$48 
profeffion had to beftow. In the mean 
while, that he might not be ill at eafe in 
his domeftic circumftances, his father was 
‘fufficiently liberal. 
Alas! poor Bofwell’s colloquial and 
convivial talents were too fafcinating to 
permit that he fhould be Jefe by his com- 
panions and admirers to the fober purfuits 
of bufinefs, or to quiet domeftic blifs : 
nor could he himfelf refit, with effectual 
fteadinefs, thofe allurements which too 
often called him away to join in elegant 
and witty converfation, and to enliven 
focial feftivity. Even during the terms 
of the bufinefs of the Court af Seffion, 
Bofwell’s afternoons and evenings were 
fo frequently paffed in company, that 
thofe who could have wifhed to employ 
him, dw ft not always confide in his atten- 
tion to their affairs. The heir toa confi- 
derable eftate, and enjoying already an 
ample allowance from his father, he did 
not feel the ftrong neceflity of. pleading 
caufes that he might live. Hence, con- 
tent with the praife of colloquial talents 
and of captivating fociai qualities, he fuf- 
fered men of far inferior powers, without 
other merit fave that of plodding affiduity, 
to outfrip him in his juridical career, and 
to engrofs that bufinefs at the bar which 
their clients would much rather have com- 
mitted to him. ‘Though perhaps never a 
deeply learned and acutely difcriminating 
counfellor, he might undoubtedly have 
foon attained, if he himielf had fo choien, 
_ to almoft unrivalled eminence as a pieader. 
He wasa man of the kiadlieft affections 
towards all his domeftic relations ; yet, 
carried away by his irrefitible paffion for 
that gay and enlightened fociety in which 
he was qualified to fhine, he. ftill haftened 
impatiently away to London, as foon as 
the vernal or autumnal vacation of the 
Court of Seffion commenced, leaving a 
lovely and excellent wife to languifh for 
his return, and confuming in his own per- 
_ fonal expence too large a proportion out 
of an income which it had been better to 
appropriate almoft entirely to family ufes. 
His father might from time to time mur- 
mur again this plan of life, his wife might 
-with tears feeliim depart: but the kind- 
nefs of his nature, the honefty of his heart, 
the {weet undeligning vivacity and inftuu- 
ation of his manners, were ever fufficient 
to conciliate the wonted fondnefs of both 
at hisreturo. Another evil than imfelicity 
in domeftic connexions arofe to make the 
quiet of his home unoteafant to him: 
Gay focial converte and convivial enjoy- 
ment had been fo long and {fo habituatiy 
courted by him, that their excitement be- 
Memoir of Fames Bofwell, Efy. 
[J uly Ty 
came at Jaft abfolutely neceflary to main« 
tain his mind ina tone at all above dejec- — 
tion and melancholy. He had been wont 
at one time perhaps to affect occafional 
fits of low f{pirits, accounting them, FT 
fuppofe, a proof of high refinement of 
foul, and of the ebbings and-owings of 
genius ; but fuch affectation foon ceafed © 
to be neceffary. 
Yet, fure, if foibles like thefe could 
be pardoned to any man, Bofwell well 
deferved that he fhould not be fcorned for | 
them. It was ever “the feaft of reafon 
and the flow of foul’? which he fought in 
thofe {cenes of conviviality which he de- 
lighted tofrequent. His friends end com- 
panions were all men of the firt rank in’ 
intelleétual powers and focial virtues.— 
Who is there that would not have facri- 
ficed-as much as Bofwell did-for the fake 
of enjoying the familiar converle of fuch 
men as Johnfon, Beaucierk, Reynolds, 
Burke, Fox, Garrick, to whom it was 
impoffible to liften without receiving equal 
improvement and delight? Who would 
not have been willing to forego almoft 
every other advantage, in order to merit 
the praife of having made his prefence ac- 
ceptable to thefe men in their hours of un= 
reftrained focial joy? Not fullen felfith 
Pride, neither courting a brother’s praife, 
nor greatly concerned for his fcorn, but 
gentle, carefling, entreating Vanity, was 
the nightmare which ftill beftrode honeft 
Bofwell’s fancy.. He never affurmed fuch 
arrogance as to throw off his veneration 
for talents which he had once accuftomed _ 
himfelf to refpect. While mingling with 
wits, philofophers, and men of fafbion, 
he never {uffered his religious belief to’ — 
be fhaken, nor thempreffions of piety to” 
be effaced from his mind.. Rough man- 
ners could not drive him away from the. 
friendthip of Johnfon, whofe wit, ethical’ 
fagacity, and ftern virtue, he had the dif- 
cernment to regard with a continually’ | 
srowing efteem. Scarcely any other man 
in thefe kingdoms enjoyed a more exten- 
five acquaintance than Bofwell had by 
this time acquired ; and there was hardly 9 
another man whofe prefence was fo gene- 
rally agreeable to all who were of his ac- 9 
quaintances ae 
It was, I think, in the year 1773, that 9 
he at.la&t prevailed with Dr. Johnfon to” y 
accompany him in an autumnal journey) 4 
through the Highlands and the Wefterm’ | 
Ifles of Scotland. | Johnfon joined him at 7 
Edinburgh, nearly at the commencement” 7 
of the vacation of the Court of Seffion ~ 
for that feafon. Bofwell with pride in- 7 
troduced his great literary friend to re J 
TG Ce 
a 
