Grampian Club > Boswelliana

74 MEMOIR OF JAMES BOSWELL.
by a Mr. FuUerton, wliom he describes as his " old rival, the
nabob." So he procured the nabob's acquaintance, and they
called on the heiress together. She received them courteously,
but with greater than wonted reserve. Bos well was determined
to know the worst. He entertained Mr. FuUerton to supper at
the house of a relative, and the same evening took him to a
tavern and warmed him " with old claret." As anticipated, Mr.
FuUerton became very communicative, admitting that he had
been assiduous in attending INIiss Blair, but had received no
suitable encouragement. He and Bos well remained together
long after midnight, and before separating agreed that each on
the morrow should visit the heiress, and make proposals to her.
Boswell made sure to reach first, as he went to breakfast ; he
proposed, and was refused. The nabob called on Miss Blair an
hour or two afterwards, and was overpowered with her coldness.
" Now that all is over," Boswell sums up, " I see many faults
in her which I did not see before. ... I am, however,
resolved to look out for a good wife either here or in England.
, . . The heiress is a good Scots lass, but I must have an
Englishwoman. You cannot say how fine a woman I may
marry. Perhaps a Howard, or some other of the noblest in the
kingdom."
Finally, to assure his correspondent that he was not dis-
tracted by rejection or disappointed hope, he embodied in his
communication the following somewhat splenetic verses at
the expense of the " princess : " —
" Although I be an honest laird,
In person rather strong and brawny,
For me the lieiress never cared,
For she would have the knight Sir Sawney.*
* Sir Alexander G-ilmour, Bart., of Craigmiller, M.P., BosweU's
supposed rival in the affections of Miss Blair, died unmarried in
France, on the 27th December, 1792.