ridicule, for then I shall be neglected and
forgotten.' Croker's _Boswell_, p. 837. See _ante_, ii. 61, and pp. 174,
273. 'There was much laughter when M. de Lesseps mentioned that on his
first visit to England the publisher who brought out the report of his
meeting charged, as the first item of his bill, "L50 for attacking the
book in order to make it succeed." "Since then," observed M. de Lesseps,
"I have been attacked gratuitously, and have got on without paying."'
The Times, Feb. 19, 1884.

[1108]

'To wing my flight to fame.'

DRYDEN. Virgil, _Georgics_, iii. 9.

[1109] On Nov. 12 he wrote to Mrs. Thrale:--'We came hither (to
Edinburgh) on the ninth of this month. I long to come under your care,
but for some days cannot decently get away.' _Piozzi Letters_, i. 202.

[1110] He would have been astonished had he known that a few miles from
Edinburgh he had passed through two villages of serfs. The coal-hewers
and salt-makers of Tranent and Preston-Pans were still sold with the
soil. 'In Scotland domestic slavery is unknown, except so far as regards
the coal-hewers and salt-makers, whose condition, it must be confessed,
bears some resemblance to slavery; because all who have once acted in
either of the capacities are compellable to serve, and fixed to their
respective places of employment during life.' Hargrave's _Argument in
the case of James Sommersett_, 1772. Had Johnson known this he might
have given as his toast when in company with some very grave men at
_Edinburgh_:--'Here's to the next insurrection of the slaves in
_Scotland_.' _Ante_, iii. 200.

[1111] The year following in the House of Commons he railed at the
London booksellers, 'who, he positively asserted, entirely governed the
newspapers.' 'For his part,' he added, 'he had ordered that no English
newspaper should come within his doors for three months.' _Parl. Hist_.
xvii. 1090.

[1112] See _ante_, iii. 373.

[1113] 'At the latter end of 1630 Ben Jonson went on foot into Scotland,
on purpose to visit Drummond. His adventures in this journey he wrought
into a poem; but that copy, with many other pieces, was accidentally
burned.' Whalley's _Ben Jonson_, Preface, p. xlvi.

[1114] Perhaps the same woman showed the chapel who was there 29 years
later, when Scott visited it. One of his friends 'hoped that they might,
as habitual visitors, escape hearing the usual endless story of the
silly old woman that showed the ruins'; but Scott answered, 'T