Nairne." Why, fir, (faid Dr. Johnfon,) when a 66 It is We talked of a man's drowning himself.-Johnfon. "I fhould never think it time to make away with myfelf."-I put the cafe of Euftace Budgell, who was accused of forging a will, and funk himfelf in the Thames, before the trial of its authenticity came on. Suppofe, fir, (faid I,) that a man is abfolutely fure, that, if he lives a few days longer, he fhall be detected in a fraud, the confequence of which will be utter difgrace and expulfion from fociety."-Johnson." Then, fir, let him go abroad to a distant country; let him go to fome place where he is not known. Don't let him go to the devil where he is known !" 1 He then faid, "I fee a number of people barefooted here: I fuppofe you all went fo before the Union. Bofwell, your ancestors went fo, when they had as much land as your family has now. Auchinleck is the Field of Stones: there would be bad going bare-footed there. The Lairds, how Yet ever, did it.”—I bought fome speldings, fish (generally whitings) falted and dried in a particular manner, being dipped in the fea and dried in the fun, and eaten by the Scots by way of a relifh. He had never feen them, though they are fold in London. I infifted on Scottifying * his palate; but he was very reluctant. With difficulty I prevailed with him to let a bit of one of them lie in his mouth. He did not like it. ઃઃ In croffing the Frith, Dr. Johnson determined that we should land upon Inch Keith. On approaching it, we first obferved a high rocky fhore.* We coafted about, and put into a little bay on the North-weft. We clambered up a very fteep afcent, on which was very good grafs, but rather a profufion of thistles. There were fixteen head of black cattle grazing upon the island. Lord Hailes obferved to me, that Brantome calls it L'ifle des Chevaux, and that it was probably "a fafer stable" than many others in his time. The fort, with an infcription on it, Maria Re 1564, is strongly built. Dr. Johnson. examined it with much attention. He ftalked like a giant among the luxuriant thiftles and nettles. There are three wells in the island; but we could not find one in the fort. There must probably have been one, though now garrifon could not fubfift without it. dwelt too long on this little fpot. afterwards bade me try to write a defcription of our discovering Inch Keith, in the ufual style of travel filled up, as a But I have Dr. Johnson lers, * My friend, General Campbell, Governour of Madras, tells me, that they make fpeldings in the Eaft-Indies, particularly at Bombay, where they call them Bambalees. lers, defcribing fully every particular; ftating the grounds on which we concluded that it must have once been inhabited, and introducing many fage reflections; and we should see how a thing might be covered in words, fo as to induce people to come and furvey it. All that was told might be true, and yet in reality there might be nothing to fee. He faid, "I'd have this island. I'd build a house, make a good landing-place, have a garden, and vines, and all forts of trees. A rich man, of a hofpitable turn, here, would have many vifitors from Edinburgh." When we had got into our boat again, he called to me, "Come, now, pay a claffical compliment to the island on quitting it." I happened luckily, in allufion to the beautiful Queen Mary, whofe name is upon the fort, to think of what Virgil makes Æneas fay, on having left the country of his charming Dido: Invitus, regina, tuo de littore ceffi ' Very well hit off!" faid he." We dined at Kinghorn, and then got into a poftchaife. Mr. Nairne and his fervant, and Jofeph, rode by us. We stopped at Cupar, and drank tea. We talked of parliament; and I faid, I fuppofed very few of the members knew much of what was going on, as indeed very few gentlemen know much of their own private affairs.-Johnson. Why, fir, if a man is not of a fluggish mind, he may be his own steward. If he will look into his affairs, he will foon learn. *« Unhappy queen ! So it is as to pub "Unwilling I forfook your friendly state." lick Dryden. 66 to have fuch an inInfluence must and it is right it lick affairs. There must always be a certain number of men of business in parliament."-Bofwell. "But confider, fir; what is the Houfe of Commons? Is not a great part of it chosen by peers? Do you think, fir, they ought fluence?"-Johnson. Johnson. "Yes, fir. ever be in proportion to property; fhould."-Bofwell. "But is there not reason to fear that the common people may be oppreffed ?", -Johnson. No, fir. Our great fear is from want of power in government. Such a ftorm of vulgar force has broke in."-Bofwell. "It has only roared."-Johnson. "Sir, it has roared, till the Judges in Westminster-Hall have been afraid to pronounce sentence in opposition to the popular cry. You are frightened by what is no longer dangerous, like Presbyterians by Popery."-He then repeated a paffage, I think, in Butler's Remains, which ends, "and would cry, Fire! Fire! in Noah's flood *. We The paffage quoted by Dr. Johnson is in the Character of the Affembly-man, Butler's Remains, p. 232, edit. 1754.-"He preaches, indeed, both in feafon and out of feafon; for he rails at Popery, when the land is almost loft in Presbytery; and would cry Fire! Fire! in Noah's flood." There is reafon to believe that this piece was not written by Butler, but by Sir John Birkenhead; for Wood, in his Athena Oxonienfes, Vol. II. p. 640, enumerates it among that gentleman's works, and gives the following account of it : "The Affembly-man (or the character of an Affembly-man) written 1647, Lond. 1662-3, in three fheets in qu. The copy of it was taken from the author by those who faid they could not rob, becaufe all was theirs; fo excifed what they liked not; and fo mangled and reformed it, that it was no character of an Affembly, but of themfelves. At length, after it had flept several years, the author published it, to avoid falfe copies. It is alfo reprinted in a book entit. Wit and Loyalty revived, in a collection of fome fmart fatyrs in verse and We had a dreary drive, in a dusky night, to St. Andrews, where we arrived late. We found a good fupper at Glass's inn, and Dr. Johnfon revived agreeably. He faid, "the collection called The Mufes' Welcome to King James,' (firft of England, and fixth of Scotland,) on his return to his native kingdom, fhewed that there was then abundance of learning in Scotland; and that the conceits in that collection, with which people find fault, were mere mode," He added, "we could not now entertain a fovereign fo; that Buchanan had spread the fpirit of learning amongst us, but we had lost it during the civil wars." He did not allow the Latin Poetry of Pitcairne fo much merit as has been usually attributed to it; though he owned that one of his pieces, which he mentioned, but which I am forry is not specified in my notes, was very well." It is not improbable that it was the poem which Prior has fo elegantly tranflated. c After fupper, we made a proceffion to Saint Leonard's College, the landlord walking before us with a candle, and the waiter with a lantern. That college had fome time before been diffolved; and Dr. Watson, a profeffor here, (the hiftorian of Phillip II.) had purchased the ground, and what buildings remained. When we entered his court, it seemed quite academical; and we found in his house very comfortable and genteel accommodation*. Thursday, and profe on the late times. Lond. 1682, qu. faid to be written by Abr. Cowley, Sir John Birkenhead, and Hudibras, alias Sam. Butler."-For this information I am indebted to Mr. Reed, of Staple Inn. *My Journal, from this day inclufive, was read by Dr. Johnson. |