"WE are thinking to augment our club, and I am defirous of nominating you, if you care to ftand the ballot, and can attend on Friday nights at leaft twice in five weeks: lefs than that is too little, and rather more will be expected. Be pleased to let me know before Friday. I am, Sir, you call on "LAST night you became a member of the club; if "I thank you for Neander, but wish he were not fo fine. I will take care March 5, 1774. DEAR SIR, "Your humble servant, SAM. JOHNSON.", To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "DR. WEBSTER'S informations were much lefs exact and much less determinate than I expected: they are, indeed, much less pofitive than, if he can trust his own book which he laid before me, he is able to give. But I believe it will always be found, that he who calls much for information will advance his work but flowly. "I am, however, obliged to you, dear Sir, for your endeavours to help me, and hope, that between us fomething will fome time be done, if not on this, on fome occafion. "Chambers is either married, or almost married, to Mifs Wilton, a girl of fixteen, exquifitely beautiful, whom he has, with his lawyer's tongue, perfuaded to take her chance with him in the Eaft. 3 A manufcript account drawn up by Dr. Webster of all the parishes in Scotland, afcertaining their length, breadth, number of inhabitants, and diftinguishing Proteftants and Roman Catholicks. This book had been tranfmitted to government, and Dr. Johnfon faw a copy of it in Dr. Webster's poffeffion. "We have added to the club, Charles Fox, Sir Charles Bunbury, Dr. Fordyce, and Mr. Steevens. "Return my thanks to Dr. Webster. Tell Dr. Robertson that I have not much to reply to his cenfure of my negligence; and tell Dr. Blair that fince he has written hither what I faid to him, we must now confider ourselves as even, forgive one another, and begin again. I care not how foon, for he is a very pleasing man. Pay my compliments to all my friends, and remind Lord Elibank of his promife to give me all his works. "I hope Mrs. Bofwell and little Mifs are well.-When fhall I fee them again? She is a fweet lady, only fhe was fo glad to fee me go, that I have almost a mind to come again, that she may again have the fame pleasure. Enquire if it be practicable to fend a fmall prefent of a cafk of porter to Dunvegan, Rafay, and Col. I would not wish to be thought forgetful of civilities. I am, Sir, March 5, 1774. "Your humble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON." On the 5th of March I wrote to him, requesting his counsel whether I should this fpring come to London. I ftated to him on the one hand fome pecuniary embarraffiments, which, together with my wife's fituation at that time, made me hesitate; and, on the other, the pleasure and improvement which my annual vifit to the metropolis always afforded me; and particularly mentioned a peculiar fatisfaction which I experienced in celebrating the festival of Easter in St. Paul's cathedral; that to my fancy it appeared like going up to Jerufalem at the feaft of the Paffover; and that the ftrong devotion which I felt on that occafion diffused its influence on my mind through the rest of the year. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. [Not dated, but written about the 15th of March.} "I AM afhamed to think that fince I received your lettter I have paffed so many days without answering it. "I think there is no great difficulty in refolving your doubts. The reafons for which you are inclined to vifit London, are, I think, not of fufficient strength to answer the objections. That you should delight to come once a 1774 Etat. 65. 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, must 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 easily compenfate, by enjoining yourself some 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 deferve either that you should anticipate any part of your future fortune, or that you fhould 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. Bofwell's entreaties; or how much you ought to ftudy the happiness of her who ftudies 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 last year, you must permit her now to keep you at home. "Your last 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 read this, are reading under the Eye of Omniprefence. you, when you "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 bestowed 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 wifdom has established. As ceremonies prudential or convenient are lefs obligatory than pofitive ordinances, as bodily worship is only the token to others or ourselves 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 I allow Etat. 65. allow Fancy to fuggeft certain ideas in certain places, but Reafon must always 1774. 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 anfwered it negligently. I love you too well to be careless when you are ferious. " I think I fhall be very diligent next week about our travels, which I have too long neglected. I am, dear Sir, "Your moft, &c. "Compliments to Madam and Mifs." "SAM. JOHNSON. 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 something 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 with her well. I am, Sir, "Your most humble fervant, 66 May 10, 1774. SAM. JOHNSON." Mr. BOSWELL to Dr. JOHNSON. Edinburgh, May 12, 1774. "LORD HAILES has begged of me to offer you his best respects, and to transmit to you fpecimens 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. Johnson's criticisms, they would be of great use to me in the prosecution 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." 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 respect 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. "YESTERDAY I put the first sheets of the Journey to the Hebrides' to the prefs. I have endeavoured to do you fome juftice in the first paragraph. It will be one volume in octavo, not thick. in "It will be proper to make fome prefents in Scotland. You fhall tell me to whom I fhall give; and I have ftipulated twenty five for you to give your own name. Some will take the prefent 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 "I have received for you, from the Society for propagating Christian "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "I WISH you could have looked over my book before the printer, but it could not eafily be. I fufpect fome mistakes; but as I deal, perhaps, • Dr. Goldsmith died April 4, this year. 2 Thefe books Dr. Johnfon prefented to the Bodleian Library. more |