He said, he should have done just as Campbell did.
JOHNSON. 'Whoever would do as Campbell did, deserves to be hanged; not
that I could, as a juryman, have found him legally guilty of murder; but
I am glad they found means to convict him.' The gentleman-farmer said,
'A poor man has as much honour as a rich man; and Campbell had THAT
to defend.' Johnson exclaimed, 'A poor man has no honour.' The English
yeoman, not dismayed, proceeded: 'Lord Eglintoune was a damned fool to
run on upon Campbell, after being warned that Campbell would shoot him
if he did.' Johnson, who could not bear any thing like swearing,
angrily replied, 'He was NOT a DAMNED fool: he only thought too well of
Campbell. He did not believe Campbell would be such a DAMNED scoundrel,
as to do so DAMNED a thing.' His emphasis on DAMNED, accompanied with
frowning looks, reproved his opponent's want of decorum in HIS presence.
During this interview at Ashbourne, Johnson seemed to be more uniformly
social, cheerful, and alert, than I had almost ever seen him.
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