James Boswell
Overview
 
James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck (29 October 1740 – 19 May 1795) was a lawyer, diarist, and author born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

, Scotland; he is best known for the biography he wrote of one of his contemporaries, the English literary figure Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson , often referred to as Dr. Johnson, was an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer...

.

Boswell's surname has passed into the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

 as a term (Boswell, Boswellian, Boswellism) for a constant companion and observer, especially one who records those observations in print.
Quotations

Boswell is pleasant and gay, For frolic by nature designed; He heedlessly rattles away When company is to his mind.

In a poem about himself, in "Biographic Sketches" in Chambers's Edinburgh Journal Vol. IV (1836). p. 341

'Sir,' said Mr Johnson, 'a lawyer has no business with the justice or injustice of the cause which he undertakes, unless his client asks his opinion, and then he is bound to give it honestly. The justice or injustice of the cause is to be decided by the judge.'

(15 August 1773)

I fancy mankind may come, in time, to write all aphoristically.

Quoting Samuel Johnson (16 August 1773)

The best good man, with the worst natur'd muse.

Quoting Earl of Rochester|John Wilmot, earl of Rochester's poem "To Lord Buckhurst", (18 August 1773)

Influence must ever be in proportion to property; and it is right it should.

Quoting Samuel Johnson (18 August 1773)

In every place, where there is any thing worthy of observation, there should be a short printed directory for strangers.

(19 August 1773)

As all who come into the country must obey the King, so all who come into an university must be of the Church.

Quoting Samuel Johnson (19 August 1773)

My lord and Dr Johnson disputed a little, whether the savage or the London shopkeeper had the best existence; his lordship, as usual, preferring the savage.

The lord was James Burnett, Lord Monboddo|James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, (21 August 1773)

I regretted I was not the head of a clan; however, though not possessed of such an hereditary advantage, I would always endeavour to make my tenants follow me.

(31 August 1773

Such groundless fears will arise in the mind, before it has resumed its vigour after sleep!

(1 September 1773)

 
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