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plained, that if he fhould preferve arms for his dependants they would ruft; we may allow him to add, with a generous indignation, Sir, the arms of your ancestors did not ruft.' And, in general, we can excufe him, when he corrects forward folly, or petulant ignorance. Of more than one, he fpeaks with high refpect of Shaw and Macqueen with commendation; and, though we fometimes perceive no great eagerness to admire Scottish literature, yet it is not often that he shuts his eyes on merit, or his ears to real learning. His account of books, and of men, are tinctured with prejudices, with party-fpirit, and fometimes, perhaps, with the gloom of the moment. We cannot always forgive him in this fituation ; for the authority of Johnfon will fix a wound that is not eafily healed. He fill perfifts to call Swift fhallow, and Pennant fuperficial. In the former affertion, he is evidently mistaken and in the latter, no lefs fo, when that gentleman does not ftep from his proper path. He may be a fuperficial antiquary; but he is an enlightened and correct naturalift. He objects against Solander's having called himself a Swedish Laplander. If he had been converfant with northern appellations, he would have easily understood the language; but it must have been otherwise obvious that S, was born in Lapland, of Swedish parents, in that part of the country colonized by Swedes, and diftinguifhed by that name. There are many fuch errors, which Mr. Bofwell fhould have wiped up, and faid no more

about them.'

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It may be expected that the subject of Fingal will be here again examined we infert the following as, in our opinion, fatisfactory evidence.

I took Fingal down to the parlour in the morning, and tried a teft propofed by Mr. Roderick M'Leod, fon to Ulinish. Mr. M'Queen had faid he had fome of the poem in the original. I defired him to mention any paffage in the printed book, of which he could repeat the original. He pointed out one in page 50, of the quarto edition, and read the Erfe, while Mr. Roderick M'Leod and I looked on the English ;-and Mr. M'Leod faid, that it was pretty like what Mr. M'Queen had recited. But when Mr. M'Queen read a defcription of Cuchullin's fword in Erfe, together with a tranflation of it in English verfe, by fir James Foulis, Mr. M'Leod faid, that was much liker than Mr M'Pherfon's tranflation of the former paffage. Mr. M'Queen then repeated in Erfe a defcription of one of the horfes in Cuchullin's car. Mr. McLeod faid, Mr. M'Pherfon's English was nothing like it.'

We have had occafion already to obferve that, though undoubtedly fome Erfe poems remain, on which MPherfon

founded

founded his reputed tranflations, yet the prefent form, the images, and the defcriptions, are very different from the boafted originals.

As it was owing to Johnson's recommendation, that the relation of the efcape of the grandson of James the Second was collected, we ought to own our obligations to him, for having refcued this part of our history from the uncertain, perishable ftate of oral tradition. It is well related, and feemingly authentic; but why did the reporter attempt to defend his periphraftic appellation?

Johnfon's Latin poetry we have formerly had occafion to mention. In this Journal two odes are preferved, and fome fmaller pieces. We were furprised to find the tranflation of the infcription Three Poets in Three diftant Ages born,' fo defective. We will fubjoin it.

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"Quos laudet vates Graius Romanus et Anglus
Tres tria temporibus fecla dedere fuis.
Sublime ingenium Graius; Romanus babebat
Carmen grande fonans; Anglus utrumque tulit.
Nil majus Natura capit: clarare priores
Quæ potuere duos tertius unus habet.”

The preterimperfect and perfect tenfes are ftrangely confufed, to make at last a very lame verfe. His Ode on the Ifle of Sky is in the manner of Horace, when in his philofophical and reflecting vein. It has fome faults; but is in general excellent. The Sapphics, addreffed to Mrs. Thrale, from the fame island, are more equably good than any of his other Latin compofitions; but they do not rife to the force, the dignity, the majestic grandeur of the former ode.

We cannot easily leave Johnson, but his companion will not forgive us if we pafs him without notice; and why should we omit to mention him, whofe vivacity has confeffedly enlivened the didactic gravity of the literary Coloffus,-whofe good." humoured vanity generally pleafes? Excufe us, Mr. Bofwell; though we fometimes fmile at your volubility, yet we go with you chearfully along. Life has too many grave paths; let us catch the fluttering butterfly occafionally in the flowery meadows: he will not detain us long, and may deceive the length, fometimes the tedioufnefs of the way.

Mr. Bofwell has drawn his own, and Dr. Johnfon's character: the last is delineated with much ftrength, and coloured with juftnefs; the former is drawn from the heart. We recognized him at the first glance. We shall felect part of Johnfon's character, as a favourable fpecimen.

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Dr. Samuel Johnfon's character, religious, moral, politi cal, and literary, nay his figure and manner are, I believe,

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more generally known than thofe of almost any man; yet it may not be fuperfluous here to attempt a sketch of him. Let my readers then remember that he was a fincere and zealous Chriftian, of high church of England and monarchical principles, which he would not tamely fuffer to be queftioned; fteady and inflexible in maintaining the obligations of piety and virtue, both from a regard to the order of fociety, and from a veneration for the Great Source of all order; correct, nay flern in his tafte; hard to please, and eafily offended; impetuous and irritable in his temper; but of a moft humane and benevolent heart; having a mind stored with a vast and various collection of learning and knowlege, which he communicated with peculiar perfpicuity and force, in rich and choice expreffion. He united a moft logical head with a moft fertile imagination, which gave him an extraordinary advantage in arguing; for he could reafon clofe or wide, as he faw beft for the moment. He could, when he chofe it, be the greatest fophift that ever wielded a weapon in the fchools of declamation; but he indulged this only in converfation, for he owned he fometimes talked for victory. He was too confcientious to make error permanent and pernicious, by deliberately writing it. He was confcious of his fuperiority. He loved praife when it was brought to him; but was too proud to feek for it. He was fomewhat fufceptible of flattery. His mind was fo full of imagery, that he might have been perpetually a poet. It has been often remarked, that in his poetical pieces, which it is to be regretted are fo few, because fo excellent, his ftyle is easier than in his profe. There is deception in this: it is not eafier, but better fuited to the dignity of verfe; as one may dance with grace, whofe motions, in ordinary walking-in the common step, are aukward. He had a conftitutional melancholy, the clouds of which darkened the brightness of his fancy, and gave a gloomy caft to his whole course of thinking: yet, though grave and awful in his deportment, when he thought it neceffary or proper, he frequently indulged himself in pleafantry and sportive. fallies. He was prone to fuperftition, but not to credulity, Though his imagination might incline him to a belief of the marvellous, and the myfterious, his vigorous reafon examined the evidence with jealoufy. He had a loud voice, and a flow deliberate utterance, which no doubt gave fome additional weight to the fterling metal of his converfation.'

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The egotifms of the journalist are numerous; he apologizes for them, and fays they are related rather as keys to what is valuable belonging to others, than for their own fake.' This is a plaufible excufe; but unluckily when thefe keys are examined, we often find no locks. The reporter rather refembles the chamberlain of an inn in ruins; the badge of office i preferved, the keys are numerous, but nothing valuable is discovered on applying them. A good Proteftant may rife

higher in the comparison, and compare him to the holy fucceffor of St. Peter, who retains the keys of heaven, with little power over the gates. Really, from a regard to Mr. Bofwell's fame, we wish the keys, like thofe of the library at St. Andrew's, may be put in a profeffor's pocket, and thought of no more. The following paffage is philofophical and just. It may deserve a moment's reflection.

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I have often experienced, that scenes through which a man has paffed, improve by lying in the memory: they grow mellow. Acti labores funt jucundi. This may be owing to comparing them with prefent liftless eafe. Even harfh fcenes acquire a softness by length of time; and fome are like very loud founds, which do not pleafe, or at leaft do not please fo much, till you are removed to a certain diftance. They may be compared to ftrong coarfe pictures, which will not bear to be viewed near. Even pleafing fcenes improve by time, and feem more exquisite in recollection, than when they were prefent; if they have not faded to dimnefs in the memory. Perhaps there is so much evil in every human enjoyment, when prefent,-fo much drofs mixed with it, that it requires to be refined by time; and yet I do not fee why time should not melt away the good and the evil in equal proportions why the fhade fhould decay, and the light remain in prefervation."

The reason of this feems to be, that we compare the former with the present times, the pure gold with the fame metal in its ore. The good and evil do not melt in equal proportions, because of the different impreflions which they have made. The deductions from a pleafing fcene are often more imaginary than real: on the contrary, in recollecting fcenes of deep distress, we overlook the confolations that fupported us at the time; for then they were equally tranfitory. The whole of this fubje&t, which forms an useful part of the hiftory of the human mind, may be much illuftrated by Hartley's Theory of Affociation.

But it is now time to leave Dr. Johnfon and his journalist: in spite of the errors which we have fo freely pointed out, in spite of a few Scotticifms, which the journalist, with all his anxiety to write high English,' has not been able to detect, in fpite of a few laughable attempts to palliate Johnson's errors, we must recommend this Journal as a pleafant, lively, and fometimes ufeful companion.

Critical Effays on fome of the Poems, of feveral English Poets: By John Scott, Efq. With an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author; by Mr. Hoole. 8vo. 55. 3d. in Bourds. Philips. THESE Effays are preceded by the Life of Mr. Scott, a

man who was not lefs diftinguifhed by the blameless fimplicity of his manners, than the warmth of his friendships,

and

and the activity of his benevolence. We once by fpeaking perhaps too lightly, of the ornaments of his works, attracted his difpleasure. When the favourite is attacked, nothing is well; and he then probably first found, that the warmth of our praife was not quite confonant to his own feelings. These little difputes, the misfortunes of those who dare to judge without receiving, with implicit reverence, the dictates of fafhion, and fometimes of prejudice, are now at an end. We feel no rancour for the past, and can 'curfe' the jeft and the verfe,

• how well fo e'er it flow,

That tends to make one honeft man our foe."

But while we apologize for one error, we must not meanly facrifice opinions, the refult of mature deliberation., We cannot think more highly than before of Mr. Scott's poetical merits, or rather of his works. The lime labor & mora feem to have deftroyed each characteristic relief, the glowing thought, and the ardent language of the heart.

The Life of Mr. Scott is written with an elegant neatness by Mr. Hoole; but with no peculiar force and energy. Perbaps we are faftidious in biography; for we wish that each diftinguishing feature of the mind fhould be carefully delineated. To common obfervers, there is a wonderful fimilarity in things which, when accurately examined, differ in many refpects. We fee enough to admire in the general conduct of his life, but we wish alfo to be inftructed in fomewhat else: too much is generally facrificed to a trite, but a humane maxim, de mortuis nil nifi bonum.'

An anonymous author, to whom we owe our thanks for his candour, while we are inftructed by the justice of his remarks, begs to point out to our attention, the fhort account of Mr. Scott's friend, the rev. Mr. Turner. If Mr. Hoole had known him, he thinks that he would not have paffed him with faint praise. We own, we do not think it faint; and fhall therefore tranfcribe it.

He poffeffed confiderable natural abilities, and much acquired knowledge, with a candid difpofition and elegant tafte; and by the general tenor of his correfpondence with Scott, appears to have been always a young man of a religious and ftudious turn.'

If our correfpondent, who appears to have known him well, is not deceived, his acquifitions were not more confiderable in themselves, than extraordinary in their nature' they chiefly confifted in mathematics and philofophy; but, if he had not particularly excelled in thefe, his other attainments would

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