1775. سا fettled, perhaps, by the ceffion of fome remote generation, in the house of Dunvegan. I am forry the advertisement was not continued for three or four Etat. 66. times in the papers. "That Lord Monboddo and Mr. Macqueen fhould controvert a pofition contrary to the imaginary intereft of literary or national prejudice, might be eafily imagined; but of a ftanding fact there ought to be no controverfy: If there are men with tails, catch an bomo caudatus; if there was writing of old in the Highlands or Hebrides, in the Erfe language, produce the manufcripts. Where men write, they will write to one another, and fome of their letters, in families ftudious of their anceftry, will be kept. In Wales there are many manuscripts. "I have now three parcels of Lord Hailes's hiftory, which I purpose to return all the next week: that his refpect for my little obfervations should keep his work in fufpenfe, makes one of the evils of my journey. It is in our language, I think, a new mode of history, which tells all that is wanted, and, I fuppofe, all that is known, without laboured fplendour of language, or affected fubtilty of conjecture. The exactnefs of his dates raises my wonder. He feems to have the clofenefs of Henault without his constraint. "Mrs. Thrale was fo entertained with your Journal',' that fhe almost read herself blind. She has a great regard for you. "Of Mrs. Bofwell, though fhe knows in her heart that she does not love me, I am always glad to hear any good, and hope that fhe and the little dear ladies will have neither fickness nor any other affliction. But fhe knows that she does not care what becomes of me, and for that the may be fure that I think her very much to blame. “ Never, my dear Sir, do you take it into your head to think that I do not love you; you may settle yourself in full confidence both of my love and my esteem; I love you as a kind man, I value you as a worthy man, and hope in time to reverence you as a man of exemplary piety. I hold you as Hamlet has it, in my heart of heart,' and, therefore, it is little to fay, that I am, Sir, "London, Auguft, 27, 1775. "Your affectionate humble fervant, My" Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides," which that lady read in the original manufcript." "IF in these papers, there is little alteration attempted, do not fuppofe me negligent. I have read them perhaps more closely than the reft; but I find nothing worthy of an objection. "Write to me foon, and write often, and tell me all your honeft heart. "I Now write to you, left in fome of your freaks and humours you fhould fancy yourself neglected. Such fancies I must entreat you never to admit, at least never to indulge, for my regard for you is so radicated and fixed, that it is become part of my mind, and cannot be effaced but by some cause uncommonly violent; therefore, whether I write or not, fet your thoughts at reft. I now write to tell you that I fhall not very foon write again, for I am to fet out to-morrow on another journey. "Your friends are all well at Streatham, and in Leicester-fields. Make my compliments to Mrs. Bofwell, if fhe is in good humour with me. "I am, Sir, &c. ༦་ September 14, 1775. SAM. JOHNSON." What he mentions in fuch light terms as, "I am to fet out to-morrow on another journey," I foon afterwards discovered was no less than a tour to France with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale. This was the only time in his life that he went upon the Continent. To Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON. "MY DEAR SIR, Edinburgh, Oct. 24, 1775. "IF I had not been informed that you were at Paris, you should have had a letter from me by the earliest opportunity, announcing the birth Another parcel of Lord Hailes's "Annals of Scotland." ot 1775. of my Son, on the 9th inftant; I have named him Alexander, after my father. I now write, as I fuppofe your fellow traveller, Mr. Thrale, will return to Etat. 66. London this week to attend his duty in parliament, and that you will not stay behind him. I fend another parcel of Lord Hailes's "Annals." I have undertaken to folicit you for a favour to him, which he thus requests in a letter to me: "I intend foon to give you the Life of Robert Bruce,' which you will be pleased to tranfmit to Dr. Johnson. I wish that you could affist me in a fancy which I have taken, of getting Dr. Johnson to draw a character of Robert Bruce, from the account that I give of that prince. If he finds materials for it in my work, it will be a proof that I have been fortunate in felecting the moft ftriking incidents.' "I suppose by The Life of Robert Bruce,' his Lordship means that part of his Annals' which relates the hiftory of that prince, and not a separate work. << Shall we have " A Journey to Paris" from you in the winter? You will, I hope, at any rate be kind enough to give me fome account of your French travels very soon, for I am very impatient. What a different scene have you viewed this autumn, from that which you viewed in autumn 1773! I ever am, my dear Sir, Your much obliged, and affectionate humble fervant, "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "I AM glad that the young Laird is born, and an end, as I hope, put to the only difference that you can ever have with Mrs. Bofwell3. I know that she does not love me, but I intend to perfift in wishing her well till I get the better of her. "Paris is, indeed, a place very different from the Hebrides, but it is to a hafty traveller not fo fertile of novelty, nor affords fo many opportunities of remark. I cannot pretend to tell the publick any thing of a place better known to many of my readers than to myself. We can talk of it when we meet. "I fhall go next week to Streatham, from whence I purpofe to fend a parcel of the Hiftory' every poft. Concerning the character of Bruce, I 3 This alludes to my old feudal principle of preferring male to female fucceffion, 1775 can only fay, that I do not fee any great reason for writing it, but I fhall not Etat. 66. easily deny what Lord Hailes and you concur in defiring. "I have been remarkably healthy all the journey, and hope you and your family have known only that trouble and danger which has fo happily terminated. Among all the congratulations that you may receive, I hope you believe none more warm or fincere, than thofe of, dear Sir, "Your most affectionate, "November, 16, 1775. SAM. JOHNSON." To Mrs. LucY PORTER, in Lichfield. "DEAR MADAM, "THIS week I came home from Paris. I have brought you a little box, which I thought pretty; but I know not whether it is properly a fnuff-box, or a box for fome other ufe. I will fend it, when I can find an opportunity. I have been through the whole journey remarkably well. My fellow-travellers were the fame whom you faw at Lichfield, only we took Baretti with us. Paris is not fo fine a place as you would expect. The palaces and churches, however, are very fplendid and magnificent; and what would please you, there are many very fine pictures; but I do not think their way of life commodious or pleasant. "Let me know how your health has been all this while. I hope the fine fummer has given you strength sufficient to encounter the winter. "Make my compliments to all my friends; and, if your fingers will let you, write to me, or let your maid write, if it be troublesome to you. I am, dear Madam, "Your most affectionate humble fervant, " Nov. 16, 1775. To the fame. SAM. JOHNSON." "DEAR MADAM, "SOME weeks ago I wrote to you, to tell you that I was just come home from a ramble, and hoped that I fhould have heard from you. I am afraid winter has laid hold on your fingers, and hinders you from writing. However, let somebody write, if you cannot, and tell me how you do, and a There can be no doubt that many years previous to 1775, he correfponded with this lady, who was his step-daughter, but none of his earlier letters to her have been preserved. little of what has happened at Lichfield among our friends. I hope you are all well. "When I was in France, I thought myself growing young, but am afraid that cold weather will take part of my new vigour from me. Let us, however, take care of ourselves, and lose no part of our health by negligence. "I never knew whether you received the Commentary on the New Testament, and the Travels, and the glasses. "Do, my dear love, write to me; and do not let us forget each other. This is the season of good wishes, and I wish you all good. I have not lately feen Mr. Porter', nor heard of him. Is he with you ? "Be pleased to make my compliments to Mrs. Adey, and Mrs. Cobb, and all my friends; and when I can do any good, let me know. I am, dear. Madam, "Yours most affectionately, 1775. Ætat. 66. "December, 1775. SAM. JOHNSON.". It is to be regretted, that he did not write an account of his travels in France; for as he is reported to have once faid, that " he could write the Life of a Broomstick," fo, notwithstanding fo many former travellers have exhausted almost every thing fubject for remark in that great kingdom, his very accurate obfervation, and peculiar vigour of thought and illuftration, would have produced a valuable work. During his vifit to it, which lafted but about two months, he wrote notes or minutes of what he faw. He promised to fhew me them, but I neglected to put him in mind of it; and the greatest part of them have been loft, or, perhaps, destroyed in that precipitate burning of his papers a few days before his death, which muft ever be lamented: One fmall paper-book, however, entitled "FRANCE, II." has been preferved, and is in my poffeffion. It is a diurnal regifter of his life and obfervations, from the 10th of October to the 4th of November, inclufive, being twenty-fix days; and fhews an extraordinary attention to various minute particulars. Being the only memorial of this tour that remains, my readers, I am confident, will peruse it with pleasure, though his notes are very fhort, and evidently written only to affift his own recollection. "OCT. 10. Tuesday. We faw the Ecole Militaire, in which one hundred and fifty young boys are educated for the army. They have arms of different 5 Son of Mrs. Johnfon, by her first husband. |