Johnson, 'Damned rascal! to
talk as he does of the Scotch.' This seemed, for a moment, 'to give him
pause.' It, perhaps, presented his extreme prejudice against the Scotch
in a point of view somewhat new to him, by the effect of CONTRAST.
By the time when we returned to Ashbourne, Dr. Taylor was gone to bed.
Johnson and I sat up a long time by ourselves.
On Saturday, September 20, after breakfast, when Taylor was gone out to
his farm, Dr. Johnson and I had a serious conversation by ourselves on
melancholy and madness.
We entered seriously upon a question of much importance to me, which
Johnson was pleased to consider with friendly attention. I had long
complained to him that I felt myself discontented in Scotland, as too
narrow a sphere, and that I wished to make my chief residence in London,
the great scene of ambition, instruction, and amusement: a scene, which
was to me, comparatively speaking, a heaven upon earth. JOHNSON. 'Why,
Sir, I never knew any one who had such a GUST for London as you have:
and I cannot blame you for your wish to live there: yet, Sir, were I in
your father's place, I should not consent to your settling there; for
I have the old feudal notions, and I should be afraid that Auchinleck
would be deserted, as you would soon find it more desirable to have a
country-seat in a better climate.
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