At Dr. Blair’s I left him, in order to attend a consultation, during which he and his amiable host were by themselves.  I returned to supper, at which were Principal Robertson, Mr. Nairne, and some other gentlemen.  Dr. Robertson and Dr. Blair, I remember, talked well upon subordination[1098] and government; and, as my friend and I were walking home, he said to me, ’Sir, these two doctors are good men, and wise men[1099].’  I begged of Dr. Blair to recollect what he could of the long conversation that passed between Dr. Johnson and him alone, this evening, and he obligingly wrote to me as follows:—­

’March 3, 1785.

’DEAR SIR,

’—­As so many years have intervened, since I chanced to have that conversation with Dr. Johnson in my house, to which you refer, I have forgotten most of what then passed, but remember that I was both instructed and entertained by it.  Among other subjects, the discourse happening to turn on modern Latin poets, the Dr. expressed a very favourable opinion of Buchanan, and instantly repeated, from beginning to end, an ode of his, intituled Calendae Maiae, (the eleventh in his Miscellaneorum Liber), beginning with these words, ’Salvete sacris deliciis sacrae,’ with which I had formerly been unacquainted; but upon perusing it, the praise which he bestowed upon it, as one of the happiest of Buchanan’s poetical compositions, appeared to me very just.  He also repeated to me a Latin ode he had composed in one of the western islands, from which he had lately returned.  We had much discourse concerning his excursion to those islands, with which he expressed himself as having been highly pleased; talked in a favourable manner of the hospitality of the inhabitants; and particularly spoke much of his happiness in having you for his companion; and said, that the longer he knew you, he loved and esteemed you the more.  This conversation passed in the interval between tea and supper, when we were by ourselves.  You, and the rest of the company who were with us at supper, have often taken notice that he was uncommonly bland and gay that evening, and gave much pleasure to all who were present.  This is all that I can recollect distinctly of that long conversation.

’Your’s sincerely,

‘HUGH BLAIR.’

At Lord Hailes’s, we spent a most agreeable day; but again I must lament that I was so indolent as to let almost all that passed evaporate into oblivion.  Dr. Johnson observed there, that ’it is wonderful how ignorant many officers of the army are, considering how much leisure they have for study, and the acquisition of knowledge[1100].’  I hope he was mistaken; for he maintained that many of them were ignorant of things belonging immediately to their own profession; ’for instance, many cannot tell how far a musket will carry a bullet;’ in proof of which, I suppose, he mentioned some particular person, for Lord Hailes, from whom I solicited what he could recollect of that day, writes to me as follows:—­