We dined at Elgin, and saw the noble ruins of the cathedral.  Though it rained much, Dr. Johnson examined them with a most patient attention.  He could not here feel any abhorrence at the Scottish reformers[352], for he had been told by Lord Hailes, that it was destroyed before the Reformation, by the Lord of Badenoch[353], who had a quarrel with the bishop.  The bishop’s house, and those of the other clergy, which are still pretty entire, do not seem to have been proportioned to the magnificence of the cathedral, which has been of great extent, and had very fine carved work.  The ground within the walls of the cathedral is employed as a burying-place.  The family of Gordon have their vault here; but it has nothing grand.

We passed Gordon Castle[354] this forenoon, which has a princely appearance.  Fochabers, the neighbouring village, is a poor place, many of the houses being ruinous; but it is remarkable, they have in general orchards well stored with apple-trees[355].  Elgin has what in England are called piazzas, that run in many places on each side of the street.  It must have been a much better place formerly.  Probably it had piazzas all along the town, as I have seen at Bologna.  I approved much of such structures in a town, on account of their conveniency in wet weather.  Dr. Johnson disapproved of them, ’because (said he) it makes the under story of a house very dark, which greatly over-balances the conveniency, when it is considered how small a part of the year it rains; how few are usually in the street at such times; that many who are might as well be at home; and the little that people suffer, supposing them to be as much wet as they commonly are in walking a street.’

We fared but ill at our inn here; and Dr. Johnson said, this was the first time he had seen a dinner in Scotland that he could not eat[356].

In the afternoon, we drove over the very heath where Macbeth met the witches, according to tradition[357].  Dr. Johnson again[358] solemnly repeated—­

     ’How far is’t called to Fores?  What are these,
      So wither’d, and so wild in their attire? 
      That look not like the inhabitants o’ the earth,
      And yet are on’t?’

He repeated a good deal more of Macbeth.  His recitation[359] was grand and affecting, and as Sir Joshua Reynolds has observed to me, had no more tone than it should have:  it was the better for it.  He then parodied the All-hail of the witches to Macbeth, addressing himself to me.  I had purchased some land called Dalblair; and, as in Scotland it is customary to distinguish landed men by the name of their estates, I had thus two titles, Dalblair and Young Auchinleck.  So my friend, in imitation of

     ‘All hail, Macbeth! hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!’

condescended to amuse himself with uttering

     ‘All hail, Dalblair! hail to thee, Laird of Auchinleck[360]!’