The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson

The Journal of a Tour to the
Hebrides with
by James
Boswell

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Title: The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson,
LL.D.
Author: James Boswell
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THE JOURNAL OF A TOUR TO THE HEBRIDES
WITH SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.
by
James Boswell

DEDICATION TO EDMOND MALONE, ESQ.
My Dear Sir,
In every narrative, whether historical or biographical, authenticity is of

the utmost consequence. Of this I have ever been so firmly persuaded,
that I inscribed a former work to that person who was the best judge of
its truth. I need not tell you I mean General Paoli; who, after his great,
though unsuccessful, efforts to preserve the liberties of his country, has
found an honourable asylum in Britain, where he has now lived many
years the object of Royal regard and private respect; and whom I
cannot name without expressing my very grateful sense of the uniform
kindness which he has been pleased to shew me.
The friends of Doctor Johnson can best judge, from internal evidence,
whether the numerous conversations which form the most valuable part
of the ensuing pages, are correctly related. To them, therefore I wish to
appeal, for the accuracy of the portrait here exhibited to the world.
As one of those who were intimately acquainted with him, you have a
tide to this address. You have obligingly taken the trouble to peruse the
original manuscript of this tour, and can vouch for the strict fidelity of
the present publication. Your literary alliance with our much lamented
friend, in consequence of having undertaken to render one of his
labours more complete, by your edition of Shakespeare, a work which I
am confident will not disappoint the expectations of the publick, gives
you another claim. But I have a still more powerful inducement to
prefix your name to this volume, as it gives me an opportunity of
letting the world know that I enjoy the honour and happiness of your
friendship; and of thus publickly testifying the sincere regard with
which I am.
My dear Sir,
Your very faithful and obedient servant, James Boswell. London, 20
September 1785.

"He was of an admirable pregnancy of wit, and that pregnancy much
improved by continual study from his childhood; by which he had
gotten such a promptness in expressing his mind, that his extemporal
speeches were little inferior to his premeditated writings. Many, no

doubt, had read as much and perhaps more than he; but scarce ever any
concocted his reading into judgement as he did."--Baker's Chronicle

Dr Johnson had for many years given me hopes that we should go
together, and visit the Hebrides. Martin's Account of those islands had
impressed us with a notion that we might there contemplate a system of
life almost totally different from what we had been accustomed to see;
and, to find simplicity and wildness, and all the circumstances of
remote time or place, so near to our native great island, was an object
within the reach of reasonable curiosity. Dr Johnson has said in his
Journey, 'that he scarcely remembered how the wish to visit the
Hebrides was excited'; but he told me, in summer, 1763, that his father
put Martin's Account into his hands when he was very young, and that
he was much pleased with it. We reckoned there would be some
inconveniencies and hardships, and perhaps a little danger; but these we
were persuaded were magnified in