"If we perform our duty, we shall be safe and steady, Sive per,' &c. whether we climb the Highlands, or are toft among the Hebrides; and I hope the time will come when we may try our powers both with cliffs and water. I fee but little of Lord Elibank, I know not why; perhaps by my own fault. I am this day going into Staffordshires and Derbyfhire for fix weeks. I am, dear Sir, 1771. Ætat. 62. "WHEN I came to Lichfield, I found that my portrait had been much vifited, and much admired. Every man has a lurking wish to appear confiderable in his native place; and I was pleased with the dignity conferred by fuch a teftimony of your regard. "Be pleased, therefore, to accept the thanks of, Sir, Edinburgh, July 27, 1771. "MY DEAR SIR, "THE bearer of this, Mr. Beattie, Profeffor of Moral Philofophy at Aberdeen, is defirous of being introduced to your acquaintance. His genius and learning, and labours in the fervice of virtue and religion, render him very worthy of it; and as he has a high esteem of your character, I hope you will give him a favourable reception. I ever am, &c. JAMES BOSWELL." In October I again wrote to him, thanking him for his laft letter, and his obliging reception of Mr. Beattie; informing him that I had been at Alnwick Lately, and had good accounts of him from Dr. Percy. In his religious record of this year, we obferve that he was better than ufual, both in body and mind, and better fatisfied with the regularity of his conduct. 1771. Etat. 62. conduct. But he is ftill "trying his ways" too rigorously. He charges himself with not rifing early enough; yet he mentions what was furely a fufficient excufe for this, fuppofing it to be a duty seriously required, as he all his life appears to have thought it. "One great hindrance is want of reft; my nocturnal complaints grow lefs troublesome towards morning; and I am tempted to repair the deficiencies of the night." Alas! how hard would it be if this indulgence were to be imputed to a fick man as a crime. In his retrospect on the following Eafter Eve, he says, "When I review the last year, I am able to recollect fo little done, that fhame and forrow, though perhaps too weakly, come upon me." Had he been judging of any one else in the fame circumstances, how clear would he have been on the favourable fide. How very difficult, and in my opinion almoft conftitutionally impoffible it was for him to be raised early, even by the strongest resolutions, appears from a note in one of his little paper books, (containing words arranged for his Dictionary,) written, I fuppofe, about 1753: "I do not remember that fince I left Oxford, I ever rofe early by mere choice, but once or twice at Edial, and two or three times for the Rambler." I think he had fair ground enough to have quieted his mind on this fubject, by concluding that he was phyfically incapable of what is at best but a commodious regulation. 2772. In 1772 he was altogether quiefcent as an authour; but it will be found, from the various evidences which I fhall bring together, that his mind was acute, lively, and vigorous. "DEAR SIR, To Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS. "BE pleased to fend to Mr. Banks, whofe place of refidence I do not know, this note, which I have fent open, that, if you pleafe, you may read it. "When you fend it, do not use your own feal. « SIR, To JOSEPH BANKS, Efq. « Perpetua ambitâ bis terrâ præmia laƐtis "Hæc habet altrici Capra fecunda Jovis "." "I RETURN thanks to you and to Dr. Solander for the pleasure. which I received in yesterday's converfation. I could not recollect a motto for your Goat, but have given her one. You, Sir, may perhaps have an epick poem from fome happier pen than, Sir, "Johnfon's-court, Fleetftreet, Feb. 27, 1772. "Your most humble fervant, To Dr. JOHNSON. SAM. JOHNSON." Edinburgh, March 3, 1772. "MY DEAR SIR, "IT is hard that I cannot prevail on you to write to me oftener. But I am convinced that it is in vain to expect from you a private correspondence with any regularity. I muft, therefore, look upon you as a fountain of wisdom, from whence few rills are communicated to a distance, and which must be approached at its fource, to partake fully of its virtues. "I am coming to London foon, and am to appear in an appeal from the Court of Seffion in the House of Lords. A fchoolmaster in Scotland was, by a court of inferiour jurisdiction, deprived of his office for being somewhat fevere in the chastisement of his fcholars. The Court of Seffion confidering it to be dangerous to the interest of learning and education to leffen the dignity of teachers, and make them afraid of too indulgent parents, inftigated by the complaints of their children, restored him. His enemies have appealed to the Houfe of Lords, though the falary is only twenty pounds a year. I was Counsel for him here. I hope there will be little fear of a reversal; but I must beg to have your aid in my plan of fupporting the decree. It is a general question, and not a point of particular law. "I am, &c. "JAMES BOSWELL." • Thus tranflated by a friend : "In fame scarce fecond to the nurse of Jove, "This Goat, who twice the world had travers'd round, Deferving both her master's care and love, "Eafe and perpetual pafture now has found." To 1772. Etat. 63. 1772. Etat. 63. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "THAT you are coming fo foon to town I am very glad; and still more glad that you are coming as an advocate. I think nothing more likely to make your life pafs happily away, than that consciousness of your own value which eminence in your profeffion will certainly confer. If I can give you any collateral help, I hope you do not fufpect that it will be wanting. My kindness for you has neither the merit of fingular virtue, nor the reproach of fingular prejudice. Whether to love you be right or wrong, I have many on my fide: Mrs. Thrale loves you, and Mrs. Williams loves you, and what would have inclined me to love you, if I had been neutral before, you are a great favourite of Dr. Beattie. "Of Dr. Beattie I should have thought much, but that his lady puts him out of my head: fhe is a very lovely woman. "The ejection which you come hither to oppofe, appears very cruel, unreasonable, and oppreffive. I fhould think there could not be much doubt of your fuccefs. My health grows better, yet I am not fully recovered. I believe it is held, that men do not recover very faft after threefcore. I hope yet to fee Beattie's College: and have not given up the western voyage. But however all this may be or not, let us try to make each other happy when we meet, and not refer our pleasure to distant times or distant places. "How comes it that you tell me nothing of your lady? I hope to see her fome time, and till then shall be glad to hear of her. "I am, dear Sir, &c. "March 15, 1772. SAM. JOHNSON." TO BENNET LANGTON, Efq. near Spilsby, Lincolnshire. "DEAR SIR, "I CONGRATULATE you and Lady Rothes' on your little man, and hope you will all be many years happy together. "Poor Mifs Langton can have little part in the joy of her family. She this day called her aunt Langton to receive the facrament with her; and made 'Mr. Langton married the Countess Dowager of Rothes. me 1772. me talk yesterday on such subjects as fuit her condition. It will probably be her viaticum. I furely need not mention again that the wishes to fee her Etat. 63. mother. I am, Sir, March 14, 1772. "Your most humble servant, SAM. JOHNSON." On the 21st of March, I was happy to find myself again in my friend's study, and was glad to fee my old acquaintance Mr. Francis Barber, who was now returned home. Dr. Johnson received me with a hearty welcome, faying, «İ am glad you are come, and glad you are come upon fuch an errand," (alluding to the cause of the schoolmafter.) BOSWELL. "I hope, Sir, he will be in no danger. It is a very delicate matter to interfere between a master and his scholars: nor do I see how you can fix the degree of severity that a master may ufe." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, till you fix the degree of obftinacy and negligence of the scholars, you cannot fix the degree of feverity of the master. Severity must be continued until obftinacy be fubdued, and negligence be cured." He mentioned the severity of Hunter, his own master. "Sir, (faid I,) Hunter is a Scotch name: so it should seem this schoolmaster who beat you so severely was a Scotchman. I can now account for your prejudice against the Scotch." JOHNSON. "Sir, he was not Scotch; and, abating his brutality, he was a very good master." We talked of his two political pamphlets, "The Falfe Alarm," and "Thoughts concerning Falkland's Islands." JOHNSON. "Well, Sir, which of them did you think the best?" BOSWELL. "I liked the second beft." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, I liked the first beft; and Beattie liked the first best. Sir, there is a subtlety of difquifition in the first, that is worth all the fire of the fecond." BOSWELL. " Pray, Sir, is it true that Lord North paid you a visit, and that you got two hundred a year in addition to your penfion?" JOHNSON. "No, Sir. Except what I had from the bookfeller, I did not get a farthing by them. And, between you and me, I believe Lord North is no friend to me." BOSWELL."How fo, Sir?" JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, you cannot account for the fancies of men.-Well, how does Lord Elibank? and how does Lord Monboddo?" BOSWELL. "Very well, Sir. Lord Monboddo ftill maintains the fuperiority of the favage life." JOHNSON. << What ftrange narrowness of mind now is that, to think the things we have not known are better than the things which we have known." BOSWELL. Why, Sir, that is a common prejudice." JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir; but a Z z common |