2026-03-12
1 小时 8 分钟Sunday, 28th of November.
I breakfasted with Mr.
Douglas.
I went to St.
James's church and heard service and a good sermon on by what means shall a young man learn to order his ways,
in which the advantages of early piety were well displayed.
What a curious, inconsistent thing is the mind of man.
In the midst of divine service, I was laying plans for having women.
And yet I had the most sincere feelings of religion.
So that was James Boswell writing in his journal six months before his fateful meeting with Samuel Johnson,
the hero of this story in Thomas Davis's bookshop.
So Boswell had begun this great journal, one of the most glittering,
scintillating records of life in the 18th century ever written,
arguably the most complete record of what it's like to live in the 18th century.
He'd begun this enormous project two weeks earlier.
But who was this young man who was sitting in church having all these fantasies about having women during the sermon of all moments?
Shocking.
Tom, tell all.
Well, as people will be able to tell from your accent, James Boswell is a young Scot.
He's 22 years old at this point.