BOSWELL (James, Esq. of Auchinleck, in the oounty of Ayr), whose life of Dr Samuel Johnson entitles him to a place among those who have con tributed to the great stock of intellectual wealth, was 'the eldest sou of Alexander Boswell (styled Lord Auchinleck), one of the Judges of the Supreme Courts of Session and Justiciary in Scotland. He was born in the year 1740 ; and, having received the rudiments of his education, partly in his father's house, and partly at Mr Mundell's school in Edin burgh, successively prosecuted his studies at the Uni versities of that city and of Glasgow. He was des tined by his father for the Scottish bar; • pursuit with which his own incliaationsdid not much accord, and in place of which, he would gladly have substi tuted one of greater activity and enterprise. His father's wishes, however, and his own sense of filial duty, prevailed; and, as the study of Civil Law, at one of the foreign Universities, was then included in the most liberal plan of education for a Scottish Ad vocate, it was determined that Mr Boswell should repair, for that purpose, to Utrecht ; with a permis sion, before his return, to main the tour of Eu rope.
Already, however, those traits of character might be observed, which gavethe peculiar direction to his afterlife. He was/very early,embitiousef being admit ted into the society and friendship of men distingisish ed by talent and public estimation, more especially those ofeminence in the literary world; and his natural urbanity, as well as .gaiety of disposition, rendered it no difficult matter to gratify his propensity. While at the University of Glasgow, -he had formed a par ticular intimacy with Mr Temple, the friend of Gray, afterwards Vicar St Gluvias in Cornwall; and he was known to many of-the conspicuous characters at that time in Scotland, among others, Lord Kames, Lord Hailes, Dr Robertson, and Dr Beattie. But the most remarkable acquisition which he made of ' this kind was his acquaintance with Dr Johnson, which commenced in 1768, and was to prove at once the principal era in his own life, and the means of adding not a little to the fame of the philosopher.
Mr Boswell had visited London, for the first time.
in 1760, when he accidentally became acquainted with Derrick, afterwards King Derrick, as the Mas ter of Ceremonies at Bath was then fantastically titled ; and by him was initiated into the arcane of London life. In 1768 he proceeded to Utrecht. Having passed a year at that university, he travelled into Germany and Switzerland, was entertained by Voltaire at his castle of Ferney, and conversed with Rousseau in the solitudes of Neufchatel. He con tinued his route to Italy; but, led his natural en thusiasm, forsook the common roads of travel, and passed over to Corsica, which, after a contest of more than thirty years, was still struggling for inde pendence with the republic of Genoa. He thus de scribes his feelings while he approached the island: " As long as I can remember anything, I had beard of the malecontents of Corsica; it was a curious thought. that I was just going to see them." Rous seau had given him a letter of introduction to the romantic Paoli.; and his tide wassuddenly at the full. In the small court of this simple but dignified Chief tain, he found everything to gratify his taste for the virtuous and sublime in natural character. He became a. favourite, too, in his turn; was caressed by the islanders, admitted at all times to the society of their leader, and not only witnessed the movements of their political machinery, but appeared to be him self an actor in the scene. Of his visit to this island, he published a narrative on his return to Scotland, entitled, An Account of Corsica, with Memoirs of General Pasquale de Paoli, printed at Glasgow in 1768. This book was translated into the Dutch, German, French, and Italian languages. He like wise printed, in the following year, a collection of British Essays in favour of the Brave Corsicans ; and made such attempts as he could to interest the Bri tish Government in favour of that people, before they were finally crushed by the pressure of the French arms. His acquaintance and friendship with Gene ral Paoli were afterwards renewed in London, when that chief, having escaped with difficulty from his native isle, found an asylum in the British domi nions.