Dr.Johnson was delighted with his reception here.

Her principles in church and state were congenial with his.

She knew all his merit, and had heard much of him from her son, Earl Alexander, who loved to cultivate the acquaintance of men of talents in every department." ***** "In the course of our conversation this day, it came out that Lady Eglintoune was married the year before Dr.Johnson was born; upon which she graciously said to him, that she might have been his mother, and that she now adopted him, and when we were going away, she embraced him, saying, 'My dear son, farewell!' My friend was much pleased with this day's entertainment, and owned that I had done well to force him out." ***** "At Sir Alexander Dick's, from that absence of mind to which every man is at times subject, I told, in a blundering manner, Lady Eglintoune's complimentary adoption of Dr.Johnson as her son; for I unfortunately stated that her ladyship adopted him as her son, in consequence of her having been married the year AFTER he was born.

Dr.Johnson instantly corrected me.

'Sir, don't you perceive that you are defaming the Countess?
For, supposing me to be her son, and that she was not married till the year after my birth, I must have been her NATURAL son.' A young lady of quality who was present very handsomely said, 'Might not the son have justified the fault ?' My friend was much flattered by this compliment, which he never forgot.