' Here a Scottish phrase was singularly applied to him. One
of the company having remarked that he had gone out on a stormy evening,
and brought in a supply of peats from the stack, old Mr. M'Sweyn said,
'that was _main honest_[818]!'
Blenheim being occasionally mentioned, he told me he had never seen
it[819]: he had not gone formerly; and he would not go now, just as a
common spectator, for his money: he would not put it in the power of
some man about the Duke of Marlborough to say, 'Johnson was here; I knew
him, but I took no notice of him[820].' He said, he should be very glad
to see it, if properly invited, which in all probability would never be
the case, as it was not worth his while to seek for it. I observed, that
he might be easily introduced there by a common friend of ours, nearly
related to the duke[821]. He answered, with an uncommon attention to
delicacy of feeling, 'I doubt whether our friend be on such a footing
with the duke as to carry any body there; and I would not give him the
uneasiness of seeing that I knew he was not, or even of being himself
reminded of it.'
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10.
There was this day the most terrible storm of wind and rain that I ever
remember[822]. It made such an awful impression on us all, as to
produce, for some time, a kind of dismal quietness in the house.
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