A.D. 1763.]
A few days afterwards I called on Davies, and asked him if he thought I
might take the liberty of waiting on Mr. Johnson at his Chambers in the
Temple. He said I certainly might, and that Mr. Johnson would take it as
a compliment. So upon Tuesday the 24th of May, after having been
enlivened by the witty sallies of Messieurs Thornton[1162], Wilkes,
Churchill and Lloyd[1163], with whom I had passed the morning, I boldly
repaired to Johnson. His Chambers were on the first floor of No. 1,
Inner-Temple-lane, and I entered them with an impression given me by the
Reverend Dr. Blair[1164], of Edinburgh, who had been introduced to him not
long before, and described his having 'found the Giant in his den;' an
expression, which, when I came to be pretty well acquainted with
Johnson, I repeated to him, and he was diverted at this picturesque
account of himself. Dr. Blair had been presented to him by Dr. James
Fordyce[1165]. At this time the controversy concerning the pieces published
by Mr. James Macpherson, as translations of Ossian[1166], was at its
height. Johnson had all along denied their authenticity; and, what was
still more provoking to their admirers, maintained that they had no
merit. The subject having been introduced by Dr. Fordyce, Dr. Blair,
relying on the internal evidence of their antiquity, asked Dr. Johnson
whether he thought any man of a modern age could have written such
poems? Johnson replied, 'Yes, Sir, many men, many women, and many
children[1167].
Pages:
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411