Friday, April 30, 2010

Journal Critique from Scott

April 30 (1829).—Dr. Johnson enjoins Bozzy to leave out of his diary all notices of the weather as insignificant. It may be so to an inhabitant of Bolt Court, in Fleet Street, who need care little whether it rains or snows, except the shilling which it may cost him for a Jarvie; but when I wake and find a snow shower sweeping along, and destroying hundreds perhaps of young lambs, and famishing their mothers, I must consider it as worth noting. For my own poor share, I am as indifferent as any Grub Streeter of them all—



"—And since 'tis a bad day,
Rise up, rise up, my merry men,
And use it as you may."
 
From Scott's Journal.
 
Walter Scott seemed to think of Samuel Johnson often in his journal writings, mentioning him more than a dozen times.  In January 1829, Scott wrote a letter to John Wilson Croker to provide material for Croker's edition of Boswell's "Life of Johnson".
 
WRS

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