Life Of Johnson, Volume 5 - Boswell
Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45
I mentioned a club in London at the Boar's Head in Eastcheap, the very
tavern[681] where Falstaff and his joyous companions met; the members of
which all assume Shakspeare's characters. One is Falstaff, another
Prince 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]. This
every man who has a name must observe. A man who is not publickly known
may 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. There
was a member of parliament, who wanted to prepare himself to speak on a
question that was to come on in the House; and he and I were to talk it
over together. He did not wish it should be known that he talked with
me; so he would not let me come to his house, but came to mine. Some
time 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 once
some 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 I
went; yet a few days after I was told, 'Well, you have been with Lord
North.' That the door of the prime minister should be watched is not
strange; but that a member of parliament should be watched, or that my
door 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 still
favoured us with his company, for which we were much obliged to him. As
we sailed along Dr. Johnson got into one of his fits of railing at the
Scots. He owned that they had been a very learned nation for a hundred
years, from about 1550 to about 1650; but that they afforded the only
instance of a people among whom the arts of civil life did not advance
in proportion with learning; that they had hardly any trade, any money,
or any elegance, before the Union; that it was strange that, with all
the advantages possessed by other nations, they had not any of those
conveniencies and embellishments which are the fruit of industry, till
they came in contact with a civilized people. 'We have taught you, (said
he,) and we'll do the same in time to all barbarous nations,--to the
Cherokees,--and at last to the Ouran-Outangs;' laughing with as much
glee as if Monboddo had been present. BOSWELL. 'We had wine before the
Union.' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; you had some weak stuff, the refuse of
France, which would not make you drunk.' BOSWELL. 'I assure you, Sir,
there was a great deal of drunkenness.' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; there were
people who died of dropsies, which they contracted in trying to get
drunk[685].'
I must here glean some of his conversation at Ulinish, which I have
omitted. He repeated his remark, that a man in a ship was worse than a
man in a jail[686]. 'The man in a jail, (said he,) has more room, better
food, and commonly better company, and is in safety.' 'Ay; but, (said
Mr. M'Queen,) the man in the ship has the pleasing hope of getting to
shore.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, I am not talking of a man's getting to shore; but
of a man while he is in a ship: and then, I say, he is worse than a man
while 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. I
suggested that he might go to a dock-yard and work, as Peter the Great
did. JOHNSON. 'Nay, Sir, he need not work. Peter the Great had not the
sense to see that the mere mechanical work may be done by any body, and
that there is the same art in constructing a vessel, whether the boards
are well or ill wrought. Sir Christopher Wren might as well have served
his 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 his
residing on it three months in the year; nay one month. Dr. Johnson was
highly amused with the fancy. I have seen him please himself with little
things, even with mere ideas like the present. He talked a great deal of
this island;--how he would build a house there,--how he would fortify
it,--how he would have cannon,--how he would plant,--how he would sally
out, and _take_ the isle of Muck;--and then he laughed with uncommon
glee, and could hardly leave off. I have seen him do so at a small
matter that struck him, and was a sport to no one else[687]. Mr. Langton
told me, that one night he did so while the company were all grave about
him:--only Garrick, in his significant smart manner, darting his eyes
around, exclaimed, '_Very_ jocose, to be sure!' M'Leod encouraged the
fancy of Doctor Johnson's becoming owner of an island; told him, that it
was the practice in this country to name every man by his lands; and
begged leave to drink to him in that mode: '_Island Isa_, your health!'
Ulinish, Talisker, Mr. M'Queen, and I, all joined in our different
manners, while Dr. Johnson bowed to each, with much good humour.
We had good weather, and a fine sail this day. The shore was varied with
hills, and rocks, and corn-fields, and bushes, which are here dignified
with the name of natural _wood_. We landed near the house of Ferneley, a
farm 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 joy
which I had in seeing him on such cordial terms with his clan.
'Government (said he) has deprived us of our ancient power; but it
cannot deprive us of our domestick satisfactions. I would rather drink
punch in one of their houses, (meaning the houses of his people,) than
be enabled by their hardships to have claret in my own.[688]' This
should be the sentiment of every Chieftain. All that he can get by
raising his rents, is more luxury in his own house. Is it not better to
share 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, where
Colonel M'Leod introduced us to his lady. We found here Mr. Donald
M'Lean, the young Laird of _Col_, (nephew to Talisker,) to whom I
delivered the letter with which I had been favoured by his uncle,
Professor M'Leod, at Aberdeen[689]. He was a little lively young man. We
found he had been a good deal in England, studying farming, and was
resolved to improve the value of his father's lands, without oppressing
his tenants, or losing the ancient Highland fashions.
Talisker is a better place than one commonly finds in Sky. It is
situated in a rich bottom. Before it is a wide expanse of sea, on each
hand of which are immense rocks; and, at some distance in the sea, there
are three columnal rocks rising to sharp points. The billows break with
prodigious force and noise on the coast of Talisker[690]. There are here
a good many well-grown trees. Talisker is an extensive farm. The
possessor of it has, for several generations, been the next heir to
M'Leod, as there has been but one son always in that family. The court
before the house is most injudiciously paved with the round blueish-grey
pebbles which are found upon the sea-shore; so that you walk as if upon
cannon-balls driven into the ground.
After supper, I talked of the assiduity of the Scottish clergy, in
visiting and privately instructing their parishioners, and observed how
much in this they excelled the English clergy. Dr. Johnson would not let
this pass. He tried to turn it off, by saying, 'There are different ways
of instructing. Our clergy pray and preach.' M'Leod and I pressed the
subject, upon which he grew warm, and broke forth: 'I do not believe
your people are better instructed. If they are, it is the blind leading
the blind; for your clergy are not instructed themselves.' Thinking he
had gone a little too far, he checked himself, and added, 'When I talk
of the ignorance of your clergy, I talk of them as a body: I do not mean
that there are not individuals who are learned (looking at Mr.
M'Queen[691]). I suppose there are such among the clergy in Muscovy. The
clergy of England have produced the most valuable books in support of
religion, both in theory and practice. What have your clergy done, since
you sunk into presbyterianism? Can you name one book of any value, on a
religious subject, written by them[692]?' We were silent. 'I'll help
you. Forbes wrote very well; but I believe he wrote before episcopacy
was quite extinguished.' And then pausing a little, he said, 'Yes, you
have Wishart AGAINST Repentance[693].' BOSWELL. 'But, Sir, we are not
contending for the superior learning of our clergy, but for their
superior assiduity.' He bore us down again, with thundering against
their 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 this
warmth, by the exulting air which I assumed; for, when he began, he
said, '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 any
disrespect to you[694].'
Here I must observe, that he conquered by deserting his ground, and not
meeting the argument as I had put it. The assiduity of the Scottish
clergy is certainly greater than that of the English. His taking up the
topick of their not having so much learning, was, though ingenious, yet
a fallacy in logick. It was as if there should be a dispute whether a
man's hair is well dressed, and Dr. Johnson should say, 'Sir, his hair
cannot be well dressed; for he has a dirty shirt. No man who has not
clean linen has his hair well dressed.' When some days afterwards he
read this passage, he said, 'No, Sir; I did not say that a man's hair
could not be well dressed because he has not clean linen, but because
he is bald.'
He used one argument against the Scottish clergy being learned, which I
doubt was not good. 'As we believe a man dead till we know that he is
alive; 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 is
dead. However, indeed, it may be answered, that we must first know he
has lived; and that we have never known the learning of the Scottish
clergy. Mr. M'Queen, though he was of opinion that Dr. Johnson had
deserted the point really in dispute, was much pleased with what he
said, and owned to me, he thought it very just; and Mrs. M'Leod was so
much captivated by his eloquence, that she told me 'I was a good
advocate for a bad cause.'
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24.
This was a good day. Dr. Johnson told us, at breakfast, that he rode
harder at a fox chace than any body[695]. 'The English (said he) are the
only nation who ride hard a-hunting. A Frenchman goes out, upon a
managed[696] horse, and capers in the field, and no more thinks of
leaping a hedge than of mounting a breach. Lord Powerscourt laid a
wager, in France, that he would ride a great many miles in a certain
short time. The French academicians set to work, and calculated that,
from the resistance of the air, it was impossible. His lordship however
performed it.'
Our money being nearly exhausted, we sent a bill for thirty pounds,
drawn on Sir William Forbes and Co.[697], to Lochbraccadale, but our
messenger 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 carry
away 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 are
paid in bills[699], which the drovers give. The people consume a vast
deal of snuff and tobacco, for which they must pay ready money; and
pedlars, who come about selling goods, as there is not a shop in the
island, carry away the cash. If there were encouragement given to
fisheries and manufactures, there might be a circulation of money
introduced. I got one-and-twenty shillings in silver at Portree, which
was thought a wonderful store.
Talisker, Mr. M'Queen, and I, walked out, and looked at no less than
fifteen different waterfalls near the house, in the space of about a
quarter of a mile[700]. We also saw Cuchillin's well, said to have been
the favourite spring of that ancient hero. I drank of it. The water is
admirable. On the shore are many stones full of crystallizations in
the heart.
Though our obliging friend, Mr. M'Lean, was but the young laird, he had
the title of _Col_ constantly given him. After dinner he and I walked to
the top of Prieshwell, a very high rocky hill, from whence there is a
view of Barra,--the Long Island,--Bernera,--the Loch of Dunvegan,--part
of Rum--part of Rasay, and a vast deal of the isle of Sky. Col, though
he had come into Sky with an intention to be at Dunvegan, and pass a
considerable time in the island, most politely resolved first to
conduct us to Mull, and then to return to Sky. This was a very fortunate
circumstance; for he planned an expedition for us of more variety than
merely 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 every
thing worth seeing; and in Mull he said he should be as if at home, his
father having lands there, and he a farm.
Dr. Johnson did not talk much to-day, but seemed intent in listening to
the schemes of future excursion, planned by Col. Dr. Birch[701],
however, being mentioned, he said, he had more anecdotes than any man. I
said, Percy had a great many; that he flowed with them like one of the
brooks here. JOHNSON. 'If Percy is like one of the brooks here, Birch
was like the river Thames. Birch excelled Percy in that, as much as
Percy excels Goldsmith.' I mentioned Lord Hailes as a man of anecdote.
He was not pleased with him, for publishing only such memorials and
letters as were unfavourable for the Stuart family[702]. 'If, (said he,)
a man fairly warns you, "I am to give all the ill; do you find the
good;" he may: but if the object which he professes be to give a view of
a reign, let him tell all the truth. I would tell truth of the two
Georges, or of that scoundrel, King William[703]. Granger's
_Biographical History_[704] is full of curious anecdote, but might have
been better done. The dog is a Whig. I do not like much to see a Whig in
any dress; but I hate to see a Whig in a parson's gown[705].'
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25.
It was resolved that we should set out, in order to return to Slate, to
be in readiness to take boat whenever there should be a fair wind. Dr.
Johnson remained in his chamber writing a letter, and it was long before
we could get him into motion. He did not come to breakfast, but had it
sent to him. When he had finished his letter, it was twelve o'clock, and
we should have set out at ten. When I went up to him, he said to me, 'Do
you remember a song which begins,
"Every island is a prison[706]
Strongly guarded by the sea;
Kings and princes, for that reason,
Prisoners are, as well as we?"'
I suppose he had been thinking of our confined situation[707]. He would
fain have gone in a boat from hence, instead of riding back to Slate. A
scheme for it was proposed. He said, 'We'll not be driven tamely from
it:'-but it proved impracticable.
We took leave of M'Leod and Talisker, from whom we parted with regret.
Talisker, having been bred to physick, had a tincture of scholarship in
his conversation, which pleased Dr. Johnson, and he had some very good
books; and being a colonel in the Dutch service, he and his lady, in
consequence of having lived abroad, had introduced the ease and
politeness of the continent into this rude region.
Young Col was now our leader. Mr. M'Queen was to accompany us half a day
more. We stopped at a little hut, where we saw an old woman grinding
with the _quern_, the ancient Highland instrument, which it is said was
used by the Romans, but which, being very slow in its operation, is
almost entirely gone into disuse.
The walls of the cottages in Sky, instead of being one compacted mass
of stones, are often formed by two exterior surfaces of stone, filled up
with earth in the middle, which makes them very warm. The roof is
generally bad. They are thatched, sometimes with straw, sometimes with
heath, sometimes with fern. The thatch is secured by ropes of straw, or
of heath; and, to fix the ropes, there is a stone tied to the end of
each. These stones hang round the bottom of the roof, and make it look
like a lady's hair in papers; but I should think that, when there is
wind, they would come down, and knock people on the head.
We dined at the inn at Sconser, where I had the pleasure to find a
letter from my wife. Here we parted from our learned companion, Mr.
Donald M'Queen. Dr. Johnson took leave of him very affectionately,
saying, 'Dear Sir, do not forget me!' We settled, that he should write
an account of the Isle of Sky, which Dr. Johnson promised to revise. He
said, Mr. M'Queen should tell all that he could; distinguishing what he
himself knew, what was traditional, and what conjectural.
We sent our horses round a point of land, that we might shun some very
bad road; and resolved to go forward by sea. It was seven o'clock when
we got into our boat. We had many showers, and it soon grew pretty dark.
Dr. Johnson sat silent and patient. Once he said, as he looked on the
black coast of Sky,-black, as being composed of rocks seen in the
dusk,--'This is very solemn.' Our boatmen were rude singers, and seemed
so like wild Indians, that a very little imagination was necessary to
give one an impression of being upon an American river. We landed at
_Strolimus_, from whence we got a guide to walk before us, for two
miles, to _Corrichatachin_. Not being able to procure a horse for our
baggage, I took one portmanteau before me, and Joseph another. We had
but a single star to light us on our way. It was about eleven when we
arrived. We were most hospitably received by the master and mistress,
who were just going to bed, but, with unaffected ready kindness, made a
good fire, and at twelve o'clock at night had supper on the table.
James Macdonald, of _Knockow_, Kingsburgh's brother, whom we had seen at
Kingsburgh, was there. He shewed me a bond granted by the late Sir James
Macdonald, to old Kingsburgh, the preamble of which does so much honour
to the feelings of that much-lamented gentleman, that I thought it worth
transcribing. It was as follows:--
'I, Sir James Macdonald, of Macdonald, Baronet, now, after arriving at
my perfect age, from the friendship I bear to Alexander Macdonald of
Kingsburgh, and in return for the long and faithful services done and
performed by him to my deceased father, and to myself during my
minority, when he was one of my Tutors and Curators; being resolved, now
that the said Alexander Macdonald is advanced in years, to contribute my
endeavours for making his old age placid and comfortable,'--
therefore he grants him an annuity of fifty pounds sterling.
Dr. Johnson went to bed soon. When one bowl of punch was finished, I
rose, and was near the door, in my way up stairs to bed; but
Corrichatachin said, it was the first time Col had been in his house,
and he should have his bowl;-and would not I join in drinking it? The
heartiness of my honest landlord, and the desire of doing social honour
to our very obliging conductor, induced me to sit down again. Col's bowl
was finished; and by that time we were well warmed. A third bowl was
soon made, and that too was finished. We were cordial, and merry to a
high degree; but of what passed I have no recollection, with any
accuracy. I remember calling _Corrichatachin_ by the familiar
appellation of _Corri_, which his friends do. A fourth bowl was made, by
which time Col, and young M'Kinnon, Corrichatachin's son, slipped away
to bed. I continued a little with Corri and Knockow; but at last I left
them. It was near five in the morning when I got to bed.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
I awaked at noon, with a severe head-ach. I was much vexed that I should
have been guilty of such a riot, and afraid of a reproof from Dr.
Johnson. I thought it very inconsistent with that conduct which I ought
to maintain, while the companion of the Rambler. About one he came into
my room, and accosted me, 'What, drunk yet?' His tone of voice was not
that of severe upbraiding; so I was relieved a little. 'Sir, (said I,)
they kept me up.' He answered, 'No, you kept them up, you drunken
dog:'-This he said with good-humoured _English_ pleasantry. Soon
afterwards, Corrichatachin, Col, and other friends assembled round my
bed. Corri had a brandy-bottle and glass with him, and insisted I should
take a dram. 'Ay, said Dr. Johnson, fill him drunk again. Do it in the
morning, that we may laugh at him all day. It is a poor thing for a
fellow to get drunk at night, and sculk to bed, and let his friends have
no sport.' Finding him thus jocular, I became quite easy; and when I
offered to get up, he very good naturedly said, 'You need be in no such
hurry now[708].' I took my host's advice, and drank some brandy, which I
found an effectual cure for my head-ach. When I rose, I went into Dr.
Johnson's room, and taking up Mrs. M'Kinnon's Prayer-book, I opened it
at the twentieth Sunday after Trinity, in the epistle for which I read,
'And be not drunk with wine, wherein there is excess[709].' Some would
have taken this as a divine interposition.
Mrs. M'Kinnon told us at dinner, that old Kingsburgh, her father, was
examined at Mugstot, by General Campbell, as to the particulars of the
dress of the person who had come to his house in woman's clothes along
with Miss Flora M'Donald; as the General had received intelligence of
that disguise. The particulars were taken down in writing, that it might
be seen how far they agreed with the dress of the _Irish girl_ who went
with Miss Flora from the Long Island. Kingsburgh, she said, had but one
song, which he always sung when he was merry over a glass. She dictated
the words to me, which are foolish enough:--
'Green sleeves[710] and pudding pies,
Tell me where my mistress lies,
And I'll be with her before she rise,
Fiddle and aw' together.
May our affairs abroad succeed,
And may our king come home with speed,
And all pretenders shake for dread,
And let _his_ health go round.
To all our injured friends in need,
This side and beyond the Tweed!--
Let all pretenders shake for dread,
And let _his_ health go round.
Green sleeves,' &c.
While the examination was going on, the present Talisker, who was there
as one of M'Leod's militia, could not resist the pleasantry of asking
Kingsburgh, in allusion to his only song, 'Had she _green sleeves_?'
Kingsburgh gave him no answer. Lady Margaret M'Donald was very angry at
Talisker for joking on such a serious occasion, as Kingsburgh was really
in danger of his life. Mrs. M'Kinnon added that Lady Margaret was quite
adored in Sky. That when she travelled through the island, the people
ran in crowds before her, and took the stones off the road, lest her
horse should stumble and she be hurt[711]. Her husband, Sir Alexander,
is also remembered with great regard. We were told that every week a
hogshead of claret was drunk at his table.
This was another day of wind and rain; but good cheer and good society
helped to beguile the time. I felt myself comfortable enough in the
afternoon. I then thought that my last night's riot was no more than
such a social excess as may happen without much moral blame; and
recollected that some physicians maintained, that a fever produced by it
was, upon the whole, good for health: so different are our reflections
on the same subject, at different periods; and such the excuses with
which we palliate what we know to be wrong.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27.
Mr. Donald M'Leod, our original guide, who had parted from us at
Dunvegan, joined us again to-day. The weather was still so bad that we
could not travel. I found a closet here, with a good many books, beside
those that were lying about. Dr. Johnson told me, he found a library in
his room at Talisker; and observed, that it was one of the remarkable
things of Sky, that there were so many books in it.
Though we had here great abundance of provisions, it is remarkable that
Corrichatachin has literally no garden: not even a turnip, a carrot, or
a cabbage. After dinner, we talked of the crooked spade used in Sky,
already described, and they maintained that it was better than the usual
garden-spade, and that there was an art in tossing it, by which those
who were accustomed to it could work very easily with it. 'Nay, (said
Dr. Johnson,) it may be useful in land where there are many stones to
raise; but it certainly is not a good instrument for digging good land.
A man may toss it, to be sure; but he will toss a light spade much
better: its weight makes it an incumbrance. A man _may_ dig any land
with it; but he has no occasion for such a weight in digging good land.
You may take a field piece to shoot sparrows; but all the sparrows you
can bring home will not be worth the charge.' He was quite social and
easy amongst them; and, though he drank no fermented liquor, toasted
Highland beauties with great readiness. His conviviality engaged them so
much, that they seemed eager to shew their attention to him, and vied
with each other in crying out, with a strong Celtick pronunciation,
'Toctor Shonson, Toctor Shonson, your health!'