Quand de-loin nos carreaux, notre foudre, et les ventsi • Alors des tourbillons d'une épaiffe fumée; Le fang coule, en ruiffeaux, dans les plaines liquides: • Déjà mille carreaux fur un vaiffeau lancés, In this paffage there is fomething animated and poetical: we must indeed own that our author's spirit foars occasionally to a confiderable height, when he has put off his trammels. In the notes, we find fome entertaining and ufeful difquifitions. Monf. de la Fléchére attacks the modern sceptics with much zeal, and fometimes with fuccefs. We cannot speak with fufficient refpect of the author's candour, piety, and benevolence. The The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson, LL. D. By James Bofwell, Efq. Svo. 65. Dilly. I' T is not eafy to diftinguish the different feelings and fentiments, with which we read the memorablia' before us. The original dictator is nearer to Socrates than his reporter to Xenophon; and, instead of a calm pleafing light, which generally illuminates every intricate queftion, we fucceflively pass from the most illiberal farcafms, and the moft trifling vanity, to judicious remarks, and the most interesting converfations. There are often, too, fo many words to fo little matter,' that we have more than once laid the book down in despair. You may read half an hour, without knowing what you have been reading:' yet parts of the volume have highly pleafed us. We know not that Johnfon has faid any thing abfolutely new; but he faid a great deal wonderfully well. Perhaps there has not occurred a fairer object of criticifm than this Journal. The author deferves all our attention; the different parts of it are of very diffimilar merit and Dr. Johnson and his humble bark' are not averse to fuch difcuffions. We will keep up the fhuttlecock,' by ftriking it at both ends,' without the affiftance of Mr. Bofwell, to whom it may be flightly hinted, that we have never permitted friends to review each other's works *. ; We need not inform our readers, that this volume contains the different events, and many of the converfations which occurred in Johnfon's Tour. We receive a lively, and often a pleasant account both of men and their opinions: one striking feature we cannot fufficiently wonder at, viz. the great attention and refpect, fometimes perhaps fervility, with which Johnfon was treated. It is with other feelings that we contemplate the returns which this literary defpot made. Contradiction was not uncommon even to the plaineft or the most obvious remarks; and fometimes the most illiberal reflections, and the most unjustifiable sarcasms, fupplied its place. We will felect a little converfation with the very amiable and respectable Dr. Blacklock, the conclufion of which is so highly illiberal as to excite the greatest difguft. Sir William Forbes came to breakfast, and brought with him Dr. Blacklock, whom he introduced to Dr. Johnion, who received him with a moit humane complacency, "Dear Dr. Blacklock, I am glad to fee you!"-Blacklock feemed to be much furprised, when Dr. Johnson faid, "it was eafier to him to write poetry than to compofe his Dictionary. His mind was * See page 338. VOL. LX. Nov. 1785 Z lefs Quand de-loin nos carreaux, notre foudre, et les vents, • Alors des tourbillons d'une épaiffe fumée ; Le fang coule, en ruiffeaux, dans les plaines liquides à · Déjà mille carreaux fur un vaiffeau lancés, In this paffage there is fomething animated and poetical: we must indeed own that our author's spirit foars occafionally to a confiderable height, when he has put off his trammels. In the notes, we find fome entertaining and ufeful disquifitions. Monf. de la Fléchére attacks the modern sceptics with much zeal, and fometimes with fuccefs. We cannot speak with fufficient refpect of the author's candour, piety, and benevolence. The The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson, LL. D. By James Bofwell, Efq. Svo. 6s. Dilly. IT is not easy to distinguish the different feelings and fentiments, with which we read the memorablia' before us. The original dictator is nearer to Socrates than his reporter to Xenophon; and, inftead of a calm pleafing light, which generally illuminates every intricate queftion, we fucceffively pafs from the most illiberal sarcasms, and the most trifling vanity, to judicious remarks, and the most interesting converfations. There are often, too, fo many words to fo little matter,' that we have more than once laid the book down in despair. You may read half an hour, without knowing what you have been reading :' yet parts of the volume have highly pleafed us. We know not that Johnfon has faid any thing abfolutely new; but he said a great deal wonderfully well. Perhaps there has not occurred a fairer object of criticifm than this Journal. The author deferves all our attention; the different parts of it are of very diffimilar merit; and Dr. Johnson and his humble bark' are not averfe to fuch difcuffions. We will keep up the fhuttlecock,' by ftriking it at both ends,' without the affiftance of Mr. Bofwell, to whom it may be slightly hinted, that we have never permitted friends to review each other's works *. We need not inform our readers, that this volume contains the different events, and many of the converfations which occurred in Johnfon's Tour. We receive a lively, and often a pleasant account both of men and their opinions: one striking feature we cannot fufficiently wonder at, viz. the great attention and respect, fometimes perhaps fervility, with which Johnson was treated. It is with other feelings that we contemplate the returns which this literary defpot made. Contradiction was not uncommon even to the plaineft or the most obvious remarks; and fometimes the moft illiberal reflections, and the most unjuftifiable farcafms, fupplied its place. We will felect a little converfation with the very amiable and refpectable Dr. Blacklock, the conclusion of which is so highly illiberal as to excite the greatest disgust. 66 Sir William Forbes came to breakfast, and brought with him Dr. Blacklock, whom he introduced to Dr. Johnion, who received him with a mot humane complacency, Dear Dr. Blacklock, I am glad to fee you!"-Blacklock feemed to be much furprised, when Dr. Johnfon faid, "it was eafier to him to write poetry than to compofe his Dictionary. His mind was * See page 338. VOL. LX. Nov. 1785 Z lefs Quand de-loin nos carreaux, notre foudre, et les vents • Alors des tourbillons d'une épaiffe fumée; Le fang coule, en ruiffeaux, dans les plaines liquides ¿ Déjà mille carreaux fur un vaiffeau lancés, In this paffage there is fomething animated and we must indeed own that our author's spirit foars to a confiderable height, when he has put off his t In the notes, we find fome entertaining and uf tions. Monf. de la Fléchére attacks the modern much zeal, and fometimes with fuccefs. We with fufficient refpect of the author's candour, p nevolence. |