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1775.

lamented, I think, in forty languages. And I would have at every coronation, and every death of a King, every Gaudium, and every Luctus, University Atat. 66. verfes in as many languages as can be acquired. I would have the world to be thus told, Here is a school where every thing may be learnt.”

Having fet out next day on a visit to the Earl of Pembroke, at Wilton, and to my friend, Mr. Temple, at Mamhead, in Devonshire, and not having returned to town till the fecond of May, I did not fee Dr. Johnson for a confiderable time, and during the remaining part of my ftay in London, kept very imperfect notes of his conversation, which had I according to my ufual custom written out at large foon after the time, much might have been preserved, which is now irretrievably loft. I can now only record some particular fcenes, and a few fragments of his memorabilia. But to make some amends for my relaxation of diligence in one respect, I have to present my readers with arguments upon two law cafes, with which he favoured me.

On Saturday, the fixth of May, we dined by ourselves at the Mitre, and he dictated to me what follows, to obviate the complaint already mentioned, which had been made in the form of an action in the Court of Seffion, by Dr. Memis, of Aberdeen, that in the fame tranflation of a charter in which phyficians were mentioned, he was called Doctor of Medicine.

"THERE are but two reasons for which a phyfician can decline the title of Doctor of Medicine, because he fuppofes himself difgraced by the doctorship, or fuppofes the doctorship disgraced by himself. To be difgraced by a title which he shares in common with every illustrious name of his profeffion, with Boerhaave, with Arbuthnot, and with Cullen, can furely diminish no man's reputation. It is, I fuppofe, to the doctorate, from which he shrinks, that he owes his right of practifing phyfick. A Doctor of Medicine is a phyfician under the protection of the laws, and by the ftamp of authority. The physician who is not a Doctor, ufurps a profeffion, and is authorised only by himself to decide upon health and sickness, and life and death. That this gentleman is a Doctor, his diploma makes evident; a diploma not obtruded upon him, but obtained by folicitation, and for which fees were paid. With what countenance any man can refufe the title which he has either begged or bought, is not easily discovered.

"All verbal injury muft comprise in it either fome falfe pofition, or fome unneceffary declaration of defamatory truth. That in calling him Doctor, a falfe appellation was given him, he himfelf will not pretend, who at the fame time that he complains of the title, would be offended if we fuppofed him to

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1775.

be not a Doctor. If the title of Doctor be a defamatory truth, it is time Atat. 66. to diffolve our colleges, for why should the publick give falaries to men whose approbation is reproach? It may likewife deferve the notice of the publick to confider what help can be given to the profeffors of phyfick, who all share with this unhappy gentleman the ignominious appellation, and of whom the very boys in the street are not afraid to fay, There goes the Doctor.

"What is implied by the term Doctor is well known. It diftinguishes him to whom it is granted, as a man who has attained fuch knowledge of his profeffion as qualifies him to inftruct others. A Doctor of Laws is a man who can form lawyers by his precepts. A Doctor of Medicine is a man who can teach the art of curing difeafes. There is an old axiom which no man has yet thought fit to deny, Nil dat quod non habet. Upon this principle to be a Doctor implies fkill, for nemo docet quod non didicit. In England, whoever practifes phyfick, not being a Doctor, muft practice by a licence: but the doctorate conveys a licence in itself.

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By what accident it happened that he and the other physicians were mentioned in different terms, where the terms themselves were equivalent, or where in effect that which was applied to him was the more honourable, perhaps they who wrote the paper cannot now remember. Had they expected a lawfuit to have been the confequence of fuch petty variation, I hope they would have avoided it. But, probably, as they meant no ill, they fufpected no danger, and, therefore, confulted only what appeared to them propriety or convenience."

A few days afterwards I confulted him upon a cause, Paterfon and others against Alexander and others, which had been decided by a cafting vote in the Court of Seffion, determining that the Corporation of Stirling was corrupt, and fetting afide the election of some of their officers, because it was proved that three of the leading men who influenced the majority, had entered into an unjustifiable compact, of which, however, the majority were ignorant. He dictated to me, after a little confideration, the following fentences upon the fubject:

"THERE is a difference between majority and fuperiority; majority is applied to number, and fuperiority to power; and power like many other things, is to be estimated non numero fed pondere. Now though the greater number is not corrupt, the greater weight is corrupt, fo that corruption

In justice to Dr. Memis, though I was against him as an Advocate, I must mention, that he objected to the variation very earneftly, before the tranflation was printed off.

predominates

predominates in the borough, taken collectively, though, perhaps, taken numerically, the greater part may be uncorrupt. That borough which is fo constituted as to act corruptly, is in the eye of reafon corrupt, whether it be by the uncontroulable power of a few, or by an accidental pravity of the multitude. The objection, in which is urged the injuftice of making the innocent suffer with the guilty, is an objection not only against society, but against the poffibility of fociety. All focieties, great and finall, fubfift upon this condition; that as the individuals derive advantages from union, they may likewife fuffer inconveniences; that as those who do nothing and fometimes those who do ill, will have the honours and emoluments of general virtue and general profperity, fo thofe likewife who do nothing or perhaps do well, must be involved in the confequences of predominant corruption."

This in my opinion was a very nice cafe; but the decifion was affirmed in the House of Lords.

On Monday, May 8, we went together and visited the manfions of Bedlam. I had been informed that he had once been there before with Mr. Wedderburne, (now Lord Loughborough,) Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Foote; and I had heard Foote give a very entertaining account of Johnfon's happening to have his attention arrested by a man who was very furious, and who, while beating his ftraw, fuppofed it to be William Duke of Cumberland, whom he was punishing for his cruelties in Scotland in 1746. There was nothing peculiarly remarkable this day; but the general contemplation of infanity was very affecting. I accompanied him home, and dined and drank tea with him.

Talking of an acquaintance of ours, distinguished for knowing an uncommon variety of miscellaneous articles both in antiquities and polite literature, he obferved, "You know, Sir, he runs about with little weight upon his mind.” And talking of another very ingenious gentleman, who from the warmth of his temper was at variance with many of his acquaintance, and wifhed to avoid them, he said, "Sir, he leads the life of an outlaw."

On Friday, May 12, as he had been fo good as to affign me a room in his house, where I might fleep occafionally, when I happened to fit with him to a late hour, I took poffeffion of it this night, found every thing in excellent order, and was attended by honeft Francis with a most civil affiduity. I asked him whether I might go to a confultation with another lawyer upon Sunday, as that appeared to me to be doing work as much in my way, as if an artisan should work on the day appropriated for religious reft. JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, when you are of confequence enough to oppofe the practice of confulting upon Sunday, you should do it: but you may go

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Ætat. 66.

now

1775.

now.

It is not criminal, though it is not what one fhould do, who is anxious Etat. 66. for the prefervation and increafe of piety, to which a peculiar observance of Sunday is a great help. The distinction is clear between what is of moral and what is of ritual obligation."

On Saturday, May 13, I breakfasted with him by invitation, accompanied by Mr. Andrew Crosbie, a Scotch Advocate, whom he had seen at Edinburgh, and the Hon. Colonel (now General) Edward Stopford, brother to Lord Courtown, who was defirous of being introduced to him. His tea and rolls and butter, and whole breakfast apparatus were all in fuch decorum, and his behaviour was fo courteous, that Colonel Stopford was quite furprized, and wondered at his having heard fo much faid of Johnson's flovenlinefs and roughnefs. I have preferved nothing of what paffed, except that Crosbie pleased him much by talking learnedly of alchymy, as to which Johnson was not a positive unbeliever, but rather delighted in confidering what progress had actually been made in the tranfmutation of metals, what near approaches there had been to the making of gold; and told us that it was affirmed, that a perfon in the Ruflian dominions had difcovered the fecret, but died without revealing it, as imagining it would be prejudicial to fociety. He added, that it was not impoffible but it might in time be generally known.

• It being afked whether it was reasonable for a man to be angry at another whom a woman had preferred to him;-JOHNSON." I do not fee, Sir, that it is reasonable for a man to be angry at another, whom a woman has preferred to him: but angry he is, no doubt; and he is loath to be angry at himself.” Before setting out for Scotland on the 23d, I was frequently in his company at different places, but during this period have recorded only two remarks: one concerning Garrick: "He has not Latin enough. He finds out the Latin by the meaning, rather than the meaning by the Latin." And another concerning writers of travels, who, he obferved, "were more defective than any other writers."

I paffed many hours with him on the 17th, of which I find all my memorial is, "much laughing." It would seem he had that day been in a humour for jocularity and merriment, and upon fuch occafions I never knew a man laugh more heartily. We may fuppofe, that the high relifh of a state so different from his habitual gloom, produced more than ordinary exertions of that distinguishing faculty of man, which has puzzled philofophers fo much to explain. Johnson's laugh was as remarkable as any circumstance in his manner. It was a kind of good humoured growl. Tom Davies described it drolly enough: " He laughs like a rhinoceros."

To

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"I MAKE no doubt but you are now fafely lodged in your own habitation, and have told all your adventures to Mrs. Bofwell and Mifs Veronica. Pray teach Veronica to love me. Bid her not mind mamma. "Mrs. Thrale has taken cold,

is grown wel!.

and been very much difordered, but I hope Mr. Langton went yesterday to Lincolnshire, and has invited Nicolaida to follow him. Beauclerk talks of going to Bath. I am to fet out on Monday; fo there is nothing but difperfion.

"I have returned Lord Hailes's entertaining fheets, but muft ftay till I come back for more, because it will be inconvenient to fend them after me in my vagrant ftate.

5

"I promised Mrs. Macaulay that I would try to ferve her fon at Oxford. I have not forgotten it, nor am unwilling to perform it. If they defire to give him an English education, it should be confidered whether they cannot fend him for a year or two to an English school. If he comes immediately from Scotland, he can make no figure in our Univerfities. The schools in the north, I believe, are cheap; and, when I was a young man, were eminently good.

"There are two little books published by the Foulis, Telemachus and Collins's Poems, each a fhilling; I would be glad to have them.

"Make my compliments to Mrs. Bofwell, though fhe does not love me. You fee what perverfe things ladies are, and how little fit to be trufted with feudal eftates. When the mends and loves me, there may be more hope of her daughters.

"I will not fend compliments to my friends by name, because I would be loath to leave any out in the enumeration. Tell them, as you see them, how well I fpeak of Scotch politenefs, and Scotch hofpitality, and Scotch beauty, and of every thing Scotch, but Scotch oat-cakes and Scotch prejudices. "Let me know the answer of Rafay, and the decifion relating to Sir Allan'. I am, my dearest Sir, with great affection,

"Your most obliged and moft humble fervant,

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Etat. 66.

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5 Wife of the Reverend Mr. Kenneth Macaulay, authour of "The Hiftory of St. Kilda.”

A law-fuit carried on by Sir Allan Maclean, Chief of his Clan, to recover certain parts of

his family eftate from the Duke of Argyle.

2.

After

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