The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson

who have endeavoured to persuade the world that Dr. Johnson's character has been lessened by recording such various instances of his lively wit and acute judgment, on every topick that was presented to his mind. In the opinion of every person of taste and knowledge that I have conversed with, it has been greatly heightened; and I will venture to predict, that this specimen of the colloquial talents and extemporaneous effusions of my illustrious fellow-traveller will become still more valuable, when, by the lapse of time, he shall have become an ancient; when all those who can now bear testimony to the transcendent powers of his mind shall have passed away; and no other memorial of this great and good man shall remain but the following Journal, the other anecdotes and letters preserved by his friends, and those incomparable works, which have for many years been in the highest estimation, and will be read and admired as long as the English language shall be spoken or understood.

LONDON, 15th August, 1786.

J. B.

August 15. Sir William Forbes. Practice of the law, Emi-

gration. Dr. Beattie and Mr. Hume. Dr. Robert-

son. Mr. Burke's various and extraordinary talents.

Question concerning genius. Whitfield and Wesley.

Instructions to political parties. Dr. Johnson's opinion

of Garrick as a tragedian

....

August 16. Ogden on Prayer. Aphoristick writing.

Edinburgh surveyed.

Character of Swift's works.

Evil spirits and witchcraft. Lord Monboddo and the

Ouran-Outang

....

August 17. Poetry and Dictionary-writing. Scepticism.

Eternal necessity refuted. Lord Hailes's criticism on

The Vanity of Human Wishes. Mr. Maclaurin. De-

cision of the Judges in Scotland on literary pro-

perty....

....

August 18. Set out for the Hebrides. Sketch of the

authour's character. Trade of Glasgow. Suicide.

Inchkeith. Parliamentary knowledge. Influence

drews..

August 19. Dr. Watson. Literature and patronage.
Writing and conversation compared. Change of
manners, The union. Value of money. St.
Andrews and John Knox. Retirement from the

world. Dinner with the Professors, Question

concerning sorrow and content. Instructions for

composition. Dr. Johnson's method. Uncertainty of

memory........

August 20. Effect of prayer. Observance of Sunday.

Professor Shaw. Transubstantiation. Literary pro-

perty. Mr. Tyer's remark on Dr. Johnson. Ar-

rive at Montrose

...

August 21. Want of trees. Laurence Kirk. Dinner

at Monboddo. Emigration. Homer. Biography

and history compared. Decrease of learning. Cau-

ses of it. Promotion of bishops. Warburton.

Lowth. Value of Politeness. Dr. Johnson's senti-

ments concerning Lord Monboddo. Arrive at Aber-

deen

......

August 22. Professor Thomas Gordon. Publick and

private education. Sir Alexander Gordon. Trade of

Aberdeen. Prescription of murder in Scotland.

Mystery of the Trinity.

Satisfaction of Christ.

Importance of old friendships...
August 23. Dr. Johnson made a burgess of Aberdeen.
Dinner at Sir Alexander Gordon's. Warburton's
powers of invective. His Doctrine of Grace. Lock's
verses. Fingal..

August 24. Goldsmith and Graham.

...

Slains castle.

Education of children. Buller of Buchan.

Consequence of Peers. Sir Joshua Reynolds.

of Errol

Entails.

Earl

August 25. The advantage of being on good terms with
relations. Nabobs. Feudal state of subordination.

Dinner at Strichen. Life of country gentlemen.

THE LITERARY CLUB.......

August 26. Lord Monboddo. Use and importance of

wealth. Elgin. Macbeth's heath. Fores

......

August 27. Leonidas. Paul Whitehead. Derrick. Ori-

gin of Evil. Calder-manse. Reasonableness of eccle-

siastical subscription. Family worship .... 104

..........

August 28. Fort George. Sir Adolphus Oughton. Con-

test between Warburton and Lowth. Dinner at Sir

Eyre Coote's. Arabs and English soldiers compared.

The Stage, Mr. Garrick, Mrs. Cibber, Mrs. Pritchard,

Mrs. Clive. Inverness

.....

109

August 29. Macbeth's Castle. Incorrectness of writers of

Travels. Coinage of new words. Dr. Johnson's

Dictionary

.....

... 116

August 30. Dr. Johnson on horse-back. A Highland hut.
Fort Augustus. Governour Trapaud

..........

119

August 31. Anoch. Emigration. Goldsmith. Poets and

soldiers compared. Life of a sailor. Landlord's daugh-

ter at Anoch

123

..........

September 1. Glensheal. The Macraas. Dr. Johnson's

anger at being left for a little while by the authour on

a wild plain. Wretched inn at Glenelg

........

128

September 2. Dr. Johnson relents. Isle of Sky. Armi-

.... 138

140

........

September 4. Ancient Highland Enthusiasm

September 5. Sir James Macdonald's epitaph and last letter

to his mother. Dr. Johnson's Latin ode on the Isle of

Sky. Isaac Hawkins Browne

September 6. Corrichatachin. Highland hospitality and

mirth. Dr. Johnson's Latin ode to Mrs. Thrale.

145

September 7. Uneasy state of dependence on the weather.

State of those who live in the country. Dr. M'Pher-

son's Dissertations. Second Sight

September 8. Rev. Mr. Donald MʻQueen. Mr. Malcolm

M'Cleod. Sail to Rasay. Fingal, Homer. Elegant

and gay entertainment at Rasay

September 9. Antiquity of the family of Rasay. Cure

September 10. Survey of the island of Rasay. Bentley.

Mallet. Hooke. Duchess of Marlborough......159
September 11. Heritable jurisdictions. Insular life. The

September 12. Sail to Portree. Dr. Johnson's discourse on
death. Letters from Lord Elibank to Dr. Johnson and
the authour. Dr. Johnson's answer, Ride to Kings-
burgh. Flora M'Donald

.....

..........

170

178

September 13. Distresses and escape of the grandson of
King James II. Arrive at Dunvegan

September 14. Importance of the chastity of women. Dr.

Cadogan. Whether the Practice of authours is neces-

sary to enforce their Doctrines. Good humour ac-

quirable

....

206

September 15. Sir George M'Kenzie. Mr. Burke's wit,