'"Davidi Cranstoneo conterraneo, dum de prima theologiae licentia foret, duo ei consocii et familiares, et mei cum eo in artibus auditores, scilicet Jacobus Almain Senonensis, et Petrus Bruxcellensis, Praedicatoris ordinis, in Sorbonae curia die Sorbonico commilitonibus suis publice objecerunt, quod pane avenaceo plebeii Scoti, sicut a quodam religioso intellexerant, vescebantur, ut virum, quem cholericum noverant, honestis salibus tentarent, qui hoc inficiari tanquam patriae dedecus nisus est."
'Pray introduce our countryman, Mr. Licentiate David Cranston, to the acquaintance of Mr. Johnson.
'The syllogism seems to have been this:
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'They who feed on oatmeal are barbarians; But the Scots feed on oatmeal: Ergo— |
The licentiate denied the minor,
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I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, 'DAV. DALRYMPLE.' |
'Newhailes, 6th Feb. 1775.'
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To JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ., EDINBURGH. Dunnichen, 16th February, 1775. |
'MY DEAR BOSWELL,
'I cannot omit a moment to return you my best thanks for the entertainment you have furnished me, my family, and guests, by the perusal of Dr. Johnson's Journey to the Western Islands; and now for my sentiments of it. I was well entertained. His descriptions are accurate and vivid. He carried me on the Tour along with him. I am pleased with the justice he has done to your humour and vivacity. "The noise of the wind being all its own," is a bon-mot, that it would have been a pity to have omitted, and a robbery not to have ascribed to its author[1128].