This work consists of most of the correspondence (edited) between Andrew Erskine and James Boswell from their first meeting in 1761 until November, 1762. It was printed by Chandler and published by William Flexney on April 12, 1763, described by Boswell as "the greatest day that Erskine and I ever saw" (LJ120463).

Their joy soon turned into some regret as the letters were being made ridiculed (LJ140263) and criticized by some of their friends such as Lord Eglinton (LJ, p. 241, n. 1) for being too personal (crossing the boundaries between the private and the public). His father, Lord Auchinleck, did not like them either, complaining that "though it might pass between two intimate young lads in the same way that people over a bottle will be vastly entertained with one another's rant, it was extremely odd to send such a piece to the press to be perused by all and sundry" (Letter to JB from Lord Auchinleck, May 30, 1763). On June 1, 1763 their letters were critically reviewed by the Critical Review. The review wasn't positive, but it still surprised Boswell by not being all that abusive.

Some reviews were rather positive, though, among them one published (anonymously) in The London Chronicle on 29/4-63 - when Boswell's papers were discovered in the 1920s it turned out, that Boswell had actually written the review himself! (LJ, p. 249, n.2). Bonnell Thornton praised the correspondence in The Public Advertiser, and on May 24, 1763 Boswell went to see him for the first time. He was also introduced to John Wilkes and Charles Churchill (editors of The North Briton) at Thornton's on this day. Even the June edition of The Monthly Review apparently gave the letters a rather good critique. (LJ, p. 286, n. 3)

In the end it seemed to turn out allright for Boswell, although he'd got a few scratches by the whole affair.

The work seems to be extremely hard to find today, but the letters themselves are all included in the recently published volume of Boswell's correspondence for the years 1757-1763. Both editions may be available via Abebooks .