were, a Scotch Highlander and an English Sailor. Why, fir, faid Dr. Johnson, I fhall fay nothing as to the Scotch Highlander; but as to the English Sailor, I cannot agree with you."-Sir John faid, he was generous in giving away his money.-JohnJon. "Sir, he throws away his money, without thought, and without merit. I do not call a tree generous, that sheds its fruit at every breeze."-Sir John having affected to complain of the attacks made upon his Memoirs, Dr, Johnson faid, "Nay, fir, do not complain. It is advantageous to an authour, that his book fhould be attacked as well as praised. Fame is a fhuttlecock. If it be ftruck only at one end of the room, it will foon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be ftruck at both ends."-Often have I reflected on this fince; and, inftead of being angry at many of those who have written against me, have fmiled to think that they were unintentionally fubfervient to my fame, by using a battledoor to make me virum volitare per ora: At Sir Alexander Dick's, from that absence of mind to which every man is at times subject, I told, in a blundering manner, Lady Eglingtoune's complimentary adoption of Dr. Johnson as her fon; for I unfortunately stated that her lady fhip adopted him as her fon, in confequence of her having been married the year after he was born. Dr. Johnfon inftantly corrected me. "Sir, don't you perceive that you are defaming the countess? For, fuppofing me to be her son, and that she was not married till the year after my birth, I must have been her natural fon." A young lady of quality, who was prefent, very handsomely said, "Might not the fon have juftified the fault "-My friend was much flattered by this compliment, which he never forgot. When in more than ordinary spiE & rits rits, and talking of his journey in Scotland, he has called to me," Bofwell, what was it that the young lady of quality faid of me at Sir Alexander Dick's ?” Nobody will doubt that I was happy in repeating it. My illuftrious friend, being now defirous to be again in the great theatre of life and animated exertion, took a place in the coach, which was to fet out for London on Monday the 22d of November. Sir John Dalrymple preffed him to come on the Saturday before, to his houfe at Cranston, which being twelve miles from Edinburgh, upon the middle road to Newcastle, (Dr. Johnfon had come to Edinburgh by Berwick, and along the naked coaft,) it would make his journey eafier, as the coach would take him up at a more feasonable hour than that at which it fets out. Sir John, I perceived, was ambitious of having fuch a gueft; but, as I was well affured, that at this very time he had joined with fome of his prejudiced countrymen in railing at Dr. Johnson, and had faid, he wondered how any gentleman of Scotland could keep company with him," I thought he did not deferve the honour: yet, as it might be a convenience to Dr. Johnson, I contrived that he should accept the invitation, and engaged to conduct him. I refolved that, on our way to Sir John's, we fhould make a little circuit by Rollin Caftle, and Hawthornden, and wifhed to fet out foon after breakfaft; but young Mr. Tytler came to fhew Dr. Johnson some effays which he had written; and my great friend, who was exceedingly obliging when thus confulted, was detained so long that it was, I believe, one o'clock before we got into our poft-chaife. I found that we should be too late for dinner at Sir John Dalrymple's, to which we we were engaged: but I would by no means lofe the pleasure of seeing my friend at Hawthornden,-of feeing Sam Johnfon at the very spot where Ben John fon vifited the learned and poetical Drummond. We furveyed Roflin Castle, the romantick scene around it, and the beautiful Gothick chapel, and dined and drank tea at the inn; after which we proceeded to Hawthornden, and viewed the caves; and I all the while had Rare Ben in my mind, and was pleased to think that this place was now vifited by another celebrated wit of England. By this time" the waning night was growing old," and we were yet feveral miles from Sir John Dalrymple's. Dr. Johnfon did not feem much troubled at our having treated the baronet with fo little attention to politeness; but when I talked of the grievous difappointment it must have been, to him that we did not come to the feast that he had prepared for us, (for he told us he had killed a feven-year-old sheep on purpose,) my friend got into a merry mood, and jocularly faid, "I dare fay, fir, he has been very fadly diftreffed: Nay, we do not know but the confequence may have been fatal. Let me try to describe his fituation in his own hiftorical ftyle, I have as good a right to make him think and talk, as he has to tell us how people thought and talked a hundred years ago, of which he has no evidence. All history, fo far as it is not fupported by contemporary evidence, is romance, Stay now. Let us confider!"He then (heartily laughing all the while) proceeded in his imitation, I am fure to the following effect, though now, at the diftance of almoft twelve years, I cannot pretend to recollect all the precife words: "Dinner being ready, he wondered that his "guests were not yet come. His wonder was foon "fucceeded by impatience. He walked about the "room in anxious agitation; fometimes he looked "at his watch, fometimes he looked out at the "window with an eager gaze of expectation, and "revolved in his mind the various accidents of human life. His family beheld him with mute concern. Surely (faid he, with a figh,) they " will not fail me.'-The mind of man can bear "a certain preffure; but there is a point when it <c can bear no more. A rope was in his view, and es he died a Roman death." ' It was very late before we reached the feat of Sir John Dalrymple, who, certainly with fome reason was not in very good humour. Our converfation was not brilliant. We fupped, and went to bed in ancient rooms, which would have better fuited the climate of Italy in fummer, than that of Scotland in the month of November. I recollect no converíation of the next day, worth preferving, except one faying of Dr. Johnfon, which will be a valuable text for many decent old dowagers, and other good company, in various circles to descant upon.-He said, "I am forry I have not learnt to play at cards. It is very useful in life: it generates "Effex was at that time confined to the fame chamber of the Tower from which his father Lord Capel had been led to death, and in which his wife's grandfather had inflicted a voluntary death upon himself. When he faw his friend carried to what he reckoned certain fate, their common enemies enjoying the fpectacle, and reflected that it was he who had forced Lord Howard upon the confidence of Ruffel, he retired, and, by a Roman death, put an end to his mifery." Dalrymple's Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland, generates kindness, and consolidates fociety."-He certainly could not mean deep play. My friend and I thought we should be more comfortable at the inn at Blackshields, two miles farther on. We therefore went thither in the evening, and he was very entertaining; but I have preserved nothing but the pleasing remembrance, and his verses on George the Second and Cibber, and his epitaph on Parnell, which he was then fo good as to dictate to me. We breakfafted together next morning, and then the coach came, and took him up. He had, as one of his companions in it, as far as Newcastle, the worthy and ingenious Dr. Hope, botanical profeffor at Edinburgh. Both Dr. Johnson and he used to speak of their good fortune in thus accidentally meeting; for they had much inftructive converfation, which is always a most valuable enjoyment, and, when found where it is not expected, is peculiarly relished. I have now completed my account of our Tour to the Hebrides. I have brought Dr. Johnson down to Scotland, and feen him into the coach which in a few hours carried him back into England. He faid to me often, that the time he spent in this Tour was the pleasanteft part of his life, and afked me if I would lose the recollection of it for five hundred pounds. I answered I would not; and he applauded my setting fuch a value on an acceffion of new images in my mind. Had it not been for me, I am perfuaded Dr. Johnson never would have undertaken fuch a journey; and I must be allowed to affume fome merit from having been the cause that our language has been enriched with fuch a book as that which he |