helmet." (1) JOHNSON. "Hang him up, hang him up." BOSWELL (humouring the joke). " Hang out his skull instead of a helmet, and you may drink ale out of it in your hall of Odin, as he is your enemy; that will be truly ancient. There will be Northern Antiquities.' "(2) JOHNSON. "He's a whig, Sir; a sad dog," smiling at his own violent expressions, merely for political difference of opinion: "but he's the best traveller I ever read; he observes more things than any one else does." I could not help thinking that this was too high praise of a writer who traversed a wide extent of country in such haste, that he could put together only curt frittered fragments of his own, and afterwards procured supplemental intelligence from parochial ministers, and others not the best qualified or most partial narrators, whose ungenerous prejudice against the house of Stuart glares in misrepresentation; a writer, who at best treats merely of superficial objects, and shows no philosophical investigation of character and manners, such as Johnson has exhibited in his masterly " Journey" over part of the same ground; and who, it should seem from a desire of ingratiating himself with the Scotch, has flattered the people of North Britain so inordinately and with so little discrimination, that the (1) It certainly was a custom, as appears from the following passage in " Perce-forest," vol. iii. p. 108. : - "Fasoient mettre au plus hault de leur hostel un heaulme, en signe que tous les gentils hommes et gentilles femmes entrâssent hardiment en Ieur hostel comme en leur propre," &c. - KEARNEY. (2) The title of a book translated by Dr. Percy. judicious and candid amongst them must be disgusted, while they value more the plain, just, yet kindly report of Johnson. Having impartially censured Mr. Pennant, as a traveller in Scotland, let me allow him, from authorities much better than mine, his deserved praise as an able zoologist; and let me also, from my own understanding and feelings, acknowledge the merit of his " London,” which, though said to be not quite accurate in some particulars, is one of the most pleasing topographical performances that ever appeared in any language. Mr. Pennant, like his countrymen in general, has the true spirit of a gentleman. As a proof of it, I shall quote from his "London" the passage in which he speaks of my illustrious friend. "I must by no means omit Bolt Court, the long residence of Dr. Samuel Johnson, a man of the strongest natural abilities, great learning, a most retentive memory, of the deepest and most unaffected piety and morality, mingled with those numerous weaknesses and prejudices, which his friends have kindly taken care to draw from their dread abode. (1) I brought on my.. self his transient anger, by observing that in his tour in Scotland, he once had long and woful experience of oats being the food of men in Scotland, as they were of horses in England. It was a national reflection unworthy of him, and I shot my bolt. In turn he gave (1) This is the common cant against faithful biography. Does the worthy gentleman mean that I, who was taught discrimination of character by Johnson, should have omitted his frailties, and, in short, have bedaubed him, as the worthy gentleman has bedaubed Scotland? me a tender hug. (1) Con amore he also said of me, 'The dog is a Whig.' (2) I admired the virtues of Lord Russell, and pitied his fall. I should have been a Whig at the Revolution. There have been periods since in which I should have been, what I now am, a moderate Tory, a supporter, as far as my little influence extends, of a well-poised balance between the crown and the people; but should the scale preponderate against the salus populi, that moment may it be said, 'The dog's a Whig!'” We had a calm after the storm, staid the evening and supped, and were pleasant and gay. But Dr. Percy told me he was very uneasy at what had passed, for there was a gentleman there who was acquainted with the Northumberland family, to whom he hoped to have appeared more respectable, by showing how intimate he was with Dr. Johnson, and who might now, on the contrary, go away with an opinion to his disadvantage. He begged I would mention this to Dr. Johnson, which I afterwards did. His observation upon it was, " This comes of stratagem; had he told me that he wished to appear to advantage before that gentleman, he should have been at the top of the house all the time." He spoke of Dr. Percy in the handsomest manner. " Then, Sir," said I, " may I be allowed to suggest a mode by which you may effectually counteract any unfavourable report of what passed? (1) See Dr. Johnson's "Journey to the Western islands,' p. 296.; see his Dictionary article, oats; and my "Voyage to the Hebrides," first edition. - PENNANT. (2) See Mr. Boswell's Journal (antè, Vol. IV. p. 168PENNANT. |