were likewise more respectful. I agreed that _there_ it was much better:it was making his escape from the Royal presence with a genteel suddentimidity, in place of having the resolution to stand still, and make aformal bow.Lord Orrery's unkind treatment of his son in his will, led us to talk ofthe dispositions a man should have when dying. I said, I did not see whya man should act differently with respect to those of whom he thoughtill when in health, merely because he was dying. JOHNSON. 'I should notscruple to speak against a party, when dying; but should not do itagainst an individual. It is told of Sixtus Quintus, that on hisdeath-bed, in the intervals of his last pangs, he signeddeath-warrants[659].' Mr. M'Queen said, he should not do so; he wouldhave more tenderness of heart. JOHNSON. 'I believe I should not either;but Mr. M'Queen and I are cowards[660]. It would not be from tendernessof heart; for the heart is as tender when a man is in health as when heis sick, though his resolution may be stronger[661]. Sixtus Quintus wasa sovereign as well as a priest; and, if the criminals deserved death,he was doing his duty to the last. You would not think a judge died ill,who should be carried off by an apoplectick fit while pronouncingsentence of death. Consider a class of men whose business it is todistribute death:--soldiers, who die scattering bullets. Nobody thinksthey die ill on that account.'Talking of Biography, he said, he did not think that the life of anyliterary man in England had been well written[662]. Beside the commonincidents of life, it should tell us his studies, his mode of living,the means by which he attained to excellence, and his opinion of his ownworks. He told us, he had sent Derrick to Dryden's relations, to gathermaterials for his Life[663]; and he believed Derrick[664] had got allthat he himself should have got; but it was nothing. He added, he had akindness for Derrick, and was sorry he was dead.His notion as to the poems published by Mr. M'Pherson, as the works ofOssian, was not shaken here. Mr. M'Queen always evaded the point ofauthenticity, saying only that Mr. M'Pherson's pieces fell far short ofthose he knew in Erse, which were said to be Ossian's. JOHNSON. 'I hopethey do. I am not disputing that you may have poetry of great merit; butthat M'Pherson's is not a translation from ancient poetry. You do notbelieve it. I say before you, you do not believe it, though you are verywilling that the world should believe it.' Mr. M'Queen made no answerto this[665]. Dr. Johnson proceeded. 'I look upon M'Pherson's _Fingal_to be as gross an imposition as ever the world was troubled with. Had itbeen really an ancient work, a true specimen how men thought at thattime, it would have been a curiosity of the first rate. As a modernproduction, it is nothing.' He said, he could never get the meaning ofan _Erse_ song explained to him[666]. They told him, the chorus wasgenerally unmeaning. 'I take it, (said he,) Erse songs are like a songwhich I remember: it was composed in Queen Elizabeth's time, on the Earlof Essex: and the burthen was"Radaratoo, radarate, radara tadara tandore."''But surely,' said Mr. M'Queen, 'there were words to it, which hadmeaning.' JOHNSON. 'Why, yes, Sir; I recollect a stanza, and you shallhave it:--"O! then bespoke the prentices all,Living in London, both proper and tall,For Essex's sake they would fight all.Radaratoo, radarate, radara, tadara, tandore[667]."'When Mr. M'Queen began again to expatiate on the beauty of Ossian'spoetry, Dr. Johnson entered into no farther controversy, but, with apleasant smile, only cried, 'Ay, ay; _Radaratoo radarate'_.THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23.I took _Fingal_ down to the parlour in the morning, and tried a testproposed by Mr. Roderick M'Leod, son to Ulinish. Mr. M'Queen had said hehad some of the poem in the original. I desired him to mention anypassage in the printed book, of which he could repeat the original. Hepointed out one in page 50 of the quarto edition, and read the Erse,while Mr. Roderick M'Leod and I looked on the English;--and Mr. M'Leodsaid, that it was pretty like what Mr. M'Queen had recited. But when Mr.M'Queen read a description of Cuchullin's sword in Erse, together with atranslation of it in English verse, by Sir James Foulis, Mr. M'Leodsaid, that was much more like than Mr. M'Pherson's translation of theformer passage. Mr. M'Queen then repeated in Erse a description of oneof the horses in Cuchillin's car. Mr. M'Leod said, Mr. M'Pherson'sEnglish was nothing like it.When Dr. Johnson came down, I told him that I had now obtained someevidence concerning _Fingal_; for that Mr. M'Queen had repeated apassage in the original Erse, which Mr. M'Pherson's translation waspretty like; and reminded him that he himself had once said, he did notrequire Mr. M'Pherson's _Ossian_ to be more like the original thanPope's _Homer_. JOHNSON. 'Well, Sir, this is just what I alwaysmaintained. He has found names, and stories, and phrases, nay, passagesin old songs, and with them has blended his own compositions, and somade what he gives to the world as the translation of an ancient poem.'If this was the case, I observed, it was wrong to publish it as a poemin six books. JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir; and to ascribe it to a time too whenthe Highlanders knew nothing of _books_, and nothing of _six_;--orperhaps were got the length of counting six. We have been told, byCondamine, of a nation that could count no more than four[668]. Thisshould be told to Monboddo; it would help him. There is as much charityin helping a man down-hill, as in helping him up-hill.' BOSWELL. 'Idon't think there is as much charity.' JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir, if his_tendency_ be downwards. Till he is at the bottom he flounders; get himonce there, and he is quiet. Swift tells, that Stella had a trick, whichshe learned from Addison, of encouraging a man in absurdity, instead ofendeavouring to extricate him[669].'Mr. M'Queen's answers to the inquiries concerning _Ossian_ were sounsatisfactory, that I could not help observing, that, were he examinedin a court of justice, he would find himself under a necessity of beingmore explicit. JOHNSON. 'Sir, he has told Blair a little too much, whichis published[670]; and he sticks to it. He is so much at the head ofthings here, that he has never been accustomed to be closely examined;and so he goes on quite smoothly.' BOSWELL. 'He has never had any bodyto work[671] him.' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; and a man is seldom disposed towork himself; though he ought to work himself, to be sure.' Mr. M'Queenmade no reply[672].Having talked of the strictness with which witnesses are examined incourts of justice, Dr. Johnson told us, that Garrick, though accustomedto face multitudes, when produced as a witness in Westminster-hall, wasso disconcerted by a new mode of public appearance, that he could notunderstand what was asked[673]. It was a cause where an actor claimed a_free benefit_; that is to say, a benefit without paying the expence ofthe house; but the meaning of the term was disputed. Garrick was asked,'Sir, have you a free benefit?' 'Yes.' 'Upon what terms have you it?''Upon-the terms-of-a free benefit.' He was dismissed as one from whom noinformation could be obtained. Dr. Johnson is often too hard on ourfriend Mr. Garrick. When I asked him why he did not mention him in thePreface to his _Shakspeare_[674] he said, 'Garrick has been liberallypaid for any thing he has done for Shakspeare. If I should praise him, Ishould much more praise the nation who paid him. He has not madeShakspeare better known[675]; he cannot illustrate Shakspeare; so I havereasons enough against mentioning him, were reasons necessary. Thereshould be reasons _for_ it.' I spoke of Mrs. Montague's very highpraises of Garrick[676]. JOHNSON. 'Sir, it is fit she should say somuch, and I should say nothing. Reynolds is fond of her book, and Iwonder at it; for neither I, nor Beauclerk, nor Mrs. Thrale, could getthrough it[677].' Last night Dr. Johnson gave us an account of thewhole process of tanning and of the nature of milk, and the variousoperations upon it, as making whey, &c. His variety of information issurprizing[678]; and it gives one much satisfaction to find such a manbestowing his attention on the useful arts of life. Ulinish was muchstruck with his knowledge; and said, 'He is a great orator, Sir; it ismusick to hear this man speak.' A strange thought struck me, to try ifhe knew any thing of an art, or whatever it should be called, which isno doubt very useful in life, but which lies far out of the way of aphilosopher and a poet; I mean the trade of a butcher. I enticed himinto the subject, by connecting it with the various researches into themanners and customs of uncivilized nations, that have been made by ourlate navigators into the South Seas. I began with observing, that Mr.(now Sir Joseph) Banks tells us, that the art of slaughtering animalswas not known in Otaheite, for, instead of bleeding to death theirdogs, (a common food with them,) they strangle them. This he told mehimself; and I supposed that their hogs were killed in the same way. Dr.Johnson said, 'This must be owing to their not having knives,--thoughthey have sharp stones with which they can cut a carcase in piecestolerably.' By degrees, he shewed that he knew something even ofbutchery. 'Different animals (said he) are killed differently. An ox isknocked down, and a calf stunned; but a sheep has its throat cut,without any thing being done to stupify it. The butchers have no view tothe ease of the animals, but only to make them quiet, for their ownsafety and convenience. A sheep can give them little trouble. Hales[679]is of opinion, that every animal should be blooded, without having anyblow given to it, because it bleeds better.' BOSWELL. 'That would becruel.' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; there is not much pain, if the jugular veinbe properly cut.' Pursuing the subject, he said, the kennels ofSouthwark ran with blood two or three days in the week; that he wasafraid there were slaughter-houses in more streets in London than onesupposes; (speaking with a kind of horrour of butchering;) and, yet headded, 'any of us would kill a cow rather than not have beef.' I said we_could_ not. 'Yes, (said he,) any one may. The business of a butcher isa trade indeed, that is to say, there is an apprenticeship served to it;but it may be learnt in a month[680].'I mentioned a club in London at the Boar's Head in Eastcheap, the verytavern[681] where Falstaff and his joyous companions met; the members ofwhich all assume Shakspeare's characters. One is Falstaff, anotherPrince Henry, another Bardolph, and so on. JOHNSON. 'Don't be of it,Sir. Now that you have a name, you must be careful to avoid many things,not bad in themselves, but which will lessen your character[682]. Thisevery man who has a name must observe. A man who is not publickly knownmay live in London as he pleases, without any notice being taken of him;but it is wonderful how a person of any consequence is watched. Therewas a member of parliament, who wanted to prepare himself to speak on aquestion that was to come on in the House; and he and I were to talk itover together. He did not wish it should be known that he talked withme; so he would not let me come to his house, but came to mine. Sometime after he had made his speech in the house, Mrs. Cholmondeley[683],a very airy[684] lady, told me, 'Well, you could make nothing of him!'naming the gentleman; which was a proof that he was watched. I had oncesome business to do for government, and I went to Lord North's.Precaution was taken that it should not be known. It was dark before Iwent; yet a few days after I was told, 'Well, you have been with LordNorth.' That the door of the prime minister should be watched is notstrange; but that a member of parliament should be watched, or that mydoor should be watched, is wonderful.'We set out this morning on our way to Talisker, in Ulinish's boat,having taken leave of him and his family. Mr. Donald M'Queen stillfavoured us with his company, for which we were much obliged to him. Aswe sailed along Dr. Johnson got into one of his fits of railing at theScots. He owned that they had been a very learned nation for a hundredyears, from about 1550 to about 1650; but that they afforded the onlyinstance of a people among whom the arts of civil life did not advancein proportion with learning; that they had hardly any trade, any money,or any elegance, before the Union; that it was strange that, with allthe advantages possessed by other nations, they had not any of thoseconveniencies and embellishments which are the fruit of industry, tillthey came in contact with a civilized people. 'We have taught you, (saidhe,) and we'll do the same in time to all barbarous nations,--to theCherokees,--and at last to the Ouran-Outangs;' laughing with as muchglee as if Monboddo had been present. BOSWELL. 'We had wine before theUnion.' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; you had some weak stuff, the refuse ofFrance, which would not make you drunk.' BOSWELL. 'I assure you, Sir,there was a great deal of drunkenness.' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; there werepeople who died of dropsies, which they contracted in trying to getdrunk[685].'I must here glean some of his conversation at Ulinish, which I haveomitted. He repeated his remark, that a man in a ship was worse than aman in a jail[686]. 'The man in a jail, (said he,) has more room, betterfood, and commonly better company, and is in safety.' 'Ay; but, (saidMr. M'Queen,) the man in the ship has the pleasing hope of getting toshore.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, I am not talking of a man's getting to shore; butof a man while he is in a ship: and then, I say, he is worse than a manwhile he is in a jail. A man in a jail _may_ have the _"pleasing hope"_of getting out. A man confined for only a limited time, actually _has_it.' M'Leod mentioned his schemes for carrying on fisheries with spirit,and that he would wish to understand the construction of boats. Isuggested that he might go to a dock-yard and work, as Peter the Greatdid. JOHNSON. 'Nay, Sir, he need not work. Peter the Great had not thesense to see that the mere mechanical work may be done by any body, andthat there is the same art in constructing a vessel, whether the boardsare well or ill wrought. Sir Christopher Wren might as well have servedhis time to a bricklayer, and first, indeed, to a brick-maker.'There is a beautiful little island in the Loch of Dunvegan, called_Isa_. M'Leod said, he would give it to Dr. Johnson, on condition of hisresiding on it three months in the year; nay one month. Dr. Johnson washighly amused with the fancy. I have seen him please himself with littlethings, even with mere ideas like the present. He talked a great deal ofthis island;--how he would build a house there,--how he would fortifyit,--how he would have cannon,--how he would plant,--how he would sallyout, and _take_ the isle of Muck;--and then he laughed with uncommonglee, and could hardly leave off. I have seen him do so at a smallmatter that struck him, and was a sport to no one else[687]. Mr. Langtontold me, that one night he did so while the company were all grave abouthim:--only Garrick, in his significant smart manner, darting his eyesaround, exclaimed, '_Very_ jocose, to be sure!' M'Leod encouraged thefancy of Doctor Johnson's becoming owner of an island; told him, that itwas the practice in this country to name every man by his lands; andbegged leave to drink to him in that mode: '_Island Isa_, your health!'Ulinish, Talisker, Mr. M'Queen, and I, all joined in our differentmanners, while Dr. Johnson bowed to each, with much good humour.We had good weather, and a fine sail this day. The shore was varied withhills, and rocks, and corn-fields, and bushes, which are here dignifiedwith the name of natural _wood_. We landed near the house of Ferneley, afarm possessed by another gentleman of the name of M'Leod, who,expecting our arrival, was waiting on the shore, with a horse for Dr.Johnson. The rest of us walked. At dinner, I expressed to M'Leod the joywhich I had in seeing him on such cordial terms with his clan.'Government (said he) has deprived us of our ancient power; but itcannot deprive us of our domestick satisfactions. I would rather drinkpunch in one of their houses, (meaning the houses of his people,) thanbe enabled by their hardships to have claret in my own.[688]' Thisshould be the sentiment of every Chieftain. All that he can get byraising his rents, is more luxury in his own house. Is it not better toshare the profits of his estate, to a certain degree, with his kinsmen,and thus have both social intercourse and patriarchal influence?We had a very good ride, for about three miles, to Talisker, whereColonel M'Leod introduced us to his lady. We found here Mr. DonaldM'Lean, the young Laird of _Col_, (nephew to Talisker,) to whom Idelivered the letter with which I had been favoured by his uncle,Professor M'Leod, at Aberdeen[689]. He was a little lively young man. Wefound he had been a good deal in England, studying farming, and wasresolved to improve the value of his father's lands, without oppressinghis tenants, or losing the ancient Highland fashions.Talisker is a better place than one commonly finds in Sky. It issituated in a rich bottom. Before it is a wide expanse of sea, on eachhand of which are immense rocks; and, at some distance in the sea, thereare three columnal rocks rising to sharp points. The billows break withprodigious force and noise on the coast of Talisker[690]. There are herea good many well-grown trees. Talisker is an extensive farm. Thepossessor of it has, for several generations, been the next heir toM'Leod, as there has been but one son always in that family. The courtbefore the house is most injudiciously paved with the round blueish-greypebbles which are found upon the sea-shore; so that you walk as if uponcannon-balls driven into the ground.After supper, I talked of the assiduity of the Scottish clergy, invisiting and privately instructing their parishioners, and observed howmuch in this they excelled the English clergy. Dr. Johnson would not letthis pass. He tried to turn it off, by saying, 'There are different waysof instructing. Our clergy pray and preach.' M'Leod and I pressed thesubject, upon which he grew warm, and broke forth: 'I do not believeyour people are better instructed. If they are, it is the blind leadingthe blind; for your clergy are not instructed themselves.' Thinking hehad gone a little too far, he checked himself, and added, 'When I talkof the ignorance of your clergy, I talk of them as a body: I do not meanthat there are not individuals who are learned (looking at Mr.M'Queen[691]). I suppose there are such among the clergy in Muscovy. Theclergy of England have produced the most valuable books in support ofreligion, both in theory and practice. What have your clergy done, sinceyou sunk into presbyterianism? Can you name one book of any value, on areligious subject, written by them[692]?' We were silent. 'I'll helpyou. Forbes wrote very well; but I believe he wrote before episcopacywas quite extinguished.' And then pausing a little, he said, 'Yes, youhave Wishart AGAINST Repentance[693].' BOSWELL. 'But, Sir, we are notcontending for the superior learning of our clergy, but for theirsuperior assiduity.' He bore us down again, with thundering againsttheir ignorance, and said to me, 'I see you have not been well taught;for you have not charity.' He had been in some measure forced into thiswarmth, by the exulting air which I assumed; for, when he began, hesaid, 'Since you _will_ drive the nail!' He again thought of good Mr.M'Queen, and, taking him by the hand, said, 'Sir, I did not mean anydisrespect to you[694].'Here I must observe, that he conquered by deserting his ground, and notmeeting the argument as I had put it. The assiduity of the Scottishclergy is certainly greater than that of the English. His taking up thetopick of their not having so much learning, was, though ingenious, yeta fallacy in logick. It was as if there should be a dispute whether aman's hair is well dressed, and Dr. Johnson should say, 'Sir, his haircannot be well dressed; for he has a dirty shirt. No man who has notclean linen has his hair well dressed.' When some days afterwards heread this passage, he said, 'No, Sir; I did not say that a man's haircould not be well dressed because he has not clean linen, but becausehe is bald.'He used one argument against the Scottish clergy being learned, which Idoubt was not good. 'As we believe a man dead till we know that he isalive; so we believe men ignorant till we know that they are learned.'Now our maxim in law is, to presume a man alive, till we know he isdead. However, indeed, it may be answered, that we must first know hehas lived; and that we have never known the learning of the Scottishclergy. Mr. M'Queen, though he was of opinion that Dr. Johnson haddeserted the point really in dispute, was much pleased with what hesaid, and owned to me, he thought it very just; and Mrs. M'Leod was somuch captivated by his eloquence, that she told me 'I was a goodadvocate for a bad cause.'FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24.This was a good day. Dr. Johnson told us, at breakfast, that he rodeharder at a fox chace than any body[695]. 'The English (said he) are theonly nation who ride hard a-hunting. A Frenchman goes out, upon amanaged[696] horse, and capers in the field, and no more thinks ofleaping a hedge than of mounting a breach. Lord Powerscourt laid awager, in France, that he would ride a great many miles in a certainshort time. The French academicians set to work, and calculated that,from the resistance of the air, it was impossible. His lordship howeverperformed it.'Our money being nearly exhausted, we sent a bill for thirty pounds,drawn on Sir William Forbes and Co.[697], to Lochbraccadale, but ourmessenger found it very difficult to procure cash for it; at length,however, he got us value from the master of a vessel which was to carryaway some emigrants. There is a great scarcity of specie in Sky[698].Mr. M'Queen said he had the utmost difficulty to pay his servants'wages, or to pay for any little thing which he has to buy. The rents arepaid in bills[699], which the drovers give. The people consume a vastdeal of snuff and tobacco, for which they must pay ready money; andpedlars, who come about selling goods, as there is not a shop in theisland, carry away the cash. If there were encouragement given tofisheries and manufactures, there might be a circulation of moneyintroduced. I got one-and-twenty shillings in silver at Portree, whichwas thought a wonderful store.Talisker, Mr. M'Queen, and I, walked out, and looked at no less thanfifteen different waterfalls near the house, in the space of about aquarter of a mile[700]. We also saw Cuchillin's well, said to have beenthe favourite spring of that ancient hero. I drank of it. The water isadmirable. On the shore are many stones full of crystallizations inthe heart.Though our obliging friend, Mr. M'Lean, was but the young laird, he hadthe title of _Col_ constantly given him. After dinner he and I walked tothe top of Prieshwell, a very high rocky hill, from whence there is aview of Barra,--the Long Island,--Bernera,--the Loch of Dunvegan,--partof Rum--part of Rasay, and a vast deal of the isle of Sky. Col, thoughhe had come into Sky with an intention to be at Dunvegan, and pass aconsiderable time in the island, most politely resolved first toconduct us to Mull, and then to return to Sky. This was a very fortunatecircumstance; for he planned an expedition for us of more variety thanmerely going to Mull. He proposed we should see the islands of _Egg,Muck, Col,_ and _Tyr-yi_. In all these islands he could shew us everything worth seeing; and in Mull he said he should be as if at home, hisfather having lands there, and he a farm.Dr. Johnson did not talk much to-day, but seemed intent in listening tothe schemes of future excursion, planned by Col. Dr. Birch[701],however, being mentioned, he said, he had more anecdotes than any man. Isaid, Percy had a great many; that he flowed with them like one of the