...dignity of thinking beings. Far from me and from my friends, be such frigid philosophy as may conduct us indifferent and unmoved over any ground which has...Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of lona. (Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands, 1775)1 Scott's busy life afforded...

...point for religion in Scotland throughout the centuries that followed. "That man', wrote Dr Johnson, 'is little to be envied, whose patriotism would not...Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of lona.' And nowadays a new abbey has risen to try to revive the faded message of Christianity....

...Johnson claims that he and his friends do not subscribe to 'such frigid philosophy as may conduct us indifferent and unmoved over any ground which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery, or virtue'.40 Taking this as his cue, Bertie writes: 'Amongst the spots in Australia which have been "dignified...

...dignity of thinking beings. Far from me and from my friends, be such frigid philosophy as may conduct us indifferent and unmoved over any ground which has...Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of lona. But Johnson and Boswell were not the only literary figures to be attracted to these...

...patriotism. "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." But to keep things in balance he also said: "That man is little to be envied, whose patriotism...Marathon, or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of lona." What has Scripture to say about this love? For thousands of years Jewish patriots have...

...outweighs ten thousand suns. Of such patriotism we might hear Dr. Johnson very differently saying: "That man is little to be envied whose patriotism would not gain force on the plains of Marathon," adding, "or whose piety would not grow warmer among the ruins of lona."...