Scotch law; Burke, politicks and eloquence; Garrick, the art of publick speaking; Langton was to be our Grecian, Colman our Latin profeffor; Nugent to teach phyfick; Lord Charlemont, modern history; Beauclerk natural philofophy; Vesey, Irish antiquities, or Celtick learning*; Jones, Oriental learning; Goldsmith, poetry and ancient history; Chamier, commercial politicks; Reynolds, painting, and the arts which have beauty for their object; Chambers, the law of England. Dr. Johnfon at first said, "I'll truft theology to nobody but myfelf." But, upon due confideration, that Percy is a clergyman, it was agreed that Percy fhould teach practical divinity and British antiquities; Dr. Johnfon himself, logick, metaphyficks and fcholaftick divinity. In this manner did we amuse ourselves; -each fuggefting, and each varying or adding, till the whole was adjusted. Dr. Johnson faid, we only wanted a mathematician fince Dyer died, who was a very good one; but as to every thing else, we should have a very capital university †.

* Since the first edition, it has been fuggefted by one of the club, who knew Mr. Vefey better than Dr. Johnson and I, that we did not affign him a proper place; for he was quite unskilled in Irish antiquities and Celtick learning, but might with propriety have been made profeffor of architecture, which he understood well, and has left a very good specimen of his knowledge and tafte in that art, by an elegant house built on a plan of his own formation, at Lucan, a few miles from Dublin.

Our club, originally at the Turk's Head, Gerrard street, then at Prince's, Sackville-street, now at Baxter's Dover-street, which at Mr. Garrick's funeral acquired a name for the first time, and was called THE LITERARY CLUB, was inftituted in 1764, and now confifts of thirty-five members. It has, fince 1773, been greatly augmented; and though Dr. Johnson with juftice obferved, that, by lofing Goldfmith, Garrick, Nugent, Chamier, Beauclerk, we had loft what would make an eminent club, yet when I mention, as an "acceffion, Mr. Fox, Dr. George Fordyce, Sir Charles Bunbury,

Lord

We got at night to Banff." I fent Jofeph on to Duff boufe: but Earl Fife was not at home, which I regretted much, as we fhould have had a very elegant reception from his lordfhip. We found here but an indifferent inn*. Dr. Johnson wrote a long letter to Mrs. Thrale. him write fo much fo eafily. doctrine that" a man may always write when he will fet himself doggedly to it."

I wondered to fee He verified his own

Thursday, 26th Auguft.

We got a fresh chaife here, a very good one, and very good horfes. We breakfasted at Cullen. They fet down dried haddocks broiled, along with Our tea. I ate one; but Dr. Johnfon was difgufted by the fight of them, fo they were removed. Cullen has a comfortable appearance, though but a very fmall town, and the houfes moftly poor build

ngs.

I called

Lord Offory, Mr. Gibbon, Dr. Adam Smith, Mr. R. B. Sheridan, the Bishops of Kilalce and St. Afaph, Dean Marlay, Mr. Steevens, Mr. Dunning, Sir Jofeph Banks, Dr. Scott of the Commons, Earl Spencer, Mr. Windham of Norfolk, Lord Elliott, Mr. MaJone, Dr. Joseph Warton, the Rev. Thomas Warton, Lord Lucan, Mr. Burke junior, Lord Palmerston, Dr. Burney, Sir William Hamilton, and Dr. Warren, it will be acknowledged that we might establish a second univerfity of high reputation.

* Here, unluckily the windows had no pullies; and Dr. Johnfon, who was conftantly eager for fresh air, had much fruggling to get one of them kept open. Thus he had a notion impreffed upon him, that this wretched defe&t was general in Scotland; in confequence of which he has erroneoufly enlarged upon it in his "Journey." I regretted that he did not allow me to read over his book before it was printed. I fhould have changed very little; but I should have fuggefted an alteration in a few places where he has Jaid himself open to be attacked. I hope I fhould have prevailed with him to omit or soften his affertion, that "a Scotsman muft be a sturdy moralist, who does not prefer Scotland to truth,”for I really think it is not founded; and it is harthly said.

I called on Mr. Robertfon, who has the charge of Lord Findlater's affairs, and was formerly Lord Monboddo's clerk, was three times in France with him, and tranflated Condamine's Account of the Savage Girl, to which his lordship wrote a preface, containing feveral remarks of his own. Robertfon faid, he did not believe fo much as his lordship did; that it was plain to him, the girl confounded what the imagined with what the remembered: that, befides, fhe perceived Condamine and Lord Monboddo forming theories, and fhe adapted her story to them.

Dr. Johnson faid, "It is a pity to fee Lord Monboddo publifh fuch notions as he has done; a man of sense, and of fo much elegant learning. There would be little in a fool doing it; we fhould only laugh; but when a wife man does it, we are forry. Other people have strange notions; but they conceal them. If they have tails, they hide them; but Monboddo is as jealous of his tail as a squirrel."-I fhall here put down fome more remarks of Dr. Johnson's on Lord Monboddo, which were not made exactly at this time, but come in well from connection. He said, he did not approve of a judge's calling himself Farmer Burnett*, and going about with a little round hat. He laughed heartily at his lordship's faying he was an enthufiaftical farmer; for, (faid he,) what can he do H 2

66

in

It is the custom in Scotland for the judges of the Court of Seffion to have the title of lords, from their eftates; thus Mr. Burnett is Lord Monboddo, as Mr. Home was Lord Kames. There is fomething a little aukward in this; for they are denominated in deeds by their names, with the addition of "one of the Senators of the College of Juftice;" and fubfcribe their chriftian and fur-name, as James Burnett, Henry Home, even in judicial acts,

in farming by his enthufiafm?" Here, however, I think Dr. Johnson mistaken. He who wishes to be fuccessful, or happy, ought to be enthusiastical, that is to fay, very keen in all the occupations or diverfions of life. An ordinary gentleman-farmer will be fatisfied with looking at his fields once or twice a day an enthufiaftical farmer will be constantly employed on them ;-will have his mind earnestly engaged; will talk perpetually of them. But Dr. Johnson has much of the nil admirari in fmaller concerns. That furvey of life which gave birth to his Vanity of Human Wishes early fobered his mind. Besides, so great a mind as his cannot be moved by inferior objects: an elephant does not run and skip like leffer animals.

Mr. Robertfon fent a fervant with us, to fhew us through Lord Findlater's wood, by which our way was shortened, and we saw some part of his domain, which is indeed admirably laid out. Dr. Johnfon did not choose to walk through it. He always faid, that he was not come to Scotland to fee fine places, of which there were enough in Engfand; but wild objects, -mountains,—waterfalls, peculiar manners; in fhort, things which he had not feen before. I have a notion that he at no time has had much tafte for rural beauties. I have myself very little.

Dr. Johnson faid, there was nothing more contemptible than a country gentleman living beyond his income, and every year growing poorer and poorer. He spoke ftrongly of the influence which a man has by being rich. "A man, (faid he,) who keeps his money, has in reality more ufe from it, than he can have by spending it." I observed

that

that this looked very like a paradox; but he explained it thus: "If it were certain that a man would keep his money locked up for ever, to be fure he would have no influence; but, as fo many want money, and he has the power of giving it, and they know not but by gaining his favour they may obtain it, the rich man will always have the greatest influence. He again who lavishes his money, is laughed at as foolish, and in a great degree with justice, confidering how much is spent from vanity. Even those who partake of a man's hofpitality, have but a tranfient kindness for him. If he has not the command of money, people know he cannot help them, if he would; whereas the rich man always can, if he will, and for the chance of that, will have much weight."-Bofwell. "But philosophers and fatirists have all treated a mifer as contemptible."-Johnson. "He is fo philosophically; but not in the practice of life."-Bofwell. "Let me fee now-I do not know the inftances of mifers in England, fo as to examine into their influence.". Johnson. "We have had few mifers in England."Bofwell. "There was Lowther."-Johnson. "Why, fir, Lowther, by keeping his money, had the command of the county, which the family has now loft, by spending it*, I take it, he lent a great deal; and that is the way to have influence, and yet preferve one's wealth. A man may lend his money upon very good fecurity, and yet have his debtor much under his power."-Bofwell. "No doubt, H 3 fir.

*I do not know what was at this time the state of the parliamentary intereft of the ancient family of Lowther; a family before the Conqueft: but all the nation knows it to be very extensive at prefent. A due mixture of feverity and kindness, oeconomy and munificence, characterifes its prefent Reprefentative.