ancient history; Chamier, commercial politicks[336]; Reynolds, painting, and the arts which have beauty for their object; Chambers, the law of England[337].  Dr. Johnson at first said, ‘I’ll trust theology to nobody but myself.’  But, upon due consideration, that Percy is a clergyman, it was agreed that Percy should teach practical divinity and British antiquities; Dr. Johnson himself, logick, metaphysicks[338], and scholastick divinity.  In this manner did we amuse ourselves;—­each suggesting, and each varying or adding, till the whole was adjusted.  Dr. Johnson said, we only wanted a mathematician since Dyer[339] died, who was a very good one; but as to every thing else, we should have a very capital university[340].

We got at night to Banff.  I sent Joseph on to Duff-house; but Earl Fife was not at home, which I regretted much, as we should have had a very elegant reception from his lordship.  We found here but an indifferent inn[341].  Dr. Johnson wrote a long letter to Mrs. Thrale.  I wondered to see him write so much so easily.  He verified his own doctrine that ’a man may always write when he will set himself doggedly to it[342].’

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26.

We got a fresh chaise here, a very good one, and very good horses.  We breakfasted at Cullen.  They set down dried haddocks broiled, along with our tea.  I ate one; but Dr. Johnson was disgusted by the sight of them, so they were removed[343].  Cullen has a comfortable appearance, though but a very small town, and the houses mostly poor buildings.

I called on Mr. Robertson, who has the charge of Lord Findlater’s affairs, and was formerly Lord Monboddo’s clerk, was three times in France with him, and translated Condamine’s Account of the Savage Girl, to which his lordship wrote a preface, containing several remarks of his own.  Robertson said, he did not believe so much as his lordship did; that it was plain to him, the girl confounded what she imagined with what she remembered:  that, besides, she perceived Condamine and Lord Monboddo forming theories, and she adapted her story to them.

Dr. Johnson said, ’It is a pity to see Lord Monboddo publish such notions as he has done; a man of sense, and of so much elegant learning.  There would be little in a fool doing it; we should only laugh; but when a wise man does it, we are sorry.  Other people have strange notions; but they conceal them.  If they have tails, they hide them; but Monboddo is as jealous of his tail as a squirrel.’  I shall here put down some more remarks of Dr. Johnson’s on Lord Monboddo, which were not made exactly at this time, but come in well from connection.  He said, he did not approve of a judge’s calling himself Farmer Burnett[344], and going about with a little round hat[345].  He laughed heartily at his lordship’s saying he was an enthusiastical farmer; ’for, (said he,) what can he do in farming