1803. | 
tator of the Englith language, aided and 
confirmed the impreffion, When, in ad- 
dition to this, he learned, that Johnfon’s 
converfation was not lefs rich and original 
than his books, there needed nothing more 
to mke him earneltly ambitious of the 
great lexicographer’s acquaintance. He 
found in Johnfon, when the defired intro- 
duction was at laft obtained, not precifely. 
what he had imagined, but of a different 
fort even more than his hopes and withes 
had taught him to expeét. He courted 
with every winning afiiduity a man of 
whom he was proud to profefs himfelf the 
follower. Almoft from the very firft days 
of their acquaintance, he gladly haunted 
the prefence of the illuftrious moralift, 
and watched and preferved the treafures 
which fel] from his lips, as if be had al- 
ready determined to become his biogra- 
pher. Attentions fo refpectfully flatter- 
ing are not eafily refifted by either philo- 
fophers or heroes ; Johnfon could not but 
become partial to an admirer who pro- 
felled to court his company almoft with 
the humble devotion of a mortal attend- 
ing the footfteps of a divinity; who was 
himfelf a youth of genius, fortune, and 
fafhion; and who ardently profefled to be 
ambitious of nothing fo much as of 
making eminent improvement in piety, 
virtue, and liberal intelligence. 
Satiated, at length, with the enjoyments 
of London, Bofwell departed, with a new 
flutter of hopes and» withes, to purine 
knowledge and pleafure in thofe new va- 
rieties of form, in which they might pre- 
fent themfelves on the Continent. At 
Utrecht he ftudied law for fome time, un- 
der an eminent civilian; but, as I fhould 
fulpect, without fuch enlarged and fuc- 
ce{sful apprehenfion of the noble colleion 
of Tribonian, as might have enabled him 
to fee in it a wonderfully perfeét fyftem 
of moral wifdom, applied, upon the prin- 
ciples of right and expediency, to a very 
extenlive variety of cafes in the practice 
of focial and political life; or to trace it, 
with a curious and philofophical eye, as 
one of the moft faithful, minute, and in- 
terefting, of all records of the detail of 
manners. He failed not, however, to 
make a few flight inquiries into the laws 
and the language of the country, which 
ferved to fill with erudition his letters to 
Johnfon, and, it may be, alfo, to his 
Scottifh friends, Lord Kaimes and Lord 
Hailes. From Utrecht, he, after a while, 
continued his travels through Germany 
into Switzerland. The ambition of be- 
coming known to eminent men, was {till 
Memoir of Fames Bofweill, Efq. 
the character of the great cenfor and dic- 
545 
one of his predominant foibles ; and, to 
the unfpeakable gratification of that paf- 
fiov of his, he had the felicity of being, 
in his tour through Germany, the travel- 
ling companion of the Right Honourable 
George Keith, the laft Earl Marifchal of 
Scotland. Fn Switzerland, Lord Marifchal 
introduced his young countryman to Rouf- 
feau ; who, then, an exile from France 
and from Geneva, refided at Motiers, in 
the principality of Neufchatel, under the 
protection of the great King of Pruffia, 
Bofwell, in due time, found occafion to 
tell] the world how fondly he had vifited 
Jean. Jaques-Roulfeau ; haw kindly he had 
been received by the folitary philofopher ; 
with what flattering and confidential! com- 
mendations a man fo dilcerning and fo 
fufpicious had deigsed to honour his me- 
rits! But, when Roufieau’s Confeffions 
were, long after,’ publifhed, it did not 
appear from them, that he preferved the 
recollection of having ever feen fuch a 
man as James Bofwell. ‘To have feen 
only Citizen Rouffeau, would have been 
little. Bofwell had the pleafure of vifit- 
ing alfo the patriarch of Ferney, and the 
delight of hearing Voltaire deal out far- 
cafms and malicious fictions, the inf{pira- 
tions of fear and envy, againft a rival wit 
and philofopher, who was as vain and as 
famous as himfelf. 
From Rouffeau, Bofwell obtained an 
indirect recommendation, which procured 
him one of the moft [plendid and lafting 
friendihips of his fubfequent life. But 
it is probable that he was more charmed 
with the converfation and manners of 
Voltaire, than with thofe of the ex-citizen 
of Geneva, ‘ 
Having thus feen the ons in Germany. 
and Switzerland, Bofwell haftened away 
over the Alps to Italy. It was not enough 
for this youth’s ambition, to make nothing 
more than the common tour which was 
erdinarily nade by every one elfe. Addi- 
fon had pervaded and celebrated the re- 
public of San Marino; Bofwell refolved 
to vifit that of Corfica,» The Corficans, 
after ftruggling with various fuccels, fora — 
_leng courle of years, to throw off the 
yoke of the Genoete, were at: lait about 
to be transferred to mafters againit whofe 
power their efforts would be vain. At 
this moment they enjoyed, in the interior 
parts of the ifle, a miferable independ- 
enee, purchafed at the expence of almoft 
all befides that was precious‘in life. Their 
laft generous exertions to fecure the prize 
of liberty had, more than.all the former, 
drawn upon them the admiration and the 
eager fympathy of Europe. Courts and 
cabinets 
