Itisremarkablethattothelastheentertainedafixedcontemptforallthosemodesoflifeandthosestudieswhichtendtoemancipatethemindfromtheprejudicesofaparticularageoraparticularnation。Offoreigntravelandofhistoryhespokewiththefierceandboisterouscontemptofignorance。\"Whatdoesamanlearnbytravelling？IsBeauclerkthebetterfortravelling？WhatdidLordCharlemontlearninhistravels，exceptthattherewasasnakeinoneofthepyramidsofEgypt？\"Historywas，inhisopinion，tousethefineexpressionofLordPlunkett，anoldalmanack;historianscould，asheconceived，claimnohigherdignitythanthatofalmanack—makers;andhisfavouritehistorianswerethosewho，likeLordHailes，aspiredtonohigherdignity。HealwaysspokewithcontemptofRobertson。Humehewouldnotevenread。HeaffrontedoneofhisfriendsfortalkingtohimaboutCatiline’sconspiracy，anddeclaredthatheneverdesiredtohearofthePunicwaragainaslongashelived。
Assuredlyonefactwhichdoesnotdirectlyaffectourowninterests，consideredinitself，isnobetterworthknowingthananotherfact。Thefactthatthereisasnakeinapyramid，orthefactthatHannibalcrossedtheAlps，areinthemselvesasunprofitabletousasthefactthatthereisagreenblindinaparticularhouseinThreadneedleStreet，orthefactthataMr。
SmithcomesintothecityeverymorningonthetopofoneoftheBlackwallstages。Butitiscertainthatthosewhowillnotcracktheshellofhistorywillnevergetatthekernel。Johnson，withhastyarrogance，pronouncedthekernelworthless，becausehesawnovalueintheshell。Therealuseoftravellingtodistantcountriesandofstudyingtheannalsofpasttimesistopreservemenfromthecontractionofmindwhichthosecanhardlyescapewhosewholecommunioniswithonegenerationandoneneighbourhood，whoarriveatconclusionsbymeansofaninductionnotsufficientlycopious，andwhothereforeconstantlyconfoundexceptionswithrules，andaccidentswithessentialproperties。
Inshort，therealuseoftravellingandofstudyinghistoryistokeepmenfrombeingwhatTomDawsonwasinfiction，andSamuelJohnsoninreality。
Johnson，asMr。Burkemostjustlyobserved，appearsfargreaterinBoswell’sbooksthaninhisown。Hisconversationappearstohavebeenquiteequaltohiswritingsinmatter，andfarsuperiortotheminmanners。Whenhetalked，heclothedhiswitandhissenseinforcibleandnaturalexpressions。Assoonashetookhispeninhishandtowriteforthepublic，hisstylebecamesystematicallyvicious。Allhisbooksarewritteninalearnedlanguage，inalanguagewhichnobodyhearsfronthismotherorhisnurse，inalanguageinwhichnobodyeverquarrels，ordrivesbargains，ormakeslove，inalanguageinwhichnobodyeverthinks。ItisclearthatJohnsonhimselfdidnotthinkinthedialectinwhichhewrote。Theexpressionswhichcamefirsttohistongueweresimple，energetic，andpicturesque。Whenhewroteforpublication，hedidhissentencesoutofEnglishintoJohnsonese。HislettersfromtheHebridestoMrs。ThralearetheoriginalofthatworkofwhichtheJourneytotheHebridesisthetranslation;anditisamusingtocomparethetwoversions。\"Whenweweretakenupstairs，\"saysheinoneofhisletters，\"adirtyfellowbouncedoutofthebedonwhichoneofuswastolie。\"