er, that Hooke was bound to give his best advice. I
speak as a lawyer. Though I have had clients whose causes I could not,
as a private man, approve; yet, if I undertook them, I would not do any
thing that might be prejudicial to them, even at their desire, without
warning them of their danger.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11.

It was a storm of wind and rain; so we could not set out. I wrote some
of this _Journal_, and talked a while with Dr. Johnson in his room, and
passed the day, I cannot well say how, but very pleasantly. I was here
amused to find Mr. Cumberland's comedy of the _Fashionable Lover_[518],
in which he has very well drawn a Highland character, Colin M'Cleod, of
the same name with the family under whose roof we now were. Dr. Johnson
was much pleased with the Laird of Macleod, who is indeed a most
promising youth, and with a noble spirit struggles with difficulties,
and endeavours to preserve his people. He has been left with an
incumbrance of forty thousand pounds debt, and annuities to the amount
of thirteen hundred pounds a year. Dr. Johnson said, 'If he gets the
better of all this, he'll be a hero; and I hope he will[519]. I have
not met with a young man who had more desire to learn, or who has learnt
more. I have seen nobody that I wish more to do a kindness to than
Macleod.' Such was the honourable elogium, on this young chieftain,
pronounced by an accurate observer, whose praise was never
lightly bestowed.

There is neither justice of peace, nor constable in Rasay. Sky has Mr.
M'Cleod of Ulinish, who is the sheriff substitute, and no other justice
of peace. The want of the execution of justice is much felt among the
islanders. Macleod very sensibly observed, that taking away the
heritable jurisdictions[520] had not been of such service in the islands
as was imagined. They had not authority enough in lieu of them. What
could formerly have been settled at once, must now either take much time
and trouble, or be neglected. Dr. Johnson said, 'A country is in a bad
state which is governed only by laws; because a thousand things occur
for which laws cannot provide, and where authority ought to interpose.
Now destroying the authority of the chiefs set the people loose. It did
not pretend to bring any positive good, but only to cure some evil; and
I am not well enough acquainted with the country to know what degree of
evil the heritable jurisdictions occasioned[521].' I maintained hardly
any; because the