piety and goodness, had before this time in fome degree affected his fpirits, and rendered him less difpofed to exert his faculties: for he had originally a very strong mind, and cheerful temper. He affured me, he never had felt one moment of what is called low fpirits, or uneafinefs, without a real caufe. He had a great many good ftories, which he told uncommonly well, and he was remarkable for "humour, incolumi gravitate," as Lord Monboddo ufed to characterife it. His age, his office, and his character, had long given him an acknowledged claim to great attention, in whatever company he was; and he could ill brook any diminution of it. He was as fanguiné a Whig and Presbyterian, as Dr. Johnfon was a Tory and church of England man and as he had not much leisure to be informed of Dr. Johnson's great merits by reading his works, he had a partial and unfavourable notion of him, founded on his fuppofed political tenets; which were fo difcordant to his own, that, instead of speaking of him with that respect to which he was entitled, he used to call him "a Jacobite fellow." Knowing all this, I fhould not have ventured to bring them together, had not my father, out of kindness to me, defired me to invite Dr. Johnson to his houfe.

I was very anxious that all should be well; and begged of my friend to avoid three topicks, as to which they differed very widely; Whiggifm, Prefbyterianifm, and-Sir John Pringle. He faid courteously, I fhall certainly not talk on fubjects which I am told are difagreeable to a gentleman under whose roof I am; efpecially, I fhall not do fo to your father."

Our first day went off very smoothly. It rained, and we could not get out; but my father fhewed Dr. Johnfon his library, which, in curious editions of the Greek and Roman clafficks, is, I fuppofe, not excelled by any private collection in Great Britain. My father had ftudied at Leyden, and been very intimate with the Gronovii, and other learned men there. He was a found scholar, and, in particular, had collated manufcripts and different editions of Anacreon, and others of the Greek Lyrick poets, with great care; fo that my friend and he had much matter for converfation, without touching on the fatal topicks of difference.

Dr. Johnson found here Baxter's Anacreon, which he told me he had long enquired for in vain, and began to fufpect there was no fuch book. Baxter was the keen antagonist of Barnes. His life is in the Biographia Britannica. My father has written many notes on this book, and Dr. Johnson and I talked of having it reprinted.

Wednesday, 3d November.

It rained all day, and gave Dr. Johnson an impreffion of that incommodioufness of climate in the weft, of which he has taken notice in his "Journey;" but, being well accommodated, and furnished with variety of books, he was not diffatisfied.

Some gentlemen of the neighbourhood came to visit my father; but there was little converfation. One of them afked Dr. Johnson how he liked the Highlands. The queftion feemed to irritate him, for he answered, "How, fir, can you ask me what obliges me to fpeak unfavourably of a country where I have been hofpitably entertained? Who can

like

like the the Highlands?-I like the inhabitants very well."-The gentleman afked no more queftions.

Let me now make up for the prefent neglect, by again gleaning from the past. At Lord Monboddo's, after the conversation upon the decrease of learning in England, his Lordship mentioned Hermes by Mr. Harris of Salisbury, as the work of a living authour, for whom he had a great respect. Dr. Johnson said nothing at the time; but when we were in our postchaife, told me, he thought Harris "a coxcomb." This he faid of him, not as a man, but as an authour; and I give his opinions of men and books, faithfully, whether they agree with my own, or not. I do admit, that there always appeared to me fomething of affectation in Mr. Harris's manner of writing; fomething of a habit of clothing plain thoughts in analytick and categorical formality. But all his writings are imbued with learning; and all breathe that philanthropy and amiable difpofition, which distinguished him as a man*.

At another time, during our Tour, he drew the character of a rapacious Highland Chief with the strength

* This gentleman, though devoted to the ftudy of grammar and dialecticks, was not so absorbed in it as to be without a sense of pleasantry, or to be offended at his favourite topicks being treated lightly. I one day met him in the street, as I was haftening to the House of Lords, and told him, I was forry I could not stop, being rather too late to attend an appeal of the Duke of Hamilton against Douglas. "I thought (faid he) their conteft had been over long ago." I answered, "The conteft concerning Douglas's filiation was over long ago; but the conteft now is, who shall have the eftate." Then, affuming the air of "an antient fage philofopher," I proceeded thus: Were I to predicate concerning him, I should fay, the conteft formerly was, What is he? The conteft now is, What has he?'"Right, (replied Mr. Harris, fmiling,) you have done with quality, and have got into quantity."

ftrength of Theophraftus or la Bruyere; concluding with these words: "Sir, he has no more the foul of a Chief, than an attorney who has twenty houses in a street, and confiders how much he can make by them."

He this day, when we were by ourselves, obferved, how common it was for people to talk from books; to retail the fentiments of others, and not their own; in fhort, to converfe without any origipality of thinking. He was pleased to fay, "You and I do not talk from books."

Thursday, 4th November.

I was glad to have at length a very fine day, on which I could fhew Dr. Johnfon the Place of my family, which he has honoured with so much attention in his "Journey." He is, however, mistaken in thinking that the Celtick name, Auchinleck, has no relation to the natural appearance of it. I believe every Celtick name of a place will be found very defcriptive, Auchinleck does not fignify a ftony field, as he has faid, but a field of flag ftones; and this place has a number of rocks, which abound in ftrata of that kind. The "fullen dignity of the old castle," as he has forcibly expreffed it, delighted him exceedingly. On one fide of the rock on which its ruins ftand, runs the river Lagar, which is here of confiderable breadth, and is bordered by other high rocks, fhaded with wood. On the other fide runs a brook, skirted in the fame manner, but on a smaller scale. I cannot figure a more romantick scene.

I felt myself elated here, and expatiated to my illustrious Mentor on the antiquity and honourable alliances

alliances of my family, and on the merits of its founder, Thomas Boswell, who was highly favoured by his fovereign, James IV. of Scotland, and fell with him at the battle of Flodden-field; and in the glow of what, I am fenfible, will, in a commercial age, be confidered as genealogical enthusiasm, did not omit to mention what I was fure my friend would not think lightly of, my relation to the Royal Perfonage, whofe liberality, on his acceffion to the throne, had given him comfort and independence. I have, in a former page, acknowledged my pride of ancient blood, in which I was encouraged by Dr. Johnson: my readers therefore will not be furprised at my having indulged it on this occafion.

Not far from the old caftle is a spot of confecrated earth, on which may be traced the foundations of an ancient chapel, dedicated to St. Vincent, and where in old times "was the place of graves" for the family. It grieves me to think that the remains of fanctity here, which were confiderable, were dragged away, and employed in building a part of the houfe of Auchinleck, of the middle age; which was the family refidence, till my father erected that elegant modern manfion," of which Dr. Johnfon fpeaks fo handsomely. Perhaps this chapel may one day be restored.

Dr. Johnson was pleafed, when I fhewed him fome venerable old trees, under the fhade of which my ancestors had walked. He exhorted me to plant affiduously, as my father had done to a great ex

tent.

As I wandered with my reverend friend in the groves of Auchinleck, I told him, that, if I furvived him, it was my intention to erect a monument

to