The life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D; including a journal of his tour to the Hebrides Volume 4 - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1848 edition. Excerpt: ...gentleman's life would be miserable, if he had no more business or interest in the scenes around him than the visiter of a few days at a stranger's house can have. M'Kinnon would probably have been more, and with more reason, r.ntni'1c in Bolt Court than Johnson and Boswell were at Cornchatachin.--C. tat. 64. SECOND SIGHT. 171 who is sufficient for his own happiness. I felt a kind of lethargy of indolence. I did not exert myself to get Dr. Johnson to talk, that I might not have the labour of writing down his conversation. He inquired here, if there were any remains of the second sight. Mr. Macpherson, minister of Slate, said, he was resolved not to believe it, because it was founded on no principle. Johnson. " There are many things then, which we are sure are true, that you will not believe. What principle is there, why a loadstone attracts iron? why an egg produces a chicken by heat? why a tree grows upwards, when the natural tendency of all things is downwards? Sir, it depends upon the degree of evidence that you have." Young Mr. M'Kinnon mentioned one M'Kenzie, who is still alive, who had often fainted in his presence, and when he recovered, mentioned visions which had been presented to him. He told Mr. M'Kinnon, that at such a place he should meet a funeral, and that such and such people would be the bearers, naming four; and three weeks afterwards he saw what M'Kenzie had predicted. The naming the very spot in a country where a funeral comes a long way, and the very people as bearers, when there are so many out of whom a choice may be made, seems extraordinary. We should have sent for M'Kenzie, had we no, been informed that he could speak no English. Besides, the facts were not related with sufficient accuracy. Mrs. M'Kinnon, who is a...