have been so cordial.’  Johnson.  ’Sir William Temple mentions that in his travels through the Netherlands he had two or three gentlemen with him; and when a bumper was necessary, he put it on them.  Were I to travel again through the islands, I would have Sir Joshua with me to take the bumpers.’  Boswell.  ’But, Sir, let me put a case.  Suppose Sir Joshua should take a jaunt into Scotland; he does me the honour to pay me a visit at my house in the country; I am overjoyed at seeing him; we are quite by ourselves, shall I unsociably and churlishly let him sit drinking by himself?  No, no, my dear Sir Joshua, you shall not be treated so, I will take a bottle with you.’

On Wednesday, April 29, I dined with him at Mr. Allan Ramsay’s, where were Lord Binning, Dr. Robertson the historian, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and the Honourable Mrs. Boscawen, widow of the Admiral, and mother of the present Viscount Falmouth; of whom, if it be not presumptuous in me to praise her, I would say, that her manners are the most agreeable, and her conversation the best, of any lady with whom I ever had the happiness to be acquainted.  Before Johnson came we talked a good deal of him; Ramsay said he had always found him a very polite man, and that he treated him with great respect, which he did very sincerely.  I said I worshipped him.  Robertson.  ’But some of you spoil him; you should not worship him; you should worship no man.’  Boswell.  ’I cannot help worshipping him, he is so much superiour to other men.’  Robertson.  In criticism, and in wit in conversation, he is no doubt very excellent; but in other respects he is not above other men; he will believe any thing, and will strenuously defend the most minute circumstance connected with the Church of England.’  Boswell.  ’Believe me, Doctor, you are much mistaken as to this; for when you talk with him calmly in private, he is very liberal in his way of thinking.’  Robertson.  ’He and I have been always very gracious; the first time I met him was one evening at Strahan’s, when he had just had an unlucky altercation with Adam Smith, to whom he had been so rough, that Strahan, after Smith was gone, had remonstrated with him, and told him that I was coming soon, and that he was uneasy to think that he might behave in the same manner to me.  “No, no, Sir, (said Johnson,) I warrant you Robertson and I shall do very well.”  Accordingly he was gentle and good-humoured, and courteous with me the whole evening; and he has been so upon every occasion that we have met since.  I have often said (laughing,) that I have been in a great measure indebted to Smith for my good reception.’  Boswell.  ’His power of reasoning is very strong, and he has a peculiar art of drawing characters, which is as rare as good portrait painting.’  Sir Joshua Reynolds.  ’He is undoubtedly admirable in this; but, in order to mark the characters which he draws, he overcharges them, and gives people more than they really have, whether of good or bad.’