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1774.

Etat. 65.

year to the fountain of intelligence and pleasure, is very natural; but both
information and pleasure must be regulated by propriety. Pleasure, which
cannot be obtained but by unfeasonable or unfuitable expence, muft always
end in pain; and pleasure, which must be enjoyed at the expence of another's
pain, can never be fuch as a worthy mind can fully delight in.

"What improvement you might gain by coming to London, you may
eafily fupply, or eafily compenfate, by enjoining yourself fome particular study
at home, or opening fome new avenue to information. Edinburgh is not yet
exhausted; and I am fure you will find no pleasure here which can deserve
either that you should anticipate any part of your future fortune, or that you
hould condemn yourself and your lady to penurious frugality for the reft of
the year.

"I need not tell you what regard you owe to Mrs. Boswell's entreaties ; or how much you ought to ftudy the happiness of her who studies yours with fo much diligence, and of whofe kindness you enjoy fuch good effects. Life cannot fubfift in fociety but by reciprocal conceffions. She permitted you to ramble laft year, you must permit her now to keep you at home.

"Your laft reafon is fo ferious, that I am unwilling to oppofe it. Yet you must remember, that your image of worshipping once a year in a certain place, in imitation of the Jews, is but a comparison, and fimile non eft idem ; if the annual refort to Jerufalem was a duty to the Jews, it was a duty because it was commanded; and you have no fuch command, therefore no fuch duty. It may be dangerous to receive too readily, and indulge too fondly, opinions, from which, perhaps, no pious mind is wholly difengaged, of local fanctity and local devotion. You know what ftrange effects they have produced over a great part of the Chriftian world. I am now writing, and you, when you read this, are reading under the Eye of Omniprefence.

"To what degree fancy is to be admitted into religious offices, it would require much deliberation to determine. I am far from intending totally to exclude it. Fancy is a faculty beftowed by our Creator, and it is reasonable that all his gifts fhould be used to his glory, that all our faculties fhould cooperate in his worship; but they are to co-operate according to the will of him that gave them, according to the order which his wisdom has established. As ceremonies prudential or convenient are lefs obligatory than pofitive ordinances, as bodily worfhip is only the token to others or ourfelves of mental adoration, so Fancy is always to act in fubordination to Reason. We may take Fancy for a companion, but muft follow Reafon as our guide.

We may

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allow

allow Fancy to fuggest certain ideas in certain places, but Reason must always be heard, when she tells us, that those ideas and those places have no natural or neceffary relation. When we enter a church we habitually recal to mind. the duty of adoration, but we must not omit adoration for want of a temple; because we know, and ought to remember, that the Univerfal Lord is every where present; and that, therefore, to come to Jona, or to Jerufalem, though it may be useful, cannot be neceffary.

"Thus I have answered your letter, and have not answered it negligently. I love you too well to be careless when you are serious.

"I think I shall be very diligent next week about our travels, which I have too long neglected. I am, dear Sir,

"Your most, &c.

"Compliments to Madam and Mifs."

"SAM. JOHNSON.

1774.

Ætat. 65.

To the fame.

"DEAR SIR,

"THE lady who delivers this has a law-fuit, in which fhe defires to make use of your skill and eloquence, and she seems to think that she shall have fomething more of both for a recommendation from me; which, though I know how little you want any external incitement to your duty, I could not refuse her, because I know that at least it will not hurt her, to tell you that I wish her well. I am, Sir,

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"LORD HAILES has begged of me to offer you his beft refpects, and to transmit to you specimens of Annals of Scotland, from the Acceffion of Malcolm Kenmore to the Death of James V.' in drawing up which, his Lordship has been engaged for fome time. His Lordship writes to me thus: If I could procure Dr. Johnfon's criticisms, they would be of great use to me in the profecution of my work, as they would be judicious and true. I have no right to ask that favour of him. If you could, it would highly oblige me."

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1774,

Etat. 65.

"Dr. Blair requests you may be affured that he did not write to London what you faid to him, and that neither by word nor letter has he made the leaft complaint of you; but, on the contrary, has a high refpect for you, and loves you much more fince he faw you in Scotland. It would both divert and pleafe you to fee his eagernefs about this matter."

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

Streatham, June 21, 1774.

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"YESTERDAY I put the firft fheets of the Journey to the Hebrides' to the prefs. I have endeavoured to do you fome justice in the first paragraph. It will be one volume in octavo, not thick.

"It will be proper to make some prefents in Scotland. You fhall tell me to whom I fhall give; and I have stipulated twenty five for you to give in your own name. Some will take the present better from me, others better from you. In this, you who are to live in the place ought to direct. Confider it. Whatever you can get for my purpose, send me; and make my compliments to your lady and both the young ones.

"I am, Sir, your, &c.

"SAM. JOHNSON."

Mr. BOSWELL to Dr. JOHNSON.

Edinburgh, June 25, 1774.

"YOU do not acknowledge the receipt of the various packets. which I have fent to you. Neither can I prevail with you to answer my letters, though you honour me with returns. You have said nothing to me about poor Goldsmith', nothing about Langton.

"I have received for you, from the Society for propagating Chriftian Knowledge in Scotland, the following Erfe books:- The New Teftament ;’— • Baxter's Call ;'- The Confeffion of Faith of the Affembly of Divines at Westminster;'- The Mother's Catechifm;'-'A Gaelick and English Vocabulary2.

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"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"I WISH YOU Could have looked over my book before the printer, but it could not easily be. I fufpect some mistakes; but as I deal, perhaps,

Dr. Goldfmith died April 4, this year.

2 These books Dr. Johnfon prefented to the Bodleian Library,

more

1774.

more in notions than facts, the matter is not great, and the fecond edition will be mended, if any fuch there be. The prefs will go on flowly for a time, Etat. 65. because I am going into Wales to-morrow.

"I should be very forry if I appeared to treat fuch a character as that of Lord Hailes otherwise than with high respect. I return the sheets3, to which I have done what mifchief I could; and finding it fo little, thought not much of fending them. The narrative is clear, lively, and short.

"I have done worse to Lord Hailes than by neglecting his sheets: I have run him in debt. Dr. Horne, the President of Magdalen College in Oxford, wrote to me about three months ago, that he purposed to reprint Walton's Lives, and defired me to contribute to the work: my answer was, that Lord Hailes intended the fame publication; and Dr. Horne has refigned it to him.. His Lordship now must think seriously about it.

"Of poor dear Dr. Goldsmith there is little to be told, more than the papers have made publick. He died of a fever, made, I am afraid, more violent by uneafinefs of mind. His debts began to be heavy, and all his refources were exhausted. Sir Joshua is of opinion that he owed not less than two thousand pounds. Was ever poet fo trufted before?

"You may, if you please, put the infcription thus:

• Maria Scotorum Regina nata 15—, a fuis in exilium a&ta 15—, ab hofpitâ neci data 15-' You must find the years.

"Of your fecond daughter you certainly gave the account yourself, though. you have forgotten it. While Mrs. Bofwell is well, never doubt of a boy. Mrs. Thrale brought, I think, five girls running, but while I was with you she had a boy.

“I am obliged to you for all your pamphlets, and of the last I hope to make fome use. I made fome of the former. I am, dear Sir,

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"YOU have given me an inscription for a portrait of Mary Queen

of Scots, in which you, in a fhort and striking manner, point out her hard

3 On the cover enclosing them, Dr. Johnfon wrote, "If my delay has given any reason for fuppofing that I have not a very decp fenfe of the honour done me by asking my judgement, I am very forry."

fate.

1774.

Etat. 65.

fate. But you will be pleafed to keep in mind, that my picture is a reprefentation of a particular fcene in her hiftory;-her being forced to refign her crown, while fhe was imprifoned in the caftle of Lochlevin. I must, therefore, beg that you will be kind enough to give me an infcription fuited to that particular scene, or determine which of the two formerly transmitted to you is the best; and, at any rate, favour me with an English translation. It will be doubly kind if you comply with my request speedily.

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"Your critical notes on the fpecimen of Lord Hailes's Annals of Scotland,' are excellent. I agreed with you in every one of them. He himself objected only to the alteration of free to brave, in the paffage where he says that Edward departed with the glory due to the conquerour of a free people.' He fays, to call the Scots brave would only add to the glory of their conquerour.' You will make allowance for the national zeal of our annalist. I now send a few more leaves of the Annals, which I hope you will peruse, and return with obfervations, as you did upon the former occafion. Lord Hailes writes to me thus: Mr. Bofwell will be pleafed to exprefs the grateful sense which Sir David Dalrymple has of Dr. Johnson's attention to his little fpecimen. The further fpecimen will fhew, that

Even in an Edward he can fee defert.'

"It gives me much pleasure to hear that a re-publication of Ifaac Walton's Lives is intended. You have been in a mistake in thinking that Lord Hailes had it in view. I remember one forenoon, while he fat with you in my house, he said, that there fhould be a new edition of Walton's Lives; and you said, that they should be benoted a little. This was all that paffed on that fubject. You must, therefore, inform Dr. Horne, that he may refume his plan. I enclose a note concerning it; and if Dr. Horne will write to me, all the attention that I can give shall be cheerfully bestowed, upon what I think a pious work, the prefervation and elucidation of Walton, by whofe writings I have been most pleasingly edified.

Mr. BOSWELL to Dr. JOHNSON.

Edinburgh, Sept. 16, 1774.

"WALES has probably detained you longer than I fuppofed. You will have become quite a mountaineer, by vifiting Scotland one year and Wales another. You must next go to Switzerland. if you do not honour her alfo with fome remarks.

Cambria will complain,

And I find conceffere

columna,

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