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the country is this: the people, knowing it to be agreed on all hands that this king has not the hereditary right to the crown, and there being no hope that he who has it can be restored, have grown cold and indifferent upon the subject of loyalty, and have no warm attachment to any king. They would not, therefore, risk anything to restore the exiled family. They would not give twenty shillings a piece to bring it about. But if a mere vote could do it, there would be twenty to one; at least, there would be a very great majority of voices for it. For, sir, you are to consider that all those who think a king has a right to his crown as a man has to his estate, which is the just opinion, would be for restoring the king who certainly has the hereditary right, could he be trusted with it; in which there would be no danger now, when laws and everything else are so much. advanced, and every king will govern by the laws. And you must also consider, sir, that there is nothing on the other side to oppose this; for it is not alleged by any one that the present family has any inherent right: so that the Whigs could not have a contest between two rights."— Boswell.

He said of Charles the Second that "he was licentious in his practice; but he always had a reverence for what was good. Charles the Second knew his people, and rewarded merit. The Church was at no time better filled than in his reign. He was the best king we have had from his time till the reign of his present Majesty, except James the Second, who was a very good king, but, unhappily, believed that it was necessary for the salvation of his subjects that they should be Roman Catholics. He had the merit of endeavoring to do what he thought was for the salvation of the souls of his subjects, till he lost a great empire. We, who thought that we should not be saved if we were Roman Catholics, had the merit of maintaining our religion, at the expense of submitting ourselves to the government of King William

(for it could not be done otherwise)-to the government of one of the most worthless scoundrels that ever existed. No; Charles the Second was not such a man as (naming another king). "He did not destroy his father's will. He took money, indeed, from France; but he did not betray those over whom he ruled: he did not let the French fleet pass ours. George the First knew nothing, and desired to know nothing; did nothing, and desired to do nothing; and the only good thing that is told of him is that he wished to restore the crown to its hereditary successor." He roared with prodigious violence against George the Second.-Boswell.

No man was more zealously attached to his party: he not only loved a Tory himself, but he loved a man the better if he heard he hated a Whig. "Dear Bathurst," said he to me one day, "was a man to my very heart's content: he hated a fool, and he hated a rogue, and he hated a Whighe was a very good hater."-Mrs. Piozzi.

On Wednesday, August 3d, we had our last social evening at the Turk's Head coffee-house, before my setting out for foreign parts. I had the misfortune, before we parted, to irritate him unintentionally. I mentioned to him how common it was in the world to tell absurd stories of him, and to ascribe to him very strange sayings. Johnson: "What do they make me say, sir?" Boswell: "Why, sir, as an instance very strange indeed," laughing heartily as I spoke, “David Hume told me you said that you would stand before a battery of cannon to restore the Convocation to its full powers." Little did I apprehend that he had actually said this: but I was soon convinced of my error; for, with a determined look, he thundered out, "And would I not, sir? Shall the Presbyterian Kirk of Scotland have

*George the Second.

its General Assembly, and the Church of England be denied its Convocation?" He was walking up and down the room while I told him the anecdote; but when he uttered this explosion of High-Church zeal, he had come close to my chair, and his eyes flashed with indignation.-Boswell.

I had hired a Bohemian as my servant while I remained in London, and, being much pleased with him, I asked Dr. Johnson whether his being a Roman Catholic should prevent my taking him with me to Scotland. Johnson: "Why, no, sir. If he has no objection, you can have none." Boswell: "So, sir, you are no great enemy to the Roman Catholic religion?" Johnson: "No more, sir, than to the Presbyterian religion." Boswell: "You are joking." Johnson: "No, sir, I really think so. Nay, sir, of the two I prefer the Popish." Boswell: "How so, sir?" Johnson: "Why, sir, the Presbyterians have no Church, no apostolical ordination." Boswell: "And do you think that absolutely essential, sir?" Johnson: "Why, sir, as it was an apostolical institution, I think it is dangerous to be without it. And, sir, the Presbyterians have no public worship: they have no form of prayer in which they know they are to join. They go to hear a man pray, and are to judge whether they will join with him."-Boswell.

His respect for the hierarchy, and particularly the dignitaries of the Church, has been more than once exhibited. Mr. Seward saw him presented to the Archbishop of York, and described his bow to an archbishop as such a studied elaboration of homage, such an extension of limb, such a flexion of body, as have seldom or ever been equalled.Boswell,

Johnson's zeal for the Church of England was greatly stimulated by the sight of the ruined churches and abbeys in Scotland. The following passages are taken from the

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"Journal of a Tour in the Hebrides," and indicate the full extent of Johnson's devotion to Episcopacy.-Editor.

One of the steeples, which he was told was in danger, he wished not to be taken down; "for," said he, "it may fall on some of the posterity of John Knox; and no great matter!" Dinner was mentioned. Johnson: "Ay, ay; amidst all these sorrowful scenes I have no objection to dinner."Boswell.

Dr. Johnson's veneration for the hierarchy is well known. There is no wonder, then, that he was affected with a strong indignation while he beheld the ruins of religious magnificence. I happened to ask where John Knox was buried. Dr. Johnson burst out, "I hope in the highway! I have been looking at his reformations !"-Boswell.

I doubted whether Dr. Johnson would be present at a Presbyterian prayer. I told Mr. Macaulay so, and said that the doctor might sit in the library while we were at family worship. Mr. Macaulay said he would omit it rather than give Dr. Johnson offence; but I would by no means agree that an excess of politeness, even to so great a man, should prevent what I esteem as one of the best pious regulations. I know nothing more beneficial, more comfortable, more agreeable than that the little societies of each family should regularly assemble, and unite in praise and prayer to our heavenly Father, from whom we daily receive so much good, and may hope for more in a higher state of existence. I mentioned to Dr. Johnson the over-delicate scrupulosity of our host; he said he had no objection to hear the prayer. This was a pleasing surprise to me, for he refused to go and hear Principal Robertson preach. "I will hear him," said he, “if he will get up into a tree and preach; but I will not give a sanction, by my presence, to a Presbyterian assembly."-Boswell.

Neither the Rev. Mr. Nisbet, the Established minister, nor the Rev. Mr. Spooner, the Episcopal minister, were in town. Before breakfast we went and saw the town-hall, where is a good dancing-room, and other rooms for tea-drinking. The appearance of the town from it is very well; but many of the houses are built with their ends to the street, which looks awkward. When we came down from it, I met Mr. Gleig, a merchant here. He went with us to see the English chapel. It is situated on a pretty, dry spot, and there is a fine walk to it. It is really an elegant building, both within and without. The organ is adorned with green and gold. Dr. Johnson gave a shilling extraordinary to the clerk, saying, "He belongs to an honest Church." I put him in mind that Episcopals were but Dissenters here; they were only tolerated. "Sir," said he, "we are here as Christians in Turkey."—Boswell.

SUPERSTITION.

CROSBIE pleased him much by talking learnedly of alchemy, as to which Johnson was not a positive unbeliever, but rather delighted in considering what progress had actually been made in the transmutation of metals, what near approaches there had been to the making of gold; and told us that it was affirmed that a person in the Russian dominions had discovered the secret, but died without revealing it, as imagining it would be prejudicial to society. He added that it was not impossible but it might in time be generally known.--Boswell.

I have this year omitted church on most Sundays, intending to supply the deficiency in the week; so that I owe twelve attendances on worship. I will make no more such superstitious stipulations.-Johnson's Prayers and Meditations.

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