe more refreshed than I had been for fome nights. We were now at but a little distance from the fhore, and faw the fea from our windows, which made our voyage feem nearer. Mr. McPherson's manners and addrefs pleafed us much. He appeared to be a man of fuch intelligence and tafte as to be fenfible of the extraordinary powers of his illuftrious gueft. He said to me, "Dr. Johnson is an honour to mankind; and, if the expreffion may be used, is an honour to religion." Col, who had gone yesterday to pay a visit at Camufcrofs, joined us this morning at breakfast. Some other gentlemen also came to enjoy the enter tainment of Dr. Johnfon's converfation.The day was windy and rainy, fo that we had just feized a happy interval for our journey last night. We had good entertainment here, better accomodation than at Corrichatachin, and time enough to ourselves. The hours flipped along imperceptibly. We talked of Shenftone. Dr. Johnson faid, he was a good layer-out of land, but would not allow him to approach excellence as a poet. He faid, he believed he had tried to read all his Love Paftorals, but did not get through them. I repeated the ftanza, She gazed as I flowly withdrew; My path I could hardly discern; I thought that she bade me return. he faid, "That seems to be pretty.” I observed that Shenstone, from his fhort maxíms in profe, appeared to have fome power of thinking; but Dr. Johnfon would not allow him that merit. He agreed, however, with Shenftone, that it was wrong in the brother of one of his correfpondents to burn his letters; "for, (faid he,) Shenftone was a man whofe correspondence was an honour."He was this afternoon full of critical feverity, and dealt about his cenfures on all fides. He faid, Hammond's Love Elegies were poor things. He spoke contemptuoufly of our lively and elegant, though too licentious, Lyrick bard, Hanbury Williams, and faid, " he had no fame, but from boys who drank with him.” While he was in this mood, I was unfortunate enough, fimply perhaps, but I could not help thinking, undeservedly, to come within "the whiff and wind wind of his fell fword." I asked him, if he had ever been accustomed to wear a night-cap. He faid "No." I asked, if it was best not to wear one →→→→→ Johnson. Sir, I had this cuftom by chance, and perhaps no man shal ever know whether it is best to fleep with or without a night-cap."-Soon afterwards he was laughing at some deficiency in the Highlands, and faid, "One might as well go without shoes and stockings."-Thinking to have a little hit at his own deficiency, I ventured to add, "or without a night cap, fir." But I had better have been filent; for he retorted directly. "I do not fee the connection there (laughing). Nobody before was ever foolish enough to ask whether it was best to wear a night-cap or not. This comes of being a little wrong-headed."-He carried the company along with him: and yet the truth is, that if he had always worn a night-cap, as is the common practice, and found the Highlanders did not wear one, he would have wondered at their barbarity; so that my hit was fair enough. Thursday, 30th September. There was as great a ftorm of wind and rain as I have almost ever seen, which neceffarily confined us to the house; but we were fully compensated by Dr. Johnfon's conversation. He said, he did not grudge Burke's being the first man in the House of Com mons, for he was the firft man every where; but he grudged that a fellow who makes no figure in company, and has a mind as narrow as the neck of a vinegar cruet, should make a figure in the House of Commons, merely by having the knowledge of a few forms, and being furnished with a little occafional T 2 fional information *. He told us, the first time he' faw Dr. Young was at the house of Mr. Richardson, the author of Clariffa. He was fent for, that the doctor might read to him his Conjectures on original Compofition, which he did, and Dr. Johnson made his remarks; and he was furprized to find Young receive as novelties, what he thought very common maxims. He faid, he believed Young was not a great scholar, nor had studied regularly the art of writing; that there were very fine things in his Night Thoughts, though you could not find twenty lines together without fome extravagance. He repeated two paffages from his Love of Fame,-the characters of Brunetta and Stella, which he praised highly. He said Young preffed him much to come to Wellwyn. He always intended it, but never went. He was forry when Young died. The cause of quarrel between Young and his fon, he told us, was, that his fon infifted Young fhould turn away a clergyman's widow, who lived with him, and who, having acquired great influence over the father, was faucy to the fon. Dr. Johnson faid, she could not conceal her refentment at him, for faying to Young, that "an old man fhould not refign himself to the management of any body."-I asked him, if there was any improper connection between them." No, fir, no more than between two ftatues.-He was past fourfcore, and fhe a very coarse woman. She read to him, and, I suppose, made his coffee, and frothed his He did not mention the name of any particular person; but those who are converfant with the political world will probably re◄ collect more perfons than one to whom this obfervation may be applied. |