Langton, of
the despicable state of a young Gentleman of good family. 'Sir, when I
heard of him last, he was running about town shooting cats.' And then in
a sort of kindly reverie, he bethought himself of his own favourite cat,
and said, 'But Hodge shan't be shot; no, no, Hodge shall not be shot.'
On Thursday, April 10, I introduced to him, at his house in Bolt-court,
the Honourable and Reverend William Stuart, son of the Earl of Bute; a
gentleman truly worthy of being known to Johnson; being, with all the
advantages of high birth, learning, travel, and elegant manners, an
exemplary parish priest in every respect.
After some compliments on both sides, the tour which Johnson and I had
made to the Hebrides was mentioned. JOHNSON. 'I got an acquisition
of more ideas by it than by any thing that I remember. I saw quite a
different system of life.' BOSWELL. 'You would not like to make the same
journey again?' JOHNSON. 'Why no, Sir; not the same: it is a tale told.
Gravina, an Italian critick, observes, that every man desires to see
that of which he has read; but no man desires to read an account of what
he has seen: so much does description fall short of reality.
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