Boswell was not systematic in his self-examination; but he came to know himself with a truer judgment than most men have where self is concerned. His principles had been ill carried out; his ideals had not been comprehensive. He had neglected the personal discipline which we look to see in men of power and in men who have accomplished important matters; he had neglected to train his mind to deal with all the problems of life. His grasp upon the whole scheme of things was feeble, as his control of himself was limited. And yet this knowledge of self with the good-humoured laugh--and it was not unaccompanied by fervent regret for his weakness, and anxious piety--this knowledge, which is the key to all right knowing, was a fitting achievement for one whose predominant interest was Human Nature, and whose prevailing passion was Truth. [Footnote 1: Boswell's literary executors were Temple, Malone, and Sir William Forbes. 'The three persons,' says Dr. Rogers, 'nominated as literary executors did not meet, and the entire business of the trust was administered by Sir William Forbes, Bart., who appointed as his law-agent Robert Boswell, Writer to the Signet, cousin-german of the deceased. By that gentleman's advice Boswell's manuscripts were left to the disposal of his family, and it is believed that the whole were immediately destroyed. The Commonplace-book escaped, having been accidentally sold among the printed books.' I believe there is still at Auchinleck the manuscript of a diary and some letters, but I have not been permitted to see them. Undoubtedly Boswell must have left far more than these.] [Footnote 2: The quotation is from a letter, quoted before in these pages, which appeared in the _Gentleman's Magazine_ for June 1795; it is clearly written by one of Boswell's friends, and the signature 'C.' suggests Courtenay. Dr. Rogers accepts it as by him.] [Footnote 3: Quoted in Dr. Rogers's _Memoir_ with reference to _Traditions of Edinburgh_, 1869, p. 74. I have not verified.] [Footnote 4: _Records of my Life_, by John Taylor, Esq., 1832, i, 214.] [Footnote 5: Nichols' _Literary History_, vii, 303-13.] [Footnote 6: _Gentleman's Magazine_, June, 1795.] [Footnote 7: _Life of Reynolds_, ii, 636.] [Footnote 8: Nichols' _Literary Anecdotes_, iii, 192.] [Footnote 9: See Nichols' _Literary History_, v, 456-7.] [Footnote 10: _Letters to Temple_, p. 272.] [Footnote 11: _James Boswell_, by W. K. Leask, p. 155.] [Footnote 12: For an account of Boswell's family, see Dr. Rogers in _Boswelliana_, pp. 192-7.] INDEX A Aberbrothick, 245 Academy, 303 Account of Corsica, 56-64, 114, 178^16, 268, 275, 276, 302, 317 Adam, Mr. R. B., 251^5 Adamtown, 93, 100 Address to the Real Freeholders of the County of Ayr, 177 Akerman, 251 Aldus, 30 America, 181 Arbuthnot, 118 Argyll, Duke of, 35