Her principles in church and state
were congenial with his. She knew
all his merit, and had heard much of
him from her son, Earl Alexander,
who loved to cultivate the acquaint-
ance of men of talents in every depart-
ment,"

"ik ^ ^ *

" In the course of our conversation
this day, it came out that Lady Eglin-
toune was married the year before Dr.
Johnson was born ; upon which she
graciously said to him, that she might
have been his mother, and that she
now adopted him ; and when we were
going away, she embraced him, say-
ing, ' My dear son, farewell ! ' My
friend was much pleased with this
day's entertainment, and owned that
I had done well to force him out."
* * * *

"At Sir Alexander Dick's, from
that absence of mind to which every
man is at times subject, I told, in a
blundering manner, Lady Eglintoune's
complimentary adoption of Dr. John-
son as her son ; for I unfortunately
stated that her ladyship adopted him
as her son, in consequence of her
having been married the year after he
was born. Dr. Johnson instantly cor-
rected me. ' Sir, don't you perceive
that you are defaming the Countess?
For, supposing me to be her son, and
that she was not married till the year
after my birth, I must have been her
natural son.' A young lady of qua-
lity who was present, very handsomely
said, 'Might not the son haTe justi-
fied the fault ? ' My friend was much
flattered by this compliment, which he
never forgot. When in more than
ordinary spirits, and talking of his



NOTES.
