' We saw a good many fine
pictures, which I think are described in one of Young's Tours. There is
a printed catalogue of them which the housekeeper put into my hand;
I should like to view them at leisure. I was much struck with Daniel
interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream by Rembrandt. We were shown a pretty
large library. In his Lordship's dressing-room lay Johnson's small
Dictionary: he shewed it to me, with some eagerness, saying, 'Look'ye!
Quae terra nostri non plena laboris.' He observed, also, Goldsmith's
Animated Nature; and said, 'Here's our friend! The poor Doctor would
have been happy to hear of this.'
In our way, Johnson strongly expressed his love of driving fast in
a post-chaise. 'If (said he,) I had no duties, and no reference to
futurity, I would spend my life in driving briskly in a post-chaise with
a pretty woman; but she should be one who could understand me, and would
add something to the conversation.' I observed, that we were this day to
stop just where the Highland army did in 1745.
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