Garrick gave a dinner to John Home and his friends at his house at Hampton, and told us to bring golf clubs and balls that we might play on Molesey Hurst.  Garrick had built a handsome temple with a statue of Shakespeare in it on the banks of the Thames.  The poet and the actor were well pleased with one another, and we passed a very agreeable afternoon.

We yielded to a request of Sir David Kinloch to accompany him on a jaunt to Portsmouth, and were much pleased with the diversified beauty of the country.  We viewed with much pleasure the solid foundation of the naval glory of Great Britain, in the amazing extent and richness of the dockyards and warehouses, and in the grandeur of her fleet in the harbour and in the Downs.  There was a fine fleet of ten ships of the line in the Downs, with the Royal George at their head, all ready for sea.

III.—­Scottish Social Life

The clergy of Scotland, being under apprehensions that the window tax would be extended to them, had given me in charge to state our case to some of the Ministers, and try to make an impression in our favour.  The day came when we were presented to Lord Bute, but our reception was cold and dry.  We soon took our leave, and no sooner were we out of hearing than Robert Adam, the architect, who was with us, fell a-cursing and swearing—­“What! had he been most graciously received by all the princes in Italy and France, to come and be treated with such distance and pride by the youngest earl but one in all Scotland?” They were better friends afterwards, and Robert found him a kind patron when his professional merit was made known to him.  Lord Bute was a worthy and virtuous man, but he was not versatile enough for a Prime Minister; and though personally brave, was void of that political firmness which is necessary to stand the storms of state.  We returned to Scotland by Oxford, Warwick, and Birmingham.

In August, 1758, I rode to Inverary, being invited by the Milton family, who always were with the Duke of Argyll.  We sat down every day fifteen or sixteen to dinner, and the duke had the talent of conversing with his guests so as to distinguish men of knowledge and ability without neglecting those who valued themselves on their birth and their rent-rolls.  After the ladies were withdrawn and he had drunk his bottle of claret, he retired to an easy-chair by the fireplace; drawing a black silk nightcap over his eyes, he slept, or seemed to sleep, for an hour and a half.

In the meantime, the toastmaster pushed about the bottle, and a more noisy or regardless company could hardly be.  Dinner was always served at two o’clock, and about six o’clock the toastmaster and the gentlemen drew off, when the ladies returned, and his grace awoke and called for his tea.  Tea being over, he played two rubbers at sixpenny whist.  Supper was served soon after nine, and he drank another bottle of claret, and could not be got to go to bed till one in the morning.  I stayed over Sunday and preached to his grace.  The ladies told me that I had pleased him, which gratified me not a little, as without him no preferment could be obtained in Scotland.