pon us that he was
married; else we should have shewn his lady more civilities. She is a
very fine woman. But how can you shew civilities to a nonentity? I did
not think he had been married. Nay, I did not think about it one way or
other; but he did not tell us of his lady till late.'

He then spoke of St. Kilda, the most remote of the Hebrides. I told him,
I thought of buying it. JOHNSON. 'Pray do, Sir. We will go and pass a
winter amid the blasts there. We shall have fine fish, and we will take
some dried tongues with us, and some books. We will have a strong built
vessel, and some Orkney men to navigate her. We must build a tolerable
house: but we may carry with us a wooden house ready made, and requiring
nothing but to be put up. Consider, Sir, by buying St. Kilda, you may
keep the people from falling into worse hands. We must give them a
clergyman, and he shall be one of Beattie's choosing. He shall be
educated at Marischal College. I'll be your Lord Chancellor, or what
you please.' BOSWELL. 'Are you serious, Sir, in advising me to buy St.
Kilda? for if you should advise me to go to Japan, I believe I should do
it.' JOHNSON. 'Why yes, Sir, I am serious.' BOSWELL. 'Why then, I'll see
what can be done.'

He was engaged to dine abroad, and asked me to return to him in the
evening at nine, which I accordingly did.

We drank tea with Mrs. Williams, who told us a story of second sight,
which happened in Wales where she was born. He listened to it very
attentively, and said he should be glad to have some instances of that
faculty well authenticated. His elevated wish for more and more evidence
for spirit, in opposition to the groveling belief of materialism,
led him to a love of such mysterious disquisitions. He again justly
observed, that we could have no certainty of the truth of supernatural
appearances, unless something was told us which we could not know
by ordinary means, or something done which could not be done but by
supernatural power; that Pharaoh in reason and justice required such
evidence from Moses; nay, that our Saviour said, 'If I had not done
among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin.'

We talked of the Roman Catholick religion, and how little difference
there was in essential matters between ours and it. JOHNSON. 'True, Sir;
all denominations of Christians have really little difference in point
of doctrine, though they may differ widely in external forms. There is
a prodigi