Frolics of this kind naturally deprived Boswell of the respect which he desired for himself as a man of letters. The 'Tour to Corsica' was an admirable beginning to a literary career; he had then the chance of founding the reputation he wanted as a person of weight, a man whose judgment must be accounted of some importance by the world at large. His writings about Corsica had been widely read and his views had found general sympathy. Moreover the popular poetess, Mrs. Barbauld, had paid homage in verse to his fame as an explorer. But by such behaviour as this at Stratford these hopes were frustrated. And to him, though perhaps not to us, this was the tragedy of his life. [Footnote 1: _Samuel Johnson_, by Walter Raleigh, 1907.] [Footnote 2: This remark we may suppose was deliberately misinterpreted by some of Boswell's contemporaries and he finds it necessary to introduce a defence of it: 'I am willing to believe that I meant this as light pleasantry to soothe and conciliate him, and not as humiliating abasement at the expense of my country.' It was of course an apology for coming from Scotland, but an absurd apology of which he saw the absurdity, as though a man were to apologise for being six feet high.] [Footnote 3: _London Magazine_, vol. li., p. 359.] [Footnote 4: In August 1763.] [Footnote 5: _Life of Johnson_, iii., 331.] [Footnote 6: _Tour to Corsica_, pp. 320-1.] [Footnote 7: _Private Correspondence of David Hume_, 1820.] [Footnote 8: It is an interesting fact that it was translated into German, Dutch, Italian, and French (_Gentleman's Magazine_, June 1795--Letter from J. B. R.) The _Life_, I believe, has never been translated. The same correspondent says, 'It was received with extraordinary approbation.'] [Footnote 9: For Boswell's views on spelling see this same preface.] [Footnote 10: Mr. Malone, speaking of the _Life_, said, 'That in this work he had not both fame and profit in view, would be idle to assert; but to suppose that these were his principal objects is to know nothing of the author, and nothing of human nature.' _Gentleman's Magazine_, June 1795.] [Footnote 11: September 1769.] CHAPTER III The portion of Boswell's career which we have been relating up to this point gives rise by natural sequence to the discussion of one or two interesting questions about his personality. We must know the part played in the main theme by his peculiar qualities. We must notice how they seem to assist or to impede his particular faculty for biography. Allusion has already been made to the reasons for which Boswell was attracted by two great men, Dr. Johnson and General Paoli. We must see now in general the reason of that intimacy which he took care to cultivate with a large number of distinguished men.