Grampian Club > Boswelliana

MEMOIR OF JAMES BOS WELL. 69
father, my strong desire to have my own house. Observe her
well. See how amiable ! Judge if she would be happy with
your frieud. Think of me as the great man at Adamtown —
quite classical, too! Study the mother. Eemember well what
passes. Stay tea. At six order horses and go to New Mills,
two miles from Loudoun ; but if they press you stay all night,
do it. Be a man of as much ease as possible. Consider what a
romantic expedition you are on ; take notes ; perhaps you now
fix me for life."
Instructions more extraordinary were never before delivered
by lovesick swain to the friend of his suit. That frieud was
to inform the lady of his affections that he was " much accus-
tomed to women of intrigue ; " that he was " odd," " inconstant,"
and " impetuous ; " and he was even to hint that there was
madness in his family. That Boswell should have brought his
friend 500 miles so to describe him to the lady of his affec-
tions is not the least remarkable feature of his strange career.
Mr. Temple, it is hoped, was more discreet than his client.
On his return to Mamhead Mr. Temple married a gentle-
woman who brought him a fortune of £1,300. Boswell wrote
to Miss Blair, thanking her for her attention to his friend, but
the lady was silent. Her suitor became perplexed ; he feared
that a certain nabob had " struck in," or that Temple " had told
her his faults too honestly." At length, after he had endvired
the miseries of " a feverish disorder, the lady relented, and sent
him a most agreeable letter." She made an excuse that a
letter of his had been delayed at the Ayr post office ; but he
had written several. On the 28th August he again com-
municates with Mr. Temple. He assumes the designation of
a sovereign prmce, and holds the clergyman as his ambassador.
" Are you not happy," he writes, " to find that all is well
between the Prince of Auchinleck and his fair neighbouring
princess? In short, sir, I am one of the most fortunate men