Norwich bulletin., 1922-05-30
Great Mems Love Letters
BOSWELL AND PEGGY" MONT
GOMERIE.

BOSWELL AND PEGGY" MONT
GOMERIE.
James Boswell. the Scotchman of let
tiers, is SO Familiarity known as the BIZ
ographer of Samuel johnson that the
reader is likely to forget that his was
a most interesting personaltta, aside
from his ability as a writer Boswelrs
life is full Of romance and much of the
clever material that he has worked into
his famous Biography Is but a memoir
Of his own life.
A remarkable feature Of this curious
ly-biended character was an extreme sus-
cepttbility to the charms of the fair sex
In one of his Boswell doth women
adore; :" and all through his life he seems
to have been passing from one attach
ment to another, each being, as In the
case of an amusing character in a mod
ern farce. the only woman he ever
loved"
1t would be difficult to count the in
Vulnerable "fiames' of Boswell and as
Mr.. Sterne puts it, 'he must ever have
some Dulcinea in his head" Boswell be-
gan early, when he was a student at the
university, and was only eighteen when
he fell distractedly in love with Miss
W t.
Embarrassed as he was with his vari-
Gus charmers, this mercuriaI being had
not seriously planted a regular natri-
monial venture. He first thought Of
his cousin, Miss Bosvflle, In Yorkshire,
but there was one objection, as he com
placedly fancied-she would not like to
live in Scotland. Then he betook HIM
self to Miss Blair to whom he might
have been married had he only behaved
like a reasonable being. He once dis
nc fNt R~in
to praise him, and stimulated the lady,
feelings in every way.
He finally found that Miss Blair, as
well as many other young women with
whom he had become suddenly infatuat-
ed, was not at all the person suited to
him. English, Scotch and Dutch bellies
had unsuccessfully passed by him and
| an Irish one now appeared on the
scene. This new fame was his rous-
in, Miss Margaret or Peggy" Mont
| gomerie, who became the confidante Of
his feelings, and soothed his mortifca-
| ton at the termination of his last at
tachment. They became engaged and
were married on November 25, 1853.
Boswell was of a most Jealous dis.
| position and yet his letters would in.
| dictate that he was Of forgiving nature
] How am I tornented because you have
| formerly loved others. But why should
that upset me? So have But an
positive that since first I greeted you
YOU have been constant to me. Yot
have been more than that you have beer
kind and generous. MY life Is one o.
the most romantic that you ever met o.
really know Of, and yet am a yer!
sensible and good sort Of man. I ma!
have had strong passion previous t
my paying court to you, but my MINI
would seem to indicate that this pas
sion has never been so deeply routeS
as in the present instance, my dear Mis-
Montgomerie, nor do I feel in any wa!
that 1t is not going to be as lasting"
The married life Of Boswell, for
time, was all that could be desired, AM
the first domestic troubles arose through
neither the wife nor his father syrnpa
thizing with his enthusiasm for DR.. John
son. The wife was a sensible woman an
/ preferred staying at home. When John
son took Boswell on his tour, she re
marked that though she had seen man
"a bear led by a man. she had neve
before seen a man led by abear."
Boswell seems, in the main, to hav
behaved well towards his wife, thong
he maintained that he could feel '1ittl
fondness for other persons with perfec
: conjugal love" Mrs. Boswell died 1
AuchinleclS in 1888, and 1t is said ths
: he was somewhat comforted by the nine
teen carriages which followed ! he
hearse but his grief was no doubt sir
, cere. He survived his wife six years.