conversation at different times.'There was a man some time ago, who was well received for two years,among the gentlemen of Northamptonshire, by calling himself my brother.At last he grew so impudent as by his influence to get tenants turnedout of their farms. Allen the Printer[804], who is of that county, cameto me, asking, with much appearance of doubtfulness, if I had a brother;and upon being assured I had none alive, he told me of the imposition,and immediately wrote to the country, and the fellow was dismissed. Itpleased me to hear that so much was got by using my name. It is notevery name that can carry double; do both for a man's self and hisbrother (laughing). I should be glad to see the fellow. However, I couldhave done nothing against him. A man can have no redress for his namebeing used, or ridiculous stories being told of him in the newspapers,except he can shew that he has suffered damage. Some years ago a foolishpiece was published, said to be written _by S. Johnson_. Some of myfriends wanted me to be very angry about this. I said, it would be invain; for the answer would be, "_S. Johnson_ may be Simon Johnson, orSimeon Johnson, or Solomon Johnson;" and even if the full name, SamuelJohnson, had been used, it might be said; "it is not you; it is a muchcleverer fellow."'Beauclerk and I, and Langton, and Lady Sydney Beauclerk, mother to ourfriend, were one day driving in a coach by Cuper's Gardens[805], whichwere then unoccupied. I, in sport, proposed that Beauclerk and Langton,and myself should take them; and we amused ourselves with scheming howwe should all do our parts. Lady Sydney grew angry, and said, "an oldman should not put such things in young people's heads." She had nonotion of a joke, Sir; had come late into life, and had a mightyunpliable understanding.'_Carte's Life of the Duke of Ormond_ is considered as a book ofauthority; but it is ill-written. The matter is diffused in too manywords; there is no animation, no compression, no vigour. Two goodvolumes in duodecimo might be made out of the two in folio[806].Talking of our confinement here, I observed, that our discontent andimpatience could not be considered as very unreasonable; for that wewere just in the state of which Seneca complains so grievously, while inexile in Corsica[807]. 'Yes, (said Dr. Johnson,) and he was not fartherfrom home than we are.' The truth is, he was much nearer.There was a good deal of rain to-day, and the wind was still contrary.Corneck attended me, while I amused myself in examining a collection ofpapers belonging to the family of Col. The first laird was a younger sonof the Chieftain M'Lean, and got the middle part of Col for hispatrimony. Dr. Johnson having given a very particular account[808] ofthe connection between this family and a branch of the family ofCamerons, called M'Lonich, I shall only insert the following document,(which I found in Col's cabinet,) as a proof of its continuance, even toa late period:--TO THE LAIRD OF COL.'DEAR SIR,'The long-standing tract of firm affectionate friendship 'twixt yourworthy predecessors and ours affords us such assurance, as that we mayhave full relyance on your favour and undoubted friendship, inrecommending the bearer, Ewen Cameron, our cousin, son to the deceastDugall M'Connill of Innermaillie, sometime in Glenpean, to your favourand conduct, who is a man of undoubted honesty and discretion, onlythat he has the misfortune of being alledged to have been accessory tothe killing of one of M'Martin's family about fourteen years ago, uponwhich alledgeance the M'Martins are now so sanguine on revenging, thatthey are fully resolved for the deprivation of his life; to thepreventing of which you are relyed on by us, as the only fit instrument,and a most capable person. Therefore your favour and protection isexpected and intreated, during his good behaviour; and failing of whichbehaviour, you'll please to use him as a most insignificantperson deserves.'Sir, he had, upon the alledgeance foresaid, been transported, atLochiel's desire, to France, to gratify the M'Martins, and upon hisreturn home, about five years ago, married: But now he is so muchthreatened by the M'Martins, that he is not secure enough to stay wherehe is, being Ardmurchan, which occasions this trouble to you. Wishingprosperity and happiness to attend still yourself, worthy Lady, and goodfamily, we are, in the most affectionate manner,'Dear Sir,'Your most obliged, affectionate,'And most humble Servants,'DUGALL CAMERON, _of Strone_.DUGALL CAMERON, _of Barr_.DUGALL CAMERON, _of Inveriskvouilline_.DUGALL CAMERON, _of Invinvalie_.''Strone, 11th March, 1737.'Ewen Cameron was protected, and his son has now a farm from the Laird ofCol, in Mull.The family of Col was very loyal in the time of the great Montrose[809],from whom I found two letters in his own handwriting. The first isas follows:--FOR MY VERY LOVING FRIEND THE LAIRD OF COALL.'Sir,'I must heartily thank you for all your willingness and good affectionto his Majesty's service, and particularly the sending alongs of yourson, to who I will heave ane particular respect, hopeing also that youwill still continue ane goode instrument for the advanceing ther of theKing's service, for which, and all your former loyal carriages, beconfident you shall find the effects of his Ma's favour, as they can bewitnessed you by'Your very faithful friende,'MONTROSE.''Strethearne, 20 Jan. 1646.'The other is:--'FOR THE LAIRD OF COL.'SIR,'Having occasion to write to your fields, I cannot be forgetful of yourwillingness and good affection to his Majesty's service. I acknowledgeto you, and thank you heartily for it, assuring, that in what lies in mypower, you shall find the good. Meanwhile, I shall expect that you willcontinue your loyal endeavours, in wishing those slack people that areabout you, to appear more obedient than they do, and loyal in theirprince's service; whereby I assure you, you shall find me ever'Your faithful friend,'MONTROSE[810].''Petty, 17 April, 1646.'I found some uncouth lines on the death of the present laird's father,intituled 'Nature's Elegy upon the death of Donald Maclean of Col.' Theyare not worth insertion. I shall only give what is called his Epitaph,which Dr. Johnson said, 'was not so very bad.''Nature's minion, Virtue's wonder,Art's corrective here lyes under.'I asked, what 'Art's corrective' meant. 'Why, Sir, (said he,) that thelaird was so exquisite, that he set art right, when she was wrong.'I found several letters to the late Col, from my father's old companionat Paris, Sir Hector M'Lean, one of which was written at the time ofsettling the colony in Georgia[811]. It dissuades Col from lettingpeople go there, and assures him there will soon be an opportunity ofemploying them better at home. Hence it appears that emigration fromthe Highlands, though not in such numbers at a time as of late, hasalways been practised. Dr. Johnson observed that 'the Lairds, instead ofimproving their country, diminished their people.'There are several districts of sandy desart in Col. There areforty-eight lochs of fresh water; but many of them are very small,--meerpools. About one half of them, however, have trout and eel. There is agreat number of horses in the island, mostly of a small size. Beingover-stocked, they sell some in Tir-yi, and on the main land. Theirblack cattle, which are chiefly rough-haired, are reckoned remarkablygood. The climate being very mild in winter, they never put their beastsin any house. The lakes are never frozen so as to bear a man; and snownever lies above a few hours. They have a good many sheep, which theyeat mostly themselves, and sell but a few. They have goats in severalplaces. There are no foxes; no serpents, toads, or frogs, nor anyvenomous creature. They have otters and mice here; but had no rats tilllately that an American vessel brought them. There is a rabbit-warren onthe north-east of the island, belonging to the Duke of Argyle. Young Colintends to get some hares, of which there are none at present. There areno black-cock, muir-fowl[812], nor partridges; but there are snipe,wild-duck, wild-geese, and swans, in winter; wild-pidgeons, plover, andgreat number of starlings; of which I shot some, and found them prettygood eating. Woodcocks come hither, though there is not a tree upon theisland. There are no rivers in Col; but only some brooks, in which thereis a great variety of fish. In the whole isle there are but three hills,and none of them considerable for a Highland country. The people arevery industrious. Every man can tan. They get oak, and birch-bark, andlime, from the main land. Some have pits; but they commonly use tubs. Isaw brogues[813] very well tanned; and every man can make them. They allmake candles of the tallow of their beasts, both moulded and dipped; andthey all make oil of the livers of fish. The little fish called Cuddiesproduce a great deal. They sell some oil out of the island, and they useit much for light in their houses, in little iron lamps, most of whichthey have from England; but of late their own blacksmith makes them. Heis a good workman; but he has no employment in shoeing horses, for theyall go unshod here, except some of a better kind belonging to young Col,which were now in Mull. There are two carpenters in Col; but most of theinhabitants can do something as boat-carpenters. They can all dye. Heathis used for yellow; and for red, a moss which grows on stones. They makebroad-cloth, and tartan, and linen, of their own wool and flax,sufficient for their own use; as also stockings. Their bonnets come fromthe mainland. Hard-ware and several small articles are brought annuallyfrom Greenock, and sold in the only shop in the island, which is keptnear the house, or rather hut, used for publick worship, there being nochurch in the island. The inhabitants of Col have increased considerablywithin these thirty years, as appears from the parish registers. Thereare but three considerable tacksmen on Col's part of the island[814]:the rest is let to small tenants, some of whom pay so low a rent asfour, three, or even two guineas. The highest is seven pounds, paid by afarmer, whose son goes yearly on foot to Aberdeen for education, and insummer returns, and acts as a schoolmaster in Col. Dr. Johnson said,'There is something noble in a young man's walking two hundred miles andback again, every year, for the sake of learning[815].'This day a number of people came to Col, with complaints of each others'trespasses. Corneck, to prevent their being troublesome, told them, thatthe lawyer from Edinburgh was here, and if they did not agree, he wouldtake them to task. They were alarmed at this; said, they had never beenused to go to law, and hoped Col would settle matters himself. In theevening Corneck left us.As, in our present confinement, any thing that had even the name ofcurious was an object of attention, I proposed that Col should shew methe great stone, mentioned in a former page[816], as having been thrownby a giant to the top of a mountain. Dr. Johnson, who did not like to beleft alone, said he would accompany us as far as riding was practicable.We ascended a part of the hill on horseback, and Col and I scrambled upthe rest. A servant held our horses, and Dr. Johnson placed himself onthe ground, with his back against a large fragment of rock. The windbeing high, he let down the cocks of his hat, and tied it with hishandkerchief under his chin. While we were employed in examining thestone, which did not repay our trouble in getting to it, he amusedhimself with reading _Gataker on Lots and on the Christian Watch[817],_a very learned book, of the last age, which had been found in the garretof Col's house, and which he said was a treasure here. When we descriedhim from above, he had a most eremitical appearance; and on our returntold us, he had been so much engaged by Gataker, that he had nevermissed us. His avidity for variety of books, while we were in Col, wasfrequently expressed; and he often complained that so few were withinhis reach. Upon which I observed to him, that it was strange he shouldcomplain of want of books, when he could at any time make suchgood ones.We next proceeded to the lead mine. In our way we came to a strand ofsome extent, where we were glad to take a gallop, in which my learnedfriend joined with great alacrity. Dr. Johnson, mounted on a large baymare without shoes, and followed by a foal, which had some difficulty inkeeping up with him, was a singular spectacle.After examining the mine, we returned through a very uncouth district,full of sand hills; down which, though apparent precipices, our horsescarried us with safety, the sand always gently sliding away from theirfeet. Vestiges of houses were pointed out to us, which Col, and twoothers who had joined us, asserted had been overwhelmed with sand blownover them. But, on going close to one of them, Dr. Johnson shewed theabsurdity of the notion, by remarking, that 'it was evidently only ahouse abandoned, the stones of which had been taken away for otherpurposes; for the large stones, which form the lower part of the walls,were still standing higher than the sand. If _they_ were not blown over,it was clear nothing higher than they could be blown over.' This wasquite convincing to me; but it made not the least impression on Col andthe others, who were not to be argued out of a Highland tradition.We did not sit down to dinner till between six and seven. We livedplentifully here, and had a true welcome. In such a season good firingwas of no small importance. The peats were excellent, and burnedcheerfully. Those at Dunvegan, which were damp, Dr. Johnson called 'asullen fuel.' Here a Scottish phrase was singularly applied to him. Oneof the company having remarked that he had gone out on a stormy evening,and brought in a supply of peats from the stack, old Mr. M'Sweyn said,'that was _main honest_[818]!'Blenheim being occasionally mentioned, he told me he had never seenit[819]: he had not gone formerly; and he would not go now, just as acommon spectator, for his money: he would not put it in the power ofsome man about the Duke of Marlborough to say, 'Johnson was here; I knewhim, but I took no notice of him[820].' He said, he should be very gladto see it, if properly invited, which in all probability would never bethe case, as it was not worth his while to seek for it. I observed, thathe might be easily introduced there by a common friend of ours, nearlyrelated to the duke[821]. He answered, with an uncommon attention todelicacy of feeling, 'I doubt whether our friend be on such a footingwith the duke as to carry any body there; and I would not give him theuneasiness of seeing that I knew he was not, or even of being himselfreminded of it.'SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10.There was this day the most terrible storm of wind and rain that I everremember[822]. It made such an awful impression on us all, as toproduce, for some time, a kind of dismal quietness in the house. The daywas passed without much conversation: only, upon my observing that theremust be something bad in a man's mind, who does not like to give leasesto his tenants, but wishes to keep them in a perpetual wretcheddependance on his will, Dr. Johnson said, 'You are right: it is a man'sduty to extend comfort and security among as many people as he can. Heshould not wish to have his tenants mere _Ephemerae_,--mere beings of anhour[823].' BOSWELL. 'But, Sir, if they have leases is there not somedanger that they may grow insolent? I remember you yourself once toldme, an English tenant was so independent, that, if provoked, he would_throw_ his rent at his landlord.' JOHNSON. 'Depend upon it, Sir, it isthe landlord's own fault, if it is thrown at him. A man may always keephis tenants in dependence enough, though they have leases. He must be agood tenant indeed, who will not fall behind in his rent, if hislandlord will let him; and if he does fall behind, his landlord has himat his mercy. Indeed, the poor man is always much at the mercy of therich; no matter whether landlord or tenant. If the tenant lets hislandlord have a little rent beforehand, or has lent him money, then thelandlord is in his power. There cannot be a greater man than a tenantwho has lent money to his landlord; for he has under subjection the veryman to whom he should be subjected.'MONDAY, OCTOBER II.We had some days ago engaged the Campbelltown vessel to carry us toMull, from the harbour where she lay. The morning was fine, and the windfair and moderate; so we hoped at length to get away.Mrs. M'Sweyn, who officiated as our landlady here, had never been on themain land. On hearing this, Dr. Johnson said to me, before her, 'That israther being behind-hand with life. I would at least go and seeGlenelg.' BOSWELL. 'You yourself, Sir, have never seen, till now, anything but your native island.' JOHNSON. 'But, Sir, by seeing London, Ihave seen as much of life as the world can shew[824].' BOSWELL. 'Youhave not seen Pekin.' JOHNSON. 'What is Pekin? Ten thousand Londonerswould _drive_ all the people of Pekin: they would drive them like deer.'We set out about eleven for the harbour; but, before we reached it, soviolent a storm came on, that we were obliged again to take shelter inthe house of Captain M'Lean, where we dined, and passed the night.TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12.After breakfast, we made a second attempt to get to the harbour; butanother storm soon convinced us that it would be in vain. CaptainM'Lean's house being in some confusion, on account of Mrs. M'Lean beingexpected to lie-in, we resolved to go to Mr. M'Sweyn's, where we arrivedvery wet, fatigued, and hungry. In this situation, we were somewhatdisconcerted by being told that we should have no dinner till late inthe evening, but should have tea in the mean time. Dr. Johnson opposedthis arrangement; but they persisted, and he took the tea very readily.He said to me afterwards, 'You must consider, Sir, a dinner here is amatter of great consequence. It is a thing to be first planned, and thenexecuted. I suppose the mutton was brought some miles off, from someplace where they knew there was a sheep killed.'Talking of the good people with whom we were, he said, 'Life has not gotat all forward by a generation in M'Sweyn's family; for the son isexactly formed upon the father. What the father says, the son says; andwhat the father looks, the son looks.'There being little conversation to-night, I must endeavour to recollectwhat I may have omitted on former occasions. When I boasted, at Rasay,of my independency of spirit, and that I could not be bribed, he said,'Yes, you may be bribed by flattery.' At the Reverend Mr. M'Lean's, Dr.Johnson asked him, if the people of Col had any superstitions. He said,'No.' The cutting peats at the increase of the moon was mentioned asone; but he would not allow it, saying, it was not a superstition, but awhim. Dr. Johnson would not admit the distinction. There were manysuperstitions, he maintained, not connected with religion; and this wasone of them[825]. On Monday we had a dispute at the Captain's, whethersand-hills could be fixed down by art. Dr. Johnson said, 'How _thedevil_ can you do it?' but instantly corrected himself, 'How can you doit[826]?' I never before heard him use a phrase of that nature.He has particularities which it is impossible to explain[827]. He neverwears a night-cap, as I have already mentioned; but he puts ahandkerchief on his head in the night. The day that we left Talisker, hebade us ride on. He then turned the head of his horse back towardsTalisker, stopped for some time; then wheeled round to the samedirection with ours, and then came briskly after us. He sets open awindow in the coldest day or night, and stands before it. It may do withhis constitution; but most people, amongst whom I am one, would say,with the frogs in the fable, 'This may be sport to you; but it is deathto us.' It is in vain to try to find a meaning in every one of hisparticularities, which, I suppose, are mere habits, contracted bychance; of which every man has some that are more or less remarkable.His speaking to himself, or rather repeating, is a common habit withstudious men accustomed to deep thinking; and, in consequence of theirbeing thus rapt, they will even laugh by themselves, if the subjectwhich they are musing on is a merry one. Dr. Johnson is often utteringpious ejaculations, when he appears to be talking to himself; forsometimes his voice grows stronger, and parts of the Lord's Prayer areheard[828]. I have sat beside him with more than ordinary reverence onsuch occasions[829].In our Tour, I observed that he was disgusted whenever he met withcoarse manners. He said to me, 'I know not how it is, but I cannot bearlow life[830]: and I find others, who have as good a right as I to befastidious, bear it better, by having mixed more with different sorts ofmen. You would think that I have mixed pretty well too.'He read this day a good deal of my _Journal_, written in a small bookwith which he had supplied me, and was pleased, for he said, 'I wish thybooks were twice as big.' He helped me to fill up blanks which I hadleft in first writing it, when I was not quite sure of what he had said,and he corrected any mistakes that I had made. 'They call me a scholar,(said he,) and yet how very little literature is there in myconversation.' BOSWELL. 'That, Sir, must be according to your company.You would not give literature to those who cannot taste it. Stay till wemeet Lord Elibank.'