scrutiny of adversaries pointed out. A few notes are added, of which the
principal object is, to refute misrepresentation and calumny.
To the animadversions in the periodical Journals of criticism, and in
the numerous publications to which my book has given rise, I have made
no answer. Every work must stand or fall by its own merit. I cannot,
however, omit this opportunity of returning thanks to a gentleman who
published a Defence of my Journal, and has added to the favour by
communicating his name to me in a very obliging letter.
It would be an idle waste of time to take any particular notice of the
futile remarks, to many of which, a petty national resentment, unworthy
of my countrymen, has probably given rise; remarks which have been
industriously circulated in the publick prints by shallow or envious
cavillers, who have endeavoured to persuade the world that Dr. Johnson's
character has been _lessened_ by recording such various instances of
his lively wit and acute judgment, on every topick that was presented to
his mind. In the opinion of every person of taste and knowledge that I
have conversed with, it has been greatly _heightened_; and I will
venture to predict, that this specimen of the colloquial talents and
extemporaneous effusions of my illustrious fellow-traveller will become
still more valuable, when, by the lapse of time, he shall have become an
_ancient_; when all those who can now bear testimony to the transcendent
powers of his mind, shall have passed away; and no other memorial of
this great and good man shall remain but the following Journal, the
other anecdotes and letters preserved by his friends, and those
incomparable works, which have for many years been in the highest
estimation, and will be read and admired as long as the English language
shall be spoken or understood.
J.B.
LONDON, 15th Aug. 1786.
CONTENTS.
DEDICATION.
ADVERTISEMENT.
INTRODUCTION. Character of Dr. Johnson. He arrives in Scotland.
_August 15_. Sir William Forbes. Practice of the law. Emigration. Dr.
Beattie and Mr. Hume. Dr. Robertson. Mr. Burke's various and
extraordinary talents. Question concerning genius. Whitfield and Wesley.
Instructions to political parties. Dr. Johnson's opinion of Garrick as a
tragedian.
_August 16_. Ogden on Prayer. Aphoristick writing. Edinburgh surveyed.
Character of Swift's works. Evil spirits and witchcraft. Lord Monboddo
and the Ouran-Outang.
_August 17_. Poetry and Dictionary writing. Scepticism. Eternal
necessity refuted. Lord Hailes's criticism on _The Vanity of Human
Wishes._ Mr. Maclaurin. Decision of the Judges in Scotland on
literary property.
_August 18_. Set out for the Hebrides. Sketch of the authour's
character. Trade of Glasgow. Suicide. Inchkeith. Parliamentary
knowledge. Influence of Peers. Popular clamours. Arrive at St. Andrews.
_August 19_. Dr. Watson. Literature and patronage. Writing and
conversation compared. Change of manners. The Union. Value of money. St.
Andrews and John Knox. Retirement from the world. Dinner with the
Professors. Question concerning sorrow and content. Instructions for
composition. Dr. Johnson's method. Uncertainty of memory.
_August 20_. Effect of prayer. Observance of Sunday. Professor Shaw.
Transubstantiation. Literary property. Mr. Tyers's remark on Dr.
Johnson. Arrive at Montrose.
_August 21_. Want of trees. Laurence Kirk. Dinner at Monboddo.
Emigration. Homer. Biography and history compared. Decrease of learning.
Causes of it. Promotion of bishops. Warburton. Lowth. Value of
politeness. Dr. Johnson's sentiments concerning Lord Monboddo. Arrive
at Aberdeen.
_August 22_. Professor Thomas Gordon. Publick and private education.
Sir Alexander Gordon. Trade of Aberdeen. Prescription of murder in
Scotland. Mystery of the Trinity. Satisfaction of Christ. Importance of
old friendships.
_August 23_. Dr. Johnson made a burgess of Aberdeen. Dinner at Sir
Alexander Gordon's. Warburton's powers of invective. His _Doctrine of
Grace_. Lock's verses. Fingal.
_August 24_. Goldsmith and Graham. Slains castle. Education of children.
Buller of Buchan. Entails. Consequence of Peers. Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Earl of Errol.
_August 25_. The advantage of being on good terms with relations.
Nabobs. Feudal state of subordination. Dinner at Strichen. Life of
country gentlemen. THE LITERARY CLUB.
_August 26_. Lord Monboddo. Use and importance of wealth. Elgin.
Macbeth's heath. Fores.
_August 27_. Leonidas. Paul Whitehead. Derrick. Origin of Evil.
Calder-manse. Reasonableness of ecclesiastical subscription.
Family worship.
_August 28_. Fort George. Sir Adolphus Oughton. Contest between
Warburton and Lowth. Dinner at Sir Eyre Coote's. Arabs and English
soldiers compared. The Stage. Mr. Garrick, Mrs. Cibber, Mrs. Pritchard,
Mrs. Clive. Inverness.
_August 29_. Macbeth's Castle. Incorrectness of writers of Travels.
Coinage of new words. Dr. Johnson's _Dictionary_.
_August 30_. Dr. Johnson on horseback. A Highland hut. Fort Augustus.
Governour Trapaud.
_August 31_. Anoch. Emigration. Goldsmith. Poets and soldiers compared.
Life of a sailor. Landlord's daughter at Anoch.
_September 1_. Glensheal. The Macraas. Dr. Johnson's anger at being left
for a little while by the authour on a wild plain. Wretched inn
at Glenelg.
_September 2_. Dr. Johnson relents. Isle of Sky. Armidale.
_September 3_. Colonel Montgomery, now Earl of Eglintoune.
_September 4_. Ancient Highland Enthusiasm.
_September 5_. Sir James Macdonald's epitaph and last letters to his
mother. Dr. Johnson's Latin ode on the Isle of Sky. Isaac
Hawkins Browne.
_September 6_. Corrichatachin. Highland hospitality and mirth. Dr.
Johnson's Latin ode to Mrs. Thrale.
_September 7_. Uneasy state of dependence on the weather. State of those
who live in the country. Dr. M'Pherson's Dissertations. Second Sight.
_September 8_. Rev. Mr. Donald M'Queen. Mr. Malcolm M'Cleod. Sail to
Rasay. Fingal. Homer. Elegant and gay entertainment at Rasay.
_September 9_. Antiquity of the family of Rasay. Cure of infidelity.
_September 10_. Survey of the island of Rasay. Bentley. Mallet. Hooke.
Duchess of Marlborough.
_September 11_. Heritable jurisdictions. Insular life. The Laird of
M'Cleod.
_September 12_. Sail to Portree. Dr. Johnson's discourse on death.
Letters from Lord Elibank to Dr. Johnson and the authour. Dr. Johnson's
answer. Ride to Kingsburgh. Flora M'Donald.
_September 13_. Distresses and escape of the grandson of King James II.
Arrive at Dunvegan.
_September 14_. Importance of the chastity of women. Dr. Cadogan.
Whether the practice of authours is necessary to enforce their
Doctrines. Good humour acquirable.
_September 15_. Sir George M'Kenzie. Mr. Burke's wit, knowledge and
eloquence.
_September 16_. Dr. Johnson's hereditary melancholy. His minute
knowledge in various arts. Apology for the authour's ardour in his
pursuits. Dr. Johnson's imaginary seraglio. Polygamy.
_September 17_. Cunning. Whether great abilities are necessary to be
wicked. Temple of the Goddess Anaitis. Family portraits. Records not
consulted by old English historians. Mr. Pennant's Tours criticised.
_September 18_. Ancient residence of a Highland Chief. Languages the
pedigree of nations. Laird of the Isle of Muck.
_September 19_. Choice of a wife. Women an over-match for men. Lady
Grange in St. Kilda. Poetry of savages. French Literati. Prize-fighting.
French and English soldiers. Duelling.
_September 20_. Change of London manners. Laziness censured. Landed and
traded interest compared. Gratitude considered.
_September 21_. Description of Dunvegan. Lord Lovat's Pyramid. Ride to
Ulinish. Phipps's Voyage to the North Pole.
_September 22_. Subterraneous house and vast cave in Ulinish. Swift's
Lord Orrery. Defects as well as virtues the proper subject of biography,
though the life be written by a friend. Studied conclusions of letters.
Whether allowable in dying men to maintain resentment to the last.
Instructions for writing the lives of literary men. Fingal denied to be
genuine, and pleasantly ridiculed.
_September 23_. Further disquisition concerning Fingal. Eminent men
disconcerted by a new mode of publick appearance. Garrick. Mrs.
Montague's Essay on Shakspeare. Persons of consequence watched in
London. Learning of the Scots from 1550 to 1650. The arts of civil life
little known in Scotland till the Union. Life of a sailor. The folly of
Peter the Great in working in a dock-yard. Arrive at Talisker.
Presbyterian clergy deficient in learning. _September 24_. French
hunting. Young Col. Dr. Birch, Dr. Percy. Lord Hailes. Historical
impartiality. Whiggism unbecoming in a clergyman.
_September 25_. Every island a prison. A Sky cottage. Return to
Corrichatachin. Good fellowship carried to excess.
_September 26_. Morning review of last night's intemperance. Old
Kingsburgh's Jacobite song. Lady Margaret Macdonald adored in Sky.
Different views of the same subject at different times. Self-deception.
_September 27_. Dr. Johnson's popularity in the Isle of Sky. His
good-humoured gaiety with a Highland lady.
_September 28_. Ancient Irish pride of family. Dr. Johnson on threshing
and thatching. Dangerous to increase the price of labour. Arrive at
Ostig. Dr. M'Pherson's Latin poetry.
_September 29_. Reverend Mr. M'Pherson, Shenstone. Hammond. Sir Charles
Hanbury Williams.
_September 30_. Mr. Burke the first man every where. Very moderate
talents requisite to make a figure in the House of Commons. Dr. Young.
Dr. Doddridge. Increase of infidel writings since the accession of the
Hanover family. Gradual impression made by Dr. Johnson. Particular
minutes to be kept of our studies.
_October 1_. Dr. Johnson not answerable for all the words in his
_Dictionary_. Attacks on authours useful to them. Return to Armidale.
_October 2_. Old manners of great families in Wales. German courts.
Goldsmith's love of talk. Emigration. Curious story of the people of
St. Kilda.
_October 3_. Epictetus on the voyage of death. Sail for Mull. A storm.
Driven into Col.
_October 4_. Dr. Johnson's mode of living in the Temple. His curious
appearance on a sheltie. Nature of sea-sickness. Burnet's _History of
his own Times_. Difference between dedications and histories.
_October 5_. People may come to do anything by talking of it. The
Reverend Mr. Hector Maclean. Bayle. Leibnitz and Clarke. Survey of Col.
Insular life. Arrive at Breacacha. Dr. Johnson's power of ridicule.
_October 6_. Heritable jurisdictions. The opinion of philosophers
concerning happiness in a cottage, considered. Advice to landlords.
_October 7_. Books the best solace in a state of confinement.
_October 8_. Pretended brother of Dr. Johnson. No redress for a man's
name being affixed to a foolish work. Lady Sidney Beauclerk. Carte's
_Life of the Duke of Ormond_. Col's cabinet. Letters of the great
Montrose. Present state of the island of Col.
_October 9_. Dr. Johnson's avidity for a variety of books. Improbability
of a Highland tradition. Dr. Johnson's delicacy of feeling.
_October 10_. Dependence of tenants on landlords.
_October 11_. London and Pekin compared. Dr. Johnson's high opinion of
the former.
_October 12_. Return to Mr. M'Sweyn's. Other superstitions beside those
connected with religion. Dr. Johnson disgusted with coarse manners. His
peculiar habits.
_October 13_. Bustle not necessary to dispatch. _Oats_ the food not of
the Scotch alone.
_October 14_. Arrive in Mull. Addison's _Remarks on Italy_. Addison not
much conversant with Italian literature. The French masters of the art
of accommodating literature. Their _Ana_. Racine. Corneille. Moliere.
Fenelon. Voltaire. Bossuet. Massillon. Bourdaloue. Virgil's description
of the entrance into hell, compared to a printing-house.
_October 15_. Erse poetry. Danger of a knowledge of musick. The
propriety of settling our affairs so as to be always prepared for death.
Religion and literary attainments not to be described to young persons
as too hard. Reception of the travellers in their progress. Spence.
_October 16_. Miss Maclean. Account of Mull. The value of an oak
walking-stick in the Hebrides. Arrive at Mr. M'Quarrie's in Ulva.
Captain Macleod. Second Sight. _Mercheta Mulierum_, and Borough-English.
The grounds on which the sale of an estate may be set aside in a court
of equity.
_October 17_. Arrive at Inchkenneth. Sir Allan Maclean and his
daughters. None but theological books should be read on Sunday. Dr.
Campbell. Dr. Johnson exhibited as a Highlander. Thoughts on drinking.
Dr. Johnson's Latin verses on Inchkenneth.
_October 18_. Young Col's various good qualities. No extraordinary
talents requisite to success in trade. Dr. Solander. Mr. Burke. Dr.
Johnson's intrepidity and presence of mind. Singular custom in the
islands of Col and Otaheite. Further elogium on young Col. Credulity of
a Frenchman in foreign countries.
_October 19_. Death of young Col. Dr. Johnson slow of belief without
strong evidence. _La Credulite des incredules_. Coast of Mull. Nun's
Island. Past scenes pleasing in recollection. Land on Icolmkill.
_October 20_. Sketch of the ruins of Icolmkill. Influence of solemn
scenes of piety. Feudal authority in the extreme. Return to Mull.
_October 21_. Pulteney. Pitt. Walpole. Mr. Wilkes. English and Jewish
history compared. Scotland composed of stone and water, and a little
earth. Turkish Spy. Dreary ride to Lochbuy. Description of the laird.
_October 22_. Uncommon breakfast offered to Dr. Johnson, and rejected.
Lochbuy's war-saddle. Sail to Oban.
_October 23_. Goldsmith's _Traveller_. Pope and Cowley compared.
Archibald Duke of Argyle. Arrive at Inverary. Dr. Johnson drinks some
whisky, and assigns his reason. Letter from the authour to Mr. Garrick.
Mr. Garrick's answer.
_October 24_. Specimen of Ogden on Prayer. Hervey's _Meditations_. Dr.
Johnson's Meditation on a Pudding. Country neighbours. The authour's
visit to the castle of Inverary. Perverse opposition to the influence of
Peers in Ayrshire.
_October 25_. Dr. Johnson presented to the Duke of Argyle. Grandeur of
his grace's seat. The authour possesses himself in an embarrassing
situation. Honourable Archibald Campbell on _a middle state_. The old
Lord Townshend. Question concerning luxury. Nice trait of character.
Good principles and bad practice.
_October 26_. A passage in Home's _Douglas_, and one in _Juvenal_,
compared. Neglect of religious buildings in Scotland. Arrive at Sir
James Colquhoun's.
_October 27_. Dr. Johnson's letter to the Duke of Argyle. His grace's
answer. Lochlomond. Dr. Johnson's sentiments on dress. Forms of prayer
considered. Arrive at Mr. Smollet's.
_October 28_. Dr. Smollet's Epitaph. Dr. Johnson's wonderful memory. His
alacrity during the Tour. Arrive at Glasgow.
_October 29_. Glasgow surveyed. Attention of the professors to Dr.
Johnson.
_October 30_. Dinner at the Earl of Loudoun's. Character of that
nobleman. Arrive at Treesbank.
_October 31_. Sir John Cunningham of Caprington.
_November 1_. Rules for the distribution of charity. Castle of
Dundonald. Countess of Eglintoune. Alexander Earl of Eglintoune.
_November 2_. Arrive at Auchinleck. Character of Lord Auchinleck, His
idea of Dr. Johnson.
_November 3_. Dr. Johnson's sentiments concerning the Highlands. Mr.
Harris of Salisbury.
_November 4_. Auchinleck. Cattle without horns. Composure of mind how
far attainable. _November 5_. Dr. Johnson's high respect for the
English clergy.
_November 6_. Lord Auchinleck and Dr. Johnson in collision.
_November 7_. Dr. Johnson's uniform piety. His dislike of presbyterian
worship.
_November 8_. Arrive at Hamilton.
_November 9_. The Duke of Hamilton's house. Arrive at Edinburgh.
_November 10_. Lord Elibank. Difference in political principles
increased by opposition. Edinburgh Castle. Fingal. English credulity not
less than Scottish. Second Sight. Garrick and Foote compared as
companions. Moravian Missions and Methodism.
_November 11_. History originally oral. Dr. Robertson's liberality of
sentiment. Rebellion natural to man.
* * * * *
Summary account of the manner in which Dr. Johnson spent his time from
November 12 to November 21. Lord Mansfield, Mr. Richardson. The private
life of an English Judge. Dr. Johnson's high opinion of Dr. Robertson
and Dr. Blair. Letter from Dr. Blair to the authour. Officers of the
army often ignorant of things belonging to their own profession. Academy
for the deaf and dumb. A Scotch Highlander and an English sailor.
Attacks on authours advantageous to them. Roslin Castle and Hawthornden.
Dr. Johnson's _Parody of Sir John Dalrymple's Memoirs_. Arrive at
Cranston. Dr. Johnson's departure for London. Letters from Lord Hailes
and Mr. Dempster to the authour. Letter from the Laird of Rasay to the
authour. The authour's answer. Dr. Johnson's Advertisement,
acknowledging a mistake in his _Journey to the Western Islands_. His
letter to the Laird of Rasay. Letter from Sir William Forbes to the
authour. Conclusion.
HE WAS OF AN ADMIRABLE PREGNANCY OF WIT, AND THAT PREGNANCY
MUCH IMPROVED BY CONTINUAL STUDY FROM HIS CHILDHOOD:
BY WHICH HE HAD GOTTEN SUCH A PROMPTNESS IN EXPRESSING HIS
MIND, THAT HIS EXTEMPORAL SPEECHES WERE LITTLE INFERIOR TO
HIS PREMEDITATED WRITINGS. MANY, NO DOUBT, HAD READ AS MUCH,
AND PERHAPS MORE THAN HE; BUT SCARCE EVER ANY CONCOCTED
HIS READING INTO JUDGEMENT AS HE DID[8].
_Baker's Chronicle_ [ed. 1665, p. 449].
