about Johnson

I've been enjoying Samuel Johnson. For the past hour or so, I've been reading snippets from Boswell's famous "Life of Johnson" which includes plenty of Johnson's letters and dialogue between him and Boswell and others that Boswell remembered and recorded.

Johnson was particularly well known for never missing a chance to make a dig at the Scottish.
From his dictionary:
oats: a grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people

Boswell, a Scot, records a conversation when his friend Mr. Ogilvie (a Scot) was introduced to Johnson. This gave me a chuckle:

Mr. Ogilvie was unlucky enough to choose for the topic of his conversation the praises of his native country. He began with saying that there was very rich land round Edinburgh. Goldsmith, who had studied physic there, contradicted this, very untruly, with a sneering laugh. Disconcerted a little by this, Mr. Ogilvie then took new ground, where, I suppose, he thought himself perfectly safe; for he observed that Scotland had a great many noble wild prospects.
Johnson: I believe, Sir, you have a great many. Norway, too, has noble wild prospects; and Lapland is remarkable for prodigious noble wild prospects. But, Sir, let me tell you, the noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the highroad that leads him to England!"