castle, and
the garden. Mr. Bethune, the parish minister,--Magnus M'Leod, of
Claggan, brother to Talisker, and M'Leod of Bay, two substantial
gentlemen of the clan, dined with us. We had admirable venison, generous
wine; in a word, all that a good table has. This was really the hall of
a chief. Lady M'Leod had been much obliged to my father, who had settled
by arbitration a variety of perplexed claims between her and her
relation, the Laird of Brodie, which she now repaid by particular
attention to me. M'Leod started the subject of making women do penance
in the church for fornication. JOHNSON. 'It is right, Sir. Infamy is
attached to the crime, by universal opinion, as soon as it is known. I
would not be the man who would discover it, if I alone knew it, for a
woman may reform; nor would I commend a parson who divulges a woman's
first offence; but being once divulged, it ought to be infamous.
Consider, of what importance to society the chastity of women is. Upon
that all the property in the world depends[582]. We hang a thief for
stealing a sheep; but the unchastity of a woman transfers sheep, and
farm and all, from the right owner. I have much more reverence for a
common prostitute than for a woman who conceals her guilt. The
prostitute is known. She cannot deceive: she cannot bring a strumpet
into the arms of an honest man, without his knowledge. BOSWELL. 'There
is, however, a great difference between the licentiousness of a single
woman, and that of a married woman.' JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir; there is a
great difference between stealing a shilling, and stealing a thousand
pounds; between simply taking a man's purse, and murdering him first,
and then taking it. But when one begins to be vicious, it is easy to go
on. Where single women are licentious, you rarely find faithful married
women.' BOSWELL. 'And yet we are told that in some nations in India, the
distinction is strictly observed.' JOHNSON. 'Nay, don't give us India.
That puts me in mind of Montesquieu, who is really a fellow of genius
too in many respects; whenever he wants to support a strange opinion, he
quotes you the practice of Japan or of some other distant country of
which he knows nothing. To support polygamy, he tells you of the island
of Formosa, where there are ten women born for one man[583]. He had but
to suppose another island, where there are ten men born for one woman,
and so make a marriage between them.[584]' At supper, Lady Macleod
mentioned Dr.