1

There was a pretty numerous company assembled. It was striking to hear all of them drinking, "Dr. Johnson! Dr. Johnson !" in the town-hall of Aberdeen, and then to see him with his burgess-ticket, or diploma, in his hat, which he wore as he walked along the street, according to the usual custom. It gave me great satisfaction to observe the regard, and, indeed, fondness too, which everybody here had for my father.

While Sir Alexander Gordon conducted Dr. Johnson to old Aberdeen, Professor Gordon and I called on Mr. Riddoch, whom I found to be a grave worthy clergyman. He observed that, whatever might be said of Dr. Johnson while he was alive, he would, after he was dead, be looked upon by the world with regard and astonishment, on account of his Dictionary.

Professor Gordon and I walked over to the old college, which Dr Johnson had seen by this time. I stepped into the chapel, and looked at the tomb of the founder, Archbisbop Elphinston, of whom I shall have occasion to write in my History of James IV. of Scot laud, the patron of my family.

We dined at Sir Alexander Gordon's. The provost, Professor Ross, Professor Dunbar, Professor Thomas Gordon, were there After dinner came in Dr. Gerard, Professor Leslie, Professor Macleod. We had little or no conversation in the morning; now we were but barren. The professors seemed afraid to speak.

2

Dr. Gerard told us that an eminent printer was very intimate with Warburton. JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, he has printed some of his works, and perhaps bought the property of some of them. The intimacy is such as one of the professors here may have with one of the carpenters who is repairing the college."-"But," said Gerard, 'I saw a letter from him to this printer, in which he says, that the one half of the clergy of the Church of Scotland are fanatics, and

1 Dr. Johnson's burgess-ticket was in these words :

"Aberdoniæ, vigesimo tertio die mensis Augusti, anno Domini millesimo septingentesimo septuagesimo tertio, in presentia honorabilium virorum, Jacobi Jopp, armigeri, præpositi, Adami Duff, Gulielmi Young, Georgii Marr, et Gulielmi Forbes, Balivorum, Gulielmi Rainie Decani guildæ, et Joannis Nicoll Thesaurarii dicti burgi-Quo die vir generosus et doctrina clarus, Samuel Johnson, LL.D. receptus et admissus fuit in municepes et fratres guildæ præ fati burgi de Aberdeen: in deditissimi amoris et affectus ac eximiæ observantiæ tesserar) quibus dicti magistratus eum amplectuntur. Extractum per me, Alex. Carnegie." 2 Mr. Strahan. See Forbes's Life of Beattie, vol. ii. p. 170.

the other half infidels." JOHNSON, "Warburton has accustomed himself to write letters just as he speaks, without thinking any more of what he throws out. When I read Warburton first, and observed his force, and his contempt of mankind, I thought he had driven the world before him; but I soon found that was not the ase; for Warburton, by extending his abuse, rendered it ineffec tual."

He told me, when we were by ourselves, that he thought it very wrong in the printer to show Warburton's letter, as it was raising a body of enemies against him. He thought it foolish in Warburton to write so to the printer; and added, "Sir, the worst way of being intimate is by scribbling." He called Warburton's "Doctrine of Grace" a poor performance, and so he said was Wesley's Answer. "Warburton," he observed, "had laid himself very open. In particular, he was weak enough to say, that, in some disorders of the imagination, people had spoken with tongues, had spoken languages which they never heard before; a thing as absurd as to say, that in some disorders of the imagination, people had been known to fly."

I talked of the difference of genius, to try if I could engage Gerard in a disquisition with Dr. Johnson; but I did not succeed, I mentioned, as a curious fact, that Locke had written verses. JOHNSON. "I know of none, Sir, but a kind of exercise prefixed to Dr. Sydenham's Works, in which he has some conceits about the dropsy, in which water and burning are united : and how Dr. Sydenbam removed fire by drawing off water, contrary to the usual practice, which is to extinguish fire by bringing water upon it. I am not sure that there is a word of all this; but it is such kind of talk." 1

All this, as Dr. Johnson suspected at the 'ime, was the immediate invention of his owr Lively imagination; for there is not one word of it in Mr. Locke's complimentary performance. My readers will, I have no doubt, like to be satisfied, by comparing them; and, at any rate, it may entertain them to read verses composed by our great metarh, sician, when a bachelor in phy ic.

AUCTORI, IN TRACTATUM EJUS DE FEBRIBUS.

Febriles æstus, victumque ardoribus orber

Flevit, non tantis par medicína malis.

Quum post mille artes, medicæ tentamina cura
Ardet adhuc febris; nec velit arte regi.

Præda sumus flammis; solum hoc speramus (gue,

Ut restet paucus, quem capit urna, cinis.

We spoke of Fingal. Dr. Johnson said calmly, "If the poems were really translated, they were certainly first written down. Let Mr. Macpherson deposit the manuscript in one of the colleges ut

Dum quærit medicus febris causamque, modumque,
Flammarum et tenebras, et sine luce faces;

Quas tractat patitur flammas, et febre calescens,
Corruit ipse suis victima rapta focis.
Qui tardos potuit morbos, artusque trementes,
Sistere, febrili se vide igne rapi.

Sic faber exesos fulsit tibicine muros;

Dum trahit antiquas lenta ruina domos.
Sed si flamma vorax miseras incenderit ædes,
Unica flagrantes tunc sepelire salus,
Fit fuga, tectonicas nemo tunc invocat artes,
Cum perit artificis non minus usta domus.
Se tandem Sydenham febrisque scholæque furore
Opponens, morbi quærit, et artis opem.
Non temere incusat tecta putredinis ignes;

Nec fictus, febres qui fovet, humor erit.
Non bilem ille movet, nulla hic pituita; Salutis
Quæ spes, si fallax ardeat intus aqua?
Nec doctas magno rixas ostentat hiatu,
Quis ipsis major febribus ardor inest.
Innocuas placide corpus jubet urere flammas,
Et justo rapidos temperat igne focos.
Quid febrim extinguat, varius quid postulat usus,
Solari ægrotos, qua potes arte, docet.
Hactenus ipsa suum timuit natura calorem,
Dum sæpe incerto, quo calet, igne perit:

Dum reparat tacitos male provida sanguinis ignes,
Prælusit busto, fit calor iste rogus.

Jam secura suas foveant præcordia flammas,
Quem natura negat, dat medicina modum.
Nec solum faciles compescit sanguinis æstus,
Dum dubia este inter spemque metumque sal's •
Sed fatale malum domuit, quodque astra malignum
Credimus, iratam vel genuisse Stygem.
Extorsit Lachesi cultros, petisque venenum
Abstulit, et tantos non sinit esse metus.

Quis tandem arte nova domitam mite. cere peste
Credat, et antiquas ponere posse ninas?
Post tot mille neces, cumulataque funera busto,
Victa jacet, parvo vulnere, di a lues.
Etheriæ quanquam spargunt contagia flammæ,
Quicquid inest istis ignibus, ignis erit.
Delapsæ cœlo flammæ licet acrius urant,
Has gelida extingui non ni i morte putas?
Tu meliora paras victrix medicina; tuusque
Pestis quæ superat cun a, triumphus eris.
Vive liber, victis febrilibus ignibus; unus
Te simul et mundum qui manet, ignis erit."

J. LOCKE, A.M. Ex. Ede, Christs Owen,

Aberdeen, where there are people who can judge; and, if the professors certify the authenticity, then there will be an end of the controversy. If he does not take this obvious and easy method, he gives the best reason to doubt; considering, too, how much is against it à priori.

We sauntered after dinner in Sir Alexander's garden, and saw his little grotto, which is hung with pieces of poetry written in a fair hand. It was agreeable to observe the contentment and kindness of this quiet, benevolent man. Professor Macleod was brother to Macleod of Talisker, and brother-in-law to the Laird of Col. He gave me a letter to young Col. I was weary of this day, and began to think wishfully of being again in motion. I was uneasy to think myself too fastidious, whilst I fancied Dr. Johnson quite satisfied. But he owned to me, that he was fatigued and teased by Sir Alexander's doing too much to entertain him. I said, it was all kindness. JOHNSON. "True, Sir; but sensation is sensation." BosWELL. "It is so we feel pain equally from the surgeon's probe, as from the sword of the foe."

We visited two booksellers' shops, and could not find Arthur Johnson's Poems. We went and sat near an hour at Mr. Riddoch's. He could not tell distinctly how much education at the college here costs, which disgusted Dr. Johnson. I had pledged myself, that we should go to the inn, and not stay supper. They pressed us, but he was resolute. I saw Mr. Riddoch did not please him. He said to me, afterwards, "Sir, he has no vigour in his talk." But my friend should have considered, that he himself was not in good humour: sc that it was not easy to talk to his satisfaction. We sat contentedly at our inn. He then became merry, and observed how little we had either heard or said at Aberdeen; that the Aberdonians had not start a single mawkin (the Scottish word for hare) for us to pursue.

CHAPTER XIII

1773.

Elou" The Great Doctor "-Goldsmith and Graham--Slains Castle -Lady Errol- 'vc tion of Children-Buller and Buchan-Entails-House of Peers-Sir Joshua Rey:0. Earl of Errol-Feudal Times-Strichen-Life of Country Gentlemen-Cullen-Lord 'Jon boddo-Use and Importance of Wealth-Elgin-Scenery of Macbeth--Fores-LeonidasPaul Whitehead-Derrick-Origin of Evil-Nairn-Calder Castle-Calder Manse-Kenneth M'Auley-Ecclesiastical Subscription-Family Worship.

Tuesday, August 24.-WE set out about eight in the morning, and breakfasted at Ellon. The landlady said to me, "Is not this the great doctor that is going about through the country?" I said, "Yes." 'Ay," said she, we heard of him; I made an errand int the room on purpose to see him. There's something great in his appearance: it is a pleasure to have such a man in one's house; a man who does so much good. If I had thought of it, I would have shown him a child of mine, who has had a lump on his throat for some time." 'But," said I, "he is not a doctor of physic." "Is he an oculist ?" said the landlord. "No," said I; "he is only a very learned man." LANDLORD. “ 'They say he is the greatest man in England, except Lord Mansfield." Dr. Johnson was highly enter tained with this, and I do think he was pleased too. He said, “. like the exception. To have called me the greatest man in England, would have been an unmeaning compliment; but the exception marked that the praise was in earnest, and, in Scotland, the excep tion must be Lord Mansfield, or-Sir John Pringle."

He told me a good story of Dr. Goldsmith. Graham, who wrote 'Telemachus, a Masque," was sitting one night with him and Dr. Johnson, and was half drunk. He rattled away to Dr. Johnson. "You are a clever fellow, to be sure; but you cannot write an essay like Addison, or verses like the Rape of the Lock." At last he said, "Doctor, I should be happy to see you at Eton." "I shall be glad

1 Graham was one of the masters at Eton.-C.