The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson

CONTENTS

PAGE

DEDICATION

INTRODUCTION. Character of Dr. Johnson. He arrives

August 15. Sir W. Forbes. Practice of the law. Emi-
gration. Dr. Beattie and Mr. Hume. Dr. Robert-
son. Mr. Burke's various and extraordinary
talents. Question concerning genius. Whitfield
and Wesley. Instructions to political parties. Dr.
Johnson's opinion of Garrick as a tragedian.

August 16. Ogden on Prayer. Aphoristick writing.

Edinburgh surveyed. Character of Swift's works.

Evil spirits and witchcraft. Lord Monboddo and

the Ouran Outang

August 17. Poetry and Dictionary-writing. Scepticism.

Eternal necessity refuted. Lord Hailes's criticism

on The Vanity of Human Wishes. Mr. Maclaurin.

Decision of the Judges in Scotland on literary

property

August 18. Set out for the Hebrides. Sketch of the
authour's character. Trade of Glasgow. Suicide.
Inchkeith. Parliamentary knowledge. Influence
of Peers. Popular clamours. Arrive at St.

Andrews

August 19. Dr. Watson.

Literature and patronage.

Writing and conversation compared. Change of

manners. The Union.

Value of money. St.

Andrews and John Knox. Retirement from the

world. Dinner with the Professors. Question

concerning sorrow and content, Instructions for

composition. Dr. Johnson's method. Uncertainty

of memory

August 20. Effect of prayer. Observance of Sunday.

Professor Shaw. Transubstantiation. Literary

property. Mr. Tyers's remark on Dr. Johnson.

Arrive at Montrose

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. 53

August 21. Want of trees. Laurence Kirk. Dinner

at Monboddo. Emigration. Homer. Biography

and history compared. Decrease of learning.

Causes of it. Promotion of bishops. Warburton.

Lowth. Value of politeness. Dr. Johnson's

sentiments concerning Lord Monboddo. Arrive

at Aberdeen.

August 22.

Professor Thomas Gordon, Public and

private education. Sir Alexander Gordon. Trade

of Aberdeen. Prescription of murder in Scotland.

Mystery of the Trinity. Satisfaction of Christ.

Importance of old friendships

August 23. Dr. Johnson made a burgess of Aberdeen.

Dinner at Sir Alexander Gordon's, Warburton's

powers of invective. His Doctrine of Grace. Lock's

verses. Fingal

August 24. Goldsmith and Graham. Slains castle.

Education of children. Buller of Buchan, Entails.

Consequence of Peers. Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Earl of Errol

August 25. The advantage of being on good terms with

relations. Nabobs. Feudal state of subordination.

Dinner at Strichen. Life of country gentlemen,

THE LITERARY CLUB

August 26. Lord Monboddo. Use and importance of

wealth. Elgin, Macbeth's heath. Fores

August 27. Leonidas. Paul Whitehead. Derrick. Ori-

gin of Evil. Calder-manse. Reasonableness of

ecclesiastical subscription, Family worship.

August 28, Fort George. Sir Adolphus Oughton,

Contest between Warburton and Lowth.

Dinner

PAGE

at Sir Eyre Coote's. Arabs and English soldiers
compared. The Stage. Mr. Garrick. Mrs.
Cibber, Mrs. Pritchard, Mrs. Clive. Inverness 103

August 29. Macbeth's Castle. Incorrectness of writers

of Travels. Coinage of new words. Dr. Johnson's

Dictionary

August 30. Dr. Johnson on horseback. A Highland

hut. Fort Augustus. Governor Trapaud

August 31. Anoch. Emigration. Goldsmith. Poets

and soldiers compared. Life of a sailor. Land-

lord's daughter at Anoch

September 1. Glensheal, The Macraas. Dr. Johnson's

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112

116

anger at being left for a little while by the authour
on a wild plain. Wretched inn at Glenelg

Dr. Johnson relents. Isle of Sky. Armi-

Colonel Montgomery, now Earl of Eglin-

Ancient Highland enthusiasm.

September 5. Sir James Macdonald's epitaph and last
letters to his mother. Dr. Johnson's Latin ode on
the Isle of Sky. Isaac Hawkins Browne
September 6. Corrichatachin. Highland hospitality and
mirth. Dr. Johnson's Latin ode to Mrs, Thrale
September 7. Uneasy state of dependence on the weather.
State of those who live in the country. Dr.
M'Pherson's Dissertations. Second Sight
September 8. Rev. Mr. Donald M'Queen. Mr. Mal-
colm M'Cleod. Sail to Rasay. Fingal, Homer,
Elegant and gay entertainment at Rasay
September 9. Antiquity of the family of Rasay. Cure
of infidelity.
September 10. Survey of the island of Rasay. Bentley.
Mallet, Hooke. Duchess of Marlborough
September 11. Heritable jurisdictions, Insular life. The

Laird of M'Cleod

September 12. Sail to Portree. Dr. Johnson's discourse
on death. Letters from Lord Elibank to Dr. John-
son and the authour. Dr. Johnson's answer. Ride
to Kingsburgh. Flora Macdonald
September 13. Distresses and escape of the grandson of
King James II. Arrive at Dunvegan
September 14. Importance of the chastity of women,
Dr. Cadogan, Whether the Practice of authours is
necessary to enforce their Doctrines. Good humour
acquirable

September 15. Sir George McKenzie. Mr. Burke's wit,

knowledge, and eloquence

September 16. Dr. Johnson's hereditary melancholy.
His minute knowledge in various arts. Apology
for the authour's ardour in his pursuits. Dr. John-
son's imaginary seraglio. Polygamy
September 17. Cunning. Whether great abilities are
necessary to be wicked. Temple of the Goddess
Anaitis, Family portraits, Records not consulted

by old English historians. Mr. Pennant's Tours
criticised
September 18. Ancient residence of a Highland Chief.
Languages the pedigree of nations. Laird of the
Isle of Muck
September 19. Choice of a wife. Women an overmatch
for men. Lady Grange in St. Kilda, Poetry of
savages. French Literati. Prize-fighting. French
and English soldiers. Duelling
September 20. Change of London_manners,