persevered in his wild allegation, that he questioned if there
was a tree between Edinburgh and the English border older than himself.
I assured him he was mistaken, and suggested that the proper punishment
would be that he should receive a stripe at every tree above a hundred
years old, that was found within that space. He laughed, and said, 'I
believe I might submit to it for a BAUBEE!'

The doubts which, in my correspondence with him, I had ventured to state
as to the justice and wisdom of the conduct of Great-Britain towards
the American colonies, while I at the same time requested that he
would enable me to inform myself upon that momentous subject, he had
altogether disregarded; and had recently published a pamphlet, entitled,
Taxation no Tyranny; an answer to the Resolutions and Address of the
American Congress.

He had long before indulged most unfavourable sentiments of our
fellow-subjects in America. For, as early as 1769, I was told by Dr.
John Campbell, that he had said of them, 'Sir, they are a race of
convicts, and ought to be thankful for any thing we allow them short of
hanging.'

Of this performance I avoided to talk with him; for I had now formed
a clear and settled opinion, that the people of America were well
warranted to resist a claim that their fellow-subjects in the
mother-country should have the entire command of their fortunes, by
taxing them without their own consent; and the extreme violence which
it breathed, appeared to me so unsuitable to the mildness of a christian
philosopher, and so directly opposite to the principles of peace which
he had so beautifully recommended in his pamphlet respecting Falkland's
Islands, that I was sorry to see him appear in so unfavourable a light.

On Friday, March 24, I met him at the LITERARY CLUB, where were Mr.
Beauclerk, Mr. Langton, Mr. Colman, Dr. Percy, Mr. Vesey, Sir Charles
Bunbury, Dr. George Fordyce, Mr. Steevens, and Mr. Charles Fox. Before
he came in, we talked of his Journey to the Western Islands, and of
his coming away 'willing to believe the second sight,' which seemed to
excite some ridicule. I was then so impressed with the truth of many of
the stories of it which I had been told, that I avowed my conviction,
saying, 'He is only WILLING to believe: I DO believe. The evidence is
enough for me, though not for his great mind. What will not fill a quart
bottle will fill a pint bottle. I am filled with belief.' 'Are you?
(said Colman,) then