约翰逊4-6-67

mount one of Vass's greys. As he rode upon it down hill, it did not gowell; and he grumbled. I walked on a little before, but was excessivelyentertained with the method taken to keep him in good humour. Hay ledthe horse's head, talking to Dr. Johnson as much as he could; and(having heard him, in the forenoon, express a pastoral pleasure onseeing the goats browzing) just when the Doctor was uttering hisdispleasure, the fellow cried, with a very Highland accent, 'See, suchpretty goats!' Then he whistled, _whu!_ and made them jump. Little didhe conceive what Dr. Johnson was. Here now was a common ignorantHighland clown, imagining that he could divert, as one does achild,--_Dr. Samuel Johnson!_ The ludicrousness, absurdity, andextraordinary contrast between what the fellow fancied, and the reality,was truly comick.It grew dusky; and we had a very tedious ride for what was called fivemiles; but I am sure would measure ten. We had no conversation. I wasriding forward to the inn at Glenelg, on the shore opposite to Sky, thatI might take proper measures, before Dr. Johnson, who was now advancingin dreary silence, Hay leading his horse, should arrive. Vass alsowalked by the side of his horse, and Joseph followed behind: astherefore he was thus attended, and seemed to be in deep meditation, Ithought there could be no harm in leaving him for a little while. Hecalled me back with a tremendous shout, and was really in a passion withme for leaving him. I told him my intentions, but he was not satisfied,and said, 'Do you know, I should as soon have thought of picking apocket, as doing so?' BOSWELL. 'I am diverted with you, Sir.' JOHNSON.'Sir, I could never be diverted with incivility. Doing such a thing,makes one lose confidence in him who has done it, as one cannot tellwhat he may do next.' His extraordinary warmth confounded me so much,that I justified myself but lamely to him; yet my intentions were notimproper. I wished to get on, to see how we were to be lodged, and howwe were to get a boat; all which I thought I could best settle myself,without his having any trouble. To apply his great mind to minuteparticulars, is wrong: it is like taking an immense balance, such as iskept on quays for weighing cargoes of ships,--to weigh a guinea. I knewI had neat little scales, which would do better; and that his attentionto every thing which falls in his way, and his uncommon desire to bealways in the right, would make him weigh, if he knew of theparticulars: it was right therefore for me to weigh them, and let himhave them only in effect. I however continued to ride by him, finding hewished I should do so.As we passed the barracks at Bernera, I looked at them wishfully, assoldiers have always every thing in the best order: but there was only aserjeant and a few men there. We came on to the inn at Glenelg. Therewas no provender for our horses; so they were sent to grass, with a manto watch them. A maid shewed us up stairs into a room damp and dirty,with bare walls, a variety of bad smells, a coarse black greasy firtable, and forms of the same kind; and out of a wretched bed started afellow from his sleep, like Edgar in _King Lear_[444], '_Poor Tom's acold_[445].' This inn was furnished with not a single article that wecould either eat or drink[446]; but Mr. Murchison, factor to the Lairdof Macleod in Glenelg, sent us a bottle of rum and some sugar, with apolite message, to acquaint us, that he was very sorry that he did nothear of us till we had passed his house, otherwise he should haveinsisted on our sleeping there that night; and that, if he were notobliged to set out for Inverness early next morning, he would havewaited upon us. Such extraordinary attention from this gentleman, toentire strangers, deserves the most honourable commemoration.Our bad accommodation here made me uneasy, and almost fretful. Dr.Johnson was calm. I said, he was so from vanity. JOHNSON. 'No, Sir, itis from philosophy.' It pleased me to see that the _Rambler_ couldpractise so well his own lessons.I resumed the subject of my leaving him on the road, and endeavoured todefend it better. He was still violent upon that head, and said, 'Sir,had you gone on, I was thinking that I should have returned with you toEdinburgh, and then have parted from you, and never spoken to you more.'I sent for fresh hay, with which we made beds for ourselves, each in aroom equally miserable. Like Wolfe, we had a 'choice ofdifficulties[447]'. Dr. Johnson made things easier by comparison. AtM'Queen's, last night, he observed that few were so well lodged in aship. To-night he said, we were better than if we had been upon thehill. He lay down buttoned up in his great coat. I had my sheets spreadon the hay, and my clothes and great coat laid over me, by wayof blankets.THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2.I had slept ill. Dr. Johnson's anger had affected me much. I consideredthat, without any bad intention, I might suddenly forfeit hisfriendship; and was impatient to see him this morning. I told him howuneasy he had made me, by what he had said, and reminded him of his ownremark at Aberdeen, upon old friendships being hastily broken off. Heowned he had spoken to me in passion; that he would not have done whathe threatened; and that, if he had, he should have been ten times worsethan I; that forming intimacies, would indeed be 'limning thewater[448],' were they liable to such sudden dissolution; and he added,'Let's think no more on't.' BOSWELL. 'Well then, Sir, I shall be easy.Remember, I am to have fair warning in case of any quarrel. You arenever to spring a mine upon me. It was absurd in me to believe you.'JOHNSON. 'You deserved about as much, as to believe me from nightto morning.'After breakfast, we got into a boat for Sky. It rained much when we setoff, but cleared up as we advanced. One of the boatmen, who spokeEnglish, said, that a mile at land was two miles at sea. I thenobserved, that from Glenelg to Armidale in Sky, which was our presentcourse, and is called twelve, was only six miles: but this he could notunderstand. 'Well, (said Dr. Johnson,) never talk to me of the nativegood sense of the Highlanders. Here is a fellow who calls one mile two,and yet cannot comprehend that twelve such imaginary miles make intruth but six.'We reached the shore of Armidale before one o'clock. Sir AlexanderM'Donald came down to receive us. He and his lady, (formerly MissBosville of Yorkshire[449],) were then in a house built by a tenant atthis place, which is in the district of Slate, the family mansion herehaving been burned in Sir Donald Macdonald's time. The most ancientseat of the chief of the Macdonalds in the isle of Sky was at Duntulm,where there are the remains of a stately castle. The principal residenceof the family is now at Mugstot, at which there is a considerablebuilding. Sir Alexander and Lady Macdonald had come to Armidale in theirway to Edinburgh, where it was necessary for them to be soon after thistime. Armidale is situated on a pretty bay of the narrow sea, whichflows between the main land of Scotland and the Isle of Sky. In frontthere is a grand prospect of the rude mountains of Moidart andKnoidart[451]. Behind are hills gently rising and covered with a finerverdure than I expected to see in this climate, and the scene isenlivened by a number of little clear brooks.Sir Alexander Macdonald having been an Eton scholar[452], and being agentleman of talents, Dr. Johnson had been very well pleased with him inLondon[453]. But my fellow-traveller and I were now full of the oldHighland spirit, and were dissatisfied at hearing of racked rents andemigration, and finding a chief not surrounded by his clan. Dr. Johnsonsaid, 'Sir, the Highland chiefs should not be allowed to go farthersouth than Aberdeen. A strong-minded man, like Sir James Macdonald[454],may be improved by an English education; but in general, they will betamed into insignificance.'We found here Mr. Janes of Aberdeenshire, a naturalist. Janes said hehad been at Dr. Johnson's in London, with Ferguson the astronomer[455].JOHNSON. 'It is strange that, in such distant places, I should meet withany one who knows me. I should have thought I might hide myself in Sky.'FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3.This day proving wet, we should have passed our time very uncomfortably,had we not found in the house two chests of books, which we eagerlyransacked. After dinner, when I alone was left at table with the fewHighland gentlemen who were of the company, having talked with very highrespect of Sir James Macdonald, they were all so much affected as toshed tears. One of them was Mr. Donald Macdonald, who had beenlieutenant of grenadiers in the Highland regiment, raised by ColonelMontgomery, now Earl of Eglintoune, in the war before last; one of thoseregiments which the late Lord Chatham prided himself in having broughtfrom 'the mountains of the North[456]:' by doing which he contributed toextinguish in the Highlands the remains of disaffection to the presentRoyal Family. From this gentleman's conversation, I first learnt howvery popular his Colonel was among the Highlanders; of which I had suchcontinued proofs, during the whole course of my Tour, that on my returnI could not help telling the noble Earl himself, that I did not beforeknow how great a man he was.We were advised by some persons here to visit Rasay, in our way toDunvegan, the seat of the Laird of Macleod. Being informed that the Rev.Mr. Donald M'Queen was the most intelligent man in Sky, and having beenfavoured with a letter of introduction to him, by the learned Sir JamesFoulis, I sent it to him by an express, and requested he would meet usat Rasay; and at the same time enclosed a letter to the Laird ofMacleod, informing him that we intended in a few days to have the honourof waiting on him at Dunvegan.Dr. Johnson this day endeavoured to obtain some knowledge of the stateof the country; but complained that he could get no distinct informationabout any thing, from those with whom he conversed[457].SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4.My endeavours to rouse the English-bred Chieftain[458], in whose housewe were, to the feudal and patriarchal feelings, proving ineffectual,Dr. Johnson this morning tried to bring him to our way of thinking.JOHNSON. 'Were I in your place, Sir, in seven years I would make this anindependant island. I would roast oxen whole, and hang out a flag as asignal to the Macdonalds to come and get beef and whiskey.' SirAlexander was still starting difficulties. JOHNSON. 'Nay, Sir; if youare born to object, I have done with you. Sir, I would have a magazineof arms.' SIR ALEXANDER. 'They would rust.' JOHNSON. 'Let there be mento keep them clean. Your ancestors did not use to let their armsrust[459].'We attempted in vain to communicate to him a portion of our enthusiasm.He bore with so polite a good nature our warm, and what some might callGothick, expostulations, on this subject, that I should not forgivemyself, were I to record all that Dr. Johnson's ardour led him tosay.--This day was little better than a blank.SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5.I walked to the parish church of Slate, which is a very poor one. Thereare no church bells in the island. I was told there were once some; whathas become of them, I could not learn. The minister not being at home,there was no service. I went into the church, and saw the monument ofSir James Macdonald, which was elegantly executed at Rome, and has thefollowing inscription, written by his friend, George Lord Lyttelton:--To the memoryOf SIR JAMES MACDONALD, BART.Who in the flower of youthHad attained to so eminent a degree of knowledge,In Mathematics, Philosophy, Languages,And in every other branch of useful and polite learningAs few have acquired in a long lifeWholly devoted to study:Yet to this erudition he joinedWhat can rarely be found with it,Great talents for business,Great propriety of behaviour,Great politeness of manners!His eloquence was sweet, correct, and flowing;His memory vast and exact;His judgement strong and acute;All which endowments, unitedWith the most amiable temperAnd every private virtue,Procured him, not only in his own country,But also from foreign nations[460],The highest marks of esteem.In the year of our Lord 1766,The 25th of his life,After a long and extremely painful illness,Which he supported with admirable patience and fortitude,He died at Rome,Where, notwithstanding the difference of religion,Such extraordinary honours were paid to his memory,As had never graced that of any other British Subject,Since the death of Sir Philip Sidney.The fame he left behind him is the best consolationTo his afflicted family,And to his countrymen in this isle,For whose benefit he had plannedMany useful improvements,Which his fruitful genius suggested,And his active spirit promoted,Under the sober directionOf a clear and enlightened understanding.Reader, bewail our loss,And that of all Britain.In testimony of her love,And as the best return she can makeTo her departed son,For the constant tenderness and affectionWhich, even to his last moments,He shewed for her,His much afflicted mother,The LADY MARGARET MACDONALD,Daughter to the EARL of EGLINTOUNE,Erected this Monument,A.D. 1768[461]'Dr. Johnson said, the inscription should have been in Latin, as everything intended to be universal and permanent should be[462].This being a beautiful day, my spirits were cheered by the mere effectof climate. I had felt a return of spleen during my stay at Armidale,and had it not been that I had Dr. Johnson to contemplate, I should havesunk into dejection; but his firmness supported me. I looked at him, asa man whose head is turning giddy at sea looks at a rock, or any fixedobject. I wondered at his tranquillity. He said, 'Sir, when a manretires into an island, he is to turn his thoughts entirely to anotherworld. He has done with this.' BOSWELL. 'It appears to me, Sir, to bevery difficult to unite a due attention to this world, and that which isto come; for, if we engage eagerly in the affairs of life, we are apt tobe totally forgetful of a future state; and, on the other hand, a steadycontemplation of the awful concerns of eternity renders all objects hereso insignificant, as to make us indifferent and negligent about them.'JOHNSON. 'Sir, Dr. Cheyne has laid down a rule to himself on thissubject, which should be imprinted on every mind:--"_To neglect nothingto secure my eternal peace, more than if I had been certified I shoulddie within the day: nor to mind any thing that my secular obligationsand duties demanded of me, less than if I had been ensured to live fiftyyears more[463]_."'I must here observe, that though Dr. Johnson appeared now to bephilosophically calm, yet his genius did not shine forth as incompanies, where I have listened to him with admiration. The vigour ofhis mind was, however, sufficiently manifested, by his discovering nosymptoms of feeble relaxation in the dull, 'weary, flat andunprofitable[464]' state in which we now were placed.I am inclined to think that it was on this day he composed the followingOde upon the _Isle of Sky_, which a few days afterwards he shewed meat Rasay:--ODA,Ponti profundis clausa recessibus,Strepens procellis, rupibus obsita,Quam grata defesso virentemSkia sinum nebulosa pandis.His cura, credo, sedibus exulat;His blanda certe pax habitat locis:Non ira, non moeror quietisInsidias meditatur horis.At non cavata rupe latescere,Menti nec aegrae montibus aviisProdest vagari, nec frementesE scopulo numerare fluctus.Humana virtus non sibi sufficit,Datur nec aequum cuique animum sibiParare posse, ut StoicorumSecta crepet nimis alta fallax.Exaestuantis pectoris impetum,Rex summe, solus tu regis arbiter,Mentisque, te tollente, surgunt,Te recidunt moderante fluctus[465].After supper, Dr. Johnson told us, that Isaac Hawkins Browne drankfreely for thirty years, and that he wrote his poem, _De AnimiImmortalitate_, in some of the last of these years[466]. I listened tothis with the eagerness of one who, conscious of being himself fond ofwine, is glad to hear that a man of so much genius and good thinking asBrowne had the same propensity[467].MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6.We set out, accompanied by Mr. Donald M'Leod, (late of Canna) as ourguide. We rode for some time along the district of Slate, near theshore. The houses in general are made of turf, covered with grass. Thecountry seemed well peopled. We came into the district of Strath, andpassed along a wild moorish tract of land till we arrived at the shore.There we found good verdure, and some curious whin-rocks, or collectionsof stones like the ruins of the foundations of old buildings. We sawalso three Cairns of considerable size.About a mile beyond Broadfoot, is Corrichatachin, a farm of SirAlexander Macdonald's, possessed by Mr. M'Kinnon[468], who received uswith a hearty welcome, as did his wife, who was what we call in Scotlanda _lady-like_ woman. Mr. Pennant in the course of his tour to theHebrides, passed two nights at this gentleman's house. On its beingmentioned, that a present had here been made to him of a curiousspecimen of Highland antiquity, Dr. Johnson said, 'Sir, it was more thanhe deserved; the dog is a Whig[469].'We here enjoyed the comfort of a table plentifully furnished[470], thesatisfaction of which was heightened by a numerous and cheerful company;and we for the first time had a specimen of the joyous social manners ofthe inhabitants of the Highlands. They talked in their own ancientlanguage, with fluent vivacity, and sung many Erse songs with suchspirit, that, though Dr. Johnson was treated with the greatest respectand attention, there were moments in which he seemed to be forgotten.For myself, though but a _Lowlander_, having picked up a few words ofthe language, I presumed to mingle in their mirth, and joined in thechoruses with as much glee as any of the company. Dr. Johnson beingfatigued with his journey, retired early to his chamber, where hecomposed the following Ode, addressed to Mrs. Thrale[471]:--ODA.Permeo terras, ubi nuda rupesSaxeas miscet nebulis ruinas,Torva ubi rident steriles coloniRura labores.Pervagor gentes, hominum ferorumVita ubi nullo decorata cultuSquallet informis, tugurique fumisFoeda latescit.Inter erroris salebrosa longi,Inter ignotae strepitus loquelae,Quot modis mecum, quid agat, requiro,Thralia dulcis?Seu viri curas pia nupta mulcet,Seu fovet mater sobolem benigna,Sive cum libris novitate pascetSedula mentem;Sit memor nostri, fideique merces,Stet fides constans, meritoque blandumThraliae discant resonare nomenLittora Skiae.Scriptum in Skia, Sept. 6, 1773[472].