,transcriber's ,notes3 ,variations in spelling and hyphenation have been left as in the original4 ,words in italics in the original are surrounded by underscores4 ,a row of asterisks represents a thought break4 ,letters superscripted in the original are surrounded by braces4 ,ellipses match the original4 ,a complete list of corrections follows the text4 ,the original has two different kinds of blockquotes3 one uses a smaller font than the main text1 and the other has wider margins4 ,in this text1 the blockquotes in a smaller font have wider margins1 and the other blockquotes have two blank lines before and after the quotation4 ,an explanation of the different kinds of quotations can be found at the end of this text4 ,the original uses side by side columns for comparisons4 ,this text has the contents of the right column indented five spaces below the contents of the left column4 ,,life ,,and ,,correspondence ,,of ,,david ,,hume4 ,illustration3 ,portrait of ,hume from a ,bust ,,life ,,and ,,correspondence ,,of ,,david ,,hume4 ,,from ,,the ,,papers ,,bequeathed ,,by ,,his ,,nephew ,,to ,,the ,,royal ,,society ,,of ,,edinburgh2 ,,and ,,other ,,original ,,sources4 ,,by ,,john ,,hill ,,burton1 ,,esq4 ,,advocate4 ,,volume ,,ii4 ,,edinburgh3 ,,william ,,tait1 #ajg1 ,,prince',s ,,street4 ,,mdcccxlvi4 ,,edinburgh3 ,printed by ,,william ,,tait1 #ajg1 ,prince's ,street4 ,,contents ,,of ,,volume ,,second4 ,,illustrations ,,to ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,portrait of ,hume from a ,bust1 ,frontispiece4 ,fac simile of a page of the ,history of ,england1 ,page #gi ,fac simile of a letter from ,rousseau1 #cbf ,,chapter ,x4 #agef-agei4 ,t4 #de-dh4 ,the second volume of the ,history of the ,stuarts--,his ,apologies for his ,treatment of ,religion--,the ,four ,dissertations--,the ,two ,suppressed ,dissertations--,resigns his ,office of ,librarian-- ,home's ,douglas--,commences the ,history of the ,tudors-- ,wilkie's ,epigoniad--,hume's ,nationalism--,warburton--,colonel ,edmondstoune--,dr4 ,robertson--,negotiations as to ,ferguson's ,chair--,hume goes to ,london--,writes ,letters of ,fictitious and ,extravagant ,news--,smith's ,theory of ,moral ,sentiments-- ,publication of the ,history of the ,house of ,tudor--,general ,view of the ,constitutional ,principles of the ,history4 #a ,,chapter ,,xi4 #agfj-agfb4 ,t4 #di-ea4 ,alterations of the ,history in the direction of despotic ,principles--,specimens--,alterations in ,style--,specimens--,his ,elaboration--,ossian's ,poems--,labours at the early part of the ,history--,ferguson's ,sister ,peg--,acquaintance with ,madame de ,boufflers--,account of that lady--,first intercourse with ,rousseau--,rousseau's position--,the exiled ,earl ,marischal-- ,campbell and his ,dissertation on ,miracles4 #gc ,,chapter ,,xii4 #agfb-agfc4 ,t4 #ea-eb4 ,the ,publication of the ,history anterior to the ,accession of the ,tudors--,completion of the ,history--,inquiry how far it is a complete ,history--,hume's ,intention to write an ,ecclesiastical ,history--,opinions of ,townsend and others on his ,history-- ,appreciation of the ,fine ,arts--,hume's ,house in ,james's ,court-- ,its subsequent occupation by ,boswell and ,johnson--,conduct of ,david ,mallet--,hume's ,projects--,the ,douglas ,cause-- ,correspondence with ,reid4 #abj ,,chapter ,,xiii4 #agfc-agfd4 ,t4 #eb-ec4 ,lord ,hertford's appointment to the ,french ,embassy1 and invitation to ,hume to accompany him--,correspondence on the occasion--,residence in ,london1 and remarks on the ,political ,movements of #agfc--,state of his reputation in ,france--,his ,arrival--,letters to friends at home about his flattering reception--,the young ,french princes--,observations on eminent ,french people--,his recommendations to a ,clergyman-- ,introductions of ,fellow ,countrymen4 #aef ,,chapter ,,xiv4 #agfd-agfe4 ,t4 #ec-ed4 ,the ,french and ,english ,society of ,hume's day--,reasons of his warm reception in ,france--,society in which he moved--,mixture of lettered men with the ,aristocracy--,madame ,geoffrin--,madame ,du ,page de ,boccage--,madame ,du ,deffand--,mademoiselle ,de ,l',espinasse--,d',alembert--,turgot--,t he ,prince of ,conti--,notices of ,hume among the ,parisians--,walpole in ,paris--,resumption of the ,correspondence--,hume undertakes the management of ,elliot's sons--,reminiscences of home--,mrs4 ,cockburn--,adam ,smith--,madame ,de ,boufflers and the ,prince of ,conti--,correspondence with ,lord ,elibank4 #bjg ,,chapter ,,xiv4vi3,a #agfe-agff4 ,t4 #ed-ee4 ,hume's ,sentiments as to the ,popularity of his works--,a letter to the ,scottish ,clergy--,correspondence with ,elliot continued-- ,sir ,robert ,liston--,mallet--,hume appointed ,secretary of ,legation--,charg d' ,affaires at ,paris--,proposal to appoint him ,secretary for ,ireland--,reasons of the ,failure of the ,project-- ,lord ,hertford--,resumption of ,communication with ,rousseau-- ,rousseau in ,paris--,notices of his ,history and ,character-- ,hume's ,solicitude for his welfare--,return to ,britain--,disposal of ,rousseau--,death of ,jardine4 #bfc ,,chapter ,,xv4 #agff-agfg4 ,t4 #ee-ef4 ,rousseau at ,wooton--,mr4 ,davenport--,negotiations as to ,rousseau's pension--,origin and rise of his excitement against ,hume--,proper method of viewing the dispute--,incidents illustrative of ,rousseau's state of mind--,his charges against ,hume--,smith's opinion--,opinion of the ,french friends--,hume's conduct in the publication of the papers--,voltaire--,rousseau's flight and wanderings--,hume's subsequent conduct to him4 #cai ,,chapter ,,xvi4 #agff-aggj4 ,t4 #ee-ei4 ,hume ,under ,secretary of ,state--,church ,politics--,official abilities--,conduct as to ,ferguson's book--,quarrel with ,oswald--,baron ,mure's sons--,project of continuing the ,history-- ,ministerial convulsions--,hume's conduct to his ,family--,his ,brother--,his ,nephews--,baron ,hume--,blacklock--,smollett--,church ,patronage--,gibbon--,robertson--,elliot --,gilbert ,stuart--,the ,douglas ,cause--,andrew ,stewart--,morellet--,return to ,scotland4 #chb ,,chapter ,,xvii4 #agga-aggf4 ,t4 #fj-fe4 ,hume's social character--,his conversation--,his disposition-- ,traditional anecdotes regarding him--,correspondence--,letter about the ,pretender--,gilbert ,stuart's quarrel with ,dr4 ,henry-- ,commercial ,state of ,scotland--,letter to his nephew on ,republicanism--,smith's ,wealth of ,nations--,hume's illness-- ,his ,will--,smith appointed ,literary ,executor--,strahan substituted--,his journey to ,england with ,home--,prospects of ,death--,communications with his ,friends and ,relations--,his ,death--,general view of his influence on ,thought and ,action4 #dcg ,,index4 #ebc ,,footnotes3 vi3,a ,by mistake two chapters have been numbered ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,david ,,hume4 ,,chapter ,x4 #agef-agei4 ,t4 #de-dh4 ,the second volume of the ,history of the ,stuarts--,his ,apologies for his ,treatment of ,religion--,the ,four ,dissertations--,the ,two ,suppressed ,dissertations--,resigns his ,office of ,librarian-- ,home's ,douglas--,commences the ,history of the ,tudors--,wilkie's ,epigoniad--,hume's ,nationalism--,warburton--,colonel ,edmondstoune-- ,dr4 ,robertson--,negotiations as to ,ferguson's ,chair--,hume goes to ,london--,writes letters of ,fictitious and ,extravagant ,news-- ,smith's ,theory of ,moral ,sentiments--,publication of the ,history of the ,house of ,tudor--,general ,view of the ,constitutional ,principles of the ,history4 ,we have now followed the personal history of ,david ,hume through nearly twenty years of authorship4 ,we have seen him approach the tribunal of public opinion with the strongest internal assurance of success1 and in a form so different from that of his predecessors1 as a high reliance on his own powers could alone have prompted4 ,baffled in the first1 and in the second1 and in the third attempt1 he still persevered2 and while the coldness of each reception showed him that his last effort had proved a failure1 it never extinguished the fire of literary ardour which he felt burning within him1 or quenched the hope1 that it would one day blaze forth before the world4 ,it is only towards the termination of this long period of laborious authorship that we find the philosopher's early visions of intellectual greatness beginning to be fulfilled4 ,at the period at which we have now arrived1 his name was famous over ,europe4 ,it was a fame that1 once spread abroad1 was not soon to die2 for those to whom his name was first made known in his new popular work1 speedily discovered that1 in his earliest neglected effort1 he had laid the foundation of a still surer claim on their admiration1 and justified the sagacity with which1 in the pride and strength of youthful genius1 he had thrown its first fruits before the world unaided and unadvised4 ,the year #agef seems to have been in a great measure devoted by ,hume to the printing of the second volume of his ,history1 to which the following letters to ,millar refer4 ,a great part of the correspondence with this sagacious publisher relates to minute business arrangements4 ,it is presumed1 that the reader may wish to see some specimens of the manner in which ,hume transacted such matters1 but that he will not care to have the whole of the arrangements between the author and publisher laid before him4 ,a few specimens of the business part of the letters are accordingly selected1 while those portions which have any general interest1 literary1 philosophical1 or political1 are given in full4 ,the reader will see1 perhaps1 with some surprise1 that he was very anxious to subject his style to the critical eye of ,mallet4 ,we shall hereafter have to disclose some curious features of his literary intercourse with this extraordinary person4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #bb;d ,september1 #agef4 ,mr4 ,strahan1 in a few days1 will have finished the printing this volume2 and ,i hope you will find leisure1 before the hurry of winter1 to peruse it1 and to write me your remarks on it4 ,i fancy you will publish about the middle of ,november4 ,i must desire you to take the trouble of distributing a few copies to my friends in ,london1 and of sending me a few copies here4 ,the whole will be fifteen copies4 ,notwithstanding ,mr4 ,mallet's impertinence in not answering my letter1 7for it deserves no better a name17 if you can engage him from yourself to mark on the perusal such slips of language as he thinks ,i have fallen into in this volume1 it will be a great obligation to me3 ,i mean that ,i shall lie under an obligation to you2 for ,i would not willingly owe any to him4 ,i am1 dear sir1 your most humble servant4#c3a ,edinburgh1 #dth ,december1 #agef4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have two of yours before me1 and should have answered them sooner1 had not ,mr4 ,dalrymple told me that he would come to a resolution1 in a few days1 about the method of printing his volume4 ,as soon as he does so1 ,i shall write you4 ,i am certainly very well satisfied with your sale1 which ,i hope continues4 ,lord ,lyttelton's objection is not well grounded2 ,i have not contradicted that story betwixt ,shaftesbury and ,clifford3 ,i have only omitted it4 ,it stands only on ,burnet's authority1 who is very careless and inaccurate4 ,i believe ,i could convince both you and him that it was without foundation4 ,i am very glad that ,mr4 ,mallet has marked those expressions which appeared ,scotticisms4 ,you could not do me a greater pleasure than to procure me a list of them4 ,i beg of you to employ all your interest with him to that purpose4 ,i am very anxious to see them soon1 that ,i may examine them at leisure1 and correct them in all my writings4 ,a very little time would suffice for him to take down the page and the line and the expression4 ,if counting the line were too troublesome1 he would oblige me by only marking the page and the expression2 ,i would easily find it4 ,i had a conversation1 yesterday1 with ,messrs4 ,kincaid and ,donaldson1 when ,i made them a proposal1 which1 ,i hope1 will be for both your advantage4 ,they told me that you had only about four hundred complete sets of my philosophical writings4 ,i am extremely desirous to have these four volumes1 with that which you will publish this winter1 brought into a quarto volume4 ,they said that the small size was rather more proper for their sale2 and1 therefore1 they would gladly take1 at present1 two hundred sets of the four volumes1 to be paid for by so many of their shares in the quarto edition as would be an equivalent2 that is1 if the quarto volume were sold at the same price with the four volumes1 then set for set3 if at more1 then such allowance to be made as1 upon calculation1 would appear to be an equivalent4 ,if the ,history meet with success1 it will certainly quicken the sale of the philosophical writings2 and the taking two hundred sets from you1 leaves you so small a number on hand1 as gives you a certain prospect of coming soon to a new edition4 ,though some odd copies of particular volumes remain on hand1 there is no great matter1 as they may be disposed of with a small discount4 ,if you agree to this proposal1 they empowered me to desire you to put the two hundred copies on board a ship with the first occasion1 and to write them a letter1 by which they may be sure that there is no mistake in the conditions4 ,the bringing these scattered pieces into one volume will1 of itself1 quicken the sale2 and every new edition has naturally that effect4 ,i again recommend to you1 very earnestly1 the procuring me that favour from ,mr4 ,mallet4 ,it is not possible that he can refuse you4 ,i wish ,i had desired you to ask the same favour of ,mr4 ,reid1 to whom please to make my compliments4 ,i am1 dear sir1 your most obedient servant4#e3a ,the second volume of the ,history1 bringing down the narrative to the ,revolution1 was published in #agef4 ,this performance1 says ,hume in his own life1 alluding to the previous volume1 happened to give less displeasure to the ,whigs1 and was better received4 ,it not only rose itself1 but helped to buoy up its unfortunate brother4 ,the manner in which he had characterized the different religious bodies1 whose conduct he had to describe1 gave offence to many readers1 and was afterwards matter of regret to himself4 ,the toleration which forbids us to punish our neighbour on account of his creed1 he had fully learned4 ,that still higher toleration1 which forbids us to treat our neighbour's religious creed with disrespect1 he had not yet acquired4 ,he always speaks of the extreme ,independents and ,presbyterians as enthusiasts4 ,with this term1 not in itself opprobrious1 because1 though it implies excess1 it does not imply the excess of a bad quality1 he1 on some occasions1 associates the word fanaticism1 and other expressions having a like sarcastic1 or at least slighting tendency4 ,to the ,roman ,catholic religion he was still less respectful1 generally speaking of it as the ,catholic superstition4#e3b ,in his ,natural ,history of ,religion1 published in #ageg1 he used the same offensive expressions1 and spoke of the ceremonies and essential doctrines of the church of ,rome1 in a tone which no sincere member of that church can encounter without painful feelings4 ,in this respect he certainly did not act up to the character of a true philosopher1 though his expressions are no doubt in harmony with the general tone of his mind4 ,he certainly had no wish to insult any man's creed1 but he never dreamed that1 among his readers1 there might be some who sympathized deeply with the catholic spirit of the gothic ages1 or with the independent temper of the covenanters4 ,one whose mind revolted so nervously against whatever was not stamped with the character of profound philosophy1 or of brilliant intellect1 could see nothing to admire in the adaptation of the catholic system to the dark ages in which it flourished2 and would have little respect for such achievements as it gained in the war with barbarous minds and brutal passions4#f3a ,in ,scotland1 the ,episcopal ,church was at that time barely tolerated2 and many an outcry against this toleration1 as one of the sins of the time1 made its adherents daily fear that their freedom of conscience might be made still more narrow4 ,for the ,roman ,catholics there was no toleration in the proper acceptation of the term4 ,had their priesthood mingled in the ordinary society of ,edinburgh1 and had ,hume become acquainted with them as he afterwards was with the clergy of ,france1 he would perhaps have blushed to write as he did1 of the creed of learned and accomplished men4 ,in his subsequent editions1 he carefully cleansed his ,history of these offensive expressions1 substituting in general the word creed or religion1 instead of superstition4 ,the coincidence of his metaphysical opinions1 with those of a considerable portion of the ,presbyterians1 has already been noticed2 and his desire to strip religion of all forms and symbols1 would seem to point out the ,presbyterian system as that with which he should naturally have had the greatest sympathy4 ,but he disliked enthusiasm or zeal1 whatever were the opinions of the zealots2 and therefore he invariably marks with censure the extreme views of that religious party4 ,in the ,english church1 on the other hand1 he met with a larger proportion of learned1 accomplished1 and gentlemanlike men4 ,among persons1 too1 many of whom were tempted to assume the sacerdotal character by its emoluments1 not by its duties1 he found a tolerable portion of that philosophical indifference1 which it is to be feared he looked upon as no blemish in a clergyman's character4 ,in the ,church of ,england1 his sympathies were thus with the insincere4#i3a ,where there was sincere belief1 but not to the extent of enthusiasm1 the clergy of the ,church of ,scotland would have the largest share of his confidence4 ,accordingly1 we find that he had formed a warm intimacy with many of the members of the moderate party in that church4 ,his own good taste and sense of colloquial politeness1 would suggest to him the propriety of avoiding1 whether in correspondence or conversation1 all forms of expression or enunciations of opinion1 such as it would be unbecoming in a clergyman to hear without reproving4 ,on the other hand1 his correspondence with the clergy bears traces of his having made it part of the understanding on which their intercourse was to be based1 that they were not to make him a subject for the exercise of their calling2 and that they were to abstain from all efforts of conversion1 and all discussion of religious subjects4 ,hence1 although there are many observations on church politics in his correspondence with his reverend friends1 religion is a matter never mentioned4 ,before he published his second volume1 ,hume felt conscious of the impropriety of the tone he had adopted in the first1 towards religious creeds4 ,in a letter to ,dr4 ,clephane1 he says1--,i am convinced that whatever ,i have said of religion should have received some more softenings4 ,there is no passage in the ,history which strikes in the least at revelation4 ,but as ,i run over all the sects successively1 and speak of each of them with some mark of disregard1 the reader1 putting the whole together1 concludes that ,i am of no sect2 which to him will appear the same thing as the being of no religion4 ,with regard to politics and the character of princes and great men1 ,i think ,i am very moderate4 ,my views of things are more conformable to ,whig principles2 my representations of persons to ,tory prejudices4 ,nothing can so much prove that men commonly regard more persons than things1 as to find that ,i am commonly numbered among the ,tories4#aa3a ,the following paper is evidently a draft of a preface1 which1 in the consciousness that some apology was called for in connexion with this subject1 he intended to prefix to the second volume4 ,he afterwards published a great part of the substance of it in a note towards the end of the volume3 but there is sufficient difference in the contents of the two papers to make the following a distinct object of interest4 ,,preface4 ,it ought to be no matter of offence1 that in this volume1 as well as in the foregoing1 the mischiefs which arise from the abuses of religion are so often mentioned1 while so little in comparison is said of the salutary consequences which result from true and genuine piety4 ,the proper office of religion is to reform men's lives1 to purify their hearts1 to enforce all moral duties1 and to secure obedience to the laws and civil magistrate4 ,while it pursues these useful purposes1 its operations1 though infinitely valuable1 are secret and silent1 and seldom come under the cognisance of history4 ,that adulterate species of it alone1 which inflames faction1 animates sedition1 and prompts rebellion1 distinguishes itself in the open theatre of the world4 ,those1 therefore1 who attempt to draw inferences disadvantageous to religion from the abuses of it mentioned by historians1 proceed upon a very gross1 and a very obvious fallacy2 for1 besides that every thing is liable to abuse1 and the best things the most so1 the beneficent influence of religion is not to be sought for in history4 ,that principle is always the more pure and genuine1 the less figure it makes in the annals of war1 politics1 intrigues1 and revolutions1 quarrels1 and convulsions2 which it is the business of an historian to record and transmit to posterity4 ,it ought as little to be matter of offence1 that no religious sect is mentioned in this work without being exposed sometimes to some note of blame and disapprobation4 ,the frailties of our nature mingle themselves with every thing in which we are employed1 and no human institutions will ever reach perfection1 the idea of an infinite mind4 ,the author of the universe seems at first sight to require a worship absolutely pure1 simple1 unadorned1 without rites1 institutions1 ceremonies2 even without temples1 priests1 or verbal prayer and supplication4 ,yet has this species of devotion been often found to degenerate into the most dangerous fanaticism4 ,when we have recourse to the aid of the senses and imagination1 in order to adapt our religion in some degree to human infirmity1 it is very difficult1 and almost impossible1 to prevent altogether the intrusion of superstition1 or keep men from laying too great stress on the ceremonial and ornamental parts of their worship4 ,of all the sects into which ,christians have been divided1 the ,church of ,england seems to have chosen the most happy medium2 yet it will undoubtedly be allowed1 that during the age of which these volumes treat1 there was a tincture of superstition in the partisans of the hierarchy1 as well as a strong mixture of enthusiasm in their antagonists4 ,but it is the nature of the latter principle soon to evaporate and decay4 ,a spirit of moderation usually succeeds in a little to the fervours of zeal2 and it must be acknowledged1 to the honour of the present ,presbyterians1 ,independents1 and other sectaries of this island1 that they resemble in little more than in name their predecessors1 who flourished during the civil wars1 and who were the authors of such disorders4 ,it would appear ridiculous in the eyes of the judicious part of mankind1 to pretend that even the first reformers1 in most countries of ,europe1 did not carry matters to a most violent extreme1 and were not on many occasions liable to the imputation of fanaticism4 ,not to mention that uncharitable spirit which accompanies zealots of all kinds1 and which led the early reformers1 almost universally1 to inflict upon the ,catholics1 and on all who differed from them1 the same rigours of which they themselves so loudly complained4 ,these hints1 however obvious1 the author thought proper to suggest1 with regard to the free and impartial manner in which he has treated religious controversy4 ,as to the civil and political part of his performance1 he scorns to suggest any apology1 where he thinks himself entitled to approbation4 ,to be above the temptation of interest is a species of virtue1 which we do not find by experience to be very common2 but to neglect at the same time all popular and vulgar applause1 is an enterprise much more rare and arduous4 ,whoever1 in a factious nation1 pays court to neither party1 must expect that justice will be done him by time only1 perhaps only by a distant posterity4#ac3a ,the ,natural ,history of ,religion above referred to1 remarkable even among its author's other works1 for the breadth of its research1 and its apt union of philosophy with historical detail1 was published in #ageg1 along with three other essays2#ac3b and a curious incident connected with this publication has now to be revealed4 ,in #aghc1 a work was published in ,london1 called ,essays on ,suicide and the ,immortality of the ,soul1 ascribed to the late ,david ,hume1 ,esq41 never before published2 with remarks1 intended as an antidote to the poison contained in these performances1 by the ,editor4 ,the editor and his antidote are now both forgotten3 but the style of ,hume and his method of thinking were at once recognised in these essays1 and they have been incorporated with the general edition of his works4 ,if any doubt attached to the authorship1 it would be cleared up by some allusions in his subsequent correspondence1 where we shall find him naturally expressing alarm at the circumstance of ,wilkes having1 through the negligence of ,millar1 had possession of a copy containing the two suppressed essays4 ,many copies1 indeed1 of the first edition of the dissertations bear marks of having been mutilated4#ad3a ,that ,hume wrote these essays1 and intended to publish them1 is thus an incident in his life which ought not to be passed over2 but it is also part of his history1 that he repented of the act at the last available moment1 and suppressed the publication4 ,that after the ghastly scene which he witnessed twenty years earlier1#ad3b he should have written on suicide with his usual philosophical indifference1 and contempt for the prevalent sentiments and feelings of mankind1 is a remarkable proof how little he was liable to ordinary imaginative impressions2 how completely he was free of subjection to those lords of the visionary eye1 whose lid ,once raised remains aghast1 and will not fall4 ,it may safely be pronounced1 that had he widened the circle of his utilitarian theory1 and embraced within it1 as he might have done1 ,hutcheson's theory of universal benevolence1 he never would have palliated self-slaughter4 ,he looked at it only in relation to the person who perpetrates the act4 ,the utilitarian principle1 however1 should have suggested to him the misery caused to surviving relatives by one such deed1 the horrible uncertainty that must pervade any society where it is common2 and he would have felt that no single life can be so dreadful a burden to the owner as to justify him in causing such an amount of evil to the rest of the world1 as he would produce by casting it away4 ,the result of modern reading and inquiry into vital statistics1 is to show that the desire of longevity1 which the author of our being has implanted in all bosoms1 is an adaptation to universal utility2 because it is from premature deaths1 produced by violence or disease1 that communities are burdened with those unproductive members of society1 which in a healthy and long-lived community1 receive domestic support from the productive members4#ae3a ,the reasonings of an enthusiast have generally more plausibility than those of a philosopher who has gone astray from his own theory2 for the straying philosopher speaks like one who has misgivings2 while the enthusiast never doubts that he is in the right1 and urges his opinions with a corresponding confidence and sincerity4 ,thus the justification of suicide which ,rousseau puts into a letter from ,st4 ,preux to ,lord ,edward ,bomston1 is a far more attractive vindication than that which ,hume had intended to publish4 ,this was not the only suppression connected with the publication of the ,dissertations4 ,as at first printed1 they were preceded by an affectionate and laudatory dedication to ,john ,home4 ,before the edition was published1 this dedication was suppressed2 because ,hume thought it might injure his friend1 in the estimation of his brethren of the church4 ,before the edition was sold1 however1 ,hume desired the dedication to be restored4 ,this step was probably owing to ,home having intimated to him his design of resigning his charge as minister of ,athelstaneford1 which he did in ,june1 #ageg4 ,this not only removed the objection to the dedication1 but as it severed the dramatic martyr from his professional brethren1 it made him more dependant on the sympathy and suffrages of other friends1 and rendered ,hume's testimony to his merits more valuable4 ,he thus writes on this subject to ,smith4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 #af3a;,,dear ,,smith1--,the dedication to ,john ,home1 you have probably seen2 for ,i find it has been inserted in some of the weekly papers1 both here and in ,london4 ,some of my friends thought it was indiscreet in me to make myself responsible to the public1 for the productions of another4 ,but the author had lain under such singular and unaccountable obstructions in his road to fame1 that ,i thought it incumbent on his wellwishers to go as much out of the common road to assist him4 ,i believe the composition of the dedication will be esteemed very prudent1 and not inelegant4 ,i can now give you the satisfaction of hearing that the play1 though not near so well acted in ,covent ,garden as in this place1 is likely to be very successful4 ,its great intrinsic merit breaks through all obstacles4 ,when it shall be printed1 7which will be soon17 ,i am persuaded it will be esteemed the best1 and by ,french critics the only tragedy of our language6 ,this encouragement will no doubt engage the author to go on in the same career4 ,he meets with great countenance in ,london1 and1 ,i hope1 will soon be rendered independent in his fortune4 ,did you ever hear of such madness and folly as our clergy have lately fallen into8 ,for my part1 ,i expect that the next ,assembly will very solemnly pronounce the sentence of excommunication against me2 but ,i do not apprehend it to be a matter of any consequence2 what do you think8 ,i am somewhat idle at present1 and somewhat undetermined as to my next undertaking4 ,shall ,i go backwards or forwards in my ,history8 ,i think you used to tell me1 that you approved more of my going backwards4 ,the other would be the more popular subject2 but ,i am afraid that ,i shall not find materials sufficient to ascertain the truth--at least1 without settling in ,london1 which1 ,i own1 ,i have some reluctance to4 ,i am settled here very much to my mind2 and would not wish1 at my years1 to change the place of my abode4 ,i have just now received a copy of ',douglas' from ,london2 it will instantly be put in the press4 ,i hope to be able to send you a copy in the same parcel with the dedication4#ah3a ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #bjth ,january1 #ageg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,the dedication of my ,dissertations to ,mr4 ,hume#ah3b was shown to some of his friends here1 men of very good sense1 who were seized with an apprehension that it would hurt that party in the church1 with which he had always been connected1 and would involve him1 and them of consequence1 in the suspicion of infidelity4 ,neither he nor ,i were in the least affected with their panic2 but to satisfy them1 we agreed to stand by the arbitration of one person1 of great rank and of known prudence2 and ,i promised them to write to you to suspend the publication for one post1 in case you should have resolved to publish it presently4 ,next post you shall be sure to hear from me2 and if we be obliged to suppress it1 you'll be pleased to place the charges of print and paper to my account4 ,i indorse this day your two bills to ,mr4 ,alexander ,cunningham4 ,i am1 c4 ,early in #ageg1 ,hume resigned his office of librarian of the ,advocates' ,library4 ,as a verbal intimation of his wishing to leave this situation was not considered satisfactory1 he favoured his learned employers with the following laconic letter3-- ,edinburgh1 ,january #h1 #ageg4 ,,sir1--,a few days ago1 ,i sent the ,faculty a verbal resignation2 but as ,i am told that it is expected ,i should give a resignation under my hand1 and as ,i am very desirous to deliver over the charge of the library as soon as possible1 ,i have been induced to write you at present1 and beg of you to inform the ,faculty1 that they may choose me a successor whenever they think proper4 ,i am1 sir1 your most humble servant4#ai3a ,to ,mr4 ,charles ,binning1 ,vice-,dean of the ,faculty of ,advocates4 ,,hume to ,,william ,,mure of ,caldwell4 ,,dear ,,mure1--,i hope you do not think yourself obliged1 by saying civil things1 to make atonement for the too homely truths1 which you told me formerly4 ,i will not believe so4 ,i take for granted1 that you are equally sincere in both3 though ,i must own that ,i think my first volume a great deal better than the second4 ,the subject admitted of more eloquence1 and of greater nicety of reasoning1 and more acute distinctions4 ,the opposition1 ,i may say the rage1 with which it was received by the public1 ,i must confess1 did not a little surprise me4 ,whatever knowledge ,i pretend to in history1 and human affairs1 ,i had not so bad an opinion of men as to expect that candour1 disinterestedness1 and humanity1 could entitle me to that treatment4 ,yet such was my fate4 ,after a long interval1 ,i at last collected so much courage1 as to renew my application to the second volume1 though with infinite disgust and reluctance2 and ,i am sensible that1 in many passages of it1 there are great signs of that disposition1 and that my usual fire does not every where appear4 ,at other times1 ,i excited myself1 and perhaps succeeded better4 ,exul eram2 requiesque mihi1 non fama1 petita est2 ,mens intenta suis1 ne foret usque malis4 ,nam simul ac mea caluerant pectora musae1 ,altior humano spiritus ille malo est4#bj3a ,i leave you to judge whether your letter came in a very seasonable time4 ,i own that ,i had the weakness to be affected by it1 when ,i found that a person1 whose judgment ,i very much valued1 could tell me1 though ,i was not asking his opinion----,but ,i will not proceed any farther4 ,the matter gave me uneasiness at the time1 though without the least resentment4 ,at present the uneasiness is gone2 and all my usual friendship1 confirmed by years and long acquaintance1 still remains4 ,pray1 whether do you pity or blame me most1 with regard to this dedication of my ,dissertations to my friend1 the poet8 ,i am sure ,i never executed any thing which was either more elegant in the composition1 or more generous in the intention2 yet such an alarm seized some fools here1 7men of very good sense1 but fools in that particular17 that they assailed both him and me with the utmost violence2 and engaged us to change our intention4 ,i wrote to ,millar to suppress that dedication2 two posts after1 ,i retracted that order4 ,can any thing be more unlucky than that1 in the interval of these four days1 he should have opened his sale1 and disposed of eight hundred copies1 without that dedication1 whence1 ,i imagined1 my friend would reap some advantage1 and myself so much honour8 ,i have not been so heartily vexed at any accident of a long time4 ,however1 ,i have insisted that the dedication shall still be published4 ,i am a little uncertain what work ,i shall next undertake2 for ,i do not care to be long idle4 ,i think you seem to approve of my going forward3 and ,i am sensible that the subject is much more interesting to us1 and even will be so to posterity1 than any other ,i could choose3 but can ,i hope that there are materials for composing a just and sure history of it8 ,i am afraid not4 ,however1 ,i shall examine the matter4 ,i fancy it will be requisite for me to take a journey to ,london1 and settle there for some time1 in order to gather such materials as are not to be found in print4 ,but1 if ,i should go backwards1 and write the ,history of ,england from the accession of ,henry the ,seventh1 ,i might remain where ,i am2 and ,i own to you1 at my time of life1 these changes of habitation are not agreeable1 even though the place be better to which one removes4 ,i am sorry my fair cousin does not find ,london so agreeable as1 perhaps1 she expected4 ,she must not judge by one winter4 ,it will improve against next winter1 and appear still better the winter after that4 ,please make my compliments to her1 and tell her that she must not be discouraged4 ,by the by1 ,mrs4 ,binnie tells me that she writes her a very different account of matters1 so that ,i find my cousin is a hypocrite4 ,i shall make use of your criticisms1 and wish there had been more of them4 ,that practice of doubling the genitive is certainly very barbarous1 and ,i carefully avoided it in the first volume2 but ,i find it so universal a practice1 both in writing and speaking1 that ,i thought it better to comply with it1 and have even changed all the passages in the first volume1 in conformity to use4 ,all languages contain solecisms of that kind4 ,please make my compliments to ,sir ,harry ,erskine1 and tell him that ,i have executed what ,i proposed4 ,i am1 c4#bb3a ,the following letter shows that he did not long remain idle1 or undecided in his historical projects3-- ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #bjth ,may1 #ageg4 ,i have already begun1 and am a little advanced in a third volume of ,history4 ,i do not preclude myself from the view of going forward to the period after the ,revolution2 but1 at present1 ,i begin with the reign of ,henry the ,seventh4 ,it is properly at that period modern history commences4 ,america was discovered2 commerce extended2 the arts cultivated2 printing invented2 religion reformed1 and all the governments of ,europe almost changed4 ,i wish1 therefore1 ,i had begun here at first4 ,i should have obviated many objections that were made to the other volumes4 ,i shall be considerably advanced in this volume before ,i be in ,london4 ,i come now to speak to you of an affair which gives me uneasiness1 and which ,i mention with reluctance4 ,i am told that one ,dr4 ,brown has published a book in ,london1 where there is a note containing personal reflections on me1 for which he quotes a letter ,i wrote to you4#bc3a ,what sort of behaviour this is1 to make use of a private letter1 without the permission of the person to whom it was addressed1 is easily conceived2 but how he came to see any of my letters1 ,i cannot imagine2 nor what ,i wrote1 that could give him any handle for his calumny4 ,all ,i can recollect of the matter is this1 that above two years ago1 when ,bailie ,hamilton was in ,london1 he wrote me1 that the stop in the sale of my ,history proceeded from some strokes of irreligion1 which had raised the cry of the clergy against me4 ,this gave me occasion to remark to you1 that the ,bailie's complaint must have proceeded from his own misconduct2 that the cause he assigned could never have produced that effect2 that it was rather likely to increase the sale1 according to all past experience2 that you had offered 7as ,i heard7 a large sum for ,bolingbroke's ,works1 trusting to this consequence2 and that the strokes complained of were so few1 and of such small importance1 that1 if any ill effects could have been apprehended from them1 they might easily have been retrenched4 ,as far as ,i can recollect1 this was the purport of my letter2#bd3a but ,i must beg you1 that you would cause it to be transcribed1 and send me a copy of it1 for ,i find by ,john ,hume that you have it still by you4 ,i doubt not but ,i could easily refute ,dr4 ,brown2 but as ,i had taken a resolution never to have the least altercation with these fellows1 ,i shall not readily be brought to pay any attention to him2 and ,i cannot but be displeased that your inadvertence or indiscretion 7for ,i cannot give it a better name7 should have brought me to this dilemma4 ,i fancy ,brown will find it a difficult matter to persuade the public that ,i do not speak my sentiments in every subject ,i handle1 and that ,i have any view to any interest whatsoever4 ,i leave that to him and his gang3 for he is a flatterer1 as ,i am told1 of that low fellow1 ,warburton2 and any thing so low as ,warburton1 or his flatterers1 ,i should certainly be ashamed to engage with4 ,i am1 c4 ,p4,s4 ,since you are acquainted with ,dr4 ,brown1 ,i must beg of you to read this letter to him2 for it is probably1 or indeed certainly1 all the answer ,i shall ever deign to give him4#be3a ,the reader will feel interested in the sketch1 by the pen of ,hume1 of an eminent contemporary--his friend ,wilkie--in the following letter4 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,edinburgh1 #c;d ,july1 #ageg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,to show you that ,i am not such an affecter of singularity as to entertain prejudices against ministers of state1#be3b ,i am resolved to congratulate you on your return to power1 and to express my wishes1 that1 both for your sake and the public's1 your ministry1 and that of your friends1 may be more durable than it was before4 ,we even hope it will1 though the strange motley composition which it consists of1 gives us some apprehensions4 ,however1 we are glad to find1 from past experience1 that you can neither rise nor fall1 without credit and reputation4 ,you know that1 according to the whimsical way in this country1 it is more difficult to rise than fall with reputation4 ,i suppose that1 by this time1 you have undoubtedly read and admired the wonderful production of the ,epigoniad1 and that you have so much love for arts1 and for your native country1 as to be very industrious in propagating the fame of it4 ,it is certainly a most singular production1 full of sublimity and genius1 adorned by a noble1 harmonious1 forcible1 and even correct versification4 ,we generally think the story deficient and uninteresting2 but perhaps the new fancy of crossing the invention of all modern romance-writers may make some atonement1 and even bestow an air of novelty on the imitation of ,homer4 ,as ,i cannot but hope that this work will soon become the subject of conversation in ,london1 ,i shall take this opportunity of supplying you with some anecdotes with regard to the author1 besides such as you already know1--of his being a very worthy and a very entertaining man1 adorned with all that simplicity of manners1 so common to great men1 and even with some of that rusticity and negligence which serve to abate that envy to which they are so much exposed4 ,you know he is a farmer's son1 in the neighbourhood of this town1 where there are a great number of pigeon-houses4 ,the farmers are very much infested with the pigeons1 and ,wilkie's father planted him often as a scarecrow 7an office for which he is well qualified7 in the midst of his fields of wheat4 ,it was in this situation that he confessed he first conceived the design of his epic poem1 and even executed part of it4 ,he carried out his ,homer with him1 together with a table1 and pen and ink1 and a great rusty gun4 ,he composed and wrote two or three lines1 till a flock of pigeons settled in the field1 then rose up1 ran towards them1 and fired at them2 returned again to his former station1 and added a rhyme or two more1 till he met with a fresh interruption4 ,two or three years ago1 ,jemmy ,russel put a very pleasant trick on an ,english physician1 one ,dr4 ,roebuck1 who was travelling in this country4 ,russel carried him out one day on horseback to see the outlets of the town1 and purposely led him by ,wilkie's farm4 ,he saw the bard at a small distance1 sowing his corn1 with a sheet about him1 all besmeared with dirt and sweat1 with a coat and visage entirely proportioned to his occupation4 ,russel says to his companion1 ',here is a fellow1 a peasant1 with whom ,i have some business3 let us call him4' ,he made a sign1 and ,wilkie came to them3 some questions were asked him with regard to the season1 to his farm and husbandry1 which he readily answered2 but soon took an opportunity of digressing to the ,greek poets1 and enlarging on that branch of literature4 ,dr4 ,roebuck1 who had scarce understood his rustic ,english1 or rather his broad ,scotch1 immediately comprehended him1 for his ,greek was admirable2 and on leaving him1 he could not forbear expressing the highest admiration to ,russel1 that a clown1 a rustic1 a mere hind1 such as he saw this fellow was1 should be possessed of so much erudition4 ',is it usual1' says he1 'for your peasants in ,scotland to read the ,greek poets8'--',o ,yes1' replies ,russel1 very coolly1 'we have long winter evenings2 and in what can they employ themselves better1 than in reading the ,greek poets8' ,roebuck left the country in a full persuasion that there are at least a dozen farmers in every parish who read ,homer1 ,hesiod1 and ,sophocles1 every winter-evening1 to their families2 and1 if ever he writes an account of his travels1 it is likely he will not omit so curious a circumstance4 ,wilkie is now a settled minister at ,ratho1 within four miles of the town4#bg3a ,he possesses about #hj or #ij a-year1 which he esteems exorbitant riches4 ,formerly1 when he had only #bj1 as helper1 he said that he could not conceive what article1 either of human convenience or pleasure he was deficient in1 nor what any man could mean by desiring more money4 ,he possesses several branches of erudition1 besides the ,greek poetry2 and1 particularly1 is a very profound geometrician1 a science commonly very incompatible with the lively imagination of a poet4 ,he has even made some new discoveries in that science2 and he told me1 that1 when a young man1 he threw cross and pile1 whether he should devote himself chiefly to mathematics or to poetry1 and fears that rather he crossed the bent of his genius in taking to the latter4 ,yet this man1 who has composed the second epic poem in our language6 understands so little of orthography1 that1 regularly through the whole poem1 he spelled the word yield in this manner1 'ealde2' and ,i had great difficulty to convince him of his mistake4 ,i fancy our friend1 ,robertson1 will be able to publish his ,history next winter4 ,you are sufficiently acquainted with the merit of this work2 and really it is admirable how many men of genius this country produces at present4 ,is it not strange that1 at a time when we have lost our princes1 our parliaments1 our independent government1--even the presence of our chief nobility2 are unhappy1 in our accent and pronunciation2 speak a very corrupt dialect of the tongue we make use of1--is it not strange1 ,i say1 that1 in these circumstances1 we should really be the people most distinguished for literature in ,europe8 ,having spoke so much to ,mr4 ,elliot1 the man of letters1 you must now allow me to say a few words to ,mr4 ,elliot1 the lord of the admiralty4 ,there is a cousin-german of mine1 ,alexander ,edgar1 who is midshipman in the ,vestal1 off ,harwich1 and has passed his trials1 above four months ago1 for a lieutenantcy4 ,he always behaved well in all his service1 which has been very long2 and1 almost from his infancy1 he has had the good-will1 and even friendship1 of all his captains2 is modest1 sober1 frugal1 and attentive1 and very deserving of promotion4 ,i recommended him to ,mr4 ,oswald1 who always protected him1 but can no longer be of service to him4 ,he is of a very good family1 though his father spent his estate and died a bankrupt2 and the poor lad has now scarce any other friends than what ,i can procure him3 permit me the freedom of recommending him to your protection4 ,if ,i did not think him worthy of it1 ,i should not venture to do so1 notwithstanding his near relationship to me4 ,i think ,i ought to make some apologies for this liberty ,i use with you2 but ,i think it would be wronging our friendship to make too many4 ,i am1 dear sir1 your most obedient humble servant4#bi3a ,wilkie's ,epigoniad1 of which few ordinary readers now know more than the name1 if even that be very generally remembered south of the ,tweed1 inspired many zealous ,scotsmen of the day1 with the belief that their country had1 at last1 produced a great epic poet3 but the national feeling was not responded to in ,england4#bi3b ,finding that the ,epigoniad was attacked by the ,english critics1 ,hume was determined to be the champion of his countryman's fame against all comers2 and accordingly addressed a letter to the editor of ,the ,critical ,review1 containing a long complimentary criticism1 in which he says1-- ,there remained a tradition among the ,greeks1 that ,homer had taken this second siege of ,thebes for the subject of a poem1 which is lost2 and our author seems to have pleased himself with the thoughts of reviving the work1 as well as of treading in the footsteps of his favourite author4 ,the actors are mostly the same with those of the ,iliad2 ,diomede is the hero2 ,ulysses1 ,agamemnon1 ,menelaus1 ,nestor1 ,idomeneus1 ,merion1 even ,thersites1 all appear in different passages of the poem2 and act parts suitable to the lively characters drawn of them by that great master4 ,the whole turn of this new poem would almost lead us to imagine1 that the ,scottish bard had found the lost manuscript of that father of poetry1 and had made a faithful translation of it into ,english4 ,longinus imagines1 that the ,odyssey was executed by ,homer in his old age2 we shall allow the ,iliad to be the work of his middle age2 and we shall suppose that the ,epigoniad was the essay of his youth1 where his noble and sublime genius breaks forth by frequent intervals1 and gives strong symptoms of that constant flame which distinguished its meridian4 4 4 4 ,the story of a poem1 whatever may be imagined1 is the least essential part of it2 the force of the versification1 the vivacity of the images1 the justness of the descriptions1 the natural play of the passions1 are the chief circumstances which distinguish the great poet from the prosaic novelist1 and give him so high a rank among the heroes in literature2 and ,i will venture to affirm1 that all these advantages1 especially the three former1 are to be found1 in an eminent degree1 in the ,epigoniad4 ,the author1 inspired with the true genius of ,greece1 and smit with the most profound veneration for ,homer1 disdains all frivolous ornaments2 and relying entirely on his sublime imagination1 and his nervous and harmonious expression1 has ventured to present to his reader the naked beauties of nature1 and challenges for his partisans all the admirers of genuine antiquity4#ca3a ,in his conduct on this occasion1 ,hume exhibited strong national partiality4 ,it may seem at first sight at variance with some of his other characteristics2 but it is undoubtedly true1 that ,hume was imbued with an intense spirit of nationality4 ,it was a nationality1 however1 of a peculiar and restricted character4 ,he cared little about the heroism of his country1 or even its struggles for independence3 ,wallace1 ,bruce1 and the ,black ,douglas1 were1 in his eyes1 less interesting than ,ulysses or neas1 ----carent quia vate sacro4 ,but in that arena which he thought the greatest1 in the theatre where intellect exhibits her might1 he panted to see his country first and greatest4 ,no ,scotsman could write a book of respectable talent without calling forth his loud and warm eulogiums4 ,wilkie was to be the ,homer1 ,blacklock the ,pindar1 and ,home the ,shakspere1 or something still greater1 of his country4 ,on those who were even his rivals in his own peculiar walks--,adam ,smith1 ,robertson1 ,ferguson1 and ,henry1 he heaped the same honest1 hearty commendation4 ,he urged them to write2 he raised the spirit of literary ambition in their breasts2 he found publishers for their works2 and1 when these were completed1 he trumpeted the praises of the authors through society4 ,the following letter shows how accidentally ,hume became acquainted with a matter1 which1 according to modern notions1 should have formed part of his systematic studies1 before he began to write a history of ,england4 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,edinburgh1 #ith ,aug4 #ageg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i can easily perceive that your friends were no lawyers1 who said that there was no statute in ,henry the ,seventh's reign1 which facilitated the alienation of lands1 and broke the ancient entails3 it is #d ,hen4 ,,vii4 cap4 #bd2 but a man may read that passage fifty times1 and not find any thing that seems1 in the least1 to point that way4 ,i should certainly have overlooked the meaning of it1 had ,i not been guided by ,lord ,kames4 ,you must know that it was a practice in the courts of justice1 before ,henry the ,seventh's time1 to break entails by a device which seems very ridiculous1 but which is continued to this day1 and first received the sanction of law during the reign of that prince4 ,you have an entailed estate1 ,i suppose1 and want to break the entail4 ,you agree with me that ,i am to claim the estate by a sham title1 prior to the first entailer2 you confess in court that my title is good and valid2 the judges1 upon this confession of the party1 adjudge the estate to me2 upon which ,i immediately restore the estate to you1 free and unencumbered2 and by this hocus-pocus the entail is broke4--,such was the practice1 pretty common before ,henry the ,seventh4 ,all that the parliament then did1 was to regulate the method of proceeding in this fine device1 and to determine that the titles of minors1 and femmes couvert1 were not to be injured by it4 ,as to other people1 who had an interest to preserve an entail1 and who had any good reason to plead in their own favour1 they would naturally appear for themselves4 ,this practice is called a fine1 and a recovery3 fine1 from the ,latin word finis2 because it forecloses all parties1 and puts a final issue to their claims and pretensions3 a recovery1 because a man thereby recovers his estate1 without the encumbrance of an entail4 ,by the bye1 ,i am told1 that there are many of these practices still continued in the law of ,england2 which are as foolish1 juvenile1 and ridiculous1 as are to be met with in ---- ,i mean in ---- ,i would be understood to mean in ---- any craft or profession of the world4#cc3a ,i am writing the ,history of ,england1 from the accession of ,henry the ,seventh1 and am some years advanced in ,henry the ,eighth4 ,i undertook this work because ,i was tired of idleness1 and found reading alone1 after ,i had often perused all good books1 7which ,i think is soon done17 somewhat a languid occupation4 ,as to the approbation or esteem of those blockheads who call themselves the public1 and whom a bookseller1 a lord1 a priest1 or a party can guide1 ,i do most heartily despise it4 ,i shall be able1 ,i think1 to make a tolerable smooth1 well-told tale of the history of ,england during that period2 but ,i own ,i have not yet been able to throw much new light into it4 ,i begin the ,reformation to-morrow4 ,i find the public1 with you1 have rejected the ,epigoniad1 for the present4 ,they may do so if they please2 but it has a great deal of merit1 much more than any one of them is capable of throwing into a work4 ,i disapprove very much of ,ferguson's scruples1 with regard to entering into ,lord ,bute's family1 with the inspection of more than one boy2 but ,i hope ,lord ,bute will conform himself to his delicacy1 at least if he wants to have a man of sense1 knowledge1 taste1 elegance1 and morals1 for a tutor to his son4#cd3a ,i am obliged to you for your good intentions1 with regard to my cousin2 but you must express yourself otherwise1 than by saying that you will concur with the rest of my friends in endeavouring to promote him2 for now that ,oswald is out of court1 whom have ,i besides to apply to8 ,dear ,sir1 your most obedient humble servant4#cd3b ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #c;d ,september1 #ageg4 ,as to my opinions1 you know ,i defend none of them positively2 ,i only propose my doubts where ,i am so unhappy as not to receive the same conviction with the rest of mankind4 ,it surprises me much to see any body who pretends to be a man of letters1 discover anger on that account2 since it is certain1 by the experience of all ages1 that nothing contributes more to the progress of learning than such disputes and novelties4 ,apropos to anger2 ,i am positively assured1 that ,dr4 ,warburton wrote that letter to himself1 which you sent me2 and indeed the style discovers him sufficiently4#ce3a ,i should answer him2 but he attacks so small a corner of my building1 that ,i can abandon it without drawing great consequences after it4 ,if he would come into the field and dispute concerning the principal topics of my philosophy1 ,i should probably accept the challenge3 at present nothing could tempt me to take the pen in hand but anger1 of which ,i feel myself incapable1 even upon this provocation4 ,i have finished the ,index to the new collection of my pieces2 this ,index cost me more trouble than ,i was aware of when ,i began it4 ,i am obliged to ,mr4 ,strahan1 for the uncommon pains he has taken in making it correct4 ,the ,errata which ,i have given1 consist mostly of small alterations in the style1 which ,i made myself4 ,you know ,i always expect half-a-dozen of copies on each new edition4 ,i would wish that ,mr4 ,strahan would accept of one1 as a proof of the sense which ,i have of his care on this occasion4 ,please keep one by you1 which ,i fancy ,i shall have occasion to send abroad2 and be so good as to send the other four1 with any other parcel you are sending hither4 ,i am very assiduous in writing a new volume of ,history1 and am now pretty well advanced4 ,i find the whole will be comprised in one volume1 though somewhat more bulky than any of the former4 ,the period of time is a great deal longer than that of either of the former1 but is not near so full of interesting matter2 and as the original historians are much fewer1 there are not so many circumstances transmitted to us4 ,i am pretty certain1 that ,i shall be able to deliver to you the manuscript about a twelvemonth hence1 and shall certainly be in ,london myself for that purpose4 ,you seemed desirous that we should mutually enter into articles about this volume2 which ,i declined1 till ,i should be so much advanced as to be sure of my resolution of executing it1 and could judge with some certainty of the bulk4 ,now that ,i am satisfied in both these particulars1 ,i am willing to engage with you for the same price1 viz4 seven hundred pounds1 payable three months after the publication4 ,if you approve of this proposal1 please write me a letter for that purpose2 and ,i shall also1 in return1 send you an obligatory letter4 ,i think this justice is due to you1 that you may see ,i do not intend1 on account of any success1 to screw up the price1 or ask beyond what you have already allowed me1 which1 ,i own1 was very reasonable4 ,mr4 ,dalrymple has paid me twenty pounds and a crown4 ,i can never meet with ,mr4 ,wright1 though ,i call often at his shop4 ,mr4 ,balfour does not name any day4 ,i am glad of the approbation which ,mr4 ,dalrymple's book meets with2 ,i think it really deserves it4#cg3a ,nothing surprises me more than the ill usage which the ,epigoniad has received4 ,every body here likes it extremely4 ,the plan and story is not so much admired1 as the poetry and versification2 but your critics seem willing to allow it no merit at all4 ,i fancy it has not been enough dispersed2 and that your engaging on it1 would extremely forward its success4 ,the whole edition is out4 ,there were five hundred and fifty disposed of here2 two hundred sent to ,london4 ,as the author is my very good friend and acquaintance1 ,i should be much pleased to bring you to an understanding together4 ,if the bad success on the first edition has not discouraged you1 ,i would engage him to make you proposals for that purpose4 ,he will correct all the blemishes remarked4 ,i should not be displeased that you read to ,dr4 ,warburton1 the paragraph in the first page of my letter1 with regard to himself4 ,the hopes of getting an answer1 might probably engage him to give us something farther of the same kind2 which1 at least1 saves you the expense of advertising4 ,i see the doctor likes a literary squabble4 ,i would be glad to know1 how near you think you are to a new edition of my ,history1 and whether you intend a duodecimo edition of these philosophical pieces4 ,i am1 c4#ch3a ,,david ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,clephane4 ,edinburgh1 #c;d ,sept4 #ageg4 ,,dear ,,doctor1--,i am charmed to find you so punctual a correspondent4 ,i always knew you to be a good friend1 though ,i was afraid that ,i had lost you1 and that you had joined that great multitude who abused me1 and reproached me with ,paganism1 and ,jacobitism1 and many other wretched isms1 of which ,i am only guilty of a part4 ,i believe a man1 when he is once an author1 is an author for life2 for ,i am now very busily engaged in writing another volume of history1 and have crept backwards to the reign of ,henry the ,seventh4 ,i wish indeed that ,i had begun there2 for1 by that means1 ,i should have been able1 without making any digression1 by the plain course of the narration1 to have shown how absolute the authority was which the ,english kings then possessed1 and that the ,stuarts did little or nothing more than continue matters in the former track1 which the people were determined no longer to admit4 ,by this means ,i should have escaped the reproach of the most terrible ism of them all1 that of ,jacobitism4 ,i shall certainly be in ,london next summer2 and probably to remain there during life2 at least1 if ,i can settle myself to my mind1 which ,i beg you to have an eye to4 ,a room in a sober1 discreet family1 who would not be averse to admit a sober1 discreet1 virtuous1 frugal1 regular1 quiet1 good-natured man of a bad character1--such a room1 ,i say1 would suit me extremely1 especially if ,i could take most of my meals in the family2 and more especially still1 if it was not far distant from ,dr4 ,clephane's4 ,i shall then be able1 dear doctor1 to spend #aej a-year1 which is the sum upon which1 ,i remember1 you formerly undertook me4 ,but ,i would not have you reckon upon probabilities1 as you then called them1 for ,i am resolved to write no more4 ,i shall read and correct1 and chat and be idle1 the rest of my life4 ,i must now make room for ,sir ,harry1 who smiles at the sum at which ,i have set up my rest4 ,i am1 c4#ci3a ,among the officers of the ,scottish ,royal ,regiment who served in the expedition to ,port ,l',orient1 and afterwards continued in terms of familiar acquaintance with ,hume1 was captain1 afterwards ,colonel ,edmondstoune1 of ,newton in ,perthshire4 ,his letters1 which were preserved by ,hume1 and will occasionally be cited in these pages1 show that he was a man of wit and learning4 ,frequent allusions to him1 under the name of ,guidelianus1 have already occurred in ,hume's letters to mutual friends4 ,the following1 graceful and thoroughly amiable as it is1 is apparently the earliest of ,hume's letters to him which has been preserved4 ,,hume to ,,captain ,,edmondstoune4 ,edinburgh1 #bith ,sept4 #ageg4 ,,dear ,,edmondstoune1--,i believe it is a rule in law1 that any summons prevents prescription2 and in like manner1 that the wakening a process keeps one's rank in the lords' row4#dj3a ,it is with some such view that ,i now write to you2 not to send you a formal letter1 which would require a formal answer1 and would therefore get no answer at all3 but just to take a shake of your hand1 and ask you how you do1 and speak a little nonsense to you as usual1 and then fall into silence without giving myself the trouble of supporting the conversation any longer2 and1 in a word1 keep you from forgetting that you have some such friend in the world as myself4 ,but pray1 why did you not write me as you promised and give me your direction8 ,was you afraid ,i should write to you8 ,you see ,i can find out a method of directing to you without your information4 ,tell me about the ,epigoniad4 ,was there ever so much fine versification bestowed on so indifferent a story8 ,has it had any success in ,ireland8 ,i fancy not2 for the criticklings in ,dublin depend on the criticklings in ,london1 who depend on the booksellers1 who depend on their interest1 which depends on their printing a book themselves4 ,this is the cause why ,wilkie's book is at present neglected1 or damned1 as they call it3 but ,i am much mistaken if it end so4 ,pray what says the primate of it8 ,i hear he has the generosity to support damned books till the resurrection1 and that he is one of the saints who pray them out of purgatory4 ,i hope he is an honest fellow and one of us4 ,captain ,masterton told me1 that he was not quite of my opinion with regard to the ',douglas1' and that he blamed my dedicatory address to the author4 ,but ,i persist still1 and will prove in spite of him and you1 and of every man who wears either black or scarlet1 that it is an admirable tragedy1 comparable to the excellent pieces of the good age of ,louis ,quatorze4 ,the author is here at present1 and is refitting his ',agis' for the theatre1 which ,i hope will have justice done it4 ,il est le mieux rent de touts les beaux esprits4 ,he has a pension from his ,royal ,highness the ,prince of ,wales1 as you have probably heard4 ,i hear sometimes from the ,doctor1 who desires me to tell him something about you4 ,but ,i am no necromancer2 only1 as the ancients said1--prudentia est qudam divinatio4 ,i conjecture that you are lounging1 and reading1 and playing at whist1 and blaming yourself for not writing letters1 and yet persisting in the neglect of your duty4#da3a ,the following is the second letter in which we find ,hume appreciating the merits of his friend and rival1 ,robertson4 ,there is no passage in literary history1 perhaps1 more truly dignified1 than the perfect cordiality and sincere interchange of services between two men1 whose claims on the admiration of the world came in so close competition with each other4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #fth ,april1 #ageh4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i am very glad that ,mr4 ,robertson is entering on terms with you4 ,it was indeed my advice to him1 when he set out for ,london1 that he should think of no other body2 and ,i ventured to assure him that he would find your way of dealing frank1 and open1 and generous4 ,he read me part of his ,history1 and ,i had an opportunity of reading another part of it in manuscript above a twelvemonth ago4 ,upon the whole1 my expectations1 both from what ,i saw1 and from my knowledge of the author1 were very much raised1 and ,i consider it as a work of uncommon merit4 ,i know that he has employed himself with great diligence and care in collecting the facts3 his style is lively and entertaining2 and he judges with temper and candour4 ,he is a man generally known and esteemed in this country3 and we look upon him very deservedly as inferior to nobody in capacity and learning4 ,hamilton and ,balfour have offered him a very unusual price2 no less than five hundred pounds for one edition of two thousand2 but ,i own1 that ,i should be better pleased to see him in your hands4 ,i only inform you of this fact1 that you may see how high the general expectations are of ,mr4 ,robertson's performance4 ,it will have a quick sale in this country1 from the character of the author2 and in ,england1 from the merit of the work1 as soon as it is known4 ,some part of his subject is common with mine2 but as his work is a ,history of ,scotland1 mine of ,england1 we do not interfere2 and it will rather be an amusement to the reader to compare our method of treating the same subject4 ,i give you thanks1 however1 for your attention in asking my opinion4#dc3a ,the following is from another letter on the same subject4 ,edinburgh1 #bjth ,june1 #ageh4 ,i send enclosed a letter from ,mr4 ,robertson4 ,he wishes it were practicable to send him more than one sheet every post4 ,i am afraid1 if this be not done1 our publications will interfere1 which would be disagreeable to you as well as to both of us4 ,i have read a small pamphlet called ',sketches1' which1 from the style1 ,i take to be ,dr4 ,armstrong's1 though the public voice gives it to ,allan ,ramsay4#dc3b ,i find the ingenious author1 whoever he be1 ridicules the new method of spelling1 as he calls it2 but that method of spelling honor1 instead of honour1 was ,lord ,bolingbroke's1 ,dr4 ,middleton's1 and ,mr4 ,pope's2 besides many other eminent writers'4 ,however1 to tell truth1 ,i hate to be any way particular in a trifle2 and therefore1 if ,mr4 ,strahan has not printed off above ten or twelve sheets1 ,i should not be displeased if you told him to follow the usual1 that is1 his own way of spelling throughout2 we shall make the other volumes conformable to it3 if he be advanced farther1 there is no great matter4#dc3c ,a letter to ,elliot1 after some farther recommendations of ,hume's nephew1 young ,edgar1 to his attention1 thus proceeds3-- ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,edinburgh1 #aath ,may1 #ageh4 ,i have the prospect of paying my respects to you this autumn1 in ,london4 ,i am now come within sight of land1 and am drawing near to a period of that volume which ,i had undertaken4 ,i find the subject curious2 and ,i believe that this volume will contain some novelty1 as well as greater accuracy of composition1 than is employed by our ordinary historians4 ,i could add1 greater than is requisite to please the taste of the public1--at least if we may judge by the vast success of ,dr4 ,smollett's history4 ,vanitas vanitatum1 atque omnia vanitas1 says the ,preacher2 the great object of us authors1 and of you orators and statesmen1 is to gain applause2 and you see at what rate it is to be purchased4 ,i fancy there is a future state1 to give poets1 historians1 and philosophers their due reward1 and to distribute to them those recompenses which are so strangely shared out in this life4 ,it is of little consequence that posterity does them justice1 if they are for ever to be ignorant of it1 and are to remain in perpetual slumber in their literary paradise4 ,however1 it is some comfort1 that virtue is its own reward1 and that a man cannot employ himself in the cultivation of letters without reaping a real present satisfaction from his industry4 ,i am1 dear sir1 your most obliged humble servant4 ,p4,s4--,i am sorry to hear that the bill for the importation of ,irish cattle is rejected4 ,besides other arguments for it1 ,i remember a strong argument which was used in ,charles ,,ii4's time against the prohibition1 when it was first laid on3 it was affirmed that the shipping employed in that commerce was nearly equal to that which served for the carriage of coal from ,newcastle to ,london4 ,it is not improbable that this argument has1 at present1 escaped all the reasoners on that subject2 and ,i thought it a proper one to be suggested to a lord of the ,admiralty4 ,it is to be found1 if my memory do not deceive me1 in ,carte's ,ormond1 and was employed by that duke4#de3a ,in the year #agei1 ,adam ,ferguson was appointed professor of natural philosophy in the university of ,edinburgh4 ,from the following correspondence1 it appears that ,hume and others were desirous that ,smith should occupy a chair in ,edinburgh1 and1 apparently1 the same that was obtained by ,ferguson1#de3b and that ,ferguson should succeed ,smith in ,glasgow4 ,the singular terms on which the ,edinburgh professorship appears to have been disposed of1 were1 probably1 not such as ,smith would accede to2 and we afterwards find ,hume conducting a negotiation for ,ferguson alone4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 #hth ,june1 #ageh4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,i sit down to write to you along with ,johnstone2 and as we have been talking over the matter1 it is probable we shall employ the same arguments4 ,as he is the younger lawyer1 ,i leave him to open the case1 and1 suppose that you have read his letter first4 ,we are certain that the settlement of you here1 and of ,ferguson at ,glasgow1 would be perfectly easy1 by ,lord ,milton's interest4 ,the prospect of prevailing with ,abercromby is also very good2 for the same statesman1 by his influence over the town council1 could oblige him either to attend1 which he never would do1 or dispose of the office for the money which he gave for it4 ,the only real difficulty is1 then1 with you4 ,pray1 then1 consider that this is1 perhaps1 the only opportunity we shall ever have of getting you to town4 ,i dare swear that you think the difference of place is worth paying something for2 and yet it will really cost you nothing4 ,you made above #ajj a-year1 by your class1 when in this place1 though you had not the character of professor4 ,we cannot suppose that it will be less than #acj after you are settled4 ,john ,stevenson2 and it is ,john ,stevenson1 makes near #aej1 as we were informed upon inquiry4#df3a ,here is #ajj a-year for eight years' purchase2 which is a cheap purchase1 even considered as the way of a bargain4 ,we flatter ourselves that you rate our company at something2 and the prospect of settling ,ferguson will be an additional inducement4 ,for1 though we think of making him take up the project if you refuse it1 yet it is uncertain whether he will consent2 and it is attended1 in his case1 with many very obvious objections4 ,i beseech you1 therefore1 to weigh all these motives over again4 ,the alteration of these circumstances merit that you should put the matter again in deliberation4 ,i had a letter from ,miss ,hepburn1 where she regrets very much that you are settled at ,glasgow1 and that we had the chance of seeing you so seldom4 ,i am1 c4 ,p4,s4--,lord ,milton can1 with his finger1 stop the foul mouths of all the roarers against heresy4#dg3a ,,hume to the ,,rev4 ,,john ,,jardine4#dg3b ,,rev4 ,,sir1--,i am informed1 by the late ,rev4 ,mr4 ,john ,home1 that the still ,rev4 ,adam ,ferguson's affair is so far on a good footing1 that it is agreed to refer the matter to the ,justice ,clerk1 whether more shall be paid to ,mr4 ,abercromby than he himself gave for that professorship4 ,now1 as it is obvious that1 in these kinds of references1 where the question is not of law and justice1 the circumstances of the person are to be considered1 ,i beg of you to inform my ,lord of the true state of the case4 ,ferguson must borrow almost the whole sum which he pays for this office4 ,if any more1 therefore1 be asked than #ajjj1 it would be the most ruinous thing in the world for him to accept of the office4 ,i am even of opinion that if any other method of subsistence offered1 it were preferable to this scheme of paying the length of #ajjj2 at least such would be my sentiments1 if the case were mine4 ,if the ,justice ,clerk considers the matter aright1 he will never agree to so unreasonable a demand as that of paying more2 and ,i hope you will second these arguments with all your usual eloquence1 by which you so successfully confound the devices of ,satan1 and bring sinners to repentance4 ,i am1 ,rev4 ,sir1 your most obsequious humble servant4#dg3c ,towards the end of the year #ageh1 but at what particular time is not more minutely known1 ,hume went to ,london1 and resided in ,lisle ,street1 ,leicester ,fields4 ,his object probably was to superintend the printing of the ,history of the ,house of ,tudor2 but he was able at the same time to perform essential services to his friend ,dr4 ,robertson1 whose ,history of ,scotland was then going through the press in ,london4 ,of ,hume's letters to ,dr4 ,robertson1 several have been published1 though only in a fragmentary form1 in ,dugald ,stewart's ,life of ,robertson4#dh3a ,the portions thus preserved1 are naturally those which have most relation to the person to whom they are addressed2 but of the letters themselves1 which doubtless1 like many others from the same hand1 contained some curious particulars of their author's habits and passing thoughts1 no trace has been found4#dh3b ,several of these letters1 written while ,robertson's work was at press1 have relation to minor historical questions1 which have subsequently been settled4 ,the following extracts are given1 from the parts which have least reference to these details4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,robertson4 7,extracts47 ,i am afraid that you1 as well as myself1 have drawn ,mary's character with too great softenings4 ,she was1 undoubtedly1 a violent woman at all times4 ,you will see in ,murden proofs of the utmost rancour against her innocent1 good-natured1 dutiful son4 ,she certainly disinherited him4 ,what think you of a conspiracy for kidnapping him1 and delivering him a prisoner to the ,king of ,spain1 never to recover his liberty till he should turn ,catholic8 ,tell ,goodall1 that if he can but give me up ,queen ,mary1 ,i hope to satisfy him in every thing else2 and he will have the pleasure of seeing ,john ,knox and the ,reformers made very ridiculous4 4 4 4 ,you have very good cause to be satisfied with the success of your ,history1 as far as it can be judged of from a few weeks' publication4 ,i have not heard of one who does not praise it warmly2 and were ,i to enumerate all those whose suffrages ,i have either heard in its favour1 or been told of1 ,i should fill my letter with a list of names4 ,mallet told me that he was sure there was no ,englishman capable of composing such a work4 ,the town will have it that you was educated at ,oxford1 thinking it impossible for a mere untravelled ,scotsman to produce such language4 ,in short1 you may depend on the success of your work1 and that your name is known very much to your advantage4 ,i am diverting myself with the notion how much you will profit by the applause of my enemies in ,scotland4 ,had you and ,i been such fools as to have given way to jealousy1 to have entertained animosity and malignity against each other1 and to have rent all our acquaintance into parties1 what a noble amusement we should have exhibited to the blockheads1 which now they are likely to be disappointed of4 ,all the people whose friendship or judgment either of us value1 are friends to both1 and will be pleased with the success of both1 as we will be with that of each other4 ,i declare to you ,i have not of a long time had a more sensible pleasure than the good reception of your ,history has given me within this fortnight4 #beth ,january1 #agei4 ,i am nearly printed out1 and shall be sure to send you a copy by the stage-coach1 or some other conveyance4 ,i beg of you to make remarks as you go along4 ,it would have been much better had we communicated before printing1 which was always my desire1 and was most suitable to the friendship which always did1 and ,i hope always will1 subsist between us4 ,i speak this chiefly on my own account4 ,for though ,i had the perusal of your sheets before ,i printed1 ,i was not able to derive sufficient benefits from them1 or indeed to make any alteration by their assistance4 ,there still remain1 ,i fear1 many errors1 of which you could have convinced me1 if we had canvassed the matter in conversation4 ,perhaps ,i might also have been sometimes no less fortunate with you4 ,particularly ,i could almost undertake to convince you1 that the ,earl of ,murray's conduct with the ,duke of ,norfolk was no way dishonourable4 4 4 4 ,dr4 ,blair tells me that ,prince ,edward is reading you1 and is charmed4 ,i hear the same of the ,princess and ,prince of ,wales4 ,but what will really give you pleasure1 ,i lent my copy to ,elliot during the holidays1 who thinks it one of the finest performances he ever read2 and though he expected much1 he finds more4 ,he remarked1 however1 7which is also my opinion17 that in the beginning1 before your pen was sufficiently accustomed to the historic style1 you employed too many digressions and reflections4 ,this was also somewhat my own case1 which ,i have corrected in my new edition4 ,millar was proposing to publish me about the middle of ,march2 but ,i shall communicate to him your desire1 even though ,i think it entirely groundless1 as you will likewise think1 after you have read my volume4 ,he has very needlessly delayed your publication till the #ast of ,february1 at the desire of the ,edinburgh booksellers1 who could no way be affected by a publication in ,london4 ,i was exceedingly sorry not to be able to comply with your desire1 when you expressed your wish that ,i should not write this period4 ,i could not write downward4 ,for when you find occasion1 by new discoveries1 to correct your opinion with regard to facts which passed in ,queen ,elizabeth's days1 who1 that has not the best opportunities of informing himself1 could venture to relate any recent transactions8 ,i must1 therefore1 have abandoned altogether this scheme of the ,english history1 in which ,i had proceeded so far1 if ,i had not acted as ,i did4 ,you will see what light and force this ,history of the ,tudors bestows on that of the ,stuarts4 ,had ,i been prudent1 ,i should have begun with it4 ,i care not to boast1 but ,i will venture to say1 that ,i have now effectually stopped the mouths of all those villanous ,whigs who railed at me4 ,you are so kind as to ask me about my coming down4 ,i can yet answer nothing4 ,i have the strangest reluctance to change places4 ,i lived several years happy with my brother at ,ninewells2 and had not his marriage changed a little the state of the family1 ,i believe ,i should have lived and died there4 ,i used every expedient to evade this journey to ,london2 yet it is now uncertain whether ,i shall ever leave it4 ,i have had some invitations1 and some intentions1 of taking a trip to ,paris2 but ,i believe it will be safer for me not to go thither1 for ,i might probably settle there for life4 ,no one was ever endowed with so great a portion of the vis inertiae4 ,but as ,i live here very privately1 and avoid as much as possible 7and it is easily possible7 all connexion with the great1 ,i believe ,i should be better in ,edinburgh4 4 4 4 4 ,london1 #hth ,february1 #agei4 4 4 4 4 ,as to the ,age of ,leo the ,tenth1 it was ,warton himself who intended to write it2 but he has not wrote it1 and probably never will4 ,if ,i understand your hint1 ,i should conjecture1 that you had some thoughts of taking up the subject4 ,but how can you acquire knowledge of the great works of sculpture1 architecture1 and painting1 by which that age was chiefly distinguished8 ,are you versed in all the anecdotes of the ,italian literature8 ,these questions ,i heard proposed in a company of literati1 when ,i inquired concerning this design of ,warton4 ,they applied their remarks to that gentleman1 who yet1 they say1 has travelled4 ,i wish they do not1 all of them1 fall more fully on you4 ,however1 you must not be idle4 ,may ,i venture to suggest to you the ,ancient ,history1 particularly that of ,greece8 ,i think ,rollin's success might encourage you2 nor need you be in the least intimidated by his merit4 ,that author has no other merit but a certain facility and sweetness of narration2 but has loaded his work with silly puerilities4 4 4 4 4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i forgot to tell you1 that two days ago ,i was in the ,house of ,commons1 where an ,english gentleman came to me1 and told me that he had lately sent to a grocer's shop for a pound of raisins1 which he received wrapped up in a paper that he showed me4 ,how would you have turned pale at the sight6 ,it was a leaf of your ,history1 and the very character of ,queen ,elizabeth1 which you had laboured so finely1 little thinking it would so soon come to so disgraceful an end4 ,i happened a little after to see ,millar1 and told him the story2 consulting him1 to be sure1 on the fate of his new boasted historian1 of whom he was so fond4 ,but the story proves more serious than ,i apprehended3 for he told ,strahan1 who thence suspects villany among his apprentices and journeymen2 and has sent me very earnestly to know the gentleman's name1 that he may find out the grocer1 and trace the matter to the bottom4 ,in vain did ,i remonstrate that this was sooner or later the fate of all authors1 serius1 ocyus1 sors exitura4 ,he will not be satisfied2 and begs me to keep my jokes for another occasion4 ,but that ,i am resolved not to do2 and1 therefore1 being repulsed by his passion and seriousness1 ,i direct them against you4 ,next week ,i am published2 and then ,i expect a constant comparison will be made between ,dr4 ,robertson and ,mr4 ,hume4 ,i shall tell you in a few weeks which of these heroes is likely to prevail4 ,meanwhile1 ,i can inform both of them for their comforts1 that their combat is not likely to make half so much noise as that between ,broughton and the one-eyed coachman4 ,vanitas vanitatum1 atque omnia vanitas4 ,i shall still except1 however1 the friendship and good opinion of worthy men4 ,i am1 c4 ,london1 #abth ,march1 #agei4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,i believe ,i mentioned to you a ,french gentleman1 ,monsieur ,helvetius1 whose book1 ,de l',esprit1 was making a great noise in ,europe4 ,he is a very fine genius1 and has the character of a very worthy man4 ,my name is mentioned several times in his work with marks of esteem2 and he has made me an offer1 if ,i would translate his work into ,english1 to translate anew all my philosophical writings into ,french4 ,he says that none of them are well done1 except that on the ,natural ,history of ,religion1 by ,monsieur ,martigny1#eb3a a counsellor of state4 ,he added1 that the ,abb ,prevt1 celebrated for the ,memoires d'un homme d',honneur1 and other entertaining works1#eb3b was just now translating my ,history4 ,this account of ,helvetius engaged me to send him over the new editions of all my writings2 and ,i have added your ,history1 which1 ,i told him1 was here published with great applause2 adding1 that the subject was interesting1 and the execution masterly2 and that it was probable some man of letters at ,paris may think that a translation of it would be agreeable to the public4 ,i thought that this was the best method of executing your intentions4 ,i could not expect that any ,frenchman here would be equal to the work4 ,there is one ,carraccioli1 who came to me and spoke something of translating my new volume of ,history2 but as he also mentioned his intentions of translating ,smollett1 ,i gave him no encouragement to proceed4 ,the same reason would make me averse to see you in his hands4 ,but though ,i have given this character of your work to ,monsieur ,helvetius1 ,i warn you1 that this is the last time that1 either to ,frenchman or ,englishman1 ,i shall ever speak the least good of it4 ,a plague take you6 ,here ,i sat near the historical summit of ,parnassus1 immediately under ,dr4 ,smollett2 and you have the impudence to squeeze yourself by me1 and place yourself directly under his feet4 ,do you imagine that this can be agreeable to me8 ,and must not ,i be guilty of great simplicity1 to contribute1 by my endeavours1 to your thrusting me out of my place in ,paris as well as at ,london8 ,but ,i give you warning that you will find the matter somewhat difficult1 at least in the former city4 ,a friend of mine1 who is there1 writes home to his father1 the strangest accounts on that head1 which my modesty will not permit me to repeat1 but which it allowed me very deliciously to swallow4 ,i have got a good reason or pretence for excusing me to ,monsieur ,helvetius1 with regard to the translating his work4 ,a translation of it was previously advertised here4 ---- #bjth1 #agei4 ,i am afraid that my letters will be tedious and disagreeable to you by their uniformity4 ,nothing but continued and unvaried accounts of the same thing must in the end prove disgusting4 ,yet since you will hear me speak on this subject1 ,i cannot help it1 and must fatigue your ears as much as ours are in this place1 by endless and repeated1 and noisy praises of the ,history of ,scotland4 ,dr4 ,douglas told me yesterday1 that he had seen the ,bishop of ,norwich1 who had just bought the book1 from the high commendations he heard of it from ,mr4 ,legge4 ,mallet told me that ,lord ,mansfield is at a loss whether he shall most esteem the matter or the style4 ,elliot told me1 that being in company with ,george ,grenville1 that gentleman was speaking loud in the same key4 ,our friend pretended ignorance2 said he knew the author1 and if he thought the book good for any thing1 would send for it and read it4 ,send for it1 by all means1 said ,mr4 ,grenville2 you have not read a better book of a long time4--,but1 said ,elliot1 ,i suppose1 although the matter may be tolerable1 as the author was never on this side the ,tweed till he wrote it1 it must be very barbarous in the expression4 ,by no means1 cried ,mr4 ,grenville4 ,had the author lived all his life in ,london1 and in the best company1 he could not have expressed himself with greater elegance and purity4 ,lord ,lyttelton seems to think that1 since the time of ,st4 ,paul1 there scarce has been a better writer than ,dr4 ,robertson4 ,mr4 ,walpole triumphs in the success of his favourites the ,scotch1 c4 c4 c4 4 4 4 4 4 ,the great success of your book1 beside its real merit1 is forwarded by its prudence1 and by the deference paid to established opinions4 ,it gains also by its being your first performance1 and by its surprising the public1 who are not upon their guard against it4 ,by reason of these two circumstances1 justice is more readily done to its merit2 which1 however1 is really so great1 that ,i believe there is scarce another instance of a first performance being so near perfection4 ,london1 #bith ,may1 #agei4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,i had a letter from ,helvetius lately1 wrote before your book arrived at ,paris4 ,he tells me1 that the ,abb ,prevt1 who had just finished the translation of my ,history1 paroit trs-dispos traduire l',histoire d',ecosse que vient de faire ,monsieur ,robertson4 ,if he be engaged by my persuasion1 ,i shall have the satisfaction of doing you a real credit and pleasure2 for he is one of the best pens in ,paris4#ee3a 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,our friend ,smith#ee3b is very successful here1 and ,gerard#ee3c is very well received4 ,the ,epigoniad ,i cannot so much promise for1 though ,i have done all in my power to forward it1 particularly by writing a letter to ,the ,critical ,review1 which you may peruse4 ,i find1 however1 some good judges profess a great esteem for it3 but habent et sua fata libelli3 however1 if you want a little flattery to the author1 7which ,i own is very refreshing to an author7 you may tell him that ,lord ,chesterfield said to me he was a great poet4 ,i imagine that ,wilkie will be very much elevated by praise from an ,english ,earl1 and a knight of the ,garter1 and an ambassador1 and a secretary of state1 and a man of so great reputation4 ,for ,i observe that the greatest rustics are commonly most affected with such circumstances4 ,ferguson's book#ee3d has a great deal of genius and fine writing1 and will appear in time4 4 4 4 4 ,in #agei1 ,adam ,smith published his ,theory of ,moral ,sentiments4 ,the following letters embody ,hume's appreciation of that work4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,london1 ,april #ab1 #agei4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i give you thanks for the agreeable present of your ,theory4 ,wedderburn and ,i made presents of our copies to such of our acquaintances as we thought good judges1 and proper to spread the reputation of the book4 ,i sent one to the ,duke of ,argyle1 to ,lord ,lyttelton1 ,horace ,walpole1 ,soame ,jenyns1 and ,burke an ,irish gentleman1 who wrote lately a very pretty ,treatise on the ,sublime4 ,millar desired my permission to send one in your name to ,dr4 ,warburton4 ,i have delayed writing to you1 till ,i could tell you something of the success of the book1 and could prognosticate1 with some probability1 whether it should be finally damned to oblivion1 or should be registered in the temple of immortality4 ,though it has been published only a few weeks1 ,i think there appear already such strong symptoms1 that ,i can almost venture to foretell its fate4 ,it is1 in short1 this---- ,but ,i have been interrupted in my letter by a foolish impertinent visit of one who has lately come from ,scotland4 ,he tells me that the ,university of ,glasgow intend to declare ,rouet's office vacant1 upon his going abroad with ,lord ,hope4 ,i question not but you will have our friend ,ferguson in your eye1 in case another project for procuring him a place in the ,university of ,edinburgh should fail4 ,ferguson has very much polished and improved his ,treatise on ,refinement2#ef3a and with some amendments it will make an admirable book1 and discovers an elegant and a singular genius4 ,the ,epigoniad1 ,i hope1 will do2 but it is somewhat up-hill work4 ,as ,i doubt not but you consult the ,reviews sometimes at present1 you will see in ,the ,critical ,review a letter upon that poem2 and ,i desire you to employ your conjectures in finding out the author4 ,let me see a sample of your skill in knowing hands by your guessing at the person4#ef3b ,i am afraid of ,kames' ,law ,tracts4 ,a man might as well think of making a fine sauce by a mixture of wormwood and aloes1 as an agreeable composition by joining metaphysics and ,scottish law4 ,however1 the book1 ,i believe1 has merit2 though few people will take the pains of inquiring into it4 ,but to return to your book1 and its success in this town1 ,i must tell you---- ,a plague of interruptions6 ,i ordered myself to be denied2 and yet here is one that has broke in upon me again4 ,he is a man of letters1 and we have had a good deal of literary conversation4 ,you told me1 that you was curious of literary anecdotes1 and therefore ,i shall inform you of a few that have come to my knowledge4 ,i believe ,i have mentioned to you already1 ,helvetius's book ,de l',esprit4 ,it is worth your reading1 not for its philosophy1 which ,i do not highly value1 but for its agreeable composition4 ,i had a letter from him a few days ago1 wherein he tells me that my name was much oftener in the manuscript1 but that the censor of books at ,paris obliged him to strike it out4 ,voltaire has lately published a small work called ,candide1 ou1 l',optimisme4 ,i shall give you a detail of it4 ,but what is all this to my book1 say you8 ,my dear ,mr4 ,smith1 have patience3 compose yourself to tranquillity2 show yourself a philosopher in practice as well as profession3 think on the emptiness1 and rashness1 and futility of the common judgments of men2 how little they are regulated by reason in any subject1 much more in philosophical subjects1 which so far exceed the comprehension of the vulgar4 ----,non si quid turbida ,roma1 ,elevet1 accedas3 examenve improbum in ill ,castiges trutin3 nec te quaesiveris extra4 ,a wise man's kingdom is his own breast2 or1 if he ever looks farther1 it will only be to the judgment of a select few1 who are free from prejudices1 and capable of examining his work4 ,nothing1 indeed1 can be a stronger presumption of falsehood than the approbation of the multitude2 and ,phocion1 you know1 always suspected himself of some blunder1 when he was attended with the applauses of the populace4 ,supposing1 therefore1 that you have duly prepared yourself for the worst by all these reflections1 ,i proceed to tell you the melancholy news1 that your book has been very unfortunate2 for the public seem disposed to applaud it extremely4 ,it was looked for by the foolish people with some impatience2 and the mob of literati are beginning already to be very loud in its praises4 ,three bishops called yesterday at ,millar's shop in order to buy copies1 and to ask questions about the author4 ,the ,bishop of ,peterborough said1 he had passed the evening in a company where he heard it extolled above all books in the world4 ,the ,duke of ,argyle is more decisive than he used to be in its favour4 ,i suppose he either considers it as an exotic1 or thinks the author will be serviceable to him in the ,glasgow elections4 ,lord ,lyttelton says that ,robertson1 and ,smith1 and ,bower1#eh3a are the glories of ,english literature4 ,oswald protests he does not know whether he has reaped more instruction or entertainment from it4 ,but you may easily judge what reliance can be put on his judgment1 who has been engaged all his life in public business1 and who never sees any faults in his friends4 ,millar exults and brags that two-thirds of the edition are already sold1 and that he is now sure of success4 ,you see what a son of the earth that is1 to value books only by the profit they bring him4 ,in that view1 ,i believe it may prove a very good book4 ,charles ,townsend1 who passes for the cleverest fellow in ,england1 is so taken with the performance1 that he said to ,oswald he would put the ,duke of ,buccleuch under the author's care1 and would make it worth his while to accept of that charge4 ,as soon as ,i heard this1 ,i called on him twice1 with a view of talking with him about the matter1 and of convincing him of the propriety of sending that young nobleman to ,glasgow3 for ,i could not hope1 that he could offer you any terms which would tempt you to renounce your professorship2 but ,i missed him4 ,mr4 ,townsend passes for being a little uncertain in his resolutions2 so perhaps you need not build much on his sally4 ,in recompense for so many mortifying things1 which nothing but truth could have extorted from me1 and which ,i could easily have multiplied to a greater number1 ,i doubt not but you are so good a ,christian as to return good for evil2 and to flatter my vanity by telling me1 that all the godly in ,scotland abuse me for my account of ,john ,knox and the ,reformation4 ,i suppose you are glad to see my paper end1 and that ,i am obliged to conclude with--,your humble servant4#eh3b ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,london1 #bhth ,july1 #agei4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,your friend1 ,mr4 ,wilson1#ei3a called on me two three days ago when ,i was abroad1 and he left your letter4 ,i did not see him till to-day4 ,he seems a very modest1 sensible1 ingenious man4 ,before ,i saw him1 ,i spoke to ,mr4 ,a4 ,millar about him1 and found him very much disposed to serve him4 ,i proposed particularly to ,mr4 ,millar1 that it was worthy of so eminent a bookseller as he1 to make a complete elegant set of the classics1 which might set up his name equal to the ,alduses1 ,stevenses1 or ,elzevirs2 and that ,mr4 ,wilson was the properest person in the world to assist him in such a project4 ,he confessed to me that he had sometimes thought of it2 but that his great difficulty was to find a man of letters1 who could correct the press4 ,i mentioned the matter to ,wilson1 who said he had a man of letters in his eye3 one ,lyon1 a nonjuring clergyman at ,glasgow4 ,he is probably known to you1 or at least may be so2 ,i would desire your opinion of him4 ,mr4 ,wilson told me of his machines1 which seem very ingenious1 and deserve much encouragement4 ,i shall soon see them4 ,i am very well acquainted with ,bourke1 who was much taken with your book4 ,he got your direction from me1 with a view of writing to you1 and thanking you for your present2 for ,i made it pass in your name4 ,i wonder he has not done it3 he is now in ,ireland4 ,i am not acquainted with ,jenyns2 but he spoke very highly of the book to ,oswald1 who is his brother in the board of trade4 ,millar showed me1 a few days ago1 a letter from ,lord ,fitzmaurice2 where he tells him1 that he has carried over a few copies to the ,hague1 for presents4 ,mr4 ,york was very much taken with it1 as well as several others who had read it4 ,i am told that you are preparing a new edition1 and propose to make some additions and alterations1 in order to obviate objections4 ,i shall use the freedom to propose one2 which1 if it appears to be of any weight1 you may have in your eye4 ,i wish you had more particularly and fully proved that all kinds of sympathy are necessarily agreeable4 ,this is the hinge of your system1 and yet you only mention the matter cursorily1 in p4 #bj4 ,now1 it would appear that there is a disagreeable sympathy1 as well as an agreeable4 ,and1 indeed1 as the sympathetic passion is a reflex image of the principal1 it must partake of its qualities1 and be painful where that is so4 ,indeed1 when we converse with a man with whom we can entirely sympathize1 that is1 where there is a warm and intimate friendship1 the cordial openness of such a commerce overpowers the pain of a disagreeable sympathy1 and renders the whole movement agreeable4 ,but1 in ordinary cases1 this cannot have place4 ,an ill-humoured fellow2 a man tired and disgusted with every thing1 always ennui1 sickly1 complaining1 embarrassed2 such a one throws an evident damp on company1 which ,i suppose would be accounted for by sympathy1 and yet is disagreeable4 ,it is always thought a difficult problem to account for the pleasure received from the tears1 and grief1 and sympathy of tragedy1 which would not be the case if all sympathy was agreeable4 ,an hospital would be a more entertaining place than a ball4 ,i am afraid that1 in p4 #ii1 and #aaa1 this proposition has escaped you1 or1 rather1 is interwoven with your reasonings in that place4 ,you say expressly1 ,it is painful to go along with grief1 and we always enter into it with reluctance4 ,it will probably be requisite for you to modify or explain this sentiment1 and reconcile it to your system4 ,my dear ,mr4 ,smith1 you must not be so much engrossed with your own book as never to mention mine4 ,the ,whigs1 ,i am told1 are anew in a rage against me1 though they know not how to vent themselves2 for they are constrained to allow all my facts4 ,you have1 probably1 seen ,hurd's abuse of me4 ,he is of the ,warburtonian school2 and1 consequently1 very insolent and very scurrilous2 but ,i shall never reply a word to him4 ,if my past writings do not sufficiently prove me to be no ,jacobite1 ten volumes in folio never would4 ,i signed1 yesterday1 an agreement with ,mr4 ,millar2 where ,i mention that ,i proposed to write the ,history of ,england1 from the beginning till the accession of ,henry ,,vii42 and he engages to give me #adjj for the copy4 ,this is the first previous agreement ever ,i made with a bookseller4#fa3a ,i shall execute this work at leisure1 without fatiguing myself by such ardent application as ,i have hitherto employed4 ,it is chiefly as a resource against idleness that ,i shall undertake this work2 for1 as to money1 ,i have enough2 and as to reputation1 what ,i have wrote already will be sufficient1 if it be good2 if not1 it is not likely ,i shall now write better4 ,i found it impracticable 7at least fancied so7 to write the ,history since the ,revolution4 ,i am in doubt whether ,i shall stay here and execute the work2 or return to ,scotland1 and only come up here to consult the manuscripts4 ,i have several inducements on both sides4 ,scotland suits my fortune best1 and is the seat of my principal friendships2 but it is too narrow a place for me2 and it mortifies me that ,i sometimes hurt my friends4 ,pray write me your judgment soon4 ,are the bigots much in arms on account of this last volume8 ,robertson's book has great merit2 but it was visible that he profited here by the animosity against me4 ,i suppose the case was the same with you4 ,i am1 dear ,smith1 yours sincerely4#fa3b ,in #ageh and #agei1 much alarm was caused throughout ,britain by a threatened invasion from ,france4 ,hume seems to have improved this state of matters1 in the following letters1 imparting wild and exaggerated news4 ,his writing in such a tone1 at such a juncture1 is an example of his entertaining the same contempt for panics as for popular feeling in other forms4 ,there is no address on the first of the letters4 ,the second would reach its destination nearly at the same time with the account of ,rodney's destruction of the flat-bottomed boats intended for the invasion4 #aeth ,may1 #agei4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,if you pass by ,edinburgh1 please bring me two pounds of rapee1 such as ,peggy ,elliot uses to take4 ,you will get it at ,gillespy's near the ,cross4 ,mrs4 ,mallet has her compliments to you1 and begs you to procure her a collection of ,scotch pebbles4 ,i assured her that ,i should inform you of her desire1 and also that you would not fail to execute it4 ,we hear that you are to be expelled the university with disgrace4 ,even the most partial of your friends here are obliged to allow that you deserve it4 ,we expect over forty thousand ,french1 with the first fair wind4 ,they will probably settle the ministry2 for1 at present1 the ,pitts and the ,legges1 and the ,grenvilles1 are all going by the ears4 ,we live in hopes of seeing you soon4 ,my compliments to ,smith1 whose book is in a very good way4 ,dr4 ,warburton presents his compliments to you4 ,yours sincerely1 c4#fb3a ,,hume to ,,mr4 ,,ruat4#fb3b #fth ,july #agci4 ,,dear ,,ruat1--,i am very much obliged to you for the desire you express to ,miss ,elliot of hearing from me2 and particularly your wishing to be informed1 by me1 of any news that pass4 ,as soon as ,i knew1 certainly1 how to direct to you1 ,i have sat down to write2 and1 though the occurrences are no way extraordinary which ,i can communicate1 they shall all be strictly1 and literally1 and certainly true2 and you may venture to tell them as such to all the idle people that frequent ,buxton4 ,this morning1 there arrived an express from ,admiral ,hawke's fleet1 giving an account that the ,french fleet had sallied out of ,brest1 with twenty-four ships of the line1 and had engaged the ,english fleet1 in a desperate and bloody battle1 from morning to night1 which ended in a total victory on our side4 ,there are seven of the ,french ships sunk and burnt1 and four taken4 ,there are two of our capital ships sunk1 and the admiral's ship was blown up1 with its whole company1 not one of whom is saved4 ,prince ,edward1 in the ,phnix1 behaved to admiration2 but1 towards the end of the engagement1 an unlucky cannon ball carried away both his legs1 by which it is feared we shall loose that promising young prince4 ,our friend1 poor ,dr4 ,blair1 would not go below deck1 but stood by the prince's side during the whole engagement1 till his head was carried off by a double-headed shot4 ,about three hours after the arrival of this express1 there arrived another from the west1 giving an account of the landing of the ,french in ,torbay1 to the number of twenty thousand foot1 and five thousand horse4 ,they believe already1 in ,london1 that they are sixty thousand strong4 ,the panic is inconceivable4 ,the people in the country are hurrying up to town2 those in the town are hurrying down to the country4 ,nobody thinks of resistance4 ,every one believes the ,french1 ,popery1 and the ,pretender1 to be at their heels4 ,what adds to our general confusion is1 the discovery of treachery in our councils4 ,mr4 ,pitt is sent to the ,tower1 for holding a secret correspondence with the ,french3--his ciphers and letters are taken4 ,mr4 ,wood1 our friend1 7if he can be said to deserve that name17 is thrown into a dungeon2 and there will be certain proofs to convict him of that treachery4 ,in order to prepare the way for this blow1 the perfidious ,french had employed somebody to blow up the magazine in the ,tower4 ,i heard the explosion this morning about five o'clock4 ,all ,london is covered with rubbish1 and stones and brick1 and broken arms4 ,there fell into our back court a shattered musket1 and the bloody leg of a man4 ,i thought the day of judgment was come when ,i first heard the explosion1 and began seriously to think of my sins4 ,these events will1 all of them1 make a figure in future historians2 and it is happy for these gentlemen1 who are1 or ought to be1 very scrupulous with regard to matters of fact1 that they can so well reconcile the true and the marvellous4 ,as to private news1 there is little stirring2 only ,dr4 ,warburton turned ,mahometan1 and was circumcised last week4 ,they say he is to write a book1 in order to prove the divine legation of ,mahomet2 and it is not doubted but he will succeed as well as in proving that of ,moses4 ,i saw him yesterday in the ,mall with his turban2 which really becomes him very well4 ,poor ,andrew ,millar is declared bankrupt2 his debts amount to above #dj1jjj1 and it is said his creditors will not get above three shillings in the pound4 ,all the world allow him to have been diligent and industrious2 but his misfortunes are ascribed to the extravagance of his wife1 a very ordinary case in this city4 ,miss ----1 yesterday morning declared her marriage with ,dr4 ,armstrong2 but we were surprised in the afternoon to find ,mr4 ,short the optician1 come in and challenge her for his wife4 ,it seems she has been married privately for some time to both of them4 ,her sister has been much more prudent1 whom we find to have confined herself entirely to gallantry1 and to have privately entertained a correspondence with three gallants4 ,i am1 dear ,ruat1 with great truth1 your most sincere friend and humble servant4#fe3a ,about the commencement of ,november1 ,hume returned to ,scotland1 for he writes to ,millar on #ahth ,december that he has been six weeks in ,edinburgh4 ,he states1 that he is correcting his ,history of the ,stuarts2 and says1 ,i fancy that ,i shall be able to put my account of that period of ,english history beyond controversy4 ,as soon as this task is finished1 ,i undertake the ancient ,english history4 ,i find the ,advocates' ,library very well provided with books1 in this period3 but before ,i finish1 ,i shall pass a considerable time in ,london1 to peruse the manuscripts in the ,museum4#fe3b ,on his return he left behind him1 to be published in ,london1 the two volumes of his ,history of ,england1 under the ,house of ,tudor1 of which he says in his own life1--,the clamour against this performance was almost equal to that against the ,history of the two first ,stuarts4 ,the reign of ,elizabeth was particularly obnoxious4 ,he had now published the whole of that department of his ,history1 from which his opinions on the later progress of the ,british constitution can be derived2 and the epoch of this publication calls for some notice of the manner in which subsequent inquirers have found that he performed his task4#fe3c ,he was not like such writers as ,clarendon and ,brady1 the interested or prejudiced advocate of the crown against the people2 and we must look for the causes of his erroneous views in what he did not know1 or did not believe1 rather than in what he wilfully misrepresented4 ,in his ,essay on ,commerce1 published in #ageb1 we find him thus foreshadowing the principle on which he was to treat the ,history of ,britain3--,lord ,bacon1 accounting for the great advantages obtained by the ,english in their wars with ,france1 ascribes them chiefly to the superior ease and plenty of the common people among the former2 yet the government of the two kingdoms was at that time pretty much alike4 ,this assertion has been satisfactorily proved to be erroneous4 ,the spirit of credulity in historical inquiry makes out every thing ancient to be better and greater than its modern representative4 ,the spirit of scepticism questions whatever is said in favour of antiquity4 ,the sceptic cannot throw doubt on the existing wonders of modern times4 ,if one nation is far beyond another in arts1 arms1 civilization1 or wealth1 the facts cannot be denied2 but when he looks back into past ages1 the pliability of the evidence admits the influence of the levelling principle of scepticism1 the tendency of which is to make all mankind seem much alike2 and ,hume1 who would not have ventured to say that in his own day the constitutions of ,france and ,england were very much alike1 considered it but a piece of proper caution to discard as fallacious the evidence that there was any great difference between them in former times4 ,unquestionably the doubting or inquiring spirit is a valuable quality in a historian2 for the narratives of human affairs are full of falsehoods1 which it is the philosophical historian's function to discard4 ,but the sifting will not be satisfactory1 if the materials subjected to it have not been largely and laboriously collected2 and the charge against ,hume is1 that he applied it to imperfect data4 ,where the data are insufficient1 credulity and scepticism are merely the counterparts of each other1 and produce erroneous results nearly alike4 ,those who proclaimed ,bruce1 the ,abyssinian traveller1 to be a liar1 for statements which have now been authenticated1 believed in the account given of a fictitious people1 in an impudent forgery1 called ,psalmanazer's ,formosa1 which would not now impose for a moment on any educated person4 ,our enlarged knowledge of the matters to be subjected to sceptical analysis1 has now1 in both cases1 brought us to the right conclusion4 ,an inquirer into the structure of the earth1 who should know nothing of its crust but the sandy plains of ,germany1 would1 were he of a sceptical spirit1 discredit all those geological wonders which the most sceptical of scientific men now believe4#fh3a ,in relation to some parts of the ,british constitution1 ,hume was in the position of such an investigator4 ,his early prejudice against the study of the law1 prevented him from being fully acquainted with a science1 the knowledge of which is essential to any man who would clearly develop the progress of our constitution1--the common law of ,england4 ,he did not understand its stubborn immovable nature1 its solid impregnable masonry1 against which the ambitious violence of monarchs1 and the fury of popular tumults raged in vain4 ,from the day when ,gascoigne committed ,henry ,v4 to prison1 to that when surly tyrannical old ,sir ,edward ,coke argued face to face with ,king ,james against the interference of the prerogative with the independent authority of his court1 those who were the honest administrators of the common law held that they were no man's servants1 and no man's masters1 but the sworn expounders of a settled rule of action1 which no power within the realm could sway4 ,it might be full of strange conceits1 of passages hard to determine1 of unreasonable and often cruel rules3 but what this oracle bade them1 that were they bound to do1 be the consequences what they might4 ,to a mere onlooker1 this system appeared to be clumsy and barbarous1 and unendowed with that philosophical symmetry which characterized the rival system of the civil law4 ,it required that one should have a full knowledge of its massive structure1 and passive power of resistance1 to appreciate its value in a country where king1 nobles1 and common people1 were alike characterized by party spirit1 courage1 and restless activity4 ,a philosopher1 indulging in a distant contemplation1 would at once prefer the nice philosophical adaptation to the wants of a state1 and the fine logical structure1 with which a despotic power1 able to manipulate the laws at its own will1 had endowed the system of ,justinian2 and if he found that the administrators of the rude common law waged a determined war against this philosophical code1 his contempt for the one1 and his admiration of the other1 would be likely to be increased4 ,but there is no doubt that the advocates of the common law were right in resisting the introduction of the pliant principles of the civilians4 ,if it be true that the common law1 and the constitution which grew along with it1 embodied no philosophical principle of liberty1 it is also true that they embodied no philosophical principle of despotism1 such as that which was ready made in the ,justinian legislation4 ,the theories of passive obedience1 and the sacredness of the monarchical character1 were strangers to it2 and these doctrines1 so attractive to those who profit by them1 were introduced by the civilians4 ,in presence of the unbending operation of the common law1 and dependent on a surly suspicious parliament1 the sovereign might yet1 if he were a man of talent and courage1 be very powerful and very tyrannical3 but he had none of those attributes through which the ingenuity of the civilians had divested him of all the moral failings1 so far as they were accompanied with the moral responsibilities of a human being4 ,he was often a most dread sovereign3 but it was for these novel doctrines1 the fruit of the reading of the clergy and the ecclesiastical lawyers1 to invest him with the attributes of sacred majesty4 ,the supporters of the common law1 and of the old popular rights1 strove to keep the law above the king4 ,those who drew their constitutional principles from the civilians and canonists1 desired to place the king above the law4 ,they accomplished their object in name1 but not in fact1 by incorporating with the constitutional law those fictions1 that the king never dies1 is not responsible1 does not require to appear by his attorney1 suffers no laches1 c4 ,but in reality the old principles which made the king merely the head of a community1 all of whom were subjected to the law1 substantially held its ground2 for1 in so far as the monarch was exempted from responsibilities1 in the same proportion was he deprived of any powers which he could exercise otherwise than through a responsible minister4 ,there was in ,hume a like want of appreciation of the value of parliamentary forms and privileges1 and a corresponding indifference about their violation4 ,he had not sufficiently studied the ,journals of the ,commons1 and did not trace the rise and development of that system of procedure which has protected our own liberties1 and afforded a model for the legislative assemblies of all free nations4#ga3a ,it was in the ,long ,parliament1 and under the eye of the able men of business who then held the lead1 that this noble system was brought to perfection2 but the reader whose historical information is derived solely from ,hume1 knows little of its value4 ,thus unconscious of the practical importance of the rights and privileges of the ,english people1 he did not sympathize with those who expected alarming consequences from their infringement4 ,he involved those who put the protection of their legal rights to the issue of the sword1 in the same contemptuous estimate with the fanatics whom he charged with convulsing the state about religious differences of no essential moment4 ,in either case the event at issue was of so little importance in his estimation1 that he had small charity for those who made it a vitally important concern4#gb3a ,but in all these matters we look back on ,hume with the light of later times4 ,to appreciate his services to constitutional history1 we must1 while we keep in view the successful labours of later inquirers1 remember how little had been done by his predecessors4 ,the old chroniclers1 such as ,hall and ,holingshed1 scarcely ever deign to descend from the pride1 pomp1 and circumstance of glorious war1 to mention constitutional matters2 and perhaps1 in an impartial estimate1 it will be admitted that in the gradual progress towards a better appreciation of what is truly valuable in ,british history1 no one writer has taken so great a stride as ,hume4 ,,footnotes3 #c3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #e3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #e3b ,in a small book1 called ,letters on ,mr4 ,hume's ,history of ,great ,britain1 ,edinburgh1 #agef1 known to have been written by ,daniel ,macqueen1 ,d4,d41 the chief object is to prove that ,hume has not treated the ,roman ,catholic religion with sufficient severity1 and to supply this defect in his ,history4 ,in a few remarks at the end1 however1 ,dr4 ,macqueen had the merit of suggesting many of the constitutional criticisms on ,hume1 which were afterwards followed out4 #f3a ,a sketch of ,hume's character and habits1 in ,the ,edinburgh ,magazine for #ahjb1 professing to be by one who was personally acquainted with him1 is discredited1 by its containing a statement that he had joined the ,roman ,catholic ,church when he was in ,france4 ,the reader will remember that1 almost from the moment of his setting foot on foreign soil1 he censures the ,roman ,catholics1 in his letters to his friends2 and nothing could be mentioned more at variance with a known character1 than this writer's assertion1 which seems to rest on some imaginative parallel between the personal history of ,hume and that of ,gibbon4 ,as the reader may desire to read the sketch thus condemned1 and to judge for himself of its applicability to ,hume1 it is here given4 ,,anecdotes ,,of ,,david ,,hume1 ,,esq4 ,by one who personally knew him4 ,david ,hume was a man of parts1 natural and acquired1 far superior to most of mankind2 of a benevolent heart1 a friendly1 kind disposition1 and a real affection for all his connexions4 ,no man is without his failings2 and his great views of being singular1 and a vanity to show himself superior to most people1 led him to advance many axioms that were dissonant to the opinions of others1 and led him into sceptical doctrines only to show how minute and puzzling they were to other folk2 in so far1 that ,i have often seen him 7in various companies1 according as he saw some enthusiastic person there7 combat either their religious or political principles2 nay1 after he had struck them dumb1 take up the argument on their side with equal good humour1 wit1 and jocoseness1 all to show his pre-eminency4 ,for the justness of these observations1 ,i appeal to his life1 wrote by himself1 and published by his friend and admirer1 ,adam ,smith1 where you see he was so chagrined at no notice of1 or answer being made to1 his ,essays1 and was so disappointed1 that he proposed to retire to ,saumure1 or some other part of ,france1 to be lost to the unheeding world2 and1 in short1 be a perfect hermit4 ,but1 on being answered by a bishop1 on some of his dogmas1 and other favourable circumstances flattering him that he would at last be conspicuous1 he gave up the project1 and was first a companion1 for some time1 to the ,marquis of ,annandale2 then librarian to the ,advocates here2 after that1 secretary to ,general ,sinclair at ,turin 7who was1 under pretence of an ambassador to his ,sardinian ,majesty1 a spy1 as his conduct was dubious to the allies1 against ,louis ,,xv427 afterwards1 by ,general ,conway's interest1 secretary to ,lord ,hertford at ,paris2 left there charg d'affairs2 and1 finally1 one of the under secretaries of state for about half a year4 ,after which he settled in ,edinburgh for life1 and made all his friends and connexions happy by the possession of so worthy a man4--,thus far ,i have given my real sentiments of the man1 and can only now regret that he was so weak as to write his life in the style he did4 ,i must add1 that he was a cheerful and most agreeable companion1 well informed1 and who accommodated himself to the company2 and1 for all his abstruse learning1 was never happier than in a select company of ladies and friends1 and fond to engage in a party at whist1 of which game he was a complete adept1 and1 of consequence1 successful4 ,he never played deep2 never above a shilling1 one1 two1 or three2 and ,i have known him come into ,edinburgh for some weeks1 pay his residence there1 and get a recruit of clothes and necessaries out of his gains2 nay1 sometimes to have a pound or two to give in assistance to a necessitous relation2 and carry back to his brother's house1 at ,ninewells1 the cash he brought with him from that place1 in order to defray the expenses of his visit to the metropolis4 ,general ,scott of ,balcomie1 who was a good judge in these matters1 was so convinced of his superior skill at whist1 that ,i was assured he offered ,david his purse to gamble at ,london2 and that he would give him #ajjj a-year if he would communicate his winnings4 ,this he refused with disdain1 saying1 he played for his amusement2 and though ,general ,scott would give him ten times more per annum1 he would be accessary to no such fraudulent doings4 ,it was very remarkable1 that1 though from study and reading the purest authors in the ,english language he learnt to write in a correct and elegant style1 yet1 in conversing1 he spoke with the tone1 idiom1 and vulgar voice of the commonalty in the ,merse or ,berwickshire4 ,this1 ,i presume1 arose from his having been greatly1 in his early years1 about his brother's house1 conversing with servants1 c42 and having no ear 7though a foreign or even a dead language1 which he acquired by grammar and rules1 he wrote pointedly17 it was impossible for him to attain1 in speaking1 any other dialect of the ,scots than that he caught in his childhood3 besides1 he had but a creeping voice1 rather effeminate than manly4 ,i could give you several anecdotes with regard to him2 ,i shall content myself with one4 ,one day when he was advancing some irreligious maxims in a sarcastical style1 ,i said to him1 ',l----1 ,david1 ye are much altered in your sentiments since you professed yourself a sincere ,roman ,catholic1 confessed yourself to the priests1 declared yourself a sincere penitent1 got absolution1 and even extreme unction4' ,he was much offended at this1 as he believed none knew1 in this country1 that all this had happened to him at ,nice4 ,he answered in a huff1 ',i was in a high fever then1 and did not know what ,i said1 or they did with me4' ,i replied1 ',you put me in mind of ,patie ,birnie's answer to the minister of ,kinghorn1 who1 stumbling o'er him in a passage dead drunk1 said1 ',ah6 ,patie1 is this your promise that you would never be fu' again1 if the ,lord spared you8'--',wow1' quo' ,pate1 ',i wonder to hear ane of your honour's sense mind what ony body says in a red raving fever2 ,i kent naithing of what was ga'en4' ,david and ,i1 for years after1 were tolerable good friends1 but never so cordial as before4 ,g4 ,n4 ,these initials are supposed to be those of ,george ,nichol1 ,m4 ,p4 #i3a ,hume was inclined to admire the polity of the ,church of ,england1 on grounds peculiar to himself4 ,the tendency of his remarks on the wealth and dignity of that establishment1 is to hold that heaping riches and honours on a clergy1 by occupying their minds in pomps and vanities1 diverts a certain portion of the spirit of priestcraft from its natural propensity to subdue or annoy the rest of the community1 and is on the whole a judicious investment of a considerable proportion of the wealth and honours which may happen to be at the command of a state4 ,adam ,smith's opinion1 on the other hand1 was1 that the people are best protected against the influence of priestcraft1 by allowing no sect to have a superiority over others1 and by leaving the clergy of different denominations to expend their zeal in fighting with each other4 #aa3a ,original at ,kilravock4 #ac3a ,scroll in ,hume's handwriting1 ,minto ,,mss4 #ac3b ,four ,dissertations3 ,the ,natural ,history of ,religion2 ,of the ,passions2 ,of ,tragedy2 ,of the ,standard of ,taste4 #hvo1 ,a4 ,millar4 ,hume1 in his own life1 says they were published in the interval between the first and second volumes of his ,history4 #ad3a ,in a copy which ,i possess1 after p4 #bjj1 the end of the third dissertation1 there are four strips of paper1 the remains of half a sheet cut away4 ,this occurs in signature ,k1 and signature ,l begins with the fourth dissertation4 #ad3b ,vol4 i4 p4 #bdf4 #ae3a ,a simple example tells at once the whole philosophy of this view4 ,in an unhealthy community1 a workman dies after he has been ten years married1 and leaves a widow and children dependant on the public4 ,in a healthy community1 he lives for twenty years after his marriage1 and leaves children grown up and able to provide for themselves4 ,in general1 the aim of all remarks on ,hume's writings in the present work is expository1 not controversial4 ,the reader desirous of having every light thrown on ,hume's opinions1 will care nothing about mine2 but where1 as in the present case1 he seems to have gone astray from his own leading principles1 it appeared to be right to notice the aberration4 #af3a ,this letter is not dated4 #ah3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ah3b ,he persisted in spelling the poet's name thus4 #ai3a ,,ms4 ,advocates' ,library4 ,a good example of the same thing being done in two ways1 is afforded by comparing ,hume's resignation with that of his venerable predecessor1 ,ruddiman4 ,the latter is a document of considerable length1 and ends in the following strain3--,but though ,i can be no longer serviceable to the honourable ,faculty in that my former capacity1 yet there is one duty still in my power1 and which can never be dispensed with2 and that is1 that from the deep and most grateful sense which ,i shall always retain of your great and manifold favours1 ,i should earnestly pray to ,almighty ,god for the honour1 prosperity1 and flourishing state of your most learned and useful society2 that ye may continue a great ornament to those high courts1 of which you are members2 and that in them1 and every where else1 ye may shine forth with that splendour and dignity1 that unblemished character for justice and probity1 and the faithful discharge of all those duties your honourable profession has laid upon you1 for which you are so remarkable2 and which the superior name and rank you bear in the world1 give your country just ground to expect of you4 ,this is the last best testimony and assurance ,i can give1 of my most sincere gratitude1 warm affection1 and high regard to the honourable ,faculty2 and that ,i am1 now1 and always1 my much honoured patrons and masters1 your most obliged1 most humble1 and most dutiful servant1-- ,dum memor ipse mei1 dum spiritus hos regit artus ,t4 ,,ruddiman4 #bj3a ,these two distichs are taken from separate parts of the fourth book of ,ovid's ,tristia4 ,the first is accurate1 but the second is evidently a variation of the following3 ,sic ubi mota calent viridi mea pectora ,thyrso ,altior humano spiritus ille malo est4 #bb3a ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #fcf4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bc3a ,in a work by ,dr4 ,john ,brown1 called1 ,an ,estimate of the ,manners and ,principles of the ,times1 #ageg1 there is the following passage3--,a certain historian1 of our own times1 bent upon popularity and gain1 published a large volume1 and omitted no opportunity that offered to disgrace religion4 ,a large impression was published1 and a small part sold4 ,the author being asked why he had so larded his work with irreligion1 his answer implied3--',he had done it that his book might sell4' ,it was whispered him1 that he had totally mistaken the spirit of the times2--that no allurements could engage the fashionable infidel world to travel through a large quarto2 and that1 as the few readers of quartos that yet remain lie mostly among the serious part of mankind1 he had offended his best customers1 and ruined the sale of his book4 ,this information had a notable effect2 for a second volume1 as large and instructive as the first1 hath appeared2 not a smack of irreligion is to be found in it2 and an apology for the first concludes the whole4--,p4 #eg4 ,dr4 ,brown's book is said to have been very popular1 and to have run to a seventh edition in a few months4 ,it is rather singular that the edition marked as the seventh1 has precisely the same matter in each page1 and the same number of pages as the first4 #bd3a ,the letter does not appear to have been preserved4 #be3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #be3b ,elliot had been made a ,lord of the ,admiralty in #agef4 #bg3a ,viz4 of ,edinburgh4 #bi3a ,minto ,,mss4 #bi3b ,the title of the ,epigoniad does not1 unfortunately1 convey any associations to the general ,english reader1 who requires to be told that it is derived from 1 or descendants1 in allusion to those of the warriors who had been slain at the first siege of ,thebes2 and the main incident of the poem is the subsequent sacking of that city4 ,it is not difficult for the reader of the better parts of the ,epigoniad to imagine1 that he is perusing ,pope's translation of ,homer4 ,when an approach was thus made to a model so famous1 all was supposed to have been gained2 and it was thought that a work had been produced which would stand beside the ,iliad and the ,odyssey4 ,it is hardly necessary1 at the present day1 to ask1 whether the highest genius will produce an immortal poem out of the machinery of another age and nation1 and appealing to sentiments which have no response in the habits or feelings of the people to whom its author appeals8 ,we read the great national poems of other countries in their own language1 because we thus endow ourselves1 as far as it is possible1 with the feeling and ideas of those to whom the poem was addressed4 ,we read spirited translations1 because they are an attempt to represent to us1 in our own tongue1 that which is grand in another language2 and our interest is like that with which we view the portrait of a great man4 ,we thus encounter ,ulysses1 ,agamemnon1 and ,menelaus in the ,iliad1 with the interest of excited curiosity2 and those who cannot read the original1 are content to make acquaintance with persons whom a great genius has made so famous1 even through a rude translation4 ,but few cared to meet them reappearing in ,wilkie's imitation2 nor1 however forcible may be his expressions1 or flowing his versification1 do we feel very vividly the horrors of ,cacus' den1 and the destructive ire of the ,cyclops1 or sympathize in the torments of ,hercules1 from the ,centaur's poisoned robe1 when they are described in the ,epigoniad4 #ca3a ,the paper is reprinted from ,the ,critical ,review1 in the ,appendix to ,ritchie's ,life of ,hume4 #cc3a ,these fictions were to a considerable extent superseded by an act1 so late as the year #ahcc2 #c #d ,will4 ,,iv4 c4 #gd4 #cd3a ,in #ageg ,adam ,ferguson became tutor to the family of ,lord ,bute4 #cd3b ,minto ,,mss4 #ce3a ,warburton writes as follows to ,hurd3--,as to ,hume1 ,i had laid it aside ever since you was here2 ,i will now1 however1 finish my skeleton4 ,it will be hardly that4 ,if1 then1 you think any thing can be made of it1 and will give yourself the trouble1 we may1 perhaps1 between us1 do a little good1 which1 ,i dare say1 we shall both think worth a little pains4 ,if ,i have any force in the first rude beating out of the mass1 you are best able to give it the elegance of form and splendour of polish4 ,this will answer my purpose2 to labour together in a joint work to do a little good4 ,i will tell you fairly1 it is no more the thing it should be1 and will be1 if you undertake it1 than the ,dantzic iron at the forge is the gilt and painted ware at ,birmingham4 ,it will make no more than a pamphlet2 but you shall take your own time1 and make it your summer's amusement1 if you will4 ,i propose it to bear something like this title3--',remarks on ,mr4 ,hume's late ,essay1 called ,the ,natural ,history of ,religion2 by a ,gentleman of ,cambridge1 in a ,letter to the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,w4' ,i propose the address should be with the dryness and reserve of a stranger1 who likes the method of the letters on ,bolingbroke's ,philosophy1 and follows it here against the same sort of writer1 inculcating the same impiety1 naturalism1 and employing the same kind of arguments4 ,the address will remove it from me2 the author1 a gentleman of ,cambridge1 from you2 and the secrecy in printing from us both4--,letters from a late ,eminent ,prelate to one of his ,friends1 p4 #bdj4 ,in the immediately preceding letter1 we find him saying1 ,i will trim the rogue's jacket1 at least sit upon his skirts1 as you will see when you come hither1 and find his margins scribbled over4 ,thus were concocted the ,remarks on ,mr4 ,david ,hume's ,essay on the ,natural ,history of ,religion1 addressed to the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,warburton1 7#ageg7 wherein the candid author1 in pursuance of his instructions1 says1 ,of my person1 indeed1 ,i must have leave to make no discovery2 and to tell you the truth1 ,i have taken such effectual precautions1 as to that particular1 that ,i will venture to say you will never know more of me than you do at present4 ,the original notes are to be found in the quarto edition of ,warburton's works4 ,hume says1 in his own life1 of the ,natural ,history of ,religion1 ,its public entry was rather obscure1 except only that ,dr4 ,hurd wrote a pamphlet against it1 with all the illiberal petulance1 arrogance1 and scurrility which distinguish the ,warburtonian school4 ,this pamphlet gave me some consolation for the otherwise indifferent reception of my performance4 #cg3a ,probably ,an ,essay towards a ,general ,history of ,feudal ,property in ,great ,britain1 under several heads1 #ageg-h1 by ,mr4 afterwards ,sir ,john ,dalrymple4 #ch3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ci3a ,scots ,magazine for #ahjb1 p4 #igh4 #dj3a ,these analogies are taken from the technicalities of ,scots law4 ,the southern reader may as well be informed1 that ,prescription stands for ,the ,statute of ,limitations in ,scotland2 that a summons is the writ by which the plaintiff brings the defendant into court2 and that the lords' row1 is the roll of cases in the ,court of ,session4 #da3a ,original in the possession of the ,cambusmore family4 #dc3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dc3b ,the ,painter4 ,the ,sketches and ,essays on various subjects1 were written by ,armstrong4 #dc3c ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #de3a ,minto ,,mss4 #de3b ,it appears1 however1 from a letter to ,smith1 farther on1 that an attempt had been made to procure a chair for ,ferguson1 in ,edinburgh1 which had failed4 #df3a ,john ,stevenson was appointed professor of logic and metaphysics in #agcj4 #dg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dg3b ,without date4 #dg3c ,original in possession of ,sir ,henry ,jardine4 #dh3a ,note ,b4 #dh3b ,it is also remarkable1 that there is not one letter from ,robertson among the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e41 or in any known collection4 #eb3a ,perhaps this may be a mistake for ,m4 ,mrian1 the name of the author of a translation of this essay1 published in #agei4 #eb3b ,see above1 p4 #djh4 ,see the letters of ,helvetius in the ,appendix4 ,he does not seem to have translated any of ,hume's works1 his proposed reciprocity treaty not having been concluded4 ,he appears to have had considerably more at heart the being chosen a member of the ,royal ,society of ,london1 as a means of restoring his lost popularity at home4 #ee3a ,a translation was published in #agfd1 by ,besset de la ,chapelle4 #ee3b ,theory of ,moral ,sentiments4 #ee3c ,essay on ,taste4 #ee3d ,see next page4 #ef3a ,stewart says this is the work subsequently published under the title of ,an ,essay on the ,history of ,civil ,society4 ,but this may be doubted3 see ,hume's ,remarks on it at the time of publication4 #ef3b ,see above1 p4 #cj4 #eh3a ,this association of names is evidently intended as a sarcasm on ,lord ,lyttelton's taste4 #eh3b ,stewart's ,life of ,smith4 #ei3a ,probably ,mr4 ,wilson1 type-founder1 ,glasgow2 the father of the art in ,scotland4 #fa3a ,he did not consider his agreement about the ,treatise of ,human ,nature a previous one1 as the book was written4 ,see vol4 i4 p4 #fe4 #fa3b ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #ffe4 ,original ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #fb3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #fb3b ,see this gentleman1 who was a professor in ,glasgow1 mentioned above1 p4 #ei1 where his name is spelt ,rouat4 #fe3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #fe3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #fe3c ,an account of all the books in which the constitutional principles of the history have been ably impugned1 would only be reminding the reader of many works with which he is probably already familiar4 ,but among the marked productions of this series1 if he desire to have a calm appreciation of the merits of ,hume's historical criticism1 by those who have gone over the same ground1 he will peruse the historical works of ,hallam1 and the treatises of ,dr4 ,allen1 including his articles in ,the ,edinburgh ,review1 and his ,inquiry into the ,rise and ,growth of the ,royal ,prerogative4 ,if1 however1 he wish to have all ,hume's tergiversations sifted and exposed with forensic acuteness1 and the zeal of an able and vigilant prosecutor1--to have before him1 in short1 the whole case of the ,british constitution against ,hume1 let him read ,brodie's ,history of the ,british ,empire4 ,it will gratify all the admirers of his book to know1 that ,mr4 ,brodie is occupied in the preparation of a new edition of his great work1 which will1 no doubt1 be marked by all the same qualities which distinguished the first1 increased by farther study and enthusiastic research4 ,it is a singular incident in literary history1 that immediately after the appearance of the first edition1 filled as it is with a prodigious array of notes and references1 the subject was gone over by ,godwin in his ,history of the ,commonwealth1 with but slight reference to ,mr4 ,brodie's book2 but in such a manner1 from the structure of his narrative and otherwise1 as to show that he had scarcely any other book before him4 ,this is not the place for a discussion of ,mr4 ,brodie's charges against ,hume3 they are honestly supported by references1 and will stand or fall on their own merits4 ,but there is one instance in which ,mr4 ,brodie's acuteness has led him farther than every one can follow him4 ,thus1 speaking of a particular passage of ,hume1 he says1 he has given the very words of ,perinchief1 whom he yet durst not quote2 and his pencil-marks are still at the place in the copy belonging to the ,advocates' ,library4 ,this statement1 to the effect that there exists evidence of ,hume having read passages which he has designedly avoided citing1 is frequently repeated2 and if one would absolutely assure himself that ,hume had read the passages1 by reference to the copies of the books in the ,advocates' ,library1 he finds one or two scores drawn across the margin with a pencil6 ,the distinguished historical critic1 who has noticed this circumstance1 must make some allowance for the inferior acumen of ordinary readers1 if they should fail to discover why this simple score must of necessity be ,david ,hume--his mark4 ,mr4 ,brodie's book is particularly valuable as a criticism on ,hume's notions of the old prerogative in relation to the ,star ,chamber1 the ,court of ,high ,commission1 ,martial ,law1 ,impressments1 and ,forced ,loans4 #fh3a ,locke gives an admirable illustration of the sceptical spirit working on imperfect data1 in the following anecdote4 ,it happened to a ,dutch ambassador1 who1 entertaining the ,king of ,siam with the particularities of ,holland1 which he was inquisitive after1 amongst other things1 told him1 that the water in his country would sometimes1 in cold weather1 be so hard1 that men walked upon it1 and that it would bear an elephant if he were there4 ,to which the king replied1 ',hitherto ,i have believed the strange things which you have told me1 because ,i look upon you as a sober fair man3 but now ,i am sure you lie4'--,on the ,understanding1 book iv4 chap4 #ae1 #e4 #ga3a ,the forms of voting and coming to a decision in the ,british ,parliament have been adopted by other countries1 not from any partiality towards our systems1 but because in this we seem to have approached abstract perfection2 and the framers of codes1 after all endeavours to make forms of like excellence1 are obliged to have recourse to those which have been followed for centuries in ,st4 ,stephen's4 ,in the ,french ,assemblies1 ingenuity was frequently exercised in vain to devise some plan by which1 after a series of proposals had been made1 and debated upon1 the sense of the meeting in regard to them might be ascertained and recorded without the record being liable to be questioned as inaccurate4 ,in the ,english system1 the matter is at once solved4 ,each proposed resolution is made and put on record before the discussion begins1 and however many different proposals there may be in relation to the subject of debate1 they must be all put in writing1 and each one must be singly1 and without intermixture with the others1 adopted or rejected by a vote of the house4 #gb3a ,he seems to have afterwards soothed himself with the reflection that his historical speculations were in favour of the stability of a fixed government1 and opposed to innovating principles4 ,in a letter to ,madame de ,boufflers1 dated #bc;d ,dec4 #agfh1 he says3-- ,indeed1 the prospect of affairs here is so strange and melancholy1 as would make any one desirous of withdrawing from the country at any rate4 ,licentiousness1 or rather the frenzy of liberty1 has taken possession of us1 and is throwing every thing into confusion4 ,how happy do ,i esteem it1 that in all my writings ,i have always kept at a proper distance from that tempting extreme1 and have maintained a due regard to magistracy and established government1 suitably to the character of an historian and a philosopher6 ,i find1 on that account1 my authority growing daily2 and indeed have now no reason to complain of the public1 though your partiality to me made you think so formerly4 ,add to this1 that the king's bounty puts me in a very opulent situation4 ,i must1 however1 expect that1 if any great public convulsion happen1 my appointments will cease1 and reduce me to my own revenue3 but this will be sufficient for a man of letters1 who surely needs less money both for his entertainment and credit1 than other people4--,private ,correspondence1 p4 #bff4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 #agfj-agfb4 t4 #di-ea4 ,alterations of the ,history in the direction of ,despotic ,principles--,specimens--,alterations in ,style--,specimens--,his ,elaboration--,ossian's ,poems--,labours at the early part of the ,history--,ferguson's ,sister ,peg--,acquaintance with ,madame de ,boufflers--,account of that lady--,first intercourse with ,rousseau--,rousseau's position--,the exiled ,earl ,marishal-- ,campbell and his ,dissertation on ,miracles4 ,we have seen1 from various indications in ,hume's letters to his friends1 that he employed himself occasionally in corrections and alterations of the published volumes of his ,history4 ,in these revisals1 and especially in that of the ,history of the ,stuarts1 his alterations were not limited to the style4 ,he tells us1 with a sort of scornful candour1 in his own life1 ,though ,i had been taught by experience that the ,whig party were in possession of bestowing all places1 both in the state and in literature1 ,i was so little inclined to yield to their senseless clamour1 that in above a hundred alterations which farther study1 reading1 or reflection engaged me to make in the reigns of the two first ,stuarts1 ,i have made all of them invariably to the ,tory side4 ,it is ridiculous to consider the ,english constitution1 before that period1 as a regular plan of liberty4 ,it was part of his nature1 when popular clamour called for the adoption of a particular course1 to turn his steps for that reason the more distinctly in the opposite direction4 ,he has not exaggerated the extent or character of his alterations2 for an inspection of the various editions of his ,history which came under his own revision1 shows him1 by turns of expression1 structure of narrative1 and other gentle alterations1 approaching closer and closer to despotic principles4 ,the democratic opinions contained in his early essays1 have already been alluded to2 and their suppression in subsequent editions1 harmonizes with these variations of the opinions expressed in his ,history4#gd3a ,there are1 however1 a very few alterations in an opposite spirit4 ,thus1 in the following sentence relative to the proceedings of the ,house of ,commons regarding the militia1 the part in italics is suppressed in the later editions4 ,he the king issued proclamations against this manifest usurpation2 the most precipitant and most enormous of which there is any instance in the ,english history4 ,on one incident of some importance in history1 he was obliged materially to change his ground of argument1 yet would not alter his original opinion4 ,during the fervour of the civil wars in #afdf1 ,lord ,glamorgan had in the name of ,charles ,i4 concluded a treaty with the confederated ,irish ,catholics1 by which1 on the condition of their aiding the king1 besides other concessions1 the ,roman ,catholic religion was to be restored to its old supremacy through a great part of ,ireland4 ,ormond1 the lord lieutenant1 charged ,glamorgan with high treason3 but he produced two commissions from the king4 ,the king disowned the commissions3 but the parliament believed in their genuineness4--,it was in this shape that the matter appeared in the first instance before ,hume4 ,in his first edition he accordingly maintained that the commissions were forgeries2 and a long note1 explanatory of the grounds of this belief1 is a remarkable instance of a plausible fabric of historical reasoning1 doomed afterwards to fall to pieces by the removal of its foundation4 ,before he published his second edition1 he received a letter from the ,rev4 ,john ,douglas1 afterwards ,bishop of ,carlisle1#gh3a who was intrusted with the editing of the ,clarendon ,papers4 ,in this communication1 the reverend gentleman regrets that he cannot send to ,hume a letter written by ,glamorgan1 describing the method in which the commissions were actually prepared1 and its object2 but he gives an account of the contents of the letter4#gh3b ,hume could no longer hold that the commissions were not genuine3 but he still maintained ,charles to be guiltless2 and though they were unknown to the lord lieutenant1 and bore no attestation of having passed through the proper offices1 he still argued that ,glamorgan1 in treating with the ,irish1 though he was within the letter of his very wide powers1 must have exceeded his instructions2 and ingeniously pointed to his work1 ,the century of ,inventions1 in connexion with which ,lord ,glamorgan is better known1 by his subsequent title of ,marquis of ,worcester1 as the production of a man who never could have been trusted with powers so extensive as those which he arrogated4 ,besides the variations in political opinion1 there were in the subsequent editions of ,hume's ,history other alterations suggested by other influences4 ,his opinions were self-formed1 and he jealously protected them in their formation from the influence of other minds2 but in the cultivation of his style he sought assistance with avidity from all who could afford it4 ,hence he appears to have earnestly solicited the aid of ,lyttelton1 ,mallet1 and others1 whose experience of ,english composition might enable them to detect ,scotticisms4 ,illustration3 ,,specimen ,,of ,,the ,m4,s4 ,,of ,,hume',s ,,history4 ,,reign ,,of ,,henry ,,ii4 ,,published ,,in #agfb4 ,before they went to press1 his compositions underwent a minute and rigorous correction4 ,his manuscripts1 as the small fac-simile engraved for these volumes shows1 were subjected to a painful revisal4 ,we sometimes find him1 after he has adopted a form of expression1 scoring it out and substituting another2 but again1 on a comparison of their mutual merits1 restoring the rejected form1 and perhaps again discarding it when he has lighted on a happier collocation of words4#gi3a ,it is worthy of remark1 that his most brilliant passages are those which bear the least appearance of being amended4 ,it is not thence to be inferred that these passages sprang from his mind in their full symmetry and beauty3 but rather that they had been elaborated1 and made ready for insertion in their proper place1 before they were put in writing4 ,we now resume the correspondence2 which will be found to have reference1 among other topics1 to the preparation of the ,history anterior to the accession of the ,tudors4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #bb;d ,march1 #agfj4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,you gave me a very sensible pleasure in informing me so early of the success of ',the ,siege of ,aquileia'#ha3a on its first representation4 ,i hope it sustained its reputation after it came into print4 ,i showed ,mr4 ,kincaid your letter2 and he has published an edition here1 of a thousand1 which go off very well4 ,as he had published a pamphlet1 this winter1 which he got from you1 ,i told him that ,i fancied you would be satisfied with the same terms1 which he then agreed to4 ,i am very busy1 and am making some progress2 but find that this part of ,english ,history is a work of infinite labour and study2 which1 however1 ,i do not grudge2 for ,i have nothing better nor more agreeable to employ me4 ,i have sent you a short catalogue of books1 which either are not in the ,advocates' ,library1 or are not to be found at present4 ,i must beg of you to procure them for me1 and to send them down with the first ship4 ,send me also the prices2 for ,i shall be able to engage the curators of the library to take from me such as they want at the price4 ,dr4 ,birch1 7to whom make my compliments17 will be so good as to give you his advice about buying these books2 and will tell you if several of them are collected in volumes1 as is often the case with the old ,english historians4 ,i hope ,lord ,lyttelton and ,mr4 ,mallet are as busy as ,i2 if so1 we may expect to see their history soon4 ,please to inform me what you hear of them4 ,we are informed that ,lord ,lyttelton is soon to appear4 ,i wish very much to have the benefit of his work before ,i go to the press4 ,donaldson told me1 that ,strahan has1 at last1 finished the small edition of my ,essays1 and that you have shipped his and ,kincaid's number4 ,they are resolved1 ,i find1 to dispose of them all in this place4 ,i hope you have not forgot to send me half a dozen of copies in sheets1 the number which we agreed to on any new edition4 ,your press1 in ,london1 has been somewhat barren this winter4 ,we have had nothing from you but a good pamphlet or two1 and have1 ,i think1 paid the same in kind4 ,our militia pamphlet was certainly wrote with spirit2 and has been twice reprinted1 as ,i hear1 in ,london4#hc3a ,i beg to be remembered to ,mrs4 ,millar2 and please tell her that ,i am very sorry we shall not have the pleasure of seeing her here this summer4 ,i could wish her just as much sickness as to make her sensible that travelling is good for her4 ,my compliments to ,dr4 ,douglas and ,strahan1 and to ,friend ,cummin1 who1 ,i hope1 sees now a better prospect of overcoming all his difficulties4 ,i am1 c4 ,the following letter1 though it must be already familiar to many readers1 is so clear an exposition of the writer's views on some branches of historical and biographical literature1 that it ought not to be omitted4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,robertson4 ,i have frequently thought1 and talked with our common friends upon the subject of your letter4 ,there always occurred to us several difficulties with regard to every subject we could propose4 ,the ancient ,greek history has several recommendations1 particularly the good authors from which it must be drawn3 but this same circumstance becomes an objection1 when more narrowly considered2 for what can you do in most places with these authors but transcribe and translate them8 no letters or state papers from which you could correct their errors1 or authenticate their narration1 or supply their defects4 ,besides1 ,rollin is so well wrote with respect to style1 that with superficial people it passes for sufficient4 ,there is one ,dr4 ,lelland1 who has lately wrote the life of ,philip of ,macedon1 which is one of the best periods4 ,the book1 they tell me1 is perfectly well wrote2 yet it has had such small sale1 and has so little excited the attention of the public1 that the author has reason to think his labour thrown away4 ,i have not read the book2 but by the size1 ,i should judge it to be too particular4 ,it is a pretty large quarto4 ,i think a book of that size sufficient for the whole ,history of ,greece till the death of ,philip3 and ,i doubt not but such a work would be successful1 notwithstanding all these discouraging circumstances4 ,the subject is noble1 and ,rollin is by no means equal to it4 ,i own1 ,i like still less your project of the age of ,charles the ,fifth4 ,that subject is disjointed2 and your hero1 who is the sole connexion1 is not very interesting4 ,a competent knowledge at least is required of the state and constitution of the empire2 of the several kingdoms of ,spain1 of ,italy1 of the ,low ,countries1 which it would be the work of half a life to acquire2 and1 though some parts of the story may be entertaining1 there would be many dry and barren2 and the whole seems not to have any great charms4 ,but ,i would not willingly start objections to these schemes1 unless ,i had something to propose1 which would be plausible2 and ,i shall mention to you an idea which has sometimes pleased me1 and which ,i had once entertained thoughts of attempting4#hd3a ,you may observe that1 among modern readers1 ,plutarch is1 in every translation1 the chief favourite of the ancients4 ,numberless translations and numberless editions have been made of him in all languages2 and no translation has been so ill done as not to be successful4 ,though those who read the originals never put him in comparison either with ,thucydides or ,xenophon1 he always attaches more the reader in the translation2 a proof that the idea and execution of his work is1 in the main1 happy4 ,now1 ,i would have you think of writing modern lives1 somewhat after that manner3 not to enter into a detail of the actions1 but to mark the manners of the great personages1 by domestic stories1 by remarkable sayings1 and by a general sketch of their lives and adventures4 ,you see that in ,plutarch the life of ,csar may be read in half an hour4 ,were you to write the life of ,henry the ,fourth of ,france after that model1 you might pillage all the pretty stories in ,sully1 and speak more of his mistresses than of his battles4 ,in short1 you might gather the flower of all modern history in this manner3 the remarkable ,popes1 the ,kings of ,sweden1 the great discoverers and conquerors of the ,new ,world2 even the eminent men of letters1 might furnish you with matter1 and the quick despatch of every different work would encourage you to begin a new one4 ,if one volume were successful1 you might compose another at your leisure1 and the field is inexhaustible4 ,there are persons whom you might meet with in the corners of history1 so to speak1 who would be a subject of entertainment quite unexpected2 and as long as you live1 you might give and receive amusement by such a work2 even your son1 if he had a talent for history1 would succeed to the subject1 and his son to him4 ,i shall insist no farther on this idea2 because1 if it strikes your fancy1 you will easily perceive all its advantages1 and1 by farther thought1 all its difficulties4#he3a ,in #agfj1 ,macpherson published those ,fragments of ,ancient ,poetry1 collected in the ,highlands of ,scotland1 and translated from the ,gaelic or ,erse language1 which1 afterwards enlarged1 became the celebrated ,ossian's ,poems4 ,hume took an early interest in this professed resuscitation of early national literature4 ,he at first doubted the truth of assertions so unprecedented in literary history1 as those by which the genuineness of the poems was maintained4 ,but there was nothing to which his heart would have responded with a warmer enthusiasm than the discovery1 that his ancestors1 generally reputed to be but late accessions to civilization1 could look back upon a literature as rich and great as that which had crowned ,greece with the literary supremacy of the world4 ,hence1 he seems to have1 after some time1 willingly yielded to a belief in the genuineness of these poems4 ,his good sense and sceptical spirit1 however1 resumed the supremacy1 and he afterwards wrote a very searching though short ,essay on the ,authenticity of ,ossian's ,poems4 ,it is printed in the ,appendix2 and thither the whole correspondence on the subject is transferred1 that the reader may peruse the various pieces in a series4 ,it is probable that the sole reason why ,hume never published this detection1 was a kindly feeling to his friend ,dr4 ,blair1 against whom he might not wish to appear in a controversy1 where the critical powers of the latter would be so severely tested4 ,and yet they stood on perfectly fair ground4 ,neither ,hume nor ,blair had any knowledge of the archological merits of the question4 ,each of them discussed the probable genuineness of the poems on grounds as purely critical as if they had been brought from ,central ,africa1 instead of being the alleged literature of a people who are supposed to have at one time occupied the ground on which ,edinburgh is built2 and at the time of that controversy1 as at the present day1 might be visited on a journey of fifty miles4 ,in such a state of knowledge1 it required great freedom and decision in criticism to pronounce the poems forgeries4 ,then1 as now1 every genuine ,celt protested that he had heard them over and over again in ,gaelic with his own ears2 and with this only difference from the translation1 that there were peculiar delicate beauties in the native ,gaelic1 which neither ,macpherson1 nor any other man1 was capable of expressing in ,english4 ,in such an unequal controversy1 between the internal evidence of criticism1 and the external evidence of broad assertion1 it is singular that no one should have attempted to solve the question through the faint light which the chronicles of the surrounding tribes throw on the history of the ,celts in ,scotland4 ,that knowledge has now been pretty widely extended2 and hence ,ossian's ,poems have been estimated at their true value1 as an embossment of poetical language and imagery1 on the surface of such barren metrical narratives as all uncivilized and warlike people possess2 it has been found that the structure of the narratives1 the characteristic names1 the events of history1 and the manners of the times1 have been treated with no more deference1 when an alteration was found to suit the purpose of the translator4#hg3a ,intensely occupied with his ,history anterior to the accession of the ,tudors1 we thus find ,hume writing to ,millar on #bgth ,october3-- ,i have been very busy ever since ,i came down2 and if ,i keep my health1 shall be able to publish the winter after the next1 or at farthest in the subsequent spring2 which ,i fancy will serve your purpose well enough4 ,at any rate1 this is not a matter which ,i can hurry on faster than ,i am able to satisfy myself in the execution4 ,i am very much pleased with what you tell me1 that the ,clarendon ,papers have fallen into ,dr4 ,douglas's hands1 especially as ,dr4 ,robertson tells me he intends to publish them4 ,what my sentiments are on the question you mention1 you may learn from my letter to the ,doctor1 which ,i have sent you open1 and which ,i beg you to take the trouble of sending2 for ,i do not know how to direct it4 ,hume wished to amuse himself with mystifying his friends about the pamphlet above alluded to1 called ,sister ,peg4 ,the circumstance which suggested to him the following letter1 is said to have been his being kept in ignorance that his friend ,ferguson was the author of the piece4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,carlyle4 ,edinburgh1 #c;d ,february1 #agfa4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i am informed that you have received a letter from ,london1 by which you learn that the manuscript of ,sister ,peg has been traced to the printer's1 and has been found to be1 in many places1 interlined and corrected in my handwriting4 ,i could have wished that you had not published this piece of intelligence before you told me of it4 ,the truth is1 after ,i had composed that trifling performance1 and thought ,i had made it as correct as ,i could1 ,i gave it to a sure hand to be transcribed1 that in case any of the ,london printers had known my hand1 they might not be able to discover me4 ,but as it lay by me some weeks afterwards1 ,i could not forbear reviewing it2 and not having my amanuensis at hand1 ,i was obliged in several places to correct it myself1 rather than allow it to go to the press with inaccuracies of which ,i was sensible4 ,i little dreamed that this small want of precaution would have betrayed me so soon2 but as you know that ,i am very indifferent about princes or presidents1 ministers of the gospel or ministers of state1 kings or keysars1 and set at defiance all powers1 human or infernal1 ,i had no other reason for concealing myself1 but in order to try the taste of the public2 whom1 though ,i also set in some degree at defiance1 ,i cannot sometimes forbear paying a little regard to4 ,i find that frivolous composition has been better received than ,i had any reason to expect1 and therefore cannot much complain of the injury you have done me by revealing my secret1 and obliging me to acknowledge it more early than ,i intended4 ,the only reason of my writing to you is1 to know the printer's name1 who has so far broke his engagements as to show the manuscript2 for the bookseller assured my friend to whom ,i intrusted it1 that we might depend upon an absolute secrecy4 ,i beg my compliments to ,mrs4 ,carlyle1 and am1 dear sir1 c4#hi3a ,we see by the date of the following letter1 that ,hume varied his city life with an occasional residence with his brother in ,berwickshire4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,ninewells1 #bith ,june1 #agfa4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,as your professorship of ,hebrew is vacant1 ,i have been applied to in behalf of young ,mr4 ,cummin2 and you are the person with whom ,i am supposed to have some interest4 ,but as ,i imagine you will not put this election on the footing of interest1 ,i shall say nothing on that head2 but shall speak much more to the purpose by informing you1 that ,i have known ,mr4 ,cummin for some time1 and have esteemed him a young man of exceeding good capacity1 and of a turn towards literature4 ,he tells me that he has made the oriental tongues1 and particularly the ,hebrew1 a part of his study1 and has made some proficiency in them4 ,but of this fact1 craving his pardon1 ,i must be allowed to entertain some doubt2 for if ,hebrew roots1 as ,cowley says1 thrive best in barren soil1#ij3a he has a small chance of producing any great crop of them4 ,but as you commonly regard the professorship of ,hebrew as a step towards other professorships1 in which a good capacity can better display itself1 you will permit me to give it as my opinion1 that you will find it difficult to pitch on a young man1 who is more likely to be a credit to your college1 by his knowledge and industry4 ,i am so far on my road to ,london1 where ,i hope to see you this season4 ,i shall lodge in ,miss ,elliot's1 ,lisle ,street1 ,leicester ,fields2 and ,i beg it of you to let me hear from you the moment of your arrival4#ij3b ,in #agfa1 commenced ,hume's acquaintance with ,madame de ,boufflers4 ,it afterwards ripened into a friendship1 of which we cannot fully estimate the nature1 without looking not only at the character and position of the parties1 but at some conventional notions of morality1 to which ,hume had been1 previously1 a stranger4 ,hyppolyte de ,saujon1 ,comtesse de ,boufflers-,rouvel1 is not to be confounded with her contemporary the ,marquise de ,boufflers-,rmencourt1 mother of the witty ,chevalier de ,boufflers4 ,the prominent difference between them is but too startlingly characteristic of the moral atmosphere in which they both lived--that the former was mistress of the ,prince of ,conti1 while the latter is supposed to have held the same relation to ,prince ,stanislaus ,augustus of ,poland1 of whose court she was the great ornament and attraction4 ,a friendship between a respectable ,scotsman of letters and a person in ,madame de ,boufflers' position1 is apt to excite a smile or a frown1 according to the habits or temper of the reader4 ,hume himself was not likely to take the most austere view of the matter2 and must have felt1 at any rate1 that the scandal and even the blame of such connexions must be greatly affected by the countenance they receive from the society to which the parties belong4 ,on the vileness of this code of organized immorality1 it would be superfluous1 at this hour1 to enlarge2 but there is a great difference between those who act up to the standard of a low social system and those who do the same acts in breach of a higher code4 ,a ,mahomedan who keeps a harem in ,constantinople is inferior in his tone of morality to an ,english gentleman1 of good domestic conduct2 but he is infinitely superior to an ,englishman with a harem in ,piccadilly4 ,the lady in question undoubtedly held a very high station in the best society of ,paris2 and at that time1 and in that country1 it is certain that such attachments1 if permanent and decorous1 and in a very high class of society1 acquired a more than tolerated respectability4 ,in #agfi1 ,madame de ,boufflers speaks of her attachment as one of twenty years' duration4 ,early in life1 and soon after her marriage1 she had been placed at the court of the ,duchess of ,orleans3 but quarrelling with that princess1 she came under the protection of the ,prince of ,conti4 ,of course1 her correspondence bears no mark of her having been subjected to slights1 or of her dreading them2 or indeed of any suspicion that there was any thing in her position to prevent her from being rigid in her ideas of virtue1 and a teacher of social duties4 ,on her visit to ,england1 she was well received by the ,british aristocracy1 and was even honoured by a laudatory growl from ,johnson4 ,we find her exchanging visits with the ,marchioness of ,hertford1 the wife of the ,english ambassador1 one of the purest of that portion of the ,english female aristocracy which had not suffered taint4 ,in one of her letters to ,hume1 she describes the death-bed of the prince's mother2 speaks of her displaying the heroism of a grand-daughter of the great ,cond2 and talks with tearful gratitude of the early kindness of that princess to herself1 and of her attempts to pay the debt by solacing her old age1 and performing to her the last duties which the living receive from each other4 ,it is in all its spirit the letter of a daughter-in-law4 ,the prince1 though a generous and kind-hearted man1 could not be prevailed on to make her his wife on her husband's death2 but when he died in #aggf1 he had raised no princess over her head4 ,we shall find that she made ,hume the confidant in her griefs and disappointments1 and the adviser in her difficulties4 ,there is a great air of earnestness and solicitude in these appeals2 and though we cannot help presuming1 that a woman so full in her disclosures to a foreigner1 living among a people of totally different habits and morals1 must have distributed a still larger portion of her confidential revelations nearer home2 yet it is evident that she had much reliance on ,hume's counsel1 and perhaps he was not ill fitted for a father-confessor to such a penitent4 ,the letters of ,hume to the countess1 have already been for some time before the ,english reader4#ib3a ,on the present occasion some characteristic extracts will be interwoven with the letters which form the other side of the correspondence4 ,it is difficult for a native of this country1 with the fullest allowance for the redundancy of the ,french laudatory and amicable vocabulary1 to estimate at its true value the ardour of these letters1 or to adjust the amount of solid truth and friendliness represented by such a blaze of ardent expressions4 ,the correspondence was of the lady's seeking and pursuing4 ,frequently1 when there is a pause1 an impassioned letter from her rouses up the philosopher2 who starts into a sort of artificial excitement1 and1 when it is over1 sinks into lethargy again4 ,yet it must be admitted that ,hume acted his part pretty well1 and that the fat philosopher was not far behind the vivacious ,frenchwoman4 ,but with him it is visibly all acting2 and there is a total absence of the playful ease which adorns those letters to his own chosen friends1 with whom he was in heart and habits at ease4 ,in some instances1 perhaps1 he studied a formal and measured style1 as being more intelligible to a foreigner2 and occasionally we find him offering his correspondent facilities by the adoption of idioms more ,french than ,english2 as where he says1 ,i am truly ashamed1 dear madam1 of your having prevented me in breaking our long silence2 but you have prevented me only a few days4#ic3a ,the letter with which the countess opens the correspondence1 seems to have been forwarded to ,hume by ,lord ,elibank's brother1 ,alexander ,murray1 who was then mixing with the ,jacobites abroad1 and who appears to have enjoyed a very wide and much varied circle of acquaintance in ,france4 ,he says1 in a letter of the #ahth ,may1 #agfa3-- ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,it would appear great presumption in me to make you any compliments upon your ,history of ,england1 after having read the enclosed2 which with infinite pleasure ,i send you1 as it procures you a correspondence with the most amiable and accomplished lady of this kingdom1 or indeed any other4 ,if after the peace you take a trip to this polite and elegant country1 you are sure1 by the means of your new female correspondent1 of being made acquainted in a very short time with all the wits in this part of the world4 ,it is true your most incomparable productions justly entitle you to that distinction4 ,however1 being took by the hand by ,madame de ,boufflers1 won't diminish your intrinsic value1 even among the most profound philosophers4 ,in case ,i can't return to ,england1 and you take the resolution of coming here 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,i beg leave to assure you that ,i am1 with as much esteem and veneration as human creature can be1 my dear sir1 your most obedient and most humble servant1 and avowed friend1 ,a4 ,,murray4 ,when you answer the enclosed1 ,i beg it may be in ,english1 as the lady is quite mistress of that language4#id3a ,the letter forwarded to ,hume was as follows3 ,,madame ,,de ,,boufflers to ,,hume4 7,translation47 ,for a long time1 sir1 ,i have struggled with conflicting sentiments4 ,the admiration which your sublime work has awakened in me1 and the esteem with which it has inspired me for your person1 your talents1 and your virtue1 have often aroused the desire of writing to you1 that ,i might express those sentiments towards you with which ,i am so deeply penetrated4 ,on the other hand1 keeping in view the little value you can have for my opinion1 your want of personal acquaintance with me1 and the reserve and privacy1 even1 which are suitable to my sex1 ,i fear being accused of presumption1 and of making myself be known1 to my own disadvantage1 by a man whose good opinion ,i shall always regard as the most flattering1 and the most precious of benefits4 ,nevertheless1 although the reflections ,i have made on this subject appeared to have much force1 an irresistible inclination rendered them unavailing2 and ,i come to add one to the thousand other instances1 to justify the truth of that remark which ,i have read in your ,history of the ,house of ,stuart1--,men's views of things are the result of their understanding alone3 their conduct is regulated by their understanding1 their temper1 and their passions4 ,thus1 when my reason tells me ,i ought to be silent1 my enthusiasm prevents me from regarding its voice4 ,although a woman1 and of no very advanced age1 despite the dissipation attendant on the life one leads in this country1 having always loved reading1 there are few good books in any language1 or of any kind1 that ,i have not read1 either in the original1 or in translations2 and ,i can assure you1 sir1 with a sincerity which cannot be questioned1 that ,i have found none which1 to my judgment1 unites so many perfections as your own4 ,i know no terms capable of expressing what ,i felt in reading this work4 ,i was moved1 transported3 and the emotion which it caused me is1 in some measure1 painful by its continuance4 ,it elevates the soul2 it fills the heart with sentiments of humanity and benevolence2 it enlightens the intellect1 by showing that true happiness is closely connected with virtue2 and discovers1 by the same light1 what is the end1 and the sole end1 of every reasonable being4 ,in the midst of the calamities which1 on all sides1 surrounded ,charles the ,first1 we see peace and security shining in their brightness1 and accompanying him to the scaffold2 whilst trouble and remorse1 the inseparable companions of crime1 follow the steps of ,cromwell1 even to the throne4 ,your book also teaches how the best of things are liable to abuse2 and the reflections which are made on this subject ought to augment our caution and distrust of ourselves4 ,it animates with a noble emulation2 it inspires love of liberty2 and teaches1 at the same time1 submission to the government under which we are obliged to live4 ,in a word1 it is a terra fecunda of morals and instruction1 presented in colours so bright1 that we believe we see them for the first time4 ,the clearness1 the majesty1 the touching simplicity of your style delight me4 ,its beauties are so striking1 that1 notwithstanding my ignorance of the ,english language1 they cannot escape me4 ,you are1 sir1 an admirable painter3 your pictures have a grace1 a nature1 an energy1 which surpass even what the imagination can portray4 ,but how shall ,i be able to express the effect produced upon me by your divine impartiality8 ,i would that ,i had1 on this occasion1 your own eloquence in which to express my thought6 ,in truth1 ,i believed ,i had before my eyes the work of some celestial being1 free from the passions of humanity1 who1 for the benefit of the human race1 has deigned to write the events of these latter times4 ,i dare only add1 that in all which issues from your pen1 you show yourself a perfect philosopher1 a statesman1 a historian full of genius1 an enlightened politician1 a genuine patriot4 ,all these sublime qualities are so far above the understanding of a woman1 that it is fitting ,i should say little on the subject2 and ,i have already great need of your indulgence for the faults ,i have committed against discretion and decorum1 by the excess of my veneration for your merit4 ,i entreat this of you1 sir1 and1 at the same time1 the greatest secrecy4 ,the step ,i have taken is rather extraordinary4 ,i fear it may attract blame3 and ,i would be grieved if the sentiment which has constrained me to it should be misunderstood4 ,i have the honour to be1 sir1 your very humble and very obedient servant1 ,,hyppolyte ,,de ,,saujon1 ,,comtesse ,,de ,,boufflers4 ,they tell me1 sir1 you have some idea of coming to ,france--to ,paris4 ,i earnestly wish you would execute this resolution1 and that ,i may be able to assist in rendering your sojourn agreeable4 ,,paris1 #aeth ,march1 #agfa4ig3a ,hume must have been the more than mortal being which his new friend describes1 if he had resisted such an appeal2 and he thus wrote in answer3-- ,,hume to the ,,comtesse ,,de ,,boufflers4 ,edinburgh1 #aeth ,may1 #agfa4 ,,madam1--,it is not easy for your ladyship to imagine the pleasure ,i received from the letter1 with which you have so unexpectedly honoured me1 nor the agreeable visions of vanity1 in which1 upon that occasion1 ,i indulged myself4 ,i concluded1 and1 as ,i fancied1 with certainty1 that a person1 who could write so well herself1 must certainly be a good judge of writing in others2 and that an author1 who could please a lady of your distinction1 educated in the court of ,france1 and familiarized with every thing elegant and polite1 might reasonably pretend to some degree of merit1 and might presume to take his rank above the middling historians4 ,but1 madam1 it is but fair1 that ,i1 who have pretended1 in so long a work1 to do justice to all parties and persons1 should also do some to myself2 and should not feed my vanity with chimeras1 which1 ,i am sensible1 in my cooler moments1 can have no foundation in reason4 ,when ,i had the pleasure of passing some time in ,france1 ,i had the agreeable experience of the polite hospitality1 by which your nation is distinguished2 and ,i now find1 that the same favourable indulgence has appeared in your ladyship's judgment of my writings4 ,and1 perhaps1 your esteem for the entire impartiality which ,i aim at1 and which1 to tell the truth1 is so unusual in ,english historians1 has made your ladyship overlook many defects1 into which the want of art or genius has betrayed me4 ,in this particular1 madam1 ,i must own1 that ,i am inclined to take your civilities in their full latitude1 and to hope that ,i have not fallen much short of my intentions4 ,the spirit of faction1 which prevails in this country1 and which is a natural attendant on civil liberty1 carries every thing to extremes on the one side1 as well as on the other2 and ,i have the satisfaction to find1 that my performance has alternately given displeasure to both parties4 ,i could not reasonably hope to please both3 such success is impossible from the nature of things2 and next to your ladyship's approbation1 who1 as a foreigner1 must necessarily be a candid judge1 ,i shall always regard the anger of both as the surest warrant of my impartiality4 ,as ,i find that you are pleased to employ your leisure hours in the perusal of history1 ,i shall presume to recommend to your ladyship a late work of this kind1 wrote by my friend and countryman1 ,dr4 ,robertson1 which has met with the highest approbation from all good judges4 ,it is the ,history of ,scotland during the age of the unfortunate ,queen ,mary2 and it is wrote in an elegant1 agreeable1 and interesting manner1 and far exceeding1 ,i shall venture to say1 any performance of that kind that has appeared in ,english4 ,the failings of that princess are not covered over2 but her singular catastrophe is rendered truly lamentable and tragical2 and the reader cannot forbear shedding tears for her fate1 at the same time that he blames her conduct4 ,there are few historical productions1 where both the subject and execution have appeared so happy4 ,some prospect is now given us1 that this miserable war between the two nations is drawing towards a period1 and that the former intercourse between them will again be renewed4 ,if this happy event take place1 ,i have entertained hopes that my affairs will permit me to take a journey to ,paris2 and the obliging offer1 which you are pleased to make me1 of allowing me to pay my respects to you1 will prove a new and very powerful inducement to make me hasten the execution of my purpose4 ,but ,i give your ladyship warning1 that ,i shall1 on many accounts1 stand in need of your indulgence4 ,i passed a few years in ,france during my early youth2 but ,i lived in a provincial town1 where ,i enjoyed the advantages of leisure for study1 and an opportunity of learning the language3 what ,i had imperfectly learned1 long disuse1 ,i am afraid1 has made me forget4 ,i have rusted amid books and study2 have been little engaged in the active1 and not much in the pleasurable scenes of life2 and am more accustomed to a select society than to general companies4 ,but all these disadvantages1 and much greater1 will be abundantly compensated by the honour of your ladyship's protection2 and ,i hope that my profound sense of your obliging favours will render me not altogether unworthy of it4 ,i have the honour to be1 with the greatest respect1 madam1 your ladyship's most obedient and most humble servant4#aja3a ,in return1 ,madame ,de ,boufflers reiterates her compliments1 vouches for her sincerity1 and if ,hume should fulfil his intention of visiting ,france1 offers him the use of apartments1 saying1 that if he accept the offer it will be an infinite obligation to her2 if he refuse it1 she will be vexed but not offended4 ,she will introduce him to her circle of friends1 and do every thing that can tend to make his visit agreeable4#aja3b ,in answer to this1 ,hume finds that the warlike aspect of affairs will preclude him1 in the meantime1 from enjoying the society of a person so celebrated for her accomplishments by all who have any knowledge of the court of ,france4#aja3c ,mr4 ,murray's praise of ,madame de ,boufflers' knowledge of the ,english language was not misapplied2 as the following short letter1 and another of greater length1 which will be found a few pages farther on1 show4 ,with a few inaccuracies1 they afford a very remarkable instance of idiomatic acquaintance with our tongue4 ,i have received1 sir1 by an unknown hand1 the continuation of your admirable performance4 ,some little perhaps of the pride so common in my sex1 but much more the desire to contract an obligation with a man of your merit1 and to obtain from him so valuable a favour1 have persuaded me ,i was indebted to you for it4 ',tis natural to bend our thoughts towards what is most advantageous for us1 however elevated it may be4 ,the wrong should be only to believe we deserve it4 ,then1 sir1 ,i think1 that in wishing such a proof of your kindness1 and confessing in the same time ,i have no right to pretend to it1 ,i prove my just opinion of both4 ,i am1 sir1 your humble servant4 ,paris1 ,may #bi1 #agfb4 ,on this1 ,hume1 after observing with ingenious courtesy1 that a fairy1 a sylph1 or a good genius1 who knew his inmost thoughts1 must have anticipated him in sending the copy of his ,history1 continues3--,but1 madam1 what new wonder is this which your letter presents to me8 ,i not only find a lady1 who1 in the bloom of beauty and height of reputation1 can withdraw herself from the pleasures of a gay court1 and find leisure to cultivate the sciences2 but deigns to support a correspondence with a man of letters in a remote country1 and to reward his labours by a suffrage the most agreeable of all others1 to a man who has any spark of generous sentiments or taste for true glory4 ,besides these unusual circumstances1 ,i find a lady1 who1 without any other advantages than her own talents1 has made herself mistress of a language commonly esteemed very difficult to strangers1 and possesses it to such a degree as might give jealousy to us who have made it the business of our lives to acquire and cultivate it4 ,i cannot but congratulate my country on this incident1 which marks the progress made by its literature and reputation in foreign countries4 99 99 99 99 99 ,nearly contemporary with the ,comtesse de ,boufflers1 comes on the scene a person with whom we shall hereafter have much concern1 ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau4 ,he had been living under the protection of the ,marchal de ,luxembourg1 in the celebrated hermitage near the castle of ,montmorency1 when he published his ,emile4 ,highly as he was supported1 the wrath of the clergy prevailed2 and a writ of prise de corps was issued for his apprehension4 ,it appears that in those strange times of intolerance and infidelity1 there would have been no cause of wonder1 if the proceedings had ended in a capital conviction4 ,with the aid of his friends1 the ,luxembourgs and ,choiseuls1 ,rousseau fled the kingdom4 ,on this occasion he seems to have been thoroughly frightened2 and his conduct was occasioned neither by ostentation1 nor perverse discontent4 ,his first place of refuge was ,neufchtel1 one of the ,swiss ,cantons1 of which the sovereignty was in the house of ,brandenburg4 ,rousseau was thus for a time one of the illustrious literary men under the protection of ,frederick the ,great1 though distant from his philosophical capital4 ,he appealed1 however1 to a warmer heart than ever beat in the breast of the conqueror of ,prague4 ,the exiled ,earl ,marischal of ,scotland--a valued friend of ,hume1 as of all who became acquainted with him--was then ,governor of ,neufchtel4 ,subsequently to his flight from his native country1 for his concern in the rebellion of #agae1 when he was a mere youth1 he had suffered a long series of hardships1 privations1 and uncertainties2 until ,frederick saw his value1 and purchased his services at such a rate as a friendless exile might not refuse4 ,adversity1 which too often hardens the selfishness1 and debases the propensities of an aristocracy driven from home by internal convulsions1 had but taught him how much men are dependent on each other1 and had opened his heart to a wider sympathy with his fellow creatures4 ,his opinions were as tolerant as his nature was kind2 and the fugitive could not have sought an asylum where he would be more sincerely welcomed4 ,the power of the king of ,prussia's representative1 was1 however1 not sufficient to protect him from the people1--or from himself2 and from the time of his flight from ,france1 those who believed that he sincerely desired a retreat where he would be safe from all molestation1 looked towards ,britain4 ,the following letters from the forfeited earl1 at a few months' interval from each other1 chiefly relate to ,rousseau4 ,the earl appears to have been so thoroughly imbued with foreign habits1 that he wrote ,english with difficulty3 most of his letters to ,hume are in ,french1 and when he commences in ,english1 he generally relapses into ,french4 ,though so long employed by the ,prussian court1 he seems to have been ignorant of ,german4 ,it may be observed1 however1 that ,french is the vernacular language of ,neufchtel4 ,,the ,,forfeited ,,earl ,,marischal to ,,hume4 ,april #bi4 ,in answer to your question1 the ,donquixotisme you mention never entered into my head4 ,i wish ,i could see you1 to answer honestly all your questions2 for though ,i had my share of folly with others1 yet as my intentions were at bottom honest1 ,i should open to you my whole budget1 and let you know many things which are perhaps ill-represented1 ,i mean not truly4 ,i remember to have recommended to your acquaintance ,mr4 ,floyd1 son to old ,david ,floyd1 at ,st4 ,germains1 as a man of good sense1 honour1 and honesty4 ,i fear he is dead3 he would have been of great service to you in a part of your ,history since #afhh4 ,apropos of ,history1 when you see ,helvetius1 tell ,i desired you to inquire of him concerning a certain ,history4 ,i fancy he will answer you with his usual frankness4 ,i do believe ,mr4 ,rousseau will find it impossible to live where he finds nobody who understands a word of what he says2 there occurs so often occasion1 even of trifling things necessary1 that it is a vexation not to understand the language of the country4 ,i feel it often1 though ,i understand many words of ,german1 such as kleigh1 nigh1 nogh1 ter migh1 ter ,teyfel1#aje3a and others1 high sounding as here pronounced1 and of which the ,ter ,tunder would1 ,i believe1 put to flight the delicate ears of the whole town of ,sienna4 ,i hear you are going to ,france this summer4 ,if you will come to ,frankfort on ,main1 ,i will meet you there the end of ,july1 and stay with you a fortnight4 ,bon jour4 ,n4,b4--,you have better roads than ,i1 you are strong as a giant1 and ,i am growing ten years older every month2 so ,i think my offer fair4 ,oct4 #b1 #agfb4 ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau1 persecuted for having writ what he thinks good1 or rather1 as some folks think1 for having displeased persons in great power1 who attributed to him what he never meant1 came here to seek retreat1 which ,i readily granted2 and the king of ,prussia not only approved of my so doing1 but gave me orders to furnish him his small necessaries1 if he would accept them2 and though that king's philosophy be very different from that of ,jean ,jacques1 yet he does not think that a man of an irreproachable life is to be persecuted because his sentiments are singular4 ,he designs to build him a hermitage with a little garden1 which ,i find he will not accept1 nor perhaps the rest which ,i have not yet offered to him4 ,he is gay in company1 polite1 and what the ,french call aimable1 and gains ground daily in the opinion of even the clergy here4 ,his enemies elsewhere continue to persecute him3 he is pestered with anonymous letters4 ,this is not a country for him3 his attachment and love to his native town is a strong tie to its neighbourhood4 ,the liberty of ,england1 and the character of my good and honoured friend1 ,d4 ,hume1 ,f----i ,d----r1 7perhaps more singular than that of ,j4 ,jacques1 for ,i take him to be the only historian impartial17 draws his inclinations to be near to the ,f----i ,d----r4 ,for my part1 though it be to me a very great pleasure to converse with the honest savage1 yet ,i advise him to go to ,england1 where he will enjoy ----placidam sub libertate quietem4 ,he wishes to know1 if he can print all his works1 and make some profit1 merely to live1 from such an edition4 ,i entreat you will let me know your thoughts on this1 and if you can be of use to him in finding him a bookseller to undertake the work3 you know he is not interested1 and little will content him4 ,if he goes to ,britain1 he will be a treasure to you1 and you to him1 and perhaps both to me 7if ,i were not so old47 ,i have offered him lodging in ,keith-hall4 ,i am ever1 with the greatest regard1 your most obedient servant1 ,m----4 ,at the same time ,madame de ,boufflers wrote as follows3-- ,,madame ,,de ,,boufflers to ,,hume4 7,translation47 ,paris1 #afth ,june1 #agfb4 ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau1 citizen of ,geneva1 and the author of many works with which you are probably acquainted1 has composed a ,treatise on ,education1 in four volumes1 in which he sets forth many principles contrary to ours1 both in politics and religion4 ,as we do not enjoy here the liberty of the press1 the ,parliament1 by a decree1 just1 7if it is1 as ,i doubt not1 conformable to the laws of the kingdom17 but nevertheless rigorous1 has decreed the prise de corps2 and it is said that1 if he had not taken to flight1 he would have been condemned to death4 ,i can scarcely think they could have proceeded so far against him as a stranger2 but1 be that as it may1 it would have been imprudent in him to remain in ,france under such circumstances4 ,he has therefore departed1 uncertain what asylum he will choose4 ,i have advised him to go to ,england1 promising him letters of recommendation to you1 and other friends4 ,i fulfil my promise1 and ,i cannot1 in my opinion1 choose for him1 in all ,europe1 a protector more respectable by his position1 and more to be commended for his humanity4 ,m4 ,rousseau is known to the greater part of the people in this country for an eccentric man4 ,this epithet1 according to its true signification1 is most justly applied to him2 for he differs1 in many respects1 in his modes of acting and thinking1 from the men of his day4 ,he has an upright heart1 a noble and disinterested soul4 ,he dreads every species of dependence1 and consequently would have preferred being in ,france1 gaining his subsistence by copying music1 to receiving benefits even from his best friends1 who are anxious to make up for his misfortunes4 ,this delicacy may appear excessive1 but it is not criminal1 and it even augurs elevated sentiments4 ,he flies from intercourse with the world2 he feels pleasure only in solitude4 ,this partiality for retirement has made him enemies4 ,the self-love of those who court him is wounded by his rebuffs2 but notwithstanding such apparent misanthropy1 ,i do not believe you will find any where1 a man more gentle1 more humane1 more compassionate to the sorrows of others1 and more patient under his own4 ,in short1 his virtue appears so pure1 so contented1 so equal1 that1 until now1 those who hated him could find only in their own heart reasons for suspecting him4 ,as for me1 with appearances so much in his favour1 ,i would rather be deceived than doubt his sincerity4 ,from the opinion that ,i have of him1 sir1 he has been judged worthy of being known to you2 and in procuring him this honour1 ,i believe ,i give the most marked proof of my consideration for him4#ajg3a ,to this ,hume made answer in the postscript of the letter cited above4 ,p4,s4--,so far ,i had wrote in answer to your ladyship's of the #bith of ,may1 when ,i was again honoured with yours of the #adth of ,june4 ,good ,god6 madam1 how much ,i regret my being absent from ,london on this occasion1 which deprives me of the opportunity of showing in person my regard for your recommendation1 and my esteem1 ,i had almost said veneration1 for the virtue and genius of ,m4 ,rousseau4 ,i assure your ladyship there is no man in ,europe of whom ,i have entertained a higher idea1 and whom ,i would be prouder to serve2 and as ,i find his reputation very high in ,england1 ,i hope every one will endeavour to make him sensible of it by civilities1 and by services1 as far as he will accept of them4 ,i revere his greatness of mind1 which makes him fly obligations and dependence2 and ,i have the vanity to think1 that through the course of my life ,i have endeavoured to resemble him in those maxims4 ,but as ,i have some connexions with men of rank in ,london1 ,i shall instantly write to them1 and endeavour to make them sensible of the honour ,m4 ,rousseau has done us in choosing an asylum in ,england4 ,we are happy at present in a king who has a taste for literature2 and ,i hope ,m4 ,rousseau will find the advantage of it1 and that he will not disdain to receive benefits from a great monarch1 who is sensible of his merit4 ,i am only afraid that your friend will find his abode in ,england not so agreeable as may be wished1 if he does not possess the language1 which ,i am afraid is the case3 for ,i never could observe in his writings any marks of his acquaintance with the ,english tongue4#aji3a ,from these communications1 ,hume derived the notion that ,rousseau had immediately proceeded to ,london4 ,the following paragraph1 in a letter from ,elliot1 indicates the nature of the inquiries pursued under this supposition4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,as soon as ,i received your letter1 ,i applied to ,mr4 ,home1 who had also heard from you by the same post1 and desired him to make all possible inquiry after ,m4 ,rousseau4 ,if he be in ,london we shall certainly find him out2 and ,i need not assure you1 that both on account of his own merit1 and your recommendation1 ,i shall not fail to show him all the attention in my power4 ,i should doubt1 from the known character of the man1 whether he would accept a pension if it could be procured for him2 and should rather apprehend that1 though this government will protect and tolerate the boldness of his pen1 yet it will hardly reward it4 ,rousseau is not the only man of genius1 the singularity of whose opinions has intercepted the rewards due to the superiority of his talents4 ,in the supposition that he had passed over to ,england1 ,hume addressed a letter to ,rousseau1 as then in ,london1 which was answered by the ,chien de ,diogne1 as ,voltaire called him1 from his retreat in ,neufchtel1 on #aith ,february1 #agfc4 ,he says he has just received the letter1 regrets that he should have made the mistake of trusting himself among his own countrymen1 who have treated him with insult and outrage1 instead of seeking the hospitable shores of ,britain4 ,he does something like justice to the kindness of ,lord ,marischal1 in the midst of his general mordacity and discontent2 and he praises the wide views1 the wonderful impartiality1 the genius of ,hume1 which would raise him so far above the rest of his kind1 did not the goodness of his heart bring him nearer to their level4#aaj3a ,the following letter from ,madame de ,boufflers1 written in ,english1 had been received in the meantime4 ,,madame ,,de ,,boufflers to ,,hume4 ,july #cj4 ,how difficult it is1 sir1 for one very far from being insensible to reputation1 to refuse the praises of a man1 whose sincerity and admirable talents render them so valuable4 ,but in regard to veracity1 and perhaps more to my true interest1 ,i am obliged to acknowledge1 ,i stand a great distance1 for internal or external accomplishments1 from the favourable opinion you have taken of me1 whether1 in consulting the noble sentiments which ever inspire you with sublime ideas1 whether in hearkening to some of your countrymen1 disposed to indulgence towards me1 by my well-known inclination for their country4 ,perhaps1 sir1 ,i confess it with ingenuity1 had ,i been doomed to be never personally acquainted with you1 ,i should not have generosity enough to correct your judgment of me4 ,but in this particular occasion1 as in all other1 according to my humble opinion1 right and good are closely united4 ,what a shame indeed for me1 and disappointment for you1 in place of the object your imagination has adorned with such shining qualifications1 to find a person to whom ,nature has granted but indifferent ones4 ,a great part of my youth is over4 ,some delicacy in features1 mildness and decency in countenance1 are the only exterior advantages ,i can boast of2 and as for interior1 common sense1 improved a little by early good reading1 are all ,i possess4 ,my knowledge of the ,english language also is confined1 as you can easily perceive4 ,i have1 indeed1 acquired without assistance that which ,i know of it2 but if ,i am entitled to some elegancy1 ,i owe it to the repeated readings of your admirable works4 ,after this true picture of myself1 in which ,i have struggled to exert the noble impartiality and candour which shine in all your writings1 my first care is1 sir1 to acknowledge the infinite obligations you have conferred upon me by your kind letter4 ,i have translated the ,p4 ,s4 to send it to my friend4 ,the esteem of such a man must be the best balm for his wounded heart4 ,but ,i am afraid he will not accept the glorious support you are so good as to offer him4 ,i fear that the weight of his calamities has impaired his health1 and he cannot sustain the fatigues of a long journey4 ,in his last letter to me1 he expresses a resolution never to see ,england upon that account4 ,nevertheless1 ,i am informed since1 that new persecutions may possibly determine him to alter his mind4 ,an irregular trial has deprived him of the natural rights in his own country4 ,the commonwealth of ,berne1 from the example of ,geneva and ,france1 has burnt his book1 and he has been reduced to leave in a hurry the asylum that a friend had proffered him there4 ,such are the grievous misfortunes of this virtuous and unhappy man4 ,i pity1 ,i love him1 and wish earnestly to sooth the sorrows under which he labours4 ,nevertheless1 sir1 ,i would fain also vindicate the honour of my nation in the eyes of so good a judge as you are4 ,the reflection you cast upon it gives uneasiness2 but mistrusting greatly my capacity1 ,i fear to betray the cause ,i would defend by an enterprise so unequal to my force4 ,i dare only to say1 that your happy country has not attained in a moment the perfect constitution which gives us admiration4 ,all convenient and well-calculated laws are not framed at once2 and those most exceptionable1 while they stand1 deserve obedience and respect4 ,is it possible1 sir1 that this late unhappy event could deprive of the honour of your presence1 a country filled with your fervent admirers1 and where every one will endeavour to outdo each other in expressing the veneration and regard you so justly deserve8 ,i hope you will not keep this severe resolution4 ,if we want a liberty you think an advantage1 'tis a reason to pity1 and not to punish us4 ,besides1 your case and that of ,m4 ,rousseau1 though both foreigners in ,france1 are quite different4 ,few days before ,i received your letter1 ,i heard that it was a friend of mine who has favoured me with your last performance4 ,i am infinitely obliged to him for this gracious gift1 and to you1 sir1 for your good intention4 ,but what strange a creature will you think me1 to venture to point a mistake in a work so perfect8 ,in several parts of the first volume our countryman ,godefroy of ,bouillon is named ,godefroy de ,boulogne4 ,you have reasons1 perhaps1 for the alteration1 and ,i am ready to submit to them4 ,i would only express my doubts3 ,i hope you will excuse this freedom4 ,since ,i have gone so far1 permit me1 sir1 to ask your opinion upon the last book of ,m4 ,rousseau4 ,i should be very glad to have my judgment of it confirmed or mended by yours4 ,nothing would be wanting to my satisfaction1 if in the same letter1 where you could grant me the favour ,i wish for1 ,i was assured you had renewed the project to come here1 and that you would speedily execute it4 ,i am1 sir1 with esteem1 gratitude1 and1 permit me to add1 friendship1 your most humble servant4 ,in answer to this letter1 ,hume says that he had at first regarded it as a sort of challenge to answer it in ,french1 but that he had given up the attempt as an unequal contest with the sole instance of a foreigner1 not habituated to our tongue1 who has1 from reading alone1 become so entirely mistress of it4 ,he then gives an account of the letter he had received from ,lord ,marischal1 and says of ,rousseau's refusal of the kindnesses proferred to him1--,rousseau1 with his usual dignity1 refused all these gratuities1 though at the same time he desired my lord to learn from me1 whether it were possible for him to gain from the ,london booksellers as much money as would suffice for his maintenance2 and this recompense1 being the fruit of his own industry1 he would have no scruple to accept of4 ,i think this instance of conduct a kind of phenomenon in the republic of letters1 and one very honourable for ,m4 ,rousseau4 ,one is only apt to wish that he could practise this virtue with less hardship and difficulty2 though we must also confess1 that the difficulty adds to the lustre of it4 ,i have heard1 that the circumstance which deterred him from coming over to ,england1 as he first intended1 was a harsh reflection1 which he threw out on the people in his ',treatise of ,education3' if this was his motive1 ,i am persuaded that he would find it a vain fear1 and that every one would rather have been anxious to show respect to his merit4#aac3a ,he then obeys the mandate to criticise the ,emile4 ,you deign1 madam1 to ask my opinion of the new performance of ,m4 ,rousseau4 ,i know that it becomes me better to form my judgment upon yours2 but in compliance with your commands1 ,i shall not make a secret of my sentiments4 ,all the writings of that author appear to me admirable1 particularly on the head of eloquence2 and if ,i be not much mistaken1 he gives to the ,french tongue an energy1 which it scarce seems to have reached in any other hands4 ,but as his enemies have objected1 that with this domineering force of genius there is always intermingled some degree of extravagance1 it is impossible for his friends altogether to deny the charge2 and were it not for his frequent and earnest protestations to the contrary1 one would be apt to suspect1 that he chooses his topics less from persuasion1 than from the pleasure of showing his invention1 and surprising the reader by his paradoxes4 ,the ,treatise of ,education1 as it possesses much of the merit1 seems also exposed to the faults of his other performances2 and as he indulges his love of the marvellous even in so serious and important a subject1 he has given a pledge to the public that he was in earnest in all his other topics4 ,if ,i dared to object any thing to ,m4 ,rousseau's eloquence1 which is the shining side of his character1 ,i should say1 that it was not wholly free from the defect sometimes found in that of the ,roman orator2 and that their great talent for expression was apt to produce a prolixity in both4 ,this last performance chiefly is exposed to this objection2 and ,i own1 that though it abounds in noble and shining passages1 it gave me rather less pleasure than his former writings4 ,however1 it carries still the stamp of a great genius2 and1 what enhances its beauty1 the stamp of a very particular genius4 ,the noble pride and spleen and indignation of the author bursts out with freedom in a hundred places1 and serves fully to characterize the lofty spirit of the man4 ,when ,i came to peruse that passage of ,mons4 ,rousseau's ,treatise1 which has occasioned all the persecution against him1 ,i was not in the least surprised that it gave offence4 ,he has not had the precaution to throw any veil over his sentiments2 and as he scorns to dissemble his contempt of established opinions1 he could not wonder that all the zealots were in arms against him4 ,the liberty of the press is not so secured in any country1 scarce even in this1 as not to render such an open attack of popular prejudices somewhat dangerous4#aae3a ,in #agfa1 ,dr4 ,blair communicated to ,hume the sermon by ,dr4 ,campbell1 which1 when subsequently expanded1 became the ,dissertation on ,miracles1 already referred to4#aae3b ,on this occasion1 ,hume wrote in the following terms to ,dr4 ,blair3-- ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have perused the ingenious performance1 which you was so obliging as to put into my hands1 with all the attention possible2 though not perhaps with all the seriousness and gravity which you have so frequently recommended to me4 ,but the fault lies not in the piece1 which is certainly very acute2 but in the subject4 ,i know you will say1 it lies in neither1 but in myself alone4 ,if that be so1 ,i am sorry to say that ,i believe it is incurable4 ,i could wish that your friend had not chosen to appear as a controversial writer1 but had endeavoured to establish his principles in general1 without any reference to a particular book or person2 though ,i own he does me a great deal of honour1 in thinking that any thing ,i have wrote deserves his attention4 ,for besides many inconveniences which attend that kind of writing1 ,i see it is almost impossible to preserve decency and good manners in it4 ,this author1 for instance1 says sometimes obliging things of me1 much beyond what ,i can presume to deserve1 and ,i thence conclude that in general he did not mean to insult me2 yet ,i meet with some other passages1 more worthy of ,warburton and his followers1 than of so ingenious an author4 ,but as ,i am not apt to lose my temper1 and would still less incline to do so with a friend of yours1 ,i shall calmly communicate to you some remarks on the argument1 since you seem to desire it4 ,i shall employ very few words1 since a hint will suffice to a gentleman of this author's penetration4 ,this is followed by a particular examination of some parts of ,dr4 ,campbell's work1 which may be perused to most advantage in conjunction with the ,dissertation itself1 along with which the letter is generally printed4 ,he then says1-- ,i could wish your friend had not denominated me an infidel writer1 on account of ten or twelve pages1 which seem to him to have that tendency1 while ,i have wrote so many volumes on history1 literature1 politics1 trade1 morals1 which1 in that particular at least1 are entirely inoffensive4 ,is a man to be called a drunkard1 because he has been seen fuddled once in his lifetime8#aaf3a ,the letter terminates with a recommendation which accounts for the absence of all observations on religious topics in the correspondence between ,blair and ,hume3 while it shows that their intercourse had not always excluded discussions of such a character4 ,having said so much to your friend1 who is certainly a very ingenious man1 though a little too zealous for a philosopher1 permit me also the freedom of saying a word to yourself4 ,whenever ,i have had the pleasure to be in your company1 if the discourse turned upon any common subject of literature1 or reasoning1 ,i always parted from you both entertained and instructed4 ,but when the conversation was diverted by you from this channel towards the subject of your profession2 though ,i doubt not but your intentions were very friendly towards me1 ,i own ,i never received the same satisfaction3 ,i was apt to be tired1 and you to be angry4 ,i would therefore wish1 for the future1 whenever my good fortune throws me in your way1 that these topics should be forborne between us4 ,i have long since done with all inquiries on such subjects1 and am become incapable of instruction2 though ,i own no one is more capable of conveying it than yourself4 ,after having given you the liberty of communicating to your friend what part of this letter you think proper1 ,i remain1 sir1 c4 ,hume afterwards wrote the following letter on the same subject3-- ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,campbell4 ,january #g1 #agfb4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,it has so seldom happened that controversies in philosophy1 much more in theology1 have been carried on without producing a personal quarrel between the parties1 that ,i must regard my present situation as somewhat extraordinary1 who have reason to give you thanks for the civil and obliging manner in which you have conducted the dispute against me1 on so interesting a subject as that of miracles4 ,any little symptoms of vehemence1 of which ,i formerly used the freedom to complain1 when you favoured me with a sight of the manuscript1 are either removed or explained away1 or atoned for by civilities1 which are far beyond what ,i have any title to pretend to4 ,it will be natural for you to imagine1 that ,i will fall upon some shift to evade the force of your arguments1 and to retain my former opinion in the point controverted between us2 but it is impossible for me not to see the ingenuity of your performance1 and the great learning which you have displayed against me4 ,i consider myself as very much honoured in being thought worthy of an answer by a person of so much merit2 and as ,i find that the public does you justice with regard to the ingenuity and good composition of your piece1 ,i hope you will have no reason to repent engaging with an antagonist1 whom1 perhaps1 in strictness1 you might have ventured to neglect4 ,i own to you1 that ,i never felt so violent an inclination to defend myself as at present1 when ,i am thus fairly challenged by you1 and ,i think ,i could find something specious at least to urge in my defence2 but as ,i had fixed a resolution1 in the beginning of my life1 always to leave the public to judge between my adversaries and me1 without making any reply1 ,i must adhere inviolably to this resolution1 otherwise my silence on any future occasion would be construed an inability to answer1 and would be matter of triumph against me4#aai3a ,he then1 in the passage already cited1#aai3b describes the occasion on which the ,theory of ,miracles was suggested to him4 ,in answer to this1 there is a letter by ,campbell1 in which he endeavours to rival his opponent in candour1 politeness1 and gentlemanlike feeling4 ,the happy courtesy with which he apologizes for the occasionally irascible tone of his essay1 shows that the retired northern divine possessed in no small degree the qualities that might have adorned a more showy station4 ,,dr4 ,,campbell to ,,hume4 #beth ,june1 #agfb4 ,the testimony you are pleased to give in favour of my performance1 is an honour of which ,i should be entirely unworthy1 were ,i not sensible of the uncommon generosity you have shown in giving it4 ,ever since ,i was acquainted with your works1 your talents as a writer have1 notwithstanding some differences in abstract principles1 extorted from me the highest veneration4 ,but ,i could scarce have thought that1 in spite of differences of a more interesting nature1 even such as regard morals and religion1 you could ever force me to love and honour you as a man4 ,yet no religious prejudices 7as you would probably term them17 can hinder me from doing justice to that goodness and candour1 which appear in every line of your letter4 ,it would be in vain to dissemble the pleasure which it gives me1 that ,i am thought to have acquitted myself tolerably in a dispute with an author of such acknowledged merit4 ,at the same time1 it gives me real pain1 that any symptoms of vehemence 7which are not so easily avoided in disputation as one would imagine17 should give so generous an adversary the least ground of complaint4 ,you have 7if ,i remember right1 for ,i have not the book here17 in the appendix to the third volume of your ,treatise on ,human ,nature1 apologized for using sometimes the expressions--',tis certain1 ',tis evident1 and the like4 ,these1 you observe1 were in a manner forced from you by the strong1 though transient light in which a particular object then appeared1 and are therefore not to be considered as at all inconsistent with the general principles of scepticism which are maintained in the ,treatise4 ,my apology is somewhat similar4 ,there is in all controversy a struggle for victory1 which ,i may say compels one to take every fair advantage that either the sentiments or the words of an antagonist present him with4 ,but the appearances of asperity or raillery1 which one will be thereby necessarily drawn into1 ought not to be constructed as in the least affecting the habitual good opinion1 or even the high esteem1 which the writer may nevertheless entertain of his adversary4 ,,footnotes3 #gd3a ,the following contrasted extracts represent some of the variations above alluded to4 ,the passages on the one side will be found in the first1 and those in the other in the last corrected edition of the ,history of the ,stuarts4 ,first edition4 ,later editions4 ,king ,james inculcated those monarchical tenets with which he was so much infatuated4 ,p4 #ed4 ,inculcated those monarchical tenets which he had so strongly imbibed4 ,divine right4 ,and though these doctrines were perhaps more openly inculcated and more strenuously insisted on during the reign of the ,stuarts1 they were not then invented4 ,p4 #abj4 ,and though it is pretended that these doctrines were more openly inculcated1 and more strenuously insisted on1 during the reign of the ,stuarts1 they were not then invented4 ,america4 ,the seeds of many a noble state have been sown in climates kept desolate by the wild manners of the ancient inhabitants2 and an asylum secured in that solitary world for liberty and science1 if ever the spreading of unlimited empire1 or the inroad of barbarous nations1 should again extinguish them in this turbulent and restless hemisphere4 ,p4 #acd4 ,expunged4 ,charles ,i4 ,however moderate his temper1 the natural illusions of self-love1 joined to his education under ,james1 and to the flattery of courtiers and churchmen1 had represented his political tenets as certain and uncontroverted4 ,p4 #adh4 ,however moderate his temper1 the natural and unavoidable prepossessions of self-love1 joined to the late uniform precedents in favour of prerogative1 had made him regard his political tenets as certain and uncontroverted4 ,loans were by privy seal required of several3 to others the way of benevolence was proposed2 methods supported by precedents1 condemned by positive laws1 and always invidious even to times more submissive and compliant4 ,in the most despotic governments1 such expedients would be regarded as irregular and disorderly4 ,p4 #aei4 ,of some1 loans were required3 to others1 the way of benevolence was proposed3 methods supported by precedent1 but always invidious even in times more submissive and compliant4 ,in the most absolute governments1 such expedients would be regarded as irregular and unequal4 ,the new counsels which ,charles had mentioned to the parliament1 were now to be tried in order to supply his necessities4 ,had he possessed any military force on which he could depend1 'tis likely that he had at once taken off the mask1 and governed without any regard to the ancient laws and constitution3 so high an idea had he imbibed of kingly prerogative1 and so contemptible a notion of the privileges of those popular assemblies1 from which he thought he had met with such ill usage4 ,but his army was new levied1 ill-paid1 and worse disciplined2 no way superior to the militia1 who were much more numerous1 and who were in a great measure under the influence of the country gentlemen4 ,it behoved him therefore to proceed cautiously1 and to cover his enterprises under pretext of ancient precedents4 ,p4 #aeh4 ,the new counsels which ,charles had mentioned to the parliament1 were now to be tried1 in order to supply his necessities4 ,had he possessed any military force on which he could rely1 it is not improbable that he had at once taken off the mask1 and governed without any regard to parliamentary privileges3 so high an idea had he received of kingly prerogative1 and so contemptible a notion of the rights of those popular assemblies1 from which he very naturally thought he had met with such ill-usage4 ,but his army was new levied1 ill-paid1 and worse disciplined2 nowise superior to the militia1 who were much more numerous1 and who were in a great measure under the influence of the country gentlemen4 ,it behoved him therefore to proceed cautiously1 and to cover his enterprises under pretence of ancient precedents1 which1 considering the great authority commonly enjoyed by his predecessors1 could not be wanting to himself4 ,in most national debates1 though the reasons may not be equally balanced1 yet are there commonly some plausible topics1 which may be pleaded even in favour of the weaker side2 so complicated are all human affairs1 and so uncertain the consequences of every public measure4 ,but it must be confessed1 that in the present case1 nothing of weight can be thrown into the opposite scale4 ,the imposition of ship-money1 is apparently the most avowed and most dangerous invasion of national privileges1 not only which ,charles was ever guilty of1 but which the most arbitrary princes in ,england1 since any liberty had been ascertained to the people1 had ever ventured upon4 ,p4 #bah4 ,expunged4 ,perhaps the ,king1 who dreaded above all things the ,house of ,commons1 and who never sufficiently respected the constitution1 thought1 that1 in his present urgent distresses1 he might be enabled to levy subsidies1 by the authority of the peers alone4 ,but the employing so long a plea of necessity1 which was evidently false1 and ill grounded1 rendered it impossible for him to avail himself of a necessity which was now at last become real and inevitable4 ,p4 #bdg4 ,perhaps the ,king1 who dreaded above all things the ,house of ,commons1 and who expected no supply from them on any reasonable terms1 thought1 that in his present distresses1 he might be enabled to levy supplies by the authority of the peers alone4 ,but the employing so long the plea of a necessity1 which appeared distant and doubtful1 rendered it impossible for him to avail himself of a necessity which was now at last become real1 urgent1 and inevitable4 ,the attempt to seize the ,five ,members4 ,this strange resolution1 so incompatible with the majesty of a king1 so improper even for the dignity of any great magistrate1 was discovered to the ,countess of ,carlisle1 sister to ,northumberland1 a lady of great spirit1 wit1 and intrigue4 ,p4 #cah4 ,this resolution was discovered to the ,countess of ,carlisle1 sister to ,northumberland1 a lady of spirit1 wit1 and intrigue4 #gh3a ,in the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 #gh3b ,see the letter itself in the ,clarendon ,papers1 ii4 #bja-c4 #gi3a ,the following are some instances of the alterations made on the first edition of his ,history4 ,the collection of these instances has been facilitated by the use of a copy of the first edition of the ,histories of the ,houses of ,stuart and ,tudor1 in the possession of a friend1 on which the alterations embodied in the subsequent editions are written in red ink4 ,in the first edition4 ,as altered4 ,scotch4 ,scottish4 ,such was the terror1 respectable and rare in a monarch4 ,so great was the terror1 respectable as well as rare1 in a monarch4 ,may be esteemed a great reflection on his memory4 ,may be deemed a great reflection on his memory4 ,betwixt4 ,between4 ,we come now to relate4 ,we are now to relate4 ,under pretext of a hunting match4 ,on pretence of a hunting match4 ,making account that4 ,thinking himself assured that4 ,their concurrence became requisite4 ,their concurrence became necessary4 ,along with4 ,together with4 ,esteemed impartial4 ,deemed impartial4 ,to a pitch beyond what had ever been known since4 ,to a height beyond what had been known since4 ,entirely requisite for their future safety4 ,absolutely necessary for their future safety4 ,when the exception really occurs1 even though it be not precedently expected4 ,when the exception really occurs1 even though it be not previously expected4 ,any way displeased at the1 c4 ,any-wise displeased at the1 c4 ,monarchical tenets with which he was so much infatuated4 ,monarchical tenets which he had so strongly imbibed4 ,graced with ecclesiastical titles4 ,endowed with ecclesiastical titles4 ,inflicting this sentence4 ,pronouncing this sentence4 ,confined in the ,tower4 ,confined to the ,tower4 ,debarred from such sports4 ,debarred such sports4 ,raleigh pretended not4 ,raleigh did not pretend4 ,war with the ,spaniards4 ,war against the ,spaniards4 ,as to the circumstance of the narration4 ,as to the circumstance of the narrative4 ,would have had a most just cause4 ,would have had a just cause4 ,such as together with4 ,such as along with4 ,interposal in the wars4 ,interposition in the wars4 ,effectuate a marriage4 ,effect a marriage4 ,he was utterly devoid4 ,he was utterly destitute4 ,headlong in his passions4 ,headstrong in his passions4 ,obtained at last4 ,obtained at length4 ,a bill declarative4 ,a bill declaratory4 ,forced into a breach4 ,constrained to make a breach4 ,had sat4 ,had sitten4 ,however little inclined4 ,how little soever inclined4 ,besides being a most atrocious violence4 ,besides its being a most atrocious act of violence4 ,precedent to ,strafford's trial4 ,previous to ,strafford's trial4 ,afraid that4 ,afraid lest4 ,was ordinarily lodged in4 ,was commonly lodged in4 ,was the person who introduced4 ,was the person that introduced4 ,during all the time when4 ,during the time that4 ,reduced to shifts4 ,reduced to extremities4 ,the ,star ,chamber1 who were sitting4 ,the ,star ,chamber1 which was sitting4 ,a story which1 as it marks the genius of parties1 may be worth reciting4 ,a story which1 as it discovers the genius of parties1 may be worth relating4 ,contempt entertained towards4 ,contempt entertained for4 ,could such an attempt be interpreted treason4 ,could such an attempt be considered as treason4 ,lay great weight upon4 ,lay great stress upon4 ,devoid of temporal sanction4 ,destitute of temporal sanction4 ,parliament designed to levy war4 ,parliament intended to levy war4 ,it would ascertain the devoted obedience4 ,it would ensure the devoted obedience4 ,his dignity was exempted from pride4 ,his dignity was free from pride4 ,when the exception really occurs1 even though it be not precedently expected4 ,when the exception really occurs1 even though it be not previously expected4 ,to those effects which were operated4 ,to those effects which were wrought4 #ha3a ,a tragedy by ,john ,home4 #hc3a ,the militia of ,england had1 owing to the unpopularity of the foreign mercenaries in ,british pay1 been strengthened and enlarged4 ,a proposal was entertained1 to extend the system to ,scotland3 but it was not executed till many years afterwards4 ,there were several pamphlets on the subject4 ,probably the one here referred to is the well known ,history of the ,proceedings in the case of ,margaret1 commonly called ,peg1 only lawful ,sister of ,john ,bull1 ,esq42 attributed to ,adam ,ferguson1 which will have to be mentioned farther on4 #hd3a ,hume seems to have himself commenced a translation of ,plutarch4 ,see above1 vol4 i4 p4 #dag4 #he3a ,stewart's ,life of ,robertson4 #hg3a ,it will be observed1 that ,hume's strongest argument from internal criticism is1 that the state of society and feeling exhibited in these poems was that of the middle ages1 and involved the spirit of chivalry peculiar to that period4 #hi3a ,mackenzie's ,account of ,home1 p4 #aee4 ,the original is in the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,mr4 ,mackenzie says1 ,i could not read this letter without being confirmed in an observation which ,i have often ventured to make1 on the uncertainty of the evidence arising from letters1 when the writers are dead1 and the motives of their correspondence cannot be known4 #ij3a ,it is not ,cowley but ,butler who makes this sarcasm4 ,for ,hebrew roots although they're found ,to flourish most in barren ground4 #ij3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ib3a ,private ,correspondence of ,david ,hume with several distinguished persons1 between the years #agfa and #aggf4 ,london1 #ahbj1 #dto4 #ic3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #bfi4 #id3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ig3a ,depuis long-tems1 ,monsieur1 je suis combattue par des sentimens contraires4 ,l'admiration que me cause votre sublime ouvrage1 et l'estime qu'il m'inspire pour votre personne1 vos talents1 et votre vertu1 m'ont fait natre souvent le dsir de vous crire1 pour vous exprimer les sentimens dont je suis profondment pntre4 ,d'un autre ct1 considrant que je vous suis inconnue1 le peu de prix que doit avoir mon suffrage1 la rserve et l'obscurit mme qui convient mon sexe3 j'ai craint d'tre accuse de prsomption1 et de me faire connotre mon dsavantage1 d'un homme de qui je regarderai toujours la bonne opinion comme le bien le plus flatteur et le plus prcieux4 ,nanmoins1 puisque les rflexions que j'ai faites cet gard ne paroissent avoir beaucoup de force1 un penchant irrsistible les rend infructueuses1 et je vais ajouter mon exemple mille autres1 pour justifier la vrit de cette remarque que j'ai lue dans votre histoire de la ,maison de ,stuard1--,men's views of things are the result of their understanding alone2 their conduct is regulated by their understanding1 their temper1 and their passions1--puisque quand ma raison me dit que je devrais me tenir dans le silence1 l'enthousiasme1 o je suis1 m'empche de le pouvoir garder4 ,quoique femme1 et dans un ge qui n'est pas encore avanc1 et malgr la dissipation de la vie qu'on tient dans ce pays1 ayant toujours aim la lecture1 il est peu de bons livres1 en quelque langue et en quelque genre que ce soit1 que je n'ai lus1 ou dans l'original1 ou dans les traductions2 et je puis vous assurer1 monsieur1 avec une sincrit qui ne doit pas vous tre suspecte1 que je n'ai trouv aucun qui runit mon jugement1 autant de perfections que le vtre4 ,je ne sais point de termes qui puissent vous rendre ce que j'aprouve en lisant cet ouvrage4 ,je me suis attendrie1 transporte1 et l'motion qu'il me cause est en quelque faon pnible par sa continuit4 ,il lve l'me1 il remplit le cur de sentimens d'humanit et bienfaisance4 ,il claire l'esprit1 et en lui montrant la vritable flicit intimement lie la vertu1 il lui dcouvre par le mme rayon le seul et unique but de tout tre raisonnable4 ,au milieu des calamits qui environnent de toutes parts le ,roi ,charles ,premier1 l'on voit la paix et la srnit briller avec clat et l'accompagner sur l'chafaud2 tandis que le trouble et les remords1 cortge insparable du crime1 suivent les pas de ,cromwell et s'asseyent sur le trne avec lui4 ,votre livre apprend encore combien l'abus est voisin des meilleures choses1 et les rflexions qu'il fait faire ce sujet1 doit doivent augmenter la vigilance et la dfiance de soi-mme4 ,il anime d'une noble mulation1 il inspire l'amour de la libert1 et instruit en mme tems la soumettre au gouvernement sous lequel on est oblig de vivre4 ,en un mot c'est un terra fecunda de morale et d'instructions prsentes avec des couleurs si vives qu'on croit les voir pour la premire fois4 ,la clart1 la majest1 la simplicit touchante de votre style1 me ravit4 ,les beauts sont si frappantes1 que malgr mon ignorance dans la langue ,angloise1 elles n'ont pu m'chapper4 ,vous tes1 ,monsieur1 un peintre admirable4 ,vos tableaux ont une grce1 un naturel1 une nergie1 qui surpasse ce que l'imagination mme peut attendre4 ,mais quelles expressions employerai-je pour vous faire connoitre l'effet que produit sur moi votre divine impartialit8 ,j'avois besoin en cette occasion de votre propre loquence1 pour bien rendre ma pense4 ,en vrit je crois avoir devant les yeux l'ouvrage de quelque substance cleste1 dgag des passions1 qui pour l'utilit a daign crire les vnemens de ces derniers tems4 ,je n'ose ajouter1 que dans tout ce qui sort de votre plume vous vous montrez un philosophe parfait1 un homme d'tat1 un historien plein de gnie1 un politique clair1 un vrai patriote1 toutes ces sublimes qualits sont si fort au dessus des connoissances d'une femme1 qu'il me convient peu d'en parler2 et j'ai dj grand besoin de votre indulgence pour les fautes que j'ai commises centre la discrtion et la biensance par l'excs de ma vnration pour votre mrite4 ,je vous la demande1 ,monsieur1 et en mme tems le plus profond secret4 ,la dmarche que je fais a quelque chose d'extraordinaire4 ,je craindrois qu'elle ne m'attirt le blme1 et je serois fche que le sentiment qui me l'a dicte pt tre inconnu4 ,j'ai l'honneur d'tre1 ,monsieur1 votre trs humble et trs obissante servante1 ,,hyppolyte ,,de ,,saujon1 ,,comtesse ,,de ,,boufflers4 ,on me dit1 ,monsieur1 que vous avez en vue de venir en ,france1 ,paris4 ,je souhaite bien vivement que vous excutiez cette rsolution1 et pouvoir contribuer vous en rendre le sjour agrable4 ,ce #ae ,mars1 #agfa4 ,a ,paris4#ig3;,a #ig3;,a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #aja3a ,private ,correspondence1 c4 #a-d4 #aja3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #aja3c ,private ,correspondence1 #e4 #aje3a ,it will be observed that this is an attempt to spell those expressions according to the pronunciation4 #ajg3a ,a ,paris1 #af ,juin1 #agfb4 ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau1 citoyen de ,genve1 et auteur de plusieurs crits qui vous sont vraisemblablement connus1 vient de composer un ,trait sur l',education1 en quatre volumes1 o il expose plusieurs principes contraires aux ntres1 tant sur la politique1 que sur la religion4 ,comme nous ne jouissons pas ici de la libert de la presse1 le ,parlement par un arrt1 juste1 s'il est comme je n'en doute pas conforme aux lois du royaume1 mais nanmoins rigoureux1 l'a dcrt de prise de corps1 et l'on prtend que s'il n'avoit pas pris la fuite1 il auroit t condamn la mort4 ,j'ai de la peine croire qu'on et pu aller si loin sur la qualit d'tranger4 ,mais quoi qu'il en soit1 il eut t imprudent de lui1 de rester en ,france dans de pareilles circonstances4 ,il est donc parti1 incertain quel asile il choisiroit4 ,je lui ai conseill de se retirer en ,angleterre1 lui promettant des lettres de recommendation pour vous1 ,monsieur1 et pour d'autres personnes de mes amis4 ,je m'acquitte de ma promesse1 et je ne puis pas mon avis lui choisir dans tout l',europe1 un protecteur plus respectable par ses liaisons1 et plus recommendable par son humanit4 ,m4 ,rousseau passe chez la plupart des gens en ce pays pour un homme singulier4 ,a prendre cette pithte selon la vraie signification1 elle lui est justement donne1 car il diffre1 a beaucoup d'gards1 de la faon d'agir et de penser des hommes du jour4 ,il a le cur droit1 l'me noble et dsintresse4 ,il craint toute espce de dpendance1 et par cette raison il a mieux aim1 tant en ,france1 gagner sa vie en copiant de la musique1 que de recevoir les bienfaits de ses meilleurs amis1 qui s'empressoient de rparer sa mauvaise fortune4 ,cette dlicatesse peut parotre excessive1 mais elle n'a rien de criminelle1 et mme elle suppose des sentimens levs4 ,il fuit le commerce du monde1 il ne se plat que dans la solitude1 ce got pour la retraite lui a fait des ennemis4 ,l'amour propre de ceux qui l'ont recherch s'est trouv bless de ses refus4 ,mais malgr sa misanthropie apparente1 je ne crois pas qu'il y ait nulle part1 un homme plus doux1 plus humain1 plus comptissant aux peines des autres1 et plus patient dans les siennes1 en un mot1 sa vertu parot si pure1 si contente1 si uniforme1 que1 jusqu'1 prsent1 ceux qui le hassent1 n'ont pas trouv que dans leur propre coeur des raisons pour le souponner4 ,pour moi1 avec des apparences aussi avantageuses1 j'aimerois mieux en tre tromp que de me dfier de sa sincrit4 ,d'aprs l'opinion que j'en ai monsieur1 je l'ai jug digne d'tre connu de vous1 et en lui procurant cet honneur1 je crois lui donner la preuve la plus marque du cas que je fais de lui4#ajg3;,a #ajg3;,a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #aji3a ,private ,correspondence1 c4 pp4 #h1 #i4 #aaj3a ,this letter is printed in the ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #eh4 ,there are two duplicate originals of it among the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 #aac3a ,private ,correspondence1 c4 p4 #ed4 #aae3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #ed4 #aae3b ,vol4 i4 p4 #bhc4 #aaf3a ,the following anecdote of ,hume1 by ,lord ,charlemont1 seems appropriate to this passage4 ,he never failed1 in the midst of any controversy1 to give its due praise to every thing tolerable that was either said or written against him4 ,one day that he visited me in ,london1 he came into my room laughing and apparently well pleased4 ',what has put you into this good humour1 ,hume8' said ,i4 ',why man1' replied he1 ',i have just now had the best thing said to me ,i ever heard4 ,i was complaining in a company where ,i spent the morning1 that ,i was very ill treated by the world1 and that the censures put upon me were hard and unreasonable4 ,that ,i had written many volumes1 throughout the whole of which there were but a few pages that contained any reprehensible matter1 and yet that for those few pages1 ,i was abused and torn to pieces4' ',you put me in mind1' said an honest fellow in the company1 whose name ,i did not know1 'of an acquaintance of mine1 a notary public1 who having been condemned to be hanged for forgery1 lamented the hardship of his case2 that after having written many thousand inoffensive sheets1 he should be hanged for one line4' ,hardy's ,memoirs of ,charlemont1 p4 #aba4 #aai3a ,european ,magazine1 #aghe1 p4 #bej4 #aai3b ,vol4 i4 p4 #eg4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 #agfb-agfc4 t4 #ea-eb4 ,the ,publication of the ,history anterior to the ,accession of the ,tudors--,completion of the ,history--,inquiry how far it is a complete ,history--,hume's ,intention to write an ,ecclesiastical ,history--,opinions of ,townsend and others on his ,history-- ,appreciation of the ,fine ,arts--,hume's ,house in ,james's ,court-- ,its subsequent occupation by ,boswell and ,johnson--,conduct of ,david ,mallet--,hume's ,projects--,the ,douglas ,cause-- ,correspondence with ,reid4 ,in #agfb there was published1 in two quarto volumes1 the ,history of ,england1 from the ,invasion of ,julius ,csar1 to the ,accession of ,henry ,,vii4 ,the farther back we proceed from those periods of which a full narrative of historical events is preserved by contemporary chroniclers1 into those more obscure ages when even the lines of kings are hardly preserved1 and fragments of laws1 or of long obsolete literature1 and antiquarian relics1 are the historian's only guide1 the less satisfactory is ,hume's history1 when compared with other historical works4 ,the earliest part is thus the least valuable4 ,he had here1 however1 to encounter difficulties which we are only at this day able to estimate1 in the absence of those materials which the industry of antiquaries has lately brought to light1 to so great an extent1 as almost necessarily to supersede ,hume's ,history of ,england during the early ages1 as a source of historical knowledge4#aba3a ,but both in this and the other departments of his work1 we are bound to estimate ,hume1 as we do great workmen in all departments of mental labour1 not by the state of his science at the present day1 but by that in which he found it4 ,to comprehend how far it may be practicable for any one mind to create a full and satisfactory history of the island of ,great ,britain1 without having the advantage of the previous labours of many minds1 occupied in elucidating the details of the various branches of knowledge with which he has to deal1 let us cast a casual glance at the prominent topics which must be fully discussed in such a ,history1 if it be a satisfactory work4 ,the historian should be master of every scrap of information contained in ,greek or ,roman authors1 about the connexion of the people of the ancient world with our island4 ,in the works of ,csar and ,tacitus this will be a simple matter2 but scattered about among the productions of the ,panegyrists1 and in other such obscure quarters1 there are many important incidental notices1 which will not be so easily found or so satisfactorily interpreted4 ,to this the investigator must add more recondite stores of knowledge1 collected from etymological investigations among the roots of languages--,celtic and ,teutonic4 ,he must study ,strabo1 ,ptolemy1 and the other geographers2 and interpreting the information collected from them1 and the incidents derived from the other sources above alluded to1 with his etymological inquiries1 he must endeavour to solve the vexed questions about the migration of races--whether the ,cimbri were pure ,celts8 whether the ,welsh are the descendants of that race8 whether the ,caledonii1 with whom ,agricola fought1 were ,celts8 who and what were those mysterious people1 called the ,picts8 ,there must be some criticism1 however unsatisfactory it may be1 on the worship anterior to the introduction of ,christianity1 and on the vestiges of that and of other early customs supposed to be supplied by the remnants of ancient masonry and engineering1 with which our island abounds4 ,the historian must next be able to show what is truly known1 and what is not1 regarding the inroads of the ,teutonic tribes1 and must be able to fathom the learning of the ,german antiquaries on this department of history4 ,here the early literature of ,ireland1 of which so much has lately been printed by ,o',conor and others1 and the relics of ,scandinavian metrical histories1 will widen the inquiry1 while they render it more satisfactory4 ,having got these settlers from the ,teutonic tribes1 the ,saxons as they are generally called1 established in the island1 the peculiar internal policy1 national character1 and literature of ,britain1 begin to assume a shape under the eye of the historian1 and to gather round them their distinctive attributes as he proceeds4 ,he will soon have to deal with the birth of laws and customs1 which1 modelled to the progress of an increasing population and civilisation1 are still in daily practice4 ,from this epoch downwards1 he has to watch the changes of the national literature4 ,observing it in its purely ,anglo-,saxon period1 he must estimate the extent to which it was altered by the adoption of ,norman-,french as a court language1 while ,anglo-,saxon still continued to be the tongue of the common people2 and mark the continued existence of this fundamental ,teutonic speech1 and its action upon the language of the court1 until the former became the established literary language of the day1 the latter merely imparting to it one of its characteristic features4 ,thus tracing these elements from their respective sources down to the days of ,chaucer1 the influence of the revival of classical learning upon modern language and thought must find a place1 and ,english literature must be described in its progress towards and arrival at full manhood4 ,along with this inquiry1 there should be an ancillary investigation into the causes why the language and literature of the ,scottish lowlands have so long differed from those of ,england1 though both springing from the same root4 ,returning to the ,anglo-,saxon period1 another and more laborious inquiry opens in the department of the laws and public institutions4 ,there must be a search after those which were peculiar to the ,anglo-,saxons2 and in dealing with authorities posterior to the conquest1 the historian must carefully sift them1 that he may ascertain the extent to which any law or custom was undoubtedly ,anglo-,saxon4 ,after having ascertained how much of the spirit of feudal institutions had tinged the purely ,saxon usages1 he must next follow the progress of feudalism abroad1 and fully explain the effect produced on ,britain by its full grown importation at the era of the ,conquest4 ,in conjunction with this large inquiry1 the jurisprudence of ,rome must be kept in view2 first1 as some relics of it in municipal institutions1 and otherwise1 may have been associated with the very earliest forms of internal organization in modern ,europe2 and secondly1 after its letter had been buried for centuries1 as it was resuscitated by the civilians and canonists1 and brought in array against the common law of ,england1 and amalgamated with the feudal system in ,scotland4 ,from these elements the history of ,parliament and of municipal bodies1 the prerogatives of the crown1 and the rights and privileges of the subject1 together with the practical administration of the law1 ought all to be developed in their origin and growth4 ,the state of knowledge and of opinion among the people at large1 on political matters1 and particularly on the manner in which they are governed1 should form a part of this constitutional inquiry4 ,the history of religion should occupy a conspicuous place in the historian's studies4 ,in the folios of the ,bollandists1 no inconsiderable portion of the scanty records of the civil history of the period are to be found4 ,a full and patient study of the ,roman ,catholic creed and polity in their rise and development1 is necessary for the effectual employment of the knowledge thus acquired2 and it is needless to say how many other creeds and systems must be studied by the historian of ,britain4 ,by observing its mere results on the outward history of a people1 the inquirer will never know the real influence of any system of religious tenets4 ,a brief survey shows us the outward demonstrations4 ,but to be acquainted with the character of the internal impulses of any religious creed1 to see how the fire glows and radiates within the bosom of the votary1 we must study the vital elements of the creed itself with industry and with zeal4 ,the language and literature of the country have already been alluded to4 ,the state of the arts at different times must be carefully watched and explained4 ,to accomplish this task1 the historian should possess a wide knowledge of the principles and practice of art3 not that conventional knowledge which teaches him how to distinguish from all that are below them those efforts which are entitled to the approbation of the fastidious1 but the catholic spirit1 which enables the mind fully to estimate progress before perfection is reached4 ,all the departments of the historian's knowledge are more or less blended with each other4 ,from the sixth century downwards1 for several ages1 the coinage of the realm only marks the state of the arts or serves to adjust disputed chronologies3 gradually1 however1 the historian feels it becoming involved with more complex elements connected with the state of society1 and at last the great question of the currency and the monetary system of the country has to be grappled with4 ,here the whole field of political economy is opened up4 ,it is needless to say1 that the historian1 especially he who treats of a people in any degree civilized1 must be thoroughly imbued with political economy4 ,the state of manufactures and of the sciences should not be neglected4 ,a history of ,britain during the nineteenth century1 containing no account of the triumphs of the steam engine1 or of the progress of railway engineering1 would give a very imperfect view of the living progress of the nation4 ,the history of the early period would be more satisfactory1 if it informed us when the pump and the potter's wheel were first used in ,britain4 ,closely akin to this subject is the progress of agriculture1 which1 however1 is a matter simpler and more easy of attainment than many of the historian's other objects of inquiry4 ,in truth1 it may be safely said1 that every circumstance that can be discovered concerning the particular country1 and every thing1 whether animate or inanimate that is on its surface1 comes within the compass of its history1 using that word in the sense of merely civil history1--unless in so far as it belongs to what is natural history4 ,and yet even from this science civil history has many lights to receive4 ,human physiology is intimately connected with the elucidations of the historian2 and it would appear that1 in regard to the influence of political institutions on the physical as well as the moral state of races of men1 we are still only on the threshold of knowledge4 ,here the physiologist1 and the recorder of political events1 who heretofore have travelled on different roads1 may some day or other find a common object of exertion1 and may tell us1 by their united labours1 why the race that inhabited ancient ,egypt1 from being the most inventive1 should have been among the most supine of people2 why the ,chinese should have passed through an epoch of active discovery1 and should have thenceforth1 unlike the rest of the world1 neither forgotten nor improved the fruits of their original enterprise2 why the ,celts1 once the nurses of ,european learning1 should1 at a later time1 have appeared as if doomed to retire before the ardent genius of the ,teutonic race2 and why this race1 after being long inferior to other branches of the ,caucasian family1 should appear1 with ,british enterprise and ,german thought1 likely to absorb the faculties of the rest of mankind4 ,the historian must not wholly neglect other natural productions4 ,the inferior animals and the vegetable kingdom are intimately connected with the fate of the human beings who are the immediate object of his labours4 ,with geology he may appear to have comparatively little concern2 yet the marble of ,greece1 and the coal and iron of ,britain1 have had no little influence on the destinies of these nations4 ,hume did so much towards the completion of that circle of knowledge with which the historian has to deal1 that he was the first to add to a mere narrative of events1 an inquiry into the progress of the people1 and of their arts1 literature1 manners1 and general social condition4 ,this attempt was so original1 that1 as it embodied in some measure the theory developed in ,voltaire's ,essai sur les ,moeurs1 first published in #agef1 when the first volume of the ,history of the ,stuarts had been two years before the public1 it was supposed that ,hume might have borrowed the idea from some fragments of that work which had been surreptitiously printed with the title ,abrg de l',histoire ,universelle4 ,there seems to be no room1 however1 for such a supposition4 ,hume's own ,political ,discourses are as close an approach to this method of inquiry as the work of ,voltaire2 and if we look for such productions of other writers as may have led him into this train of thought1 it would be more just to name ,bacon and ,montesquieu4#abi3a ,the works of such authors as ,guizot and ,hallam may teach us that much had to be added to ,hume's system of historical composition1 to render it perfect2 but they do so in the same manner as the last steam engine shows us how many improvements have been made on the inventions of ,watt4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we now resume the correspondence with ,millar4 ,the letter immediately following1 puts beyond a doubt1 what had only been partially believed1 that ,hume had1 at one time1 expressed an intention of writing an ecclesiastical history4 ,of the manner in which he would have executed such a task1 opinions will widely vary4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #aeth ,march1 #agfb4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i am very glad that you are in so good a way1 and that you think so soon of making a new edition4 ,i am running over both the ancient history and the ,tudors1 and shall send you them up by the wagon as soon as they are corrected4 ,please tell ,mr4 ,strahan1 to keep carefully this copy ,i send up1 as well as that which ,i left of the ,stuarts2 for if you intend to print an octavo edition next summer1 it will be better to do it from these copies which are corrected1 than from the new edition1 where there will necessarily be some errors of the press4 ,i give you full authority to contradict the report1 that ,i am writing or intend to write an ecclesiastical history2 ,i have no such intention2 and ,i believe never shall4 ,i am beginning to love peace very much1 and resolve to be more cautious than formerly in creating myself enemies4 ,but in contradicting this report1 you will be so good as not to impeach ,mr4 ,mallet's veracity2 for 'tis certain ,i said to ,lord ,chesterfield 7from whom ,mr4 ,mallet first had it7 that ,i had entertained such a thought2 but my saying so proceeded less from any serious purpose1 than from a view of trying how far such an idea would be relished by his lordship4 ,i have not laid aside thoughts of continuing my ,history to the period after the ,revolution4 ,it is not amiss to be idle a little time2 but it is probable ,i shall tire of that kind of life3 and if ,i then find that the public desires to see more of me1 and that the great will not shut up their papers from me1 ,i shall set to work in earnest4 ,i never thought that ,lord ,kames' ,elements would be a popular book2 but ,i hoped1 that1 as you engage for no copy money1 it would certainly defray the charge of paper and print2 and on that footing alone ,i recommended it to you4 ,i find the author's expectations raised up to a vast pitch1 and indeed there are some parts of the work ingenious and curious2 but it is too abtruse and crabbed ever to take with the public4 ,as to the advice you desire me to give him1 it is certainly very salutary2 but ,i fancy neither ,i nor any other of his friends will ever venture to mention it4 ,the admonitions1 which come from you1 are commonly the most effectual2 and if this book do not sell1 ,i think it were not amiss1 that you tell him the plain truth without disguise or circumlocution4 ,i find the booksellers here have sold off all their share of my ,essays1 and are desirous of another edition1 which1 however1 ,i told them1 ,i believed you was not ready for4 ,i desire to be informed two or three months before you put it to the press3 because ,i intend to make some considerable alterations on some parts of them4 ,i hope ,mrs4 ,millar intends to pay us a visit next summer1 and that you will be of the party4 ,please make my most sincere respects to her4 ,i am1 dear ,sir1 c4#acb3a ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 #hth ,april1 #agfb4 ,i shall answer your story of ,charles ,townsend very fully1 by another story of the same gentleman4 ,three years ago1 when ,i was in ,london1 ,i was told by a friend1 that ,mr4 ,townsend said1 that my ,history of the ,stuarts 7the only one then published17 was full of gross blunders in the facts3 he had consulted all the authentic documents1 particularly the journals of the ,house of ,commons1 and found it so4 ,when ,i made light of this information1 as knowing somewhat of ,mr4 ,townsend's hasty manner of speaking1 my friend said1 that ,i ought not so much to neglect the matter2 because ,mr4 ,townsend had told him that ,mr4 ,dyson1 clerk to the ,house of ,commons1 a man of knowledge and solidity1 had made to him the same observation4 ,i was a little surprised and alarmed at this2 and ,i went to ,mr4 ,elliot1 whom ,i desired to speak to ,mr4 ,dyson1 and to tell him that there was nothing in the world ,i desired so much as to be informed of my errors1 and that he would oblige me extremely by pointing out those mistakes4 ,mr4 ,dyson replied1 that he had never in his life spoke of the matter to ,mr4 ,townsend2 and that though he differed from me in my reasonings and views of the constitution1 he had observed no blunders in facts1 except one with regard to the dispensing power3 which1 by the bye1 was the one also remarked to me by the ,speaker1 and which ,i corrected in the second edition4 ,it was not an error with regard to the reign of ,james ,second1 but with regard to that of ,king ,william1 which ,i had not sufficiently examined4 ,i assure you there is not a quotation that ,i did not see with mine own eyes1 except two or three at most1 which ,i took from ,tyrrel or ,brady1 because ,i had not the books referred to4 ,that there is no mistake in such a number of references1 would be rash or even absurd to affirm3 that the printer also has not sometimes made mistakes in the name of the author or in the number of the page quoted1 is what ,i dare not aver3 for ,i only compared the sheet now and then with my manuscript1 and was contented to be as correct as possible in the text4 ,i knew that these mistakes could neither be frequent nor material4 ,but if people1 finding a few here and there1 point them out1 and give them as a specimen of the whole1 ,i know no remedy for this malice1 but to allow them to go on4 ,men of candour will judge otherwise without scrutiny3 and men of diligence and industry will find that the case is otherwise1 upon scrutiny4#acc3a ,i have heard of ,charles ,townsend's extolling and decrying me alternately1 according as the humour bites2 and all the world knows this to be his character4 ,he is perhaps angry with me at present1 because ,i did not wait of him when ,i was in ,london4 ,it is strange1 that great men in ,england should slight and neglect men of letters when they pay court to them1 and rail at them when they do not4 ,i have a regard to ,mr4 ,townsend as a man of parts1 ,i believe of very great parts2 but ,i attach myself to no great man1 and visit none of them but such as happen to be my friends1 and particular acquaintance4 ,i wish they would consider me as equally independent with themselves1 or more so4 ,however1 there is no necessity of enraging ,mr4 ,townsend farther by the story ,i told you in the first paragraph2 and therefore ,i would not have you communicate it to any body1 except a very particular friend whom you can trust4 ,you may read the second paragraph to every body4#acd3a ,in the following letter to ,millar1 we find him professing his ignorance of the practical application of the fine arts in engraving4 ,although he has written on the philosophy of taste1 we find no traces in his writings of what the ,germans have denominated the aesthetic2 no sense of an internal emotion arising from the contemplation of works of art4 ,in his travels1 he had an opportunity of seeing many fine pictures1 but he never mentions one2 and it does not appear1 from any incident in his life1 or allusion in his letters1 which ,i can remember1 that he had ever really admired a picture or a statue4#acd3b ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #agth ,may1 #agfb4 ,i like much better your publishing in volumes than in numbers4 ,though this last method has been often practised1 it has somewhat of a quackish air1 which you have always avoided1 as well as myself4 ,i know not what to do for frontispieces2 ,i have no manner of skill myself in designing1 and am not able to point out the most proper subjects1 nor the method of executing them4 ,on the whole1 ,i think it an expense which may be spared2 but if you continue in the resolution of having some such ornament1 ,i could write a letter to ,allan ,ramsay1 who1 ,i hope1 would take the pains of directing the engraver4 ,as to my head1 ,i think that also a superfluous expense2 and as there is no picture of me in ,london1 ,i know not how it can be executed3 with submission to you1 would it not be better to throw these charges on the paper and print8 ,i do not imagine1 because these ornaments have helped off the sale of ,smollett's ,history1 that mine would be the better for them4#ace3a ,these arts are seldom practised twice with the same success4 ,i do not lose view of my design to continue my ,history1 at least for two reigns more2 but ,i question whether party prejudices with regard to me1 are as yet sufficiently subsided1 to enable me to carry on that work1 without meeting with repulses and disgusts from those who have the materials in their power1 which must serve for the foundation of my narrative3 a little farther time will1 ,i hope1 operate that effect4#ace3b ,he concludes this letter by saying1 ,i remove my house this week to ,james's ,court4 ,entering a low gateway which pierces the line of lofty houses along the ,lawnmarket1 one finds oneself in a square court1 surrounded by houses1 which have now evidently fallen to the lot of humbler inhabitants than those for whom they were erected4 ,these spaces1 walled off by the intervening houses from the main street1 were in the ,scottish metropolis1 like the similar edifices of the ,french nobility1 frequently designed with the view of protecting those who dwelt within the gate from the unwelcome intrusion of either legal or illegal force4 ,but it is probable that ,james's ,court scarcely dates back to times so lawless1 and that it was built early in the eighteenth century4 ,the plan of a closed court was1 perhaps1 adopted as a means of enabling a small community to have the civic functions of lighting and cleaning performed more accurately than they were then administered to the inhabitants at large4 ,entering one of the doors opposite the main entrance1 the stranger is sometimes led by a friend1 wishing to afford him an agreeable surprise1 down flight after flight of the steps of a stone staircase1 and when he imagines he is descending so far into the bowels of the earth1 he emerges on the edge of a cheerful crowded thoroughfare1 connecting together the ,old and ,new ,town2 the latter of which lies spread before him1 a contrast to the gloom from which he has emerged4 ,when he looks up to the building containing the upright street through which he has descended1 he sees that vast pile of tall houses standing at the head of the ,mound1 which creates astonishment in every visiter of ,edinburgh4 ,this vast fabric is built on the declivity of a hill1 and thus one entering on the level of the ,lawnmarket1 is at the height of several stories from the ground on the side next the ,new ,town4 ,in ,hume's day1 a lake lay not many yards from the base of the building2 and the whole space now occupied by the streets and squares of the ,new ,town1 was open ground1 covered with woodland in those places where it did not consist of agricultural ground or barren heath4 ,a full view of the surrounding country must have been possessed by every floor in this mass of buildings4 ,i have ascertained that by ascending the western of the two stairs facing the entry of ,james's ,court1 to the height of three stories1 we arrive at the door of ,david ,hume's house1 which1 of the two doors on that landing-place1 is the one towards the left4#acg3a ,of the first impression made on a stranger1 at that period1 when entering such a house1 a vivid description is given by ,sir ,walter ,scott in ,guy ,mannering2 and in ,counsellor ,pleydell's library1 with its collection of books and the prospect from the window1 we have probably an accurate picture of the room in which ,hume spent his studious hours when he was in his own house in ,edinburgh4 ,when ,boswell describes the veritable locality of the house in which he did actually receive the illustrious ,dr4 ,johnson1 he tells us at the same time that it was in ,james's ,court4 ,hume had then left his house1 and it appears that ,james ,boswell became his tenant4#acg3b ,one cannot therefore resist the conclusion1 that the house thus consecrated1 was the very one which had been occupied by ,hume4 ,would ,boswell communicate such a fact1 or tell what manner of man was the landlord of the habitation into which he had1 under the guise of hospitality1 entrapped the arch-intolerant8#ach3a ,who shall appreciate the mental conflict which ,boswell may have experienced on this occasion6 ,on the one side he would have to consider1 whether it would not be more candid to let the appalling truth be known4 ,but would ,johnson have been able to sleep o' nights in such a house8 ,the dilemma might not have been so easily solved as the dinner with ,wilkes4 ,hume's house was1 during his absence in ,france1 occupied by ,dr4 ,blair2 so that the old flat1 three stories up from the entrance in ,james's ,court1 had in its day sheltered inmates of no common eminence4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #bb;d ,nov4 #agfb4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,as yours of the #afth of last month did not require any immediate reply1 ,i have used the freedom to delay answering it4 ,i am glad to find your two new editions so well advanced3 ,i hope they will be successful4 ,some people tell me1 that1 as the two volumes last published do not shock any party prejudices1 they have been better received than the former1 and procure a good reception for the whole4 ,if ,i should see them make any farther progress1 it would be the best encouragement for me to proceed in writing the more recent history4 ,i am far from losing sight of that project2 but it is better not to begin it1 till matters are more ripe for the execution1 and till ,i find1 that every one would frankly concur in opening their cabinets1 and allowing me the use of all papers which may be necessary for my purpose4 ,i had a letter from ,mr4 ,mallet lately1 by which ,i find1 that he will no longer be an obstacle in my way2 for he tells me that his ,history of the ,duke of ,marlborough is ready for the press2 which is more than ,i or most people expected4 ,lord ,marischal wrote me lately1 that the celebrated ,rousseau had taken shelter with him at ,neufchtel2 but that he had thoughts of coming to ,england1 and desired to know of me1 if he could make an edition of his works by which he could gain a little money for his subsistence1 as he was not interested4 ,he wished also1 that ,i could recommend him to a bookseller4 ,you have told me1 that you do not care to deal in ,french books2 but if he should publish any new work1 might he not have a translation of it ready to be published at the same time with the original8 ,and would not you be willing to deal with him in that shape8 ,i should think him very fortunate1 if he were in your hands4 ,i beg my compliments to ,mrs4 ,millar1 who1 ,i hope1 is at ,bath1 more for her amusement than her health4 ,i am1 dear sir1 yours sincerely4 ,p4,s4--,as your edition on royal paper is not numerous1 ,i shall only desire three copies of it to be sent me1 and shall reserve the other three for the octavo edition4 ,be so good therefore as to embark three copies in any parcel you send to ,edinburgh4 ,the peace will now make the intercourse of trade more open between us4 ,the mention of peace reminds me to thank you for your assistance in making out my subscription last year1 which is likely to turn out so much to my advantage4 ,the stocks are now very high2 but ,i suppose will not come to their full height this twelvemonth1 and till then ,i fancy you will not think it prudent in me to sell out4#adj3a ,that ,mallet had his ,history of the ,duke of ,marlborough ready for press1 was1 as ,hume gently says1 more than he or most people expected4 ,however1 ,mallet seems to have convinced him that it really was the case2 and his success in carrying conviction to the prince of sceptics1 is a brilliant instance of that mingled cunning and impudence by which he had made himself a great man4 ,the literary history of the life of ,marlborough is well known4 ,the duchess had left #ajjj to ,glover and ,mallet1 as a fee for a life to be written by them jointly4 ,glover gave up his share of the labour and its reward1 and ,mallet obtained the #ajjj4 ,the service he gave in return1 consisted entirely in the labour of convincing the world1 by hints and skilfully mysterious announcements1 that he had made considerable progress in the work1 though he died without having commenced it2 and if this systematic deception had been the service for which he was paid1 it would have been admitted that he had done his duty4#ada3a ,the following letter is a memorable instance of the manner in which ,mallet conducted his operations2 and it shows at the same time his infinitely lofty notion of his own position4 ,he had managed to be a great author among the aristocracy1 and to be a great aristocrat among authors2 and the air of calm superiority which he adopts towards ,hume is not the least remarkable feature in the production4 ,,david ,,mallet to ,,hume4#adb3a ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have done at last1 what nothing but the greatest regard for the writer1 and the truest friendship for the man1 could have made me submit to2 ,i have gone over both your volumes again1 with the eye and attention of a mere grammarian4 ,the task of looking after verbal mistakes1 or errors against the idiom of a tongue1 though not unnecessary1 is trivial1 and disgusting in the greatest decree2 but your work1 and you1 deserved it of me3 and ,i could not have forgiven myself had ,i not treated yours as ,i hope and expect you will do mine4 ,i have not been idle2 though ,i give no account of my progress to one in a hundred ,i converse with2 as it contains several particulars of the reigns of the two brothers1 ,charles and ,james1 the most interesting though the least known parts of ,king ,william's1 and embraces the whole of ,queen ,anne's reign1 together with some anecdotes relative to her successor1--it will swell into two quarto volumes4 ,i am resolved1 too1 that the translation1 which will be done here by an excellent hand under my own eye1 shall appear at the same time the original does4 ,these are some of the causes that occasion the complaints ,i have been teased with3 and there are many others1 that would make no figure on paper1 though they are unavoidable and consume much irretrievable time4 ,but what is well done is done soon2 and1 as ,i have not you in my way1 ,i should not feel the least uneasiness1 if all our other complete historians should write the same period twenty times over4 ,my work1 both in matter and form1 would still be new4 ,if you are upon the undertaking1 which you desired might remain a secret1 ,i dare assure you1 that besides the merit of accuracy and impartiality1 it will have all the charm of novelty2 for such a work1 on a rational and philosophical plan1 is a thing1 as ,milton has it1 unattempted yet in prose or rhime4 ,adieu4 ,i am1 dear sir1 most faithfully yours4 ,d4 ,,mallet4#adc3a ,the following letter is a not less curious revelation of ,mallet's proceedings4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #bast ,april1 #agfc4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i had a letter from ,mr4 ,mallett1 in which he tells me1 that he has run over carefully the two volumes of my ,history last published1 and has wrote all his remarks1 as well on the language as matter1 on the margin4 ,he said1 that he would find an opportunity to send them to me4 ,i replied to him1 that ,i was extremely obliged to him1 7as ,i certainly am17 and that if he sent them to you1 you would soon find an opportunity of conveying them to me4 ,i wish you would speak to him on that subject1 as you have occasion to meet with him1 and would send the books carefully to me by the first parcel you send to ,edinburgh4 ,i should desire you also to give him a new copy in place of this which he has sacrificed2 but if there be only a word here and there1 ,i can efface them1 after transcribing them into my own copy1 and can afterwards restore the book as good as ever4 ,in the same letter1 he complains much of a report1 that ,i was writing the ,english ,history since the revolution3 which he says he cannot believe1 because it would be a very invidious task to him4 ,i answered him1 that by his former letter ,i imagined his ,history was just ready for the press2 that ,i had not wrote a line of the ,history of that period2 but if ,i undertake it1 one great inducement would be the hopes of seeing his volumes published before me2 by which means1 ,i could hope for much light and great materials2 that as he was near twenty years advanced before me1 it was ridiculous to fear that ,i could overtake him2 and that ,i was glad of the report he mentioned1 if it would prove a spur to his industry4 ,i find ,mr4 ,mallet would fain be like the dog in the manger1 neither eat himself nor allow others to eat4 ,i should have a breach with him1 and might expect all ill offices from him1 if ,i pursue my plan2 but this would be a frivolous consideration1 where his anger would be so ill-founded4 ,as soon as the octavo edition of my ,history is finished1 please send me a copy of it4 ,i should be pleased to run it over2 and make an errata to it4 ,i am1 c4#add3a ,the following letter to ,elliot shows the zeal with which ,hume carried on that systematic removal from his works of all passages tending to favour popular rights1 which has been already alluded to4 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,edinburgh1 #abth ,march1 #agfc4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,in this new edition ,i have corrected several mistakes and oversights1 which had chiefly proceeded from the plaguy prejudices of ,whiggism1 with which ,i was too much infected when ,i began this work4 ,i corrected some of these mistakes in a former edition2 but being resolved to add to this edition the quotations of authorities for the reigns of ,james ,i4 and ,charles ,i41 ,i was obliged to run over again the most considerable authors who had treated of these reigns2 and ,i happily discovered some more mistakes1 which ,i have now corrected4 ,as ,i began the ,history with these two reigns1 ,i now find that they1 above all the rest1 have been corrupted with ,whig rancour1 and that ,i really deserved the name of a party writer1 and boasted without any foundation of my impartiality3 but if you now do me the honour to give this part of my work a second perusal1 ,i am persuaded that you will no longer throw on me this reproachful epithet1 and will acquit me of all propensity to ,whiggism4 ,if you still continue to upbraid me1 ,i shall be obliged to retaliate on you1 and cry1 ,whig vous mme4 ,in page #cc1 vol4 v4 you will find a full justification of the impositions laid on by ,james ,i4 without authority of parliament3 in p4 #aac1 #aad1 #chi1 a justification of persecuting the ,puritans3 in p4 #ahj1 a justification of ,charles ,i4 for levying tonnage and poundage without consent of parliament3 in p4 #ajj1 ,i acquit ,james ,i4 of prevarication1 with which ,i had before rashly charged him4 ,this last mistake indeed was innocent1 and ,i can easily account for it4 ,i had read ,buckingham's narrative in ,rushworth and ,franklyn1 the two opposite collectors3 ,i saw what ,i thought the same paper in the ,parliamentary ,history2 but ,i did not attend to a line at the bottom1 in which it is said1 that the paper is taken from the records more full1 than in the preceding collection3 when ,i read it lately1 ,i found the article here quoted1 so that this blunder proceeded not from any spirit of ,whiggery4 ,i now justify ,james ,,ii4 more explicitly in his exercise of the dispensing power1 which was intimately interwoven with the constitution and monarchy--see vol4 vi4 p4 #cic-cid1 #cie-djj4 ,in vol4 iv4 p4 #cbb-cbc1 ,i mention a very remarkable vein of tyranny1 or exertion of arbitrary power1 practised in that period1#adf3a and which came to my knowledge since the first publication of that volume4 ,there are many other improvements and alterations throughout the whole2 and ,i am glad that ,millar has of himself made you an offer of this edition4 ,without flattering you ,i must say1 that there is nobody whom ,i more desire to see my writings as correct as ,i can make them2 and ,i was thinking to desire ,mr4 ,millar to make you this offer4 ,but there is no end of correcting4 ,in this new edition1 vol4 v4 p4 #bje1 ,i have inserted a pretty curious story of ,sir ,george ,markham1 which ,i took from ,lord ,lansdowne1 whom ,i esteemed safe authority for a ,whig story3 but ,i have since been shown ,hobart's ,reports1 which is infinitely more authentic than ,lord ,lansdowne2 and the story is there told so entirely1 as to justify the ,king and the ,star-chamber1 so that you may still reproach me that the villanous leaven is not entirely purged off4#adf3b ,i am engaged in no work at present2 but if ,i tire of idleness1 or more properly speaking1 of reading for amusement1 ,i may probably continue my ,history4 ,my only discouragement is1 that ,i cannot hope to finish this work in my closet1 but must apply to the great for papers and intelligence1 a thing ,i mortally abhor4 ,is it not hard and tyrannical in you1 more hard and tyrannical than any act of the ,stuarts1 not to allow me to publish my ,dialogues8 ,pray1 do you not think that a proper dedication may atone for what is exceptionable in them8 ,i am become much of my friend ,corbyn ,morrice's mind1 who says1 that he writes all his books for the sake of the dedications4 ,i am very glad to hear from ,lord ,minto1 that you intend to pass a great part of the ensuing summer in this country4 ,though you be now become a great man1 ,i doubt not but ,i should receive very much satisfaction from your society and conversation2 that is1 if ,i be not jostled out by suitors who press in upon me4 ,meanwhile1 ,i am1 dear sir1 your affectionate friend and servant4#adg3a ,he writes to ,millar1 on #ajth ,march1 #agfc1 ,i am in a good measure idle at present3 but if ,i tire of this way of life1 ,i shall certainly continue my ,history1 and have no thoughts of any other work4 ,but in this state of affairs1 ,i suppose your people of rank and quality would throw the door in my face1 because ,i am a ,scotsman4#adg3b ,and again at a later date3 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,edinburgh1 #bhth ,march1 #agfc4 ,i never lose view of the project of continuing my ,history4 ,i may perhaps very soon gather silently together the books which will enable me to sketch out the reigns of ,king ,william and ,queen ,anne1 and shall finish them afterwards1 together with that of ,george ,i41 in ,london4 ,but to tell you the truth1 ,i have an aversion to appear in that capital till ,i see that more justice is done to me with regard to the preceding volumes4 ,the languishing sale of this edition makes me conjecture that the time is not yet come2 and the general rage against the ,scots is an additional discouragement4 ,i think the ,scotch minister is obliged to make me some compensation for this4 ,i am told that ,mr4 ,ralph is dead1 who had certainly made a large collection of books and pamphlets for his work4 ,i should be glad to know into whose hands they are fallen1 and would purchase them if they could be got at a reasonable price4 ,i hear ,dr4 ,armstrong has sent you over a most violent renunciation of ,wilkes's friendship4#adh3a ,wilkes is indeed very blamable in indulging himself so much in national reflections2 which are low1 vulgar1 and ungenerous1 and come with a bad grace from him1 who conversed so much with our countrymen4 ,my compliments to ,mrs4 ,millar1 who1 ,i hope1 will favour me with a visit this summer4 ,i am1 dear sir1 yours sincerely4#adh3b ,on the same day he writes to ,adam ,smith3 ,i set up a chaise in ,may next1 which will give me the liberty of travelling about2 and you may be sure a journey to ,glasgow will be one of the first ,i shall undertake4 ,i intend to require1 with great strictness1 an account how you have been employing your leisure1 and ,i desire you to be ready for that purpose4 ,wo be to you if the balance be against you6 ,your friends here will also expect that ,i should bring you with me4#adi3a ,a few letters written at this time to his friends1 on the subject of the arrears of half-pay due for his services as judge-advocate1#adi3b afford the following passages of general interest4 ,to ,oswald he says1 on #c;d ,april-- ,i shall add1 that it is the only thing in my life ,i ever asked1 it is the only thing ,i ever shall ask1 and consequently1 it is the only thing ,i ever shall obtain4 ,those who assist me in procuring it do me a great favour1 and ,i very willingly stand obliged to my friends for their good offices3 but of the government and ministry1 ,i ask it as my due4 ,i imagined that after ,lord ,bute's consent was obtained1 all difficulties had been surmounted4#adi3c ,to another correspondent he says1-- ,to tell you the truth1 dear ,crawford1 ,i made it a rule from the beginning of my life never to seek a favour of any man2 and this humour1 which1 if you be very indulgent to me1 you will call modesty1 if less so1 pride1 ,i was unwilling to relinquish1 after having maintained it through my youth1 and during more difficult circumstances than those in which ,i am at present placed4#adi3d ,hume1 like every ,scotsman of his day1 who concerned himself with any thing beyond his own domestic circle1 took a deep interest in the progress of the ,douglas cause4 ,it is difficult1 at the present day1 to conceive the excitement which this litigation between private parties occasioned in the public mind4 ,men about to meet each other in company1 used to lay an injunction on themselves not to open their lips on the subject1 so fruitful was it in debates and brawls2 and yet too often found that their prudence was no match for their enthusiasm4 ,hume adopted the view that the alleged children of ,lady ,jane ,douglas were spurious4 ,the ,court of ,session decided in favour of this opinion by a majority of one2 but their decision was afterwards reversed by the ,house of ,lords4 ,the reversal occasioned many severe animadversions on ,lord ,mansfield1 both by ,hume and his friends4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,edinburgh1 #bast ,july1 #agfc4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,to-day is the grand question decided by our judges1 whether they will admit of any farther proof with regard to the ,douglas affair1 or whether they will rest contented with the proofs already produced4 ,their partiality is palpable and astonishing2 yet few people think that they will dare to refuse inquiring into facts so remarkable and so strongly attested4 ,they are at present sitting1 but ,i hope to tell you the issue in a postscript4 ,our friend ,johnstone#aej3a has wrote the most super-excellentest paper in the world1 which he has promised to send to you this evening in franks4 ,please to deliver the enclosed to ,colonel ,barr4 ,i am1 c4#aej3b ,we have already found one distinguished fellow-countryman of ,hume controversially attacking his works4 ,but another and greater critic was soon to appear4 ,dr4 ,thomas ,reid was preparing for the press his ,inquiry into the ,human ,mind1 which he published in #agfd4 ,his was the greatest mind which set itself in opposition to ,hume's system1 in ,british literature2 and he was great1 because he examined the works of the sceptical philosopher1 not in the temper of a wrangler or partisan1 but in the honest spirit of an investigator1 who is bound either to believe in the arguments he is examining1 or to set against them a system which will satisfy his own mind1 and the minds of other honest thinkers4 ,reid was born in #agaj1 and he was exactly a year older than ,hume1 for the birth-day of both was on the #bfth of ,april4#aea3a ,the philosopher of common sense1 thus brought the accumulated thought and learning of advanced years to bear on a series of works which the sceptic had commenced in early youth4 ,there is something in ,reid's method of laying down his principles1 and explaining their application1 that disinclines the reader to allow him the palm of original genius1 and suggests the idea that he is a personification of the natural sagacity and useful industry of his countrymen4 ,but this feeling arises more from his hatred of such apparent paradoxes as ,hume loved1 from his courting rather than avoiding what is familiar and intelligible1 and from the titles he gave to his books1 than from deficiency of true originality4 ,whether his merit lay in his genius or his industry1 he raised a new fabric of philosophy out of part of those fragments to which the sceptic had reduced previous systems4 ,the term common sense1 which he used to characterize his system1 had been long employed in philosophy2 and if bon sens may be held its equivalent1 it is to be found in the preliminary dissertation of a ,french translation of ,hume's miscellaneous essays1 published in the same year as ,reid's ,inquiry4#aeb3a ,here1 and occasionally by ,reid1 it is used in its popular sense1 expressing philosophical opinions derived from the general notions of mankind4 ,in this sense it is an application of induction to mental operations4 ,it views the opinions of men at large as so many experimental facts1 which1 as in the case of the physical operations of nature1 may be subjected to the rules of induction4 ,hume himself held that mental phenomena are as regular1 and as capable of having laws of nature applied to them1 as physical phenomena4 ,but even if he were right1 there is a disturbing influence at force in the circumstance1 that1 as the operation of induction is itself a phenomenon of the same class with those professed to be subjected to its observation1 the philosopher is apt to embody in his writings the intuitions1 if they may be so termed1 of his own mind1 instead of giving such an accurate transcript of the results of external observation as the physical inquirer is generally enabled to present4 ,indeed1 it is in promulgating the convictions of his own mind as a metaphysical thinker1 more than in his avowed project of inducting from the common phenomena of the every-day world1 that ,reid's writings are most valuable4 ,in the one case he has told us how far ,hume's philosophy is at variance with the general opinions of mankind2 in which he is met by the comprehensive argument1 that ,hume may1 nevertheless1 be right1 and the rest of mankind wrong4 ,but in travelling beyond his avowed object he certainly has anticipated many of those metaphysical arguments1 on which the basis of the sceptical philosophy has been attacked2 and the world has1 perhaps1 yet to learn how far the great system of the ,german philosophers is under obligations to this powerful thinker4#aec3a ,before he put his ,inquiry into the ,human ,mind1 to press1 ,reid desired1 through ,blair's interposition1 to subject the manuscript to ,hume's inspection4 ,fearing that this work might too closely follow the ,warburton school1 ,hume met the application with the rather petulant remark3 ,i wish that the parsons would confine themselves to their old occupation of worrying one another1 and leave philosophers to argue with temper1 moderation1 and good manners4 ,but1 after inspecting the manuscript1 he thus addressed its author3 ,by ,dr4 ,blair's means1 ,i have been favoured with the perusal of your performance1 which ,i have read with great pleasure and attention4 ,it is certainly very rare that a piece so deeply philosophical is wrote with so much spirit1 and affords so much entertainment to the reader2 though ,i must still regret the disadvantages under which ,i read it1 as ,i never had the whole performance at once before me1 and could not be able fully to compare one part with another4 ,to this reason1 chiefly1 ,i ascribed some obscurities1 which1 in spite of your short analysis1 or abstract1 still seem to hang over your system2 for ,i must do you the justice to own that1 when ,i enter into your ideas1 no man appears to express himself with greater perspicuity than you do2 a talent which1 above all others1 is requisite in that species of literature which you have cultivated4 ,there are some objections1 which ,i would willingly propose1 to the chapter ,of sight1 did ,i not suspect that they proceed from my not sufficiently understanding it2 and ,i am the more confirmed in this suspicion1 as ,dr4 ,blair tells me that the former objections ,i made1 had been derived chiefly from that cause4 ,i shall therefore forbear till the whole can be before me1 and shall not at present propose any further difficulties to your reasonings4 ,i shall only say that1 if you have been able to clear up these abstruse and important subjects1 instead of being mortified1 ,i shall be so vain as to pretend to a share of the praise2 and shall think that my errors1 by having at least some coherence1 had led you to make a more strict review of my principles1 which were the common ones1 and to perceive their futility4 ,as ,i was desirous to be of some use to you1 ,i kept a watchful eye all along over your style2 but it is really so correct1 and so good ,english1 that ,i found not any thing worth the remarking4 ,there is only one passage in this chapter1 where you make use of the phrase1 hinder to do1 instead of hinder from doing1 which is the ,english one2 but ,i could not find the passage when ,i sought for it4 ,you may judge how unexceptionable the whole appeared to me1 when ,i could remark so small a blemish4 ,i beg my compliments to my friendly adversaries1 ,dr4 ,campbell1 and ,dr4 ,gerard1 and also to ,dr4 ,gregory1 whom ,i suspect to be of the same disposition1 though he has not openly declared himself such4#aed3a ,this letter called forth the following answer1 valuable as an acknowledgment of the services which the ,scottish school of philosophy owed to ,hume4 ,,dr4 ,,reid to ,,hume4 ,king's ,college1 #ahth ,march1 #agfc4 ,,sir1--,on ,monday last1 ,mr4 ,john ,farquhar brought me your letter of ,february #beth1 enclosed in one from ,dr4 ,blair4 ,i thought myself very happy in having the means of obtaining at second-hand1 through the friendship of ,dr4 ,blair1 your opinion of my performance3 and you have been pleased to communicate it directly in so polite and friendly a manner1 as merits great acknowledgments on my part4 ,your keeping a watchful eye over my style1 with a view to be of use to me1 is an instance of candour and generosity to an antagonist1 which would affect me very sensibly1 although ,i had no personal concern in it1 and ,i shall always be proud to follow so amiable an example4 ,your judgment of the style1 indeed1 gives me great consolation1 as ,i was very diffident of myself in regard to ,english1 and have been indebted to ,drs4 ,campbell and ,gerard for many corrections of that kind4 ,in attempting to throw some new light upon these abstruse subjects1 ,i wish to preserve the due mean betwixt confidence and despair4 ,but whether ,i have any success in this attempt or not1 ,i shall always avow myself your disciple in metaphysics4 ,i have learned more from your writings in this kind1 than from all others put together4 ,your system appears to me not only coherent in all its parts1 but likewise justly deduced from principles commonly received among philosophers2 principles which ,i never thought of calling in question1 until the conclusions you draw from them in the ,treatise of ,human ,nature made me suspect them4 ,if these principles are solid1 your system must stand2 and whether they are or not1 can better be judged after you have brought to light the whole system that grows out of them1 than when the greater part of it was wrapped up in clouds and darkness4 ,i agree with you1 therefore1 that if this system shall ever be demolished1 you have a just claim to a great share of the praise1 both because you have made it a distinct and determinate mark to be aimed at1 and have furnished proper artillery for the purpose4 ,when you have seen the whole of my performance1 ,i shall take it as a very great favour to have your opinion upon it1 from which ,i make no doubt of receiving light1 whether ,i receive conviction or no4 ,your friendly adversaries1 ,drs4 ,campbell and ,gerard1 as well as ,dr4 ,gregory1 return their compliments to you respectfully4 ,a little philosophical society here1 of which all the three are members1 is much indebted to you for its entertainment4 ,your company would1 although we are all good ,christians1 be more acceptable than that of ,st4 ,athanasius2 and since we cannot have you upon the bench1 you are brought oftener than any other man to the bar1 accused and defended with great zeal1 but without bitterness4 ,if you write no more in morals1 politics1 or metaphysics1 ,i am afraid we shall be at a loss for subjects4 ,i am1 respectfully1 sir1 your most obliged humble servant4 ,,thomas ,,reid4#aef3a ,,footnotes3 #aba3a ,the works prepared by the ,record ,commission1 whether it be true or not that it has failed to fulfil the services expected from so large an expenditure of the public money1 present the sources of ,british history on a very different scale from that in which they appeared before ,hume2 and if he had lived in the present day1 he would not have attempted to write the history of the first fourteen centuries in less than three years2 or1 attempting it1 would have palpably overlooked materials which1 in his own time1 he could not have found access to4 ,among such sources may be viewed1 ,domesday ,book1 the ,rotuli ,hundredorum1 the many records of the various courts of justice1 the ,parliamentary writs1 or writs of military summons1 together with the records and muniments relating to the suit and service due and performed to the king's high court of parliament and the councils of the realm1 as affording evidence of attendance given at parliaments and councils2 the remains of ,anglo-,saxon legislation1 collected under the name of ,ancient laws and institutions of ,england1 and the ,ancient laws and institutes of ,wales4 ,to these must be added the many antiquarian labours of private individuals or societies1 such as the county histories1 the works circulated by the numerous book clubs1 and the inquiries into the early ecclesiastical history1 which the controversies on church polity1 for which this age is becoming peculiar1 have excited4 ,the publication of charters and other documents connected with private rights has opened a means of becoming acquainted with contemporary habits and institutions1 slow certainly but sure4 ,besides his labours in the ,record ,commission1 ,sir ,francis ,palgrave has excavated much curious but not attractive matter1 of which the world will never know the value till some ,hume shall arise to give it shape and symmetry4 ,it has been a usual practice to rank those who1 by such critical inquiries1 ascertain the truth regarding minute historical propositions1 in the category of harmless drudges4 ,but perhaps the character has been applied to the really useful workers in this field1 as inaptly as it was appropriated by ,dr4 ,johnson to the race of ,lexicographers1 in a moment of bitter cynicism4 ,antiquarianism1 archology1 palology1 or whatever name it may receive1 is a field in which there are many paltry workers2 and these are sometimes1 from adventitious circumstances1 conspicuous enough to give a tone in popular estimation to the science4 ,dates are but one1 and perhaps an inferior branch1 of the subject2 yet the labours of ,petau1 of ,antine ,durand and ,clemencet the authors of the ,art de vrifier les dates1 of ,newton1 ,hailes1 and ,nicolas1 would be enough to vindicate the dignity of this species of inquiry4 ,it is1 indeed1 an essential one to history2 and where it has been vaguely or unscientifically applied1 the foundations of historical speculation are rotten4 ,the prevalent failing of antiquaries is the inability to distinguish the important from the trifling2 to perceive that the labour which might be necessary to fix the era of the restoration of the study of the civil law in ,europe1 would be ill bestowed on an inquiry into the foundation of some inconsiderable rectorship1 or the birth of some undistinguished landed proprietor4 ,but there is perhaps as much worthless historical ,speculation as trifling ,antiquarianism extant in literature4 ,but it does not follow in either case1 from the defects of the injudicious1 that the able and accomplished followers of the subject were ill employed4 ,a late and signal instance may be adduced of the intimate connexion of the speculative and the minute departments of history4 ,dr4 ,allen1 in his ,inquiry into the rise and progress of the royal prerogative1 maintaining that the older kings of ,england did not perform public acts until they had taken the coronation oath of fidelity to the people1 found that there was just one exception1 in the case of ,richard ,,ii4 which disconcerted his theory4 ,it was subsequently shown by ,sir ,harris ,nicolas1 in his ,chronology of ,history1 that in ,rymer's ,fdera1 and other public documents1 the regnal years of that reign had been by mistake antedated a year4 ,but while it does not follow that the one occupation is less dignified than the other1 it is pretty clear that they cannot1 to any great extent1 be both followed by the same person4 ,the limits of human capacity1 and the shortness of human life1 seem to forbid such an union2 for literature has produced no one who unites the qualities of a ,camden1 a ,mabillon1 and a ,montfouon1 with those of a ,hume and a ,montesquieu1 though ,gibbon and ,niebuhr have perhaps come nearest to the union4 ,mr4 ,d',israeli says1 7,curiosities of ,literature1 ii4 #ahb17 ,the time has perhaps arrived1 when antiquaries may begin to be philosophers1 and philosophers antiquaries4 ,the unhappy separation of erudition from philosophy1 and of philosophy from erudition1 has hitherto thrown impediments in the progress of the human mind1 and the history of man4 ,but unless that author has himself achieved the united title1 by showing that ,james ,i4 was a man of great mind1 and by characterizing political economy as a mere confusion of words1 the combination appears not to have yet been accomplished2 and indeed the simple physical impossibility of the same person who brings the fabric to perfection1 having time to produce the raw materials1 seems to render it necessary that in all such histories as that which ,hume undertook1 the antiquary shall precede the historian4 #abi3a ,it does not appear that even the surreptitious fragments of ,voltaire's work were printed earlier than the year in which the first volume of the ,history of the ,stuarts was published--#aged4 ,in the ,essai1 ,voltaire thus contrasts ,hume's sagacity as an historian with the propagators of monkish legends4 ,les moines ,frdegaire et ,aimoin le disent3 mais ces moines1 sont-ils des ,de ,thou et des ,humes8 ,edit4 #aghe1 vol4 i4 p4 #bce4 #acb3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #acc3a ,it must be observed1 that this method of referring to authorities and collating them1 is1 even by ,hume's account of it1 one which a scrupulous investigator would call slovenly4 ,the admission of any authorities at second hand is1 to the extent to which it may be carried1 a breach of the historian's duty4 ,to make sure that he had rightly estimated their meaning on a first perusal1 he should have collated all his references in proof4 #acd3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #acd3b ,in a letter to ,millar1 dated #hth ,october1 #agfc1 he says1 on the occasion of receiving a copy of a series of engravings1 which have not yet been surpassed1 ,i have been obliged to ,mr4 ,strange for a present of all his prints4 ,he is a very worthy man1 whom ,i value much1 and therefore ,i desire you would send him a copy of this new edition of my ,history4 #ace3a ,in a letter to ,millar1 of #fth ,april1 #ageh1 7,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 he thus alludes to ,smollett's work3 ,i am afraid the extraordinary run upon ,dr4 ,smollett1 has a little hurt your sales2 but these things are only temporary4 #ace3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #acg3a ,information communicated by ,joseph ,grant1 ,esq4 #acg3b ,this is shown by a paper of no great importance in itself1 among the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,it is simply a document of instructions for defending an action against ,hume1 by a builder for repairs4 ,it is in his own hand1 and begins1-- ,at ,whitsunday last1 ,mr4 ,boswell1 advocate1 left ,mr4 ,hume's house in ,james's ,court2 and ,lady ,wallace1 dowager1 came to it4 ,mrs4 ,boswell at that time sent for ,adam ,gillies1 mason1 to repair some plaister which was broken4 ,having by this means got access to the house1 he went about and teased ,lady ,wallace1 by telling her that many other things needed repairs4 ,she frequently bid him let her alone1 for she saw no occasion to trouble the landlord for any thing4 ,notwithstanding this1 he came to ,mr4 ,hume1 and told him that the stone pavement in the kitchen1 under the coal bunker1 was all shattered1 and must be repaired2 and that he was sent by ,lady ,wallace to tell him so4 ,mr4 ,hume having entire trust in ,lady ,wallace's discretion1 gave him orders to repair that pavement of the bunker4 ,gillies brought him in an account for many other repairs on the pavement of the kitchen4 ,mr4 ,hume told him that he had exceeded his orders2 and that he would not pay him till he should see ,lady ,wallace1 who was at that time in the country4 ,when she came to town1 she told ,mr4 ,hume the fact1 and that ,gillies had come to him1 not only without her orders but contrary to them4 ,at the same time1 ,mrs4 ,boswell1 who had lived two years in the house1 told him1 that when she left it1 she saw nothing in the kitchen pavement which needed repairs4 ,mr4 ,hume therefore refused to pay ,gillies for any thing1 except for the plaister1 and also for whitening the kitchen1 for which he had orders4 ,this is the cause before the court4 #ach3a ,it is supposed to have been of ,hume that1 when some one1 in ,mrs4 ,piozzi's presence1 observed1 that he had the lumires1 ,johnson said1 ,just enough to light him to hell4 ,boswell mentions his having uttered a remark about ,hume1 too gross to be committed to paper4 ,it is said that1 when in ,hume's presence1 a mutual friend offered to make ,johnson acquainted with him1 the author of the ,rambler roared out1 ,no1 sir4 #adj3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ada3a ,it is pretty well known1 that he managed to persuade ,garrick that a niche would be found1 in the life of the first commander of his day1 for the first dramatist of the succeeding generation4 ,the manager immediately asked if ,mallet had given up writing for the stage3 fortunately he discovered that he had not2 he had a manuscript play in his pocket4 ,with ,mrs4 ,mallet1 who was in all respects worthy of her husband1 ,hume had some acquaintance2 but he does not appear to have had much respect for her4 ,lord ,charlemont says1 ,i never saw him so much displeased1 or so much disconcerted1 as by the petulance of ,mrs4 ,mallet1 the conceited wife of ,bolingbroke's editor4 ,this lady1 who was not acquainted with ,hume1 meeting him one night at an assembly1 boldly accosted him in these words1 ',mr4 ,hume1 give me leave to introduce myself to you2 we ,deists ought to know each other4' ',madam1' replied he1 ',i am no ,deist2 ,i do not style myself so1 neither do ,i desire to be known by that appellation4'--,hardy's ,memoir of ,charlemont1 p4 #abb4 #adb3a ,this letter is not dated4 ,it may be questioned whether it be either the one referred to in the preceding1 or in the following letter by ,hume4 #adc3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #add3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #adf3a ,the alteration of the customs duties by the authority of the crown4 #adf3b ,the case of ,sir ,george ,markham1 who was fined #aj1jjj in the ,star-chamber1 for rudeness to a peer1 is not stated in the first edition4 ,in the latest editions1 the case is stated as it had been set down on ,lansdowne's authority1 and there is merely a note mentioning that ,hobart gives a different account of it4 ,see ,hobart1 p4 #abj4 #adg3a ,minto ,,mss4 #adg3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #adh3a ,the quarrel between ,wilkes and ,armstrong excited much interest4 ,they had been close friends1 and ,wilkes had advanced money to ,armstrong in his need4 ,the latter had ventured to pass a slight sarcasm on ,churchill1 who returned it ten-fold1 taking ,wilkes to his assistance1 who abused ,armstrong among the other ,scots1 in some letters in ,the ,public ,advertiser4 ,a very amusing and dramatic dialogue between them will be found in ,the ,gentleman's ,magazine for #aghb4 #adh3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #adi3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #adi3b ,see ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bba4 #adi3c ,memorials of ,oswald1 p4 #gi4 #adi3d ,scroll ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #aej3a ,william ,johnstone of ,westerhall1 afterwards ,sir ,william ,pulteney4 #aej3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #aea3a ,stewart's ,life of ,reid4 ,it is not stated whether the date is estimated by the old or the new style4 ,hume's birth-day is old style4 #aeb3a ,oeuvres ,philosophiques de ,m4 ,d4 ,hume1 c41 #d vols4 #abmo1 #agfd4 #aec3a ,when are the public to be in possession of ,sir ,william ,hamilton's edition of ,reid8 ,i have had the privilege of seeing the proof sheets of this work1 so far as it had proceeded1 before ill health had1 for a time1 interrupted the labours of the professor of logic4 ,the quantity of learning and deep thought concentrated in the commentary1 is such as1 perhaps1 but one man in this country could have brought together2 and the natural feeling suggested on the perusal was1 regret that so much of these qualities had been expended in notes and illustrative essays1 instead of being published in a separate work4 #aed3a ,stewart's ,life of ,reid4 #aef3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 #agfc-agfd4 t4 #eb-ec4 ,lord ,hertford's appointment to the ,french ,embassy1 and invitation to ,hume to accompany him--,correspondence on the occasion--,residence in ,london1 and remarks on the ,political ,movements of #agfc--,state of his reputation in ,france--,his ,arrival--,letters to friends at home about his flattering reception--,the young ,french princes--,observations on eminent ,french people--,his recommendations to a ,clergyman-- ,introductions of ,fellow ,countrymen4 ,on the conclusion of the treaty of #agfc1 the ,marquis of ,hertford was appointed ambassador to the court of ,france4 ,he invited ,hume to attend him as secretary2 and there is no reason to believe that the selection was owing to any other motive than the desire to place an able and honest man in office4 ,the ,marquis was a man of high moral character1 and his religious opinions appear to have been considered by some of his contemporaries as too zealous and exclusive4 ,the intercourse thus occasioned1 was the commencement of a lasting friendship1 in which the ,english ,marquis and the ,scottish philosopher1 however separated by nominal difference of rank1 had too genuine a respect for each other to be affected by such inequalities4 ,the intimacy extended to ,general ,seymour ,conway1 the brother of the ,marquis2 and ,hume's intercourse with them both1 tends to confirm the impression which the portraits of the two brothers convey to the present generation1 of dispositions open1 kind1 and artless4 ,in reference to this event1 ,hume says1 in his own life1 ,i retired to my native country of ,scotland1 determined never more to set my foot out of it2 and retaining the satisfaction of never having preferred a request to one great man1 or even making advances of friendship to any of them4 ,as ,i was now turned of fifty1 ,i thought of passing all the rest of my life in this philosophical manner1 when ,i received1 in #agfc1 an invitation from the ,earl of ,hertford1 with whom ,i was not in the least acquainted1 to attend him on his embassy to ,paris1 with a near prospect of being appointed secretary to the embassy1 and1 in the meanwhile1 of performing the functions of that office4 ,this offer1 however inviting1 ,i at first declined1 both because ,i was reluctant to begin connexions with the great1 and because ,i was afraid that the civilities and gay company of ,paris1 would prove disagreeable to a person of my age and humour3 but on his lordship's repeating the invitation1 ,i accepted of it4 ,i have every reason1 both of pleasure and interest1 to think myself happy in my connexions with that nobleman1 as well as afterwards with his brother1 ,general ,conway4 ,we have1 in his familiar correspondence1 a fuller account of his feelings on the occasion4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,edinburgh1 #ith ,august1 #agfc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1--,i have got an invitation1 accompanied with great prospects and expectations1 from ,lord ,hertford1 if ,i would accompany him1 though at first without any character1 in his embassy to ,paris4 ,i hesitated much on the acceptance of this offer1 though in appearance very inviting3 and ,i thought it ridiculous at my years1 to be entering on a new scene1 and to put myself in the lists as a candidate of fortune4 ,but ,i reflected that ,i had in a manner abjured all literary occupations2 that ,i resolved to give up my future life entirely to amusements2 that there could not be a better pastime than such a journey1 especially with a man of ,lord ,hertford's character2 and that it would be easy to prevent my acceptance from having the least appearance of dependance4 ,for these reasons1 and by the advice of every friend whom ,i consulted1 ,i at last agreed to accompany his lordship1 and ,i set out to-morrow for ,london4 ,i am a little hurried in my preparations2 but ,i could not depart without bidding you adieu1 my good friend1 and without acquainting you with the reasons of so sudden a movement4 ,i have not great expectations of revisiting this country soon2 but ,i hope it will not be impossible but we may meet abroad1 which will be a great satisfaction to me4 ,i am1 c4#aeh3a ,,hume to ,,baron ,,mure4 ,lisle ,st4 #ast ,sept4 #agfc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,baron1--,as ,i am not sure where you are1 nor whether this direction be right1 ,i am obliged to speak to you with reserve1 both of public affairs and of my own4 ,of the latter1 ,i shall only say1 that notwithstanding of my first reluctance1 ,i am entirely reconciled to my present situation1 and have a great prepossession1 or rather1 indeed1 a great esteem and affection for the person and family whom ,i am to accompany to ,france4 ,the prospect of my being secretary to the embassy is neither very distant nor is it immediate2 but ,lord ,hertford will certainly1 before our departure1 obtain a settlement for me for life2 which at any events will improve my fortune1 and is a great pledge of his friendship and regard4 ,i have insulted consulted ,elliot1 ,sir ,harry1 ,oswald1 and all our friends of that administration4 ,the former said to me1 that my situation was1 taking all its circumstances1 the most wonderful event in the world4 ,i was now a person clean and white as the driven snow2 and that were ,i to be proposed for the see of ,lambeth1 no objection could henceforth be made to me4 ,what makes the matter more extraordinary1 is1 that the idea first came into my patron's head1 without the suggestion of any one mortal4#aei3a ,you must have heard of the late most astonishing events with regard to public affairs4#aei3b ,yesterday ,lord ,bute had a pretty large company dining with him1 to whom he gave an account of the whole transactions1 and desired them to publish it4 ,one of them1 a friend of mine1 as soon as he went home1 took it down in writing1 of which he gave me a copy1 and which ,i transmit to you4 ,he is a military man1 and his style is not elegant2 but ,i am sure1 from another certain authority1 that the account is in the main just2 only ,i have reason to think that ,lord ,halifax was proscribed along with the rest2 at least he said so yesterday to a friend of mine4 ,i wish this high spirit of his ,m4 may be supported4 ,but femme qui coute et ville qui parle sont bientt rendues4 ,lord ,bute goes abroad very soon4 ,some pretend that the present administration is more enraged against him than is the opposition1 on account of his taking this important step without consulting them4 ,never in any history was there so curious a scene2 nor was there ever so formidable a demagogue as this man4 ,lord ,sandwich1 it is said1 will be secretary for some weeks2 our friend ,wood is so at present4 ,many of the leading men in the opposition were left out on ,mr4 ,pitt's plan2 which1 it is thought1 will breed dissensions among them4 ,i dined yesterday with ,lord ,chesterfield1 along with ,colonel ,irvine4 ,the ,colonel made an apology for our arriving so late1 on account of his being detained at court4 ',at court8' said my lord3 ',i should be glad to know what place that is4' ,dear ,mure1 yours4#afj3a ,in an earlier part of this work1 we have found ,hume narrating events of contemporary military history4 ,in the following1 as in the preceding letter1 he gives his version of a celebrated ministerial revolution1 of which the public is as yet possessed of no account which is not liable to doubt4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,lisle ,st4 #acth ,sept4 #agfc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,smith1--,the settlement which ,i had made in ,scotland was so much to my mind1 ,i had indeed struck root so heartily1 that it was with the utmost reluctance ,i could think of transplanting myself1 and ,i began to approach towards that age in which these experiments became no longer practicable with safety4 ,i own that1 on my arrival in ,london1 ,i found every circumstance more inviting than ,i had reason to expect2 particularly the characters of ,lord and ,lady ,hertford1 who are allowed to be the two persons the most unexceptionable among all the ,english nobility4 ,even that circumstance of ,lord ,hertford's character1 his great piety1 ought to make my connexions with him more agreeable1 both because it is not attended with any thing sour and rigid1 and because ,i draw the more honour from his choice1 while he overlooked so many seeming objections which lay against me on that head4 ,my fortune also receives a great addition during life from this connexion2 besides many openings to ambition1 were ,i so simple as to be exposed to temptation from that passion4 ,but1 notwithstanding all these considerations1 shall ,i tell you the truth8 ,i repine at my loss of ease and leisure1 and retirement and independence2 and it is not without a sigh ,i look backwards1 nor without reluctance that ,i cast my eye forwards4 ,is this sentiment an instinct which admonishes me of the situation most proper and suitable to me8 ,or is it a momentary disgust1 the effect of low spirits1 which company and amusement1 and a better state of health1 will soon dissipate and remove8 ,i must wait with patience till ,i see the decision of this question4 ,i find that one view of ,lord ,hertford in engaging me to go along with him is1 that he thinks ,i may be useful to ,lord ,beauchamp in his studies4 ,that young nobleman is generally spoke of as very amiable and very promising2 but ,i remember1 though faintly1 to have heard from you something to the contrary1 which you had heard from that severe critic1 ,mr4 ,herbert3 ,i should be obliged to you for informing me of it4 ,i have not yet seen my ,lord ,beauchamp1 who is at this time in ,paris4 ,we shall not leave ,london these three weeks4 ,you have1 no doubt1 heard of the strange jumble among our ministers1 and of the negotiation opened with ,mr4 ,pitt4 ,never story was told with such contrary circumstances as that of his secret conference with the king1 and of the terms demanded by that popular leader4 ,the general outlines of the whole story seem to be these3 ,lord ,bute1 disgusted with the ministers1 who had almost universally conspired to neglect him1 and suspecting their bottom to be too narrow1 had1 before ,lord ,egremont's death1 opened a negotiation with ,mr4 ,pitt1 by means of ,lord ,shelburne1 who employed ,calcraft the agent4 ,mr4 ,pitt says1 that he always declared it highly improper that he should be brought to the king1 before all terms were settled on such a footing as to render it impossible for them to separate without agreeing4 ,he accordingly thought they were settled4 ,his first conference with the king confirmed him in that opinion1 and he wrote to the ,duke of ,devonshire to come to town1 in order to place himself at the head of the treasury4 ,the ,duke of ,newcastle said1 at his table on ,sunday was a fortnight1 that the ministry was settled4 ,but when ,mr4 ,pitt came to the king that afternoon1 he found him entirely changed1 and every thing was retracted that had been agreed on4 ,this is his story4 ,the other party says1 that he rose in his terms1 and wanted to impose the most exorbitant conditions on his sovereign4 ,i suppose that the first conference passed chiefly in generals1 and that ,mr4 ,pitt would then be extremely humble1 and submissive1 and polite1 and dutiful in his expressions4 ,but when he came to particulars1 they did not seem to correspond with these appearances4 ,at least1 this is the best account ,i can devise of the matter1 consistent with the honour of both parties4 ,you would see the present ministry by the papers4 ,it is pretended that they are enraged against ,lord ,bute1 for negotiating without their knowledge or consent2 and that the other party are no less displeased with him for not finishing the treaty with them4 ,that nobleman declared his resolution of going abroad a week or two ago4 ,now he is determined to pass the winter in ,london4 ,our countrymen are visibly hurt in this justle of parties1 which ,i believe to be far from the intentions of ,lord ,bute4 ,lord ,shelburne resigned1 because he found himself obnoxious on account of his share in the negotiation4 ,i see you are much displeased with that nobleman1 but he always speaks of you with regard4 ,i hear that your pupil1 ,mr4 ,fitzmaurice1 makes a very good figure at ,paris4 ,it is generally thought that ,mr4 ,pitt has gained credit and force by this negotiation4 ,it turns the eyes of the public towards him4 ,it shows that the king can overlook personal resentment against him and ,lord ,temple4 ,it gains him the confidence of his own party1 who see that he was negotiating for the whole of them2 and puts people in mind of the ,french rhyme1--ville qui parle et femme qui coute4 ,you would hear that the case of the ,douglas is now made clear1 even in the eyes the most blinded and most prejudiced1 which ,i am glad of on account of our friends4 ,i am1 c4#afc3a ,the following notice1 by one who has unfortunately left nothing behind to show posterity the grounds on which his reputation rested1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,carlyle1 will be read with interest4 ,robertson has managed with great address3 he is principal1 chaplain1 minister1 historiographer1 and historian2 that is to say1 he has #ej a-year and a house1 certain1 besides what he can make by his books4 ,it was taken for granted that he was to resign his charge on being appointed historiographer with #bjj salary2 but that he will do at his leisure4 ,it is also supposed by his patrons1 that he is to write the ,history of ,britain in ten volumes quarto2 that also1 ,i presume1 7dreadful task17 he will execute at his leisure4 ,honest ,david ,home1 ,hume1 with the heart of all others that rejoices most at the prosperity of his friends1 was certainly a little hurt with this last honour conferred on ,robertson4 ,a lucky accident has given him relief4 ,the ,earl of ,hertford is appointed ambassador to ,france3 not very capable himself1 they have loaded him with an insignificant secretary1 one ,charles ,bunbury1 who1 for the sake of pleasure1 more than the thousand a-year1 solicited for the office4 ,hertford knew ,david1 and some good genius prompted him to ask him to go along and manage the business4 ,it is an honourable character3 he will see his friends in ,france4 ,if he tires1 he can return when he pleases4 ,bunbury will probably tire first1 and then ,david will become secretary4#afd3a ,the following letter1 without address1 appears to have been written to ,dr4 ,carlyle4 ,lisle ,street1 #aeth ,sept4 #agfc4 ,,dear ,,doctor1--,the case of poor ,blacklock gives me great distress2 and so much the more1 as ,i am afraid it is not in the power of any human being to relieve him4#afe3a ,his unhappiness seems to proceed from the infirmity of his body1 and the delicacy1 not to say weakness1 of his mind4 ,he has wrote to me letters full of the bitterest anguish1 on account of the treatment he meets with from his parishioners4 ,i believe it is not good2 but it is impossible not to think it exaggerated by his imagination3 and ,i am of your opinion that the same persecution1 partly real1 partly imaginary1 would follow him in every other settlement4 ,i had concerted with ,baron ,mure a very likely scheme for his removal2 but to what purpose would this serve1 if the same complaints must return in his new situation8 ,i agree with you1 that a small pension1 could it be obtained1 might bestow on him some degree of tranquillity2 but how to obtain it ,i profess ,i do not know1 as ,i suppose you will readily believe4 ,that door was never very wide for men of letters2 and is become still narrower than ever4 ,he proceeds1 in terms similar to those already recorded1 to state his satisfaction in the connexion with ,lord ,hertford1 and continues3-- ,i go to a place of the world which ,i have always admired the most2 and it is not easy to imagine a reception better than ,i have reason to expect4 ,what1 then1 can be wanting to my happiness8 ,i hope1 nothing2 or if any thing1 it will only be an age and temper better adapted to vanity and dissipation4 ,i beg of you to embrace ,mrs4 ,carlisle in my name1 and to assure her of my sincere respects4 ,i write no politics1 having now become a politician4 ,please address yourself to ,john ,hume for information on that head4 ,let him explain to you his patron's situation6666 ,pray1 is there any body such an idiot at present as to be a partisan of the ,douglas8 ,to obtain literary distinction in ,france at that time1 was to be received at court4 ,the star of ,germany had not yet risen in the horizon of literature1 and the great monarch and warrior of the ,teutonic tribes treated his native tongue as the speech of boors1 tried to distinguish himself in ,french literature1 and was ambitious of being received into equal companionship with the popular authors of ,france4 ,britain1 notwithstanding her series of illustrious names1 had not yet quite shaken off an air of provincialism4 ,shakspere was a strange wild genius1 full of barbarisms and abominable galimatias3 ,voltaire had said it1 and it was a judgment1 not an opinion4 ,some discontented ,frerons or ,arnauds1 might cavil against it3 but this was rebellion1 not controversy4 ,the greatness of our masters in science and philosophy was fully admitted2 but they were viewed as citizens of the great world of letters1 accidentally born in one of its more barren districts2 and they were scarcely more closely identified with the national literature of their country1 than ,linnus might be with that of ,sweden1 or ,tycho ,brahe with that of ,denmark4 ,in truth1 the apparent interregnum1 following the decline of the ,latin as the literary language of the world1 appeared likely to end in the establishment of the ,french as its successor4 ,such expectations gave to the literature of ,france a metropolitan air1 with which no other could cope2 and communicated to those natives of other places1 whose name was honoured in the ,french circles of letters1 a corresponding elevation4#afg3a ,hume would have been impervious to the most conclusive evidence on the subject1 if he had failed to know how greatly he was honoured among all the literary circles of the continent1 and particularly in those of the metropolis of literature4 ,lord ,elibank1 writing from ,paris1 on #aath ,may1 #agfc1 says to him1 ,no author ever yet attained to that degree of reputation in his own lifetime that you are now in possession of at ,paris2#afg3b and the extent of his fame was abundantly attested by others4#afg3c ,hume arrived in ,france on the #adth day of ,october1 #agfc4 ,of his reception1 his own letters will give the best account4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,fontainbleau1 #bfth ,oct4 #agfc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,smith1--,i have been three days at ,paris1 and two at ,fontainbleau1 and have every where met with the most extraordinary honours1 which the most exorbitant vanity could wish or desire4 ,the compliments of dukes and marischals of ,france1 and foreign ambassadors1 go for nothing with me at present3 ,i retain a relish for no kind of flattery but that which comes from the ladies4 ,all the courtiers1 who stood around when ,i was introduced to ,madame de ,pompadour1 assured me that she was never heard to say so much to any man2 and her brother1 to whom she introduced me1----#afi3a ,but ,i forget already1 that ,i am to scorn all the civilities of men4 ,however1 even ,madame ,pompadour's civilities were1 if possible1 exceeded by those of the ,duchesse de ,choiseul1 the wife of the favourite and ,prime ,minister1 and one of the ladies of the most distinguished merit in ,france4 ,not contented with the many obliging things she said to me on my first introduction1 she sent to call me from the other end of the room1 in order to repeat them1 and to enter into a short conversation with me3 and not contented with that1 she sent the ,danish ambassador after me1 to assure me1 that what she said was not from politeness1 but that she seriously desired to be in friendship and correspondence with me4 ,there is not a courtier in ,france1 who would not have been transported with joy1 to have had the half of these obliging things said to him by either of these great ladies2 but what may appear more extraordinary1 both of them1 as far as ,i could conjecture1 have read with some care all my writings that have been translated into ,french1--that is1 almost all my writings4 ,the king said nothing particular to me1 when ,i was introduced to him2 and 7can you imagine it7 ,i was become so silly1 as to be a little mortified by it1 till they told me1 that he never says any thing to any body the first time he sees them4 ,the ,dauphin1 as ,i am told from all hands1 declares himself on every occasion very strongly in my favour2 and many people assure me1 that ,i have reason to be proud of his judgment1 even were he an individual4 ,i have scarce seen any of the geniuses of ,paris1 who1 ,i think1 have in general great merit1 as men of letters4 ,but every body is forward to tell me the high panegyrics ,i receive from them2 and you may believe that ----#agj3a approbation which has procured me all these civilities from the courtiers4 ,i know you are ready to ask me1 my dear friend1 if all this does not make me very happy3 ,no1 ,i feel little or no difference4 ,as this is the first letter ,i write to my friends at home1 ,i have amused myself1 7and ,i hope ,i have amused you17 by giving you a very abridged account of these transactions4 ,but can ,i ever forget1 that it is the very same species1 that would scarce show me common civilities a very few years ago at ,edinburgh1 who now receive me with such applauses at ,paris8 ,i assure you1 ,i reap more internal satisfaction from the very amiable manners and character of the family in which ,i live1 7,i mean ,lord and ,lady ,hertford1 and ,lord ,beauchamp17 than from all these external vanities2 and it is that domestic enjoyment which must be considered as the agreeable circumstance in my situation4 ,during the two last days1 in particular1 that ,i have been at ,fontainbleau ,i have suffered 7the expression is not improper7 as much flattery as almost any man has ever done in the same time4 ,but there are few days in my life1 when ,i have been in good health1 that ,i would not rather pass over again4 ,mr4 ,neville1 our minister1 an honest1 worthy ,english gentleman1 who carried me about1 was astonished at the civilities ,i met with2 and has assured me1 that on his return1 he will not fail to inform the king of ,england and the ,english ministry of all these particulars4 ,but enough of all these follies4 ,you see ,i trust to your friendship1 that you will forgive me2 and to your discretion1 that you will keep my secret4 ,i had almost forgot1 in these effusions1 shall ,i say of my misanthropy or my vanity1 to mention the subject which first put my pen in my hand4 ,the ,baron d',holbach1 whom ,i saw at ,paris1 told me1 that there was one under his eye that was translating your ',theory of ,moral ,sentiments2' and desired me to inform you of it4#aga3a ,mr4 ,fitzmaurice1 your old friend1 interests himself strongly in this undertaking4 ,both of them wish to know1 if you propose to make any alterations on the work1 and desire you to inform me of your intentions in that particular4 ,please direct to me under cover to the ,earl of ,hertford at ,northumberland ,house1 ,london4 ,letters so directed will be sent to us at ,paris4 ,i desire my compliments to all friends4 ,i am1 my dear ,smith1 yours sincerely4#agb3a ,,hume to ,,professor ,,ferguson4 ,fontainbleau1 #ith ,nov4 #agfc4 ,,dear ,,ferguson1--,i have now passed four days at ,paris1 and about a fortnight in the court at ,fontainbleau1 amidst a people who1 from the royal family downwards1 seem to have it much at heart to persuade me1 by every expression of esteem1 that they consider me as one of the greatest geniuses in the world4 ,i am convinced that ,louis ,,xiv4 never1 in any three weeks of his life1 suffered so much flattery3 ,i say suffered1 for it really confounds and embarrasses me1 and makes me look sheepish4 ,lord ,hertford has told them they will chase me out of ,france1 coup de complimens et de louanges4 ,our friend1 ,general ,clerk1 came to this place after ,i had passed a week in it2 and the first thing he said to me was1 that he was sure ,i had never passed so many days with so little satisfaction4 ,i asked him how he had happened to guess so well4 ,he said1 because he knew me1 and knew the ,french4 ,i really wish often for the plain roughness of the ,poker1#agb3b and particularly the sharpness of ,dr4 ,jardine1 to correct and qualify so much lusciousness4 ,however1 ,i meet sometimes with incidents that please me1 because they contain no mixture of ,french complaisance or exaggeration4 ,yesterday ,i dined at the ,duc de ,praslin's1 the secretary of state4 ,after we had risen from dinner1 ,i went into a corner to converse with somebody2 when ,i saw enter the room1 a tall gentleman1 a little elderly1 with a riband and star1 who immediately called out to the ,duchesse de ,praslin1 ',h1 ,madame la ,duchesse1 que je suis content1 j'ai vu ,monsieur ,hume la cour aujourd'hui4' ,upon inquiry1 ,i was told he was a man of quality1 esteemed one of the cleverest and most sensible about the court4 ,in two or three days we return to ,paris1 where ,i hope to live more at my ease1 and shall pass my time with really great men2 for there are such at present amongst the literati of ,france4 ,certainly there is something perverse1 either in the structure of our mind1 or in the incidents of life4 ,my present situation ought naturally to appear an object of envy2 for besides those circumstances of an universal good reception from all ranks of people1 nothing can be more amiable than the character of the family with whom ,i live1 and nothing can be more friendly than their behaviour to me4 ,my fortune has already received a considerable increase by a pension procured me by ,lord ,hertford1 and settled as they tell me for life4 ,mr4 ,bunbury has been told that he must not go to ,paris1 which my lord considers as a sure prelude to my being soon secretary to the embassy2 an office which will expose me to little expense1 and bring me a thousand a-year increase of revenue1 and puts me in the road to all the great foreign employments4 ,yet ,i am sensible that ,i set out too late1 and that ,i am misplaced2 and ,i wish1 twice or thrice a-day1 for my easy chair and my retreat in ,james's ,court6 ,never think1 dear ,ferguson1 that as long as you are master of your own fireside and your own time1 you can be unhappy1 or that any other circumstance can make an addition to your enjoyment4 ,when ,i think of my own house1 you may believe ,i often reflect on ,josey1 who ,i am afraid will be more a loser by my absence1 than ever ,i shall be a gainer by it2 ,i mean in point of his education4 ,i beg of you to have some inspection over him1 and as often as my sister shall send to you to ask your advice1 that you will be sure to give it4 ,i am afraid that there occurs a difficulty at present about entering him to the ,greek4 ,he is too far advanced by his learning for the class in the ,high ,school to which he is put1 and yet he is too young to go to the college3 for this reason ,i thought that he might learn something of the ,greek before he finished his ,latin course1 as is the practice in ,england2 and1 accordingly1 ,murray in ,musselburgh gave him some lessons in that language4 ,i propose that he should continue on the same footing in ,edinburgh2 but ,i am at a loss how it may be done4 ,a master to himself alone1 would not give him any emulation2 and were he put to any other school for this purpose1 the hours would interfere with those of the ,high ,school4 ,be so good as speak to ,mathison1 and then give your opinion to my sister4 ,please remember me to ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,adams4#agd3a ,i saw ,willie a moment at ,fontainbleau3 he had arrived a quarter of an hour after ,jemmy left it1 whom ,i did not see4 ,these two brothers have been hunting one another in vain through all ,france2 but ,i hope they have met at last in ,paris4 ,when you favour me with a letter1 put it under cover to the ,earl of ,hertford1 and direct it to him at ,northumberland ,house1 in the ,strand2 letters so directed come to us with the greatest safety4 ,make my compliments to ,baron ,mure1 and ,mrs4 ,mure1 and all that family4 ,i shall write to the ,baron soon4 ,tell ,dr4 ,blair that ,i have conversed here twice or thrice with the ,duchesse ,d',aiguillon1 who has been amusing herself with translating passages of ,ossian2 and ,i have assured her that the authenticity of those poems is to be proved soon beyond all contradiction4 ,andrew ,stuart is here at present3 ,i meet with nobody here that doubts of the justice of his cause4 ,i hope your fine judges will at last be ashamed of their scandalous partiality4 ,i should be glad to hear of all friends4 ,i am1 dear ,ferguson1 with great sincerity and without flattery1 your affectionate friend and servant4 ,p4,s4--,i beg you to keep the follies of the above letter to yourself4 ,i had a letter from ,lord ,marischal to-day1 who tells me that he is to pass the winter at ,edinburgh4 ,wait often on him2 you will like him extremely3 carry all our friends to him1 and endeavour to make him pass his time as agreeably as possible4#age3a ,we shall have farther opportunities of observing the affectionate anxiety with which ,hume watched over the education of his nephews4 ,adam ,ferguson appears to have undertaken the task of noticing the progress of ,joseph1 the elder nephew1 during ,hume's absence1 to whom he writes1 in answer to the above3-- ,edinburgh1 #bfth ,nov4 #agfc4 ,at present his journal1 as he tells me1 begins with getting up at eight1 taking his breakfast and going to school1 where he remains to eleven4 ,then to the ,high ,school ,yard to play at ,englishman and ,scotsman1 or the hare and the dogs2 of which ,i take the merit1 as ,i saved him from the writing-school at that hour4 ,he returns to school at twelve1 and continues till two3 goes to writing between three and four2 and spends his evenings1 as he tells me1 in getting his school tasks1 or in reading amusing books1--such as his uncle's history4 ,in short1 he is a very amiable boy1 with quick parts1 in my opinion as well as yours2 and there is no doubt but he will do well4 ,i am very glad of every thing that gives you pleasure1--even of some things that give you pain4 ,from all accounts1 both before and since you went to ,paris1 it might be foreseen that your reception1 even from sincere as well as affected admirers1 would amount to a degree of teasing4 ,but all for the best1 as my fellow philosopher1 ,pangloss1 says4 ,i don't care if you are chass de ,france coups de complimens1 et accabl en ,angleterre coups de richesse1 so as not to find any rest to the soles of your feet out of ,scotland4 ,i would fain consider every accession to your fortune as so many dishes added to the future dinners in ,james's ,court2 and your eclat in ,france1 as the forerunner of much variety of chosen and excellent wines from every quarter of that great kingdom4 ,meantime1 though ,i like to lounge at firesides in practice1 ,i have not1 in speculation1 that opinion you mention4 ,i know nothing that is necessary to happiness but cordiality and the talent of finding diversion in all places4 ,i remember1 somewhere1 a man's being told that he was too nice1 because he could not dine on a ragout1 and must have cold mutton4 ,but ,i should not1 perhaps1 contradict you so flatly1 nor rub so hard1 considering how tender your sensibility will be grown after so many lenient applications4#agf3a ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,robertson4 ,paris1 ,dec4 #a1 #agfc4 ,,dear ,,robertson1--,among other agreeable circumstances which attend me at ,paris1 ,i must mention that of having a lady for a translator2 a woman of merit1 the widow of an advocate4#agf3b ,she was1 before1 very poor1 and known but to few2 but this work has got her reputation1 and procured her a pension from the court1 which sets her at ease4 ,she tells me that she has got a habit of industry2 and would continue1 if ,i could point out to her any other ,english book she could undertake1 without running the risk of being anticipated by any other translator4 ,your ,history of ,scotland is translated1 and is in the press2 but ,i recommended to her your ,history of ,charles ,v41 and promised to write to you1 in order to know when it would be printed1 and to desire you to send over the sheets from ,london1 as they come from the press2 ,i should put them into her hands1 and she would1 by that means1 have the start of every other translator4#agg3a ,my two volumes last published1 are1 at present1 in the press4 ,she has a very easy natural style3 sometimes she mistakes the sense2 but ,i now correct her manuscript1 and should be happy to render you the same service1 if my leisure permit me1 as ,i hope it will4 ,do you ask me about my course of life8 ,i can only say1 that ,i eat nothing but ambrosia1 drink nothing but nectar1 breathe nothing but incense1 and tread on nothing but flowers6 ,every man ,i meet1 and1 still more1 every lady1 would think they were wanting in the most indispensable duty1 if they did not make a long and elaborate harangue in my praise4 ,what happened last week1 when ,i had the honour of being presented to the ,d----n's children1 at ,versailles1 is one of the most curious scenes ,i have yet passed through4 ,the ,duc de ,b41 the eldest1 a boy of ten years old1 stepped forth1 and told me how many friends and admirers ,i had in this country1 and that he reckoned himself in the number1 from the pleasure he had received from the reading of many passages in my works4 ,when he had finished1 his brother1 the ,count de ,p41 who is two years younger1 began his discourse1 and informed me1 that ,i had been long and impatiently expected in ,france2 and that he himself expected soon to have great satisfaction from the reading of my fine ,history4 ,but what is more curious2 when ,i was carried thence to the ,count ,d',a41 who is but four years of age1 ,i heard him mumble something which1 though he had forgot in the way1 ,i conjectured1 from some scattered words1 to have been also a panegyric dictated to him4 ,nothing could more surprise my friends1 the ,parisian philosophers1 than this incident4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is conjectured that this honour was paid me by express order from the ,d4#agh3a1 who1 indeed1 is not on any occasion sparing in my praise4 ,all this attention and panegyric was at first oppressive to me2 but now it sits more easy4 ,i have recovered1 in some measure1 the use of the language1 and am falling into friendships which are very agreeable2 much more so than silly1 distant admiration4 ,they now begin to banter me1 and tell droll stories of me1 which they have either observed themselves1 or have heard from others2 so that you see ,i am beginning to be at home4 ,it is probable that this place will be long my home4 ,i feel little inclination to the factious barbarians of ,london2 and have ever desired to remain in the place where ,i am planted4 ,how much more so1 when it is the best place in the world8 ,i could here live in great abundance on the half of my income2 for there is no place where money is so little requisite to a man who is distinguished1 either by his birth or by personal qualities4 ,i could run out1 you see1 in a panegyric on the people2 but you would suspect that this was a mutual convention between us4 ,however1 ,i cannot forbear observing on what a different footing learning and the learned are here1 from what they are among the factious barbarians abovementioned4 ,i have here met with a prodigious historical curiosity1 the ,memoirs of ,king ,james ,,ii4 in fourteen volumes1 all wrote with his own hand1 and kept in the ,scots ,college4 ,i have looked into it2 and have made great discoveries4#agi3a ,it will be all communicated to me3 and ,i have had an offer of access to the ,secretary of ,state's office1 if ,i want to know the despatches of any ,french minister that resided in ,london4 ,but these matters are much out of my head4 ,i beg of you to visit ,lord ,marischal1 who will be pleased with your company4 ,i have little paper remaining1 and less time2 and therefore conclude abruptly by assuring you that ,i am1 dear ,doctor1 yours sincerely1 c4#agi3b ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,paris1 #ast ,dec4 #agfc4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have here fallen upon a great treasure1 as ,i believe1 of historical knowledge2 which is1 fifteen volumes of the late ,king ,james's ,memoirs1 wrote all with his own hand4 ,i shall be able to make use of them for improving and correcting many passages of my ,history1 in case of a new edition2 which1 however1 ,i fancy will not be soon4 ,i am glad to see public affairs likely to settle in favour of government4 ,nobody ever led a more dissipated life than ,i do here4 ,please send to ,mr4 ,stewart1 in ,buckingham ,street1 six copies of the new edition of my ,history2 and two of the last large paper quarto1 all in sheets4 ,make them carefully up in a parcel3 he is to send them to me4 ,i shall be your debtor for the quartos4 ,i should be glad to hear from you4 ,my direction is at the ,english ambassador's4 ,excuse my hurry4 ,i beg my compliments to ,mrs4 ,millar4 ,i am1 very sincerely1 dear sir1 your most humble servant4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4#ahj3a ,,dear ,,doctor1--,i write every thing in haste1 except on public affairs1 which are the only serious matters ,i have leisure to mind3 so1 excuse this letter1 if it prove a scrawl4 ,i approve very much of your plan for ascertaining the authenticity of ,ossian's ,poems2 and ,i doubt not of your success4 ,i do not think you can publish all the letters you receive1 which nobody would read3 a summary of them will do better2 but endeavour to be as particular as you can with regard to names of persons and passages3 for the force of your argument will be there4 ,i have met here with enthusiasts for ,ossian's poetry2 but there are also several critics who are of my opinion1 that1 though great beauties1 they are also great curiosities1 and that they are a little tedious by reason of their uniformity4 ,you desire to know the particulars of my reception here1 and my course of life4 ,i own ,i write little upon this subject1 and always with some degree of secrecy1 both because ,i wish to have such intelligence conveyed by others rather than myself1 and because ,i am somewhat indifferent whether it be conveyed or not4 ,however1 ,i wrote some circumstances to ,robertson1 which ,i allow him to communicate to you4 ,i suppose this1 like all other violent modes1 will pass2 and1 in the meanwhile1 the hurry and dissipation attending it1 gives me more pain than pleasure4 ,never was there a stronger instance of the vanity of human wishes4 ,but this embarrassment proceeds chiefly from my own fault1 and from a vain anxiety to give no offence nor displeasure to any body4 ,the men of letters here are really very agreeable3 all of them men of the world1 living in entire1 or almost entire harmony among themselves1 and quite irreproachable in their morals4 ,it would give you1 and ,jardine1 and ,robertson1 great satisfaction to find that there is not a single deist among them4 ,those whose persons and conversation ,i like best1 are ,d',alembert1 ,buffon1 ,marmontel1 ,diderot1 ,duclos1 ,helvetius1 and old ,president ,henault1 who1 though now decaying1 retains that amiable character which made him once the delight of all ,france4 ,he had always the best cook and the best company in ,paris4 ,but though ,i know you will laugh at me1 as they do1 ,i must confess that ,i am more carried away from their society than ,i should be1 by the great ladies1 with whom ,i became acquainted at my first introduction to court1 and whom my connexions with the ,english ambassador will not allow me entirely to drop4 ,nothing can be more easy and agreeable than my situation with ,lord ,hertford1 who is a man of strict honour1 an amiable temper1 a good understanding1 and an elegant person and behaviour4 ,he takes very much in this place4 ,he has got an opinion very well founded1 that the more acquaintance ,i make1 and the greater intimacies ,i form with the ,french1 the more ,i am enabled to be of service to him3 so he exacts no attendance from me2 and is well pleased to find me carried into all kinds of company4 ,he tells me1 that if he did not meet me by chance in third places1 we should go out of acquaintance4 ,thus you see my present plan of life sketched out2 but it is unsuitable to my age and temper2 and ,i am determined to retrench and to abandon the fine folks1 before they abandon me4#aha3a ,during his absence1 ,hume's house was let to ,blair4 ,in this letter he gives pretty minute instructions as to the most advantageous distribution of the occupation of the apartments1 which incidentally illustrate his own domestic habits4 ,thus-- ,never put a fire in the south room with the red paper4 ,it is so warm of itself1 that all last winter1 which was a very severe one1 ,i lay with a single blanket2 and frequently upon coming in at midnight1 starving with cold1 have sat down and read for an hour1 as if ,i had had a stove in the room4 ,you think it inconvenient to take the house only for an interval4 ,alas6 my prospects of being home are very distant and very uncertain3 ,i am afraid ,i might say worse4 ,my connexions with ,lord ,hertford must probably last for some years2 after which1 ,i shall be rich enough to live in ,paris or ,london as ,i please1 or to retire to a provincial town in ,france1 or to ,bath1 or ,god knows whither4 ,i like to keep my house in case of accidents1 and therefore neither choose to sell it1 nor let a lease of it2 but there is no great chance of your being disturbed in it for some time4 ,i am1 c4 ,p4,s4--,pray1 do you not all pay court to the ,lord ,marischal8#ahb3a ,do you imagine that you ever saw so excellent a man8 or that you have any chance for seeing his equal if he were gone8 ,,hume to ,,colonel ,,edmondstoune4 ,paris1 #ith ,january1 #agfd4 ,,dear ,,edmondstoune1--,i was fully settled1 and1 as ,i thought1 for life at ,edinburgh2 had bought a very pretty little house1 which ,i had repaired and furnished to my fancy2 had purchased a chaise1 and fixed every thing about my family on such a footing as to continue there the rest of my days4 ,but while ,i was in this situation1 which was far from disagreeable1 ,i received a letter from my friend ,mr4 ,wood1 wrote by directions from ,lord ,hertford1 by which ,i was invited to attend his lordship in his embassy to ,paris1 and to perform the functions of secretary to the embassy4 ,i had never seen ,lord ,hertford1 though ,i had heard an excellent character of him2 but as ,i thought myself too old to enter on a new scene of life1 and found myself settled to my mind1 ,i at first refused the invitation2 but on its being urged more home to me1 ,i came up to ,london1 where ,i found that ,mr4 ,bunbury1 a gentleman of considerable fortune1 and married to the ,duke of ,richmond's sister1 had already been appointed secretary2 but was so disagreeable to the ambassador1 that he was resolved never to see1 or do business with his secretary1 and therefore desired ,i should attend him1 in order to perform the functions4 ,he also thought himself certain that ,bunbury could not possibly continue in the situation2 but in order to make me more secure1 he procured me a pension of #bjj a-year for life1 from the king4 ,as ,i became every day better acquainted with my lord1 ,i liked him every day better2 and ,i do not believe there is in the world a man of more probity or humanity1 endowed with a very good understanding1 and adorned with very elegant manners and behaviour4 ,my lady is also a person of great merit2 and nothing can be more amiable than my ,lord ,beauchamp3 so that you see ,i have every domestic means of happiness2 and the good reception ,i have met with at ,paris1 particularly1 as you observe1 by the ladies1 renders my present course of life1 though somewhat too hurried and dissipated1 as amusing as ,i could wish4 ,my lord appears zealously my friend1 and has urged the matter so home1 in my favour1 to the king and the ministers1 that he has obtained a promise1 that ,i shall soon have the appointments and commission of secretary to the embassy1 which is about #ajjj a-year1 added to what ,i already possess3 so that you see1 dear ,edmondstoune1 ,i am in the high road to riches2 and as there is no instance of a secretary to the embassy at ,paris1 that has not been advanced to the most considerable employments1 ,i am at the same time in the high road to dignities4 ,you must know1 that ,lord ,hertford has so high a character for piety1 that his taking me by the hand is a kind of regeneration to me1 and all past offences are now wiped off4 ,but all these views are trifling to one of my age and temper4 ,the material point is 7if any thing can be material17 that ,i keep my health and humour as entire as ,i possessed them at five and-twenty4 ,i am sorry to hear1 dear ,edmondstoune1 that the case is not the same with you1 at least with regard to the former2 and perhaps somewhat with regard to the latter4 ,your situation is no doubt tiresome1 and somewhat disagreeable4 ,what is the fancy of sending one of the first noblemen in the kingdom to pass years in a country town8#ahd3a why do you not go forward to ,italy1 or back to ,paris8 ,when ,i arrived here1 all ,m4 ,voltaire's friends told me of the regard he always expressed for me2 that some advances on my part were due to his age1 and would be well taken4 ,i accordingly wrote him a letter1 in which ,i expressed the esteem which are#ahd3b undoubtedly due to his talents2 and among other things ,i said1 that if ,i were not confined to ,paris by public business1 ,i should have a great ambition to pay him a visit at ,geneva4 ,this is the foundation of the report you mention2 but ,i am absolutely confined to ,paris and the court1 and cannot on any account leave them so much as for three days4 ,some advice1 given at this time by ,hume to a young man who1 though in holy orders1 had a tendency to scepticism1 has already been before the public1 and has been severely criticised4 ,his view1 that there are certain secrets which may be circulated among the learned in published books1 without any risk that the vulgar1 to whom a knowledge of them would be dangerous1 should ever become acquainted with them1 is one of the most incomprehensible features of his character4#ahd3c ,the application of his own ethical system to the circumstances1 might have taught him that no good thing can connect itself with a lie2 and that1 independently of all more sacred considerations1 nothing can be more desolating to human morality1 than the discovery1 that those who are professing to teach solemn truths1 do not themselves believe in the opinions they promulgate4 ,if1 on the other hand1 his counsel be a legitimate deduction from his ethical principles1 it is right that the world should possess this test of their nature4 ,the following is the correspondence on both sides4 ,for obvious reasons the name of the young clergyman is suppressed4 ,it may be observed1 that ,hume's letter has been made a ground for attributing infidel opinions to the ministers of the ,presbyterian ,church of ,scotland4 ,but justice requires it to be kept in view1 that it appears from the immediately ensuing letter1 that this individual belonged to the ,church of ,england4 ,,colonel ,,edmondstoune to ,,hume4 ,geneva1 #bfth ,march4 ,,my ,,dear ,,secretary1--,i have delayed for some time answering your letter1 in expectation of being able to tell you what is to become of me2 whether ,i am to return home1 or remain abroad some years longer4 ,though ,i believe the latter will happen1 ,i cannot speak of it with certainty1 as ,i left it to ,lord ,b4 to determine for me2 and he has not1 as yet1 given me any answer4 ,i write to you at present to consult you about an acquaintance of yours1 ,mr4 ,v----1 who is here with ,lord ,abingdon1 and who thinks of returning to ,england1 ,may next4 ,you'll be so good as to determine for him what character he is to assume on his arrival1 whether that of a clergyman or a layman4 ,i suppose you know he is in orders1 but he is very very low church4 ,to speak plain language1 ,i believe him to be a sort of disciple of your own2 and1 though he does not carry matters quite so far as you1 yet you have given him notions not very consistent with his priestly character2 so that you see you are somewhat bound to give him your best advice4 ,v---- is a very good-natured1 sensible1 honest follow1 without any fortune4 ,my young man has a great liking for him1 and has all the inclination in the world to serve him2 but he neither knows what to ask for him1 and is not sure if his father would ask any thing at present4 ,we are as much in the dark as to what passes in ,england1 as if we lived in ,siberia4 ,as you know probably something of the matter1 without entering into politics1 you may give us some hints to direct us in what manner to act1 and whether we may not be of more use to our friend in acting as auxiliaries than principals4 ,you'll determine whether a man of probity can accept of a living1 a bishoprick1 that does not believe all the ,thirty-nine ,articles2 for you only can fix him3 he has been hitherto irresolute4 ,if ,i am not mistaken1 he seems rather inclined not to be a clergyman2 but you know as well1 and better than ,i do1 how difficult it is to get any tolerable civil employment4 ,i mean any patent place2 while as soon as you can conveniently1 and if you should determine for his being a clergyman1 throw in something consolatory on his being obliged to renounce white stockings the rest of his life4 ,i wait with impatience to hear of your being made secretary to the embassy4 ,shall a descendant of ,gospatrick1 ,earl of ,northumberland1 remain in the character of under-secretary8 ,i hope not2 though ,i am afraid our cursed politics at home will occasion some delay4 ,lord ,mount ,stuart offers his compliments to you1 and thanks you for the pleasure your ,history gave him4 ,you scrub1 do you think we have so little taste or curiosity as not to have your ,history complete8 ,we have two copies1 one to lend1 and another for our own use2 they were sent us immediately on the publication2 it is almost the only book he takes pleasure in reading4 ,he has read it once1 and has got through four volumes the second time4 ,by the bye1 what is this ,mc,caulay history8 ,i saw in the newspapers an extract of a preface that seemed to me to be the rhapsody of a crazy head4 ,i hear it is in opposition to your ,history4 ,we have her sister here1 who seems to be a good sort of woman1 a ,mrs4 ,buckingham4 ,i wish your time would allow you to come here3 you have a great many friends2 among the rest a ,madame ,tronchin1 wife to the procureur-general1 a virtuous1 generous1 charitable1 good woman4 ,she has learned ,english since ,i have been here1 and can read your ,history with as much ease as her own language4 ,her husband is a man of merit1 a man of genius2 but knows you only by the translations of your works4 ,mallet1 ,professor ,bertrand1 and many others1 even ministers1 are your friends2 even the ,christians acknowledge your merit as an historian4 ,the ,christians here are the friends of ,rousseau3 those that are not1 have been his persecutors2 but it was not for his religious principles4 ,they were afraid of his breeding disturbance in their state4 ,i wish you could do something for ,rousseau without his knowing it4 ,print his works in ,england for his benefit4 ,you did not1 ,i suppose1 receive my letter on that subject4 ,i never received that from you1 which you say you enclosed to ,sir ,harry ,erskine4 ,adieu1 yours1 ,j4 ,e4#ahg3a ,,hume to ,,colonel ,,edmondstoune4 ,,dear ,,edmondstoune1--,i was just projecting to write a long letter to you1 and another to ,mr4 ,v----1 when your last obliging epistle came to hand4 ,i immediately put pen to paper1 to assure you that the report is entirely groundless1 and that ,i have not lost1 nor ever could have lost1 a shilling by ,fairholm's bankruptcy4 ,poor ,john ,adams is very deeply engaged with him2 but ,i had a letter last post from ,dr4 ,blair1 which informs me that he will yet be able to save fifteen or sixteen thousand pounds4 ,i am glad to give you also this piece of intelligence4 ,what6 do you know that ,lord ,bute is again all-powerful1 or rather that he was always so1 but is now acknowledged for such by all the world8 ,let this be a new motive for ,mr4 ,v---- to adhere to the ecclesiastical profession1 in which he may have so good a patron2 for civil employments for men of letters can scarcely be found3 all is occupied by men of business1 or by parliamentary interest4#ahg3b ,it is putting too great a respect on the vulgar1 and on their superstitions1 to pique one's self on sincerity with regard to them4 ,did ever one make it a point of honour to speak truth to children or madmen4 ,if the thing were worthy being treated gravely1 ,i should tell him1 that the ,pythian oracle1 with the approbation of ,xenophon1 advised every one to worship the gods-- 4 ,i wish it were still in my power to be a hypocrite in this particular4 ,the common duties of society usually require it2 and the ecclesiastical profession only adds a little more to an innocent dissimulation1 or rather simulation1 without which it is impossible to pass through the world4 ,am ,i a liar1 because ,i order my servant to say1 ,i am not at home1 when ,i do not desire to see company8 ,how could you imagine that ,i was under-secretary to ,lord ,hertford1 or that ,i could ever be prevailed on to accept of such a character8 ,i am not secretary at all1 but do the business of secretary to the embassy without any character4 ,bunbury has the commission and appointments3 a young man of three or four and twenty1 somewhat vain and ignorant1 whom ,lord ,hertford refused to accept of1 as thinking he would be of no use to him4 ,the king gave me a pension of #bjj a-year for life1 to engage me to attend his lordship4 ,my lord is very impatient to have me secretary to the embassy2 and writes very earnest letters to that purpose to the ministers1 and1 among the rest1 to ,lord ,bute4 ,he engaged me1 somewhat against my will1 to write also to such of my friends as had credit with that favourite1 ,oswald1 ,elliot1 ,sir ,harry1 and ,john ,hume4 ,the king has promised that my ,lord ,hertford shall soon be satisfied in this particular2 and yet1 ,i know not how1 ,i suspect that some obstacle will yet interpose2 though nothing can be more scandalous1 than for a man to enjoy the revenue of an office1 which is exercised by another4 ,mr4 ,bunbury has great interest1 being married to a sister of the ,duke of ,richmond1 and sister-in-law to ,lord ,holland4 ,the appointments of this office are above #ajjj a-year1 and the expense attending it nothing2 and it leads to all the great employments4 ,i wait the issue with patience1 and even with indifference4 ,at my years1 and with my fortune1 a man with a little common sense1 without philosophy1 may be indifferent about what happens4 ,i am1 dear ,edmondstoune1 yours sincerely4#ahi3a ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,paris1 #bgth ,march1 #agfd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,i believe ,i need not inform you how little ,i have been inclined to solicit the great1 or even my own friends1 for any thing that regards my own fortune4 ,i may venture to say1 that1 hitherto1 ,i have never once made any application of this nature3 and you may wonder that now1 at my years1 when the greatest part of life is past1 and ,i may esteem myself1 in other respects1 pretty much at my ease1 ,i should submit to prefer requests which ,i declined at an age when ambition ought naturally to be stronger1 and when my circumstances much more powerfully called for assistance4 ,but the step ,i take at present is at ,lord ,hertford's desire2 who1 being determined to make it a point that ,i should have the credentials and appointments of secretary to the embassy1 expressed his wish that ,i should apply to all my own friends on the same subject4 ,my obligations to him are so great1 that1 even were ,i more reluctant1 ,i could not have declined compliance2 and surely ,i can have but small reluctance to apply to you1 one of my best friends1 with whom ,i have long lived in a course of intimacy and good correspondence4 ,i remember that the last time ,i had the pleasure of seeing you1 you said1 that ,i no doubt wondered how it happened1 that while the prime minister and favourite1 who inclined to be a ,mcenas1 and who bore me no ill will1 was surrounded by all my most particular friends1 ,i should never have experienced any good effects from their credit4 ,i own that ,i never was surprised2 not from any diffidence in them1 but from some obvious objections4 ,now all these objections are removed by ,lord ,hertford's friendship4 ,nobody1 henceforth1 need be afraid to patronize me1 either as a ,scotchman or a ,deist4 ,this circumstance encourages me in my present application to my friends4 ,surely it is impossible to give them a juster and more plausible cause to support than mine4 ,i do the functions here of secretary to the embassy3 ,is it not scandalous that another should live in ,london and draw the salary8 ,is it for the credit of government1 that such abuses should appear to foreign nations8 ,is it good policy to send an ambassador to the most important of all foreign employments1 and yet declare that he has so little credit at home1 as not to have the choice of his own secretary4 ,i shall not say that the partiality ,i meet with here will make these abuses more remarked1 than if another person1 less known1 were concerned4 ,but surely the government puts me in a situation which ought to render me entirely useless to my ,lord ,hertford1 by refusing me a character which should have appeared necessary1 in order to gain me admittance into company4 ,allow me to inform you of another circumstance1 which renders my prevailing on this point the most material step to my future fortune4 ,when ,i came to ,london1 and found1 contrary to ,lord ,hertford's opinion1 that ,mr4 ,bunbury was likely to keep his appointments1 ,i declined going abroad1 unless something certain was fixed in my favour4 ,my lord said1 that he would obtain me1 from the public1 a settlement of #bjj a-year for life1 or would give me as much from his private fortune4 ,he applied to the king1 who agreed2 to ,mr4 ,grenville1 who also consented1 two days before we came off4 ,my pension was fixed on the most precarious footing of all pensions1 by a simple order from the treasury to their secretary4 ,yet ,mr4 ,grenville told my lord1 that this was equivalent to a settlement for life4 ,my lord believes so still2 though ,i said nothing1 perhaps from a foolish delicacy1 as the time of our departure so near approached1 and it was difficult then to correct the blunder4 ,were ,i to return to ,england1 on my present footing1 ,i should regard this pension as absolutely insignificant--not worth two years' purchase2 and never could form any plan on the supposition of its duration4 ,but had ,i obtained the rank and character of secretary to the embassy1 there are certain pensions annexed1 by custom1 to certain employments2 and ,i believe ,i might more depend upon it4 ,you see how materially my interests are concerned4 ,i have wrote to others of my friends1 ,sir ,harry1 ,oswald1 and ,john ,hume1 in the same style1 that an effort may be made1 all at once1 in my favour4 ,i own that1 notwithstanding all the plausible appearances1 my hopes of success are but moderate4 ,i have been accustomed to meet with nothing but insults and indignities from my native country2 but if it continue so1 'ingrata patria1 ne ossa quidem habebis4' ,i am1 my dear sir1 yours sincerely4#aib3a ,when the fame of ,hume's reception in ,paris had reached ,scotland1 some of his countrymen1 who had not previously been very solicitous to court his notice1 discovered that an introduction to him would be a valuable acquisition4 ,the correspondence shows that the expectations of such persons were very large1 and that if their names connected them with the aristocracy of ,scotland1 it could not fail that they should be at once put at their ease in the midst of the brilliant circle in which ,hume was moving4 ,the following may be taken as an instance of these attempts4 ,on the #fth ,april1 #agfd1 ,blair writes3 ,this letter will be presented to you by ,colonel ,l----1 brother to the ,earl of ,l----2 who1 going on a trip to ,paris1 is very ambitious of being introduced to your acquaintance4 ,you will find him a very honourable1 good-natured1 well-behaved young man1 of an amiable disposition and character4 ,as ,i have been much connected with the ,l---- family1 who were my first patrons in the ecclesiastical way1 ,i was very glad to have it in my power to do them this favour at their desire2 and will reckon myself much obliged to you for any civilities you show the ,colonel4#aib3b ,blair was not the sole medium through whom this gentleman was recommended4 ,wallace writes1 on #c;d ,april1 with all due ceremony3 ,the occasion of my writing at present this short letter1 is a desire from the friends of the family of ,l---- here1 asking me to write you by this night's post1 and acquaint you that the ,honourable ,alexander ,l----1 ,esquire1 son to the late ,earl of ,l----1 lieutenant-colonel of ,colonel ,carey's regiment of foot1 is going to ,paris1 and will probably be in it before this reaches you1 and wishes you may be acquainted1 before he comes1 who he is4 ,taking the effect of these imposing denominations for granted1 ,mr4 ,wallace continues3--,i dare say you will introduce him to the good company where you are1 and will be ready to put him on the best methods of enjoying and improving himself at ,paris4 ,in ,hume's answer to this application1 we may trace some desire to reprove any notion that he was a person so insignificant as to feel highly honoured by an acquaintance with an ,honourable1 and bound as a matter of simple etiquette to receive his proffers with grateful eagerness4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,paris1 #bfth ,april1 #agfd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,before ,i was favoured with yours1 ,i had seen ,colonel ,l----1 who waited on me1 as is usual with the ,british who come to ,paris4 ,i returned his visit1 and introduced him to the ambassador1 who asked him to dinner among seven or eight of his countrymen4 ,you will be surprised1 perhaps1 when ,i tell you that this is the utmost of the civilities which it will ever be possible for me to show ,mr4 ,l----4 ,for as to the ridiculous idea of foreigners1 that ,i might introduce him to the good company of ,paris1 nothing can be more impracticable4 ,i know not one family to which ,i could present such a man1 silent1 grave1 awkward1 speaking ill the language1 not distinguished by any exploit1 or science1 or art4 ,were the ,french houses open to such people as these1 they would be very little agreeable1 considering the immense concourse of strangers to this place4 ,but it is quite otherwise4 ,the people are more scrupulous of receiving persons unknown1 and ,i should soon lose all credit with them1 were ,i to prostitute my recommendations of this nature4 ,your recommendations have great weight with me2 but if ,i am not mistaken1 ,i have often seen ,colonel ,l----'s face in ,edinburgh4 ,it is a little late he has bethought himself of being ambitious1 as you say1 of being introduced to my acquaintance4 ,the only favour ,i can do him1 is to advise him1 as soon as he has seen ,paris1 to go to a provincial town where people are less shy of admitting new acquaintance1 and are less delicate judges of behaviour4 ,it is almost out of the memory of man1 that any ,british has been here on a footing of familiarity with the good company except my ,lord ,holderness1 who had a good stock of acquaintance to begin with1 speaks the language like a native1 has very insinuating manners1 was presented under the character of an old secretary of state1 and spent1 as is said1 #aj1jjj this winter1 to obtain that object of vanity4 ,him1 indeed1 ,i met every where in the best company3 but as to others--lords1 earls1 marquises1 and dukes--they went about to plays1 operas1 and ----4 ,nobody minded them2 they kept company with one another2 and it would have been ridiculous to think of bringing them into ,french company4 ,i may add ,general ,clarke1 who was liked and esteemed by several people of merit1 which he owed to his great cleverness and ingenuity1 and to his surprising courage in introducing himself4 ,i enter into this detail with you1 that people with whom ,i am much more connected than with the ,l4 family1 may not1 at any time1 be surprised that ,i am able to do so little for them in this way1 and may not form false ideas of the hospitality of the ,french nation4 ,but ,i fancy there will not arrive at ,paris many people who will have great claims of past civilities to plead with me4 ,what you tell me of ,john ,adams gives me great consolation4 ,i had heard of the alarming news of his connexions with ,fairholm1 and things were put in the worst light4 ,i was just ready to write to ,ferguson to get from him a just state of the case2 but if he has #ae1jjj1 or #ah1jjj remaining1 his industry will recover him1 and he may go on in his usual way of beneficence and generosity4 ,that family is one of the few to whose civilities ,i have been much beholden1 and ,i retain a lively sense of them4 ,our friend1 ,i mean your friend1 ,lord ,kames1 had much provoked ,voltaire1 who never forgives1 and never thinks any enemy below his notice4 ,he has accordingly sent to the ,gazette ,literaire1 an article with regard to the ',elements of ,criticism1' which turns that book extremely into ridicule1 with a good deal of wit4#aie3a ,i tried to have it suppressed before it was printed2 but the authors of that ,gazette told me1 that they durst neither suppress nor alter any thing that came from ,voltaire4 ,i suppose his lordship holds that satiric wit as cheap1 as he does all the rest of the human race2 and will not be in the least mortified by his censure4 ,the taste for literature is neither decayed nor depraved here1 as with the barbarians who inhabit the banks of the ,thames4 ,some people1 who had read your dissertation1 affirmed to me1 that it was the finest piece of criticism1 incomparably1 to be found in the ,english tongue4 ,i know not if you have read the ',poetique de ,marmontel3' it is worth your perusal4 ,voltaire has published an edition of ,corneille1 and his notes and dissertations contain many fine things4 ,there is a book published in ,holland1 in two volumes octavo1 called ',de la ,nature4' ,it is prolix1 and in many parts whimsical2 but contains some of the boldest reasonings to be found in print4 ,there is a miscellany in three volumes duodecimo published here1 where there are many good pieces4 ,it is perhaps more amusing to me1 than it will be to you2 as there is scarce a poem in it whose author ,i do not know1 or the person to whom it is addressed4 ,it is very silly to form distant schemes3 but ,i am fixed at ,paris for some time1 and1 to judge by probabilities1 for life4 ,my income would suffice me to live at ease1 and a younger brother of the best family would not think himself ill provided for1 if he had such a revenue4 ,lodgings1 a coach1 and clothes1 are all ,i need2 and though ,i have entered late into this scene of life1 ,i am almost as much at my ease1 as if ,i had been educated in it from my infancy4 ,however1 sickness1 or the infirmities of age1 which ,i may soon expect1 may probably make me think of a retreat3 ,but whether that will be better found in ,paris or elsewhere1 time must determine4 ,i forbid myself all resolution on that head4 ,i shall indulge myself in a folly1 which ,i hope you will make a discreet use of3 it is the telling you of an incident which may appear silly1 but which gave more pleasure than perhaps any other ,i had ever met with4 ,i was carried1 about six weeks ago1 to a masquerade1 by ,lord ,hertford4 ,we went both unmasked2 and we had scarce entered the room when a lady1 in mask1 came up to me and exclaimed3--',ha6 ,monsr4 ,hume1 vous faites bien de venir ici a visage dcouvert4 ,que vous serez bien combl ce soir d'honntets et de politesses6 ,vous verrez1 par des preuves peu quivoques1 jusqu' quel point vous tes chri en ,france4' ,this prologue was not a little encouraging2 but1 as we advanced through the hall1 it is difficult to imagine the caresses1 civilities1 and panegyrics which poured on me from all sides4 ,you would have thought that every one had taken advantage of his mask to speak his mind with impunity4 ,i could observe that the ladies were rather the most liberal on this occasion4 ,but what gave me chief pleasure was to find that most of the eulogiums bestowed on me1 turned on my personal character1 my navte1 and simplicity of manners1 the candour and mildness of my disposition1 c4--,non sunt mihi cornea fibra4 ,i shall not deny that my heart felt a sensible satisfaction from this general effusion of good will2 and ,lord ,hertford was much pleased1 and even surprised1 though he said1 he thought that he had known before upon what footing ,i stood with the good company of ,paris4 ,i allow you to communicate this story to ,dr4 ,jardine4 ,i hope it will refute all his idle notions that ,i have no turn for gallantry and gaiety1#aig3a--that ,i am on a bad footing with the ladies1--that my turn of conversation can never be agreeable to them1--that ,i never can have any pretensions to their favours1 c4 c4 c4 ,a man in vogue will always have something to pretend to with the fair sex4 ,do you not think it happy for me to retain such a taste for idleness and follies at my years2 especially since ,i have come into a country where the follies are so much more agreeable than elsewhere8 ,i could only wish that some of my old friends were to participate with me of these amusements2 though ,i know none of them that can1 on occasion1 be so thoroughly idle as myself4 ,i am persuaded you will find great comfort in my house1 which1 in every respect1 is agreeable4 ,i beg of you and ,mrs4 ,blair1 7to whom ,i desire my compliments17 that you would sometimes pay some attention to my sister1 who is the person that suffers most by my absence4 ,i am1 dear sir1 yours very sincerely4#aih3a ,blair writes1 on the #aeth ,november1 assuring ,hume that he is fully conscious of the unreasonableness of expecting him to introduce those who are accredited to him1 to the good company of ,paris4 ,he says1 that his own friend expressed himself as very well satisfied with ,hume's behaviour towards him2 and perhaps he had a better reception than the letter to ,blair might seem to indicate4 ,at all events1 ,blair seems not to have been discouraged1 for he immediately introduced the son of the provost of ,glasgow1 travelling for his health1 and ,arthur ,masson1 a teacher of languages1 recommending them to such good offices as ,hume finds himself at liberty to bestow on them4 ,it is clear1 in short1 that he had not been successful in frightening his friends from requesting him to perform offices of kindness and courtesy1 or from trusting that he would perform them4 ,the following passage1 in ,blair's letter1 is evidence of the popularity of the ,literary classes of the university of ,edinburgh1 during the middle of last century4 ,my class was1 last season1 in such reputation that ,i gave a second course in summer1 at the desire of a body of the medical students4 ,i am just about to open for this winter--with what success ,i cannot tell2 for ,i tremble for it every season4 ,against next season ,i intend to print a synopsis of my lectures4 ,in the medical school1 a revolution is at a crisis1 which is important to us4 ,dr4 ,rutherford wants to demit in favour of ,frank ,hume2 a measure pushed by ,lord ,milton1 ,baron ,mure1 and ,john ,home2 the coalition of three formidable powers3 but which we college people dread as boding us no good2 and are much more inclined to another scheme1 of placing ,cullen in ,rutherford's chair1 and bringing ,dr4 ,black1 from ,glasgow1 into the chair of chemistry1 which would greatly promote the reputation of our college1 and which has all the popularity on its side at present4 ,how unimportant these things seem to you now8 ,i hear much1 from time to time1 of your continuing1 nay1 increasing celebrity and fame4 ,you are just the high mode1 they tell us--the very delice of all the good company at ,paris4 ,in a letter to ,millar1 chiefly in reference to some ,english law books1 which ,hume had engaged to obtain for a ,french lawyer1 he recurs to the ,memoirs of ,king ,james4 ,he seems to have indolently adopted the notion that there were few chances of his having an opportunity of making additions to his ,history of the ,stuarts4 ,he did live1 however1 to see more than one new edition of it3 but the references in them to the treasure he had discovered at ,paris1 are extremely meagre4 ,another letter immediately follows1 in which we find that his anticipations of new editions are already outrun by the demands3 and we find in his1 as in many other cases1 where permanent fame has been reached1 that the excitement of expectant authorship has declined long before its visions are realized2 and that their fulfilment comes at last on minds sobered down to indifference4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,paris1 #ahth ,march1 #agfd4 ,i have lived such a life of dissipation as not to be able to think of any serious occupation4 ,but ,i begin to tire of that course of life4 ,i have1 however1 run over ,king ,james's ,memoirs1 and have picked up some curious passages1 which it is needless to speak of till we have occasion for a new edition1 which ,i suppose is very distant4 ,paris1 #ahth ,april1 #agfd4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,all the discoveries ,i made in ,king ,james's ,memoirs1 make against himself and his brother2 and he is surely a good enough witness on that side3 but ,i believe him also a man of veracity1 and ,i should have put trust in any matter of fact that he told from his own knowledge4 ,but this it is needless for us to talk any more about2 since1 ,i suppose1 you have got copies enough of my ,history1 already printed1 to last for your lifetime and mine4 ,i shall certainly never think of adding another line to it4 ,i am too much your friend to think of it4 4 4 4 ,i beg my sincere compliments to ,mrs4 ,millar4 ,i saw a few days ago ,mrs4 ,mallet1 who seems to be going upon a strange project1 of living alone1 in a hermitage1 in the midst of the forest of ,fontainbleau4 ,i pass my time very agreeably here2 though somewhat too much dissipated for one of my years and humour4#bja3a ,paris1 #bc;d ,april1 #agfd4 ,i was very much surprised with what you tell me1 that you had made a new edition in quarto1 of my ,history of the ,tudors1 and might probably do the same with that of the ,stuarts4 ,i imagined that the octavo edition would for a long time supersede the necessity of any quarto edition2 and ,i wonder that of the ancient history did not first become requisite4 ,you were in the wrong to make any edition without informing me2 because ,i left in ,scotland a copy very fully corrected1 with a few alterations1 which ought to have been followed4 ,i shall write to my sister to send it you1 and ,i desire you may follow it in all future editions1 if there be any such4 ,i shall send you from here the alterations1 which my perusal of ,king ,james's ,memoirs has occasioned2 they are not many1 but some of them1 one in particular1 is of importance4 ,i have some scruple of inserting it1 on your account1 till the sale of the other editions be pretty considerably advanced4 ,you have not yet informed me how many you may have upon hand4 ,i suppose a very considerable number4 ,father ,gordon of the ,scots ,college1 who has an exact memory of ,king ,james's ,memoirs1 was so kind as to peruse anew my ,history during the ,commonwealth1 and the reigns of the two brothers2 and he marked all the passages of fact1 where they differed from the ,memoirs4 ,they were surprisingly few2 which gave me some satisfaction2 because as ,i told you1 ,i take that prince's authority for a plain fact to be very good4 ,i never see ,mr4 ,wilkes here but at chapel1 where he is a most regular1 and devout1 and edifying1 and pious attendant2 ,i take him to be entirely regenerate4 ,he told me last ,sunday1 that you had given him a copy of my ,dissertations1 with the two which ,i had suppressed2#bjb3a and that he1 foreseeing danger1 from the sale of his library1 had wrote to you to find out that copy1 and to tear out the two obnoxious dissertations4 ,pray how stands that fact8 ,it was imprudent in you to intrust him with that copy3 it was very prudent in him to use that precaution4 ,yet ,i do not naturally suspect you of imprudence1 nor him of prudence4 ,i must hear a little farther before ,i pronounce4#bjb3b ,millar1 writing on #eth ,june1 gives the following account of his conduct as to the suppressed dissertations4 ,i take ,mr4 ,wilkes to be the same man he was1--acting a part4 ,he has forgot the story of the two dissertations4 ,the fact is1 upon importunity1 ,i lent to him the only copy ,i preserved1 and for years never could recollect he had it1 till his books came to be sold2 upon this ,i went immediately to the gentleman that directed the sale1 told him the fact1 and reclaimed the two dissertations which were my property4 ,mr4 ,coates1 who was the person1 immediately delivered me the volume2 and so soon as ,i got home1 ,i tore them out and burnt them1 that ,i might not lend them to any for the future4 ,two days after1 ,mr4 ,coates sent me a note for the volume1 as ,mr4 ,wilkes had desired it should be sent to him to ,paris2 ,i returned the volume1 but told him the two dissertations1 ,i had torn out of the volume and burnt1 being my property4 ,this is the truth of the matter1 and nothing but the truth4 ,it was certainly imprudent for me to lend them to him4 ,the interest taken by ,hume1 as by all his contemporary fellow-countrymen1 in the ,douglas cause1 has already been noticed4 ,as the inquiry which had taken place in ,france had not been long concluded1 and was the object of discussion in the ,court of ,session1 the adherents of the exiled royal house1 and other ,scottish families residing in ,paris1 naturally took such a deep interest in the proceedings1 as the following letter explains4 ,,hume to ,,baron ,,mure4 ,paris1 #bb;d ,june1 #agfd4 ,,my ,,dear ,,baron1--,a few days ago ,i dined with the ,duchess of ,perth1 which was the first time ,i had seen that venerable old lady1 who is really a very sensible woman4 ,part of our conversation was upon the ,douglas affair4 ,that lady1 as well as all the company1 as well as every body of common sense here1 shows her entire conviction of that imposture2 and there was present a gentleman1 an old friend of yours1 a person of very good understanding and of undoubted honour1 who laid open to us a scene of such deliberate dishonesty on the part of her grace of ,douglas and her partisans1 as was somewhat new and surprising4 ,i suppose it is all known to poor ,andrew1#bjc3a whom ,i heartily love and pity4 ',tis certain1 that the imposture is as well known to her grace and her friends1 as to any body2 and ,hay1 the ,pretender's old secretary1 the only man of common honesty among them1 confessed to this gentleman1 that he has frequently been shocked with their practices1 and has run away from them to keep out of the way of such infamy2 though he had afterwards the weakness to yield to their solicitations4 ,carnegy knows the roguery as well as the rest2 though ,i did not hear any thing of his scruples4 ,lord ,beauchamp and ,dr4 ,trail1 our chaplain1 passed four months last summer at ,rheims1 where this affair was much the subject of conversation4 ,except one curate1 they did not meet with a person1 that was not convinced of the imposture4 ,mons4 de ,puysieuls1#bjd3a whose country seat is in the neighbourhood1 told me the same thing4 ,can any thing be more scandalous and more extraordinary than ,frank ,garden's behaviour8#bjd3b ,can any thing be more scandalous and more ordinary than ,burnet's4 ,i am afraid1 that notwithstanding the palpable justice of your cause1 it is yet uncertain whether you will prevail4 ,i continue to live here in a manner amusing enough1 and which gives me no time to be tired of any scene4 ,what between public business1 the company of the learned and that of the great1 especially of the ladies1 ,i find all my time filled up1 and have no time to open a book1 except it be some books newly published1 which may be the subject of conversation4 ,i am well enough pleased with this change of life1 and a satiety of study had beforehand prepared the way for it3 however1 time runs off in one course of life as well as another1 and all things appear so much alike1 that ,i am afraid of falling into total ,stoicism and indifference about every thing4 ,for instance1 ,i am every moment to be touching on the time when ,i am to receive my credential letters of secretary to the embassy1 with a thousand a-year of appointments4 ,the king has promised it1 all the members have promised it2 ,lord ,hertford earnestly solicits it2 the plainest common sense and justice seem to require it3 yet have ,i been in this condition above six months2 and ,i never trouble my head about the matter1 and have rather laid my account that there is to be no such thing4 ,please to express my most profound respects to ,mrs4 ,mure1 and my sense of the honour she did me4 ,if ,i have leisure before the carrier goes off1 ,i shall write her1 and give her some account of my adventures2 but ,i would not show her so little mark of my attention as to write her only in a postscript4 ,i am1 dear ,baron1 c4#bje3a ,the correspondence with ,madame de ,boufflers was occasionally resumed1 when ,hume or she was absent from ,paris4 ,how well the philosopher could upon occasion accommodate himself to the taste of a ,french lady of the court1 the following may suffice to show4 ,,hume to the ,,comtesse ,,de ,,boufflers4 ,compiegne1 #fth ,july1 #agfd4 ,we live in a kind of solitude and retirement at ,compiegne2 at least ,i do1 who1 having nothing but a few general acquaintance at court1 and not caring to make more1 have given myself up almost entirely to study and retreat4 ,you cannot imagine1 madam1 with what pleasure ,i return as it were to my natural element1 and what satisfaction ,i enjoy in reading1 and musing1 and sauntering1 amid the agreeable scenes that surround me4 ,but yes1 you can easily enough imagine it2 you have yourself formed the same resolution2 you are determined this summer to tie the broken thread of your studies and literary amusements4 ,if you have been so happy as to execute your purpose1 you are almost in the same state as myself1 and are at present wandering along the banks of the same beautiful river1 perhaps with the same books in your hand1 a ,racine1 ,i suppose1 or a ,virgil1 and despise all other pleasure and amusement4 ,alas6 why am ,i not so near you1 that ,i could see you for half an hour a day1 and confer with you on these subjects8 ,but this ejaculation1 methinks1 does not lead me directly in my purposed road1 of forgetting you4 ,it is a short digression1 which is soon over3 and that ,i may return to the right path1 ,i shall give you some account of the state of the court2 ,i mean the exterior face of it2 for ,i know no more2 and if ,i did1 ,i am become so great a politician1 that nothing should make me reveal it4 ,the king divides his evenings every week after the following manner3 one he gives to the public1 when he sups at the grand convent2#bjf3a two he passes with his own family2 two in a society of men2 and1 to make himself amends1 two he passes with ladies1 ,madame de ,grammont1 usually1 ,madame de ,mirepoix1 and ,madame de ,beauveau4 ,this last princess passed three evenings in this manner at the ,hermitage immediately before her departure1 which was on ,monday last4 ,i think her absence a great loss to that society2 ,i am so presumptuous as to think it one to myself4 ,i found her as obliging and as friendly as if she had never conversed with kings1 and never were a politician4 ,i really doubt much of her talent for politics4 ,pray what is your opinion8 ,is she qualified1 otherwise than by having great sense and an agreeable conversation1 to make progress in the road to favour8 and are not these qualities rather an encumbrance to her8 ,i have met her once or twice1 with another lady1 in whose favour ,i am much prepossessed2 she seems agreeable1 well behaved1 judicious1 a great reader2 speaks as if she had sentiment1 and was superior to the vulgar train of amusements4 ,i should have been willing1 notwithstanding my present love of solitude1 to have cultivated an acquaintance with her1 but she did not say any thing so obliging to me as to give me encouragement4 ,would you conjecture that ,i mean the ,countess of ,tess8 ,i know not whether you are acquainted with that lady4 ,but ,i shall never have done with this idle train of conversation2 and therefore1 to cut things short1 ,i kiss your hands most humbly and devoutly1 and bid you adieu4#bjg3a ,,footnotes3 #aeh3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #aei3a ,walpole says1 ,the decorum and piety of ,lord ,hertford occasioned men to wonder1 when1 in the room of ,bunbury1 he chose for his secretary the celebrated freethinker1 ,david ,hume1 totally unknown to him2 but this was the effect of recommendations from other ,scots1 who had much weight with ,lord and ,lady ,hertford4 ,walpole's ,memoirs of ,george ,,iii4 i4 #bfd4 #aei3b ,the change of ministry on which ,lord ,bute ceased to be minister1 and negotiations were held with ,pitt4 ,hume does not appear to have had any intercourse with ,lord ,bute while he was in office4 ,in a letter to ,blair1 of #fth ,october1 which will be found in the ,appendix on the ,ossian ,controversy1 he says1 ,john ,hume ,home went to the country yesterday with ,lord ,bute4 ,i was introduced the other day to that noble lord at his desire4 ,i believe him a very good man2 a better man than a politician4 #afj3a ,copy ,r4,s4,e4 ,the original is in possession of ,colonel ,mure4 #afc3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #afd3a ,extract of a letter from ,dr4 ,carlyle to the ,rev4 ,thomas ,hepburn1 dated #eth ,september1 #agfc1 in ,thorpe's ,catalogue of ,autographs1 for #ahcc4 ,it would be vain to inquire whither the original has now found its way4 #afe3a ,in #agfb1 ,blacklock had received a presentation1 as minister to the parish of ,kirkcudbright4 ,his induction was opposed on the ground of his blindness2 and a bitter litigation ensued in the church courts1 while the parishioners1 having taken up the matter as vital in a religious view1 persecuted him with all the savage and relentless cruelty of fanaticism4 ,no liberal and cultivated mind1 he says1 in reference to this dispute1 can entertain the least hesitation in concluding that there is nothing1 either in the nature of things1 or even in the positive institutions of genuine religion1 repugnant to the idea of a blind clergyman4 ,but the novelty of the phenomenon1 while it astonishes vulgar and contracted understandings1 inflames their zeal to rage and madness4 #afg3a ,blair1 writing to ,hume on #bith ,september1 says1 ,horace need not make you at all blush in your present expedition4 ,if ,i mistake him not very much1 he paid more court to ,mcenas than ever you would have done to any great man4 ,his principibus placuisse viris was a favourite passion4 ,besides that1 ,horace understood human life too well to refuse such an opening into high amusement as is now before you3 and most certainly1 as you well observe1 the farther we advance in life1 we need more to have the scene varied4--7,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 #afg3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #afg3c ,as a specimen of the flattering testimonials which ,hume occasionally received from ,france1 the following letter from ,m4 ,trudaine de ,montigny1 a young ,frenchman who attained to considerable distinction1 is given3 7,translation47 ,paris1 #afth ,may1 #agei4 ,i pass my time1 both in town and country1 in a circle of gentlemen1 of whom some are acquainted with ,english1 others not4 ,they had been highly pleased with some portions of your works1 which had been translated2 and among others with your ',political ,discourses1' where they found the practical views of a citizen1 united with the profound reflections of a politician1 and the perspicacity of a philosopher4 ,to put the whole circle in a position to judge for themselves of the merit of these works1 ,i undertook1 in the course of a country jaunt which we took all together1 to translate your ',natural ,history of ,religion4' ,i chose this piece because it appeared to me to contain a complete exposition of philosophy on this subject4 ,i was well rewarded for my pains1 by the pleasure ,i found ,i gave to all the world4 ,madame ,dupr de ,st4 ,maur1 who has honoured me with the kindest friendship from my infancy1 told me she wished much that you were made acquainted with this feeble effort4 ,m4 ,steward1 whom ,i met with ,m4 ,helvetius1 and who wished much to hear the perusal1 promised to send it to you4 ,madame ,dupr de ,st4 ,maur writes1 on #afth ,may1 #agei1 that ,montigny had received ,hume's acknowledgment1 which produced more effect on him than any piece of good fortune he had hitherto experienced4 ,i partook1 she says1 of his joy the more sensibly1 as ,i had in a great measure inspired him with confidence to send you his translation1 in the persuasion that great men are the most indulgent4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,we find the tone of this letter frequently responded to in the correspondence of ,grimm with his ,german patrons1 though the ,baron does not always coincide in the praises he has to record4 ,andrew ,stuart1 known by his letters to ,lord ,mansfield1 who before #agfc was much employed in ,france in connexion with the ,douglas cause1 and appears to have been admitted into the best company there1 writes to ,sir ,william ,johnstone on #afth ,december1 #agfb3 ,when you have occasion to see our friend1 ,david ,hume1 tell him that he is so much worshipped here1 that he must be void of all passions1 if he does not immediately take post for ,paris4 ,in most houses where ,i am acquainted here1 one of the first questions is1 ,do you know ,monsr4 ,hume1 whom we all admire so much8 ,i dined yesterday at ,helvetius's1 where this same ,monsr4 ,hume interrupted our conversation very much4--7,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 99 99 99 99 99 ,the following note1 from the impetuous ,alexander ,murray1 responds to the same strain3-- ,,my ,,dear ,,hume1--,the great desire that several ,french gentlemen of my acquaintance have of being known to you1 which happiness ,i have promised to procure them1 makes me ardently beg the favour of you to do me the honour to dine with me any day next week 7,monday excepted17 that you please to appoint4 ,your rencounters with the men1 my dear friend1 give me no sort of pain2 but ,i freely own to you ,i am under some uneasiness how you will acquit yourself with the fair sex1 whose impatience of knowing you is not to be expressed4 ,the day you dine with me you will meet some folks who admire your productions as much as any of your own countrymen1 and perhaps comprehend your sublime ideas as well as they do4 ,i beg leave to assure you that no body loves and admires you more than your most sincere friend and humble servant4--7,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 ,saturday ,morning4 #afi3a ,some words obliterated4 #agj3a ,a word or two obliterated4 #aga3a ,a translation was published in #agfd1 by ,m4 ,a4 ,eidous2 there was another in #aggd1 by ,blavet4 #agb3a ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #fdh4 ,corrected from the original ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #agb3b ,the ,poker ,club1 which had then existed for some time1 and was continued for some years after ,hume's death4 ,its name is supposed to have been bestowed on it1 on account of its services in stirring the intellectual energies of the members4 #agd3a ,the name ,adam used to be thus altered in the ,scottish vernacular4 ,the person here alluded to is evidently ,john ,adam the architect1 and the ,willie1 his son ,william1 who became ,lord ,chief ,commissioner of the ,jury ,court in ,scotland1 and died in #ahci4 #age3a ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbh1 p4 #fhc4 #agf3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #agf3b ,madame ,belot1 whose translation of the ,history of the ,house of ,tudor1 was published in #agfc1 as ,histoire de la ,maison de ,tudor1 c4 par ,madam ,b 99 99 994 ,she published a translation of the earlier period of the ,history1 in #agfe4 ,grimm charges ,madame ,belot with preposterous blunders as a translator2 and gives1 as an instance1 her rendering ,hume's allusion to the ,polish aristocracy1 by the words1 une aristocratie polie4 ,of this lady1 a curious periodical work1 called ,mmoires ,secrets1 pour servir a l',histoire de la ,rpublique des lettres en ,france1 says1 of date #bfth ,may1 #agfd1 that1 after having lived a life of wretched poverty1 scantily supported by the produce of her translations from the ,english1 she was then living with the ,president ,mesnieres1 whose taste is considered singular as cette dame est peu jeune3 elle est laide1 seche et d'un esprit triste et mlancolique4 ,such were then the rewards of female authorship in ,france6 #agg3a ,this hint was not adopted4 ,robertson's work was translated by ,suard4 #agh3a ,there can have been no reason for this abbreviation of the title of the ,dauphin and his children1 but the circumstance that the letter was liable to be seen in ,france1 and a full statement might be considered disrespectful4 ,the first-named was the ,duc de ,berri1 afterwards ,louis ,,xvi42 he was then nine years old4 ,the ,count de ,p4 was the ,comte de ,provence1 afterwards ,louis ,,xviii41 born in #agee4 ,the ,count ,d',a1 was the ,comte d',artois1 afterwards ,charles ,x41 who died in #ahcf4 ,hume has underrated his age1 which was six2 he was born in #ageg4 ,thus were these children1 who made their little speeches to the historian of ,charles ,i41 all destined to be1 successively1 kings of ,france1 and to experience a too intimate acquaintance with such scenes as they found depicted in his fine history6 #agi3a ,these volumes were lost during the ,french ,revolution4 ,it is said that an attempt was made to convey them to ,st4 ,omers2 but having to be committed1 for some time1 to the care of a ,frenchman1 his wife became alarmed lest the regal emblems on the binding might expose the family to danger from the ,terrorists4 ,the narrative proceeds to say1 that she first cut off the binding and buried the manuscripts1 but that being still haunted by fears1 she exhumed and burned them4 ,see the introduction by ,dr4 ,staniers ,clarke1 to ,the ,life of ,james ,,ii4 believed to be an abridgment of these manuscripts4 ,hume is not consistent as to the number of volumes4 #agi3b ,stewart's ,life of ,robertson4 #ahj3a ,this letter is not dated4 #aha3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ahb3a ,lord ,marischal's attainder having been reversed1 he had visited ,scotland1 for the purpose of purchasing one of his estates4 ,he thus communicates the result to ,hume in a letter of #bc;d ,february4 ,i thank you for forwarding my cousin's letter4 ,i wish1 now that ,i am ,laird of ,inverury1 that he were my son1 and of my name4 ,i bought my estate farthest north4 ,there was no bidder against any one2 and great applause of the spectators4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ahd3a ,edmondstoune appears to have been residing at ,geneva1 as guardian to ,lord ,mount-,stuart1 ,lord ,bute's son4 #ahd3b ,sic in ,,ms4 #ahd3c ,see it noticed in vol4 i4 p4 #dje1 in connexion with the right of resistance4 #ahg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ahg3b ,sic in ,,ms4 #ahi3a ,original in possession of the ,cambusmore family4 #aib3a ,minto ,,mss4 #aib3b ,the letter proceeds to say1 ,our little society here continues much on the footing you left it2 only that we find frequent occasions of regretting the blank you make amongst us4 ,in our college we are making a great improvement4 ,in consequence of a bargain made with ,j4 ,russel1 ,bruce1 the ,professor of the ,law of ,nature and ,nations1 goes out2 ,balfour of ,pilrig moves into his place2 ,ferguson into the chair of ,moral ,philosophy2 and ,russel into that of ,natural4 ,is not this clever8 ,he then states1 that ,the taste for ,french literature grows more and more amongst us1 and hopes he will send any new publication which has merit4 ,he concludes with mentioning the bankruptcy of the ,fairholms1 and the circumstance of ,mr4 ,adam's involvement in it4 #aie3a ,see ,tytler's ,life of ,kames1 vol4 ii4 p4 #adh4 #aig3a ,see ,vol4 ,i4 p4 #bcb4 #aih3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,the latter part of the letter is printed in the ,literary ,gazette for #ahbb1 p4 #gab4 #bja3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bjb3a ,see above1 p4 #ad4 #bjb3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bjc3a ,andrew ,stuart1 see above1 p4 #afh4 #bjd3a ,puisieux8 #bjd3b ,francis ,garden1 afterwards a judge of the ,court of ,session1 with the title of ,lord ,gardenstone4 ,he was senior1 and ,james ,burnet1 afterwards ,lord ,monboddo1 was junior ,scottish counsel for ,mr4 ,douglas in the ,tournelle process in ,france4 #bje3a ,copy in ,r4,s4,e4 ,the original is in possession of ,colonel ,mure4 #bjf3a ,perhaps an error in transcribing au grand couvert8 #bjg3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #hc-he4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 #agfd-agfe4 t4 #ec-ed4 ,the ,french and ,english ,society of ,hume's day--,reasons of his warm reception in ,france--,society in which he moved--,mixture of lettered men with the ,aristocracy--,madame ,geoffrin--,madame ,du ,page de ,boccage--,madame ,du ,deffand--,mademoiselle ,de ,l',espinasse--,d',alembert--,turgot--,t he ,prince of ,conti--,notices of ,hume among the ,parisians--,walpole in ,paris--,resumption of the ,correspondence--,hume undertakes the management of ,elliot's sons--,reminiscences of home--,mrs4 ,cockburn--,adam ,smith--,madame ,de ,boufflers and the ,prince of ,conti--,correspondence with ,lord ,elibank4 ,there were many things to make the social position he obtained in ,france infinitely gratifying to ,hume4 ,even his good birth was no claim to admission on a position of liberal familiarity with the higher aristocracy of ,england4 ,his descent from a line of ,scottish lairds would be insufficient in the eyes of the ,walpoles1 ,russels1 and ,seymours1 to distinguish him from the common herd of men who could put on a laced waistcoat and powdered wig1 and command decent treatment from the lackeys in their ante-chambers4 ,his claims rested on his ,literary rank2 and the extent to which such claims might be admitted was fixed by ,hereditary rank at its own discretion4 ,it might cordially receive them one day1 and repel them with cold disdain on another4 ,in this doubtful and partial recognition1 ,hume would find himself in the motley crowd of those who force themselves1 or are partly welcomed1 into these high places--dissipated men of genius1 underbred men of riches1 hardworking1 pertinacious politicians2 persons with whom his finely trained mind1 his reserve1 and his habit of mixing in a refined though small society of ,scotsmen1 would not easily harmonize4 ,in ,france matters were widely different2 there he was at once warmly and affectionately received into the bosom of a society to which many of the supercilious ,english aristocracy would have sought for admission in vain4 ,in ,england no distinct palpable barrier surrounded the distinguished group4 ,the multitude clamorously asserted an equality4 ,in default of other qualities1 impudence and perseverance were sometimes sufficient to force admission4 ,in these circumstances1 each member of the privileged classes guarded his own portion of the arena as well as he might1 and the intruder had to fight battle after battle1 and contest every inch of ground he gained4 ,it seems as if in ,france the very rigidness with which the select circle was fortified was the reason why those admitted within it were placed so thoroughly at their ease4 ,the aristocracy could open the door1 look about them1 and invite an individual to enter1 without fearing to encounter a general rush for admission4 ,there was much evil of every kind in that circle2 we have not to deal here with its inward morality1 but its outward form1 and it certainly deserves to be remembered as one of the most memorable instances in which1 on any large scale1 the aristocracy of rank and wealth has met the aristocracy of letters without restraint4 ,the quality of shining in conversation was not to be despised by the greatest in wealth1 or the highest in the peerage2 and their efforts were measured with those of the first wits of the time4 ,to an aristocracy which could thus amuse itself1 it was a great luxury to be surrounded by men of thought and learning4 ,the courtier who could open his salon to the wits and philosophers of ,paris1 was far more dependant on their presence than they were on the privilege of admission4 ,if a ,barthlemi1 a ,marmontel1 a ,condillac1 saw cause to desert the suppers of ,d',holbach1 they would be received at those of the ,duc de ,praslin or de ,choiseul1 the ,prince of ,conti1 and ,madame du ,deffand2 but how were such departed stars to be replaced8#bji3a ,there is perhaps no more striking type of the character and condition of the ,parisian coteries than one of ,hume's most intimate friends1 ,madame ,geoffrin4 ,in this country1 were an uneducated woman to frame and lead a social party1 including the first in rank and in talent of the day1 to which no one under royalty was too great not to deem admission a privilege2 were she to be absolute in her admissions and exclusions1 bold in her sarcasms1 free and blunt often to rudeness in her observations and opinions1 and severe or kind to all by turns as her own choice or caprice suggested1 it would be at once pronounced that the reddest blood and the highest rank could alone produce such an anomaly4 ,a very small number of eminent duchesses have perhaps occupied such a position in this country4 ,yet ,madame ,geoffrin1 who acted this part to the full among the fastidious aristocracy of ,france before the revolution1 was the daughter of a valet-de-chambre and the widow of a glass manufacturer4 ,the foundation of her influence was her success in making herself the centre of a circle of artists and men of letters4 ,she was much in the confidence of ,madame ,de ,tencin1 and on that lady's death succeeded in transferring to herself what remained of her distinguished society1 dimmed as it was by the departure of ,montesquieu and ,fontenelle4 ,madame ,geoffrin by activity and energy widened the circle4 ,she never made visits herself1 and those who had the privilege of entering her dining-room on her public days1 found there assembled ,d',alembert1 ,helvtius1 ,raynal1 ,marmontel1 ,caraccioli1 ,holbach1 ,galliani1 and the artist ,vanloo4 ,during the ,british embassy1 ,david ,hume1 the great philosopher from the far ,north1 might there be met2 and when all other attempts had perhaps failed1 some chance of encountering such an erratic meteor as ,rousseau still remained in attending ,madame ,geoffrin's ,wednesday dinner4 ,having once1 by her signal wit and wisdom1 gained her position1 no obtrusive rivals from her own deserted class could push near enough to drive her from it4 ,it is not the least admirable feature of this remarkable woman1 that far from assuming the subdued and cautious tone of one of her own rank1 who must be more wary than a denizen of committing breaches of the social rules of her new cast1 a simplicity and freedom seems to have accompanied all her actions and ideas2 a courageous adoption of what seemed good to her in place of what might be fit4 ,her letters1 in their severe diction1 give some notion of the writer's character1 but cannot convey so full an impression as when they are presented in the bold1 irregular1 and most unlady-like hand in which they are scribbled4#baa3a ,the pleasant retailers of the literary chit-chat of that time1 ,marmontel1 ,grimm1 ,bauchemont1 and others1 are full of details of ,madame ,geoffrin1 who1 if she was not quite as formally approached as ,boufflers1 or ,deffand1 was as much respected1 loved1 and feared4 ,the author of the ,contes ,moraux1 tells us some of the weaknesses of this gifted lady2 and1 according to his account1 she had been actually convicted1 living as she was outwardly in the freest society in the world1 of a turn for secret devotion6 ,elle avait un apartement dans un couvent de religieuses et une tribune l',eglise des ,capucins1--mais avec autant de mystre que les femmes galantes de ce temps-l avaient des petites maisons4 ,the picture would be sufficiently ludicrous1 were it not for the darker features presented by a state of society1 where no one should venture to be pious except under pain of being exterminated with ridicule4 ,there was one matter as to which ,madame ,geoffrin was timid and cautious2 she never meddled with matters of state or unsafe political opinions1 and was induced to discountenance those who did so4 ,surrounded by restless and inquiring spirits1 she often dreaded being compromised by their conduct2 and was especially uneasy at any time when the ,bastille sheltered a more than usual number of those whose wit was wont to flash round her board4 ,but her guests have recorded1 that if there was a little saddened and earnest gravity in her deportment1 when she received them after such naughty affairs1 she abated nothing of her old kindness4 ,her good heart indeed was after all her noblest quality4 ,she was one of those who held the simple notion1 that were it not for the judicious distribution of favours by the rich1 the poor1 including artisans and producers of all kinds1 must necessarily die of starvation4 ,she was thus in the midst of an extensive distribution of charities1 actively occupied in the encouragement of those who lived by the sweat of their brow2 and if she believed that she accomplished much more than she actually did1 it was a satisfaction not to be grudged to one who occupied herself with the fortunes of the poor1 in the midst of the stony indifference of the ,french aristocracy of that day4 ,another lady1 a friend and correspondent of ,hume1 ,madame le ,page du ,boccage1 endeavoured to rival ,madame ,geoffrin as a centre of attraction2 but though she possessed1 along with wealth1 both rank and beauty1 she was unsuccessful1 on account of the presence of a third quality--authorship4 ,the wits must praise her bad poetry if they frequented her house1 and where so many other doors were open without such a condition1 they abandoned it4 ,elle tait d'une figure aimable1 says ,grimm1 elle est bonne femme2 elle est riche2 elle pouvait fixer chez elle les gens d'esprit et de bonne compagnie1 sans les mettre dans l'embarras de lui parler avec peu de sincrit de sa ,colombiade ou de ses ,amazones4#bac3a ,perhaps of all these eminent women1 while ,madame de ,boufflers had the greatest amount of elegance and accomplishment1 ,madame du ,deffand had the sharpest and most searching wit4 ,she was the author of that proverbial bon mot about ,st4 ,denis carrying his head under his arm1 il n'y a que le premier pas qui cote2 a saying sufficient to make a reputation in ,france4 ,madame du ,deffand does not appear to have been a correspondent of ,hume1 nor1 though they occasionally met1 does much cordiality seem to have subsisted between them4#bad3a ,the aveugle clairvoyante1 as ,voltaire aptly called her1 in allusion to her blindness and her wit1 thought that she discovered in ,hume a worshipper at another shrine4 ,she wrote to ,walpole expressing her disgust of those who paid court to ,madame de ,boufflers1 at the same time1 only just not stating1 in express terms1 how much they were mistaken in not transferring their obsequiousness to herself4#bad3b ,she1 certainly an object of pity from her blindness1 was still more so in her own discontented spirit4 ,the days which tranquil ease and the attentions of kind friends might have soothed1 were disturbed by restless vanity1 an intense desire to interfere with the doings of that world which she could not see1 dissipation1 and literary wrangles4 ,one remarkable person1 an offshoot of ,madame du ,deffand's circle1 and driven forth from it to raise an empire of her own1 was ,mademoiselle de ,l',espinasse4 ,hume and she met frequently in ,paris1 and they subsequently corresponded together4 ,she was an illegitimate child1 who1 having been well educated1 had been adopted by ,madame du ,deffand as her companion1 and the minister for supplying1 as far as possible1 her lost sense of sight4 ,mademoiselle had to be present at those displays of intellect which illuminated the table of her mistress4 ,it soon began to transpire that the humble drudge possessed a soul of fire2 and taking part in the conversation1 her remarks rose as she acquired confidence and ease1 into an originality of thought1 fulness of judgment1 and rich eloquence of language1 which fascinated the senses of those veteran champions in the arena of intellect4 ,thus many of those who went to offer their incense to a woman old and blind1 were constrained to bestow some of it on one young in years1 but in sage counsel old1 who had little more outward claim on their admiration2 for ,mademoiselle de ,l',espinasse was naturally plain1 and was deeply marked with smallpox4 ,the patroness did not present herself till six o'clock in the evening2 to her who knew no difference between light and darkness it was morning4 ,she often found that her protge had been entertaining the guests for an hour1 and that they had come early to enjoy her conversation4 ,this was treason--an overt tampering with the allegiance of the followers2 and the subordinate was driven forth with contumely4 ,it is not easy to decide which party1 if either1 was in the right2 though the memoir writers in general take the part of ,mademoiselle de ,l',espinasse4 ,far from being made a homeless wanderer by the dismissal1 she was immediately supplied with a house and furniture by her friends1 who obtained for her a pension from the crown4 ,on these means she founded a rival establishment of her own2 and surrounded herself with an intellectual circle1 which seems to have more than rivalled in brilliancy that from which she was dismissed4 ,d',alembert was told that if he countenanced the new idol1 he must bid farewell to his former patroness4 ,he at once joined the party of the young aspirant4 ,he became dangerously ill1 and ,mademoiselle de ,l',espinasse nursed him with the untiring affection of a wife or a daughter4 ,the philosopher1 whose humble dwelling was found to be on too sordid a scale to be consistent with health1 thenceforth took up his abode with his young friend4 ,hume must have witnessed the rise of this new connexion1 for it was during his residence in ,paris that ,d',alembert's illness took place1 and it is the object of occasional anxious allusion by his ,parisian acquaintance4#baf3a ,though the circumstances in which he passed his earlier days were not likely to nourish such a taste1 no man seems to have been more dependant on the presence of an educated and intellectual female than the secretary of the ,academy4 ,there is little doubt that the new attachment was of a ,platonic character2 but it boded evil to both parties4 ,the lady1 if she had some portion of the purer affections of the soul to bestow upon the sage1 had warmer feelings for likelier objects2 and her frame sunk before the consuming fires of more than one passion4#bah3a ,she was carried to an early grave1 and the mortifications1 caused by her alienation1 followed by grief for her death1 broke the spirit1 and imbittered and enfeebled the latter days of the philosopher4 ,hume seems to have established a closer friendship with ,d',alembert than with any of his other contemporaries in ,france2 and he left a memorial of his regard for the encyclopediast in his will4 ,unlike1 in many respects1 they had some features in common4 ,d',alembert's personal character1 and the habits of his life1 had1 like his philosophy1 the dignity of simplicity4 ,his figure1 and still more his voice1 were the objects of much malicious sarcasm2 but cruel jests could not make his fragile body less the tenement of a noble spirit2 or his shrill puny voice less the instrument of great and bold thoughts4 ,his mind stands forth in strong relief from the frippery of that age2 while his writings contain no marks of that reckless infidelity which distinguishes the productions of his fellow labourers4 ,in some of those follies1 so prevalent that a man utterly free of them1 must have courted the charge of eccentricity1 if not of insanity1 he partook2 but moderately and reluctantly1 as one suited for a better time and a nobler sphere of exertion4 ,in the quarrel with ,rousseau1 he adopted the cause of ,hume with honest zeal4 ,he wrote many letters to ,hume1 which are still preserved4 ,they perhaps1 in some measure1 exhibit the least amiable feature of his character--his bitterness1 it might be almost termed hatred1 towards ,madame du ,deffand1 on account of her conduct to his own friend4 ,it is unnecessary to discourse1 at any length1 on the distinguished men--including the names of ,buffon1 ,malesherbes1 ,diderot1 ,crbillon1 ,morellet1 ,helvtius1 ,holbach1 ,hnault1 ,raynal1 ,suard1 ,la ,condamine1 and ,de ,brosses1 who courted ,hume's company in ,france4 ,next to ,d',alembert1 his closest friendship seems to have been with the honest and thoughtful statesman1 ,turgot2 who1 in the midst of that reckless whirl of vanity1 was already looking far into the future1 and predicting1 from the disorganized and menacing condition of the elements of ,french society1 the storm that was to come4 ,he wrote many letters to ,hume1 containing remarks on matters of statesmanship and political economy1 which are of great interest in a historical and economical view1 especially in one instance1 where he notices the want of any common principle of sympathies and interests connecting the aristocracy with the people1 and reflects on the dangerous consequences of such a state of matters to the peace of ,europe4 ,there are many circumstances showing that much as he loved the social ease1 combined with learning and wit1 for which his ,parisian circle was conspicuous1 he disliked one prominent feature of that social system--the scornful infidelity1 the almost intolerance of any thing like earnest belief1 so often exhibited1 both in speech and conduct4 ,sir ,samuel ,romilly has preserved the following curious statement by ,diderot3--,he spoke of his acquaintance with ,hume4 ',je vous dirai un trait de lui1 mais il vous sera un peu scandaleux peut-tre1 car vous ,anglais vous croyez un peu en ,dieu2 pour nous autres nous n'y croyons gures4 ,hume dna avec une grande compagnie chez le ,baron ,d',holbach4 ,il tait assis ct du ,baron2 on parla de la religion naturelle3 ',pour les ,athes1' disait ,hume1 'je ne crois pas qu'il en existe2 je n'en ai jamais vu4' ',vous avez t un peu malheureux1' rpondit l'autre1 'vous voici table avec dix-sept pour la premire fois4'#bbj3a ,the secretary's residence in the metropolis was occasionally varied by official sojourns to ,fontainbleau1 or ,compigne1 a visit to the ,duchesse de ,barbantane at ,villers ,cotterets1 or an excursion with ,madame de ,boufflers and the ,prince of ,conti to ,l',ile-,adam4 ,that rural seat of princely magnificence and hospitality is a familiar name in the memoirs of the times2 and particularly in those of ,madame de ,genlis4 ,it is singular1 indeed1 that this lady never mentions ,hume1 though she appears to have been living in the castle at the time when he visited it4 ,the ,prince of ,conti was in every way possessed of the external qualifications which1 in the eyes of his countrymen1 were then the proper ornaments of his high station4 ,he was brave1 a distinguished military leader1 generous1 extravagant1 gallant1 and a lover of literature and the arts4#bba3a ,there was probably little in such a character to rival a ,turgot1 or a ,d',alembert in ,hume's esteem2 but his intercourse with this prince1 as with ,de ,rohan1 ,de ,choiseul1 and others1 would be of a more limited and formal character4#bba3b ,his influence with courtiers and statesmen1 however1 appears to have been considerable4 ,in the letters addressed to him there are several instances where ,french people solicit his interposition with the great3 thus1 ,madame ,helvtius desires his good offices to procure an abbaye for her friend and neighbour the ,abb ,macdonalt1 of an illustrious ,irish family4#bbb3a ,one lady1 seeking ecclesiastical patronage1 tells him that the clergy will have more pleasure in doing him a favour than in performing the functions of their office6 ,hume has thus recorded in his own life the impression left on him by his reception in ,paris3--,those who have not seen the strange effects of modes1 will never imagine the reception ,i met with at ,paris1 from men and women of all ranks and stations4 ,the more ,i resiled from their excessive civilities1 the more ,i was loaded with them4 ,there is1 however1 a real satisfaction in living at ,paris2 from the great number of sensible1 knowing1 and polite company with which that city abounds above all places in the universe4 ,i thought once of settling there for life4 ,if he thought that he could have taken up his residence in ,paris1 and preserved for the remainder of his days the fresh bloom of his reputation1 he was undoubtedly mistaken2 but1 dazzled as he in some measure was1 we can see in his correspondence that he estimated the sensation he made pretty nearly at its just value4 ,in the circle of toys1 seized and discarded1 by a giddy fashionable crowd1 philosophy will have its turn1 as well as poodles1 parrots1 tulips1 monkeys1 cafs1 and black pages4 ,it had been so a century earlier1 when the most abstruse works of ,des ,cartes had been the ornament of every fashionable lady's toilette2 and now the wheel had revolved and philosophy was again in vogue4 ,a second time we have ,lord ,charlemont affording us a passing sketch of ,hume4 ,having had an opportunity of witnessing the philosopher's reception in ,france1 he says3-- ,from what has been already said of him1 it is apparent that his conversation to strangers1 and particularly to ,frenchmen1 could be little delightful1 and still more particularly1 one would suppose1 to ,french women3 and yet no lady's toilette was complete without ,hume's attendance4 ,at the opera his broad unmeaning face was usually seen entre deux jolis minois4 ,the ladies in ,france gave the ton1 and the ton was deism3 a species of philosophy ill suited to the softer sex1 in whose delicate frame weakness is interesting1 and timidity a charm4 4 4 4 4 ,how my friend ,hume was able to endure the encounter of these ,french female ,titans1 ,i know not4 ,in ,england1 either his philosophic pride or his conviction that infidelity was ill suited to women1 made him perfectly averse from the initiation of ladies into the mysteries of his doctrine4#bbc3a ,the same characteristics are recorded by ,grimm4#bbc3b ,we have his position still more vividly painted by ,madame d',epinay1 according to whom he must have undergone not a small portion of the martyrdom of lionism4 ,one of the rages of the day was the holding of cafs1 or giving entertainments in private houses1 according to the arrangements and etiquette of a public caf4 ,among the amusements of the evening were pantomimes1 and acted tableaux4 ,in these it was necessary that ,hume should take a rle1 and as he was always willing to conform to established regulations1 we find him seated as a sultan between two obdurate beauties1 intending to strike his bosom1 but aiming the blows at le ventre1 and accompanying his acting with characteristic exclamations4#bbd3a ,hume's popularity in ,paris appears to have somewhat disturbed ,horace ,walpole's equanimity4 ,he was too good an artist to be very angry1 or to express himself in terms of aggravated bitterness2 but it is clear from occasional notices1 that1 notwithstanding his professed admiration of ,scotsmen1 it displeased him to find ,hume the ,scotsman sitting at the king's gate4 ,writing to ,lady ,hervey on #adth ,sept4 #agfe1 he says1 ,mr4 ,hume1 that is the mode1 asked much about your ladyship4#bbe3a ,then to ,montague1 on the #bb;d of the same month1 and in allusion to the conversation of the dinner-table in ,paris3 ,for literature1 it is very amusing when one has nothing else to do4 ,i think it rather pedantic in society3 tiresome when displayed professedly2 and1 besides1 in this country1 one is sure it is only the fashion of the day4 ,their taste in it is the worst of all2 could one believe1 that when they read our authors1 ,richardson and ,mr4 ,hume should be their favourites8 ,the latter is treated here with perfect veneration4 ,his ,history1 so falsified in many points1 so partial in as many1 so very unequal in its parts1 is thought the standard of writing4#bbe3b ,thus1 and in the like strain1 do the ,french suffer in his good opinion1 for their offence in making an idol of ,hume4 ,so1 on the #c;d ,october1 when writing to ,mr4 ,chute1-- ,their authors1 who by the way are every where1 are worse than their own writings1 which ,i don't mean as a compliment to either4 ,in general1 the style of conversation is solemn1 pedantic1 and seldom animated1 but by a dispute4 ,i was expressing my aversion to disputes3 ,mr4 ,hume1 who very gratefully admires the tone of ,paris1 having never known any other tone1 said with great surprise1 ,why1 what do you like1 if you hate both disputes and whisk8#bbe3c ,then1 on the #aith of the same month1 to ,mr4 ,brand3 ,i assure you1 you may come hither very safely1 and be in no danger from mirth4 ,laughing is as much out of fashion as pantins and bilboquets4 ,good folks1 they have no time to laugh4 ,there is ,god and the king to be pulled down first2 and men and women1 one and all1 are devoutly employed in the demolition4 ,they think me quite profane for having any belief left4 ,but this is not my only crime2 ,i have told them1 and am undone by it1 that they have taken from us to admire the two dullest things we had--,whisk and ,richardson4 ,it is very true that they want nothing but ,george ,grenville to make their conversations1 or rather dissertations1 the most tiresome upon earth4 ,for ,lord ,lyttelton1 if he would come hither1 and turn freethinker once more1 he would be reckoned the most agreeable man in ,france1--next to ,mr4 ,hume1 who is the only thing in the world that they believe implicitly1 which they must do1 for ,i defy them to understand any language that he speaks4#bbf3a ,at this time ,adam ,smith was travelling in ,france1 with his pupil1 the young ,duke of ,buccleuch4 ,on #eth ,july1 #agfd1 he writes from ,toulouse1 requesting ,hume to give him and his pupil introductions to distinguished ,frenchmen1 the ,duc de ,richelieu1 the ,marquis de ,lorges1 c4 ,he says1 that ,mr4 ,townsend had assured him of these and other introductions1 from the ,duc de ,choiseul1 but that none had made their appearance in that quarter4 ,smith seems to have been heartily tired of the glittering bondage of his tutorship1 and to have sighed for the academic conviviality he had left behind him at ,glasgow4 ,he says3-- ,the ,duke is acquainted with no ,frenchman whatever4 ,i cannot cultivate the acquaintance of the few with whom ,i am acquainted1 as ,i cannot bring them to our house1 and am not always at liberty to go to theirs4 ,the life which ,i led at ,glasgow1 was a pleasureable dissipated life in comparison of that which ,i lead here at present4 ,i have begun to write a book1 in order to pass away the time4 ,you may believe ,i have very little to do4 ,if ,sir ,james would come and spend a month with us in his travels1 it would not only be a great satisfaction to me1 but he might1 by his influence and example1 be of great service to the ,duke4#bbh3a ,there is little doubt that the book he had begun to write1 was the ,wealth of ,nations3 and we have here probably the earliest announcement of his employing himself in that work4 ,on the #bast of ,october1 he writes from ,toulouse1 stating that the letters of introduction had reached him1 and that his noble pupil was well received4 ,he says1 ,our expedition to ,bourdeaux1 and another we have made since to ,bagneres1 has made a great change upon the ,duke4 ,he begins now to familiarize himself to ,french company2 and ,i flatter myself ,i shall spend the rest of the time we are to live together1 not only in peace and contentment1 but in great amusement4 ,amidst the multiplied attractions of ,paris1 ,hume's thoughts were often turned to his native city1 and the circle of kind friends and admirers he had there left behind him4 ,such reminiscences of home doings as are contained in the following letters1 would doubtless ensure his warm attention4 ,on #ast ,july1 ,blair writes3 ,robertson has1 of late1 had worse health than usual1 which has somewhat interrupted his studies4 ,he talked once of a trip to ,france this season2 but his want of the language is so discouraging1 as seems to have made him lay aside thoughts of it for the present4 ,it will be a twelvemonth more1 ,i suppose1 before his ,charles ,v4 shall see the light4 ,i dined this day with ,sir ,james ,macdonald1 on whose praises ,i need not expatiate to you4 ,much conversation we had about you2 and a great deal ,i heard of your flourishing state4 ,you write concerning it yourself1 like a philosopher and a man of sense4 ,the first splendour and eclat of such situations soon loses its lustre1 and often1 as you found it1 is burdensome4 ,ease and agreeable society are the only things that last and remain2 and these1 now that you are quite naturalized1 and have formed habits of life1 ,i imagine you enjoy in a very comfortable degree4 ,the society at ,paris1 to one who has all your advantages for enjoying it in its perfection1 is1 ,i am fully convinced1 from all that ,i have heard1 the most agreeable in the whole world4 ,our education here is at present in high reputation4 ,the ,englishes are crowding down upon us every season1 and ,i wish may not come to hurt us at the last4#bbi3a ,jardine writes1 on #ast ,august3-- ,i have attempted1 four or five times1 to write to you but this poor church has1 for some time past1 been in such danger1 that ,i could never find time for it4 ,she has employed all my thoughts and care for these twelve months past4 ,the enemy had kindled such a flame1 that the old burning bush was like to have been consumed altogether4 ,i know it will give you pleasure to hear that my endeavours to preserve her have been crowned with success4 ,she begins to shine forth with her ancient lustre2 and will very soon be1 not only fair as the sun1 but1 to all her enemies1 terrible as an army with banners4#bcj3a ,it is pleasing to find one whose name has been so much associated with the later school of our national literature1 as ,mrs4 ,cockburn1 the early friend of ,scott1 enjoying the intimacy of the sages of the philosophical age of ,scottish letters4 ,this accomplished lady1 well known as the authoress of one of the versions of ,the ,flowers of the ,forest1 was a correspondent of ,hume4 ,a few of her letters have been preserved2 and the following are her free and animated remarks on ,hume's flattering reception in ,france1--remarks written in the full assurance that neither adulation nor prosperity would diminish the regard of that simple manly heart1 for the chosen friends he had left in his native soil4 ,from the bleak hills of the north1 from the uncultured daughter of ,caledon1 will the adored sage of ,france deign to receive a few lines3 they come from the heart of a friend1 and will be delivered by the hand of an enemy4 ,which1 ,o man of mode1 is most indifferent to thee8 ,insensible thou art alike to gratitude or resentment2 fit for the country that worships thee4 ,thou art equally insensible to love or hate4 ,a momentary applause1 ill begot1 and worse brought up1--an abortion1 a fame not founded on truth1--have bewitched thee1 and thou hast forgot those who1 overlooking thy errors1 saved thy worth4 ,idol of ,gaul1 ,i worship thee not4 ,the very cloven foot1 for which thou art worshipped1 ,i despise3 yet ,i remember thee with affection4 ,i remember that1 in spite of vain philosophy1 of dark doubts1 of toilsome learning1 ,god had stamped his image of benignity so strong upon thy heart1 that not all the labours of thy head could efface it4 ,idol of a foolish people1 be not puffed up2 it is easy to overturn the faith of a multitude that is ready to do evil3 an apostle of less sense might bring to that giddy nation--libertinism2 liberty they are not born to4 ,this will be sent to you by your good friend1 ,mr4 ,burnet2 who goes much such an errand as you have given yourself through life1 viz41 in search of truth2 and ,i believe both are equally impartial in the search2 though1 indeed1 he has more visible interests for darkening it than ever you had4 ,castlehill1 ,baird's ,close1 ,aug4 #bjth1 #agfd4bca3a ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,paris1 #c;d ,september1 #agfd4 ,it is certain that nothing could be a greater inducement to me to continue my ,history1 than your desiring so earnestly ,i should do so4 ,i have so great reason to be satisfied with your conduct towards me1 that ,i wish very much to gratify you in every thing that is practicable2 and there want not other motives to make me embrace that resolution4 ,for1 though ,i think ,i have reason to complain of the blindness of party1 which has made the public do justice to me very slowly1 and with great reluctance1 yet ,i find that ,i obtain support from many impartial people2 and hope that ,i shall every day have more reason to be satisfied in that particular4 ,but1 in my present situation1 it is impossible for me to undertake such a work2 and ,i cannot break off from ,lord ,hertford1 as long as he is pleased to think me useful to him4 ,i shall not1 however1 lose sight of this object2 and any materials that cast up1 in this country1 shall be carefully collected by me4 ,i am glad you are satisfied with the publication of the new edition of my ,essays4 ,i shall be obliged to you if you will inform yourself exactly how many copies are now sold1 both of that edition and of the octavo edition of my ,history4 ,i think both these editions very correct4 ,i did little more than see your friends1 ,mr4 ,buchanan and ,mr4 ,wilson1 at ,paris1 and present them to ,lord ,hertford4 ,we returned not from ,compiegne till a few days before they left ,paris4 4 4 4 4 4 ,i think the ,duchess of ,douglas has chosen well in making ,mallet one of her commissioners4 ,i have no good opinion of that cause4 ,mrs4 ,mallet has retired into the forest of ,fontainbleau with a ,macgregor4 ,i fancy she is angry with me1 and thought herself neglected by me while in ,paris4 ,i heard of her thrusting herself every where into companies1 who endeavoured to avoid her2 and ,i was afraid she would have laid hold of me to enlarge her acquaintance among the ,french4 ,i have not yet executed your commission with ,monsr4 le ,roy1 but shall not forget it4 ,i am very glad that ,mrs4 ,millar is so good as to remember me4 ,i shall regard it as one agreeable circumstance attending my return to ,england1 that you and she will have leisure to give more of your company to your friends2 and ,i shall always be proud to be ranked in the number4 ,the lowness of stocks surely proceeds not from any apprehension of war3 never was a general peace established in ,europe with more likelihood of its continuance2 but ,i fancy your stocks are become at last too weighty1 to the conviction of all the world4 ,what must happen1 if we go on at the same rate during another war8 ,i am1 with great sincerity1 dear sir1 your most obedient humble servant4#bcc3a ,the course of correspondence with ,elliot1 which commences with the next following letter1 relates1 in a great measure1 to the disposal of his two sons at ,paris1 and to their future training and education4#bcc3b ,there could be no better evidence of the reliance placed in ,hume's honourable principles and knowledge of the world1 by those friends who were sufficiently intimate with him1 fully to appreciate his character2 while his whole conduct in the transaction shows kindness of heart1 with a warm attachment to friends1 and an earnest disposition to serve them4 ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto to ,,hume4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,my departure from ,paris was so very sudden1 that ,i was obliged to leave many of my little schemes uncompleted2 and1 what was still more mortifying1 to see the progress of all my growing attachments cruelly interrupted4 ,i reached this place just in time1 though not a little retarded by the ,russian chancellor and his forty horses4 ,had ,i but foreseen this obstruction1 ,i might as well have set out on ,wednesday morning at two o'clock2 and in that case1 my dear philosopher1 what a delicious evening should ,i have passed in your company4 ,upon full deliberation ,i am determined to send you my boys1 if a tolerable place can be found for their reception4 ,i did not much like that talking professor1 who undertakes so largely3 if nothing better can be done1 pray take the trouble to renew my negotiation with ,madame ,anson4 ,her house1 though not just what ,i could wish1 is1 however1 not much amiss4 ,i must not lose this occasion of sending my children to ,france4 ,i shall never find any other so favourable4 ,it will be no small consolation to their mother1 from whom they are now to be separated for the first time1 to know that we are not without a friend in ,paris1 who will sometimes have an eye to their conduct4 ,if ,i am not too partial1 ,i think you will find in their character much native simplicity1 and perhaps some little elevation of mind4 ,send them back to me1 my dear sir1 with the same qualities1 tempered1 if you will1 but not impaired by the acquisition of some few of those graces which spread such an inexpressible charm through those societies where even you are not ashamed to pass so many precious hours4 ,if you should find no leisure to give them a moment's instruction1 tell them at least to look up to the conduct and character of a young friend of ours at ,paris4#bcd3a ,there they will find a model1 which1 without hoping to equal1 it will1 however1 become them to copy4 ,but1 after all1 what am ,i about8 ,at ,paris1 to have children at all1 is de plus mauvais ton de monde1 and ,i forgot to inform myself1 when one happens to have them1 whether it be permitted to take any thought about them4 ,i am impatient to hear from you at ,london4 ,i shall not be long there4 ,i desire you would take this important business into your hands and settle it for me entirely4 ,i will send them over the moment you desire me1 and consigned to whom you direct1--the sooner the better3 you will settle all other particulars as you find proper4 ,before ,i conclude1 allow me in friendship also to tell you1 ,i think ,i see you at present upon the very brink of a precipice4 ,one cannot too much clear their mind of all little prejudices1 but partiality to one's country is not a prejudice4 ,love the ,french as much as you will4 ,many of the individuals are surely the proper objects of affection2 but1 above all1 continue still an ,englishman4 ,you know1 better than any body1 that the active powers of our mind are much too limited to be usefully employed in any pursuit more general than the service of that portion of mankind which we call our country4 ,general benevolence and private friendship will attend a generous mind and a feeling heart1 into every country2 but political attachment confines itself to one4 ,mon fils1 sur les humains que ton ame attendrie1 ,habite l'univers1 mais aime sa patrie4 ,i have not now leisure to trouble you with the few observations my too short stay at ,paris had but imperfectly furnished me with4 ,irreconcileable to the principles of their government1 ,i am delighted with the amenity and gentleness of their manners4 ,i was even pleased to find that the severity and rigour of our ,english climate had not rendered me altogether insensible to the kind impressions of a milder sky4 ,may ,i trouble you with my most cordial and sincere respects to ,lord and ,lady ,hertford4 ,some ,french names1 too1 ,i could mention1 but ,i am not vain enough to imagine that ,i can1 upon so short an acquaintance1 have a place in their remembrance4 ,believe me1 very dear sir1 yours very sincerely1 and most affectionately1 ,,gilbert ,,elliot4#bce3a 7,i set out this moment47 ,brussels1 #aeth ,september1 #agfd4 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,paris1 #bb;d ,sept4 #agfd4 ,as soon as ,i received yours from ,brussels1 ,i set on foot my inquiries4 ,i spoke to ,abb ,hooke1 to ,pre ,gordon1 to ,clairaut1 to ,madame de ,pri1 and to others1 with a view of finding some proper settlement for your young gentlemen4 ,every body told me1 as they did1 of the difficulty of succeeding in my scheme2 and nothing yet has been offered me1 that ,i would advise you to accept of4 ,i went to ,madame ,anson's1 and found that family a very decent1 sensible kind of people4 ,i came in upon them about seven o'clock1 and found a company of eight or nine persons assembled1 whose aspects pleased me very much4 ,the only objection that occurred to me with regard to this family1 is the quarter of the town1 which is not only so unfashionable1 that my coachman was astonished when ,i ordered him to drive thither1 but1 what is worse1 it is far from all walks and places of exercise4 ,however1 it is near the university2 and1 consequently1 it is in that quarter where all the youth of ,france are educated4 ,if nothing better present itself1 ,i shall conclude a bargain with this family for a thousand crowns a-year1 without firing or washing1 according to the terms proposed to you1 which they said they could not depart from4 ,the misfortune is1 that ,i must go to ,fontainbleau in about a fortnight1 and1 consequently1 am straitened in my time of inquiry2 but1 in all cases1 ,i shall certainly conclude with somebody before my departure4 ,we stay six weeks at ,fontainbleau1 during which time1 if you send your sons to ,paris1 ,i shall take a journey thither to receive them4 ,in all cases1 they must come immediately to the ,hotel de ,brancas1 where they will not want friends4 ,i do not like the talking man more than you do2 and a flattering letter ,i have since received from him1 does not augment my good opinion4 ,i went to ,monsieur ,bastide1 he who proposed the scheme for ten thousand livres a-year4 ,he seems to be a genteel1 well-bred man2 lives in a very good house in an excellent quarter of the town2 is well spoke of by ,d',alembert and others2 and has with him two very agreeable boys1 ,russian princes1 who speak ,french very well4 ,i should have given him the preference1 had it not been the price4 ,he asks ten thousand livres a-year for your two sons and their governor1 without supplying them either with clothes or masters4 ,you know his ten thousand a-piece included all expenses4 ,if you can resolve to go so far in point of expense1 it is the best place that occurs1 or is likely to occur4 ,since ,i wrote the above1 ,i went to see ,mademoiselle ,l',espinasse1 ,d',alembert's mistress1 who is really one of the most sensible women in ,paris4 ,she told me that there could not be a worthier1 honester1 better man1 than ,bastide4 ,i told her that ,i had entertained the same opinion1 but was afraid his head-piece was none of the best4 ,she owned that he did not excel on that side2 and a proof of it was1 that he had wrote several books1 all of which were below middling4 ,on my return home1 ,i found the enclosed letter from him4#bcg3a ,i have promised him an answer by the return of the post from ,england4 ,on the whole1 the chief advantage1 as it appears to me1 which his house will have above ,anson's1 consists in the air and situation4 ,it lies on the skirts of the town1 in an open street near the rampart2 but five thousand livres a-year is paying too dear for the advantage4 ,i cannot imagine what you mean by saying ,i am on a precipice4 ,i shall foretell to you the result of my present situation almost with as great certainty as it is possible to employ with regard to any future event4 ,as soon as ,lord ,hertford's embassy ends1 which probably may not continue long1 some zealot1 whom ,i never saw1 and never could offend1 finding me without protection1 will instanter fly1 with alacrity1 to strike off that pension which the king and the ministry1 before ,i would consent to accept of my present situation1 promised should be for life4 ,i shall be obliged to leave ,paris1 which ,i confess ,i shall turn my back to with regret4 ,i shall go to ,thoulouse or ,montauban1 or some provincial town in the south of ,france1 where ,i shall spend1 contented1 the rest of my life1 with more money1 under a finer sky1 and in better company than ,i was born to enjoy4 ,from what human motive or consideration can ,i prefer living in ,england than in foreign countries8 ,i believe1 taking the continent of ,europe1 from ,petersburg to ,lisbon1 and from ,bergen to ,naples1 there is not one who ever heard of my name1 who has not heard of it with advantage1 both in point of morals and genius4 ,i do not believe there is one ,englishman in fifty1 who1 if he heard ,i had broke my neck to-night1 would be sorry4 ,some1 because ,i am not a ,whig2 some because ,i am not a ,christian2 and all because ,i am a ,scotsman4 ,can you seriously talk of my continuing an ,englishman8 ,am ,i1 or are you1 an ,englishman8 ,do they not treat with derision our pretensions to that name1 and with hatred our just pretensions to surpass and govern them8 ,i am a citizen of the world2 but if ,i were to adopt any country1 it would be that in which ,i live at present1 and from which ,i am determined never to depart1 unless a war drives me into ,switzerland or ,italy4 ,i must now inform you what passed with regard to my affair at ,l'ile-,adam4#bch3a ,my friend showed me a letter1 which she had lately received from ,lord ,tavistock1 by which it appears he had fallen into great friendship1 and bore a great regard to ,lady ,sarah ,bunbury4 ,i instantly forbade her to write to ,england a line about my affair4 ,i bear too great a respect to her1 to expose her to ask a favour1 where there was so little probability of success3 thus have vanished my best hopes of obtaining justice in this point4 ,here is surely no new ground of attachment to ,england4#bci3a ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,hotel de ,brancas1 #cjth ,sept4 #agfd4 ,after acknowledging that ,i received both your letters1 that from ,brussels1 and that from ,calais1 ,i should be ashamed to appear before you with so late a letter4 ,this day fortnight1 ,lord ,march and ,selwin appointed to go off4 ,i sent ,march a very long letter for you1 and enjoined him1 as he lived next door to you1 to deliver it the moment he arrived2 and having thus done my duty1 ,i went very contentedly to ,l'ile-,adam1 where ,i remained for four days4 ,on my return to ,paris1 ,i was much surprised to hear that ,march1 after his post-chaise was yoked1 had changed his mind1 and was still in ,paris4 ,when ,i appeared alarmed at this intelligence1 ,i was told that he had sent off an express to ,london with letters1 which composed my mind4 ,next day ,i saw him1 and he fairly confessed1 that from forgetfulness1 he had not sent off my letter4 ,i begged him to send it to me2 he promised it1 delayed it1 promised again1 and at last owns that he has lost it2 which gives me great vexation1 both on your account1 and my own1 for ,i spoke to you with great freedom1 and am infinitely uneasy lest my letter should fall into bad hands4#bda3a ,when ,i rail at ,march1 ,i get no other reply than1 ',god damn you6 if your letter was of consequence1 why the devil did you trust it to such a foolish fellow as me8' ,i am therefore obliged1 in a great hurry1 to give you some imperfect account of what ,i have done4 ,i went to ,ansons'1 who seem a discreet1 sober set of people4 ,i came in upon a mixed company1 whose looks pleased me3 the only objection is the quarter of the town1 which is straitened2 but it is near the ,university1 and consequently where all the youth of ,france are educated4 ,i do not like the talking man more than you2 and a very flattering letter he wrote me1 helped further to disgust me4 ,la ,bastide1 the #aj1jjj livres man1 ,i went to see3 he seems an agreeable man1 and is well spoke of2 he lives in an agreeable house1 and in a good air1 and has two young ,russian princes with him1 who speak very good ,french2 he offers to take your two boys and preceptor for #hjjj livres on the whole1 but without paying either clothes or master4 ,i suppose you would not choose to pay #ejjj livres a-year1 merely for the advantage of better air4 ,i have heard a very good character of one ,eriot1 professor of rhetoric in the ,collge de ,beauvais1 who offers to take them3 they would live in the house with him alone2 but he proposes that they should go to all the classes of the university1 where they would make acquaintance with ,french boys1 and nobody would ever ask questions about their religion3 ,but as ,i heard you declare against their going to the university1 7which yet ,i should highly approve of17 ,i cannot make any bargain with ,eriot4 ,the misfortune is1 ,i go to ,fontainbleau to-morrow se'ennight1 and must conclude a bargain without hearing from you1 by this fine trick ,lord ,march has played me4 ,it is probable1 therefore1 it will be with ,anson1 because you yourself did not disapprove of that plan2 and ,i should be afraid to depart from it considerably1 without your authority4 ,if you give me information in time1 ,i shall come from ,fontainbleau to settle your boys4 ,in any case make them come immediately to the ,hotel de ,brancas1 where they will not want friends if any of the family be in town4 ,since ,i wrote the above1 one of my numerous scouts came to me1 and told me1 that within gunshot of the ,hotel de ,brancas1 there was to be found all ,i could wish1 and more than ,i could have imagined4 ,it is called ,la ,pension ,militaire4 ,i immediately went to see it4 ,i found there an excellent airy house1 with an open garden belonging to it4 ,it is the best house but one in ,paris2 has a prospect and access into the large open space of the ,invalids1 and from thence into the fields4 ,the number of boys is limited to thirty-five1 whom ,i saw in the court1 in a blue uniform with a narrow silver lace4 ,they left off their play1 and made me a bow with the best grace in the world1 as ,i passed4 ,i was carried to their master the ,abb ,choquart1 who appeared to me a sensible1 sedate1 judicious man1 agreeable to the character ,i had received of him4 ,he carried me through the boys' apartments1 which were cleanly1 light1 spacious1 and each lay in a small bed apart4 ,i saw a large collection of instruments for experimental philosophy4 ,i saw an ingenious machine for teaching chronology4 ,there were plans of fortification4 ,while ,i was considering these1 ,i heard a drum beat in the court4 ,it was the hour for assembling the boys for their military exercises4 ,i went down4 ,they had now all got on their belts1 and had their muskets in their hands4 ,they went through all the ,prussian exercises with the best air and greatest regularity imaginable4 ,almost all were about your son's age1 a year or two more or less4 ,they are the youth of the best quality in ,france2 their air and manners seemed to bespeak it4 ,the master asked only about thirteen hundred livres a-year for each of your boys1 five hundred for the preceptor4 ,he supplies them with all masters1 except those of dancing1 music1 and designing2 for these they have masters that come in1 who take only eight livres a-month1 though they require from others three louis-d'ors4 ,there is a riding master belonging to the house4 ,your sons need never go to mass unless they please1 and nobody shall ever talk to them about religion2 the master only requires1 that you should write him a letter1 which he will read to every body1 by which you desire 4 4 4 4#bdc3a ,the following short letter was addressed to ,mr4 ,elliot on the same day with the preceding one1 for the reason which the letter itself states4 ,the anxious care with which ,hume endeavoured not only to be punctual and exact himself in the performance of the business he had undertaken1 but to remedy the consequences of the absence of these qualities in others1 may afford a useful reproof to those who demean themselves as above the exercise of these homely virtues2 and shows that the practice of them has been1 in one instance at least1 considered not incompatible with the design and achievement of intellectual greatness4 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,hotel de ,brancas1 #cjth ,september1 #agfd4 ,i have wrote you a long letter to ,london1 a short one to ,harrowgate1 and now ,i write to you to ,minto4 ,not to lose time1 you must have a little implicit faith2 without making further questions1 give instantly orders that your sons be sent to me1 and that they come instantly to the ,hotel de ,brancas4 ,within less than a gunshot of this1 ,i have found a place which has all advantages beyond what your imagination could suggest2 it is almost directly opposite to my friend the ,marechale de ,mirepoix's1 by whose advice ,i act4 ,i tell you this1 lest your opinion of my discretion be not the highest in the world4 ,there are there about thirty boys of the best families in ,france4 ,the house is spacious1 airy1 clean1 has a garden1 opens into the fields2 the board costs only thirteen hundred livres a-year for each boy1 five hundred for the tutor2 the boys have almost all masters for this sum4 ,i have concluded the bargain for a quarter2 the payment runs on from the first of ,october1 because the course of studies begins then2 there will be no question about religion or the mass4 ,i have been more particular in my letter to ,london4 ,nothing was ever so fortunate for your purpose4 ,hotel de ,brancas1 #ith ,october1 #agfd4 ,i go to ,fontainbleau to-day2 my ,lady and ,lord ,beauchamp go also4 ,mr4 ,trail1 the chaplain1 and ,mr4 ,larpent1 my lord's secretary1 follow in a few days4 ,all these arrangements are unexpected2 but the consequence is1 that there will be nobody in the ,hotel de ,brancas for some weeks2 but this need not retard a moment your sending the young gentlemen4 ,i have spoke to the master of the academy1 who says that the moment they arrive they shall be settled as well as if all their kindred were there4 ,i have sent the enclosed letter to him1 which the gentleman who attends them may deliver immediately on his arrival in ,paris4 ,vive valeque4#bde3a ,in #agfd1 the ,comte de ,boufflers died1 and his widow expected to be made ,princess of ,conti4 ,hume seems to have seen from the first that this expectation was likely to lead to manifold mortifications1 and that it was the duty of a true friend to prepare her mind for disappointment4 ,in this spirit he wrote her the following long and carefully considered letters1 in answer to some communications from her1 full of hopes and fears1 and all a ,frenchwoman's nervous agitations4 ,,hume to the ,,comtesse ,,de ,,boufflers4 ,wednesday1 #bhth of ,november1 #agfd4 ,you may believe that1 ever since my return to ,paris1 ,i have kept my eyes and ears open with regard to every thing that concerns your affair4 ,i find it is the general opinion of all those who think themselves the best informed1 that a resolution is taken in your favour2 and that the resolution will probably have place4 ,but you do not expect surely1 that so great an event will pass without censure4 ,it would ill become my friendship to flatter you on this head4 ,the envy and jealousy of the world would alone account for a repugnance in many4 ,nobody has been more generally known than you2 both of late and in your early youth4 ,will so numerous an acquaintance be pleased to see you pass1 from being their equal1 to be so much their superior8 ,will they bear your uniting the decisive elevation of rank to the elevation of genius1 which they feel1 and which they would in vain contest8 ,be assured1 that she is really and sincerely your friend1 who can willingly yield you so great advantages4 ,but though ,i hear some murmurs of this kind1 ,i have likewise the consolation to meet with several who entertain opposite sentiments4 ,i was told of a man of superior sense1 nowise connected with you1 who maintained in a public company1 that1 if the report was true1 nothing could give him a higher idea of the laudable and noble principles of your friend4 ,the execution of his purpose1 he said1 could not only be justified1 but seemed a justice due to you4 ,the capital point is to interpose as few delays as possible4 ,time must create obstacles1 and can remove none4 ,while the matter seems in suspense1 many will declare themselves with violence against you1 and will render themselves irreconcilable enemies by such declarations4 ,they might be the first to pay court to you1 had no leisure been allowed them to display their envy and malignity4 ,on the whole1 ,i am fully persuaded1 from what ,i hear and see1 that the matter will end as we wish4 ,but in all cases1 ,i foresee1 that1 let the event be what it will1 you will reap from it much honour and much vexation4 ,alas6 dear madam1 the former is never a compensation for the latter3 especially to you1 whose delicate frame1 already shaken by an incident of much less importance surely1 is ill calculated to bear such violent agitations4 ,pardon these sentiments if you think them mean4 ,they are dictated by my friendship for you4 ,i am indeed so mean as to wish you alive and healthy and gay in any fortune4 ,a fine consolation for us truly1 to see the epithet of princess inscribed on your grave1 while we reflect that it contains what was the most amiable in the world8 ,i propose to pay my respects to you the beginning of next week4 #ajth ,december1 #agfd4 ,it is needless to inform you1 how much you employed my thoughts in this great crisis of your fortune1 of your health1 of your life itself4 ,you could perceive1 by undoubted signs1 that ,i partook sincerely of the violent anxieties1 by which ,i found you agitated2 and that1 after having endeavoured in vain to appease the tumult of your passions1 ,i was at last necessitated myself to take part in your distress4 ,my sympathy is not abated by absence4 ,i find myself incapable almost of other occupation or amusement4 ,you still recur to my memory4 ,the chief relief ,i have is in writing to you1 and throwing together some thoughts1 which occur to me1 on your subject4 ,they are mostly the same which occurred in conversation1 and which ,i have already suggested to you4 ,they will acquire no additional authority at present in writing1 except by convincing you that they are the result of my most mature reflections4 ,of all your friends1 ,i1 as a foreigner1 am perhaps the least capable of giving you advice on so delicate a subject3 ,i only challenge the preference1 in the warmth of my affection and esteem towards you2 and ,i am1 as a foreigner1 the farther removed from all suspicion of separate interests and regards4 ,i cannot too often repeat1 what ,i inculcated on you with great earnestness1 that1 even if your friend should fix his resolution on the side least favourable to you1 you ought to receive his determination without the least resentment4 ,you know that princes1 more than other men1 are born slaves to prejudices1 and that this tax is imposed on them1 as a species of retaliation by the public4 ,this prince in particular is in every view so eminent1 that he owes some account of his conduct to ,europe in general1 to ,france1 and to his family1 the most illustrious in the world4 ,it is expected1 that men1 in his station1 shall not be actuated by private regards4 ,it is expected1 that with them friendship1 affection1 sympathy1 shall be absorbed in ambition1 and in the desire of supporting their rank in the world2 and1 if they fail in this duty1 they will meet with blame from a great part of the public4 ,can you be surprised1 that a person covetous of honour1 should be moved by these considerations8 ,if he neglected them1 would not your grateful heart suggest to you1 that he had taken an extraordinary step in your favour8 ,and can you1 with any grace1 complain1 that an extraordinary event has not happened1 merely because you wished for it1 and found it desirable8 ,i am fully sensible1 madam1 of the force of those arguments which you urged1 not to justify your resentment1 from which you declared you would ever be exempted1 but to maintain the reasonableness of your expectations4 ,i am fully sensible of the regard1 the sacred regard1 due to a long and sincere attachment1 which1 passing from love to friendship1 lost nothing of its warmth1 and acquired only the additional merit of reason and constancy4 ,this regard1 ,i own1 is really honourable and virtuous2 and may safely be opposed to the maxims of an imaginary honour1 which1 depending upon modes and prejudices1 will always be regarded1 by great minds1 as a secondary consideration4 ,i shall add1 what your modesty would not allow you to surmise1 or even1 perhaps1 to think1 that an extraordinary step1 taken in favour of extraordinary merit1 will always justify itself2 and will appear but an ordinary tribute4 ,allow me to do you this justice in your present melancholy situation4 ,i know ,i am exempt from flattery3 ,i believe ,i am exempt from partiality4 ,the zeal and fervour which move me1 are the effects1 not the causes of my judgment4 ,but1 my dear friend1 the consideration1 which is the most interesting1 the most affecting1 the most alarming1 is the immediate danger of your health and life1 from the violent situation into which fortune has now thrown you4 ,you continued long to live1 with tolerable tranquillity1 though exposed to many vexations1 in a state little befitting your worth and merit2 and you still comforted yourself by reflecting that you could not change it1 without withdrawing from a friendship dearer to you than life itself4 ,you still could flatter yourself1 that the person1 for whose sake you made this sacrifice1 if he had it in his power1 would1 at any price1 repair your honour1 and fortify his connexions with you4 ,the unexpected death of ,m4 de ,boufflers has put an end to these illusions4 ,it has at once brought you within reach of honour and felicity3 and has thrown a poison on your former state1 by rendering it still less honourable than before4 ,you cannot say1 madam1 that ,i do not feel1 and with the most pungent sensation1 the cruelty of your situation4 ,i am sensible too1 that time will scarcely bring any remedy to this evil4 ,the loss of a friend1 of a dignity1 of fortune1 admits of consolation1 if not from reason1 at least from oblivion2 and these sorrows are not eternal4 ,but while you maintain your present connexions1 your hopes1 still kept alive1 will still enliven your natural desire of that state to which you aspire1 and your disgust towards that state in which you will find yourself4 ,i foresee that your lively passions1 continually agitated1 will tear in pieces your tender frame3 melancholy and a broken constitution may then prove your lot1 and the remedy which could now preserve your health and peace of mind1 may come too late to restore them4 ,what advice1 then1 can ,i give you1 in a situation so interesting8 ,the measure which ,i recommend to you requires courage1 but ,i dread that nothing else will be able to prevent the consequences1 so justly apprehended4 ,it is1 in a word1 that after employing every gentle art to prevent a rupture1 you should gradually diminish your connexion with the ,prince1 should be less assiduous in your visits1 should make fewer and shorter journeys to his country seats1 and should betake yourself to a private1 and sociable1 and independent life at ,paris4 ,by this change in your plan of living1 you cut off at once the expectations of that dignity to which you aspire2 you are no longer agitated with hopes and fears2 your temper insensibly recovers its former tone2 your health returns2 your relish for a simple and private life gains ground every day1 and you become sensible1 at last1 that you have made a good exchange of tranquillity for grandeur4 ,even the dignity of your character1 in the eyes of the world1 recovers its lustre1 while men see the just price you set upon your liberty2 and that1 however the passions of youth may have seduced you1 you will not now sacrifice all your time1 where you are not deemed worthy of every honour4 ,and why should you think with reluctance on a private life at ,paris8 ,it is the situation for which ,i thought you best fitted1 ever since ,i had the happiness of your acquaintance4 ,the inexpressible and delicate graces of your character and conversation1 like the soft notes of a lute1 are lost amid the tumult of company1 in which ,i commonly saw you engaged4 ,a more select society would know to set a juster value upon your merit4 ,men of sense1 and taste1 and letters1 would accustom themselves to frequent your house4 ,every elegant society would court your company4 ,and though all great alterations in the habits of living may1 at first1 appear disagreeable1 the mind is soon reconciled to its new situation1 especially if more congenial and natural to it4 ,i should not dare to mention my own resolutions on this occasion1 if ,i did not flatter myself that your friendship gives them some small importance in your eyes4 ,being a foreigner1 ,i dare less answer for my plans of life1 which may lead me far from this country2 but if ,i could dispose of my fate1 nothing could be so much my choice as to live where ,i might cultivate your friendship4 ,your taste for travelling might also afford you a plausible pretence for putting this plan in execution3 a journey to ,italy would loosen your connexions here2 and1 if it were delayed some time1 ,i could1 with some probability1 expect to have the felicity of attending you thither4#bea3a ,hume had the happiness of ,madame de ,boufflers sincerely at heart2 and we find him1 on #bdth ,june1 #agfe1 thus writing to his brother3-- ,i had great hopes1 all the winter1 of seeing the ,countess in a station suitable to her merit1 and of paying my respects to her as part of the royal family4 ,several accidents have disappointed us2 and the various turns of this affair have more agitated me than almost any event in which ,i was ever engaged4 ,the following correspondence exhibits a feature in ,hume's character1 which to many readers will be new1 and perhaps unpleasing4 ,it shows that he was by no means exempt from the passion of anger1 and that when under its influence he was liable to be harsh and unreasonable4 ,the general notion formed of his character is1 that he passed through life unmoved and immovable1 a placid mass of breathing flesh1 on which the ordinary impulses which rouse the human passions into life might expend themselves in vain4 ,we have seen that very early in life he had undertaken the task of bringing his passions and propensities under the yoke1 and directing all his physical and mental energies to the accomplishment of his early and never fading vision of literary renown4 ,from many indications which petty incidents in his life afford1 it would appear that the ardour of his nature1 if thus regulated1 was not eradicated2 and one cannot1 in a general survey of his course and character1 reject the conclusion1 that his early resolution not to enter the lists as a controversial writer1 mentioned in the following letter1 was suggested by a profound self-knowledge1 and a consciousness of his inability to preserve his temper as a controversialist4 ,the person against whom all the wrath of the following letter is directed1 is the respectable author of the ,historical and ,critical ,inquiry into the ,evidence produced by the ,earls ,murray and ,morton against ,mary ,queen of ,scots4 ,that1 assailed as he often was by attacks so much more vehement and unscrupulous1 ,hume should have taken so deep umbrage at this piece of free historical criticism1 is a problem not easily to be explained4 ,it is not a little remarkable that the bitterest remark on any contemporary contained in his published works1 is a note to his ,history1 in which he has abbreviated the purport of the letter4#beb3a ,,hume to ,,lord ,,elibank4#beb3b ,,my ,,lord1--,as ,i am told that ,dr4 ,robertson has wrote a few remarks1 which he communicated to your lordship1 as our common answer about the affair of ,queen ,mary1 and has endeavoured to show you that it was contempt and not inability1 which kept him from making a public reply2 ,i thought it would not be amiss for me to imitate his example2 and ,i did not indeed know a properer person1 nor a more equal judge than your lordship1 to whom ,i could submit the cause4 ,for if1 on the one hand1 your lordship's regard to the memory of that princess might give you a bias to that side1 ,i know1 that the ancient and constant friendship1 with which your lordship has always honoured me1 both in public and private1 would give you a strong bias on my side2 and there was a good chance for your remaining neutral and impartial between these motives4 ,i shall confine my apology to the account which ,i have given of the conference at ,hampton court1 as this is indeed the chief point1 in which the answerer has thought proper to find fault with me4 ,there are several places1 in which ,i mention ,mary's refusal to give any reply to ,murray's charge1 and have commonly said1 that she annexed as a condition1 her being admitted to ,queen ,elizabeth's presence2 as in page #dif1 line #bj2 page #eja1 line #ab1 line #ba4bec3a ,i have not said that this condition was an unreasonable one1 7the words which the answerer puts in my mouth17 but only that it was such a one as she did not expect to be granted2 and that because ,queen ,elizabeth had formerly refused it1 before any positive proofs of ,mary's guilt were produced1 merely from the general rumour and opinion1 which were unfavourable to her4 ,having thus clearly expressed myself on this head1 when ,i have occasion afterwards1 in the course of the narration1 to mention the matter1 ,i say once or twice simply1 that ,mary refused to give any answer1 without expressing the condition annexed by her4 ,my reasons were1 that the position was sufficiently qualified by the preceding narration2 and because a refusal1 grounded on a condition which the person does not expect to be gratified1 and which is accordingly denied1 is certainly equivalent to a simple and absolute refusal4 ,that your lordship may judge of the unfairness of the answerer1 he picks out this simple and unqualified expression of mine1 and omits the others1 which explain it to the readers of the meanest capacity2 and he opposes it by a passage cited with equal unfairness from ,mr4 ,goodall's appendix4 ,he quotes a long passage from ,goodall1 p4 #cjh1 in which ,queen ,mary demands copies of her letters1 and offers positively to give an answer without mentioning any conditions2 and this detached passage he opposes to the detached passage from me1 in which ,i assert that she absolutely refused to answer4 ,he desires that this express contradiction between my narration and the records may be remarked4 ,but1 in the first place1 the condition of being admitted to ,queen ,elizabeth1 though not mentioned in that paper1 is not relinquished1 and it is even clearly implied2 because ,mary there refers to a former letter1 which we find in ,goodall1 p4 #bhc1 line #b1 from the bottom1 page #bhi1 line #ac1 and where it is positively insisted on4 ,secondly1 we have in ,goodall1 page #ahd1 ,queen ,mary's commission to break up the conference1 if that condition be not granted4 ,thirdly1 ,queen ,elizabeth understands her meaning very well1 as indeed it was very plain1 and offers to her copies of the letters1 if she will promise to answer without any condition2 see ,goodall1 page #caa1 line #c1 and this offer is not accepted of4 ,fourthly1 in the very last paper of all1 which closes the whole1 the ,bishop of ,ross still insists on that condition2 ,goodall1 page #cij about the middle4 ,you see1 therefore1 my lord1 the double trick practised4 ,a mangled passage of my ,history is confronted with a mangled passage of ,mr4 ,goodall's papers1 and by this gross fraud a contradiction is pretended to be found between them4 ,a single forgery would not do the business4 ,i believe it will divert your lordship to observe1 that when the answerer is employing these base artifices1 this is the very moment he chooses to call me liar and rascal4 ,but that trick is so frequently practised by thieves1 pick-pockets1 and controversial writers1 7gentlemen whose morality are pretty much upon a footing17 that all the world has ceased to wonder1 and wise men are tired of complaining of it4 ,i do not find that even this gentleman has ventured to assert1 that ,queen ,mary offered to answer ,murray's accusation1 though she should be refused access to ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,where then is the difference between us8 ,he asserts1 that she offered to answer1 if admitted to that queen4 ,i say that she refused to answer unless she was admitted1 which are positive and negative propositions of the same import4 ,for a proof that ,queen ,mary's commission was finally revoked1 ,i beg your lordship to consult ,goodall1 p4 #ahd1 #caa1 #chg1 where it is plainly asserted4 ,the last quotation is from the concluding paper of the whole collection4 ,i hope your lordship1 as my friend1 will congratulate me on the resolution ,i took in the beginning of my life1 that is1 of my literary life1 never to reply to any body4 ,otherwise this gentleman1 ,i mean this author1 might have insulted me on my silence4 ,i am sure your lordship would have disowned me for ever as a friend1 if ,i had entered the lists with such an antagonist4 ,mr4 ,goodall is no very calm or indifferent advocate in this cause2 yet he disowns him as an associate1 and confesses to me and all the world1 that ,i am here right in my facts1 and am only wrong in my inferences4 ,there appear to me two infallible marks of our opposite parties1 and as we may say proof charges1 which1 if a man can stand1 there is no fear that any charge will ever burst him4 ,a ,whig who believes the popish plot1 and a ,tory who asserts ,queen ,mary's innocence1 are certainly fitted to go all lengths with their party4 ,i am happy to think that such people are both equally my enemies2 and still more happy1 that ,i have no animosity at either4 ,it is an old proverb1 ,love me1 love my dog2 but certainly it admits of many exceptions4 ,i am sure1 at least1 that ,i have a great respect for your lordship1 yet have none at all for this dog of yours4 ,on the contrary1 ,i declare him to be a very mangy cur2 entreat your lordship to rid your hands of him as soon as possible1 and think a sound beating1 or even a rope too good for him4#bef3a ,lord ,elibank's answer does not appear to have been preserved4 ,it can scarcely be supposed that the foregoing letter1 or any one written in a like spirit1 is the communication which ,hume characterizes in the following letter as written in a spirit of cordiality and amity1 and containing every pathetic1 every engaging sentiment and expression2 yet we afterwards find ,lord ,elibank sarcastically alluding to his having been so stupid as to mistake the spirit thus described1 for one of a totally opposite tendency4 ,,hume to ,,lord ,,elibank4 ,fontainbleau1 #c;d ,nov4 #agfd4 ,,my ,,lord1--,in reply to the letter with which your lordship has honoured me1 ,i shall endeavour to be as clear and as concise as possible4 ,your lordship should never have heard of the short and slight disgust between your brother and me1 had he not told ,sir ,james ,macdonald that you was in such a passion against me1 on account of my conduct towards him1 that you intended instantly to compose a pamphlet against me1 on the subject of ,queen ,mary1 and to publish it as a full revenge upon me4 ,you see that he insinuates the same thing in his letter1 and he says that you was formerly my friend4 ,but the whole story1 ,i have now reason to see1 was without foundation1 both from the tenor of your lordship's present letter1 and from a letter of yours delivered to me by ,mons4 ,calvet1 and which is wrote in the usual friendly strain that had so long subsisted between us4 ,but not doubting at that time of ,mr4 ,murray's story1 ,i dreaded the consequence of a pamphlet composed and published by one of your lordship's temper in a fit of rage1 on a subject where you are naturally heated4 ,i knew that it would be full of expressions of the utmost acrimony1 which you yourself could not forgive1 even were ,i disposed to do so2 and ,i may now add1 that this last letter proves you to be an excellent proficient in that style4 ,i wrote my letter in a spirit of cordiality and amity1 that ,i might prevent a rupture most disagreeable to me4 ,i have no objection to the publishing any thing in opposition to my opinions4 ,on the contrary1 there is nothing ,i desire more than these discussions4 ,i was far from threatening your lordship with the loss of my friendship1 which ,i was sensible could never be of any consequence to you3 ,i only foretold with infinite regret1 that if you wrote against me in a heat1 without allowing your temper to compose itself1 it would be impossible for us to be any longer friends4 ,i employed every pathetic1 every engaging sentiment and expression to induce your lordship to embrace this way of thinking4 ,i shall venture to say1 that you have never in your life received a more friendly and more obliging letter4 ,i leave your lordship to judge of the return it has met with4 ,i composed my letter with great care1 because ,i set a value on your lordship's friendship4 ,i was so much satisfied with it myself1 that ,i read it to a friend1 who told me1 that it would be impossible for your lordship to resist so many mollifying expressions1 and that they would certainly bring you back to our usual state of friendship4 ,under what power of fascination have your eyes lain1 when you could see every thing in a light so directly opposite8 ,i come now to the other ground of your complaint1 my indifference in the case of ,mr4 ,murray4 ,when ,i arrived in ,paris1 the first question he asked me was1 whether ,lord ,bute or ,mr4 ,stuart ,mackenzie had recommended him to ,lord ,hertford1 that he might be received in the ambassador's house like other ,british subjects4 ,i asked my lord1 who told me that neither of these persons had ever mentioned ,mr4 ,murray to him2 he wished they had2 he desired to show all manner of civilities to ,mr4 ,murray4 ,but he was afraid1 that a person against whom a public proclamation had been issued1 and who had openly lived so many years with the ,pretender1 could not be received in his house1 unless he had previously received some assurances1 that the matter would give no offence4 ,i told this to ,mr ,murray4 ,he was entirely satisfied4 ,he only said that he would write again to ,mr4 ,stuart ,mackenzie1 who never wrote to ,lord ,hertford4 ,in this affair1 then1 ,mr4 ,murray received all the favour which he either desired or expected4 ,but perhaps your lordship means1 that ,i ought to have befriended him in his law-suit with ,mrs4 ,blake1--,i suppose1 by taking his part in company4 ,but who told you that ,i did not8 ,i have frequently desired people in general to suspend their judgment2 for as to any particular justification of him1 ,i was not capable of it1 because ,i was and still am ignorant of all particulars of his story4 ,whence could ,i learn them8 ,from himself1 or from his antagonist1 or from both8 ,i assure your lordship that ,i was otherwise employed1 and more to my satisfaction1 than in unravelling an intricate story1 which the ,parliament of ,paris could not clear up in much less than two years1 and which1 it is pretended1 they have not cleared up at last4 ,but ,i need say no more on this head1 since your brother a few days after ,i wrote you sent me a letter1 in which he asked pardon for his former letter1 acknowledged his error1 and desired a return of my friendship4 ,his only ground of quarrel1 indeed1 was a small negligence in returning his visits3 an offence which1 operating on a man of his vanity1 has engaged him to do all this mischief4 ,i have said that your lordship never received a letter more friendly and obliging than my former letter3 ,i hope you will also acknowledge that this is wrote with sufficient temper and moderation4 ,adieu4 ,i have the honour to be1 with the greatest regard and consideration1 my lord1 your lordship's most obedient1 and most humble servant4#bfj3a ,,lord ,,elibank to ,,hume4 ,balancrief1 ,july #ith1 #agfe4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have the pleasure to understand1 by yours of the ----1 that ,i have never been altogether in disgrace with you2 ,i choose rather to pass for dull as mad1 and it would have been the highest proof of the latter1 if ,i had taken any thing ill of you1 that ,i had not thought ill meant4 ,i own the compliment you say you intended me in your former letter1 was too refined for my genius4 ,i really mistook it for an intention to break with me2 and as there is hardly any thing ,i set a greater value on than your friendship1 and ,i was not conscious of having ever entertained a single idea inconsistent with it1 ,i could not resign it without pain and resentment4 ,diffident of myself1 ,i showed your letter to several of our common friends1 who all understood it as ,i did4 ,had my affection for you been more moderate1 my answer to yours would have been cool in proportion4 ,i am still mortified to think you could suspect me of siding with my brother against you4 ,i know the distinction between relationship and friendship4 ,i have ever thought those connexions incompatible2 and if ,i was dull enough to mistake the meaning of your letter1 ,i have not more reason to blush1 than you have for suspecting1 that any thing my brother could say1 was capable of influencing my sincere regard for a friend of thirty years' standing1 or that my zeal for the reputation of any prince1 dead or alive1 could draw any sentiment or expression from me1 inconsistent with that admiration of your talents1 as an author1 and merit as a man1 ,i have constantly felt in myself1 and endeavoured to excite in others4 ,i am1 dear sir1 your sincerely obedient humble servant1 ,,elibank4#bfj3b ,in fear lest the two letters to ,elliot1 printed above1#bfa3a might not have reached their destination1 ,hume wrote to him again on #agth ,november1 repeating the substance of his engagement with the ,abb ,choquart4 ,the remainder of the letter follows3 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,as soon as ,i came from ,fontainbleau1 ,i went to the ,pension ,militaire1 so it is called1 where ,i had first a conversation with the ,abb4 ,i found him exceedingly pleased with your boys3 he told me that whenever his two young pupils arrived1 he called together all the ,french gentlemen1 who are to the number of thirty or thirty-two1 and he made them a harangue2 he then said to them1 that they were all men of quality1 to be educated to the honourable profession of arms2 that all their wars would probably be with ,england2 that ,france and that kingdom1 were ,rome and ,carthage1 whose rivality more properly than animosity never allowed long intervals of peace2 that the chance of arms might make them prisoners of arms to ,messrs ,elliot1 in which case it would be a happiness to them to meet a private friend in a public enemy2 that he knew many instances of people whose lives were saved by such fortunate events1 and it therefore became them1 from views of prudence1 and from the generosity for which the ,french nation was so renowned1 to give the best treatment to the young strangers1 whose friendship might probably endure1 and be serviceable to them through life3 he added1 that the effect of this harangue was such1 that1 as soon as he presented your boys to their companions1 they all flew to them and embraced them1 and have ever since continued to pay them all courtship and regard1 and to show them every mark of preference4 ,every one is ambitious to acquire the friendship of the two young ,englishmen1 who have already formed connexions more intimate than ever ,i observed among his other pupils4 ',ce que j'admire1' added he1 'dans vos jeunes amis est qu'ils ont non seulement de l'esprit1 mais de l'me4 ,ils sont vritablement attendris des tmoinages d'amiti qu'on leur rend4 ,ils mritent d'tre aims1 parce qu'ils savent aimer4' ,when ,i came next to converse with your boys1 ,i found all this representation exactly just3 ,i believe they never passed fourteen days in their life so happily as they did the last4 ,what ,i find strikes them much is the high titles of their companions3 there is not one1 says ,hugh1 that is not a marquis1 or count1 or chevalier at least4 ,they are indeed all of them of the best families in ,france1 a nephew of ,m4 de ,choiseul1 two nephews of ,m4 de ,beninghen1 c4 c4 ,they are frequently drawn out1 and displayed after the ,prussian manner4 ,i saw them go through their exercises with the greatest exactness and best air4 ,the ,abb remarked to me1 that the marching1 and wheeling1 and moving under arms1 is better than all the dancing schools in the world to give a noble carriage to youth4 ,gilbert is such a proficient1 that the master is thinking already of advancing him to the first rank1 if not of making him a corporal3 all this is excellent for ,hugh1 and if ,gilbert's head be a little too full with military ideas1 this inconvenience will easily be corrected1 as far as it ought to be corrected4 ,the ,abb tells me1 that in the short time they have been with him1 their accent is sensibly corrected1 and he is persuaded that1 in three months' time1 it will not be possible to distinguish them from ,frenchmen4 ,they are never to hear mass1 but to attend at the ambassador's chapel every ,sunday4 ,such is the general account ,i have to give you2 their preceptor will be more particular1 and ,i shall visit them from time to time4#bfc3a ,,footnotes3 #bji3a ,the confidence with which the great aristocracy of birth mingled with whatever elements it thought fit1 is perhaps the best evidence of the security it felt in the haughty and arbitrary exercise of its established privileges4 ,with all this free equality of social intercourse1 however1 there must have been something yet left to which the mere guest was not admitted1 and to which he never aspired4 ,without this1 it seems impossible that ,actors1--menials by the etiquette of the court1 anathematized by the church1 held incapable of giving evidence in some courts of law as persons of infamous profession1--should have been so much sought after and caressed4 ,thus the ,le ,kains1 ,fleurys1 and ,prvilles1 among the men2 the ,sophy ,arnoulds1 ,dumesnils1 ,clairons1 among the women1 many of them thorough profligates1 are to be found haunting places surrounded by the highest lustre of adventitious rank1 busying themselves with state secrets1 mingling in family disputes1 and always with the easy assurance of their profession4 ,this state of matters could not have existed unless the aristocracy1 notwithstanding the ease with which they permitted themselves to be approached1 were able effectually to mark precisely the point where the advance was to stop1 and could feel themselves among persons1 who1 like old family servants1 never presume upon familiarity4 ,in admitting to social intercourse1 however1 a person of ,hume's dignity of character and position in literature1 there could be no such reserves1 and the intercourse must have been as really on terms of familiarity as it appeared to be4 #baa3a ,the following is a specimen1 of a letter to ,hume3-- ,illustration ,among other like distinctions1 an author had offered to dedicate to her his ,italian ,grammar4 ,she answered1 ,a moi1 ,monsieur2 la ddicace d'une grammaire6 moi qui ne sais pas seulement l'orthographe4 ,c'tait la pure vrit1 subjoins ,marmontel4 #bac3a ,this active lady visited ,voltaire1 and succeeded in getting access to him4 ,it is said that the patriarch laboured hard to compose a quatrain in her praise1 but that the muse would not attend for such a purpose4 ,he solved the difficulty very ingeniously1 by twisting some laurel twigs into a wreath1 and placing it on her brow4 ,she writes to ,hume1 on #bgth ,september1 #agfd1 ,je vous prsente monsieur un receuil de mes ouvrages nouvellement imprim ,lyon1 pour avoir l'honneur d'tre dans la bibliothque d'un homme qui fait l'honneur de notre sicle4 ,je vous supplie d'accepter ce faible don1 et de vouloir bien faire passer le paquet que vous trouverez c'y joint au ,marquis ,caraccioli ,ministre de ,naples ,londres4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bad3a ,the following note shows that there was some intercourse between them1 though it was probably not very extensive4 ,madame la ,d4 de ,choiseul a trs bien reu les compliments de ,mr4 ,hume4 ,elle se reproche de ne lui avoir point crit4 ,elle m'a charge de lui dire que s'il vouloit la venir voir aujourd'hui sur le midi et demy une heure#bad3;,a qu'il lui feroit beaucoup de plaisir4 ,madame du ,deffand l'exhorte de ne pas manquer y aller1 et elle le prie de faire souvenir ,madame de ,choiseul de la promesse qu'elle lui a faite de la venir voir avant la visite qu'elle veut rendre ,madame ,l',ambassadrice4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bad3;,a ,sic in ,,ms4 #bad3b ,vous me faites un grand plaisir de m'apprendre que ,david ,hume va en ,ecosse2 je suis bien aise que vous ne soyez plus porte de le voir1 et moi ravie de l'assurance de ne le revoir jamais4 ,vous me demanderez ce qu'il m'a fait8 ,il m'a dplu4 ,hassant les idoles je dteste leurs prtres et leurs adorateurs4 ,pour d'idoles1 vous n'en verrez pas chez moi3 vous y pourrez voir quelquefois de leurs adorateurs1 mais qui sont plus hypocrites que dvots2 leur culte est extrieur2 les pratiques1 les crmonies de cette religion sont des soupers1 des musiques1 des opras1 des comdies1 etc4 ,letters of the ,marquise du ,deffand1 vol4 i4 p4 #cca4 #baf3a ,c'est avec la plus grande joie que ,m4 ,d',angiviller a l'honneur d'informer ,monsr4 ,hume que la philosophie n'a plus de larmes rpandre4 ,d',alembert est comme hors d'affaire4 ,il a t transport chez ,watelet4 ,il s'en trouve fort bien3 il plaisante1 il dit de bons mots et s'impatiente4 ,tout cela est de bon augure4 ,duclos a dit assez plaisamment le jour que l'on a transport le malade chez ,watelet4 ,voicy un jour remarquable1 c'est aujourd'huy que l'on a sevr ,d',alembert2 nous sommes surs au moins qu'il n'y a pas de miracle cette gurison2 les prtres n'ont pas pri pour lui4 ,mr4 ,d',angiviller a l'honneur d'assurer ,monsieur ,hume de l'attachement profond et de la vnration dont il est pntr pour lui4 ,ce ,mardi #cj4 ,the ,earl ,marischal writes thus3-- ,potsdam1 #aath ,september1 #agfd4 ,le plaisir de votre lettre1 et l'assurance d'amiti de ,madame ,geoffrin et de ,monsieur ,d',alembert a t bien rabattu par ce que vous me dites de l'tat de la sant de ,m4 ,d',alembert4 ,sobre comme il est table--comment peut-il avoir des maux d'estomac8 ,il faut qu'il travaille trop de la tte des calculs1 ou qu'il allume sa chandelle par les deux bouts4 ,c'est cela sans doute4 ,renvoyez-le ici mon hermitage4 ,je le rendrai sa1 ou ses belles1 frais1 repos1 se portant merveille4 ,apropos de mon hermitage dont ,m4 de ,malsan vous a fait la description1 il a voyag avec ,panurge1 et a t chez oui-dire tenant cole de temorgnerie4 ,primo1 ma petite maison ne subsiste pas--par consquence mon grand hte ne pouvoit m'y honorer de sa prsence4 #b;do1 ,elle ne sera pas si petite1 ayant #hi pieds de faade avec deux ailes de #de pieds de long4 ,le jardin est petit1 assez grand cependant pour moi1 et j'ai une clef pour entrer aux jardins de ,sans-,souci4 ,il y aura une belle salle avec un vestibule1 et un cabinet assez grand pour y mettre un lit1 tout apart des autres apartements4 ,si ,d',alembert venoit1 il pouroit y loger1 et prendre les eaux2 mais il est peu-que probable1 que le grand hte me disputeroit1 et emporteroit cet avantage4 ,en attendant son arrive1 j'y logerai mon ancien ami ,michel de ,montaigne1 ,ariosto1 ,voltaire1 ,swift1 et quelques autres4 ,dites ,d',alembert que j'ai une vache pour lui donner de bon lait4 ,cela le contentera plus que les cent mille roubles qu'on lui a offert4 ,n'a pas bon lait qui veut1 et vir sapiens non abhorrebit eam1 comme disoit ,matre ,janotus de ses chausses4 #bah3a ,if we are to trust the story told by ,marmontel1 and repeated by others who should be equally well informed1 her conduct1 put in plain language1 comes to this4 ,that she had made up her mind to raise her position by a distinguished marriage4 ,that in this view1 looking to one object after another1 she finally determined boldly to experiment on ,m4 ,mora1 the son of the ,spanish ambassador4 ,that as this young gentleman had been recalled by his family to ,spain1 she fraudulently procured a certificate from an eminent physician1 to the effect that a return to the climate of ,france was essential to his safety2 and that he died on his journey back4 ,but not less singular than the tale itself1 is the good-humoured simplicity with which it is told1 as something rather commendable than otherwise4 ,marmontel tells it1 not omitting to state how he used to run to the post-office for ,m4 ,mora's letters1 in the midst of that amusing series of sketches1 the leading charm of which is their amiable author's utter unconsciousness that his narrative is ever likely to be scrutinized by people so educated and trained1 as to look upon his pleasant frailties as detestable vices1 and the whole system of society1 so loveable and interesting in his eyes1 as hideous4 ,these things indeed are mysteries2 and read and ponder as we may1 we cannot enter into their spirit1 but must view them as strange1 distant1 and unnatural objects4 ,there is reason1 however1 to believe1 that ,marmontel's account of ,l',espinasse is far from being accurate4 ,see the article on ,deffand's and ,l',espinasse's letters1 in ,the ,edinburgh ,review1 vol4 xv4 p4 #dei1 where1 as also in the article1 vol4 xvii4 p4 #bij1 a fuller view of the character of the ,french literary circles of that day will be found than any where else in the ,english language4 ,the doubts of ,marmontel's accuracy in the former of these articles1 are singularly confirmed by the ,memoires of ,marmontel's uncle-in-law1 ,morellet1 published in #ahcb1 see vol4 ii4 p4 #bgf4 #bbj3a ,memoirs of ,romilly1 i4 #agi4 ,i have seen this anecdote in some ,french book1 but do not remember where4 #bba3a ,madame de ,genlis has preserved an instance of the magnificent gallantry of the prince4 ,madame ,blot1 the same lady probably who occupies so curious a place in the ,chesterfield correspondence1 expressed a wish to have a picture of her canary-bird set in a ring4 ,the prince desired to have the felicity of accomplishing her wish1 and she consented1 provided the ring were of plain gold without ornament4 ,the ring when it made its appearance was plain indeed1 but the portrait was covered by a large diamond cut flat like glass4 ,madame ,blot preserved the ring and the picture1 but returned the diamond4 ,the prince pounded the diamond to powder1 and wrote the lady a letter strewed with the diamond dust as drying sand4 #bba3b ,the following specimen of the invitations which poured in upon ,hume during his sojourn in ,paris1 is a slight departure from the usual received form of such documents1 the functionary who had charge of the despatches of the august entertainer having chosen to make it the vehicle of his own good taste in literature1 and knowledge of the ,english language4 ,m4 ,le ,prince ,louis de ,rohan prie ,m4 ,hume de lui faire l'honneur de venir dner chez lui4 ,mardi1 #ag ,janvier-- ,m4 ,l',abb ,georgel fait un million de complimens ,m4 ,hume4 ,he makes great account of his works1 admires her wit1 and loves her person4 ,samedy1 #ad4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bbb3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bbc3a ,hardy's ,memoirs of ,charlemont1 p4 #abb4 #bbc3b ,ce qu'il y a encore de plaisant1 c'est que toutes les jolies femmes se le sont arrach1 et que le gros philosophe ,ecossais s'est plu dans leur socit4 ,c'est un excellent homme1 que ,david ,hume2 il est naturellement serein1 il entend finement1 il dit quelquefois avec sel1 quoiqu'il parle peu2 mais il est lourd1 il n'a ni chaleur1 ni grce1 ni agrment dans l'esprit1 ni rien qui soit propre s'allier au ramage de ces charmantes petites machines qu'on appelle jolies femmes4 ,o que nous sommes un drle de peuple6--,correspondance ,littraire1 #a;ire ,p4 vol4 v4 p4 #abe4 #bbd3a ,le clbre ,david ,hume1 grand et gros historiographe d',angleterre1 connu et estim par ses crits1 n'a pas autant de talens pour ce genre d'amusemens auquel toutes nos jolies femmes l'avoient dcid propre4 ,il fit son dbut chez ,madame de ,t----2 on lui avoit destin le rle d'un ,sultan assis entre deux esclaves1 employant toute son loquence pour s'en faire aimer2 les trouvant inexorables1 il devoit chercher le sujet de leurs peines1 et de leur rsistance3 on le place sur un sopha entre les deux plus jolies femmes de ,paris1 il les regarde attentivement1 il se frappe le ventre et les genoux plusieurs reprises1 et ne trouve jamais autre chose leur dire que3 ',eh bien6 mes demoiselles444,eh bien6 vous voil donc444,eh bien6 vous voil444vous voil ici8' ,cette phrase dura un quart d'heure1 sans qu'il pt en sortir4 ,une d'elles se leva d'impatience3 ,ah6 dit elle1 je m'en tois bien doute1 cet homme n'est bon qu' manger du veau6 ,depuis ce temps il est relgu au rle de spectateur1 et n'en est pas moins ft et cajol4 ,c'est en vrit une chose plaisante que le rle qu'il joue ici2 malheureusement pour lui ou plutt pour la dignit philosophique1 car1 pour lui1 il parot s'accommoder fort de ce train de vie2 il n'y avoit aucune manie dominante dans ce pays lorsqu'il y est arriv2 on l'a regard comme une trouvaille dans cette circonstance1 et l'effervescence de nos jeunes ttes s'est tourn de son ct4 ,toutes les jolies femmes s'en sont empares2 il est de tous les soupers fins1 et il n'est point de bonne fte sans lui2 en un mot1 il est pour nos agrables ce que les ,gnevois sont pour moi4--,mmoires et ,correspondance de ,madame d',epinay1 vol4 iii4 p4 #bhd4 #bbe3a ,letters1 collected edition1 v4 #fi4 #bbe3b ,ib4 #gc4 #bbe3c ,ib4 #gg4 #bbf3a ,ib4 #ij-ia4 ,he was not then aware that ,hume's presence was destined to afford him an opportunity of becoming the mode himself4 ,this he tells us was the effect of his jeu d'esprit on ,rousseau1 with which we shall hereafter have concern2 and he tells it in a manner which shows that1 however contemptible when set in the brow of ,david ,hume1 the chaplet of fashionable renown was not felt to be unbecoming on his own4 ,thus1 he says to ,mr4 ,conway1 on #abth ,january1 #agff1 ,i almost repent having come hither1 for ,i like the way of life and many of the people so well1 that ,i doubt ,i shall feel more regret at leaving ,paris than ,i expected4 ,it would sound vain to tell you the honours and distinctions ,i receive1 and how much ,i am in fashion4 ,yet when they come from the handsomest women in ,france1 and the most respectable in point of character1 can one help being a little proud8 ,if ,i was twenty years younger1 ,i should wish they were not quite so respectable4 ,madame de ,brionne1 whom ,i have never seen1 and who was to have met me at supper last night1 at the charming ,madame ,d',egmont's1 sent me an invitation by the latter for ,wednesday next4 ,i was engaged and hesitated3 ,i was told1 ',comment6 savez-vous que c'est qu'elle ne feroit pas pour toute ,la ,france4' ,however1 lest you should dread my returning a perfect old swain1 ,i study my wrinkles1 compare myself and my limbs to every plate of larks ,i see1 and treat my understanding with at least as little mercy4 ,yet1 do you know1 my present fame is owing to a very trifling composition1 but which has made incredible noise4 ,i was one evening at ,madame ,geoffrin's1 joking on ,rousseau's affectations and contradictions1 and said some things that diverted them4 ,when ,i came home ,i put them into a letter1 and showed it next day to ,helvetius1 and the ,duke de ,nivernois1 who were so pleased with it1 that1 after telling me some faults in the language1 which you may be sure there were1 they encouraged me to let it be seen4 ,as you know ,i willingly laugh at mountebanks1 political or literary1 let their talents be ever so great1 ,i was not averse4 ,the copies have spread like wildfire1 et me voici la mode4 ,i expect the end of my reign1 at the end of the week1 with great composure4 7,ib4 #aah-aai47 ,one is tempted to give1 as part of the whole picture of the visit of the two ,englishmen1 a few of ,walpole's notices of his own intense modesty4 ,thus3 ,i had had my share of distresses in the morning1 by going through the operation of being presented to the royal family1 down to the little madame's pap dinner1 and had behaved as sillily as you will easily believe1 hiding myself behind every mortal4 ,the queen called me up to her dressing-table1 and seemed mightily disposed to gossip with me2 but instead of enjoying my glory like ,madame de ,svign1 ,i slunk back into the crowd after a few questions4 ,she told ,monsieur de ,guerchy of it afterwards1 and that ,i had run away from her1 but said she would have her revenge at ,fontainbleau2 so ,i must go thither1 which ,i did not intend4 ,ib4 #ha-hb4 ,so when writing to ,gray1 after giving a description of the effect which his wicked wit had produced on ,madame de ,boufflers and the ,prince of ,conti1 how she with a tone of sentiment1 and the accents of lamenting humanity1 abused me heartily1 and then complained to myself with the utmost softness1 and how he acted contrition1 but had like to have spoiled all1 by growing dreadfully tired of a second lecture from the ,prince of ,conti1 who had taken up the tale2 he concludes1 but when ,i left a triumphant party in ,england1 ,i did not come hither to be at the head of a fashion4 ,however1 ,i have been sent for about like an ,african prince or a learned canary bird2 and was1 in particular1 carried by force to the ,princess of ,talmond1 the queen's cousin1 who lives in a charitable apartment in the ,luxembourg1 and was sitting on a small bed hung with saints and ,sobieskis1 in a corner of one of those vast chambers1 by two blinking tapers4 7,ib4 #acj-aca47 ,hume's simple and self-satisfied account of the distinctions conferred on him1 and the gratification they afforded him1 has met with considerable ridicule4 ,but the reader may judge for himself which is the more honest1 manly1 and dignified3 the plain acknowledgment of distinctions conferred and appreciated1 or this hollow profession of contempt for unsolicited1 unexpected1 unenjoyed honours4 #bbh3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,the ,sir ,james alludes to ,sir ,james ,macdonald4 #bbi3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bcj3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bca3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bcc3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bcc3b ,the elder of the youths here mentioned1 who became afterwards an eminent statesman1 was born in #agea4 ,he was for some time attached to the ,fox party1 and after the dissolution of the ,fox and ,north coalition ministry1 he was twice unsuccessfully proposed as ,speaker4 ,in #agic1 he was selected for the delicate duty of negotiating with the ,french ,royalists4 ,during the ,british sovereignty of ,corsica1 in #agid1 he was appointed viceroy or governor of the island4 ,but the most brilliant and the best known chapter in his political career1 is his policy as ,governor-general of ,india1 from #ahjg to #ahad4 ,he was created ,baron ,minto in #agig1 and ,earl of ,minto in #ahac4 ,he died in #ahad4 #bcd3a ,probably either the young ,comte de ,boufflers1 the son of the lady who was ,hume's correspondent1 or ,sir ,james ,macdonald4 #bce3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bcg3a ,among ,hume's papers there is a letter signed ,de ,bastide1 auteur d'un ,maison d'ducation1 thanking him for the favourable disposition shown towards him1 and desiring an interview4 #bch3a ,in allusion to the interest taken by the ,comtesse de ,boufflers in his being appointed secretary of legation4 ,see postea4 #bci3a ,minto ,,mss4 ,the tone of this letter extracted the following criticism from ,elliot4 ,so you did not permit your friend to write the long intended letter4 ,your reason for this1 ,i must own1 is not to me a satisfactory one4 ,if the secretaryship were now actually vacant1 it would of course devolve upon you2 nor would the interposition of your friends be necessary4 ,it is ,mr4 ,bunbury's provision then1 and not yours1 which constitutes the difficulty3 he happens to be in possession2 his alliance and his connexions are considerable2 and the difficulty of his re-election makes it less easy than it would otherwise be to find an equivalent for him4 ,yet if it could be found1 it is impossible to conceive that he would not willingly exchange a situation1 the functions of which are performed by another1 and which he holds contrary to the inclination of his principal4 ,in such a state of things1 ,i cannot help thinking1 that a lively representation of your case1 from the warm and persuasive pen of your friend1 is the most likely circumstance to engage the active genius of the ,d4 of ,b4 to rouse government from their indolence about finding or creating some proper arrangement for ,mr4 ,bunbury4 ,lord ,holland will probably join his influence1 and ,lord ,tavistock1 even on his new friend's account1 will most certainly concur4 ,this joint operation1 supported by the justice of your claims1 and the application of your friends1 seems to me the most infallible method to surmount the real difficulty1 which you have candour enough to admit stands in the way of administration1 though disposed to do you justice4 ,if to all this you object certain delicacies in your own mind1 and a disdain to solicit what ought to be bestowed1 ,i can only answer1 a ,british minister is at all times so much the slave of those who are not his friends1 that his best friends are almost always obliged to extort justice to themselves by methods often hostile1 always indelicate4 ,i write to you popularly1 not as a philosopher4 ,i desire1 therefore1 that your objections to my doctrine may be in the same tone2 and1 after all1 why should you1 like the plaintive author of ',emile1' indulge yourself in a pleasing kind of indignation1 as if your countrymen had some unaccountable satisfaction in mortifying a man1 who feels so very different treatment even from strangers4 ,notwithstanding all you say1 we are both ,englishmen2 that is1 true ,british subjects1 entitled to every emolument and advantage that our happy constitution can bestow4 ,do not you speak and write and publish what you please8 and though attacking favourite and popular opinions1 are you not in the confidential friendship of ,lord ,hertford1 and intrusted with the most important national concerns8 ,am not ,i1 a member of ,parliament1 as much at liberty to abuse ministers and administration1 as if ,i had been born in ,wapping1 or to support them if ,i think proper8 ,had it not been for the clamour of a ,scott1 perhaps indeed ,i might have been in some more active1 but not more honourable or lucrative situation4 ,this clamour we all know is merely artificial and occasional4 ,it will in time give way to some other1 equally absurd and ill-founded1 when you1 if you will1 may become a bishop1 and ,i a minister4 ,in the mean time1 let us make the best of our present circumstances2 ,i as treasurer of the chamber1 you as the idol of whatever is fair and learned at ,paris4 ,about the beginning of ,december ,i will be at ,london1 ready to assist your operations if you will follow my advice4 ,yours1 c4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bda3a ,it will be seen that the letter had arrived safely4 #bdc3a ,minto ,,ms4 ,the remainder of the letter is wanting4 #bde3a ,minto ,,mss4 ,on #aith ,october1 ,mr4 ,elliot writes1-- ,i am too well acquainted with your friendly disposition to be at all surprised at the trouble you have so successfully taken about my boys4 ,you will1 however1 allow me to admire your punctuality in sending me three letters all differently addressed4 ,the short one for this place is the only one come to hand4 ,i am impatient1 on every account but what regards the establishment of the boys1 for the long one sent to ,london4 ,i act with implicit faith upon your short mandate2 and if ,i could have entertained any doubt1 the name of ,madame ,mirepoix1 you very well know1 was more than sufficient to remove it4 ,on #fth ,november1 he is able to say1-- ,i have at length received all your letters2 the one intrusted to ,lord ,march1 the other wrote on the supposition of its being lost1 and a third dated ,october #ith4 ,they all came on the same day1 and so late as the #bdth of ,october4 ,the two boys and their tutor1 ,mr4 ,liston1 are now1 ,i presume1 settled at ,paris4 ,they had a letter for you4 ,i had luckily directed them1 if they found nobody at the ,hotel de ,brancas1 to inquire for a ,pension opposite to the ,marchale de ,mirepoix4 7,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 #bea3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #aab1 et seq4 #beb3a ,but there is a person that has written an ,inquiry1 historical and critical1 into the evidence against ,mary ,queen of ,scots2 and has attempted to refute the foregoing narrative4 ,he quotes a single passage of the narrative1 in which ,mary is said simply to refuse answering2 and then a single passage from ,goodall1 in which she boasts simply that she will answer2 and he very civilly and almost directly1 calls the author a liar1 on account of this pretended contradiction4 ,the whole inquiry1 from beginning to end1 is composed of such scandalous artifices2 and1 from this instance1 the reader may judge of the candour1 fair dealing1 veracity1 and good manners of the inquirer4 ,there are1 indeed1 three events in our history which may be regarded as the touchstone of party men4 ,an ,english ,whig1 who asserts the reality of the ,popish plot2 an ,irish ,catholic1 who denies the massacre in #afda3 and a ,scotch ,jacobite1 who maintains the innocence of ,queen ,mary1 must be considered as men beyond the reach of argument or reason1 and must be left to their prejudices4 #beb3b ,there is no address on the ,,ms41 but circumstances show the letter to have been intended for ,lord ,elibank4 #bec3a ,these references are to the first edition of the ,history of the ,house of ,tudor4 #bef3a ,scroll ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,a faint line is drawn through the concluding paragraph1 and the passage may have been omitted in the letter as transmitted4 #bfj3a ,scroll1 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bfj3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bfa3a ,see pp4 #bdj1 #bdd4 #bfc3a ,minto ,,mss4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 #agfe-agff4 t4 #ed-ee4 ,hume's ,sentiments as to the ,popularity of his works--,a letter to the ,scottish ,clergy--,correspondence with ,elliot continued-- ,sir ,robert ,liston--,mallet--,hume appointed ,secretary of ,legation--,charg d',affaires at ,paris--,proposal to appoint him ,secretary for ,ireland--,reasons of the ,failure of the ,project-- ,lord ,hertford--,resumption of ,communication with ,rousseau-- ,rousseau in ,paris--,notices of his ,history and ,character-- ,hume's solicitude for his welfare--,return to ,britain--,disposal of ,rousseau--,death of ,jardine4 ,allusion has occasionally been made to the difficulty of satisfying ,hume with any amount of literary success4 ,his correspondence with ,millar is a long grumble about the prejudices he has had to encounter1 and their influence on the circulation of his works2 while the bookseller1 by the most glowing pictures of their popularity1 is only able to elicit a partial gleam of content4 ,the success of the ,history made worthy ,mr4 ,millar very anxious that it should be continued1 and ,hume for a time acquiesced in the proposal4 ,there is a letter from ,millar on the #bfth ,october1 enlarging on the great and rapid sales3 about #bejj complete sets of the quarto edition1 and upwards of #cjjj of the ,history of the ,stuarts1 had been sold1 along with near #bjjj of the #hvo4 edition4 ,in continuation he says3 ,the ,essays1 #hvo1 were only published in ,may2 what has been sold of them1 of all the different editions1 ,i cannot recollect4 ,i was asked that question at ,st4 ,james's the other day1 when ,i said1 ,i considered your works as classics1 that ,i never numbered the editions1 as ,i did in books we wished to puff4 ,this ,i said before many clergy4 ,i am not a little surprised to see one of your excellent understanding and merit so anxious about the sale1 when the booksellers entirely concerned never complained1 but on the contrary would be ready to give you to your utmost wish any encouragement to proceed in your ,history2 and in truth1 considering the number of enemies1 some particular ,essays have risen from interest1 bigotry1 folly1 and knavery1 not less than a one hundred thousand1 it is rather astonishing your works have sold so much4 ,while men are men this is to be expected1 and you are the last man ,i should ever thought could paid the least attention to such things4#bfd3a ,on this ,hume says3 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,paris1 #adth ,january1 #agfe4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i am much obliged to you for your last letter1 which is very friendly1 and ,i shall not fail to pay the proper attention to it4 ,the truth is1 as ,i intend to continue my ,history1 ,i could not possibly have taken a more proper step than to pay a visit to this country1 and to make acquaintance here2 for as ,france and ,england are so intermixed in all transactions since the ,revolution1 the history of one country must throw light upon the other2 and ,i am now in a situation to have access to all the families which have papers relative to public affairs transacted in the end of the last and beginning of this century4 ,the reason why ,i was anxious to know the sale of my ,history1 was1 that ,i might judge whether ,i could expect equal access and information in ,england4 ,the rage and prejudice of parties frighten me2 and above all1 this rage against the ,scots1 which is so dishonourable1 and indeed so infamous to the ,english nation4 ,we hear that it increases every day without the least appearance of provocation on our part4 ,it has frequently made me resolve never in my life to set foot on ,english ground4 ,i dread1 if ,i should undertake a more modern history1 the impertinence and ill manners to which it would expose me2 and ,i was willing to know from you whether former prejudices had so far subsided as to ensure me of a good reception4#bfe3a ,the following very characteristic paper1 which appears to have been enclosed to ,dr4 ,blair1 needs no introduction4 ,,dear ,,doctor1--,i am in debt to all my friends in letters1 and shall ever be so4 ,but what strikes me chiefly with remorse1 are my great and enormous debts to the clergy4 ,by this my neglect of my ,protestant pastors1 you will begin to suspect that ,i am turning ,papist4 ,but to acquit myself at once1 allow me to write you a common letter1 and to address a few words to every one of you4 ,,dr4 ,,robertson4 ,your ,history has been very very well translated here1 better than mine1 as ,i am told4 ,its success has given me occasion to promise your acquaintance to several persons of distinction2 the ,duc de ,nivernois1 the ,marquis de ,puysieuls1 ,president ,hnault1 ,baron ,d',holbach1 c4 ,i wish you could speak ,french tolerably2 you would find this place agreeable4 ,the ,marechal ,broglio spoke of you to me with esteem the other day4 ,,dr4 ,,carlyle4 ,i consulted with the ,chevalier ,macdonald1 7who1 by the bye1 is here in great vogue1 not for his gallantries1 like some others who shall be nameless1 but for his parts and knowledge27 ,i say ,i consulted with the ,chevalier about writing a common letter to ,eglinton in favour of ,wilson4 ,he told me it would be quite useless4 ,eglinton would give that kirk and every thing else to the tenth cousin of the tenth cousin of a voter in the shire of ,ayr1 rather than to the most intimate friend he has in the world4 ,je baise les mains de ,madame ,carlyle avec tout l'empressement possible4 ,,dr4 ,,ferguson4 ,who1 by the bye1 ,i believe is not a doctor1 though highly worthy from his piety and learning to be one2 then ,mr4 ,ferguson1 ,i think ,i have nothing in particular to say to you1 except that ,i am glad of the change of your class1 because you desired it1 and because it fitted ,russell4 ,for otherwise ,i should have liked better the other science4 ,the news of your great success in teaching has reached me in ,paris1 and has given me pleasure2 but ,i fear for your health from all these sudden and violent applications4 ,ah1 that you could learn something1 dear ,ferguson1 of the courteous1 and caressing1 and open manners of this country4 ,i should not then have been to learn for the first time1 7as ,i did lately from ,general ,clark17 that you have not been altogether ungrateful to me1 and that you bear me some good will1 and that you sometimes regret my absence4 ,why should your method of living with me have borne so little the appearance of those sentiments8 ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,many people who read ,english have got your dissertation on ,fingal1 which they admire extremely3 a very good critic told me lately that it was incomparably the best piece of criticism in the ,english language2 a self-evident truth to me4 ,i met also with many admirers of ,fingal2 but many also doubt of its authenticity4 ,the ,chevalier ,macdonald is of use to me in supporting the argument1 from his personal knowledge of facts4 ,i cannot1 however1 but allow that the whole is strange1 passing strange4 ,you seem to wish that ,i should give you some general accounts of this country4 ,shall ,i begin with the points in which it most differs from ,england1 viz41 the general regard paid to genius and learning2 the universal and professed1 though decent1 gallantry to the fair sex2 or the almost universal contempt of all religion among both sexes1 and among all ranks of men8 ,or shall ,i mention the points in which the ,french begin to concur with the ,english1--their love of liberty1 for instance8 ,or shall ,i give you some remarkable anecdotes of the great men who1 at present1 adorn ,french literature8 ,perhaps you would wish me to run over all these topics successively4 ,alas6 there is not one that would not fill several sheets of paper with curious circumstances1 and ,i am the most lazy writer of letters in the world3 however1 ,i must say something on these heads2 and1 first1 of the first3-- ,there is a very remarkable difference between ,london and ,paris2 of which ,i gave warning to ,helvtius1 when he went over lately to ,england1 and of which he told me1 on his return1 he was fully sensible4 ,if a man have the misfortune1 in the former place1 to attach himself to letters1 even if he succeeds1 ,i know not with whom he is to live1 nor how he is to pass his time in a suitable society4 ,the little company there that is worth conversing with1 are cold and unsociable2 or are warmed only by faction and cabal2 so that a man who plays no part in public affairs becomes altogether insignificant2 and1 if he is not rich1 he becomes even contemptible4 ,hence that nation are relapsing fast into the deepest stupidity and ignorance4 ,but1 in ,paris1 a man that distinguishes himself in letters1 meets immediately with regard and attention4 ,i found1 immediately on my landing here1 the effects of this disposition4 ,lord ,beauchamp told me that ,i must go instantly with him to the ,duchess de la ,valieres4#bfh3a ,when ,i excused myself1 on account of dress1 he told me that he had her orders1 though ,i were in boots4 ,i accordingly went with him in a travelling frock1 where ,i saw a very fine lady reclining on a sofa1 who made me speeches and compliments without bounds4 ,the style of panegyric was then taken up by a fat gentleman1 whom ,i cast my eyes upon1 and observed him to wear a star of the richest diamonds2--it was the ,duke of ,orleans4 ,the ,duchess told me she was engaged to sup in ,president ,hnault's1 but that she would not part with me2--,i must go along with her4 ,the good president received me with open arms2 and told me1 among other fine things1 that1 a few days before1 the ,dauphin said to him1 c4 c4 c4 ,such instances of attention ,i found very frequent1 and even daily4 ,you ask me1 if they were not very agreeable8 ,i answer--no2 neither in expectation1 possession1 nor recollection4 ,i left that fireside1 where you probably sit at present1 with the greatest reluctance4 ,after ,i came to ,london1 my uneasiness1 as ,i heard more of the prepossessions of the ,french nation in my favour1 increased2 and nothing would have given me greater joy than any accident that would have broke off my engagements4 ,when ,i came to ,paris1 ,i repented heartily of having entered1 at my years1 on such a scene2 and1 as ,i found that ,lord ,hertford had entertained a good opinion and good will for ,andrew ,stuart1 ,i spoke to ,wedderburn1 in order to contrive expedients for substituting him in my place4 ,lord ,hertford thought1 for some time1 that ,i would lose all patience and would run away from him4 ,but the faculty of speaking ,french returned gradually to me4 ,i formed many acquaintance and some friendships4 ,all the learned seemed to conspire in showing me instances of regard4 ,the great ladies were not wanting to a man so highly in fashion3 and1 having now contracted the circle of my acquaintance1 ,i live tolerably at my ease4 ,i have even thoughts of settling at ,paris for the rest of my life2 but ,i am sometimes frightened with the idea that it is not a scene suited to the languor of old age4 ,i then think of retiring to a provincial town1 or returning to ,edinburgh1 or ---- but it is not worth while to form projects about the matter4 ,d',alembert and ,i talk very seriously of taking a journey to ,italy together2 and1 if ,lord ,hertford leave ,france soon1 this journey may probably have place4 ,i began this letter about two months ago2 but so monstrously indolent am ,i that ,i have not had time to finish it4 ,i believe ,i had better send it off as it is4 ,tell ,robertson that ,la ,chapelle1 his translator1 is very much out of humour1 and with reason1 for never hearing from him4 ,i suppose some letter has miscarried4 ,i am1 c4#bgj3a ,paris1 #fth ,april1 #agfe4 ,mr4 ,elliot had expressed to ,hume a fear lest the longer residence of his sons in ,france might render them too much ,frenchmen1 while1 speaking of their tutor1 ,mr4 ,liston1#bgj3b he says1 ,i own ,i am more apprehensive of the consequences of a ,paris life upon a young man of his age than upon the boys1 who are too young to enter into the full dissipation of a country1 where1 not to be dissipated1 is hardly to have any existence4 ,on this ,hume writes3 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,paris1 #adth ,april1 #agfe4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have always had the pleasure of conversing1 from time to time1 with your sons1 with ,mr4 ,liston1 and with the ,abb ,choquart1 and never found the least reason to alter the good opinion1 which ,i had at first conceived of that academy1 and of the conduct of every one concerned3 but the tenor of your last letter made me apprehend1 that you had discovered some ground of suspicion2 and the more so as ,mr4 ,larpent told me1 that you had spoke to his father1 to desire him to request of his son1 that he should keep a watchful eye over the conduct of your sons1 and of ,mr4 ,liston1 and inform him of all particulars4 ,this it is impossible for ,larpent to do1 and1 indeed1 impossible for me to do1 otherwise than by conversing with the ,abb ,choquart and with your sons apart4 ,i have done this very carefully1 and find ,mr4 ,liston's conduct not only irreproachable1 but laudable4 ,the ,abb tells me1 that for the first three or four months1 he scarce ever stirred out of the house1 but conversed with him alone1 and with the other masters1 till he came to such perfection in the language1 as to be taken for a ,languedocian1 or a ,frenchman of some province4 ,since that time the ,abb tells me1 he has made a few acquaintances among his countrymen1 and goes out sometimes2 but he uses this liberty with great moderation2 and on the whole1 the ,abb praises him 7and with great reason as appears to me7 for his reserve1 his modesty1 his good sense1 his sobriety1 and his virtue4 ,as to your sons1 he assures me1 that though he has been employed nineteen years in instructing youth1 he never knew any more happily formed1 and they are the favourites of the whole school4 ,the boys themselves seem to be extremely happy in their present situation4 ,gilbert speaks ,french almost like a ,parisian1 and ,hugh follows fast after him4 ,this is an advantage they have acquired1 without interrupting the course of their other studies4 ,the sociableness of their disposition has been called forth1 by living among companions in a public school2 and as they praise very much the civility and good humour of their fellow students1 they may themselves be the more confirmed in their habits4 ,but1 pray1 come hither yourself and judge of the matter4 ,two or three days ago1 ,lord ,hertford wrote a very earnest letter to ,mr4 ,grenville in my favour4 ,i know well that1 if you find an opportunity1 you will second his application4 ,the ,saxon minister at the court1 told my lord1 that ,mr4 ,wroughton was soon to leave ,dresden4 ,my lord has proposed that ,bunbury be sent thither3 if he refuses1 it will be a proof that he is resolved to undertake no public service1 but scandalously to live at home1 and enjoy a large salary1 which should belong to another4 ,surely if ,mr4 ,grenville bore me never so little good-will1 as a supposed ,tory1 he must allow this reasoning to be unanswerable4 ,you have now with you ,sir ,james ,macdonald1 who is too good for you1 for ,i am afraid you will not know to value him4 ,he leaves an universal regret behind him at ,paris1 among all who were acquainted with him1 and in none more than myself4 ,i am1 dear sir1 your faithful humble servant4#bgb3a ,in the following letter to ,millar1 we find ,mallet and the ,life of ,marlborough1 that had been promised and paid for1 again the subject of speculation4 ,hume1 though he had at one time been induced to believe that part of the work was written1 seems to have on the whole indulged himself in scepticism1 which1 in this case at least1 was well founded4 ,the letter is dated #dth ,may4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,as soon as ,i heard of poor ,mallet's death1#bgc3a my curiosity was excited to know1 whether he had really proceeded any length in his work1 or whether1 as many people imagine1 and as is somewhat my opinion1 he had never wrote a line nor taken a note with regard to it4 ,i beg you would make some inquiry upon that subject4 ,the widow will be able to inform you4 ,i should be glad to know whether any lights could be got from that quarter for the continuance of my work4#bgc3b ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,paris1 #abth ,may1 #agfe4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i went1 on ,wednesday last1 to be present at the examination of the ,abb ,choquart's school1 with which ,i was very well satisfied2 especially for the part your young folks had in it4 ,there were several people present who came to hear their children and relations2 and when ,gilbert was going through some demonstrations of geometry1 with a very good grace1 ,i asked some who sat next me1 whether they could perceive him to be a foreigner8 ,they all declared that they could not2 and were very much surprised when ,i told them that he had not yet been in the country six months4 ,hugh retains still a little of a foreign accent1 but it is wearing out gradually4 ,mr4 ,liston speaks so well as to be able to pass himself for a ,gascon6 ,there was also one circumstance of your young gentlemen's behaviour with which ,i was much pleased2 but whether you will take the praise of it to yourself1 or ascribe it partly to the imitation of ,french manners1 ,i cannot determine4 ,i arrived a little before the commencement of the examination2 and1 walking into the garden1 ,i took shelter1 from the heat1 under some trees4 ,your young gentlemen1 as soon as they saw me1 ran and brought me a chair1 which they placed carefully in the most shady spot they could find4 ,i doubt this attention would not be very common among mere ,english schoolboys4 ,lord ,hertford has received1 from ,george ,grenville1 a final answer to a very earnest1 and very pressing letter he had wrote in my favour4 ,never was any refusal so decisive1 so cold1 so positive1 so determined2 not the least circumstance of apology1 of good manners1 or of regard3 he even gives it as a reason why ,i cannot be appointed1 because ,sir ,charles ,bunbury has never yet desired to change his situation4 ,in short1 the letter is so different from all letters usually wrote on such occasions1 and so different from those which ,mr4 ,grenville was accustomed to write to ,lord ,hertford1 that my lord concludes there is some particular reason of coldness1 though he cannot conjecture what it is4 ,but there are also1 in the letter1 some expressions which mark extreme animosity against me4 ,lord ,hertford thinks1 they will admit of another sense2 and desires me to write to you1 in order to ask whether you have ever perceived such sentiments in that gentleman4 ,i know that ,i have affirmed1 and1 what is worse1 have proved1 that ,queen ,elizabeth's maxims of government were full as arbitrary as those of the ,stuarts4 ,i know that this proposition1 though now an undoubted and acknowledged truth1 is contrary to the principles of sound ,whiggery4 ,i know also1 that ,mr4 ,grenville1 as a sound ,whig1 bore me no good will on that account2 but ,i did not really think that his quarrel could have gone to such an extremity4#bge3a ,you are sensible of the consequences which ,i apprehended1 and which you did not1 last summer1 think so dangerous as ,i imagined4 ,i have now1 for the first time1 explained to my lord the nature of my situation1 which somewhat surprised him1 being so contrary to the assurances given him by ,mr4 ,grenville3 but he told me that my interest was secure2 for that he thought himself obliged to make me reparation from his private fortune1 for any breach of faith which ,i might apprehend from the public4 ,if this point were fixed1 it would probably stop the malignity of my enemies1 who will see that they can only do a small ill to ,lord ,hertford1 instead of a great one which they might intend against me4 ,however1 my lord being desirous to know1 from you1 ,mr4 ,grenville's sentiments1 as far as you can discover them1 ,i am engaged to enter into this detail1 which otherwise ,i might have desired to avoid4 ,i am1 with great sincerity1 my dear sir1 your most obedient servant4#bge3b ,,hume to ,,mr4 ,,oswald4 ,paris1 #b;d ,june1 #agfe4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,there is a gentleman here1 an ,abb1 and a man of letters1 who is willing to enter into a commerce1 or mutual exchange with me1 on every point of political and commercial knowledge4#bgf3a ,he has a great deal of very exact information1 with regard to every thing that concerns these subjects2 has great freedom of thought and speech1 and has no connexions with any minister4 ,as a sample1 he has sent me the enclosed questions1 which ,i could not exactly answer1 and is willing to answer any of a like kind1 which ,i could propose to him4 ,i thought ,i could not do better than transmit them to you2 and as ,i know you will also have questions to ask1 ,i shall also transmit them to him1 and you may depend on his answer as just and solid4 ,i have left the margin large enough1 to save you trouble4 ,i know you are the most industrious and the most indolent man of my acquaintance2 the former in business1 the latter in ceremony4 ,the present task ,i propose to you is of the former kind4 ,you will hear that ,sir ,charles ,bunbury is appointed ,secretary for ,ireland4 ,lord ,hertford thinks it absolutely certain1 that ,i am to succeed him2 and ,i1 too1 think it very probable4 ,my lord throws up immediately1 if this demand is not complied with2 yet1 notwithstanding these favourable circumstances1 ,i shall not be wonderfully surprised1 in case of a disappointment4 ,i know that ,i can depend on your good offices with ,lord ,halifax1 and with every other person on whom you have influence4 ,lord ,hertford writes this post to that noble lord4 ,the present advantages ,i possess are so great1 that it seems almost extravagant to doubt of success2 and yet1 in general1 it appears to me almost incomprehensible how it should happen1 that ,i1 a philosopher1 a man of letters1 nowise a courtier1 of the most independent spirit1 who has given offence to every sect and every party1 that ,i1 ,i say1 such as ,i have described myself1 should obtain an employment of dignity1 and a thousand a-year4 ,this event is in general so strange1 that ,i fancy1 in the issue1 it will not have place4 ,i am1 dear sir1 yours sincerely4#bgg3a ,hume had come to the conclusion1 and certainly justly1 that as he performed the functions of secretary of the embassy in ,france1 he ought to possess the rank and emoluments of that office4 ,he appears1 however1 to have been reluctant to take any steps personally for the accomplishment of this object2 and his correspondence with his friends shows that some urgency was necessary to overcome his scruples4#bgh3a ,having1 however1 finally decided on his course1 he appears to have pursued it with great energy and perseverance1 and to have moved every influence through which he was likely to accomplish his end4 ,on #bdth ,june1 #agfe1 ,hume writes to his brother that he has now been appointed secretary to the embassy1 with the usual salary of #abjj a-year4 ,he says1 ,the ,english ministry had intended not to appoint another secretary of the embassy1 who they knew could not be received1 but to suppress that office altogether from views of frugality4 ,for the continuance of the office1 and its bestowal on himself1 he seems to have relied very much on the intervention of a foreign lady1 his friend ,madame de ,boufflers2 and1 strange as it may seem to find such an influence effective in the councils of a ,british cabinet1 he appears to have been convinced that1 had the matter not been previously settled in his favour1 her application would have brought it to a conclusion4 ,continuing his letter to his brother1 he says1 ,nobody can do more justice to the merit of my friend the ,comtesse de ,boufflers1 than the ,duke and ,duchess of ,bedford1 who have indeed been essentially obliged to her in their family concerns4 ,she wrote the duke about a fortnight ago1 that the time was now come1 and the only time that probably would ever come1 of his showing his friendship to her1 by assisting me in my applications2 and she would rest on this sole circumstance all his professions of regard to her4 ,he received her letter while in the country1 but he wrote her back1 that he would immediately hasten to town1 and if he had any credit with the king or ministry1 her solicitations should be complied with4 ,he is not a man that ever makes vain professions1 nor does he ever take a refusal4 ,he would find the matter finished when he came to ,london2 but it is a sensible pleasure to me1 that ,i owe so great an obligation1 to a person whom ,i love and esteem so sincerely as that lady4#bgi3a ,in a letter to the ,marquise de ,barbantane1 he gives the same account of the matter4 ,have you heard of the share which ,madame de ,boufflers had in this event8 ,as soon as she heard that there was a vacancy1 by means of the promotion of ,sir ,charles ,bunbury1 my predecessor1 she wrote to the ,duke of ,bedford1 entreating him1 in the most earnest terms1 to befriend me in my pretensions1 and setting all my claims in the most favourable light4 ,the duke answered her1 that he would soon be in ,london2 and if he had any credit or authority with the ministry1 her friend should not fail of success4 ,the duke is not a man that ever promises in vain1 nor is he a man that is ever to be refused2 so that1 from this interest alone1 ,i was sure to have prevailed4 ,but happily the same post brought intelligence to the ambassador1 that the affair was already finished4 ,but do you not think1 that ,i owe the same obligations to our friend8 or will you tell me1 that ,i seek only a pretence for indulging my inclinations8#bhj3a ,the statement is repeated in the following letter to ,elliot4 ,,hume to ,,gilbert ,,elliot of ,minto4 ,paris1 #c;d ,june1 #agfe4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,not finding your young gentlemen in church last ,sunday1 ,i went to see them1 when ,i found them both confined to the house with a light fever1 which has since turned out the measles in form1 but with all the most favourable symptoms4 ,i find ,mr4 ,liston very attentive and very careful2 the young gentlemen are attended by the physician of the academy4 ,i use the freedom to tell ,lady ,hertford the way in which they are governed2 she tells me she would not act otherwise in the case of her own children2 so that ,mrs4 ,murray1#bha3a if you please to communicate to her this intelligence1 can have no reason for anxiety4 ,gilbert has a greater quantity than ,hugh1 and greater strength to bear them4 ,you know1 ,i suppose1 that ,i am appointed secretary to the embassy1 though ,i have not yet received my credential letter3 the present confusions in the court may perhaps retard them for some time2 but ,mr4 ,grenville has informed the ambassador that the matter is concluded1 and the king has given his consent2 so that in spite of ,atheism and ,deism1 of ,whiggism and ,toryism1 of ,scoticism and ,philosophy1 ,i am now possessed of an office of credit1 and of #abjj a-year3 without dedication or application1 from the favour alone of a person1 whom ,i can perfectly love and respect4 ,i find it has cost my lord a very hard pull2 and when ,i consider the matter alone1 without viewing the steps that led to it1 ,i am sometimes inclined to be surprised how it has happened4 ,shall ,i tell you another circumstance that is not disagreeable to me2 a certain lady1 who is at present in ,london1 hearing there was some delay1 wrote in the most earnest terms to the ,duke of ,bedford1 desiring his interest in my favour2 he answered her he would soon be in ,london1 and if he then possessed any credit or authority1 she might depend upon the success of her friend4 ,you know that he is not a man that makes vain professions1 nor is he a man easy to be refused4 ,if you guess the lady1 you will conclude that it will not cost me a great effort to be grateful4 ,the share you have also been pleased to take is not forgot1 and strengthens our ancient friendship4 ,i am1 my dear sir1 yours sincerely4#bhb3a ,it is probable that this appointment was impeded by more difficulties than ,hume himself could see1 or his friends make him aware of4 ,his being a ,scotsman of itself made it then unpopular1 and in his case there were other reasons likely to weigh with statesmen who looked in the direction of popularity4 ,we are told that the printers of the ,london ,evening ,post and ,gazetteer1 were called before the ,house of ,lords1 on a complaint made by the ,earl of ,marchmont1 for printing a letter 7written by ,wilkes17 reflecting on the ,earl of ,hertford1 ambassador at ,paris1 for employing ,david ,hume the historian as his secretary1 and representing the embassy as totally of ,scotch complexion4#bhb3b ,no sooner had this appointment been completed1 than ,lord ,hertford was recalled1 and ,hume was left for a time charg d'affaires at ,paris4 ,the ambassador had been appointed by ,lord ,bute1 but had chiefly acted during the administration of ,grenville1 with whom he and his connexions were not1 as ,hume's correspondence has shown1 on very friendly terms4 ,in ,july1 #agfe1 the ,rockingham administration was formed1 in connexion with which ,lord ,hertford became lord-lieutenant of ,ireland1 and his brother secretary of state with the leadership of the ,house of ,commons4 ,hume had thus to perform the functions of ,british representative until the ,duke of ,richmond arrived as ambassador in ,october4 ,of the manner in which he performed the duties of his office1 ,lord ,brougham says3 ,by ,lord ,aberdeen's kindness ,i have been allowed to examine the correspondence of the embassy with ,marshal ,conway during these four months2 and it is highly creditable to the philosopher's business-like talents1 and his capacity for affairs4 ,the negotiations of which he had the sole conduct related to the important and interesting discussions of ,canada2 matters arising out of the cession by the peace of ,paris2 and to the demolition of the works at ,dunkirk1 also stipulated by that treaty4 ,his despatches1 some of them of great length1 most of them in his own hand1 are clearly and ably written4 ,the course which he describes himself as pursuing with the very slippery and evasive ministers against whom he had to contend1 particularly the ,duc de ,praslin1 appears to have been marked by firmness and temper1 as well as by quickness and sagacity4 ,his memorials1 of which two or three are given1 show a perfect familiarity with diplomatic modes and habits1 and they are both well written and ably reasoned4 ,his information must have been correct2 for he obtained a knowledge of the secret proceedings of the assembly of clergy1 which1 though convoked for the purpose of obtaining the usual don gratuit1 chose to enter upon the discussion of all the clerical grievances2 while they kept their deliberations carefully secret1 and were opposed by the parliament of ,paris as soon as their proceedings became known4 ,mr4 ,hume obtained a very early1 though somewhat exaggerated account of these things1 through two of the foreign ambassadors2 and when he communicated it to the ,bishop of ,senlis1 he was treated with contempt1 as if nothing could be so wild1 and as if some enemy of the church had invented the fable to discredit her4 ,marshal ,conway appears by his despatches 7which are also excellent7 to have rested his hopes of these differences passing off1 on the prevailing irreligious spirit in ,france1 where the ,dauphin alone1 he says1 has any care for such matters2 and he has of late taken a military turn4 ,in a short time the whole ferment was allayed by the prudent and able conduct of ,brienne1 ,archbishop of ,toulouse2 the don gratuit was voted2 and the assembly was prorogued to the following ,may4 ,mr4 ,hume praises ,brienne very highly on this1 as indeed he did on all occasions4#bhd3a ,hume's familiar letters make us fully acquainted with the feelings he experienced at this juncture4 ,,hume to his ,brother4 ,compigne1 #adth ,july1 #agfe4 ,,dear ,,brother1--,there arrived yesterday a messenger from ,england with my commission under the great seal4 ,my appointments1 as ,i told you1 are #abjj a-year4 ,i have also #cjj for my equipage1 and three hundred ounces of plate for my table4 ,this is the fair side of the picture4 ,the misfortune is1 that ,general ,conway1 the ambassador's brother1 is secretary of state4 ,the ,duke of ,grafton1 his nephew1#bhd3b is the other secretary4 ,you still say1 better and better4 ,not at all4 ,my ,lord ,hertford goes for ,england in a few days1 and leaves the burden of the embassy upon me4 ,still you say1 where is the harm of all this8 ,you are come to years of discretion1 and can govern yourself4 ,wait a little1 dear brother4 ,lord ,hertford goes lord-lieutenant to ,ireland1 and there is an end of the ambassador1 and probably of the secretary4 ,it is true ,i can count upon ,lord ,hertford's friendship as much as any man's in the world4 ,one day last spring1 he came into my room1 and told me that he heard of many people who endeavoured by their caresses to persuade me that ,i ought to remain in ,france4 ,but he hoped that ,i would embrace no scheme of life which would ever separate him and me4 ,he now loved me as much as ever he esteemed me1 and wished we might pass our lives together4 ,he had resolved several times to have opened his breast so far to me2 but being a man of few words and no professions1 he had still delayed it1 and he now felt himself much relieved by this declaration of his desires and intentions4 ,i know that ,lord ,hertford will not go to ,ireland unless he be allowed to name the secretary for that kingdom4 ,perhaps he may think his son1 ,lord ,beauchamp1 too young for that office2 in which case ,i may very probably expect it1 and it is an office of between #cjjj and #djjj a-year1 and stands next in dignity to all the great offices of the state4 ,in all cases the lord-lieutenant for ,ireland has many and great things to give1 of which ,i should certainly expect one4 ,still you say1 this is all better and better3 ,not at all6 ,you know the fluctuation of ,english politics4 ,perhaps1 before you receive this1 the whole present system is overturned4 ,lord ,hertford1 who1 while he remained here1 was a man of no party1 is involved with his friends4 ,all is turned topsy-turvy3 and before next winter1 perhaps1 ,i am at your fireside without office or employment6 ,here1 indeed1 ,i allow you to say1 so much the better2 for ,i never had much ambition1 ,i mean for power and dignities1 and ,i am heartily cured of the little ,i had4 ,i believe a fireside and a book the best things in the world for my age and disposition4 ,i write in some hurry1 therefore can only add1 that if the old ministry return1 ,i can look upon the ,duke of ,bedford alone as my friend1 by means of the lady ,i mentioned to you4 ,if the ministry stand1 ,i have1 by ,lord ,hertford's means1 many and great friends2 and the king1 ,i have been well assured1 honours me particularly with his good opinion4 ,in all cases it is a great point for me to have obtained this commission to a place of so much trust and credit and silences all objections against me1 whether they arose from religion or politics4 ,direct your letters to me as ,secrtaire d',ambassade d',angleterre ,paris4 ,i hate any thing that disturbs so agreeable a settlement as ,i had obtained before these great events4 ,my compliments to ,mrs4 ,home and to ,katy4 ,keep this letter to yourself1 but write part of it to our sister4#bhf3a ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,compigne1 #bjth ,july1 #agfe4 ,tell ,dr4 ,robertson that the ,dauphin asked ,mr4 ,hume several questions the other day1 about him and his ,history4 ,that prince seems a reasonable man1 but would be the better of being roasted sometimes in ,the ,poker4#bhf3b ,if they will elect him a member1 ,mr4 ,hume will propose it to him4#bhf3c ,what does the doctor say at present to these great folding doors opened to all the chimeras of ambition8 ,alas6 they may be thrown open much wider1 if possible2 none of these chimeras will enter4 ,philosophy1 with her severe brows1 guards the passage2 while ,indolence1 in affright1 is ready to throw herself out at the window4 ,mr4 ,hume recommends himself to ,ferguson and ,jardine1 and ,john ,adams and ,mrs4 ,adams1 and to all the ,poker1 and desires the prayers of the faithful for him on this occasion4 ,hume had now actually before him the prospect of filling the high office of secretary to the lord-lieutenant of ,ireland4 ,writing to his brother on #dth ,august1 #agfe1 he again states that ,lord ,hertford1 before his departure1 had assured him that he would not accept of the lord-lieutenancy1 unless he were allowed the naming of the secretary2 and now adds1 that the office is destined for himself1 in conjunction with ,lord ,hertford's son1 ,lord ,beauchamp2 and that his own salary is to be about #bjjj a-year4 ,he continues3 ,thus you see a splendid fortune awaits me3 ,yet you cannot imagine with what regret ,i leave this country4 ,it is like stepping out of light into darkness1 to exchange ,paris for ,dublin4 ,the most agreeable circumstance is the friendship and confidence of the lord-lieutenant2 and if the present credit of that family continue1 as it is likely to do1 ,i shall probably have it in my power to do service to my friends--particularly to your young folks2 for as to you and myself1 it is long since we thought our fortunes entirely made4#bhg3a ,he was not1 however1 destined to fill this office2 and neither he himself1 nor his best friends1 appear to have regretted the circumstance2 the fact being that he was but slenderly endowed with either of the qualifications then indispensable to an ,irish statesman1--a capacity for hard drinking1 and adroitness in bold political intrigues4 ,the exercise of an official function1 among a people where one sect of ,christians enjoyed all offices1 emoluments1 and honours1 while another1 following the national religion1 were scarcely allowed to live1 must have shocked his sense of political justice2 while it may be questioned if he was a sufficiently bold politician to have attempted any reform of this abuse4 ,the project of his appointment1 however1 was brought so near its consummation1 as to elicit certain applications for ecclesiastical preferment1 in order that the reputation he had achieved1 in other places1 for influence in this department of patronage1 might not be unacknowledged in ,ireland4#bhh3a ,in his letters to his friends1 at this time1 he describes these vicissitudes of fortune2 and indulges in a feeling to which he was very prone1--an uncertainty as to his future projects1 and an indolent disinclination to make up his mind how to act4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,paris1 #bc;d ,august1 #agfe4 ,all the literati of my friends1 who understand ,english1 think your ,dissertation one of the finest performances in our language4 ,a gentleman1 of my acquaintance1 has translated it for his own satisfaction4 ,he could not publish it without publishing ,ossian at the same time4 ,my scepticism extends no farther1 nor ever did1 than with regard to the extreme antiquity of those poems2 and it is no more than scepticism4 ,you may1 perhaps1 have heard of the rapid whirl of my fortune backwards and forwards of late4 ,i had scarce received my commission1 as secretary to the embassy1 when ,i knew that that situation1 the most agreeable in which ,i could have been placed1 was not to last4 ,lord ,hertford must go to ,ireland1 and resolved to carry me over as secretary to that kingdom1 in conjoint commission with his son4 ,on his arrival at ,london1 he found the cry so loud against the promotion of ,scotsmen1 that he was obliged to give it up2 which he did the more easily1 as he knew my great reluctance to that office and scene of life4 ,he has now got a pension of #djj a-year settled on me2 and as he has prepared an apartment for me in the castle of ,dublin1 ,i shall hurry thither as soon as ,i leave ,france1 and shall be afterwards free for the rest of my life4#bhi3a ,i have not determined where ,i shall pass my latter days4 ,this place should be the most agreeable to me2 but a man who came late thither1 and who is not supported by family connexions1 may1 perhaps1 find himself misplaced1 even in this centre of letters and good society4 ,i have a reluctance to think of living among the factious barbarians of ,london2 who will hate me because ,i am a ,scotsman1 and am not a ,whig1 and despise me because ,i am a man of letters4 ,my attachment to ,edinburgh revives as ,i turn my face towards it4#bij3a ,,hume to his ,brother4 ,,dear ,,brother1--,i am now to inform you of another pretty rapid change in my fortune4 ,lord ,hertford1 on his arrival in ,london1 found great difficulty of executing his intentions in my favour4 ,the cry is loud against the ,scots2 and the present ministry are unwilling to support any of our countrymen1 lest they bear the reproach of being connected with ,lord ,bute4 ,for this reason1 ,lord ,hertford departed from his project2 which he did the more readily1 as he knew ,i had a great reluctance to the office of secretary for ,ireland2 which requires a talent for speaking in public1 to which ,i was never accustomed4 ,i must also have kept a kind of open house1 and have drunk and caroused with the ,irish1 a course of living to which ,i am as little accustomed4 ,the ,duke of ,bedford1 to whom ,i mentioned these objections1 thought them very solid4 ,i think myself1 at present1 much better provided for1 by a pension of #djj a-year for life1 which ,lord ,hertford has procured me4 ,he also writes me1 that an apartment is fitting up for me in the castle of ,dublin4 ,i shall go thither as soon as ,i can leave ,france2 which will not be till the end of ,october or beginning of ,november1 on the arrival of the ,duke of ,richmond4 ,meanwhile1 ,i am ,charg des affaires d',angleterre la cour de ,france1 which is the title under which you must write to me1 if you favour me with a letter4 ,lord ,hertford had another additional project for my advantage1 in ,ireland4 ,the keeper of the black rod is a very genteel office1 which yields about #ijj during the session4 ,he proposed1 as ,i cannot be present on the opening of the parliament1 to give that office to another1 who would officiate1 and would be content with #cjj4 ,but ,i declined this offer2 not as unjust1 but as savouring of greediness and rapacity4#bia3a ,please to write all these particulars to ,katty1 except the last1 and seal and send her the enclosed4 ,i am charmed with the accounts ,i hear of ,josey1 from all hands4 ,yours sincerely4 ,there was a kind of fray in ,london1 as ,i am told1 upon ,lord ,hertford's declaring his intentions in my favour4 ,the ,princess ,amelia said1 that she thought the affair might be easily accommodated3 why may not ,lord ,hertford give a bishopric to ,mr4 ,hume8#bib3a ,writing an account of these transactions to ,smith1 in nearly the same words1 on #eth ,november1 he commences his letter with the observation1 ,i have been whirled about lately in a strange manner2 but1 besides that none of the revolutions have ever threatened me much1 or been able to give me a moment's anxiety1 all has ended very happily1 and to my mind4 ,he concludes thus3-- ,as a new vexation to temper my good fortune1 ,i am much in perplexity about fixing the place of my future abode for life4 ,paris is the most agreeable town in ,europe1 and suits me best2 but it is a foreign country4 ,london is the capital of my own country2 but it never pleased me much4 ,letters are there held in no honour3 ,scotsmen are hated3 superstition and ignorance gain ground daily4 ,edinburgh has many objections1 and many allurements4 ,my present mind1 this forenoon1 the #eth of ,september1 is to return to ,france4 ,i am much pressed here to accept of offers1 which would contribute to my agreeable living2 but might encroach on my independence1 by making me enter into engagements with princes1 and great lords1 and ladies4 ,pray give me your judgment4 ,i regret much ,i shall not see you4 ,i have been looking for you every day these three months4 ,your satisfaction in your pupil gives me equal satisfaction4#bic3a ,he writes to ,blair1 on #bhth ,december3-- ,,dear ,,doctor1--,after great wavering and uncertainty1 between ,paris and ,edinburgh1 7for ,i never allowed ,london to enter into the question17 ,i have1 at last1 fixed my resolution to remain some time longer in ,paris4 ,perhaps ,i may take a trip to ,rome next autumn4 ,had ,i returned to ,edinburgh1 ,i was sensible that ,i shut myself up1 in a manner1 for life2 and ,i imagine that ,i am1 even yet1 too young and healthy1 and in too good spirits1 to come to that determination4 ,if you please1 therefore1 you may continue in my house1 which ,i am glad pleases you4 ,if you leave it1 as you thought you would1 ,nairne may have it for #ce1 as we agreed4#bic3b ,we have now to return to ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau1 whom we left1 in #agfb1 seeking protection from the ,earl ,marischal at ,neufchtel4 ,he finally took up his abode at ,motiers ,travers1 a village on one of the passes of the ,jura2 where1 now that some offensive associations connected with his character and writings have died away1 the fame of his genius still lives1 and has been no unprofitable commodity to the inhabitants4 ,here he had a wild rocky district to wander over1 where he was not liable to encounter those dangerous impediments which beset the sojourners in the ,alps4 ,he had1 at the same time1 what was more to his purpose1 a zealous priesthood and an intolerant populace surrounding him4 ,that the outward manifestations of a morality1 odious to his new neighbours1 might not be wanting1 he sent for his celebrated mistress1 ,thrse la ,vasseur1 with whom he continued openly to live2 and that the populace1 thus exasperated1 might be under no mistake as to the proper person to throw stones at1 he adopted the garb of an ,armenian4 ,it is much disputed whether he was really subjected to the attacks of which he afterwards complained2 and it is said1 that whatever tangible evidence of them was perceptible to other eyes than his own1 was the doing of ,mademoiselle la ,vasseur1 to drive him from a neighbourhood which she disliked4 ,it will be found1 however1 that his story1 as reported by ,hume in the letters which follow1 substantially coincides with the narrative in the ,confessions4 ,this is in some measure a testimony to the sincerity of ,rousseau's own conviction1 that those hostile efforts were made against him2 and indeed it would be useless to question the sincerity of his belief in any thing indicative of the malevolence of his fellow-beings4 ,having fled from ,motiers1 he lived for some time on the island of ,st4 ,pierre1 in the lake of ,bienne2 and1 driven from that asylum1 he seems to have hesitated between ,england and ,prussia as a place of refuge4 ,he left the ,state of ,bienne at the date at which his ,confessions terminate1 #bith ,october1 #agfe4 ,he proceeded to ,strasburg1 where1 by wearing his ,armenian dress in the country where he had been proscribed1 he certainly excited a considerable sensation4 ,he appears to have held a sort of leve during his residence in that city1 where his daily and hourly proceedings have been recorded with the precision of a court journal4#bie3a ,it was here that he received ,hume's letter1 agreeing to aid him in finding an asylum in ,england4 ,the negotiation between them had been brought to a conclusion by ,madame de ,verdelin1 who had spent some time with ,rousseau at ,motiers1 and persuaded him to take advantage of the impression which the ,earl ,marischal and ,madame de ,boufflers had made in his favour4#bie3b ,hume's heart was farther softened by a letter1 full of miseries1 which ,rousseau had written to ,m4 ,clairaut4 ,i must own1 says ,hume1 ,i felt on this occasion an emotion of pity1 mixed with indignation1 to think a man of letters of such eminent merit1 should be reduced1 in spite of the simplicity of his manner of living1 to such extreme indigence2 and that this unhappy state should be rendered more intolerable by sickness1 by the approach of old age1 and the implacable rage of persecution4 ,he was inclined even to sympathize with ,rousseau's petulant rejection of proferred kindness2 conceiving that a noble pride1 even though carried to excess1 merited some indulgence in a man of genius1 who1 borne up by a sense of his own superiority1 and a love of independence1 should have braved the storms of fortune and the insults of mankind4#bif3a ,leaving ,strasburg1 the wanderer proceeded to ,paris1 where he went about in his ,armenian dress2 was mobbed and stared at to his heart's content1 wrote to his friends1 complaining with bitter eloquence that people would allow him neither solitude nor rest1 shut himself up1 and went forth again to the world4 ,before he could have ventured to appear so publicly1 in the capital where a writ had been issued for the seizure of his person1 he must have received very strong assurances of protection4 ,the arrt of the ,parliament1 however1 was not recalled2 and his friends must have felt somewhat provoked by his pertinacious courtship of popular notice1 accompanied by the pretence of a desire to avoid it1 by adopting only what was simple and natural--by wearing1 for instance1 so simple a dress as the fur cap1 caaftan1 and vest of an ,armenian1 in the streets of ,paris6 ,hume1 who seems really to have had faith in his modesty1 must still have felt it awkward that the representative of ,britain should be closely allied with a person so conducting himself2 and was anxious1 whenever the state of public business might permit him1 to see his charge safely across the ,channel4 ,it was thought1 in the meantime1 expedient to find for ,rousseau an asylum within the privileged area of the ,temple1 of which his friend1 the ,prince of ,conti1 was ,grand ,prior4 ,we must now allow ,hume himself to describe his new companion1 and their intercourse4 ,in continuation of the letter to ,blair1 of #bjth ,december1 above cited1 he says3 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,i must1 however1 be in ,london very soon1 in order to give an account of my commission2 to thank the ,king for his goodness to me1 and to settle the celebrated ,rousseau1 who has rejected invitations from half of the kings and princes of ,europe1 in order to put himself under my protection4 ,he has been at ,paris about twelve days2 and lives in an apartment prepared for him by the ,prince of ,conti1 which1 he says1 gives him uneasiness1 by reason of its magnificence4 ,as he was outlawed by the ,parliament1 it behoved him to have the ,king's passport1 which was at first offered him under a feigned name2 but his friends refused it1 because they knew that he would not submit even to that falsehood4 ,you have heard that he was banished from ,neufchtel by preachers1 who excited the mob to stone him4 ,he told me that a trap was laid for him1 with as much art as ever was employed against a fox or a polecat4 ,in the night-time a great enormous stone was suspended above the door1 in such a manner1 that on opening it in the morning1 the stone must have fallen and have crushed him to death4#big3a ,a man passing by early1 perceived it1 and called in to him at the window to be on his guard4 ,he also told me1 that last spring1 when he went about the mountains amusing himself with botany1 he came to a village at some distance from his own3 a woman met him1 who1 surprised at his ,armenian dress--for he wears1 and is resolved to wear that habit during life--asked him what he was1 and what was his name4 ,on hearing it she exclaimed1 ',are you that impious rascal1 ,rousseau8 ,had ,i known it1 ,i should have waited for you at the end of the wood1 with a pistol1 in order to blow out your brains4' ,he added1 that all the women in ,switzerland were in the same disposition1 because the preachers had told them that he had wrote books to prove that women had no souls4 ,he then turned to ,madame de ,boufflers1 who was present1 and said1--,is it not strange that ,i1 who have wrote so much to decry the morals and conduct of the ,parisian ladies1 should yet be beloved by them2 while the ,swiss women1 whom ,i have so much extolled1 would willingly cut my throat8 ',we are fond of you1' replied she1 'because we know that1 however you might rail1 you are at bottom fond of us to distraction4 ,but the ,swiss women hate you1 because they are conscious that they have not merit to deserve your attention4' ,on leaving ,neufchtel1 he took shelter in a little island about half a league in circumference1 in the midst of a lake near ,berne4 ,there lived in it only one ,german peasant1 with his wife and sister4 ,the council of ,berne1 frightened for his neighbourhood1 on account of his democratic more than his religious principles1 ordered him immediately to withdraw from their state4 ,he wrote the letter of which ,i send you a copy1 as it is very curious4 ,the council1 in answer1 reiterated their orders for him to begone4 ,he then applied to me4 ,i have made an agreement with a ,french gardener in ,fulham for boarding him4 ,we set out together in a few days4 ,it is impossible to express or imagine the enthusiasm of this nation in his favour4 ,as ,i am supposed to have him in my custody1 all the world1 especially the great ladies1 tease me to be introduced to him4 ,i have had rouleaus thrust into my hand1 with earnest applications that ,i would prevail on him to accept of them4 ,i am persuaded that1 were ,i to open here a subscription with his consent1 ,i should receive #ej1jjj in a fortnight4 ,the second day after his arrival1 he slipped out early in the morning to take a walk in the ,luxembourg gardens4 ,the thing was known soon after4 ,i am strongly solicited to prevail on him to take another walk1 and then to give warning to my friends4 ,were the public to be informed1 he could not fail to have many thousand spectators4 ,people may talk of ancient ,greece as they please2 but no nation was ever so fond of genius as this1 and no person ever so much engaged their attention as ,rousseau4 ,voltaire and every body else are quite eclipsed by him4 ,i am sensible that my connexions with him add to my importance at present4 ,even his maid ,la ,vasseur1 who is very homely and very awkward1 is more talked of than the ,princess of ,morocco or the ,countess of ,egmont1 on account of her fidelity and attachment towards him4 ,his very dog1 who is no better than a collie1 has a name and reputation in the world4 ,as to my intercourse with him1 ,i find him mild1 and gentle1 and modest1 and good humoured2 and he has more the behaviour of a man of the world1 than any of the learned here1 except ,m4 de ,buffon2 who1 in his figure1 and air1 and deportment1 answers your idea of a marechal of ,france1 rather than that of a philosopher4 ,m4 ,rousseau is of a small stature1 and would rather be ugly1 had he not the finest physiognomy in the world3 ,i mean the most expressive countenance4 ,his modesty seems not to be good manners1 but ignorance of his own excellence4 ,as he writes1 and speaks1 and acts1 from the impulse of genius1 more than from the use of his ordinary faculties1 it is very likely that he forgets its force whenever it is laid asleep4 ,i am well assured that at times he believes he has inspirations from an immediate communication with the ,divinity4 ,he falls sometimes into ecstasies1 which retain him in the same posture for hours together4 ,does not this example solve the difficulty of ,socrates' genius1 and of his ecstasies8 ,i think ,rousseau in many things very much resembles ,socrates4 ,the philosopher of ,geneva seems only to have more genius than he of ,athens1 who never wrote any thing1 and less sociableness and temper4 ,both of them were of very amorous complexions2 but a comparison in this particular1 turns out much to the advantage of my friend4 ,i call him such1 for ,i hear1 from all hands1 that his judgment and affections are as strongly biassed in my favour as mine are in his4 ,i shall much regret leaving him in ,england2 but even if a pardon could be procured for him here1 he is resolved1 as he tells me1 never to return2 because he never will again be in the power of any man4 ,i wish he may live unmolested in ,england4 ,i dread the bigotry and barbarism which prevail there4 ,when he came to ,paris1 he seemed resolved to stay till the #fth or #gth of next month4 ,but at present the concourse about him gives him so much uneasiness that he expresses the utmost impatience to be gone4 ,many people here will have it that this solitary humour is all affectation1 in order to be more sought after2 but ,i am sure that it is natural and unsurmountable3#cja3a ,i know that two very agreeable ladies breaking in upon him1 discomposed him so much that he was not able to eat his dinner afterwards4 ,he is short-sighted2 and ,i have often observed1 that while he was conversing with me in the utmost good-humour1 7for he is naturally gay17 if he heard the door open1 the greatest agony appeared on his countenance1 from the apprehension of a visit2 and his distress did not leave him1 unless the person was a particular friend4 ,his ,armenian dress is not affectation4 ,he has had an infirmity from his infancy1 which makes breeches inconvenient for him2 and he told me1 that when he was chased into the mountains of ,switzerland1 he took up this new dress1 as it seemed indifferent what habit he there wore4 ,i could fill a volume with curious anecdotes regarding him1 as ,i live in the same society which he frequented while in ,paris4 ,but ,i must not exhaust your patience4 ,my kind compliments to ,ferguson1 ,robertson1 and all the brethren4 ,i am1 c4 ,paris1 #bhth ,dec4 #agfe4 ,p4,s4--,be not surprised that ,i am going to say in my postscript1 the direct contrary to what ,i said in my letter4 ,there are four days of interval between my writing the one and the other2 and on this subject of my future abode1 ,i have not these four months risen and gone to bed in the same mind4 ,when ,i meet with proofs of regard and affection from those ,i love and esteem here1 ,i swear to myself that ,i shall never quit this place4 ,an hour after1 it occurs to me that ,i have then for ever renounced my native country and all my ancient friends1 and ,i start with affright4 ,i never yet left any place but with regret3 judge what it is natural for me to feel on leaving ,paris1 and so many amiable people with whom ,i am intimately connected1 while it is in my power to pass my life in the midst of them4 ,were ,i not indispensably obliged to go to ,london1 ,i know that it would be impossible for me to leave this place4 ,but it is very probable that being once there1 and fairly escaped from the cave of ,circe1 ,i may reconcile myself again to the abode of ,ithaca4 ,i left ,edinburgh with great reluctance4 ,to return to it1 after having tripled my revenue in less than three years1 can be no hardship4 ,i must1 therefore1 fairly warn you to remove from my house at ,whitsunday4 ,i have taken a house at ,paris2 but ,i will have one also in ,edinburgh1 and shall deliberate in ,london which of them ,i shall occupy4 ,i shall not go to ,ireland4 ,the arrival of the ,duke of ,richmond was late2 and this engagement with ,m4 ,rousseau protracts my return so long1 that it will not be worth while to go to ,dublin4 ,lord ,hertford has been so good as to excuse me4 ,you have heard of the great fortune of ,trail1 who is1 ,i believe1 your acquaintance1 and a very honest fellow4 ,nothing is so agreeable to an irresolute man1 says the ,cardinal de ,retz1 as a measure which dispenses him from taking an immediate resolution4 ,i am exactly in the case4 ,i hope your resigning my house will be no hardship to you4#cjc3a ,hume1 ,rousseau1 and ,m4 de ,luze of ,geneva1 a friend of the fugitive1 left ,france early in ,january #agff4 ,we have no account of their arrival1 except ,rousseau's statement in a letter to ,malesherbes1 that whenever he set foot on the land of liberty1 he leaped on his illustrious friend's neck1 embraced him without uttering a word1 and covered his face with kisses and tears2 a ceremony with which ,hume would probably have dispensed1 in the presence of the barbarians who inhabit the banks of the ,thames4 ,the first notice of their sojourn in ,britain1 is in a bulletin by ,hume to ,madame de ,boufflers1 dated ,london1 #aith ,january1 #agff4 ,he says1-- ,my companion is very amiable1 always polite1 gay often1 commonly sociable4 ,he does not know himself when he thinks he is made for entire solitude4 ,i exhorted him on the road to write his memoirs4 ,he told me1 that he had already done it with an intention of publishing them4 ,at present1 says he1 it may be affirmed1 that nobody knows me perfectly1 any more than himself2 but ,i shall describe myself in such plain colours1 that henceforth every one may boast that he knows himself1 and ,jean ,jacques ,rousseau4 ,i believe1 that he intends seriously to draw his own picture in its true colours3 but ,i believe1 at the same time1 that nobody knows himself less4 ,for instance1 even with regard to his health1 a point in which few people can be mistaken1 he is very fanciful4 ,he imagines himself very infirm4 ,he is one of the most robust men ,i have ever known4 ,he passed ten hours in the night-time1 above deck1 during the most severe weather1 when all the seamen were almost frozen to death1 and he caught no harm4 ,he says that his infirmity always increases upon a journey2 yet was it almost imperceptible on the road from ,paris to ,london4 ,his wearing the ,armenian dress is a pure whim2 which1 however1 he is resolved never to abandon4 ,he has an excellent warm heart2 and1 in conversation1 kindles often to a degree of heat which looks like inspiration4 ,i love him much1 and hope that ,i have some share in his affections4 ,i find that we shall have many ways of settling him to his satisfaction2 and as he is learning the ,english very fast1#cjd3a he will afterwards be able to choose for himself4 ,there is a gentleman of the name of ,townsend1 a man of four or five thousand a-year1 who lives very privately1 within fifteen miles of ,london1 and is a great admirer of our philosopher1 as is also his wife4 ,he has desired him to live with him1 and offers to take any board he pleases4 ,m4 ,rousseau was much pleased with this proposal1 and is inclined to accept of it4 ,the only difficulty is1 that he insists positively on his gouvernante's sitting at table1--a proposal which is not to be made to ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,townsend4 ,this woman forms the chief encumbrance to his settlement4 ,m4 de ,luze1 our companion1 says1 that she passes for wicked and quarrelsome1 and tattling2 and is thought to be the chief cause of his quitting ,neufchtel4 ,he himself owns her to be so dull1 that she never knows in what year of the ,lord she is1 nor in what month of the year1 nor in what day of the month or week2 and that she can never learn the different value of the pieces of money in any country4 ,yet she governs him as absolutely as a nurse does a child4 ,in her absence his dog has acquired that ascendant4 ,his affection for that creature is beyond all expression or conception4 ,i have as yet scarce seen any body except ,mr4 ,conway and ,lady ,aylesbury4#cje3a ,both of them told me1 they would visit ,jean ,jacques1 if ,i thought their company would not be disagreeable4 ,i encouraged them to show him that mark of distinction4#cje3b ,here ,i must also tell you of a good action which ,i did2 not but that it is better to conceal our good actions4 ,but ,i consider not my seeking your approbation as an effect of vanity3 your suffrage is to me something like the satisfaction of my own conscience4 ,while we were at ,calais1 ,i asked him whether1 in case the ,king of ,england thought proper to gratify him with a pension1 he would accept of it4 ,i told him1 that the case was widely different from that of the ,king of ,prussia2 and ,i endeavoured to point out to him the difference1 particularly in this circumstance1 that a gratuity from the ,king of ,england could never in the least endanger his independence4 ,he replied3 ,but would it not be using ill the ,king of ,prussia1 to whom ,i have since been much obliged8 ,however1 on this head 7added he17 in case the offer be made me1 ,i shall consult my father2 meaning ,lord ,marischal4#cjf3a ,i told this story to ,general ,conway1 who seemed to embrace with zeal the notion of giving him a pension1 as honourable both to the king and nation4 ,i shall suggest the same idea to other men in power whom ,i may meet with1 and ,i do not despair of succeeding4 ,p4 ,s4--,since ,i wrote the above1 ,i have received your obliging letter1 directed to ,calais4 ,m4 ,rousseau says1 the letter of the ,king of ,prussia is a forgery2 and he suspects it to come from ,m4 de ,voltaire4#cjf3b ,the project of ,mr4 ,townsend1 to my great mortification1 has totally vanished1 on account of ,mademoiselle ,le ,vasseur4 ,send all his letters under my cover4#cjg3a ,hume writes again on the #abth1 to state that he has succeeded in obtaining the promise of a pension from the king3 ,you know1 he says1 that our sovereign is extremely prudent and decent1 and careful not to give offence4 ,for which reason1 he requires that this act of generosity may be an entire secret4 ,he states1 that this information must be kept to herself and the ,prince of ,conti3 and she in her answer1 admires ,hume's generous and delicate conduct1 and promises to keep the secret4 ,in his postscript ,hume announces the important fact1 that ,mademoiselle le ,vasseur had arrived1 and had found a companion to whom such a rag of celebrity was no small acquisition4 ,p4,s4--,since ,i wrote the above1 ,i have seen ,general ,conway1 who tells me that the king has spoke to him on the same subject1 and that the sum intended is a hundred pounds a-year3 a mighty accession to our friend's slender revenue4 ,a letter has also come to me open from ,guy the bookseller1 by which ,i learn that ,mademoiselle sets out post1 in company with a friend of mine1 a young gentleman1 very good-humoured1 very agreeable--and very mad6 ,he visited ,rousseau in his mountains1 who gave him a recommendation to ,paoli1 the ,king of ,corsica2 where this gentleman1 whose name is ,boswell1 went last summer1 in search of adventures4 ,he has such a rage for literature1 that ,i dread some event fatal to our friend's honour4 ,you remember the story of ,terentia1 who was first married to ,cicero1 then to ,sallust1 and at last1 in her old age1 married a young nobleman1 who imagined that she must possess some secret1 which would convey to him eloquence and genius4#cjh3a ,soon after1 we find ,hume writing as follows3-- ,,hume to his ,brother4 ,london1 #b;d ,february1 #agff4 ,as you know that ,i never left any place without regret1 you may imagine that ,i did not leave ,paris altogether willingly1 after having been so long accustomed to it4 ,i do not find this new scene near so much to my taste2 and ,i shall be long ere ,i am reconciled to it4 ,perhaps ,edinburgh may please me better2 ,i promise myself at least some satisfaction in my nephews1 of whom ,i hear a very good account2 and it is surely more suitable to one of my years to seek a retreat in my native country1 than to pass the dregs of life among the great1 and among people who1 though they seem to have a friendship for me1 are still strangers4 ,i accustom myself1 therefore1 to this idea without reluctance2 and since ,i have crossed the seas1 ,i find my regret for the good company ,i left behind me1 less pungent and uneasy4 4 4 4 4 ,you will have heard by this time1 that ,i have brought over with me the famous ,rousseau1 the most singular man1 surely1 in the world4 ,he applied to me last summer to take him under my protection in ,england1 as he called it2 but in the meanwhile1 he was chased out of ,switzerland1 and came to ,strasburg1 with an intention of going to the ,king of ,prussia1 who pressed him earnestly to live with him4 ,at ,strasburg my letter reached him1 making him an offer of all my services2 upon which he turned short1 and having obtained the ,king of ,france's passport1 came and joined me at ,paris4 ,i have lived with him ever since4 ,he is a very modest1 mild1 well-bred1 gentle-spirited1 and warm-hearted man1 as ever ,i knew in my life4 ,he is also to appearance very sociable4 ,i never saw a man who seems better calculated for good company1 nor who seems to take more pleasure in it4 ,yet is he absolutely determined to retire and board himself in a farmer's house among the mountains of ,wales1 for the sake of solitude4 ,he has refused a pension from the ,king of ,prussia1 and presents from hundreds4 ,i have been offered great sums for him1 if ,i could have prevailed on him to accept of them4 ,yet1 till within these three months1 he was in absolute beggary4 ,he has now about #gj a-year8#cji3a which he has acquired by a bargain for his works4 ,it is incredible the enthusiasm for him in ,paris1 and the curiosity in ,london4 ,i prevailed on him to go to the play-house in order to see ,garrick1 who placed him in a box opposite the king and queen4 ,i observed their majesties to look at him more than at the players4#cji3b ,i should desire no better fortune than to have the privilege of showing him to all ,i please4 ,the hereditary prince paid him a visit a few days ago2 and ,i imagine the ,duke of ,york called on him one evening when he was abroad4 ,i love him much1 and shall separate from him with much regret4#caj3a ,hume writes to ,dr4 ,blair on #aath ,february3-- ,you have seen in the newspapers enow of particulars concerning my pupil1 who has now left me and retired to ,chiswick4 ,he is impatient to get into the mountains of ,wales4 ,he is a very agreeable amiable man1 but a great humorist4#caj3b ,the philosophers of ,paris foretold to me that ,i could not conduct him to ,calais without a quarrel2 but ,i think ,i could live with him all my life in mutual friendship and esteem4 ,i am very sorry that the matter is not likely to be put to a trial6 ,i believe one great source of our concord is1 that neither he nor ,i are disputatious1 which is not the case with any of them4 ,they are also displeased with him because they think he overabounds in religion2 and it is indeed remarkable1 that the philosopher of this age who has been most persecuted1 is by far the most devout4 ,i do not comprehend such philosophers as are invested with the sacerdotal character4 ,i am1 dear doctor1 yours usque ad aras4#caj3c ,the first attempt to find a settlement for ,rousseau1 was with the ,french gardener at ,fulham1 already alluded to4 ,the arrangement proposed by ,hume was1 that the gardener was to receive from fifty to sixty pounds a-year1 as the consideration for boarding ,rousseau and ,mademoiselle1 but that he was only to draw twenty-five pounds from ,rousseau1 from whom he was to keep the arrangement secret4#caa3a ,rousseau rejected this arrangement with disgust2 and various other efforts to find him a suitable home were equally unsuccessful4 ,hume1 who1 as ,rousseau himself tells ,madame de ,boufflers1 was more anxious about his welfare than he was himself1 appears to have spent week after week1 in the vain pursuit of a resting place for the wanderer--no sooner framing a hopeful scheme than it was contemptuously rejected4 ,it does not appear1 however1 that the inquiries were conducted precisely in the sphere in which ,rousseau liked to act4 ,it is clear that he had not come to ,britain to negotiate with farmers at ,chiswick1 or ,french gardeners at ,fulham4 ,he undoubtedly expected much more distinguished titles to be mixed up with his arrangements2 and we find that it was not till a rich man's well kept country mansion was put at his disposal1 that he deigned to be for a moment satisfied4 ,a letter to ,blair1 contains a very full narrative of the subsequent proceedings4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4#cab3a ,lisle ,street1 ,leicester ,fields1 #beth ,march1 #agff4 ,,dear ,,doctor1--,i had asked ,m4 ,rousseau the question you propose to me3 ,he answered1 that the story of his ,hloise had some general and distant resemblance to reality2 such as was sufficient to warm his imagination and assist his invention3 but that all the chief circumstances were fictitious4 ,i have heard in ,france1 that he had been employed to teach music to a young lady1 a boarder in a convent at ,lyons2 and that the master and scholar fell mutually in love with each other2 but the affair was not attended with any consequences4 ,i think this work his masterpiece2 though he himself told me1 that he valued most his ,contrat ,social2 which is as preposterous a judgment as that of ,milton1 who preferred the ,paradise ,regained to all his other performances4 ,this man1 the most singular of all human beings1 has at last left me2 and ,i have very little hopes of ever being able1 for the future1 to enjoy much of his company1 though he says1 that if ,i settle either in ,london or ,edinburgh1 he will take a journey on foot every year to visit me4 ,mr4 ,davenport1 a gentleman of #ejjj or #fjjj a-year1 in the north of ,england1 and a man of great humanity and of a good understanding1 has taken the charge of him4 ,he has a house called ,wooton1 in the ,peake of ,derby1 situated amidst mountains and rocks and streams and forests1 which pleases the wild imagination and solitary humour of ,rousseau2 and as the master seldom inhabited it1 and only kept there a plain table for some servants1 he offered me to give it up to my friend4 ,i accepted1 on condition that he would take from him #cj a-year of board for himself and his gouvernante1 which he was so good-natured as to agree to4 ,rousseau has about #hj a-year1 which he has acquired by contracts with his booksellers1 and by a liferent annuity of #be a-year1 which he accepted from ,lord ,marischal4 ,this is the only man who has yet been able to make him accept of money4 ,he was desperately resolved to rush into this solitude1 notwithstanding all my remonstrances2 and ,i foresee1 that he will be unhappy in that situation1 as he has indeed been always in all situations4 ,he will be entirely without occupation1 without company1 and almost without amusement of any kind4 ,he has read very little during the course of his life1 and has now totally renounced all reading3 ,he has seen very little2 and has no manner of curiosity to see or remark3 ,he has reflected1 properly speaking1 and studied very little2 and has not indeed much knowledge3 ,he has only felt1 during the whole course of his life2 and in this respect1 his sensibility rises to a pitch beyond what ,i have seen any example of3 but it still gives him a more acute feeling of pain than of pleasure4 ,he is like a man who were stript not only of his clothes1 but of his skin1 and turned out in that situation to combat with the rude and boisterous elements1 such as perpetually disturb this lower world4 ,i shall give you a remarkable instance of his turn of character in this respect3 ,it passed in my room1 the evening before his departure4 ,he had resolved to set out with his gouvernante in a post-chaise2 but ,davenport1 willing to cheat him and save him some money1 told him that he had found a retour chaise for the place1 which he might have for a trifle1 and that luckily it set out the very day in which ,rousseau intended to depart4 ,his purpose was to hire a chaise1 and make him believe this story4 ,he succeeded at first1 but ,rousseau afterwards ruminating on the circumstances1 began to entertain a suspicion of the trick4 ,he communicated his doubts to me1 complaining that he was treated like a child2 that though he was poor1 he chose rather to conform himself to his circumstances1 than live like a beggar on alms2 and that he was very unhappy in not speaking the language familiarly1 so as to guard himself against these impositions4 ,i told him that ,i was ignorant of the matter1 and knew nothing more of it1 than ,i was told by ,mr4 ,davenport1 but if he pleased ,i should make inquiry about it4 ,never tell me that1 replied he1 if this be really a contrivance of ,davenport's1 you are acquainted with it1 and consenting to it2 and you could not possibly have done me a greater displeasure4 ,upon which he sat down very sullen and silent2 and all my attempts were in vain to revive the conversation1 and to turn it on other subjects2 he still answered me very drily and coldly4 ,at last1 after passing near an hour in this ill-humour1 he rose up and took a turn about the room4 ,but judge of my surprise1 when he sat down suddenly on my knee1 threw his hands about my neck1 kissed me with the greatest warmth1 and bedewing all my face with tears1 exclaimed1 ,is it possible you can ever forgive me1 my dear friend8 ,after all the testimonies of affection ,i have received from you1 ,i reward you at last with this folly and ill behaviour3 but ,i have notwithstanding a heart worthy of your friendship2 ,i love you1 ,i esteem you1 and not an instance of your kindness is thrown away upon me4 ,i hope you have not so bad an opinion of me as to think ,i was not melted on this occasion2 ,i assure you ,i kissed him and embraced him twenty times1 with a plentiful effusion of tears4 ,i think no scene of my life was ever more affecting4#cae3a ,i now understand perfectly his aversion to company2 which appears so surprising in a man well qualified for the entertainment of company1 and which the greater part of the world takes for affectation4 ,he has frequent and long fits of the spleen1 from the state of his mind or body1 call it which you please2 and from his extreme sensibility of temper1 during that disposition1 company is a torment to him4 ,when his spirits and health and good humour return1 his fancy affords him so much and such agreeable occupation1 that to call him off from it gives him uneasiness2 and even the writing of books1 he tells me1 as it limits and restrains his fancy to one subject1 is not an agreeable entertainment4 ,he never will write any more2 and never should have wrote at all1 could he have slept a-nights4 ,but he lies awake commonly2 and to keep himself from tiring1 he usually composed something1 which he wrote down when he arose4 ,he assures me1 that he composes very slowly1 and with great labour and difficulty4 ,he is naturally very modest1 and even ignorant of his own superiority4 ,his fire1 which frequently rises in conversation1 is gentle and temperate2 he is never in the least arrogant and domineering1 and is1 indeed1 one of the best bred men ,i ever knew4 ,i shall give you such an instance of his modesty as must necessarily be sincere4 ,when we were on the road1 ,i recommended to him the learning of ,english1 without which1 ,i told him1 he would never enjoy entire liberty1 nor be fully independent1 and at his own disposal4 ,he was sensible ,i was in the right1 and said1 that he heard there were two ,english translations of his ,emile1 or ,treatise on ,education2 he would get them as soon as he arrived in ,london2 and as he knew the subject1 he would have no other trouble1 than to learn or guess the words3 this would save him some pains in consulting the dictionary2 and as he improved1 it would amuse him to compare the translations and judge which was the best4 ,accordingly1 soon after our arrival1 ,i procured him the books1 but he returned them in a few days1 saying that they could be of no use to him4 ,what is the matter8 replied ,i4 ,i cannot endure them1 said he1 they are my own work2 and ever since ,i delivered my books to the press1 ,i never could open them1 or read a page of them without disgust4 ,that is strange1 said ,i1 ,i wonder the good reception they have met with from the world has not put you more in conceit with them4 ,why1 said he1 if ,i were to count suffrages1 there are perhaps more against them than for them4 ,but1 rejoined ,i1 it is impossible but the style1 and eloquence1 and ornaments must please you4 ,to tell the truth1 said he1 ,i am not displeased with myself in that particular3 but ,i still dread1 that my writings are good for nothing at the bottom1 and that all my theories are full of extravagance4 ,je crains toujours que je pche par le fond1 et que tous mes systmes ne sont que des extravagances4 ,you see that this is judging of himself with the utmost severity1 and censuring his writings on the side where they are most exposed to criticism4 ,no feigned modesty is ever capable of this courage4 ,i never heard ---- reproach himself with the ----3 nobody ever heard you express any remorse1 for having put ,ossian on the same footing with ,homer6 ,have ,i tired you1 or will you have any more anecdotes of this singular personage8 ,i think ,i hear you desire me to go on4 ,he attempted once to justify to me the moral of his ,new ,heloisa1 which1 he knew1 was blamed1 as instructing young people in the art of gratifying their passions1 under the cover of virtue1 and noble refined sentiments4 ,you may observe1 said he that my ,julia is faithful to her husband's bed1 though she is seduced from her duty during her single state2 but this last circumstance can be of no consequence in ,france1 where all the young ladies are shut up in convents1 and have it not in their power to transgress3 it might1 indeed1 have a bad effect in a ,protestant country4 ,but notwithstanding this reflection1 he told me1 that he has wrote a continuation of his ,emilius1 which may soon be published4 ,he there attempts to show the effect of his plan of education1 by representing ,emilius in all the most trying situations1 and still extricating himself with courage and virtue4 ,among the rest1 he discovers that ,sophia1 the amiable1 the virtuous1 the estimable ,sophia1 is unfaithful to his bed1 which fatal accident he bears with a manly superior spirit4 ,in this work1 added he1 ,i have endeavoured to represent ,sophia in such a light that she will appear equally amiable1 equally virtuous1 and equally estimable1 as if she had no such frailty4 ,you take a pleasure1 ,i see1 said ,i1 to combat with difficulties in all your works4 ,yes1 said he1 ,i hate marvellous and supernatural events in novels4 ,the only thing that can give pleasure in such performances is to place the personages in situations difficult and singular4 ,thus1 you see1 nothing remains for him but to write a book for the instruction of widows6 unless perhaps he imagines that they can learn their lesson without instruction4 ,adieu1 dear doctor2 you say that you sometimes read my letters to our common friends2 but you must read this only to the initiated4#cag3a ,almost the only other matter which appears conspicuously in ,hume's correspondence during his intercourse with ,rousseau1 is the death of a dear friend1 often mentioned in his previous letters--,dr4 ,jardine4 ,he was a man of strong judgment1 and much sarcastic wit2 but his articles in ,the ,edinburgh ,review of #agee1 are almost the only specimens of his ability which he has left to posterity4 ,he was born in ,dumfries-shire on #c;d ,january1 #agaf1 and he was minister of the ,tron ,church parish when he died4 ,the death was sudden2 and ,hume1 overlooking the calamitous consequences of such events to surviving relatives1 and in harmony with the opinions he had expressed on death in a still more appalling form1 seems to have considered its suddenness as fortunate4 ,he thus writes to ,blair1 on #eth ,june4 ,i cannot begin my letter without lamenting most sincerely the death of our friend ,dr4 ,jardine4 ,i do not aggravate it by the circumstance of its being sudden1 for that is very desirable4 ,but surely we shall ever regret the loss of a very pleasant companion1 and of a very friendly honest man4 ,it makes a blank which you must all feel1 and which ,i in particular will sensibly feel1 when ,i come amongst you4 ,i need not ask you whether the miscreants of the opposite party do not rejoice1 for ,i take it for granted they do4#cah3a ,,footnotes3 #bfd3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bfe3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,in answer1 ,millar tells him that the prejudice is not against the ,scots1 but against ,lord ,bute2 that matters have now1 however1 been all put right1 for it is generally believed that ,mr4 ,greenville is a good manager of the finances1 and in general means well3 as a proof of it1 our stocks have been creeping up daily1 and it is now generally believed that #c per cent will soon come to par if affairs continue peaceable6 ,one possessed of better opportunities of judging1 and more capable of using them1 joins in these anticipations of success with which ,grenville's disastrous career as a financier opened4 ,elliot says1 on #beth ,march1 #agfe3 ,to-morrow ,mr4 ,grenville opens the budget1 as it is usually called1 and ,i believe our revenue will appear to be on a better footing than is usually believed4 ,i hope we shall have discharged as much debt without breach of faith as you have done in a politer way4 ,not that ,i pretend to censure your method4 ,you borrow at a high interest during time of war1 and it is understood you are to take your own method in peace4 ,our mode of proceeding is the very reverse of this4 4 4 4 ,your negotiation with regard to the ,french prisoners you must have heard1 met with all the approbation it so well deserved4 7,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 #bfh3a ,probably ,vallire4 ,the ,duc de ,vallire was supposed to be the author of some anonymous theatrical pieces4 #bgj3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bgj3b ,this gentleman is the same who afterwards distinguished himself as a diplomatist1 and who was so well known by the title of ,sir ,robert ,liston4 #bgb3a ,minto ,,mss4 #bgc3a ,mallet died on #bast ,april1 #agfe4 #bgc3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bge3a ,on account of his taxation system having caused the ,american ,revolution1 ,grenville is now generally ranked with statesmen of despotic principles4 ,he was1 however1 an avowed admirer of the democratic portions of the constitution2 and it was in truth his ill-directed advocacy of popular rights1 not an intentional departure from his avowed principles1 that made his administration so disastrous4 ,his zeal for the independent authority of ,parliament1 and for the curtailment of the prerogatives of the ,crown1 induced him to struggle for the exercise by parliament1 in the colonies1 of a power with which the crown could not compete1--that of taxation4 #bge3b ,minto ,,mss4 #bgf3a ,evidently the ,abb ,morellet1 who afterwards corresponded with ,hume on these subjects4 ,he was born in #agbg1 and died in #ahai4 ,from his great age and the cheerful social habits of his latter years1 he was one of the few members of the school of the ,encyclopdiasts1 whom men of the present generation have been accustomed to meet in general society4 ,morellet possessed two distinct titles to fame4 ,he had written some grave and valuable books on political economy and statistics2 while in lighter literature1 and in ,madame ,geoffrin's circle1 he enjoyed a high reputation for playful and pungent wit4 ,his friends likened him to ,swift2 but as he sought to avoid malice in his sarcasms1 and to make them subservient to good principles in morals and religion1 he might1 in this part of his character1 be more aptly compared with ,sydney ,smith4 ,he had a great partiality for ,scottish music2 but it may be doubted if this taste was either created or fostered by his intercourse with ,hume4 ,in his very amusing ,memoires1 he describes a dinner with a musical party near ,plymouth1 in the open air4 ,some young ladies1 with their father and mother1 approached near enough to hear the music4 ,the ,abb gallantly carried them a basket of cherries4 ,je les prie en mme temps de vouloir bien chanter some ,scotish song1 dont1 moi ,franais1 j'tais very fond4 ,elles se regardent un moment3 et ds que nous fmes retourns nos places1 comme si notre plus grand loignement les et rassures1 elles se mettent chanter toutes les trois l'unisson1 avec des voix d'une extrme douceur1 ,the lass of ,peatie's ,mill4 ,le temps1 le lieu1 la singularit de la rencontre ajoutrent quelques charmes ce petit concert4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bji4 #bgg3a ,memorials of ,oswald1 p4 #ha4 #bgh3a ,mr4 ,elliot1 in answer to the letter printed above1 7p4 #ahi17 says1 ,so1 my dear sir1 you have at last1 with no small reluctance1 and after many struggles1 prevailed with yourself to acquaint some of your friends that ,lord ,hertford means to desire that government would be graciously pleased to bestow the character and emoluments of the secretaryship upon the person who actually performs the functions of it4 ,at your time of life1 with so much independency about you1 and so unlike all your former conduct1 indeed ,i am not at all surprised that it cost you near two pages of apology and explanation before you would even intrust me with the secret4 ,were you less deep in the study of human nature1 and somewhat more an adept in the ways of men1 ,i am apt to think you would rather have filled your letter with excuses for not having sooner made this application4 ,he goes on to state1 that he has been exerting himself in the matter1 but that on all occasions he had found himself anticipated by ,lord ,hertford4 ,he continues3 ,as to ingrata patria ne ossa quidem habebis1 don't be at all uneasy4 ,here ,i can speak more peremptorily2 and notwithstanding all your errors1 mistakes1 and heresies in religion1 morals1 and government1 ,i undertake you shall have at least ,christian burial1 and perhaps we may find for you a niche in ,westminster ,abbey besides4 ,your ,lockes1 ,newtons1 and ,bacons had no great matter to boast of during their lives2 and yet they were the most orthodox of men2 they required no godfather to answer for them2 while1 on the other hand1 did not ,lord ,hertford spread his sevenfold shield over all your transgressions8 ,pray1 what pretensions have you1 either in church or state2 for you well know you have offended both8--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bgi3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bhj3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #aba4 #bha3a ,mrs4 ,elliot1 who as an heiress preserved the name of ,murray ,kynynmond4 #bhb3a ,minto ,,mss4 #bhb3b ,walpole1 ,memoirs of ,george ,,iii4 i4 #cia4 ,walpole pretends that ,conway's dismissal was partly caused by revenge against ,lord ,hertford for his conduct on this occasion1 7ib4 #djb47 ,but from his own account of it1 the resolution to dismiss ,conway had been taken before ,hume's appointment4 #bhd3a ,lives of ,men of ,letters1 c4 p4 #bbe4 #bhd3b ,he was ,lady ,hertford's nephew4 #bhf3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bhf3b ,see above1 p4 #agb4 #bhf3c ,the ,dauphin was then far advanced in the disease of which he died4 ,according to the ordinary ,french historians1 he was at the same time so completely subjected to the priestly influence of the ,molinists1 as to justify the supposition1 that the decay of his mind kept pace with that of his body4 ,others give a totally different account of him1 and ,walpole says1 ,to please his family1 the prince went through all the ceremonies of the church1 but showed to his attendants after they were over1 how vain and ridiculous he thought them4 ,many expressions he dropped in his last hours that spoke the freedom of his opinions2 and to the ,duc de ,nivernois he said1 he was glad to leave behind him such a book as ',hume's ,essays4' ,memoirs of ,george ,,iii4 vol4 ii4 p4 #bdb4 ,the ,dauphin died on #bjth ,december1 #agfe4 #bhg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bhh3a ,a general officer of reputation1 making such an application1 on behalf of a friend1 says3-- ,the divine in question has a very good living1 but in a quarter of the world where he has not a creature to converse with4 ,if his excellency would enrol him among that million of the tribe of ,levi1 that attend at the ,castle of ,dublin1 who are called his chaplains1 it would excuse his attendance at quarters3 ,and his general1--,i mean1 his bishop1 would be under the necessity of permitting him to be absent whilst he had the honour to be about the commander-in-chief at headquarters4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bhi3a ,lord ,hertford1 writing to ,hume1 on #eth ,august1 says3-- ,,dear ,,sir1--,you will see1 in the papers1 that ,barr is to be my secretary2 but it has no other foundation4 ,if ,i had been at liberty1 ,i should have desired to continue with him whose abilities and ease in business ,i have so long experienced2 but the world will have it otherwise1 and it must be my son4 ,he is popular in ,ireland2 and ,i am invited1 on all hands1 to name him2 at the same time that ,i am told the great danger of indulging my own inclinations1 that if ,i named you1 with the particular additional prejudice that prevails1 at present1 against the ,scotch1 that ,i should condemn my own administration4 ,i have1 therefore1 made it the condition of my acceptance of the lieutenancy1 that you are immediately provided for in a manner less likely to subject you to the inconvenience of party changes4 ,i have explained1 both to the ,king and the ministers1 how essential ,i thought it to my honour and ease of mind2 and it is resolved4 ,i flatter myself ,i shall soon be able to acquaint you1 that ,i have been a good solicitor2 and1 as my private friend1 ,i beg leave to assure you that ,i shall always be most happy in receiving you in ,dublin1 and every other part of the world1 let the prejudices and follies of mankind be what they will4 ,i hope you will consider me as your friend2 and ,i will desire no other return for all the services ,i may be able to do you1 than such a portion of your time as you can bestow upon me1 consistently with your inclination4 ,the ,duke of ,richmond goes to ,france3 ,i do not yet know upon what plan1 having not seen him4 ,he is a pretty figure2 is easy in his behaviour2 and does not want parts4 ,i wish he may have temper1 experience1 and knowledge of men for that place4 ,i have talked to my brother1 as it became a wellwisher to peace1 upon this occasion4 ,you will receive1 by the messenger which carries this letter to ,france1 an official one from my brother1 drawn by himself1 by which you will be able to judge of his style4 ,i need not add any thing to it4 ,every thing which passed1 in a very long conference we had together with ,guerchy1 is fully stated in it2 but1 when you talk to the ,duke of ,praslin upon it1 you will1 if you please1 take an opportunity of recommending from me1 in a particular manner1 the indulgence required for the holders of the ,canada bills4 ,this point may be essential to the good understanding between the two courts4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bij3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bia3a ,lord ,hertford writes ,hume1 on #afth ,august2-- ,the usher of the black rod1 in ,ireland1 is in my disposal4 ,it produces1 in the course of a session1 from #hjj to #ijj1 as ,i am informed4 ,if you approve it1 my intention is to give it to a gentleman who will be extremely satisfied to accept of #cjj a-year for his trouble1 at most1 and the rest will be placed to your account1 without interrupting the benefit of the pension4 ,and again1 on ,september #e1 after ,hume's refusal3-- ,the black rod you will give me leave to dispose of as ,i intended4 ,you shall1 at the end of the session1 refuse the emoluments ,i propose to reserve out of it1 if you see sufficient reason4 #cjj for doing the duty of it should satisfy the person to whom ,i will give it4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bib3a ,lit4 ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #gaa4 ,corrected from original in ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bic3a ,lit4 ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #gbb4 ,corrected from original in ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bic3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #bie3a ,we are told 7vie de ,rousseau par ,musset ,pathay1 i4 #ajb17 that a certain ,m4 ,augar1 having been here presented to the apostle of education1 said he was bringing up his son after the model of ,emile4 ,so much the worse both for you and your son2 tant pis pour vous et pour votre fils1 said ,rousseau4 ,this must have been highly satisfactory4 ,of all the theories to reconcile ,rousseau's contradictions1--to discover on what principle he preached up parental care1 and sent his own children to the foundling hospital1 the best is supplied by himself in a single sentence in the ,heloise3 ,l'on sait bien que tout homme qui pose des maximes gnrales1 entend qu'elles obligent tout le monde1 except lui4 ,this is certainly more intelligible than the mystical theory of his eulogist1 ,d',escherny3 ,il n'y a que les sots qui ne se contredisent point1 parce que leur esprit born ne voit jamais qu'un ct de l'objet4 #bie3b ,he states1 in the ,confessions1 that when ,wallace's work on the ,number of ,mankind was passing through the press1 ,hume undertook the revision of the proof sheets1 though the work was written against himself4 ,i am not aware of any other authority for this anecdote4 ,rousseau said he was charmed with it1 because the conduct was so much like his own6 #bif3a ,account of the ,controversy between ,hume and ,rousseau4 #big3a ,un banc trs-massif1 qui toit dans la rue ct de ma porte et fortement attach1 fut dtach1 enlev1 et pos debout contre la porte2 de sorte que1 si l'on ne s'en ft aperu1 le premier qui pour sortir auroit ouvert la porte d'entre1 devoit naturellement tre assomm4--,confessions1 ,liv4 #ab4 #cja3a ,hume1 though habitually sceptical1 was far from being suspicious2 and in his kindness to his new companion1 he took every thing in sincerity4 ,c'est un des malheurs de ma vie1 says ,rousseau1 qu'avec un si grand dsir d'tre oubli1 je sois contraint de parler de moi sans cesse2 but those who knew him better than ,hume did at so early a period of their intercourse1 do not give him credit for desiring to be either neglected or forgotten4 ,madame de ,genlis professes to have been much vexed and perplexed by having acted on a reliance similar to ,hume's4 ,rousseau had promised to accompany her to the ,comdie ,franoise1 on the condition that they were to occupy a loge grille4 ,when they entered1 madame flew to shut the grating2 ,rousseau opposed her2 he was sure she would not like it to be closed1 and he would be sufficiently hidden1 by sitting behind her4 ,in the scuffle he was recognised2 madame1 vexed and terrified1 insisted that the grating should be closed2 but he was inexorable4 ,the commencement of a popular piece soon relieved them from notice1 and when the eyes of the audience were averted from him1 ,rousseau grew gloomy and rude4 ,he afterwards professed himself deeply offended at having been exhibited as a wild beast6 ,mmoires1 ii4 #ab4 ,the same lady gives a more pleasing instance of his characteristics at that time1 in describing her first introduction to him4 ,a friend told her1 that her husband intended to play a trick on her3 to employ the celebrated mimic ,preville1 the ,foote of the ,french stage1 to personate ,rousseau at his table4 ,the expected guest appeared4 ,his dress and appearance were so unlike other people's1 yet so like what would have been expected in ,rousseau--his conversation was so brilliant--that it certainly must be a piece of wonderful acting4 ,thoroughly at her ease1 she laughed1 and talked1 and sang the airs of the ,devin du village4 ,it was ,rousseau himself6 and not accustomed1 in this the full blaze of his reputation1 to be received with so much freedom1 by a young and accomplished woman1 he pronounced her to be the most lively and unaffected of her sex4 #cjc3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cjd3a ,it does not appear that ,rousseau made any progress in ,english4 ,in a letter to ,hume1 from ,wooton1 he says1 ,j'ai eu hier la visite de ,m4 le ,ministre1 qui1 voyant que je ne lui parlois que ,franois1 n'a pas voulu me parler ,anglois1 de sorte que l'entrevue s'est passe peu prs sans mot dire4 ,j'ai pris got l'expdient2 je m'en servirai avec tous mes voisins1 si j'en ai2 et duss-je apprendre l',anglois1 je ne leur parlerai que ,franois1 sur-tout si j'ai le bonheur qu'ils n'en sachent pas un mot4 #cje3a ,general ,conway's wife4 #cje3b ,rousseau writes to ,hume3-- ,le ,lundi ,soir4 ,je vous supplie1 mon trs cher patron1 de vouloir bien m'excuser auprs de ,myladi ,ailesbury et de ,mr4 ,le ,gnral ,conway4 ,je suis malade1 et hors d'tat de me prsenter1 et ,mademoiselle ,le ,vasseur1 trs bonne1 et trs estimable personne1 n'est point faite pour parotre dans les grandes compagnies4 ,trouvez bon1 mon trs cher patron1 que nous nous en tenions au premier arrangement et que j'attende dans l'aprs midi le carrosse que ,m4 ,davenport veut bien envoyer4 ,j'arrive suant et fatigu d'une longue promenade3 c'est pourquoi je ne prolonge pas ma lettre3 vous m'avez si bien acquis et je suis vous de tant de manires que cela mme ne doit plus tre dit4 ,je vous embrasse de toute la tendresse de mon cur4 ,j4 ,j4 ,,rousseau4 ,had ,lady ,aylesbury requested the honour of ,mademoiselle le ,vasseur's company along with that of her keeper8 ,rousseau tells us what pleasure it gave him to see ,madame la ,marechale de ,luxembourg embrace her in public4 ,but if any ,english lady of rank and character offered to extend her hospitality to such a person1 there could be no stronger evidence of the general consent to suspend all social laws in favour of ,rousseau4 #cjf3a ,of ,lord ,marischal he always spoke with respect4 ,in the ,confessions1 he says1 ,o bon ,milord6 mon digne pre6 que mon cur s'meut encore en pensant vous6 ,ah les barbares6 quel coup ils m'ont port en vous dtachant de moi6 ,mais non1 non1 grand homme1 vous tes et serez toujours le mme pour moi1 qui suis le mme toujours4 #cjf3b ,madame de ,boufflers seems to have early apprehended mischief from ,walpole's letter4 ,in the letter referred to1 she says1 ,je voudrois savoir si une lettre du ,roy de ,prusse qui court ,paris est vraie ou fausse4 ,on dit qu'elle est pleine d'ironie4 ,she then proceeds to describe the letter4 ,hume in answer says1 ,i suppose1 that by this time you have learned it was ,horace ,walpole who wrote the ,prussian letter you mentioned to me4 ,it is a strange inclination we have to be wits1 preferably to every thing else4 ,he is a very worthy man2 he esteems and even admires ,rousseau2 yet he could not forbear1 for the sake of a very indifferent joke1 the turning him into ridicule1 and saying harsh things against him4 ,i am a little angry with him2 and ,i hear you are a great deal3 but the matter ought to be treated only as a piece of levity4--,private ,correspondence1 p4 #acj4 #cjg3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #abe-abh4 #cjh3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #aca-acb4 #cji3a ,the mark of interrogation is in the ,,ms4 #cji3b ,writing to the ,marquise de ,barbantane1 he makes the following addition to this anecdote3-- ,when the hour came1 he told me1 that he had changed his resolution1 and would not go3 'for--what shall ,i do with ,sultan8' ,that is the name of his dog4 ',you must leave him behind1' said ,i4 ',but the first person1' replied he1 'who opens the door1 ,sultan will run into the streets in search of me1 and will be lost4' ',you must then1' said ,i1 'lock him up in your room1 and put the key in your pocket4' ,this was accordingly done3 but as we went down stairs1 the dog howled and made a noise2 his master turned back1 and said he had not resolution to leave him in that condition2 but ,i caught him in my arms and told him1 that ,mrs4 ,garrick had dismissed another company in order to make room for him2 that the ,king and ,queen were expecting to see him2 and without a better reason than ,sultan's impatience1 it would be ridiculous to disappoint them4 ,partly by these reasons1 and partly by force1 ,i engaged him to proceed4--,private ,correspondence1 p4 #add4 #caj3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #caj3b ,the word appears not to be used in its modern popular sense1 but as meaning a person full of caprice4 #caj3c ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #caa3a ,in his narrative of the controversy1 ,hume says1 ,i wrote immediately to my friend ,mr4 ,john ,stewart of ,buckingham ,street1 that ,i had an affair to communicate to him1 of so secret and delicate a nature1 that ,i should not venture even to commit it to paper1 but that he might learn the particulars of ,mr4 ,elliot4 4 4 4 4 ,mr4 ,stewart was to look out for some honest and discreet farmer in his neighbourhood1 who might be willing to lodge and board ,m4 ,rousseau and his gouvernante4 4 4 4 4 ,it was not long before ,mr4 ,stewart wrote me word he had found a situation1 which he conceived might be agreeable1 c4 ,in confirmation of this narrative1 there is the following letter in the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,mr4 ,stewart is probably the ,jack ,stewart1 frequently alluded to in ,hume's letters4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,mr4 ,elliot told me the affair you recommended to him4 ,since his arrival ,i have tried every farmer in our side of the country1 and can find no proper place4 ,some have not room1 some hate foreigners1 some don't chuse boarders1 and the major part of all are such beings as he could not live with in any comfortable manner4 ,there is an old ,frenchman who has been here since a child1 and has a sort of a garden farm at ,fulham4 ,to him ,i proposed the thing without mentioning names1 and to oblige me he will take such a boarder3 but still ,i could wish to find a place where he would be more agreeably situated1 for this man keeps only a single maid1 eats very plain1 and his house is as dirty as a ,frenchman's in ,france4 ,the farmer himself is about sixty years old1 unmarried1 a cheerful honest creature1 of a very obliging disposition4 ,consider whether this will suit your purpose1 or if ,i should try in other counties4 ,adieu1 my worthy good sir4 ,believe me eternally1 your devoted servant1 ,j4 ,,stewart4 #cab3a ,blair had written on #bdth ,february1-- ,i received both your letters2 and am exceedingly indebted to you for the many curious and entertaining anecdotes you gave me concerning ,rousseau4 ,they bestowed upon me somewhat of the same importance which you say your connexion with ,rousseau himself bestowed upon you in ,paris1 by having so much information to give my friends from you concerning so extraordinary a personage4 ,your accounts pleased me the more1 that they coincided very much with the idea ,i had always formed of the man--amiable but whimsical4 ,strong sensibilities joined with an oddly arranged understanding4 ,he is a proof of what ,i always thought to be a possible mixture in human nature1 one being a sceptic from the turn of their mind1 and yet an enthusiast from the turn of their heart2 for this ,i take to be his real character--a man floating betwixt doubts and feelings--betwixt scepticism and enthusiasm3 leaning more to the latter than the former2 his understanding strangely tinctured by both4 ,he desires ,hume to ask ,rousseau1 whether the principal scenes in his ,hloise were not founded on real events4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cae3a ,this anecdote is told in substantially the same manner to ,madame de ,boufflers1 to whom its spirit would be doubtless far less incomprehensible than to ,dr4 ,blair4--,see ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #aej4 #cag3a ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #gca1 corrected from original1 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cah3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,blair writes on #abth ,june3-- ,poor ,jardine--,i knew you would join with us in dropping very cordial tears over his memory4 ,what pleasant hours have ,i passed with you and him4 ,we have lost a most agreeable companion1 as it was possible for any man to be1 and a very useful man to us here1 in all public affairs4 ,i thought of you at the very first as one who would sensibly feel the blank he will make in our society1 when you come again to join it4 ,but when are you to come8--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 #agff-agfg4 t4 #ee-ef4 ,rousseau at ,wooton--,mr4 ,davenport--,negotiations as to ,rousseau's pension--,origin and rise of his excitement against ,hume--,proper method of viewing the dispute--,incidents illustrative of ,rousseau's state of mind--,his charges against ,hume--,smith's opinion--,opinion of the ,french friends--,hume's conduct in the publication of the papers--,voltaire--,rousseau's flight and wanderings--,hume's subsequent conduct to him4 ,the place where ,rousseau found a retreat1 was the mansion of ,wooton in ,derbyshire1 surrounded by scenery1 not unlike that which he had left behind him in the ,jura4 ,it was a late addition to the extensive ancestral estates of its proprietor1 ,mr4 ,davenport of ,davenport4 ,how successful ,hume had been1 in finding a man of generous1 warm1 kindly nature1 to be the protector of his exiled friend1 some letters from ,mr4 ,davenport1 printed in the course of this narrative will attest4#cai3a ,that ,rousseau might be induced to live in his house1 it was necessary that ,mr4 ,davenport should agree to accept of a sum of money in the shape of board1 and he good-humouredly conceded to ,hume1 that the amount should be fixed at #cj a-year4 ,if it be possible1 says ,hume1 for a man to live without occupation1 without books1 without society1 and without sleep1 he will not quit this wild and solitary place2 where all the circumstances which he ever required1 seem to concur for the purpose of making him happy4 ,but ,i dread the weakness and inquietude natural to every man1 and1 above all1 to a man of his character4 ,i should not be surprised that he had soon quitted this retreat4#cbj3a ,it appears that ,mr4 ,davenport intended1 if ,rousseau became attached to ,wooton1 to leave him a life lease of the house4#cbj3b ,rousseau reached ,wooton about the middle of ,march4 ,on the #bb;d he wrote to his cher ,patron ,hume1 informing him that his new place of residence was in every way delightful2 and that its charms were enhanced by the reflection1 that he owed all the happiness of his new position to his dear friend4#cbj3c ,doubtless ,hume1 who must now have been a little tired of the caprices which had so constantly baffled his friendly exertions1 felt this acknowledgment to be very gratifying4 ,on the #bith he received a letter1 still friendly and grateful1 but not quite so warm1 in which ,rousseau1 while he complains of the inconvenience of not being understood by the servants1 congratulates himself on his ignorance of the ,english language1 as saving him from the annoyance of communication with his neighbours4#cbj3d ,while all seemed thus serene1 dark thoughts were gathering in the exile's mind3 and if ,hume1 relieved of his troublesome duties1 and probably satisfied with his own conduct1 had known the nicer tests of the state of that variable and tempestuous temper1 he might have calculated1 by some indications1 that the storm was about to burst4 ,the letter of ,horace ,walpole had1 for some time1 been lying at the bottom of ,rousseau's mind1 not forgotten1 though hidden from view2 and it seems to have formed the nucleus round which his diseased imaginations gathered1 and put themselves into shape4#cba3a ,on the #gth of ,april1 ,rousseau sent a letter to the editor of the ,st4 ,james's ,chronicle1 in which it had appeared1 denouncing it as a forgery concocted in ,paris1 and saying that it rent and afflicted his heart to say1 that the impostor had his accomplices in ,england4 ,that it was not then1 or for many weeks before1 that he first became acquainted with this jeu d'esprit1 is clear from a letter to ,madame de ,boufflers1 of #ahth ,january1 in which he states1 that ,hume had just informed him of its existence4#cbc3a ,he appears to have then attributed it to ,voltaire4 ,he afterwards imputed it1 with great confidence1 to ,d',alembert2 and the ultimate discovery1 that it was not written by any literary rival and conspirator1 but by an ,english gentleman partial to such wicked amusements1 appears to have been the most galling circumstance connected with it4 ,it seems to have been believed1 by some of those who knew ,rousseau's character1 that his brooding over ,walpole's letter would have been insufficient to cause the commotions that followed1 without the malicious assistance of ,mademoiselle ,le ,vasseur4#cbc3b ,this woman1 who seems to have possessed all the vices to which her sex is liable1 without one of its virtues1--who had just enough of intellect to assist the cunning of her depraved heart1--is said to have had an influence over the philosopher of education1 of which it is certainly difficult to credit the extent4 ,it will be seen1 in the letters of ,mr4 ,davenport1 that she had a dispute with his venerable housekeeper1 concerning a kettle and cinders6 ,what was the exact nature of the dispute1 is now1 it may be feared1 buried in eternal oblivion2 and we are left to conjecture whither an influential cause in a literary quarrel1 which interested all ,europe1 may possibly have been a kettle and cinders4 ,on the #abth of ,may1 ,rousseau wrote to ,general ,conway1 acknowledging the king's goodness in bestowing on him a pension2 saying he thought himself armed against all disasters1 but that a new and unimagined one had arisen1 which so troubled his spirit1 that he had not the necessary presence of mind to decide on the conduct he ought to adopt as to the pension4 ,he expressed1 at the same time1 sorrow that he could not publicly acknowledge his obligations4 ,this appeared to ,hume and ,conway to be an intimation1 that the pension would not be accepted if it were to be secret4#cbd3a ,while his mind was thus blackening within1 he preserved a cheerful exterior2 and ,mr4 ,davenport wrote to ,hume1 on #adth ,may1 from ,wooton3 ,i came on ,friday1 and had the satisfaction of finding ,m4 ,rousseau in perfect health4 ,he seems to like the place2 amuses himself with walking when the weather is fair2 if raining1 he plays upon the harpsichord and writes3 is very sociable1 and an excellent companion4#cbe3a ,there is evidence1 however1 that he had entertained all his evil thoughts of ,hume at a much earlier period4 ,his second letter to him1 in the capacity of ,cher ,patron1 is dated1 as we have mentioned1 #bith ,march4 ,on the #cast he wrote to ,m4 ,d',ivernois1 saying that he found ,hume allied with his most dangerous enemies1 and if he were not a rascal1 he himself would owe him many reparations for unjust suspicions entertained of him4#cbe3b ,resolved to bring the matter of the pension to a conclusion1 ,hume wrote to ,rousseau thus3-- ,lisle ,street1 ,leicester ,fields1 ,june #af1 #agff4 ,as ,i have not received any answer from you1 sir1 ,i conclude that you persevere in the resolution of refusing all marks of his majesty's goodness1 as long as they must remain a secret4 ,i have1 therefore1 applied to ,general ,conway to have this condition removed2 and ,i have been so fortunate as to obtain his promise1 that he would speak to the king for that purpose4 ,it will only be requisite1 said he1 that we know previously from ,m4 ,rousseau1 whether he would accept of a pension publicly granted him1 that his majesty may not be exposed to a second refusal4 ,he gave me authority to write to you on the subject2 and ,i beg to hear your resolution as soon as possible4 ,if you give your consent1 which ,i earnestly entreat you to do1 ,i know that ,i can depend on the good offices of the ,duke of ,richmond to second ,general ,conway's application2 so that ,i have no doubt of success4 ,i am1 my dear sir1 yours1 with great sincerity4#cbf3a ,this brought on the first gust of the storm4 ,on #bc;d ,june1 ,rousseau wrote his celebrated letter1 beginning with the observation1 that his silence1 interpreted by ,hume's conscience1 must have convinced the latter that the whole of his horrible designs were discovered4 ,in this letter nothing is more remarkable than the contrast between the frantic bitterness of the language1 and the elaborate neatness of the penmanship1 which1 if handwriting conveyed a notion of character1 would represent a calm1 contented mind1 gratifying itself by the exercise of the petty art of caligraphy4 ,a fac-simile of the concluding paragraph is given1 that the reader may have an opportunity of marking this singular contrast4 ,illustration ,hume1 now thoroughly angry1 wrote as follows3-- ,,hume to ,,rousseau4 ,june #bf1 #agff4 ,as ,i am conscious of having ever acted towards you the most friendly part1 of having always given you the most tender and the most active proofs of sincere affection1 you may judge of my extreme surprise on perusing your epistle4 ,such violent accusations1 confined altogether to generalities1 it is as impossible to answer1 as it is impossible to comprehend them4 ,but affairs cannot1 must not1 remain on that footing4 ,i shall charitably suppose that some infamous calumniator has belied me to you4 ,but1 in that case1 it is your duty1 and1 ,i am persuaded1 it will be your inclination1 to give me an opportunity of detecting him1 and of justifying myself2 which can only be done by your mentioning the particulars of which ,i am accused4 ,you say1 that ,i myself know that ,i have been false to you2 but ,i say it loudly1 and will say it to the whole world1 that ,i know the contrary2 that ,i know my friendship towards you has been unbounded and uninterrupted2 and that though ,i have given you instances of it1 which have been universally remarked both in ,france and ,england1 the public as yet are acquainted only with the smallest part of it4 ,i demand1 that you name to me the man who dares assert the contrary2 and1 above all1 ,i demand1 that he shall mention any one particular in which ,i have been wanting to you4 ,you owe this to me2 you owe it to yourself2 you owe it to truth1 and honour1 and justice1 and to every thing deemed sacred among men4 ,as an innocent man--for ,i will not say1 as your friend2 ,i will not say1 as your benefactor2 but ,i repeat it1 as an innocent man1 ,i claim the privilege of proving my innocence1 and of refuting any scandalous falsehood which may have been invented against me4 ,mr4 ,davenport1 to whom ,i have sent a copy of your letter1 and who will read this before he delivers it1 will1 ,i am confident1 second my demand1 and tell you that nothing can be more equitable4 ,happily ,i have preserved the letter you wrote me after your arrival at ,wooton2 and you there express1 in the strongest terms1 in terms indeed too strong1 your satisfaction in my poor endeavours to serve you4 ,the little epistolary intercourse1 which afterwards passed between us1 has been all employed on my side to the most friendly purposes4 ,tell me1 then1 what has since given you offence4 ,tell me1 of what ,i am accused4 ,tell me the man who accuses me4 ,even after you have fulfilled all these conditions to my satisfaction1 and to that of ,mr4 ,davenport1 you will still have great difficulty to justify your employing such outrageous terms towards a man1 with whom you have been so intimately connected1 and who was entitled1 on many accounts1 to have been treated by you with more regard and decency4 ,mr4 ,davenport knows the whole transaction about your pension1 because ,i thought it necessary that the person who had undertaken your settlement should be fully acquainted with your circumstances2 lest he should be tempted to perform towards you concealed acts of generosity1 which1 if they accidentally came to your knowledge1 might give you some grounds of offence4 ,i am1 sir1 c4#cbh3a ,in here exhibiting a few of the prominent features of the quarrel between ,hume and ,rousseau1 there is no intention of entering on a defence of ,hume1 or a full examination of the conduct of the parties4 ,viewing it as a picturesque incident in literary history1 the reader will probably feel an interest in such new light as may be thrown upon it on the present occasion2 but1 it is presumed that few who have made themselves acquainted with the material circumstances of the dispute1 as they have been already made known1 will expect any thing to be said that can alter their appreciation of the conduct of the parties4 ,where there are personal disputes1 there is no cause so hopelessly bad as to be without partisans2 and when no other motive comes into action1 a feeling of generosity towards one who seems to have forfeited the good opinion of his kind1 calls forth a few vindicators and supporters4 ,it was natural that ,rousseau1 a man of great genius1 whose writings had produced a prodigious influence on his age1--one who had shown1 in many instances1 the outward manifestations of a kind unselfish disposition1 and who had discarded1 with an air of magnanimous scorn1 all the grovelling ties that bind the human creature to the earth on which he crawls1--should have champions and supporters in any dispute in which he might be involved1 be his conduct what it might4 ,thus he had a few vindicators1 chiefly of the female sex1 while he lived3 but gradually1 when feelings of personal sympathy had died away1 the conduct of the disputants ceased to be weighed against each other in the same scales4 ,people did not inquire which of them had acted more fairly and justly than the other2 but1 putting ,rousseau's conduct out of the question as a criterion1 they asked1 whether that of ,hume was kind and magnanimous towards the unfortunate monomaniac8#cbi3a ,although this view is plainly to be traced in the sentiments of those who have fugitively touched on the dispute1 it is to be gathered more from the general tone of their remarks1 than from any direct avowal of belief1 that ,rousseau was a monomaniac4#cca3a ,there is a majesty in genius1 that makes us reluctant thus to ally it with the debasement of the human intellect4 ,yet1 too often1 some portion of the most brilliant mind is thus eclipsed1 though the brightness of what is clear prevents our seeing easily the blackened spot4 ,in ,rousseau's case1 there has been1 perhaps1 a disinclination to admit the plea of insanity1 on account of the wonderful practical sagacity that accompanied his aberrations4 ,though apparently surveying the world with a sick and careless eye1 he occasionally penetrated into the depths of the human heart1 and marked its secrets1 with an accuracy that made the practised and systematic observer's survey seem but a superficial glance4 ,he had a mind at times eminently practical1#ccb3a and suited to estimate men's conduct and character3 and thus appearing before the world1 there has been much hesitation to pronounce1 that the sincerity of insanity accompanied all his vile charges against a man whose heart could not have been for one moment visited by the atrocities of which he is accused4 ,it is clear1 that whatever had been ,hume's conduct in the affair1 ,rousseau's rage was a storm predestined to burst upon him4 ,its elements were in the mind of the self-torturing sophist1 not in the conduct of any other person2 and whoever was the object nearest to his thoughts at the moment1 as being most associated with the circumstances in which he was placed1 had to stand the shock4 ,in this view1 ,hume's conduct is no more to be tested by that of ,rousseau1 than the keeper's by that of his patient4 ,we are thus rid of the unpleasant employment of comparing things which cannot bear comparison2 and of the sickening task of enumerating instances of kindness1 attachment1 persevering good offices1 and charitable interpretations of conduct on the one side1 met by black ingratitude1 contempt1 and deadly injury on the other4 ,if we look for that over-excited propensity which may have caused this mental disease1 it appears1 beyond doubt1 that it was vanity4#ccc3a ,all ,rousseau's avowed misfortunes are the calamities of celebrity4 ,at one time he is the victim of princes and prime ministers2 at another1 of an assembled clergy2 at another1 of half the learned men of ,europe4 ,that he is neglected and forgotten is never among his ostensible complaints2 though there is good reason to believe that it was at the bottom of his most conspicuous fits of fury4 ,the ,english people1 though they were at first somewhat curious about the remarkable stranger1 did not incommode themselves about him1 and obstinately abstained from following him into the wilderness4 ,in his long letter of charges1 he cannot help bitterly remarking the apathy of the public2 but he states it as an accusation against ,hume1#ccc3b whom he supposes to have said1 like ,flavius1 ,i'll about ,and drive away the vulgar from the streets3 ,so do you too1 where you perceive them thick4 ,these growing feathers1 pluck'd from ,csar's wing1 ,will make him fly an ordinary pitch1 ,who else would soar above the view of men1 ,and keep us all in servile fearfulness4 ,had the solitudes of ,wooton been peopled by multitudes anxious to catch a passing glance of the apostle of affliction1 he would doubtless have let loose his half-appeased discontent in some querulous letters about the impossibility of his finding repose and solitude2 but he would not have courted such a conflict as he rushed into in the bitterness of his solitude4 ,although his character stands without parallel in its own vast proportions1 it is not without abundance of exemplifications on a smaller scale4 ,there are few who have not1 in their journey through life1 encountered one or more small ,rousseaus1 in men of ravenous and insatiable vanity1 who1 unlike the ordinary good-natured vain men1 are perpetually rejecting the incense offered to their appetite1 and demanding some new form of worship4 ,in these1 as in the chimney-piece models of celebrated statues1 may we view the proportions of the great self-tormenter's mind2 and when it is found that the peculiarity is generally accompanied with some observable amount of intellectual acquirements1 which place the individual a degree above those who surround him1 the resemblance is the more complete4 ,vanity being its source1 the shape assumed by his monomania was a dread of conspiracies in all shapes2 and he was as sincere a believer in their existence1 as any unfortunate inhabitant of bedlam has ever been in the creations of his diseased mind4#ccd3a ,hume had difficulty in extracting an answer to his letter of #bfth ,june2 and probably it would not have been opened without the intervention of ,mr4 ,davenport4 ,it was one of ,rousseau's whims for some time not to receive any letters2 he said they were one of the methods by which his enemies had persecuted him4 ,on his first arrival he was to open none but those which passed through the hands of his ,cher ,patron2#cce3a a convenient arrangement1 as it afterwards enabled him to accuse ,hume of tampering with his correspondence4 ,two letters were received from ,mr4 ,davenport1 before ,rousseau drew up his charge4 ,,mr4 ,,davenport to ,,hume4 ,davenport1 ,june #cj1 #agff4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,the receipt of your two last gave me much uneasiness1 which was augmented by some letters received yesterday from ,rousseau1 along with yours1 directed for me at ,wooton4 ,surely there must have been some excessive great mistakes4 ,it appears to me a heap of confusion1 of which ,i can make neither head nor tail4 ,his letter to you is perfectly astonishing3 never any thing was so furious2 so--,i protest ,i don't know what to call it6 ,i long to see him3 he certainly will tell some reason or other that could induce him to write in that manner4 ,till ,i have seen him ,i can give no sort of answer to your queries1 as he never spoke one syllable to me about any difference at all4 ,i can't1 possibly1 before ,saturday's post2 as in this part of the country we have only three days in a week to send letters to town4 ,you desired me to burn the duplicate after reading4 ,that signifies nothing1 for ,i can send you the other which ,i received yesterday from ,wooton4 ,good ,god1 he must be most excessively out of the way about this pension6 ,in short1 ,i have not patience to add one word more1 till ,i hear what he can possibly have to say2 and then ,i'll immediately acquaint you4 ,i can't help being troubled at seeing your uneasiness1 and will with great pleasure do all in my power to assist in freeing you from it2 at least ,i'll do my best endeavours4 ,i am1 your most obedient humble servant1 ,r4 ,,davenport4 #fth ,july1 #agff4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i went over to ,wooton on ,tuesday3 had a long conference with ,mr4 ,rousseau on the subject of your last letters2 gave into his hands yours addressed to him1 7which he had not read before37 showed him those ,i received from you2 and in the most earnest manner insisted upon his giving you an open answer to all your questions1 which ,i told him you had certainly a right to ask1 and he could not have any pretence whatever to refuse4 ,his spirits seemed vastly fluttered4 ,however1 he told me a long history of the whole affair4 ,i said1 that as my knowledge of the ,french language was very imperfect1 ,i might easily misrepresent things1 so begged him to write down the whole matter4 ,before he began his discourse1 ,i could not help speaking a deal to him on the subject of the pension1 and expressed my astonishment at his even ever having had the least thought of refusing the favours of the greatest king in the world4 ,to my infinite surprise1 he directly returned this answer1 ,that he never had refused1 or any thing like it2 spoke with the greatest respect and veneration of his majesty1 and with all sort of acknowledgments of gratitude to ,general ,conway1 c4 ,you may well imagine my surprise increased4 ,he then began his story3 but that ,i entirely leave to his pen1 as he has faithfully promised to perform4 ,i am really sorry for him2 he's uneasy1 frets perpetually1 and looks terribly4 ',tis almost impossible to conceive the oddness of his extreme sensibility2 so that ,i conclude1 when he's guilty of an error1 his nerves are more in fault than his heart4 ,things vex him to the utmost extent of vexation1 which would not even move such a dull soul as mine is4 ,in short1 ,i perceive his disorder is jealousy3 he thinks you are fond of some savans hommes1 whom he unfortunately calls his enemies4 ,it will give me the greatest satisfaction to hear that you have received a satisfactory answer1 and that every thing is set right again4#ccg3a ,at last came the full outpouring of the long-treasured wrath1 in a letter dated the #ajth of ,july1 as long as an ordinary pamphlet1 and penned with the same neat precision as its predecessor4 ,the reader will not expect a document so well known and easily accessible to be reprinted2 and an abridgment would fail to give any notion of the rabid eloquence with which the most paltry incidents are made to assume the appearance of portentous charges2 until1 through vehemence of expression and multitude of powerful words1 they seem for the moment to acquire substantial shape4 ,many of the charges contained in this indictment have been already alluded to4 ,the document begins with a statement of its author's candour1#ccg3b and hatred of every kind of artifice2 and no one can read the charges which follow1 monstrously absurd as they are1 without seeing that they are made in the perfect sincerity of a mind that saw all things through its own diseased medium4 ,the following is one of the substantive charges3-- ,i was informed that the son of the quack ,tronchin1#cch3a my most mortal enemy1 was not only the friend of ,mr4 ,hume1 and under his protection1 but that they both lodged in the same house2 and when ,mr4 ,hume found that ,i knew this1 he imparted it in confidence to me2 assuring me that the son by no means resembled the father4 ,i lodged a few nights myself1 together with my governante1 in the same house2 and from the kind of reception with which we were honoured by the landladies1 who are his friends1 ,i judged in what manner either ,mr4 ,hume1 or that man1 who1 as he said1 was by no means like his father1 must have spoken to them both of her and me4 ,all these facts put together1 added to a certain appearance of things on the whole1 insensibly gave me an uneasiness1 which ,i rejected with horror4 ,the description of the following scene must have been1 to those who knew ,hume personally1 irresistibly ludicrous4 ,the picture of the phlegmatic reserve of ,english manners1 is made perfect by contrast4 ,it appears from ,hume's letter1 that the scene arose out of the dispute about the return chaise4 ,one evening1 after supper1 as we were sitting silent by the fireside1 ,i caught his eyes intently fixed on me1 as indeed happened very often2 and that in a manner of which it is very difficult to give an idea4 ,at that time he gave me a steadfast1 piercing look1 mingled with a sneer1 which greatly disturbed me4 ,to get rid of my embarrassment1 ,i endeavoured to look full at him in my turn2 but1 in fixing my eyes upon his1 ,i felt the most inexpressible terror1 and was soon obliged to turn them away4 ,the speech and physiognomy of the good ,david are those of an honest man2 but where1 great ,god6 did this honest man borrow those eyes which he fixes on his friends8 ,the impression of this look remained with me1 and gave me much uneasiness4 ,my trouble increased even to a degree of fainting2 and if ,i had not been relieved by a flood of tears1 ,i must have been suffocated4 ,presently after this ,i was seized with the most violent remorse3 ,i even despised myself2 till at length1 in a transport1 which ,i still remember with delight1 ,i sprang on his neck1 and embraced him eagerly2 while1 almost choked with sobbing1 and bathed in tears1 ,i cried out1 in broken accents1 ,no1 no1 ,david ,hume cannot be treacherous2 if he be not the best of men1 he must be the basest4 ,david ,hume politely returned my embraces1 and gently tapping me on the back1 repeated several times1 in a placid tone1 ,why1 what1 my dear sir6 ,nay1 my dear sir6 ,oh1 my dear sir6 ,he said nothing more4 ,i felt my heart yearn within me4 ,we went to bed2 and ,i set out the next day for the country4 ,there is another charge against ,hume1 of once muttering in his sleep the words ,je tiens ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau2 which he did not deny1 saying1 that he could not feel certain as to what he might or might not have done when asleep1 though he doubted if it was his practice to dream in ,french4#cci3a ,the proffered hospitalities and kindnesses of ,hume are a running charge throughout2 wound up with the conclusion1 that as he must have seen that ,rousseau was estranged from him1 ,if he supposed that in such circumstances ,i should have accepted his services1 he must have supposed me to have been an infamous scoundrel4 ,it was then in behalf of a man whom he supposed to be a scoundrel that he so warmly solicited a pension from his majesty4#cdj3a ,hume's answer to this charge was as follows3 ,,hume to ,,rousseau4 ,lisle ,street1 ,leicester ,fields1 ,july #bb1 #agff4 ,,sir1--,i shall only answer one article of your long letter3 it is that which regards the conversation we had the evening before your departure4 ,mr4 ,davenport had contrived a good-natured artifice1 to make you believe that a retour chaise was ready to set out for ,wooton2 and ,i believe he caused an advertisement be put in the papers1 in order the better to deceive you4 ,his purpose only was to save you some expenses in the journey1 which ,i thought a laudable project2 though ,i had no hand either in contriving or conducting it4 ,you entertained1 however1 a suspicion of his design1 while we were sitting alone by my fireside2 and you reproached me with concurring in it4 ,i endeavoured to pacify you1 and to divert the discourse2 but to no purpose4 ,you sat sullen1 and was either silent1 or made me very peevish answers4 ,at last you rose up1 and took a turn or two about the room1 when all of a sudden1 and to my great surprise1 you clapped yourself on my knee1 threw your arms about my neck1 kissed me with seeming ardour1 and bedewed my face with tears4 ,you exclaimed1 ,my dear friend1 can you ever pardon this folly8 ,after all the pains you have taken to serve me1 after the numberless instances of friendship you have given me1 here ,i reward you with this ill-humour and sullenness4 ,but your forgiveness of me will be a new instance of your friendship2 and ,i hope you will find at bottom1 that my heart is not unworthy of it4 ,i was very much affected1 ,i own2 and ,i believe a very tender scene passed between us4 ,you added1 by way of compliment no doubt1 that though ,i had many better titles to recommend me to posterity1 yet perhaps my uncommon attachment to a poor1 unhappy1 and persecuted man1 would not be altogether overlooked4 ,this incident was somewhat remarkable2 and it is impossible that either you or ,i could so soon have forgot it4 ,but you have had the assurance to tell me the story twice1 in a manner so different1 or rather so opposite1 that when ,i persist1 as ,i do1 in this account1 it necessarily follows1 that either you are1 or ,i am1 a liar4 ,you imagine1 perhaps1 that because the incident passed privately without a witness1 the question will lie between the credibility of your assertion and of mine4 ,but you shall not have this advantage or disadvantage1 whichever you are pleased to term it4 ,i shall produce against you other proofs1 which will put the matter beyond controversy4 ,first1 ,you are not aware1 that ,i have a letter under your hand1 which is tolerably irreconcilable with your account1 and confirms mine4#cdc3a ,secondly1 ,i told the story the next day1 or the day after1 to ,mr4 ,davenport1 with a view of preventing any such good-natured artifices for the future4 ,he surely remembers it4 ,thirdly1 ,as ,i thought the story much to your honour1 ,i told it to several of my friends here4 ,i even wrote it to ,madame de ,boufflers at ,paris4 ,i believe no one will imagine that ,i was preparing beforehand an apology1 in case of a rupture with you2 which1 of all human events1 ,i should then have thought the most incredible1 especially as we were separated1 almost for ever1 and ,i still continued to render you the most essential services4 ,fourthly1 ,the story1 as ,i tell it1 is consistent and rational3 there is not common sense in your account4 ,what6 because sometimes1 when absent in thought1 7a circumstance common enough with men whose minds are intensely occupied17 ,i have a fixed look or stare1 you suspect me to be a traitor1 and you have the assurance to tell me of such black and ridiculous suspicions6 ,for you do not even pretend that before you left ,london you had any other solid grounds of suspicion against me4 ,i shall enter into no detail with regard to your letter3 you yourself well know that all the other articles of it are without foundation4 ,i shall only add in general1 that ,i enjoyed about a month ago an uncommon pleasure1 in thinking that1 in spite of many difficulties1 ,i had1 by assiduity and care1 and even beyond my most sanguine expectations1 provided for your repose1 honour1 and fortune4 ,but that pleasure was soon imbittered1 by finding that you had voluntarily and wantonly thrown away all those advantages1 and was become the declared enemy of your own repose1 fortune1 and honour3 ,i cannot be surprised after this that you are my enemy4 ,adieu1 and for ever4#cdd3a ,hume did not profess to submit to these attacks with the meekness of the dove1 as a few letters to his friends will show4 ,of the two following letters to ,blair1 the one was written before1 the other after the reception of ,rousseau's indictment4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,lisle ,street1 #ast ,july1 #agff4 ,you will be surprised1 dear ,doctor1 when ,i desire you most earnestly never in your life to show to any mortal creature the letters ,i wrote you with regard to ,rousseau4 ,he is surely the blackest and most atrocious villain1 beyond comparison1 that now exists in the world1 and ,i am heartily ashamed of any thing ,i ever wrote in his favour4 ,i know you will pity me when ,i tell you that ,i am afraid ,i must publish this to the world in a pamphlet1 which must contain an account of the whole transaction between us4#cdd3b ,my only comfort is1 that the matter will be so clear as not to leave to any mortal the smallest possibility of doubt4 ,you know how dangerous any controversy on a disputable point would be with a man of his talents4 ,i know not where the miscreant will now retire to1 in order to hide his head from this infamy4 ,i am1 c4#cde3a #aeth ,july1 #agff4 ,,dear ,,doctor1--,i go in a few hours to ,woburn2 so can only give you the outline of my history4 ,through many difficulties ,i obtained a pension for ,rousseau4 ,the application was made with his own consent and knowledge4 ,i write him1 that all is happily completed1 and he need only draw for the money4 ,he answers me1 that ,i am a rogue and a rascal2 and have brought him into ,england merely to dishonour him4 ,i demand the reason of this strange language2 and ,mr4 ,davenport1 the gentleman with whom he lives1 tells him that he must necessarily satisfy me4 ,to-day ,i received a letter from him1 which is perfect frenzy4 ,it would make a good eighteen-penny pamphlet2 and ,i fancy he intends to publish it4 ,he there tells me1 that ,d',alembert1 ,horace ,walpole1 and ,i1 had1 from the first1 entered into a combination to ruin him1 and had ruined him4 ,that the first suspicion of my treachery arose in him while we lay together in the same room of an inn in ,france4 ,i there spoke in my sleep1 and betrayed my intention of ruining him4 ,that young ,tronchin lodged in the same house with me at ,london2 and ,annie ,elliot looked very coldly at him as he went by her in the passage4 ,that ,i am also in a close confederacy with ,lord ,lyttelton1 who1 he hears1 is his mortal enemy4 ,that the ,english nation were very fond of him on his first arrival2 but that ,horace ,walpole and ,i had totally alienated them from him4 ,he owns1 however1 that his belief of my treachery went no higher than suspicion1 while he was in ,london2 but it rose to certainty after he arrived in the country2 for that there were several publications in the papers against him1 which could have proceeded from nobody but me1 or my confederate1 ,horace ,walpole4 ,the rest is all of a like strain1 intermixed with many lies and much malice4 ,i own that ,i was very anxious about this affair1 but this letter has totally relieved me4 ,i write in a hurry1 merely to satisfy your curiosity4 ,i hope soon to see you1 and am1 c4#cdf3a ,there could have been no incident better calculated than this to create a sensation in the coteries of ,paris4 ,immediately on receiving the first angry letter1 ,hume sent an indignant account of the ingratitude and malevolence of ,rousseau to the ,baron ,d',holbach1 which proved a delightfully exciting morsel to a party assembled at his house2 for the baron had told him1 from the beginning1 that he was warming a serpent in his bosom4#cdf3b ,the very rapid celebrity which the story received does not seem to have been anticipated by ,hume1 and he says1 apologetically1 to ,madame de ,boufflers1--,i wrote1 indeed1 to ,baron ,d',holbach1 without either recommending or expecting secrecy3 but ,i thought this story1 like others1 would be told to eight or ten people2 in a week or two1 twenty or thirty more might hear it1 and it would require three months before it would reach you at ,pougues4 ,i little imagined that a private story1 told to a private gentleman1 could run over a whole kingdom in a moment4 ,if the ,king of ,england had declared war against the ,king of ,france1 it could not have been more suddenly the subject of conversation4#cdf3c ,between the rupture and the publication of the narrative regarding it1 ,hume seems to have written very abundantly on the subject1 to his friends in ,paris4 ,the following is one of his letters3-- ,,hume to the ,,abb ,,le ,,blanc4 ,lisle ,street1 ,leicester ,fields1 #abth ,august1 #agff4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have used the freedom to send to you1 in two packets1 by this post1 the whole train of my correspondence with ,rousseau1 connected by a short narrative4 ,i hope you will have leisure to peruse it4 ,the story is incredible1 as well as inconceivable1 were it not founded on such authentic documents4 ,surely never was there so much wickedness and madness combined in one human creature2 nor did ever any one meet with such a return for such signal services as those ,i performed towards him4 ,but ,i am told that he used to say to ,duclos1 and others1 that he hated all those to whom he owed any obligation4 ,in that case ,i am fully entitled to his animosity4 ,i am really at a loss what use to make of this collection4 ,the story1 ,i am told1 is very much the object of conversation at ,paris4 ,though my conduct has been entirely innocent1 or rather1 indeed1 very meritorious1 it happens1 no doubt1 as is usual in such ruptures1 that ,i will bear a part of the blame2 from which a publication of these papers would entirely free me3 yet ,i own ,i have an antipathy and reluctance to appeal to the public2 and fear that such a publication would be the only blame ,i could incur in this affair4 ,you know that nobody's judgment weighs farther with me than yours3 think a little of the matter4 ,if ,mme4 ,de ,dupr were in town1 ,i would desire her to give these papers a perusal1 and tell me her opinions4 ,unhappily ,m4 ,trudaine would only understand the ,french part1 which is by far the most considerable4 ,what would his friend ,fontenelle have done in this situation8 ,i am as great a lover of peace as he1 and have kept myself as free from all literary quarrels2 but surely neither he nor any other person was ever engaged in a controversy with a man of so much malice1--of such a profligate disposition to lies1 and such great talents4 ,it is nothing to dispute my style or my abilities as an historian or philosopher2 my books ought to answer for themselves1 or they are not worth the defending2--to fifty writers who have attacked me on this head1 ,i never made the least reply4 ,but this is a different case2 imputations are here thrown on my morals and my conduct2 and1 though my case is so clear as not to admit of the least controversy1 yet it is only clear to those who know it2 and ,i am uncertain how far the public in ,paris are in this case4 ,at ,london1 a publication would be regarded as entirely superfluous4 ,i must desire you to send these papers to ,d',alembert after you have read them3 ,m4 ,turgot will get them from him4 ,i should desire that he saw them before he sets out for his government4 ,does not ,mme4 de ,montigny laugh at me1 that ,i should have sent her1 but a few weeks ago1 the portrait of ,rousseau1 done from an original in my possession1 and should now send you these papers1 which prove him to be one of the worst men1 perhaps1 that ever existed1 if his frenzy be not some apology for him4 ,i beg my compliments to ,m4 and ,mme4 ,fourqueux2 and am1 with great truth and sincerity1 my dear sir1 your most affectionate humble servant4#cdh3a ,to ,adam ,smith1 who was then in ,paris1 he wrote the following letter1 without date3-- ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,you may see in ,m4 ,d',alembert's hands1 the whole narrative of my affair with ,rousseau1 along with the whole train of correspondence4 ,pray1 is it not a nice problem1 whether he be not an arrant villain1 or an arrant madman1 or both4 ,the last is my opinion1 but the villain seems to me to predominate most in his character4 ,i shall not publish them unless forced1 which you will own to be a very great degree of self-denial4 ,my conduct in this affair would do me a great deal of honour1 and his would blast him for ever1 and blast his writings at the same time2 for as these have been exalted much above their merit1 when his personal character falls1 they would of course fall below their merit4 ,i am1 however1 apprehensive that in the end ,i shall be obliged to publish4 ,about two or three days ago1 there was an article in the ,st4 ,james's ,chronicle1 copied from the ,brussels ,gazette1 which pointed at this dispute4 ,this may probably put ,rousseau in a rage4 ,he will publish something1 which may oblige me for my own honour to give the narrative to the public4 ,there will be no reason to dread a long train of disagreeable controversy4 ,one publication begins and ends it on my side4 ,pray1 tell me your judgment of my work1 if it deserves the name4 ,tell ,d',alembert ,i make him absolute master1 to retrench or alter what he thinks proper1 in order to suit it to the latitude of ,paris4 ,were you and ,i together1 dear ,smith1 we should shed tears at present for the death of poor ,sir ,james ,macdonald4 ,we could not possibly have suffered a greater loss1 than in that valuable young man4 ,i am1 c4#cdi3a ,there is a letter by ,smith on the subject1 kind and honest4 ,it must be kept in view1 that it was written not only before the series of documents1 mentioned in ,hume's letter1 had been sent to ,france1 and before the ,french friends had recommended ,hume to publish1 but before the date of ,rousseau's indictment4 ,we shall1 hereafter1 find that ,smith seems to have withdrawn his objection to the publication4 ,,adam ,,smith to ,,hume4 ,paris1 #fth ,july1 #agff4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1--,i am thoroughly convinced that ,rousseau is as great a rascal as you and as every man here believes him to be2 yet let me beg of you1 not to think of publishing any thing to the world1 upon the very great impertinence which he has been guilty of to you4 ,by refusing the pension which you had the goodness to solicit for him with his own consent1 he may have thrown1 by the baseness of his proceedings1 some little ridicule upon you in the eyes of the court and the ministry4 ,stand this ridicule1 expose his brutal letter1 but without giving it out of your own hand1 so that it may never be printed2 and if you can1 laugh at yourself1 and ,i shall pawn my life1 that before three weeks are at an end1 this little affair1 which at present gives you so much uneasiness1 shall be understood to do you as much honour as any thing that has ever happened to you4 ,by endeavouring to unmask before the public this hypocritical pedant1 you run the risk of disturbing the tranquillity of your whole life4 ,by letting him alone1 he cannot give you a fortnight's uneasiness4 ,to write against him is1 you may depend upon it1 the very thing he wishes you to do4 ,he is in danger of falling into obscurity in ,england1 and he hopes to make himself considerable1 by provoking an illustrious adversary4 ,he will have a great party3 the ,church1 the ,whigs1 the ,jacobites1 the whole wise ,english nation1 who will love to mortify a ,scotchman1 and to applaud a man who has refused a pension from the king4 ,it is not unlikely1 too1 that they may pay him very well for having refused it1 and that even he may have had in view this compensation4 ,your whole friends here wish you not to write--the ,baron1#cej3a ,d',alembert1 ,madame ,riccoboni1 ,mademoiselle ,rianecourt1 ,m4 ,turgot1 c4 c4 ,m4 ,turgot1 a friend every way worthy of you1 desired me to recommend this advice to you in a particular manner1 as his most earnest entreaty and opinion4 ,he and ,i are both afraid that you are surrounded with evil counsellors1 and that the advice of your ,english literati1 who are themselves accustomed to publish all their little gossiping stories in newspapers1 may have too much influence upon you4 ,remember me to ,mr4 ,walpole1 and believe me1 c4 ,smith was thus in consultation on the subject with the excellent ,turgot1 who gave ,hume his opinion at great length4 ,on the #bgth ,july1 before he could have heard of the long indictment1 he wrote#cea3a that he could trace the rage of ,rousseau to two causes3 first1 ,hume being the author of one of the sarcasms in ,walpole's letter1 a rumour which ,turgot appears to have believed2 and second1 the interpreting the letter to ,mr4 ,conway as a refusal of the pension1 which it was not intended by ,rousseau to be4 ,if the latter was one of ,rousseau's grievances1 he did not make it a count in the indictment4 ,turgot was ignorant of the strength of provocation which ,hume received4 ,he says1 that it is a mistake to suppose ,rousseau's conduct the effect of deliberate design1--a view in which every one not in the vortex of the dispute must have coincided with him2 and on the ground that no sensible person will believe that he is guilty of the charges his excited enemy may make against him1 he advises ,hume not to treat them seriously4 ,he even hints that ,hume should acknowledge that he misinterpreted the letter about the pension1 and should endeavour to coax ,rousseau back to good humour1 as a public exposure would be unpleasant to both parties4 ,on the #gth ,september1 after having seen all the documents1 he preserved the same tone in speaking of ,rousseau2 recommending forbearance towards him3 but at the same time he expressed an opinion that ,hume might find it necessary to publish a narrative of the transaction4#ceb3a ,we find that ,smith was also in communication with ,madame de ,boufflers1 who wrote to ,hume at considerable length1 in the knowledge of the first angry letter1 but not of the indictment4 ,she assumes a tone much the same as that of ,turgot1 when he wrote in the same circumstances4 ,she expresses many regrets that ,hume should have written so condemnatory a letter to the ,baron ,d',holbach4 ,he is told that those who profess to be his friends in ,france will abet him1 because he is proving himself to be a mere ordinary human being1 instead of continuing to show his superiority to the common frailties of humanity4 ,he is entreated to look compassionately on a man who has overwhelmed himself with calamities1 and to treat one who is capable only of injuring himself with generous pity4 ,while making these recommendations1 she1 as well as ,turgot1 believed that one of the sarcasms in ,walpole's letter had been suggested by ,hume4#ced3a ,the same tone was taken up by ,lord ,marischal2 who1 writing on the #aeth ,august from ,potsdam1 seems not to have perused the indictment4 ,you did all in your power1 says this kind old soldier1 to serve him2 his cart afflicts me on his account more than yours1 who have1 ,i am sure1 nothing to reproach yourself with4 ,it will be good and humane in you1 and like ,le ,bon ,david1 not to answer4#ced3b ,d',alembert was at first opposed to a publication1 and to an exposure of the follies of the wise before cette sotte bte appele le public4 ,so early1 however1 as the #bast of ,july1 he communicates the solemn opinion of himself and other friends in ,paris1 that after the publicity which the dispute has acquired1 it will be necessary for ,hume to print a narrative4#ced3c ,he states that this is the opinion of all intelligent people4 ,he says at the same time1 that he had been speaking with ,adam ,smith on the subject1 and though his name is not among those of the committee who recommended the publication1 it may be presumed that he had at length admitted it to be necessary4 ,in connexion with the letter from ,d',alembert1 ,hume wrote thus to ,walpole3-- ,,dear ,,sir1--,when ,i came home last night1 ,i found on my table a very long letter from ,d',alembert1 who tells me1 that on receiving from me an account of my affair with ,rousseau1 he summoned a meeting of all my literary friends at ,paris1 and found them all unanimously of the same opinion with himself1 and of a contrary opinion to me1 with regard to my conduct4 ,they all think ,i ought to give to the public a narrative of the whole4 ,however1 ,i persist still more closely in my first opinion1 especially after receiving the last mad letter4 ,d',alembert tells me that it is of great importance for me to justify myself from having any hand in the letter from the ,king of ,prussia4 ,i am told by ,crawford1 that you had wrote it a fortnight before ,i left ,paris1 but did not show it to a mortal1 for fear of hurting me2 a delicacy of which ,i am very sensible4 ,pray recollect if it was so4 ,though ,i do not intend to publish1 ,i am collecting all the original pieces1 and ,i shall connect them by a concise narrative4 ,it is necessary for me to have that letter and ,rousseau's answer4 ,pray1 assist me in this work4 ,about what time1 do you think1 were they printed8 ,i am1 c4#cee3a ,hume1 afterwards1 sent to ,paris all the documents connected with ,rousseau's attack1 to be published or not1 at the discretion of his friends2 and they were published4 ,if it be asked how he permitted so cruel a thing to be done1 the answer is1 that he was human1 and had been deeply injured2 that he had a reputation to preserve1 and did not consider himself bound to sacrifice it to the peace of his assailant4 ,rousseau had triumphantly written1 hither and thither1 that ,hume dared not publish the indictment4 ,he had said1 that if he did not see ,david ,hume exposed ere he died1 he would cease to believe in ,providence4 ,he was occupied in writing his celebrated ,confessions1 and had significantly hinted to ,hume that he would find himself pilloried there4 ,it is possible to create an ideal image of a mind that would have calmly resisted all these impulses1 and let the traducer proceed unnoticed in his frantic labours4 ,it is probable that if he had adopted this course1 ,hume would in the end have been as completely absolved from the accusations of ,rousseau1 as he was by the publication of the accusation4 ,had he thus scorned to adopt the usual means of protecting his good name1 his character would have appeared1 to all who believed in his innocence1 more magnanimous than it was4 ,but it certainly would not have been so natural2 and many of those who seemed to have expected that the metaphysician should be above the influence of ordinary human passions1 appear to have forgotten1 that there are few even of the men whose office it is to teach that those smitten on the one cheek should present the other1 who would have shown even as much forbearance on the occasion as ,david ,hume4 ,the editing of the ,french version of these documents was committed to ,suard1 the author of the ,mlanges de ,littrature4 ,in answer to a letter of #b;d ,november1#ceg3a announcing the publication1 ,hume wrote to him in the following terms1 admitting1 as the reader will perceive1 that he had used harsh expressions1 and approving of their being softened4 ,,hume to ,m4 ,,suard4 ,i cannot sufficiently express1 my dear sir1 all the acknowledgments which ,i owe you for the pains you have taken in translating a work1 which so little merited your attention1 or the attention of the public4 ,it is done entirely to my satisfaction2 and the introduction in particular is wrote with great prudence and discretion in every point1 except where your partiality to me appears too strongly4 ,i accept of it1 however1 very willingly as a pledge of your friendship4 ,you and ,m4 ,d',alembert did well in softening some expressions1 especially in the notes2 and ,i shall take care to follow these corrections in the ,english edition4 ,my paper1 indeed1 was not wrote for the public eye2 and nothing but a train of unforeseen accidents could have engaged me to give it to the press4 ,i am not surprised1 that those who do not consider nor weigh those circumstances1 should blame this appeal to the public2 but it is certain that if ,i had persevered in keeping silence1 ,i should have passed for the guilty person1 and those very people who blame me at present1 would1 with the appearance of reason1 have thrown a much greater blame upon me4 ,this whole adventure1 ,i must regard as a misfortune in my life3 and yet1 even after all is past1 when it is easy to correct any errors1 ,i am not sensible that ,i can accuse myself of any imprudence2 except in accepting of this man when he threw himself into my arms3 and yet it would then have appeared cruel to refuse him4 ,i am excusable for not expecting to meet with such a prodigy of pride and ferocity1 because such a one never before existed4 ,but after he had declared war against me in so violent a manner1 it could not have been prudent in me to keep silence towards my friends1 and to wait till he should find a proper time to stab my reputation4 ,from my friends1 the affair passed to the public1 who interested themselves more in a private story1 than it was possible to imagine2 and rendered it quite necessary to lay the whole before them4 ,yet1 after all1 if any one be pleased to think1 that by greater prudence ,i could have avoided this disagreeable extremity1 ,i am very willing to submit4 ,it is not surely the first imprudence ,i have been guilty of4#ceh3a ,among other distinctions1 the publication of the controversy brought ,hume a letter from ,voltaire1 in which the patriarch gave the history of his own grievances against ,rousseau1 with all his usual sarcasm2 and said1 of that absorbing vanity for which he might have had more fellow feeling1 that ,rousseau1 believing himself worthy of a statue1 thought one half of the world was occupied in raising it on its pedestal1 and the other in pulling it down4#ceh3b ,this little collection1 bearing the title1 ,expos succint de la contestation qui s'est lve entre ,m4 ,hume et ,m4 ,rousseau1 avec les pieces justificatives1 was soon afterwards published in ,english1 under ,hume's own superintendence4 ,he judiciously observed1 that a translation would undoubtedly appear1 and that it was more honest1 and at the same time more conducive to his reputation1 that he should himself superintend the publication4 ,he had intimated1 that as ,rousseau would probably impugn the genuineness of the letters as they appeared in print1 he would deposit the originals in a public library4 ,in this view1 he addressed the following letter to the librarian of the ,british ,museum4 ,edinburgh1 #bc;d ,jan4 #agfg4 ,,sir1--,as ,m4 ,rousseau had wrote to several of his correspondents1 that ,i never dared to publish the letters which he had wrote me2 or if ,i published them they would be so falsified that they would not be the same1 ,i was obliged to say in my preface1 that the originals would be consigned in the ,museum4 ,i hope you have no objection to the receiving them4 ,i send them by my friend ,m4 ,ramsay4 ,be so good as to give them the corner of any drawer4 ,i fancy few people will trouble you by desiring a sight of them4 ,all the world seems to be satisfied concerning the foundation of that unhappy affair4 ,yet notwithstanding1 ,i own1 that ,i never in my life took a step with so much reluctance as the consenting to that publication4 ,but as it appeared absolutely necessary to all my friends at ,paris1 ,i could not withstand their united opinion4 ,i have also sent the original of ,m4 ,walpole's letter to me1 which enters into the collection4 ,i am1 sir1 your most obedient1 and most humble servant4#cfj3a ,it appears that the trustees of the ,british ,museum1 for some one or other of the inscrutable reasons which occasionally sway the counsels of such bodies1 declined to receive this very curious collection of documents4 ,dr4 ,maty1 writing to ,hume on #bb;d ,april1 #agfg1 says1 ,i longed to have some conversation with you on the subject of the papers1 which were remitted to me by the hands of ,mr4 ,ramsay1 and as our trustees did not think proper to receive them1 to restore them into yours4 ,with respect to these papers1 give me leave to assure you1 that ,i had never any doubt about the merits of the cause4 ,i have long ago fixed my opinion about ,r----'s character1 and think madness is the only excuse that can be offered for his inconsistencies4#cfj3b ,those original letters connected with the controversy1 which were addressed to ,hume1 whether by ,rousseau or others1 are among the papers in possession of the ,royal ,society of ,edinburgh4 ,they bear marks of having been much handled4#cfj3c ,of the letters addressed to ,rousseau1 which of course were written in ,french1 it is to be presumed that ,hume preserved the duplicates1 which afterwards enabled him to show copies of the documents on both sides4 ,the originals probably do not exist2 for ,rousseau1 who held his own part in a controversy as the only important one1 appears not to have kept the letters addressed to him1 though he retained copies of his own4 ,the dispute with ,rousseau very nearly produced a subsidiary discussion with ,horace ,walpole4 ,he said1 alluding to the advice which had been transmitted to ,hume by ,d',alembert1 ,your set of literary friends are what a set of literary men are apt to be1 exceedingly absurd4 ,they hold a consistory to consult how to argue with a madman2 and they think it very necessary for your character1 to give them the pleasure of seeing ,rousseau exposed2 not because he has provoked you1 but them4 ,if ,rousseau prints1 you must2 but ,i certainly would not1 till he does4 ,walpole evidently looked on this quarrel as a small dispute between small people2--something on a par with the wrangling of country gentlemen about their preserves and their swing gates4#cfa3a ,yet1 when he found that his own name appeared to be connected with it1 he thought it right to publish a narrative of what passed relative to the quarrel of ,mr4 ,david ,hume and ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 as far as ,mr4 ,horace ,walpole was concerned in it4 ,he very distinctly absolves ,hume from any connexion with the fictitious letter of the ,king of ,prussia4 ,the only wrong of which he had to complain was1 that ,hume published this exoneration1 of which it seems a publication was not expected1 though the letter contained the words1 ,you are at full liberty1 dear sir1 to make use of what ,i say in your justification1 either to ,rousseau or any body else2 and that1 in printing the letter1 the passage above cited1 reflecting on the literary circle of ,paris1 had been1 from motives of delicacy towards all parties1 suppressed4#cfb3a ,the only portion of ,walpole's pamphlet that appears to possess any interest1 contains ,hume's remarks on his friend1 ,d',alembert4 ,they were intended as an answer to ,walpole's spiteful sneers2 but1 though eulogistic1 and apparently just1 they by no means exhibit a violent encomiastic zeal4 ,d',alembert is a very agreeable companion1 and of irreproachable morals4 ,by refusing great offers from the ,czarina and the ,king of ,prussia1 he has shown himself above interest and vain ambition4 ,he lives in an agreeable retreat at ,paris1 suitable to a man of letters4 ,he has five pensions3 one from the ,king of ,prussia1 one from the ,french ,king1 one as member of the ,academy of ,sciences1 one as member of the ,french ,academy1 and one from his own family4 ,the whole amount of these is not six thousand livres a-year2 on the half of which he lives decently1 and gives the other half to poor people with whom he is connected4 ,in a word1 ,i scarce know a man1 who1 with some few exceptions1 7for there must always be some exceptions17 is a better model of a virtuous and philosophical character4 ,you see ,i venture still to join these two epithets as inseparable1 and almost synonymous1 though you seem inclined to regard them almost as incompatible4 ,and here ,i have a strong inclination to say a few words in vindication1 both of myself and my friends2 venturing even to comprehend you in the number4 ,what new prepossession has seized you1 to beat in so outrageous a manner your nurses of ,mount ,helicon1 and to join the outcry of the ignorant multitude against science and literature8 ,for my part1 ,i can scarce acknowledge any other ground of distinction between one age and another1 between one nation and another1 than their different progress in learning and the arts4 ,i do not say between one man and another1 because the qualities of the heart and temper1 and natural understanding1 are the most essential to the personal character2 but being1 ,i suppose1 almost equal among nations and ages1 do not serve to throw a peculiar lustre on any4 ,you blame ,france for its fond admiration of men of genius2 and there may no doubt be1 in particular instances1 a great ridicule in these affectations2 but the sentiment1 in general1 was equally conspicuous in ancient ,greece2 in ,rome1 during its flourishing period2 in modern ,italy2 and even1 perhaps1 in ,england about the beginning of this century4 ,if the case be now otherwise1 it is what we are to lament and be ashamed of4 ,our enemies will only infer1 that we are a nation which was once1 at best1 but half civilized2 and is now relapsing fast into barbarism1 ignorance1 and superstition4 ,i beg you also to consider the great difference1 in point of morals1 between uncultivated and civilized ages4 ,but ,i find ,i am launching out insensibly into an immense ocean of commonplace4 ,i cut the matter1 therefore1 short1 by declaring it as my opinion1 that if you had been born a barbarian1 and had every day cooked your dinner of horse flesh1 by riding on it fifty miles between your breech and the shoulder of your horse1 you had certainly been an obliging1 good-natured1 friendly man2 but1 at the same time1 that reading1 conversation1 and travel1 have detracted nothing from these virtues1 and have made a considerable addition of other valuable and agreeable qualities to them4 ,i remain1 not with ancient sincerity1 which was only roguery and hypocrisy1 but very sincerely1 dear sir1 c4 ,rousseau did not resign his pension1 and made it be very distinctly known that he would insist upon his claims to be paid what had been promised2 but he would not owe it to the intervention of ,david ,hume4 ,he continued to reside for several months at ,wooton1 where he made some progress in his renowned ,confessions4 ,he is1 ,i am sure1 says ,mr4 ,davenport1 in one of his letters1 busy writing2 and it should be some large affair1 from the quantity of paper he bought4 ,like other mental patients1 when long separated from his favourite excitement1 his mind became attuned to less tumultuous movements2 and he ceased1 in some measure1 to feel the want of notoriety4 ,the visions of conspiracy and treachery gradually disappeared1 and now we find him1 in his letters1 only saying2 ,je n'ai rien dire de ,m4 ,hume1 sinon que je le trouve bien insultant pour un bon homme1 et bien bruyant pour un philosophe4 ,he had a genuine love of nature and of rural pursuits2 and he appears to have varied his literary labours1 by joining in some projects of ,mr4 ,davenport for the cultivation of forest lands4 ,writing to ,blair1 on #adth ,february1 #agfg1 ,hume says3-- ,general ,conway told me1 on my arrival1 that ,rousseau had made an application to him1 through the canal of ,mr4 ,davenport1 to have his pension granted to him4 ,the general's answer was1 that ,i was to be in town in a few days2 and1 without my consent1 and even full approbation1 he would take no step in that affair4 ,you may believe that ,i exhorted him to do so charitable an action4 ,i wish he may not find a difficulty with the ,king1 who is very much prejudiced against ,rousseau4#cfe3a ,this step of my old friend confirms the suspicion which ,i always entertained1 that he thought he had interest enough to obtain the pension of himself2 and that he had only picked a quarrel with me in order to free himself from the humiliating burden of gratitude towards me4 ,his motives1 therefore1 were much blacker than many seem to apprehend them4 ,a gentleman told me that he heard1 from the ,french ambassador1 that his most ,christian ,majesty had given an arrt1 prohibiting1 under the severest penalties1 the printing1 vending1 or dispersing1 any paper of ,rousseau1 or his partisans1 against me4 ,i dine with the ambassador to-day1 so shall know the truth of the matter1 which scarce appears credible4 ,it is surely very honourable for me2 but yet will occasion that strange man to complain1 that he is oppressed with power all over the world4 ,i am1#cfe3b c4 ,at length1 on the #cast of ,april1 #agfg1 ,rousseau and ,mademoiselle ,le ,vasseur suddenly disappeared from ,wooton together4 ,hume thus describes the incident in a letter to ,blair3-- ,you may1 perhaps1 have heard that ,rousseau has eloped from ,mr4 ,davenport1 without giving any warning2 leaving all his baggage1 except ,mademoiselle1 about thirty pounds in ,davenport's hands1 and a letter on the table1 abusing him in the most violent terms1 insinuating that he was in a conspiracy with me to ruin him4#cff3a ,he took the road to ,london1 but was missing for about a fortnight4 ,at last he emerges at ,spalding in ,lincolnshire1 whence he writes a letter to the ,chancellor1 informing him that the bad usage he had met with in ,england1 made it absolutely necessary for him to evacuate the kingdom1 and desiring his lordship to send him a guard to escort him to ,dover--this being the last act of hospitality he will desire of the nation4 ,he is plainly mad1 though ,i believe not more than he has been all his life4 ,the pamphlet you mention was wrote by one as mad as himself1 and it was believed at first to be by ,tristram ,shandy1 but proves to be by one ,fuseli an engraver4 ,he is a fanatical admirer of ,rousseau1 but owns he was in the wrong to me4 ,the pamphlet ,i sent to you was wrote by an ,english clergyman1 whom ,i never saw2 a man of character1 and rising in the church1#cff3b for which reason it is more prudent in me to conceal his name4 ,when would you have done so much for me4#cfg3a ,as ,rousseau did not favour the world in his ,confessions1 with the adventures he encountered during this flight1 it is of some interest1 in the absence of a personal narrative1 to mark the impression produced by the incident on an onlooker1 whom it seems to have filled with mingled feelings of compassion and astonishment4 ,the following are some extracts from ,mr4 ,davenport's letters to ,hume3-- ,,mr4 ,,davenport to ,,hume4 ,davenport1 #acth ,may1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,after all my inquiries1 ,i can't1 for the life of me1 find out to what part my wild philosopher is fled4 ,i sent after him some papers1 thinking they would most certainly find him in ,london4 ,no such matter3 he is not to be found there4 ,they scarce took any thing along with them1 but what they carried on their backs4 ,all the trunks1 c4 are at ,wooton2 and this odd man has just packed up his things1 and left the keys dangling at the locks of his boxes4 ,no sort of direction for me1 though he knows ,i am in his debt between #cj and #dj2 and ,i want1 of all things1 to inform him what he has to do in relation to his majesty's bounty1 which ,i am sure he will with great satisfaction receive1 because ,i have it so positively under his own hand4 ,you shall have the joy of perusing his letter2 but one dated about six days before must be added to it4 ,at present my gout is too much upon me to write copies of them4 ,pray1 if you hear where he is1 do me the pleasure to inform me4 ,i am1 c4 c4 ,p4,s4--,i protest ,i pity him more and more1 as ,i certainly conclude that his head is not quite right4 ,davenport1 ,monday #ahth4 ,i can't help giving you the trouble of this4 ,last night ,i received a most melancholy letter from poor ,rousseau1 dated ,spalding in ,lincolnshire4 ,how1 or on what account1 he got to that place1 ,i can't for the life of me guess2 but this ,i learn1 that he is most excessively sick of his situation1 and is returning to ,wooton1 as soon as1 ,i suppose1 he can well get there4 ,he has been all the time at an inn in that town4 ,pray1 was the place you mentioned to me in that county1 any where near ,spalding8 ,i own to you1 ,i was quite moved to read his mournful epistle4 ,i am quite confirmed in my opinion of him3 this last from him1 is entirely different in style1 from any ,i ever yet received4 ,i have in my answer1 desired he would write to some friend of his in town1 to authorize him to receive his majesty's bounty1 as it becomes due4 ,i have told him that his agent must apply1 and show his letter to ,mr4 ,lounds of the ,treasury4 ,poor ,rousseau writes of nothing but his misery1 illness1 afflictions2 in a word1 of his being the most unfortunate man that ever existed4 ,good ,god6 most of those distresses are surely occasioned by his own unhappy temper1 which ,i really believe is not in his power to alter6 so1 let him be where he will1 ,i fear he is certain to be uneasy4 ,his passion for ,botany has1 as ,i conjecture1 almost left him4 ,if ,i am right in my guess1 ,i have no sort of doubt1 but he will again take to his pen1 as 'tis impossible for his imagination to remain idle4 ,i am1 c4 ,davenport1 ,may #be1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--',tis with the greatest satisfaction ,i hear1 this poor unfortunate man will enjoy the pension4 ,i am sure he lies under a thousand obligations to you1 and am extremely glad he has wrote to ,general ,conway4 ,i hope he made use of at least some expressions of gratitude and respect to that gentleman1 whose goodness of heart obtained this favour from his majesty4 ,i am sure you'll do your endeavour to save him from the ,bastile1 or 7which ,i more fear7 the ,archbishop of ,paris' prison4 ,he wrote me a letter from ,spalding1 dated #aath1 in which he says1 ,i have great reason to be offended at his manner of leaving ,wooton4 ,he says1-- ,je prfrois la libert1 au sjour de votre maison2 ce sentiment est bien excusable4 ,mais je prfre infiniment le sjour de votre maison tout autre captivit1 et je prfrerois toute captivit celle o je suis1 qui est horrible1 et qui1 quoiqu'il arrive ne sauroit durer4 ,si vous voulez bien ,monsieur me recevoir derechef chez vous1 je suis prt m'y rendre au cas qu'on m'en laisse la libert1 et quand j'y serois aprs l'exprience qui j'ai faite1 difficilement serois-je tent d'en ressortir pour chercher de nouveaux malheurs4 ,si ma proposition vous agre1 tchez1 ,monsieur de me le faire savoir par quelque voie sre1 et de faciliter mon retour d'ici chez vous4 ,he repeats the same request of sending to him two or three times4 ,this which he sent on the #aath1 ,i received on the #agth4 ,on the #ahth ,i despatched a servant to ,spalding3 instead of staying for my answer1 behold1 on the #adth he set out for ,dover1 and on that morning wrote again by the post to me1 in which he says1 that if he had any assurance this letter of the #aath would come to me1 and that ,i would agree to his proposals1 and again receive him1 he should certainly stay for an answer2 but as he despaired of my receiving his1 so he was determined to pass the ,channel1 and ,i should hear from him when he reached ,calais1 and quite sure of his liberty2 that he would write from thence and make me a very singular proposition4 ,he professes the greatest regard for me1 c4 ,the next is dated1 ,dover1 #ahth ,may1 where he says1 that he chose to write to me from that place2 that seeing the sea1 and finding he was in reality a free man1 and might either go or stay1--then1 says he1 ,i stopped1 and intended to return to you2 but by chance seeing in a public paper how my departure from ,wooton was treated1 caused him immediately to renounce that idea4 ,he finishes with many compliments1 but without telling me where to write to him1 and ,i long to know how to address my letters4 ,before he left ,wooton1 he disposed of several long gowns amongst the poor people1 went off in an old ,french dress1 and got a blue coat made for him at ,spalding4 ,pray1 can you inform me who he has authorized to receive his majesty's bounty2 because ,i think ,i may pay into their hands the money ,i have of his in mine4 ,i should be pleased if you could be so kind as to inform me what date his letter bore1 which he wrote to the ,lord ,chancellor4 ,i am1 dear sir1 c4 #dth ,july1 #agfg4 ,this week ,i received a letter from ,rousseau1 dated1 ,fleury under ,meudon1 wrote with great complaisance2 he returns a thousand thanks for all the civilities he received from me at ,wooton2 says that he is not fixed as to the place of his future residence1 but that he will inform me as soon as he has made choice of one4 ,the style of this is vastly different from some of the last of those which he wrote in ,england2 no mention of captivities1 no wild imaginations of any kind1 but entirely calm and composed4 ,i heartily wish he may continue so1 then sure he will be somewhat happy4 ,i am1 c4 #fth ,july1 #agfg4 ,the good woman who is called my housekeeper was my nurse1 near ninety1 and more than three parts blind4 ,madlle and she never could agree4 ,i have heard something of the story of the kettle and cinders1#cgj3a but am inclinable to believe my philosopher's resolutions were determined before that fray happened4 ,his governante has an absolute power over him1 and without doubt more or less influences all his actions4 ,you certainly guess right about the unaccountable quarrel with you1 to whom he has so many and great obligations3 nay1 ,i am almost sure he very heartily repents and inwardly wants to be reconciled4 ,he has desired to hear from me often1 and promises to let me know how he goes on1 as soon as ever he is the least fixed4 ,what he was writing1 is the same he mentioned to you1 will be a large work1 containing at least twelve volumes4 ,i am positively certain that when ,i left him1 he had not entirely finished one4 ,there's nothing in it which in any shape relates to state affairs or to ministers of state4 ,you shall see his letter the first opportunity2 but1 ,god help him6 ,i can't1 for pity1 give a copy2 and 'tis so much mixed with his own poor little private concerns1 that it would not be right in me to do it4 4 4 4 ,i am1 dear sir1 c4#cga3a ,in the following letters1 ,hume narrates these events to his ,northern friends1 having been so frequently desired to give explanations of the rumours regarding ,rousseau's escapades which occasionally reached ,scotland1 that he found it most expedient to answer miscellaneous inquiries by general chronological narratives4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 #bgth ,may1 #agfg4 ,since you are curious to hear ,rousseau's story1 ,i shall tell you the sequel of it4 ,a few days after his letter to the ,chancellor1 of which ,i informed you1 ,i got a letter from ,davenport1 who told me that he had just received a letter from ,rousseau1 dated at ,spalding1 wherein that wild philosopher1 as he calls him1 appeared very penitent1 and contrite1 and melancholy2 and expressed his purpose of returning immediately to his former retreat at ,wooton4 ,the same day1 and nearly the same hour1 ,general ,conway received a long letter from him1 dated at ,dover1 about two hundred miles distant from ,spalding4 ,this great journey he had made in two days2 and had probably set out immediately after writing the letter above-mentioned to ,davenport4#cgb3a ,this letter to ,general ,conway is the most frenzical imaginable4 ,he there supposes that he was brought into ,england by a plot of mine1 in order to reduce him to infamy1 derision1 and captivity4 ,that ,general ,conway1 and all the most considerable personages of the nation1 and the nation itself1 had entered into this conspiracy4 ,that he is at present actually a state prisoner in ,general ,conway's hands1 and has been so ever since his arrival in the kingdom4 ,he entreats him1 however1 to allow him the liberty of departing2 warns him that it will not be safe to assassinate him in private2 as he is unhappily too well known not to have inquiries made1 if he should disappear on a sudden2 and promises that if his request be granted1 his memoirs shall never be printed to disgrace the ,english ministry and the ,english nation4 ,he owns that he has wrote such memoirs1 the chief object of which was to deliver a faithful account of the treatment he has met with in ,england2 but he promises1 that the moment he sets foot on the ,french shore1 he shall write to the friend in whose hand the manuscript is deposited1 to deliver it to the ,general1 who may destroy it if he pleases4 ,he adds1 that as it may be objected1 that after recovering his liberty he may do as he pleases1 he offers1 as a pledge of his sincerity1 to accept of his pension2 after which he thinks no one will imagine he could be so infamous as to write against the king's ministers or his people4 ,amidst all this frenzy1 he employs these terms as if a ray of reason had for a moment broke into his mind4 ,he says1 speaking of himself in the third person1 ',non-seulement il abandonne pour toujours le projet d'crire sa vie et ses mmoires1 mais il ne lui chappera jamais1 ni de bouche ni par crit1 un seul mot de plainte sur les malheurs qui lui sont arrivs en ,angleterre2 il ne parlera jamais de ,m4 ,hume1 ou il n'en parlera qu'avec honneur1 et lorsqu'il sera press de s'expliquer sur quelques indiscrtes plaintes1 qui lui sont quelquefois chappes dans le fort de ses peines1 il les rejettera sans mystre1 sur son humeur aigrie et porte la dfiance1 et aux ombrages par ce malheureux penchant1 ouvrage de ses malheurs1 et qui maintenant y met le comble4'#cgc3a ,we hear that notwithstanding his imagined captivity1 he has passed over to ,calais2 where he is likely to experience what real captivity is4 ,i have1 however1 used my persuasion with ,monsr de ,guerchi to represent him to his court as a real madman1 more an object of compassion than of anger4 ,we shall no doubt see his ,memoirs in a little time3 which will be full of eloquence and extravagance1 though perhaps as reasonable as any of his past productions2 for ,i do not imagine he was ever much more in his senses than at present4 ,i think ,i may be entirely without anxiety concerning all his future productions4#cgd3a ,the following letters to ,smith appear to have been intended as a comprehensive history of the flight of ,rousseau4 ,the reader will readily excuse the repetition of some incidents already mentioned1 and may perhaps find an interest in comparing the impressions produced by the events as they were successively occurring1 with this general retrospect of the whole4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,london1 #hth ,october1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,i shall give you an account of the late heteroclite exploits of ,rousseau1 as far as ,i can recollect them4 ,there is no need of any secrecy3 they are most of them pretty public1 and are well known to every body that had curiosity to observe the actions of that strange1 undefinable existence1 whom one would be apt to imagine an imaginary being1 though surely not an ens rationis4 ,i believe you know1 that in spring last1 ,rousseau applied to ,general ,conway to have his pension4 ,the ,general answered to ,mr4 ,davenport1 who carried the application1 that ,i was expected to town in a few days2 and without my consent and approbation he would take no steps in that affair4 ,you may believe ,i readily gave my consent4 ,i also solicited the affair1 through the ,treasury2 and the whole being finished1 ,i wrote to ,mr4 ,davenport1 and desired him to inform his guest1 that he needed only appoint any person to receive payment4 ,mr4 ,davenport answered me1 that it was out of his power to execute my commission3 for that his wild philosopher1 as he called him1 had eloped of a sudden1 leaving a great part of his baggage behind him1 some money in ,davenport's hands1 and a letter on the table1 as odd1 he says1 as the one he wrote to me1 and implying that ,mr4 ,davenport was engaged with me in a treacherous conspiracy against him6 ,he was not heard of for a fortnight1 till the ,chancellor received a letter from him1 dated at ,spalding in ,lincolnshire2 in which he said that he had been seduced into this country by a promise of hospitality2 that he had met with the worst usage2 that he was in danger of his life from the plots of his enemies2 and that he applied to the ,chancellor1 as the first civil magistrate of the kingdom1 desiring him to appoint a guard at his own 7,rousseau's7 expense1 who might safely conduct him out of the kingdom4 ,the ,chancellor made his secretary reply to him1 that he was mistaken in the nature of the country2 for that the first post-boy he could apply to1 was as safe a guide as the ,chancellor could appoint4 ,at the very same time that ,rousseau wrote this letter to the ,chancellor1 he wrote to ,davenport1 that he had eloped from him1 actuated by a very natural desire1 that of recovering his liberty2 but finding he must still be in captivity1 he preferred that at ,wooton3 for his captivity at ,spalding was intolerable beyond all human patience1 and he was at present the most wretched being on the face of the globe3 he would therefore return to ,wooton1 if he were assured that ,davenport would receive him4 ,here ,i must tell you1 that the parson of ,spalding was about two months ago in ,london1 and told ,mr4 ,fitzherbert1 from whom ,i had it1 that he had passed several hours every day with ,rousseau1 while he was in that place2 that he was cheerful1 good-humoured1 easy1 and enjoyed himself perfectly well1 without the least fear or complaint of any kind4 ,however this may be1 our hero1 without waiting for any answer1 either from the ,chancellor or ,mr4 ,davenport1 decamps on a sudden from ,spalding1 and takes the road directly to ,dover2 whence he writes a letter to ,general ,conway1 seven pages long1 and full of the wildest extravagance in the world4 ,he says1 that he had endured a captivity in ,england1 which it was impossible any longer to submit to4 ,it was strange1 that the greatest in the nation1 and the whole nation itself1 should have been seduced by one private man1 to serve his vengeance against another private man3 he found in every face that he was here the object of general derision and aversion1 and he was therefore infinitely desirous to remove from this country4 ,he therefore begs the ,general to restore him to his liberty1 and allow him to leave ,england2 he warns him of the danger there may be of cutting his throat in private2 as he is unhappily a man too well known1 not to have inquiries made after him1 should he disappear of a sudden3 he promises1 on condition of his being permitted to depart the kingdom1 to speak no ill of the king or country1 or ministers1 or even of ,mr4 ,hume2 as indeed1 says he1 ,i have perhaps no reason2 my jealousy of him having probably arisen from my own suspicious temper1 soured by misfortunes4 ,he says1 that he wrote a volume of ,memoirs1 chiefly regarding the treatment he has met with in ,england2 he has left it in safe hands1 and will order it to be burned1 in case he be permitted to go beyond seas1 and nothing shall remain to the dishonour of the king and his ministers4 ,this letter is very well wrote1 so far as regards the style and composition2 and the author is so vain of it1 that he has given about copies1 as of a rare production4 ,it is indeed1 as ,general ,conway says1 the composition of a whimsical man1 not of a madman4 ,but what is more remarkable1 the very same post1 he wrote to ,davenport1 that1 having arrived within sight of the sea1 and finding he was really at liberty to go or stay1 as he pleased1 he had intended voluntarily to return to him2 but seeing in a newspaper an account of his departure from ,wooton1 and concluding his offences were too great to be forgiven1 he was resolved to depart for ,france4 ,accordingly1 without any farther preparation1 and without waiting ,general ,conway's answer1 he took his passage in a packet boat1 and went off that very evening4 ,thus1 you see1 he is a composition of whim1 affectation1 wickedness1 vanity1 and inquietude1 with a very small if any ingredient of madness4 ,he is always complaining of his health2 yet ,i have scarce ever seen a more robust little man of his years4 ,he was tired in ,england2 where he was neither persecuted nor caressed1 and where1 he was sensible1 he had exposed himself4 ,he resolved1 therefore1 to leave it2 and having no pretence1 he is obliged to contrive all those absurdities1 which he himself1 extravagant as he is1 gives no credit to4 ,at least1 this is the only key ,i can devise to his character4 ,the ruling qualities above-mentioned1 together with ingratitude1 ferocity1 and lying1--,i need not mention eloquence and invention1--form the whole of the composition4 ,when he arrived at ,paris1 all my friends1 who were likewise all his1 agreed totally to neglect him4 ,the public1 too1 disgusted with his multiplied and indeed criminal extravagancies1 showed no manner of concern about him4 ,never was such a fall from the time ,i took him up1 about a year and a half before4 ,i am told by ,d',alembert and ,horace ,walpole1 that1 sensible of this great alteration1 he endeavoured to regain his credit by acknowledging to every body his fault with regard to me3 but all in vain3 he has retired to a village in the mountains of ,auvergne1 as ,m4 ,durand tells me1 where nobody inquires after him4 ,he will probably endeavour to recover his fame by new publications2 and ,i expect with some curiosity the reading of his ,memoirs1 which will ,i suppose suffice to justify me in every body's eyes1 and in my own1 for the publication of his letters and my narrative of the case4 ,you will see by the papers1 that a new letter of his to ,m4 ,d41 which ,i imagine to be ,davenport1 is published4 ,this letter was probably wrote immediately on his arrival at ,paris2 or perhaps is an effect of his usual inconsistence3 ,i do not much concern myself which4 ,thus he has had the satisfaction1 during a time1 of being much talked of1 for his late transactions2 the thing in the world he most desires3 but it has been at the expense of being consigned to perpetual neglect and oblivion4 ,my compliments to ,mr4 ,oswald2 and also to ,mrs4 ,smith4 ,i am1 c4#cgh3a ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,london1 #agth ,october1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,i sit down to correct a mistake or two in the former account which ,i gave you of ,rousseau4 ,i saw ,davenport a few days ago1 who tells me1 that the letter inserted in all the newspapers1 was never addressed to him4 ,he even doubts its being genuine2 both because he knows it to be opposite to all his sentiments with regard to me1 to whom he desires earnestly to be reconciled1 and because it is too absurd and extravagant1 and seems to be contrived rather as a banter upon him4 ,davenport added1 that ,rousseau was retired to some place in ,france1 and had changed his name and his dress3#cgi3a but wrote to him that he was the most miserable of all beings2 that it was impossible for him to stay where he was2 and that he would return to his old hermitage1 if ,davenport would accept of him4 ,indeed1 he has some reason to be mortified with his reception in ,france2 for ,horace ,walpole1 who has very lately returned thence1 tells me1 that though ,rousseau is settled at ,clich1 within a league of ,paris1 nobody inquires after him1 nobody visits him1 nobody talks of him1 every one has agreed to neglect and disregard him3 a more sudden revolution of fortune than almost ever happened to any man--at least to any man of letters4 ,i asked ,mr4 ,davenport about those ,memoirs1 which ,rousseau said he was writing1 and whether he had ever seen them4 ,he said1 yes1 he had2 it was projected to be a work in twelve volumes2 but he had as yet gone no farther than the first volume1 which he had entirely composed at ,wooton4 ,it was charmingly wrote1 and concluded with a very particular and interesting account of his first love1 the object of which was a person whose first love it also was4 ,davenport1 who is no bad judge1 says1 that these ,memoirs will be the most taking of all his works2 and1 indeed1 you may easily imagine what such a pen would make of such a subject as that ,i mentioned4 ,meanwhile it appears clearly1 what ,i told you before1 that he is no more mad at present1 than he has been during the whole course of his life1 and that he is capable of the same efforts of genius4 ,i think ,i may wait in security his account of the transactions between us4 ,but1 however1 this incident1 which ,i foresaw1 is some justification of me for publishing his letters1 and may apologise for a step1 which you1 and even myself1 have been inclined sometimes to blame1 and always to regret4#chj3a ,so ended ,rousseau's wild sojourn1 in what he termed l'heureuse terre1 o sont ns ,david ,hume et le ,marchal d',ecosse4 ,when the wounds inflicted on his benefactor by ungrateful actions and uncharitable interpretations had been healed by time1 and the conduct of him who had occasioned them was seen no longer through the excited medium of lacerated feelings1 the hour had come for the just understanding to aid the kind heart1 in estimating the character of the assailant2 for finding that1 deep as were the wounds he might inflict on others1 there was an arrow still more deeply buried in his own bosom2 that commiseration should take the place of resentment2 and that the wanderer's footsteps should be accompanied by the prayer1 that peace might revisit his disturbed spirit4 ,hume felt1 perhaps1 what he could not have expressed so well as one whose mind had too much in common with that which he describes1 ,his life was one long war with self-sought foes2 ,or friends by him self-banished2 for his mind ,had grown ,suspicion's sanctuary1 and chose1 ,for its own cruel sacrifice1 the kind1 ',gainst whom he raged with fury strange and blind4 ,but he was frenzied1--wherefore1 who may know8 ,since cause might be which skill could never find2 ,but he was frenzied by disease or woe1 ,to that worst pitch of all1 which wears a reasoning show4 ,hume was not a man given to the clamorous expression of contritions or regrets4 ,it is in his silence and his subsequent acts that we find him desirous to compensate for the punishment he had inflicted on his assailant4 ,the letters of his ,french friends1 during the summer of #agfg1 show that he had earnestly exerted himself to protect ,rousseau from the vengeance of the government2#cha3a and there is all reason to believe1 that it was through this intervention that the wanderer was permitted to pursue his course in peace4 ,on the other hand1 when the dark cloud had completely passed away1 the monomaniac appears to have awakened to a distressing consciousness of what he had done4 ,he afterwards attributed his conduct in ,england to our foggy atmosphere1 which had filled his mind with gloom and discontent2 and the work at which he laboured busily with the fierce excitement of him who forges a weapon to avenge his wrongs1 stopped short at the very point where his narrative of injuries was to commence4 ,,footnotes3 #cai3a ,it might be expected1 from the nature of ,mr4 ,davenport's letters1 that his descendants should be in possession of letters1 either by ,hume or ,rousseau bearing on this curious passage of literary history4 ,i believe ,i am committing no breach of private confidence in saying1 that this family1 to whom ,i am indebted for many polite attentions1 lost all such documents1 along with other valuable papers4 ,they were destroyed by an attorney1--who at the same time put an end to his own life4 #cbj3a ,this letter was written in ,french2 and the person to whom it was addressed is not known4 ,it was published in a miscellany1 of which a translation 7from which the above extract is made7 appeared in #agii1 as ,original ,letters of ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 ,butta ,fuoco1 and ,david ,hume4 #cbj3b ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #aec4 #cbj3c ,expos ,succinct4 #cbj3d ,see above1 p4 #cjd4 ,one of ,rousseau's favourite amusements was1 drawing a vehement picture of his misfortunes and his poverty2 and after having thus laid a sort of trap1 catching some benevolent person in the act of secretly attempting to aid him4 ,many of his letters are like those of a petty dealer1 who is afraid of being imposed on1 and must see that all the consignments are exact1 as per invoice and account4 ,the matter of the return chaise already alluded to1 slightly tinges the good humour of the former of these letters4 ,in the other1 there are some remonstrances about a model of a bust of himself1 which he will not take from the artist unless it is to be paid for4 ,the same letter contains the following passage1 which the editors of the ,expos ,succinct did not think it necessary to print4 ,it illustrates ,rousseau's occasional attention to small matters4 ,je vous suis oblig d'avoir bien voulu solder le mmoire de ,m4 ,stuart4 ,j'y trouve deux articles qui ne sont pas de ma connoissance4 ,l'un de #a #ad pour du caf1 et l'autre de #e sh4 pour un moulin4 ,il est vrai que ,m4 ,stuart avoit bien voulu se charger de ces commissions1 mais je ne les ai point recues ni avec mon bagage ni autrement1 et n'en ai aucun avis que par son mmoire4 #cba3a ,though it has been repeated in so many other places1 it seems necessary1 for the distinctness of the narrative1 here to print this famous letter4 ,mon cher ,jean ,jacques1 ,vous avez renonc ,genve1 votre patrie4 ,vous vous tes fait chasser de la ,suisse1 pays tant vant dans vos crits2 la ,france vous a dcrt2 venez donc chez moi4 ,j'admire vos talens2 je m'amuse de vos rveries qui 7soit dit en passant7 vous occupent trop et trop longtemps4 ,il faut la fin tre sage heureux2 vous avez fait assez parler de vous1 par des singularits peu convenables un vritable grand homme3 dmontrez vos enemis que vous pouvez avoir quelquefois le sens commun3 cela les fchera sans vous faire tort4 ,mes tats vous offrent une retraite paisible3 je vous veux du bien1 je vous en ferai1 si vous le trouvez bon4 ,mais si vous vous obstinez rejetter mon secours1 attendez-vous que je ne le dirai personne4 ,si vous persistez vous creuser l'esprit pour trouver de nouveaux malheurs1 choisissez-les tels que vous voudrez2 je suis roi1 je puis vous en procurer au gr de vos souhaits2 et1 ce qui srement ne vous arrivera pas vis--vis de vos ennemis1 je cesserai de vous perscuter1 quand vous cesserez de mettre votre gloire l'tre4 ,votre bon ami1 ,,frederick4 ,rousseau thought it worse than strange1 that the person who wrote this letter should have been intrusted with the conveyance of a parcel to him1 holding it to be clear that ,walpole must necessarily be a person who could not be intrusted with his property4 ,m4 ,musset ,pathay1 in his ,vie de ,rousseau1 makes a serious charge against ,hume1 in connexion with ,walpole's conduct4 ,hume confessed his being present when one of the pleasantries of the letter was uttered in conversation4 ,horace ,walpole's letter1 he says to ,madame de ,barbantane1 was not founded on any pleasantry of mine4 ,the only pleasantry in that letter came from his own mouth in my company1 at ,lord ,ossory's table1 which my lord remembers very well4 7,private ,correspondence1 p4 #adf47 ,on this passage1 ,m4 ,musset says3 ,elle prouve que l'historien ,anglais s'est permis une plaisanterie contre ,jean ,jacques1 au moment mme ou1 lui tmoignant le plus grand intrt1 il se prparait l'emmener en ,angleterre4 ,ainsi1 l'poque o ,david donnait ,rousseau les plus grandes marques d'amiti1 il contribuait d'un ct le rendre un objet de ridicule1 par un bon mot qui fit partie du persiflage d',horace ,walpole1 7i4 #aae47 ,if the reader thinks he here finds a ,french statesman announcing the rigid doctrine of sincerity1 that no man should patiently hear his friend's foibles laughed at1 he will find1 on examining the passage1 that ,m4 ,musset has chosen to speak of ,hume as the author of the jest4 ,in harmony with this view he1 innocently it is to be presumed1 translates the above sentence in ,hume's letter thus3--,la seule plaisanterie que je me sois permise relativement la prtendue lettre du roi de ,prusse1 fut faite par moi la table de ,lord ,ossory6 #cbc3a ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #acc4 #cbc3b ,madame de ,boufflers writes on #fth ,may3-- ,je ne puis croire que le violent chagrin dont parle ,j4 ,j4 vienne de la lettre de ,m4 ,walpole1 quoique srement elle l'a du beaucoup affecter4 ,je crains bien plutt que quelque dgot de ,melle4 ,le ,vasseur ou quelques querelles entre eux n'en soit la cause2 claircissez cela de grce1 et tez moi du l'inquitude o vous m'avez prise4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cbd3a ,that ,hume was1 in the meantime1 quite unconscious of any cause of offence against himself1 is evident from his writing to ,madame de ,boufflers1 on #afth ,may3 ,as to the deep calamity of which he complains1 it is impossible for me to imagine it4 ,i suppose it is some trifle1 aggravated by his melancholy temper and lively fancy4 ,i shall endeavour to learn from ,mr4 ,davenport1 who is just gone to that neighbourhood4 ,lady ,aylesbury and ,general ,conway believe that it is ,horace ,walpole's letter which still torments him4 ,that letter was put into our newspapers2 which produced an answer1 full of passion1 and indeed of extravagance1 complaining in the most tragical terms of the forgery1 and lamenting that the impostor should find any abettors and partisans in ,england4 ,mr4 ,walpole has wrote a reply1 full of vivacity and wit1 but sacrifices it to his humanity1 and is resolved that no copy of it shall get abroad4 ,he assures me that he1 as well as ,madame du ,deffand1 were entirely innocent of that publication at ,paris3 it was a lady1 a friend of yours1 who gave the first copy4 ,private ,correspondence1 pp4 #agj-aga4 #cbe3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cbe3b ,musset ,pathay1 ,vie de ,rousseau1 vol4 i4 p4 #aaf4 ,this gentleman concludes that1 within the space of twenty-four hours1 ,rousseau must have had reason to change from the extremity of confidence in ,hume1 to a full conviction of his guilt4 ,but with all his desire to vindicate ,rousseau1 his account of the manner in which this conclusion had been reached1 does not tend to convince one that it was well founded4 ,mais1 d'aprs l'tude du caractre de ,rousseau1 d'aprs l'observation qui prouve que1 dans la solitude1 l'imagination s'effarouche aisment1 il est plus naturel de croire que1 tout--coup1 une multitude de circonstances s'offrirent la fois la mmoire de ,jean ,jacques1 et1 quoique minutieuses en elles mmes1 qu'elles devinrent1 par leur nombre1 et leur concidence1 importantes et graves4 ,il ne fallait qu'un incident pour les rendre telles1 comme une goutte suffit pour faire dborder un vase plein d'eau4 #cbf3a ,printed documents of the controversy--,ritchie's ,life of ,hume4 #cbh3a ,documents of the controversy1 c4 #cbi3a ,there is certainly one important exception to this method of viewing the matter1 and that in a book otherwise of merit4 ,one would hardly expect to meet with a work of the nineteenth century1 containing a serious vindication of ,rousseau1 as a sane man who was in the right in this quarrel1 while ,hume was in the wrong4 ,yet some such task has been undertaken in the ,histoire de la ,vie et des ,ouvrages de ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 by the late ,m4 ,musset ,pathay1 7#ahba17 which may be ranked among the boldest efforts of that school of biographers1 whose principle is1 that the hero of their tale must not be admitted to have had any vice or weakness4 ,m4 ,musset's charges against ,hume are much of the same mystical character with those made by ,rousseau himself1 and amount to this1 that there was something in the whole aspect of affairs not quite satisfactory4 ,he deals with some small matters of fact1--he is very indignant that ,hume should1 as he confesses1 have tried to prevent ,rousseau from plunging into a distant solitude2 and we have already seen the effect which his zeal has had on his discrimination1 in the affair of ,walpole's letter4 ,he makes one discovery1 of which it would be unjust to deny him the full merit4 ,hume says1 in his ,vindication1 ,it is with reluctance ,i say it1 but ,i am compelled to it4 ,i now know of a certainty1 that this affectation of extreme poverty and distress was a mere pretence1 a petty kind of imposture1 which ,m4 ,rousseau successfully employed to excite the compassion of the public3 but ,i was then very far from suspecting any such artifice4 ,in a letter to ,madame de ,boufflers1 he says1 ,i should be glad to know how your inquiries at ,m4 ,rougemont's have turned out4 ,it is only matter of mere curiosity3 for even if the fact should prove against him1 which is very improbable1 ,i should only regard it as one weakness more1 and do not make my good opinion of him to depend on a single incident4 7,private ,correspondence1 p4 #acj47 ,now ,rougemont was a banker1 and ,m4 ,musset infers that ,hume had been making inquiries as to ,rousseau's pecuniary affairs4 ,perhaps1 when he found a man proclaiming his destitution to all ,europe1 and flinging back1 in the faces of the givers1 the assistance his importunities extracted from the compassionate1 it was not a very great crime to endeavour to ascertain the truth of any rumour1 that the misery was not so extreme as the sufferer painted it1 and the necessity for their intervention not so great as the compassionate believed it to be4 ,there is one letter from ,m4 ,rougemont among the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 dated #eth ,march1 #agff4 ,if it does not contradict1 it certainly does not confirm the theory of ,m4 ,musset4 ,it is too long and commonplace to be here inserted in full4 ,there is not a word in it about money matters2 and it appears to be written in answer to some high praise of ,rousseau by ,hume4 ,the banker says3 ,l'opinion que vous avez de ,m4 ,rousseau ne me laisse plus aucun doute3 et c'est avec la plus grande satisfaction que je vois que mon enthusiasme ne m'a point aveugle2 les dtails que vous me faites1 me persuadent encore plus de la vrit d'une observation que vous avez faite un soir2 c'est1 qu'il n'est qu'un homme ordinaire quand son coeur ne sent rien4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,one might indeed infer1 that ,hume's inquiries were to discover whether the solitude of ,wooton would be likely to be favourable to ,rousseau4 ,m4 ,rougemont thinks it would not4 ,la solitude1 he says1 qui peut cesser quand on veut1 peut avoir des charmes2 mais je ne puis croire qu'il ne soit pas fort malheureux d'tre ncessairement priv de toute socit4 ,the rest of his letter is devoted to ,parisian literary gossip1 with which the banker appears to have been ambitious of showing his acquaintance4 ,it is not when reviewing the conduct of ,hume1 but when recalling such observations as those made by ,dr4 ,johnson on ,rousseau1 that one is tempted to sympathize with ,m4 ,musset4 ,of the rigid moralist's opinions1 ,boswell gives us the following sketch3 ,one evening1 at the ,mitre1 ,johnson said sarcastically to me1 ',it seems1 sir1 you have kept very good company abroad3 ,rousseau and ,wilkes6' ,i answered1 with a smile1 ',my dear sir1 you don't call ,rousseau bad company3 do you really think him a bad man8' ,johnson4 ',sir1 if you are talking jestingly of this1 ,i don't talk with you4 ,if you mean to be serious1 ,i think him one of the worst of men2 a rascal who ought to be hunted out of society as he has been4 ,three or four nations have expelled him2 and it is a shame that he is protected in this country4 ,rousseau1 sir1 is a very bad man4 ,i would sooner sign a sentence for his transportation1 than that of any felon who has gone from the ,old ,bailey these many years4 ,yes1 ,i should like to have him work in the plantations4'--,boswell1 vol4 ii4 p4 #cad1 ed4 #ahce4 #cca3a ,a scientific gentleman1 whose writings on medical jurisprudence are of high authority1 and who had read the ,hume and ,rousseau controversy1 observed to me1 that ,rousseau's case should have been treated as one of monomania4 #ccb3a ,whoever would notice the practical sagacity of ,rousseau's genius1 may compare the early part of mile1 with ,combe on the ,management of ,infancy1 and observe in how many things the theorist and the scientific inquirer coincide4 #ccc3a ,we have had1 says ,burke1 in his ,reflections on the ,french ,revolution1 the great professor and founder of the philosophy of vanity in ,england4 ,as ,i had good opportunities of knowing his proceedings1 almost from day to day1 he left no doubt on my mind that he entertained no principle1 either to influence his heart or guide his understanding1 but vanity3 with this vice he was possessed to a degree little short of madness4 #ccc3b ,d',alembert writes to ,hume1 on #dth ,august3 ,il y a dans la drle de lettre de ce joli petit homme1 comme vous l'appelliez autrefois1 une phrase sacramentelle ou sacramentale1 laquelle vous n'avez peut-tre pas fait autant d'attention qu'elle le mrite2 c'est que le public1 qui d'abord avoit et fort amoureux de lui1 commena bientt aprs le ngliger4 ,voil ce qui le fche vritablement1 et il s'en prend qui il peut4 ,vous vous tes charg de montrer l'ours la foire2 sa loge qui d'abord etoit pleine1 est bientt reste vuide1 et il vous en rend responsable4 ,il est d'ailleurs trs certain1 et je le sais de ,duclos son ami1 qui il l'a dit1 ainsi qu' bien d'autres1 qu'il ne peut pas souffrir toutes les personnes qui il a obligation3 et sur ce pied l1 vous avez bien des droits sa haine4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ccd3a ,during his sojourn in ,england1 he was in dread of being kidnapped4 ,the late ,professor ,walker remembered being asked by ,lord ,bute to accompany ,rousseau on a botanizing excursion on the banks of the ,thames1 and that he was just explaining something about marine plants being acrid1 when a ,cockney pic-nic party of youths1 dressed as sailors1 landed4 ,rousseau instantly took to his heels6 ,the professor being responsible for his safe restoration1 followed1 and1 after a considerable chase1 succeeded in running him down4 ,rousseau1 seeing that there were no other pursuers1 passed the matter off by the observation that marine men were acrid4 ,after his return from ,england1 an account for nine francs1 which it appears he was not due1 was presented against him by a tradesman4 ,he called on all ,europe to witness this conspiracy to destroy his character1 and raised such an outcry as must have effectually frightened sober tradesmen from overcharging interesting solitaries4 #cce3a ,even his trusted friend1 ,du ,peyrou1 writing to ,hume on #acth ,february1 after many eulogiums on his kindness to the unfortunate1 says3-- ,c'est sous votre couvert qu' ,m4 ,rousseau m'a marqu1 ,monsieur1 que je devois lui crire3 voudriez vous donc avoir la complaisance de lui faire parvenir l'incluse son adresse4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ccg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ccg3b ,he was a cordial hater of all uncandidness in others1 whatever he might be in his own case4 ,morellet tells a laughable anecdote of ,rousseau's presence on an occasion when some of the wicked wits of ,paris were what is commonly called trotting out a vain poet1 and making him say ridiculous things of his own genius4 ,rousseau1 after walking restlessly about the room1 burst into a rage1 told the poet that he was a poor paltry idiot1 and the company were only encouraging him to make game of him4 #cch3a ,an incident had just happened to make the name of the quack ,tronchin1 peculiarly offensive4 ,this distinguished physician had received public honours at ,parma4 ,after strenuous popular opposition1 he had been permitted to practise the new precautionary remedy of inoculation on the young prince ,ferdinand4 ,the experiment had been successful2 all ,parma1 excited by loyal joy1 petitioned the ,grand-duke to admit the physician to the rank of citizen4 ,a tablet1 commemorating the triumph of science1 was erected in the town hall1 and a medal with suitable devices was struck in honour of the operator4 ,he was a relation of ,tronchin the ,procureur ,gnral of ,geneva1 author of ,lettres crites de la ,campagne1 which ,rousseau answered in ,lettres de la ,montagne4 ,see him mentioned above1 p4 #ahf4 #cci3a ,morellet questions if he could have done so1 i4 #ajf4 #cdj3a ,the following jeu-d'esprit1 which was printed in some of the periodicals of the day1 is really a pretty accurate abridgment of ,rousseau's paper4 ,it has the appearance of having been written by a ,scottish lawyer3-- ,heads of an ,indictment laid by ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 philosopher1 against ,d4 ,hume1 ,esq4 #a4 ,that the said ,david ,hume1 to the great scandal of philosophy1 and not having the fitness of things before his eyes1 did concert a plan with ,mess4 ,tronchin1 ,voltaire1 and ,d',alembert1 to ruin the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau for ever1 by bringing him over to ,england1 and there settling him to his heart's content4 #b4 ,that the said ,david ,hume did1 with a malicious and traitorous intent1 procure1 or cause to be procured1 by himself1 or somebody else1 one pension of the yearly value of #ajj or thereabouts1 to be paid to the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 on account of his being a philosopher1 either privately or publicly1 as to him the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau should seem meet4 #c4 ,that the said ,david ,hume did1 one night after he left ,paris1 put the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau in bodily fear1 by talking in his sleep2 although the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau doth not know whether the said ,david ,hume was really asleep1 or whether he shammed ,abraham1 or what he meant4 #d4 ,that1 at another time1 as the said ,david ,hume and the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau were sitting opposite each other by the fireside in ,london1 he1 the said ,david ,hume1 did look at him1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 in a manner of which it is difficult to give any idea3 ,that he1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 to get rid of the embarrassment he was under1 endeavoured to look full at him1 the said ,david ,hume1 in return1 to try if he could not stare him out of countenance2 but in fixing his eyes against his1 the said ,david ,hume's1 he felt the most inexpressible terror1 and was obliged to turn them away1 insomuch that the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau doth in his heart think and believe1 as much as he believes any thing1 that he1 the said ,david ,hume1 is a certain composition of a white-witch and a rattlesnake4 #e4 ,that the said ,david ,hume on the same evening1 after politely returning the embraces of him1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 and gently tapping him on the back1 did repeat several times1 in a good-natured easy tone1 the words1 ,why1 what1 my dear sir6 ,nay1 my dear sir6 ,oh1 my dear sir6 ,from whence the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau doth conclude1 as he thinks upon solid and sufficient grounds1 that he the said ,david ,hume is a traitor2 albeit he1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 doth acknowledge1 that the physiognomy of the good ,david is that of an honest man1 all but those terrible eyes of his1 which he must have borrowed2 but he the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau vows to ,god he cannot conceive from whom or what4 #f4 ,that the said ,david ,hume hath more inquisitiveness about him than becometh a philosopher1 and did never let slip an opportunity of being alone with the governante of him the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau4 #g4 ,that the said ,david ,hume did most atrociously and flagitiously put him1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 philosopher1 into a passion2 as knowing that then he would be guilty of a number of absurdities4 #h4 ,that the said ,david ,hume must have published ,mr4 ,walpole's letter in the newspapers1 because1 at that time1 there was neither man1 woman1 nor child1 in the island of ,great ,britain1 but the said ,david ,hume1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 and the printers of the several newspapers aforesaid4 #i4 ,that somebody in a certain magazine1 and somebody else in a certain newspaper1 said something against him1 the said ,john ,james ,rousseau1 which he1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 is persuaded1 for the reason abovementioned1 could be nobody but the said ,david ,hume4 #aj4 ,that the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau knows1 that he1 the said ,david ,hume1 did open and peruse the letters of him1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 because he one day saw the said ,david ,hume go out of the room1 after his own servant1 who had1 at that time1 a letter of the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau's in his hands2 which must have been in order to take it from the servant1 open it1 and read the contents4 #aa4 ,that the said ,david ,hume did1 at the instigation of the devil1 in a most wicked and unnatural manner1 send1 or cause to be sent1 to the lodgings of him1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 one dish of beefsteaks1 thereby meaning to insinuate1 that he1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau1 was a beggar1 and came over to ,england to ask alms3 whereas be it known to all men by these presents1 that he1 the said ,john ,james ,rousseau1 brought with him the means of subsistence1 and did not come with an empty purse2 as he doubts not but he can live upon his labours--with the assistance of his friends2 and in short can do better without the said ,david ,hume than with him4 #ab4 ,that besides all these facts put together1 the said ,j4 ,j4 ,rousseau did not like a certain appearance of things on the whole4 #cdc3a ,that of the #bb;d of ,march1 which is full of cordiality1 and proves that ,m4 ,rousseau had never1 to that moment1 entertained any of those black suspicions of perfidy which he publishes at present4 ,there is only in that letter a peevish passage about the affair of his chaise4--,hume4 #cdd3a ,documents of the controversy4 #cdd3b ,such was his first impulse4 ,he evidently1 after viewing the matter more coolly1 was disinclined to publish1 but he was finally prevailed on to do so4 #cde3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cdf3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cdf3b ,morellet1 i4 #aje4 #cdf3c ,priv4 ,cor4 #bjd4 #cdh3a ,voltaire et ,rousseau par ,henry ,lord ,brougham1 ,app4 ,no4 ,,ix4 ,lord ,brougham twice honoured me with an intimation that he had obtained letters of ,david ,hume1 in ,paris1 which were too late for his own ,lives of ,men of ,letters1 and were to be sent to me4 ,while thankfully waiting for their arrival1 ,i observed1 on the title page of his lordship's ,french lives of ,voltaire and ,rousseau1 that the book contained ,lttres entirement indites de ,hume4 ,thinking it not impossible that the letters destined for my use1 had thus1 by some accident1 been diverted from their destination1 ,i have printed them in this book1 according to their dates1 in the fullest assurance of his lordship's cordial concurrence4 #cdi3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cej3a ,d',holbach4 #cea3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ceb3a ,a ,paris1 le #g ,septembre1 #agff4 ,j'ai trouv ici1 monsieur1 votre lettre de #e ,aot1 mon retour d'un voyage que j'ai t faire en ,normandie4 ,d',alembert1 qui venoit alors de recevoir votre rcit de l',histoire de ,rousseau avec les lettres que vous y avez insres1 me l'a communiqu4 ,je vous crois prsent si ennuy de cette affaire que je ne sais si je dois encore vous en parler4 ,m4 ,de ,montigni m'a cependant dit que vous dsiriez de savoir ma faon de penser4 ,vous imaginez bien qu'elle ne peut pas tre douteuse sur le fond de l'affaire1 et je crois qu'except ,rousseau1 et peut-tre ,mlle4 ,le ,vasseur1 il n'y a personne dans le monde qui s'imagine1 ni qui eut jamais imagin1 que vous ayez men ,rousseau en ,angleterre pour le trahir1 et qui sa longue lettre et ses dmonstrations ne fassent piti4 ,mais je vous avoue que j'y vois toujours plus de folie que de noirceur4 ,j'y vois des sophismes dont une imagination se sert pour empoisonner les circonstances les plus simples et les transformer au gr de la manie qui l'occupe4 ,mais je ne crois point que ces extravagances soient un jeu jou1 et un prtexte pour secouer le poids de la reconnoissance qu'il vous doit4 ,il parot sentir lui mme que personne ne le croira1 et qu'il se couvre d'opprobre du moins pour le moment aux yeux du public4 ,il avoue qu'il sacrifie et son intrt et mme sa rputation3 et il est certain que cette affaire lui fait un tort irrparable1 l'isole du genre humain1 et lui te tout appui contre les perscutions auxquelles ses opinions et encore plus ces traits de sa misanthropie l'exposeront toujours4 ,je persiste donc ne le croire que fou1 et je suis afflig que l'impression trop vive qu'a faite sur vous sa folie vous ait mis dans le cas de la faire clater et de la rendre irrmdiable2 car le bruit qu' fait votre lettre au ,baron1 est pour ,rousseau une dmonstration que ces conjectures toient fondes sur la vrit mme4 ,il a bien mand ,madame de ,boufflers qu'il ne se plaignoit pas1 et que cette lettre qui vous a donn lieu de le diffamer comme le dernier des hommes n'toit crite qu' vous4 ,l'clat que vous avez fait1 lui a fait tout le mal possible1 et sa lettre ne vous en a fait aucun4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,aprs vous avoir dit aussi franchement mon avis1 vous serez surpris peut-tre de me voir presque revenu l'avis de faire imprimer4 ,la folie de ,rousseau est telle qu'il a crit ici diffrentes lettres dans lesquelles il regarde votre trahison comme si constante1 et les dmonstrations comme si terrassantes pour vous1 qu'il vous dfie de publier les pices sans vous dshonorer1 moins que vous ne les falsifiez2 ce ne sont pas ses termes mais c'en est le sens4 ,si cette espce de dfi devenoit public un certain point1 et faisoit plus d'impression en ,angleterre qu'il n'en peut faire en ,france1 peut-tre serez-vous oblig d'imprimer4 ,mais en ce cas je voudrois retrancher tout rit1 toute imputation de mensonge1 toutes notes except quelques unes ncessaires pour rtablir simplement les faits importans1 comme celui de la scne qui s'est passe la veille de son dpart pour ,wooton4 ,encore voudrois-je que dans ces notes vous disiez simplement le fait1 sans traiter ,rousseau de menteur1 sans vous abaisser le prouver4 ,vous devez tre cru sur ce que vous direz1 et vous le serez4 ,je ne mettrois autre chose la tte1 si non que les discours rpandus sur la querelle1 c4 et l'espce de dfi que ,m4 ,rousseau vous fait d'en publier ce qui s'est pass1 vous obligent regret publier les accusations de ,m4 ,rousseau contre vous1 et que vous croyez leur publication une rponse suffisante4 ,voil quel est actuellement mon penchant4 ,mais comme je ne vois cela rien de press1 je crois que vous ferez bien de vous donner tout le tems d'y rflchir4 ,plus vous mettez dans cette affaire de modration et mme d'indiffrence1 plus le tort de ,rousseau deviendra vident4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ced3a ,the original of this letter is in the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,it is printed in ,priv4 ,cor4 p4 #ahg4 #ced3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ced3c ,le hasard a voulu que la plus part de vos amis1 et surtout ceux qui vous me conseillez de lire votre lettre1 se soient trouvs rassembls chez ,mlle4 de ,l',espinasse presque au moment que je l'ai reue2 ,mr4 ,turgot1 ,mr4 ,l',abb ,morellet1 ,mr4 ,roux1 ,mr4 ,saurin1 ,mr4 ,marmontel1 ,mr4 ,duclos4 ,tous unanimement1 ainsi que ,mlle4 de ,l',espinasse et moi sommes d'avis1 que vous devez donner cette histoire au public1 avec toutes ses circumstances4 ,voici ce que nous vous conseillons--je dis nous1 car je parle ici au nom de tous4 ,vous commencerez d'abord par dire que vous savez que ,rousseau travaille ses mmoires1 qu'il fera sans doute mention de sa querelle avec vous1 qui a fait trop de bruit pour qu'il ne cherche pas la tourner son avantage1 que les mmoires pourront parotre ou aprs votre mort ou aprs la sienne3 que dans le #a;er cas1 comme vous l'observez vous-mme1 personne ne pourra vous justifier2 que dans le second1 votre dfense seroit sans force2 que vous avez donc cru devoir donner vous mme toute cette histoire au public1 afin que ,mr4 ,rousseau rponde s'il le peut4 ,ensuite vous entrerez dans le dtail1 et dans le plus grand dtail1 mais surtout1 et c'est une chose absolument essentielle et que nous vous recommendons tous--vous vous bornerez aux faits1 exprims simplement et nettement1 sans aigreur1 sans la moindre injure1 sans mme de rflexions sur le caractre de ,rousseau et sur ses crits2 vous rapporterez vos lettres et les siennes2 celle qu'il vous a crite le #bc juin suffiroit seule pour le faire condamner1 vous ne direz point1 du moins trop souvent1 que vous tes son bienfaiteur--tout le monde le sait assez4 ,enfin mon cher ami1 nous vous recommendons1 et nous vous conjurons de mettre dans cette brochure la plus grande modration mais en mme temps la plus grande clart4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cee3a ,walpole's ,narrative4 #ceg3a ,vous devez tre bien tonn1 ,monsieur1 de n'avoir encore reu aucune lettre sur la publication de votre mmoire1 et il y a en cela beaucoup de ma faute4 ,j'avois dit ,m4 ,d',alembert que j'aurois l'honneur de vous crire4 ,il a compt sur moi4 ,le ,baron ,d',holbach a compt sur nous deux1 et moi j'ai compt aussi sur eux2 voil ce qui fait qu'il n'y a rien que d'avoir plusieurs domestiques pour tre mal servi4 ,stating1 that he has sent a copy of the collection by post1 he proceeds3 ,vous avez dsir que je fusse votre traducteur1 et je n'avois pas besoin de tous les sentimens qui m'attachent vous1 pour me charger de ce travail1 avec plaisir4 ,votre cause me paroisoit celle des honntes gens et surtout celle des amis de la philosophie4 ,il y a long-tems que je regardois ,rousseau comme un profond et dangereux charlatan1 qui avoit pass sa vie recevoir des bienfaits de tout le monde1 et faire tout le mal qu'il avoit pu ceux qui lui avaient fait le plus de bien4 4 4 ,vous trouverez sans doute1 ,monsieur1 qu'on a pris bien des liberts avec votre texte3 il y a beaucoup de passages altrs1 et suprims3 mais il n'y a aucun changement qui n'ait t fait par ,m4 ,d',alembert ou de son consentement1 et toujours pour des raisons que vous aprouverez vraisemblement4 #ceh3a ,new ,monthly ,magazine1 7original series17 ,no4 #gb4 #ceh3b ,the letter is dated ,ferney1 #bdth ,oct4 #agff4 ,oeuvres de ,voltaire1 ed4 #aghi1 lxiv4 #die4 ,probably ,hume never received this letter4 ,it is not in the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e41 and ,voltaire was known to be in the habit of writing to people through the press4 ,hume1 however1 states1 in a note to the narrative of his controversy1 that he had had a letter from ,voltaire about three years before4 ,there is no trace of it among his papers4 #cfj3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cfj3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cfj3c ,among those who were eager to peruse these documents1 ,hume says1 writing to ,madame de ,barbantane1 ,the ,king and ,queen of ,england expressed a strong desire to see these papers1 and ,i was obliged to put them into their hands4 ,they read them with avidity1 and entertain the same sentiments that must strike every one4 ,the king's opinion confirms me in the resolution not to give them to the public1 unless ,i be forced to it by some attack on the side of my adversary1 which it will therefore be wisdom in him to avoid4 ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #baj4 #cfa3a ,he says1 in a subsequent letter1--,what are become of all the controversies since the days of ,scaliger and ,scioppius1 of ,billingsgate memory8 ,why1 they sleep in oblivion1 till some ,bayle drags them out of their dust1 and takes mighty pains to ascertain the date of each author's death1 which is of no more consequence to the world than the day of his birth4 ,many a country squire quarrels with his neighbour about game and manors1 yet they never print their wrangles1 though as much abuse passes between them1 as if they could quote all the ,philippics of the learned4 ,we have an instance of what he considered a really important dispute1 when he was baffled in his attempt to get his nephew1 ,lord ,orford1 married to ,miss ,nicol1 the vast fortune4 ,thus1 he says1 had ,i placed him in a greater situation than even his grandfather hoped to bequeath to him1--had retrieved all the oversights of my family1--had saved ,houghton1 and all our glory4 ,i have been forced1 he says1 writing to ,horace ,mann1 to write a narrative of the whole transaction2 and was with difficulty kept from publishing it4--,letters1 ii4 #dja4 #cfb3a ,he did not lose the opportunity afforded by the publication of his pamphlet1 for again expressing his contempt of men whose sole claim to notice rested on the greatness of their genius3 ,for ,monsieur ,d',alembert1 he says1 ,i said that ,i was mighty indifferent about seeing him4 ,that it was not my custom to seek authors1 who are a conceited troublesome set of people4 ,and hearing that ,frron1 the same who was so sharp a thorn in ,voltaire's side1 had made some remarks on him1 which displeased the ,duchesse de ,choiseul1 he says1 ,i immediately wrote to ,paris1 to beg the duchess would suffer ,frron and ,d',alembert1 or any of the tribe1 to write what they pleased1 to get what money they could by abusing me4 #cfe3a ,this is repeated in a letter to ,robertson1 of #aith ,march1 and is followed by the statement1 ,the ,king1 when applied to1 said1 that since the pension had once been promised1 it should be granted1 notwithstanding all that had passed in the interval4 ,and thus the affair is happily finished1 unless some new extravagance come across the philosopher1 and urge him to reject what he has anew applied for4--,stewart's ,life of ,robertson4 #cfe3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cff3a ,the letter is in the usual editions of ,rousseau's works1 dated #cjth ,april4 #cff3b ,the pamphlets produced in ,england on this subject1 were not nearly so numerous as those published in ,france4 ,fuseli1 whose mind was well suited for such a paradoxical championship1 wrote ,a defence of ,m4 ,rousseau1 against the ,aspersions of ,mr4 ,hume1 ,monsieur ,voltaire1 and their associates4 ,the other pamphlet alluded to in the letter1 was1 perhaps1 ,a letter to the ,honourable ,horace ,walpole1 concerning the dispute between ,mr4 ,hume and ,m4 ,rousseau1 by the ,rev4 ,ralph ,heathcote1 ,d4,d4 ,hume says1 in a letter to ,madame de ,boufflers1 ,agreeably to the licence of this country1 there has been a great deal of raillery on the incident1 thrown out in the public papers1 but all against that unhappy man4 ,there is even a print engraved of it3 ,m4 ,rousseau is represented as a ,yahoo1 newly caught in the woods2 ,i am represented as a farmer1 who caresses him and offers him some oats to eat1 which he refuses in a rage2 ,voltaire and ,d',alembert are whipping him up behind2 and ,horace ,walpole making him horns of papier mch4 ,the idea is not altogether absurd4--,private ,correspondence1 p4 #bcd4 #cfg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cgj3a ,walpole1 whose capacity for acquiring information on such matters was unrivalled1 seems to have at least made a near approach to the discovery of this point4 ,he says in his narration1 ,the chief cause of his disgust has been a long quarrel between his housekeeper and ,mr4 ,davenport's cook-maid1 who1 as ,rousseau affirmed1 had always dressed their dinner very ill1 and at last had sprinkled ashes on their victuals4 #cga3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cgb3a ,these incidents are also narrated in a letter to ,madame de ,boufflers4--,priv4 ,cor4 p4 #bda4 ,and some of them in a ,french letter to a person unknown1 ib4 p4 #bbj4 #cgc3a ,see the letter following that of #cjth ,april to ,mr4 ,davenport1 in the ordinary editions of ,rousseau's works4 ,the only material divergence in the passage cited above is in the last clause1 and the words quelques indiscrettes plaintes qui lui sont quelquefois echappes dans le fort de ses peines1 to which the corresponding clause in ,rousseau's ,works1 is les plaintes indiscrettes1 qui dans le fort de ses peines1 lui sont quelquefois chappes4 ,these discrepancies were probably between ,rousseau's preserved copy1 and the letter sent4 ,that this letter was printed from a copy preserved by ,rousseau1 is shown by the editors of his ,works not knowing to whom it was addressed4 ,hume repeats his own version of the passage in a ,french letter already referred to4 ,see ,private ,correspondence1 p4 #bbb4 #cgd3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cgh3a ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #fdi4 ,corrected from original ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cgi3a ,he assumed the name of ,renou4 #chj3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cha3a ,on #ast ,june1 #agfg1 ,turgot writes1 in answer to a letter from ,hume3 ,je me hte d'y rpondre par ce courier1 quoique je n'aie encore fait aucune dmarche pour le malheureux homme auquel1 il est si digne de vous de prendre encore intrt4 ,le degr de folie qu'il montre aujourdhui est en vrit prfrable une folie moins exalte1 qui le laissoit charg de tout l'odieux d'un excs d'ingratitude envers vous et ,m4 ,davenport4 ,une pareille ingratitude rflchie et mdite ne peut me parotre dans la nature4 4 4 4 ,je vous remercie de m'avoir choisi parmi vos amis de ce pays-ci pour m'associer la bonne action que vous voulez faire en lui rendant service4 ,j'y mettrai certainement tout le zle dont je suis capable et cause de son infortune1 et cause de l'intrt que vous y prenez4 ,he continues to say1 that to get him a safe passage may be easy3 to find him a permanent asylum in ,france1 would be a more difficult matter4 ,la chose est possible hors du ressort du ,parlement de ,paris1 mais il faut que le ,roi y consente4 ,il n'y a que l'intrt mme que vous prenez1 et la singularit de cette circonstance qui puisse peut-tre adoucir le ,roi sur le compte de ,rousseau en faisant demander la chose en votre nom par ,m4 de ,choiseul4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 #agff-aggj4 t4 #ee-ei4 ,hume ,under ,secretary of ,state--,church ,politics--,official abilities--,conduct as to ,ferguson's book--,quarrel with ,oswald--,baron ,mure's sons--,project of continuing the ,history-- ,ministerial convulsions--,hume's conduct to his ,family--,his ,brother--,his ,nephews--,baron ,hume--,blacklock--,smollett--,church ,patronage--,gibbon--,robertson--,elliot --,gilbert ,stuart--,the ,douglas ,cause--,andrew ,stewart--,morellet--,return to ,scotland4 ,the quarrel with ,rousseau seems to have so fully occupied the attention of ,hume1 during its continuance1 that he scarcely alluded to any other subject in his correspondence2 and thus1 though the preceding chapter is devoted entirely to that event1 a very slight retrospect from the point of time reached at its conclusion1 will suffice for whatever else1 worthy of notice in his life or correspondence1 has been preserved4 ,in the summer of #agff1 he made a short visit to ,scotland4 ,i returned1 he says1 in his own life1 to that place1 not richer1 but with much more money1 and a much larger income1 by means of ,lord ,hertford's friendship1 than ,i left it2 and ,i was desirous of trying what superfluity could produce1 as ,i had formerly made an experiment of a competency4 ,but1 in #agfg1 ,i received1 from ,mr4 ,conway1 an invitation to be under-secretary2 and this invitation1 both the character of the person1 and my connexions with ,lord ,hertford1 prevented me from declining4 ,he was thus solicited to undertake the very responsible duties of this office1 by one who had good opportunities of knowing his capacity for public business2 and the simple fact of the appointment is a testimony to the ability with which he had performed the analogous functions of his office in ,france4 ,he was indeed at all times a man of punctual habits1 and his unwearied industry had not yet begun to slacken4 ,he had a mind of that clear systematic order which was well fitted for the composition of official documents2 and his triumphs in philosophical and historical literature never inflated him with the ambition of considering any business which he consented to undertake too insignificant to deserve his full attention4 ,some official documents1 connected with the successive offices which he held1 have been preserved1 by collectors1 as autographs of so celebrated a man3 and they generally arrest the attention of every one who examines them1 by the clearness and precision of the language1 and not a little by the neatness of the handwriting4 ,after the resignation of the ,marquis of ,tweeddale1 in #agdf1 there was no longer a principal secretary of state for ,scotland2 and it became usual to consult the ,lord ,advocate1 or any other ministerial officer1 locally connected with the north1 as to the policy to be pursued in ,scottish affairs4 ,none of the principal members of the ,grafton ministry were ,scotsmen2 and there can be little doubt that ,hume must then have exercised a large influence in all affairs connected with his native country4#chc3a ,he held his office until the #bjth of ,july #agfh1 when ,general ,conway was superseded by ,lord ,weymouth4 ,the following letter contains a brief sketch of the general current of his official life4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 #ast ,april1 #agfg4 ,my way of life here is very uniform1 and by no means disagreeable4 ,i pass all the forenoon in the secretary's house1 from ten till three1 where there arrive1 from time to time1 messengers1 that bring me all the secrets of the kingdom1 and1 indeed1 of ,europe1 ,asia1 ,africa1 and ,america4 ,i am seldom hurried2 but have leisure1 at intervals1 to take up a book1 or write a private letter1 or converse with any friend that may call for me2 and from dinner to bed-time is all my own4 ,if you add to this1 that the person with whom ,i have the chief1 if not only transactions1 is the most reasonable1 equal tempered1 and gentleman-like man imaginable1 and ,lady ,aylesbury the same1 you will certainly think ,i have no reason to complain2 and ,i am far from complaining4 ,i only shall not regret when my duty is over2 because1 to me1 the situation can lead to nothing1 at least in all probability2 and reading1 and sauntering1 and lounging1 and dosing1 which ,i call thinking1 is my supreme happiness4 ,i mean my full contentment4 ,i thank you for the acquaintance you offer me of ,mr4 ,percy2 but it would be impracticable for me to cultivate his friendship1 as men of letters have here no place of rendezvous2 and are1 indeed1 sunk and forgot in the general torrent of the world4 ,if you can therefore decline1 without hardship1 any letter of recommendation1 it would save trouble both to him and me4#che3a ,in the beginning of the year #agfg1 ,ferguson published his ,essay on the ,history of ,civil ,society1 a work which speedily acquired a wide reputation through ,europe4 ,the allusions which ,hume has been found making to some work of a similar character1 so early as #agei1che3b probably refer to a particular portion of this book4 ,immediately before its publication1 he recommended ,ferguson's friends to prevail on him to suppress the work1 as likely to be injurious to its author's literary reputation3 one of the few instances1 if it be not the only one1 in which he discouraged a fellow-countryman1 desirous of casting his lot into the competition for literary distinction4 ,he ultimately found that his advice was erroneous1 as the book soon obtained a high character4 ,but1 had his own opinion of its merits coincided with the suffrages of the public1 it would not have been so honourable to his memory1 as the satisfaction he expressed on the discovery that the verdict of the reading world was against him4 ,writing to ,blair on #bdth ,february1 #agfg1 he says3-- ,i happened yesterday to visit a person three hours after a copy of ,ferguson's performance was opened1 for the first time1 in ,london4 ,it was by ,lord ,mansfield4 ,i accept this omen of its future success4 ,he was extremely pleased with it2 said it was very agreeable1 and perfectly well wrote2 assured me that he would not stop a moment till he had finished it2 and recommended it strongly to the perusal of the ,archbishop of ,york1 who was present4 ,i have wrote the same article of intelligence to ,ferguson himself2 but as he is the likeliest person in the world to suppress it1 ,i thought it safest to put it into your hands1 in order to circulate it4#chf3a ,again3-- ,i hear good things said of ,ferguson's book every day4 ,lord ,holderness showed me a letter from the ,archbishop of ,york1 where his ,grace says1 that in many things it surpasses ,montesquieu4 ,my friend1 ,mr4 ,dodwell1 says that it is an admirable book1 elegantly wrote1 and with great purity of language4 ,pray1 tell to ,ferguson and to others all these things4#chf3b ,again1 writing to the same correspondent1 on #ast ,april1 he says3-- ,the success of the book1 dear ,doctor1 which you mention1 gives me great satisfaction1 on account of my sincere friendship for the author2 and so much the rather1 as the success was to me unexpected4 ,i have since begun to hope1 and even to believe1 that ,i was mistaken2 and in this persuasion have several times taken it up and read chapters of it4 ,but1 to my great mortification and sorrow1 ,i have not been able to change my sentiments4 ,we shall see1 by the duration of its fame1 whether or not ,i am mistaken4 ,helvtius and ,saurin both told me at ,paris1 that they had been consulted by ,montesquieu about his ',esprit des ,loix4' ,they used the freedom to tell him1 as their fixed opinion1 that he ought to suppress the book2 which they foresaw would very much injure his reputation4 ,they said to me that1 no doubt1 ,i thought they had reason to be ashamed of their judgment4 ,but still1 added they1 you may observe that the public are very much returned from their first admiration of that book2 and we are persuaded that they will daily return still more4 ,i hope that ,i shall be found a false prophet as much as these gentlemen2 for though the ',esprit des ,loix1' be considerably sunk in vogue1 and will probably still sink farther1 it maintains a high reputation1 and probably will never be totally neglected4 ,it has considerable merit1 notwithstanding the glare of its pointed wit1 and notwithstanding its false refinements1 and its rash and crude positions4 ,helvtius and ,saurin assured me1 that this freedom of theirs never lost them any thing of ,montesquieu's friendship4 ,i believe the like would be my case2 but it is better not to put it to a trial4 ,on that account1 as well as others1 ,i recommend to you secrecy1 towards every person except ,robertson4#chh3a ,a letter from ,adam ,smith1 desiring that his friend1 ,count ,sarsfield1 might be introduced to ,hume's circle of acquaintance1 called forth the following narrative of a very amusing incident3-- ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,london1 #acth ,june1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,the ,count de ,sarsfield is a good acquaintance of mine1 from the time ,i saw him at ,paris2 and as he is really a man of merit1 ,i have great pleasure whenever ,i meet him here4 ,my occupations keep me from cultivating his friendship as much as ,i should incline4 ,i did not introduce him to ,elliot1 because ,i knew that this gentleman's reserve and indolence would make him neglect the acquaintance2 and ,i did not introduce him to ,oswald1 because ,i fear that he and ,i are broke for ever2 at least he does not seem inclined to take any steps towards an accommodation with me4 ,i am to tell you the strangest story you ever heard of4 ,i was dining with him1 above two months ago1 where1 among other company1 was the ,bishop of ,raphoe4#chh3b ,after dinner we were disposed to be merry4 ,i said to the company1 that ,i had been very ill used by ,lord ,hertford2 for that ,i always expected to be made a bishop by him during his lieutenancy6 but he had given away two sees from me1 to my great vexation and disappointment4 ,the right reverend1 without any farther provocation1 burst out into the most furious1 and indecent1 and orthodox rage that ever was seen3 told me that ,i was most impertinent2 that if he did not wear a gown1 ,i durst not1 no1 ,i durst not1 have used him so2 that none but a coward would treat a clergyman in that manner2 that henceforth he must either abstain from his brother's house1 or ,i must2 and that this was not the first time he had heard the stupid joke from my mouth4 ,with the utmost tranquillity and temper ,i asked his pardon2 assured him1 upon my honour1 that ,i did not mean him the least offence3 if ,i had imagined he could possibly have been displeased1 ,i never should have mentioned the subject2 but the joke was not in the least against him1 but entirely against myself1 as if ,i were capable of such an expectation as that of being a bishop6 my regard for himself1 and still more for his brother1 with whom ,i had long been more particularly connected1 would certainly restrain me from either joke or earnest1 which could be offensive to him2 and that1 if ,i had ever touched on the same topic before1 ,i had entirely forgot it1 and it must have been above a twelvemonth ago4 ,he was nowise appeased2 raved on in the same style for a long time4 ,at last ,i got the discourse diverted1 and took my leave1 seemingly with great indifference and even good humour4 ,i was nowise surprised nor concerned about his lordship2 because ,i had1 on other occasions1 observed the same orthodox zeal swell within him1 and it was often difficult for him to converse with temper when ,i was in the company4 ,but what really surprised and vexed me was1 that his brother kept silence all the time4 ,i met him in the passage when ,i went away1 and he made me no apology4 ,he has never since called on me2 and though he sees that ,i never come near his house1 though formerly ,i used to be three or four times a-week with him1 he never takes the least notice of it4 ,i own this gives me vexation1 because ,i have a sincere value and affection for him4 ,it is only some satisfaction to me to find1 that ,i am so palpably in the right as not to leave the least room for doubt or ambiguity4 ,dr4 ,pitcairne1 who was in the company1 says that he never saw such a scene in his lifetime4 ,if ,i were sure1 dear ,smith1 that you and ,i should not some day quarrel in some such manner1 ,i should tell you that ,i am1 yours very affectionately and sincerely4#cij3a ,the world levies certain penalties on the enjoyment of a character for good nature and kindness1 and ,hume seems to have paid them to their most ample extent1 in the shape of executing commissions1 and performing general petty services for his friends4 ,we have witnessed the zeal with which he attended to the education of ,mr4 ,elliot's two sons4 ,a teacher of languages1 possessing the distinguished name of ,graffigny1 and professing to be in the confidence of celebrated literary people in ,paris1 appears to have excited the suspicion of ,baron ,mure1 whose sons he was employed to instruct4 ,hume undertook to make some inquiries regarding him2 and his brief reports1 from time to time1 have some interest from their containing a few of his opinions on education4 ,,hume to ,,baron ,,mure4 ,london1 #ast ,july1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,baron1--,i believe ,i told you1 that ,d',alembert disclaimed all sort of acquaintance with him4 ,i have this moment received a letter from ,helvtius1 doing the same4 ,it was in answer to one ,i wrote him at ,lord ,hertford's desire4 ,i know not from what quarter we had heard that he had given to ,lord ,harcourt1 or ,lord ,newnam1 a good character of ,graffigny3 but it must have been a mistake2 for to me he says1 that he knows no such man2 that his wife1 who was niece to the famous ,mame de ,graffigny1 and educated with her1 never saw or heard of such a man3 nor can they imagine who he may be4 ,after this second imposture1 it is certain that ,lord ,hertford will not put his sons to him2 nor do ,i think it fit yours should longer remain4 ,he is an empty1 conceited fellow1 full of chimeras and pretensions2 and ,i think you are at no great loss for parting with him4 ,the question is1 what to do next8 7,undated47 ,,dear ,,baron1--,he is indeed a conceited man1 full of whimseys and affectations1 reasoning always in the clouds about the most obvious things1 and hunting after novelties and singularities of which his genius is incapable4 ,what1 for instance1 can be more whimsical than his method of teaching ,latin8 ,he gives his boys a long list of words1 which they are to get by heart1 like the muster-roll of a regiment1 and a great heap of grammar rules1 which are to them unintelligible4 ,after he has laid this foundation of a language1 as he imagines1 he begins them with the most difficult of all the ,latin poets2 and for this plan of education1 he will give you a galimatias of reasons1 clothed in the smoothest language1 and delivered with the softest accent4 7,undated47 ,,dear ,,baron1--,in my conversation with your young folks yesterday1 ,i endeavoured to inform myself concerning their progress in ,latin4 ,i find that they are not taught any ,latin grammar2 they are only instructed in the sense of single detached words1 which they learn1 both in ,greek and ,latin1 at once4 ,accordingly they told me water1 aqua1 and 2 but though ,i tried them in about half a dozen more words1 ,i could not find their learning extended so far4 ,all this appears to me very whimsical2 and ,i doubt a dead language can never be learned in this manner without grammar4 ,in a living language1 the continual application of the words and phrases teaches at the same time the sense of the words1 and their reference to each other2 but a list of words got by heart1 without any connected sense1 easily escapes the memory1 and is but a small part of the language4#cib3a ,there are several indications that ,hume still retained the half-formed intention of continuing his ,history through a portion of the period succeeding the ,revolution4 ,in a brief undated letter1 written to ,smith in ,paris1 he says3-- ,some push me to continue my ,history4 ,millar offers me any price4 ,all the ,marlborough papers are offered me3 and ,i believe nobody would venture to refuse me4 ,but cui bono8 ,why should ,i forego idleness1 and sauntering1 and society1 and expose myself again to the clamours of a stupid factious public8 ,i am not yet tired of doing nothing2 and am become too wise either to mind censure or applause4 ,by and bye ,i shall be too old to undergo so much labour4 ,adieu4#cib3b ,smith's opinion is thus reported by ,andrew ,millar1 on #bb;d ,november1 #agff4 ,he is of opinion1 with many more of your very good sensible friends1 that the ,history of this country1 from the ,revolution1 is not to be met with in books yet printed2 but from ,,mss4 in this country1 to which he is sure you will have ready access1 from all accounts he hears from the great here2 and therefore you should lay the ground-work here1 after your perusal of the ,,mss4 you may have access to1 and doing it below will be laying the wrong foundation4 ,i think it my duty to inform you the opinion of your most judicious friends1 and ,i think he and ,sir ,john ,pringle may be reckoned amongst that number4#cic3a ,millar1 indeed1 seems to have scarcely ever relaxed from urging this project2 and perhaps it was his perseverance1 and not any self-originating desire to pursue the task1 that kept the design alive in ,hume's mind4 ,he had written to his worthy publisher on #hth ,october1 #agff3-- ,i shall probably do as you advise1 and sketch out the outlines of the two or three subsequent reigns1 which ,i may finish at ,london1 after ,i find that there remains no farther obstacles to this work1 and that it is favoured1 ,i do not say by every body1 7for that is impossible17 but by the generality of the world4 ,at a later date he thus expressed his views3-- ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 ,london1 #agth ,july1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,we are still in as unsettled a condition as when you left us4 ,there will certainly be a considerable alteration in the ministry2 and ,i do not at present reckon my principal's situation more precarious than that of any other minister4 ,he speaks1 however1 like a man who is to be out of office in a few days4 ,i have also taken the precaution to desire him to request of the king1 in my name1 the liberty1 after my dismission1 of inspecting all the public records1 and all the papers in the ,paper-office4 ,his majesty was pleased to say1 that he very willingly complied with my request1 and was glad to hear of my intentions4 ,but my chief view is to run over such papers as belong to the period which ,i have already wrote1 in order to render that part of my ,history as little imperfect as possible4 ,it would be folly to think of writing any more2 and even as to correcting1 were it not an amusement1 to what purpose would it serve1 since ,i shall certainly never live to see a new edition8#cid3a ,on the same subject1 and in the same tone1 he writes to his brother1 on #fth ,october3-- ,as to myself1 ,i pass my time1 as ,i told you1 in an agreeable enough kind of business1 and not too much of it4 ,my income1 also1 is at present very considerable--above #aajj a-year1 of which ,i shall not spend much above the half4 ,notwithstanding1 ,i sometimes wish to be out of employment1 in order to prosecute my ,history1 to which every body urges me4 ,when ,mr4 ,conway was on the point of resigning1 ,i desired him to propose to the king that ,i might afterwards have the liberty of inspecting all the public offices for such papers as might serve to my purpose4 ,his majesty said1 that he was glad that ,i had that object in my eye2 and ,i should certainly have all the assistance in his power4 ,he was also pleased1 some time after1 to send to me the ,baron ,behr1 minister for ,hanover1 to tell me that he had ordered over some papers from ,hanover1 to be put into my hands1 because he believed they would be of use to me4 ,i believe ,i have told you that the use of the ,marlborough papers had been promised me by ,lord and ,lady ,spencer2 but ,marchmont1 who had some pretence of authority over them1 as trustee1 delayed giving them up1 suspecting1 ,i suppose1 the use they intended to make of them4#cie3a ,though it was as part of ,lord ,rockingham's administration that ,conway became secretary of state1 and his political connexions attached him to that leader1 he had been prevailed on to retain office on the formation of the ,grafton and ,chatham cabinet1 in ,august #agff4 ,in the summer of #agfg1 that ministry seemed likely to be formidably assailed by the united efforts of the ,rockingham and ,bedford parties1 whose meetings and resolutions at ,newcastle ,house are matters well known in history4 ,general ,conway's resignation would have terminated ,hume's tenure of office2 and we find1 in his correspondence1 a few indications of interest in the political movements of the time2 yet so calm and modified1 that even the possession of office seems scarcely to have affected the stoic philosophy with which he contemplated ministerial revolutions4 ,he says to his friend ,blair1 on the #ahth of ,june3-- ,we are all again in confusion4 ,negotiations for a new ministry2 the fatal month of ,july approaching2 a new settlement to be made1 which will be no settlement4 ,i fancy ,i return1 in a few weeks1 to my former situation4#cie3b ,and to ,smith1 on #adth ,july3-- ,,dear ,,smith1--,i send you the enclosed1 with a large packet for ,count ,sarsfield4 ,this is the last ministerial act which ,i shall probably perform2 and with this exertion ,i finish my functions4 ,i shall not leave this country presently4 ,perhaps ,i may go over to ,france4 ,our resignation is a very extraordinary incident1 and will probably occasion a total change of ministry4 ,are you busy8#cif3a ,his official life1 however1 was not so near a conclusion as he thought it was4 ,the following letter is more full and explicit1 in regard to these matters3-- ,london1 #bhth ,july1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,brother1--,were my present situation any object of anxiety1 ,i should have been very unhappy of late3 so uncertain has my continuance appeared every moment1 and so near did my ministerial functions seem to draw towards their conclusion4 ,but as the matter was very nearly indifferent to me1 ,i neither felt anxiety for my past danger1 nor do ,i experience any joy from my present establishment2 for we are now established1 for some time at least1 and all apprehensions of a change are removed to a distance4 ,the history of our late transactions is1 in short1 as follows3 ,about this time twelvemonth1 when the last revolution of ministry took place1 ,mr4 ,conway staid in1 though ,lord ,rockingham1 and most of his friends1 were turned out3 ,but it was with reluctance1 and only on the earnest entreaties of the king and ,lord ,chatham1 and on their giving him a promise that several of his friends and party should still continue to hold their places4 ,this engagement was broke last winter4 ,some of these gentlemen were turned out2 and ,mr4 ,conway1 after protesting against this usage1 declared1 that though he would keep his office during the session1 not to disturb the king's business1 he would resign as soon as the parliament should rise4 ,he accordingly desired the king1 about six weeks ago1 to provide him a successor1 and was entreated only to keep the seals till a proper person should be thought of4 ,when the matter came to be discussed1 it was found very difficult4 ,the ,duke of ,grafton declared1 that being deprived of ,lord ,chatham's support1 he could not continue to serve without ,mr4 ,conway3 and a total dissolution of the ministry seemed to be the effect of the incident4 ,negotiations were accordingly set on foot with the leaders of the opposition1 and a great meeting of them was held last week1 at ,bedford ,house4 ,it was found that they could not1 by any means1 agree in their demands2 and they separated in mutual discontent4 ,every body thinks that ,mr4 ,conway has now satisfied1 to the full1 the point of honour1 in which he is very scrupulous1 and that he will cordially resume his functions1 especially as he stands so well with the king and his fellow ministers1 and has brought it within the choice of his old friends to accept of the ministry1 if they had thought proper4 ,i was beginning to wish for our dissolution2 but upon this turn of affairs1 ,i resume my occupations with cheerfulness4#cig3a ,the remainder of this letter is devoted to a matter in which we have already frequently found him taking interest--the education of his nephews4 ,from his earliest to his latest days1 his connexion with his elder brother was cordial and affectionate4 ,on the #fth of ,october we find him writing1 in a tone which indicates a sympathy with some domestic calamity which his brother must have suffered3-- ,the time of your going to ,edinburgh approaches1 which makes a great change in your way of life1 and will naturally make yourself1 as well as all your friends1 anxious about the issue of it4 ,however1 ,i cannot but think that you will there live more cheerfully1 with all your children about you1 than in the country1 during the winter1 when your boys were absent4 ,at first only1 as your spirits are not very strong at present1 you may feel uneasy at the alteration1 as you are at present somewhat apprehensive about it4#cih3a ,there was apparently but one point in which the two brothers differed2 and it was a subject on which ,hume seems to have been at war with all his clan4 ,the ,laird of ,ninewells1 notwithstanding all the lustre that had now gathered round the name of ,hume1 would not adopt it in place of that of ,home1 which his father had borne4 ,he was a simple1 single-hearted man1 moderate in all his views and wishes1 and neither ambitious of distinction nor of wealth4 ,he passed his life as a retired country gentleman2 and while ,europe was full of his brother's name1 he was so averse to notoriety1 that he is known to have objected to the domestic events of births1 marriages1 and deaths1 in his family1 obtaining the usual publicity through the newspapers4#cih3b ,his eldest son1 ,joseph1 frequently mentioned in the following correspondence1 succeeded him in his estate and retired habits1 but not entirely in his disposition2 for he indulged in many of the eccentricities and peculiarities so often exhibited by the ,scottish gentry1--a characteristic they seem to derive from the circumstance1 that1 in the ,british empire1 there is no person less liable to encounter an equal1 and to be thwarted in his small exercise of absolute power1 than a ,scottish laird4 ,it is evident from his uncle's letters1 that ,joseph obtained an excellent education4 ,he was for some time placed under the charge of poor ,blacklock1--an arrangement by which ,hume sought to perform a double act of beneficence4#cii3a ,joseph died unmarried1 on #adth ,february1 #ahcb1 and was succeeded by his brother ,david1 whose career was more public and distinguished4 ,he was born on #bgth ,february1 #ageg1dja3a and died on #bgth ,july1 #ahch4 ,he was successively sheriff of the counties of ,berwick and ,linlithgow4 ,he was professor of ,scots law in the university of ,edinburgh1 and a principal clerk of ,session4 ,he subsequently resigned these offices1 on his being appointed a ,baron of the ,scottish ,exchequer4 ,his works are of great authority in the practical departments of the law4 ,while he taught in the university1 his students zealously collected notes of his lectures2 and1 as he refused to permit any version of them to be published1 the well preserved collections of these notes have been considered valuable treasuries of legal wisdom4 ,in #agij1 he published ,commentaries on the law of ,scotland1 respecting trials for crimes2 and1 in #agig1 ,commentaries on the law of ,scotland respecting the description and punishment of crimes1 forming1 in four quarto volumes1 a comprehensive treatise on all the departments of the criminal law of ,scotland1 which has now passed through three editions4 ,it has been justly remarked1 that lawyers of the present generation1 can1 with difficulty1 appreciate the merit of this work1 because1 from its having converted the whole subject it embraces into a system1 the chaotic mass1 from which the present comparatively orderly criminal code of ,scotland was constructed1 has disappeared4#djb3a ,few literary reputations have been more unlike each other than those of the two ,david ,humes1 uncle and nephew4 ,the former hated legal details and the jargon of technical phraseology2 to the latter they were the breath of his literary life4 ,the one1 as a philosopher1 saw1 throughout a wide circumference of vision1 the relations to each other of the most distant objects of human knowledge2 the latter saw nothing beyond the bounds of the professional details before him2 but these he noted with an unrivalled accuracy4 ,the strength1 clearness1 and beauty of the philosopher's language have been a lasting object of admiration2 the lawyer's diction was clumsy1 rude1 and ponderous1 without being either strong or clear4 ,on one point only did they agree--their political opinions2 and yet1 on this subject1 they seem not always to have been in unison4 ,from a very curious letter1 which will be found a few pages farther on1 it appears that ,hume thought it necessary seriously to warn his nephew against republican principles4 ,few1 who are only acquainted with the opinions of ,baron ,hume's later life1 will be inclined to believe that this danger could ever have been serious4 ,he was a supporter of all those parts of the criminal law of ,scotland1--in his day not a few1--which put the subject at the mercy of the crown and of the judges2 and a warm admirer of his sagacity and learning1 as a lawyer1 cannot quit this subject without regretting that these qualities should have been brought to aid the promulgation of arbitrary principles4 ,the education of his nephews1 occupies1 as has been already stated1 the remainder of the letter by ,hume to his brother above cited4 ,my present situation revives those reflections which have frequently occurred to me concerning the education of your sons1 particularly of ,josey1 whose age now advances1 and seems to approach towards a crisis4 ,the question is1 whether he had better continue his education in ,scotland or in ,england4 ,there are several advantages of a ,scots education2 but the question is1 whether that of the language does not counterbalance them1 and determine the preference to the ,english4 ,he is now of an age to learn it perfectly2 but if a few years elapse1 he may acquire such an accent1 as he will never be able to cure of4 ,it is not yet determined what profession he shall be of3 but it must always be of great advantage to speak properly3 especially if it should prove1 as we have reason to hope1 that his good parts will open him the road of ambition4 ,the only inconvenience is1 that few ,scotsmen1 that have had an ,english education1 have ever settled cordially in their own country2 and they have been commonly lost ever after to their friends4 ,however1 as this consequence is not necessary1 the superior recommendations of an ,english education ought not to be neglected4 ,i have been making inquiries for some time1 and on the whole ,i find ,eton the best place for the education of youth4 ,he would there be able to form connexions with many young people of distinction2 though the whole expense would scarcely exceed #gj a-year1 which ,i fancy is little more than he costs you at present4 ,i suggest1 therefore1 this idea to you that you may weigh it at leisure1 and determine upon it4 ,i know you do not like to be hurried1 and therefore the more time for reflection the better4 ,his friend and companion1 young ,adam1 is coming up soon1 but is going to ,westminster school1 which is a place that ,i find some objections to4 ,i hope ,mrs4 ,home is perfectly recovered4 ,i am glad to hear such good news of ,jock4 ,i had a letter from ,davie last week1 which gave me pleasure4 ,i am1 dear brother1 yours sincerely4#djd3a ,on #acth ,october1 in a letter of which a portion has been cited above1 ,hume writes further on the same subject3 ,,dear ,,brother1--,i never prognosticated well of ,josey's genius for the mathematics1 from his great slowness in learning arithmetic3 and ,i am not surprised to find that his progress in ,euclid has not been so great as might have been expected from his quickness and his capacity in other particulars4 ,there is indeed something very unaccountable in his turn2 so childish in many cases1 and yet so manly1 and quick1 and sensible in others4 ,the presence of strangers1 above all1 seems to make him recollect himself1 and he is exceedingly taking among them4 ,his address in particular1 is remarkably good1 and he seems to have a turn for the world and for company4 ,however1 ,i do not think him by any means deficient in his talents for literature4 ,it appeared to me that he always read his books with a very good taste1 ,latin as well as ,french and ,english2 and ,i imagine that he will make at least a very gentlemanlike scholar4 ,i wish therefore he had a further trial of the ,greek2 and if that will not do1 ,i think with you that the ,italian is an easy and genteel acquisition1 which will furnish him with occupation for this winter4#dje3a ,hume expressed no high respect for the historical abilities of ,dr4 ,smollett1 nor could he have well expected credit for sincerity if he had done so4 ,with the works in which the novelist let loose his native genius1 it is not likely that the philosopher could have had much sympathy4 ,but two letters addressed by him to ,smollett1 show that the successful and affluent man of letters was substantially kind and friendly to his less fortunate countryman4 ,,hume to ,,tobias ,,smollett4 ,london1 ,july #ah1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i have had a conversation with ,lord ,shelburne concerning your affairs3 he told me that he had long been pre-engaged for the consulship of ,nice to the ,spanish ambassador1 and could not possibly get free of that obligation4 ,i then mentioned the consulship of ,leghorn2 but he said he was already engaged for that office to a friend of ,mr4 ,dunning1 the lawyer4 ,on the whole1 ,i cannot flatter you with any hopes of success from that quarter2 even supposing his lordship were to remain in office1 which is very uncertain1 considering the present state of our ministry4 ,for of all our annual confusions1 the present seems to be the most violent1 and to threaten the most entire revolution1 and the most important events4 ,as ,lord ,chatham's state of health appears totally desperate1 and as ,lord ,shelburne's connexion is supposed to be chiefly1 if not solely1 with him1 many people foretell a short duration to the greatness of the last named minister4 ,every thing is uncertain3 there is a mighty combination to overpower the king4 ,the force of the crown is great2 but is not employed with that steadiness which its friends would wish4 ,i pretend not to foresee1 much less to foretell1 the consequences4 ,i am1 dear sir1 your most obedient1 and most humble servant1 c4#djf3a ,it has been a matter of speculation1 if not of dispute among ecclesiastical politicians1 how far ,hume had an influence in the dispensation of church patronage in ,scotland4 ,the following letters1 having however a more immediate reference to state politics1 may be held to afford some light on this question4 ,,hume to ,,sir ,,gilbert ,,elliot4#djf3b ,london1 #acth ,august1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,gilbert1--,i am told that the minister of ,kirkton1 in the ,presbytery of ,jedburgh1 is either dying1 or is to be removed1 and that the living is in the gift of the crown4 ,i have spoke to ,general ,conway desiring that1 in case no unexpected difficulties occur1 he may give it to my nephew's tutor2 and he has agreed to it4 ,i have since heard1 that the living1 though it stands in our list as a crown presentation1 is alternately in the gift of ,sir ,john ,elliot of ,stobs1 and ,cavers ,douglas4 ,i shall be much obliged to you1 if1 without mentioning the reason1 you could make inquiries1 and give me information4 ,you have heard1 no doubt1 that all our negotiations have vanished1 and that our present ministry is settled on a firmer basis than ever4 ,mr4 ,conway's delicacy of honour was satisfied1 by bringing his old friends the ,rockinghams to have an offer2 and as it was impossible for them to concert a ministry1 he has agreed to act cordially with the ,duke of ,grafton3 the king is very happy that no changes are to have place4 ,i do not reckon the change in ,ireland for any thing1 because ,lord ,bristol goes out at his own earnest and repeated desire4 ,i am told that ,lord ,townsend openly ascribes his own promotion entirely to the friendship of ,lord ,bute4 ,charles ,fitzroy lately1 in a great meeting1 proposed ,lord ,bute's health in a bumper4 ,it will be a surprise to you certainly1 if that noble lord should again come into fashion1 and openly avow his share of influence1 and be openly courted by all the world4 ,i am1 dear ,sir ,gilbert1 yours sincerely4#djg3a #ajth ,sept4 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,gilbert1--,lord ,north has refused the office of ,chancellor of the ,exchequer2 though it was earnestly pressed upon him1 and though he professed an entire satisfaction with every person in the administration4 ,he dreads the labour of the office1 especially as it obliges him to take so great a part in the business of the ,house of ,commons4 ,it will not probably be offered to any ,scotsman1 for fear of popular reflections concerning the influence of the ,thane4 ,the same objection1 as well as others1 lie against ,dyson1 who has been thought of4 ,i see the ministry in some perplexity2 perhaps this incident may draw on new resignations and negotiations1 and cabals4 ,i think one defect of the present situation of our government is1 that nobody desires much to have any share in the administration1 except adventurers1 of whom the public is naturally distrustful4 ,the pecuniary emoluments are of no consideration to men of rank and fortune4 ,you have often more personal regard from being in the opposition4 ,the protection of the law is at all times sufficient for your security2 and by acquiring authority you are exposed to insults1 instead of gaining the power to revenge them4#djh3a ,why1 then1 should a man of birth1 fortune1 and parts1 sacrifice his fame and peace to an ungrateful public8 ,such is the defect that arises from the perfection of the most perfect government4#djh3b ,the next in the chronological order of ,hume's letters1 reverts to the prospect of his continuing his ,history4 ,,hume to ,,andrew ,,millar4 #aith ,october1 #agfg4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,the picture which ,donaldson has done for me is a drawing2 and1 in every body's opinion1 as well as my own1 is the likest that has been done for me1 as well as the best likeness4 ,since you still insist that an engraving should be made from it1 we are thus more likely to have a good engraving made than by any other means4 ,i shall1 however1 be glad to sit to ,ferguson4#dji3a ,i intend to give up all my leisure time to the correction of my ,history1 and to contrive more leisure than ,i have possessed since ,i came into public office4 ,i had run over four volumes2 but ,i shall give them a second perusal1 and employ the same1 or greater accuracy in correcting the other four4 ,i shall read carefully all the records in the ,paper ,office1 as far back as they go1 and shall leave nothing untried that may bestow the greatest exactness upon it4 ,for this reason1 as well as many others1 ,i would not have you precipitate this edition1 which is probably the last that ,i may have occasion to make4 ,i would wish to leave that work as little imperfect as possible to posterity4 ,i am1 c4#dji3b ,gibbon tells us1 in his amusing autobiography1 that with the assistance of his friend ,deyverdun1 he had written in ,french a portion of a history of ,switzerland1 and that the opinions he heard expressed when a fragment of it was anonymously read before a society in ,london1 prompted him to abandon the work1 and burn the portion he had written4 ,i delivered1 he says1 my imperfect sketches to the flames4 ,yet1 singularly enough1 he seems to have confounded the intention with the fulfilment1 for they were discovered after his death1 but were not thought worthy of being published by his literary executor1 ,lord ,sheffield4#dji3c ,gibbon had endeavoured to find for his friend ,deyverdun some employment in ,england1 picturesquely observing1 that his own purse was always open1 but it was often empty4 ,they wrote in company some numbers of a periodical1 now very rare1 called ,mmoires ,littraires de ,la ,grande ,bretagne1 and ,gibbon informs us that these specimens of their labours introduced them to the notice of ,hume1#daj3a in whose office ,deyverdun held an appointment at the date of the following letter3-- ,,gibbon to ,,hume4 ,baiton1 #dth ,october1 #agfg4 ,,sir1--,a six years' residence in ,switzerland inspired me with the design of writing a general history of that brave and free people1 so little known to the rest of ,europe1 but whom ,i had studied with some attention4 ,this design was dropt almost as soon as conceived1 from the almost insurmountable difficulty of procuring proper materials1 as they were mostly in ,german1 a language ,i am totally unacquainted with4 ,a ,swiss gentleman1 and intimate friend of mine1 has removed that difficulty4 ,mr4 ,deyverdun1 who passed the summer with me in the country two years ago1 approved very much my design1 and offered to assist me by translating what was most difficult1 himself1 and by superintending a ,german translator1 as to the remainder4 ,he is now returning to ,london after a much shorter visit than ,i desired2 and as he has the happiness of supporting some connexion with you1 ,i flattered myself that you might indulge a wish1 perhaps presumptuous1 that ,i had conceived1 and that you would condescend to glance your eye over the sheets of this ,history1 which ,i had already drawn up in a language indeed foreign to an ,englishman1 but which the favourable reception of a former essay engaged me to make use of4 ,give me leave1 sir1 to add1 that ,i must beg you to consider this liberty as a proof of my respect2 and that ,i shall consider your severity as a mark of your esteem4 ,if you advise me to burn what ,i have already wrote1 ,i shall immediately execute your sentence1 with a full persuasion that it is just4 ,let me say1 however1 ,i have perhaps vanity enough to make so unlimited a sacrifice to no man in ,europe but to ,mr4 ,hume4 ,i am1 sir1 with the greatest esteem1 your most obedient humble servant1 ,e4 ,,gibbon1 ,junior4#daa3a ,,hume to ,,gibbon4 ,london1 #bdth ,october1 #agfg4 ,,sir1--,it is but a few days since ,mr4 ,deyverdun put your manuscript into my hands2 and ,i have perused it with great pleasure and satisfaction4 ,i have only one objection1 derived from the language in which it is written4 ,why do you compose in ,french1 and carry fagots into the wood1 as ,horace says1 with regard to the ,romans who wrote in ,greek8 ,i grant1 that you have a like motive to those ,romans1 and adopt a language much more generally diffused than your native tongue3 but have you not remarked the fate of those two ancient languages in following ages8 ,the ,latin1 though then less celebrated1 and confined to more narrow limits1 has1 in some measure1 outlived the ,greek1 and is now more generally understood by men of letters4 ,let the ,french1 therefore1 triumph in the present diffusion of their tongue4 ,our solid and increasing establishments in ,america1 where we need less dread the inundation of barbarians1 promise a superior stability and duration to the ,english language4 ,your use of the ,french tongue has also led you into a style more poetical and figurative1 and more highly coloured1 than our language seems to admit of in historical productions3 for such is the practice of ,french writers1 particularly the more recent ones1 who illuminate their pictures more than custom will permit us4 ,on the whole1 your ,history1 in my opinion1 is written with spirit and judgment2 and ,i exhort you very earnestly to continue it4 ,the objections that occurred to me on reading it were so frivolous1 that ,i shall not trouble you with them1 and should1 ,i believe1 have a difficulty to collect them4 ,i am1 with great esteem1 c4#dab3a ,some remarks communicated to ,dr4 ,robertson1 on his ,history of ,charles ,v4 while that work was passing through the press1 have deservedly attracted notice by their unconstrained and natural playfulness4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,robertson4 ,i got yesterday from ,strahan about thirty sheets of your ,history to be sent over to ,suard1 and last night and this morning have run them over with great avidity4 ,i could not deny myself the satisfaction 7which ,i hope also will not displease you7 of expressing presently my extreme approbation of them4 ,to say only that they are very well written1 is by far too faint an expression1 and much inferior to the sentiments ,i feel4 ,they are composed with nobleness1 with dignity1 with elegance1 and with judgment1 to which there are few equals4 ,they even excel1 and1 ,i think1 in a sensible degree1 your ,history of ,scotland4 ,i propose to myself great pleasure in being the only man in ,england1 during some months1 who will be in the situation of doing you justice1--after which you may certainly expect that my voice will be drowned in that of the public4 ,you know that you and ,i have always been on the footing of finding in each other's productions something to blame1 and something to commend2 and therefore you may perhaps expect also some seasoning of the former kind2 but really neither my leisure nor inclination allowed me to make such remarks2 and ,i sincerely believe you have afforded me very small materials for them4 ,however1 such particulars as occur to my memory1 ,i shall mention4 ,maltreat is a ,scoticism which occurs once4 ,what the devil had you to do with that old fashioned dangling word wherewith8 ,i should as soon take back whereupon1 whereunto1 and wherewithal4 ,i think the only tolerable decent gentleman of the family is wherein2 and ,i should not choose to be often seen in his company4 ,but ,i know your affection for wherewith proceeds from your partiality to ,dean ,swift1 whom ,i can often laugh with1 whose style ,i can even approve1 but surely can never admire4 ,it has no harmony1 no eloquence1 no ornament2 and not much correctness1 whatever the ,english may imagine4 ,were not their literature still in a somewhat barbarous state1 that author's place would not be so high among their classics4 ,but what a fancy is this you have taken of saying always an hand1 an heart1 an head8 ,have you an ear8 ,do you not know that this 7n7 is added before vowels to prevent the cacophony1 and ought never to take place before 7h7 when that letter is sounded8 ,it is never pronounced in these words2 why should it be wrote8 ,thus1 ,i should say1 a history1 and an historian2 and so would you too1 if you had any sense4 ,but you tell me that ,swift does otherwise4 ,to be sure there is no reply to that2 and we must swallow your hath too upon the same authority4 ,i will see you d----d sooner4 ,but ,i will endeavour to keep my temper4 ,i do not like this sentence in page #adi3 ,this step was taken in consequence of the treaty ,wolsey had concluded with the ,emperor at ,brussels1 and which had hitherto been kept secret4 ,si sic omnia dixisses1 ,i should never have been plagued with hearing your praises so often sounded1 and that fools preferred your style to mine4 ,certainly it had been better to have said1 which ,wolsey1 c4 ,that relative ought very seldom to be omitted2 and is here particularly requisite to preserve a symmetry between the two members of the sentence4 ,you omit the relative too often1 which is a colloquial barbarism1 as ,mr ,johnson calls it4 ,your periods are sometimes1 though not often1 too long4 ,suard will be embarrassed with them1 as the modish ,french style runs into the other extreme4#dac3a ,turgot1 at the instigation of some ,italian friends1 had applied to ,hume to recommend a scholar1 who would undertake to teach the ,english language and literature at ,parma4 ,he selected ,robert ,liston2 but he had overlooked an objection which the enlightened promoters of the scheme in ,italy appear to have considered too obvious to require preliminary explanation1 that ,liston was a ,protestant6 ,in returning thanks to ,hume for the unavailing recommendation1 ,liston discovers the bent of his genius1 by desiring that1 if an opportunity should occur1 ,hume would recommend him as secretary of legation to any of the secondary embassies4 ,the fate of the ,parma scheme was thus communicated to ,elliot4 ,,hume to ,,sir ,,gilbert ,,elliot4 ,london1 #eth ,july1 #agfh4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,gilbert1--,i beg of you to direct the enclosed to poor ,liston1 who will be disappointed in the scheme for ,parma3 they will have nothing but a ,papist4 ,such fools6 ,let the ,pope excommunicate them on the one hand3 ,i will do so on the other4 ,i have seen a book newly printed at ,edinburgh1 called ',philosophical ,essays3' it has no manner of sense in it1 but is wrote with tolerable neatness of style3 whence ,i conjecture it to be our friend1 ,sir ,david's4#dad3a ,i am obliged to him for the treatment which he destines me1 to be locked up for five years in a dungeon1 and then to be hanged1 and my carcass to be thrown out of ,scotland4 ,he supports himself1 indeed1 by the authority of ,plato1 whom ,i own to be truly divine4 ,pray1 have you seen the book8 ,is it ,sir ,david's8 ,i think it has not so many attempts at humour1 as that pious gentleman would employ4 ,we are all very quiet here2 as quiet as you are at ,minto1 though perhaps not so busy4 ,no more noise of ,wilkes and ,liberty4 ,lord ,mansfield said to me1 that it was impossible for him to condemn him to the pillory1 because the attorney-general did not demand it4 ,yesterday he represented to the ,spanish ambassador1 that moderate sentence1 as a refinement in politics1 which reduced the scoundrel the sooner to obscurity4 ,it would be a strange cause1 which he could not find plausible reasons to justify4 ,i beg to be remembered to ,lady ,elliot1 and to any of your family who may be at ,minto4 ,i ever am1 dear ,sir ,gilbert1 yours sincerely4#dae3a ,,sir ,,gilbert ,,elliot to ,,hume4 ,minto1 #aath ,july1 #agfh4 ,i am sorry1 my dear sir1 for poor ,liston's disappointment4 ,i am told he thought himself secure4 ,i have seen the book you mention2 but you do injustice to our friend ,sir ,david4 ,he is not the author2 but a very moral and worthy man1 who1 ,i believe1 once had the honour to attend you in some of your writings before1--his name ,james ,balfour--at least ,i am told so4 ,the young feudal author1 ,gilbert ,stewart1 is just now in my neighbourhood2 and1 his father tells me1 impatient1 to a great degree1 for your letter4 ,it seems he is much your admirer4 ,however1 ,i hope my criticisms1 on some parts of his work1 may keep him from carrying his admiration1 on some points1 too far4 ,not that ,i mean to close with my friend1 ,mr4 ,balfour1 in his candid proposition for treating you after the manner of the divine ,plato4 ,i rest entirely on you for politics1 changes of ministry1 foreign politics1 and domestic occurrences4 ,i have now no correspondents2 and ,i did not think it prudent to engage with any ministerial men2 as ,i might be led1 in such a correspondence1 to commit mistakes1 which may be inconvenient next winter4 ,farming1 ,i find1 is very expensive--days' wages now at a shilling2 but our fields are green1 and the hedges thrive4 ,i hope to see your brother this autumn4 ,he is very orthodox1 ,i am told1 so far as husbandry goes4 ,i hope to hear your love affair1 and your ,king ,william1 are in a good way4 ,my wife not yet arrived4 ,yours1 c4#daf3a ,gilbert ,stuart1 then unknown to fame1 whether good or bad1 and still possessed of any small portion of modesty he had ever been endowed with1 was about to publish his little work on the ,british constitution1 the temporary celebrity of which had so prejudicial an effect on his subsequent career4 ,we shall afterwards have an opportunity of noticing him on an occasion when he seems to have thought that the relation which ,hume and he bore to each other1 in #agfh1 of humble admirer and distinguished patron1 was reversed in his favour4 ,,hume to ,,sir ,,gilbert ,,elliot4 #bb;d ,july1 #agfh4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,gilbert1--,i send you my letter enclosed to ,mr4 ,stewart2 which ,i hope is calculated to encourage a young man of merit4 ,without overstraining the compliment1 it were better1 however1 for him1 and for every body1 to pursue1 in preference to the idle trade of writing1 some other lawful occupation1 such as cheating like an attorney2 quacking like a physician2 canting and hypocrising like a parson1 c4 c4 c4 ,it is for very little purpose to go out of the common track4 ,does he expect to make men wiser8 a very pretty expectation truly6 ,i fancy the ministry will remain2 though surely their late remissness1 or ignorance1 or pusillanimity1 ought to make them ashamed to show their faces1 were it even at ,newmarket4 ,there are fine doings in ,america4 ,o6 how ,i long to see ,america and the ,east ,indies revolted1 totally and finally1--the revenue reduced to half1--public credit fully discredited by bankruptcy1--the third of ,london in ruins1 and the rascally mob subdued6 ,i think ,i am not too old to despair of being witness to all these blessings4 ,i approve of your farming scheme1 notwithstanding the expense2 though your situation1 as well for markets as means of improvement1 is not advantageous4 ,my brother's advice may be of use to you2 but you are always to remember that he is of the sect of the mdecin tant pis2 had he possessed enterprise1 proportioned to his industry and skill1 he might have gone far in that way4#dag3a ,i continue my parasitical practices2 that is1 of dining at all the great tables that remain in ,london4 ,we are likely to be plagued with this ,king of ,denmark2 though not so much as formerly with ,canute the ,great4 ,i have some thoughts of paying a visit to ,france this autumn2 that is1 if ,i can collect enough of resolution to leave the present place of abode4 ,when ,i wrote last1 ,i did not know that ,lady ---- had eloped2 that practice continues very fashionable here2 and it is to be hoped will spread itself more and more every day6 ,i thought ,sir ,david had been the only ,christian that could write ,english on the other side of the ,tweed4 ,i did not think of ,balfour4 ,it is very true he would fain1 ,i see1 be candid1 and civil1 as in his other book2 if his zeal for the house of the ,lord would permit him4 ,lord ,bute certainly sets out this day se'ennight1 and1 it is said1 is in a very bad state of health4 ,lord ,chatham is a greater paradox than ever3--is seen at home by no human creature2--absolutely by none6 rides twenty miles every day1--is seen on the road1 and appears in perfect good health2 but will now speak to no creature he meets4 ,i am much persuaded1 all is quackery2--he is not mad2 that is1 no madder than usual4#dah3a ,towards the end of the year #agfh1 poor ,smollett1 with his spirit crushed by the united calamities of a broken constitution and ruined fortunes1 sought to retrieve his health1 by travelling in ,italy4 ,before commencing his journey1 he wrote the following letter2 in which the too apparent tone of despondency is yet insufficient to damp the kindly warmth of his feelings3-- ,,tobias ,,smollett to ,,hume4 ,london1 #cast ,august1 #agfh4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,perhaps ,i overrate my own consequence when ,i presume to recommend to your acquaintance and good offices1 the bearer1 ,captain ,robert ,stobo2 a man whose very extraordinary services and sufferings in ,america1 have merited1 and obtained the most ample and honourable testimonials1 which he will gladly submit to your perusal4 ,i can safely say from my own knowledge1 that he is not less modest and sensible in the conversation and occurrences of civil life1 than enterprising and indefatigable in his military capacity4 ,all these good qualities1 united to an extensive knowledge of our ,american concerns1 cannot fail to engage the friendship and regard of ,mr4 ,david ,hume1 from what quarter so ever they may come recommended4 ,with respect to myself1 ,i am sorry ,i cannot have the pleasure of taking leave of you in person1 before ,i go into perpetual exile4 ,i sincerely wish you all health and happiness4 ,in whatever part of the earth it may be my fate to reside1 ,i shall always remember with pleasure1 and recapitulate with pride1 the friendly intercourse ,i have maintained with one of the best men1 and undoubtedly the best writer of the age2 if any judgment in distinguishing either character or capacity may be allowed to1 dear sir1 your very humble servant1 ,t,s ,,smollett4 ,nos patriam fugimus3 tu1 ,tityre1 lentus in umbra1 ,formosam resonare doces ,amaryllida silvas4#dai3a ,,hume to ,,tobias ,,smollett4 ,ragley1#dai3b ,september #ba1 #agfh4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,i did not see your friend1 ,captain ,stobo1 till the day before ,i left ,cirencester1 and only for a little time2 but he seemed to be a man of good sense1 and has surely had the most extraordinary adventures in the world4 ,he has promised to call on me when he comes to ,london1 and ,i shall always see him with pleasure4 ,but what is this you tell me of your perpetual exile1 and of your never returning to this country8 ,i hope that as this idea arose from the bad state of your health1 it will vanish on your recovery2 which1 from your past experience1 you may expect from those happier climates to which you are retiring2 after which the desire of revisiting your native country will probably return upon you1 unless the superior cheapness of foreign countries prove an obstacle1 and detain you there4 ,i could wish that means had been fallen on to remove this objection2 and that at least it might be equal to you to live any where1 except where the consideration of your health gave the preference to one climate above another4 ,but the indifference of ministers towards literature1 which has been long1 and indeed always1 the case in ,england1 gives little prospect of any alteration in this particular4 ,i am sensible of your great partiality1 in the good opinion you express towards me2 but it gives me no less pleasure than if it were founded on the greatest truth1 for ,i accept it as a pledge of your good will and friendship4 ,i wish an opportunity of showing my sense of it may present itself during your absence4 ,i assure you ,i should embrace it with great alacrity1 and you need have no scruple1 on every occasion1 of having recourse to me4 ,i am1 my dear sir1 with great esteem and sincerity1 your most obedient1 and most humble servant1 c4#dbj3a ,of the following remarkable letter1 the first paragraph1 relating to the success of ,john ,home's new play1 has already been published4#dbj3b ,the remainder will probably be as surprising to the reader as it is new4 ,it is very evident that ,hume exercised towards the great ,chatham1 ,dr4 ,johnson's virtue of honest hatred4 ,there was indeed little love lost between these great contemporaries2 for ,chatham fiercely attacked the constitutional doctrines of the ,history of ,england1 and ,hume looked upon the national idol as an unprincipled demagogue4 ,the words with which the observations on the ,douglas cause conclude1 are evidence of the contempt which1 amidst all his ,tory prepossessions1 ,hume preserved for merely hereditary rank1 and indeed for all nominal and outward marks of distinction1 which were not allied to intellectual superiority4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,park ,place1 ,london1 #bhth ,march1 #agfi4 ,,dear ,,doctor1--',the ,fatal ,discovery' succeeded1 and deserved it4 ,it has feeling1 though not equal to ',douglas1' in my opinion4 ,the versification of it is not enough finished4 ,our friend escaped by lying concealed2 but the success of all plays in this age is very feeble2 and people now heed the theatre almost as little as the pulpit4#dba3a ,history now is the favourite reading1 and our other friend#dba3b the favourite historian4 ,nothing can be more successful than his last production2 nor more deservedly4 ,i agree with you1 it is beyond his first performance1 as was indeed natural to be expected4 ,i hope1 for a certain reason1 which ,i keep to myself1 that he does not intend1 in his third work1 to go beyond his second1 though ,i am damnably afraid he will1 for the subject is much more interesting4 ,neither the character of ,charles ,v41 nor the incidents of his life1 are very interesting2 and1 were it not for the first volume1 the success of this work1 though perfectly well writ1 would not have been so shining4 ,this madness about ,wilkes excited first indignation1 then apprehension2 but has gone to such a height that all other sentiments with me are buried in ridicule4 ,this exceeds the absurdity of ,titus ,gates and the ,popish plot3 and is so much more disgraceful to the nation1 as the former folly1 being derived from religion1 flowed from a source which has from uniform prescription acquired a right to impose nonsense on all nations and all ages4 ,but the present extravagance is peculiar to ourselves1 and quite risible4 ,however1 ,i am afraid my mirth will soon be spoilt1 and affairs become quite serious2 for ,i am well assured that ,lord ,chatham will1 after the holidays1 creep out from his retreat and appear on the scene4 ,depositis novus exuviis1 nitidusque juvent1 ,volvitur ad solem et linguis micat ore trisulcis4 ,i know not if ,i cite ,virgil exactly1#dbb3a but ,i am sure ,i apply him right4 ,this villain is to thunder against the violation of the ,bill of ,rights in not allowing the county of ,middlesex the choice of its member6 ,think of the impudence of that fellow1#dbc3a and his quackery--and his cunning--and his audaciousness3 and judge of the influence he will have over such a deluded multitude4 ,i was struck with a very sensible indignation at the decision of the ,douglas cause1#dbc3b though ,i foresaw it for some time4 ,it was abominable with regard to poor ,andrew ,stuart1 who had conducted that cause with singular ability and integrity2 and was at last exposed to reproach1 which unfortunately never can be wiped off4 ,for the cause1 though not in the least intricate1 is so complicated1 that it never will be reviewed by the public1 who are besides perfectly pleased with the sentence2 being swayed by compassion and a few popular topics4 ,to one who understands the cause as ,i do1 nothing could appear more scandalous than the pleadings of the two law lords4 ,such gross misrepresentation1 such impudent assertions1 such groundless imputations1 never came from that place4 ,but all was good enough for their audience2 who1 bating their quality1 are most of them little better than their brethren the ,wilkites in the streets4 ,i am very much obliged to you for giving me the acquaintance of your cousin1 ,mr4 ,blair1#dbc3c who seems1 indeed1 to me1 a very accomplished young man4 ,the death of your brother-in-law is a great loss to you1 and even to us all4 ,i comprehend myself2 for ,i intend to visit you soon1 and for good and all4 ,indeed1 ,i know not what detains me here1 except that it is so much a matter of indifference where ,i live2 and ,i am amused with looking on the scene1 which really begins to be interesting4 ,i had taken one of ,allan ,ramsay's houses2#dbd3a but gave it up again1 on the representation of some of my friends in ,edinburgh1 who said that a house1 on the north side of a high hill1 in the #efth degree of latitude1 could not be healthful4 ,but ,i now repent it1 though ,i have my old house to retreat to till ,i get a better4 ,i am glad you like my nephew4 ,he is1 indeed1 clever1 though1 ,i am afraid1 a little giddy4#dbd3b ,andrew ,stuart1 who is noticed in the preceding letter1 and has frequently been referred to in ,hume's correspondence1 was a man of great talent4 ,his letters to ,lord ,mansfield1 on the ,douglas cause1 remarkable for their solemn asperity1 belong to a species of literature1 of which the ,english language scarcely boasts of any other instance1--a systematic and serious arraignment of the conduct of a ,judge in the highest court in the realm1 by the law agent of a litigant6 ,stuart conducted the investigations in ,france1 on which the evidence that the children said to be born to ,lady ,jane ,douglas were spurious1 was founded2 and from the strange circumstances brought forward in the evidence1 we can imagine that1 if ,stuart had left a diary of his adventures and inquiries1 few works of fiction could be more interesting4 ,his arraignment of the judge was accompanied by an act almost equally anomalous3 his challenging the counsel on the other side--who was ,mr4 ,wedderburn1 afterwards ,lord ,loughborough--on account of the manner in which his conduct had been spoken of in the appeal case4 ,the challenge was accepted2 but neither party was wounded4 ,from occasional allusions1 in ,hume's correspondence1 he and ,stuart appear to have been early friends2 and many of the letters1 which he preserved1 within a few years of his death1 are from ,stuart1 who1 occasionally1 appears to write in acknowledgment of pecuniary advances4 ,among ,hume's papers1 there is a letter1 of which the address has not been preserved1 but in which there is a note1 in ,baron ,hume's handwriting1 that it was1 respecting his friend ,stuart--,andrew1 ,i suppose4 ,the letter has a sufficient interest in itself4 ,it is as follows3-- ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,nothing can be more just than the sentiment you have expressed in your letter4 ,i am to be envied for having had it in my power to contribute to the happiness of the best man1 and the most intimate friend ,i have ever had in the world4 ,there is nothing else in the possession of a fortune that deserves the least envy or the least consideration4 ,every man is independent who thinks himself so4 ,but every man has not been blessed with such a friend1 or with the power of showing1 in some small degree1 the value he puts upon worth1 delicacy1 attachment1 and ability like his4 ,it adds to my happiness not a little1 that your sentiments coincide so entirely with mine4 ,you have known ,stuart enough to value him as much as ,i do2 and he has too much discernment not to put the same high value upon you1 which you have commanded from every one of your friends4 ,hume received a letter from the ,abb ,morellet1 dated #aeth ,may #agfi1dbf3a requesting him to accept of a copy of his forthcoming ,prospectus d'un ,nouveau ,dictionnaire de ,commerce2 and to distribute some others among a list of names1 including those of ,adam ,smith and ,benjamin ,franklin4 ,the comprehensive work of which the ,abb thus developed what he considered the proper principles1 was never written by him4 ,he was too much occupied with fugitive literature1 and the absorbing politics of the time1 to be able seriously to pursue a project involving so much steady industry4 ,hume answered as follows3-- ,,hume to the ,,abb ,,morellet4 ,london1 #ajth ,july1 #agfi4 ,that part of your prospectus1 in which you endeavour to prove that there enters nothing of human convention in the establishment of money1 is certainly very curious1 and very elaborately composed2 and yet ,i cannot forbear thinking that the common opinion has some foundation4 ,it is true1 money must always be made of some materials1 which have intrinsic value1 otherwise it would be multiplied without end1 and would sink to nothing4 ,but1 when ,i take a shilling1 ,i consider it not as a useful metal1 but as something which another will take from me2 and the person who shall convert it into metal is1 probably1 several millions of removes distant4 ,you know that all states have made it criminal to melt their coin2 and1 though this is a law which cannot well be executed1 it is not to be supposed that1 if it could1 it would entirely destroy the value of the money1 according to your hypothesis4 ,you have a base coin1 called billon1 in ,france1 composed of silver and copper1 which has a ready currency1 though the separation of the two metals1 and the reduction of them to their primitive state1 would1 ,i am told1 be both expensive and troublesome4 ,our shillings and sixpences1 which are almost our only silver coin1 are so much worn by use1 that they are twenty1 thirty1 or forty per cent4 below their original value2 yet they pass currently2 which can arise only from a tacit convention4 ,our colonies in ,america1 for want of specie1 used to coin a paper currency2 which were not bank notes1 because there was no place appointed to give money in exchange3 yet this paper currency passed in all payments1 by convention2 and might have gone on1 had it not been abused by the several assemblies1 who issued paper without end1 and thereby discredited the currency4 ,you mention several kinds of money1 sheep1 oxen1 fish1 employed as measures of exchange1 or as money1 in different parts of the world4 ,you have overlooked that1 in our colony of ,pennsylvania1 the land itself1 which is the chief commodity1 is coined1 and passes in circulation4 ,the manner of conducting this affair is as follows3--,a planter1 immediately after he purchases any land1 can go to a public office and receive notes to the amount of half the value of his land2 which notes he employs in all payments1 and they circulate through the whole colony1 by convention4 ,to prevent the public from being overwhelmed by this fictitious money1 there are two means employed--first1 the notes issued to any one planter1 must not exceed a certain sum1 whatever may be the value of his land3 secondly1 every planter is obliged to pay back into the public office every year one-tenth part of his notes2 the whole1 of course1 is annihilated in ten years2 after which1 it is again allowed him to take out new notes to half the value of his land4 ,an account of this curious operation would enrich your dictionary2 and you may have a more particular detail of it1 if you please1 from ,dr4 ,franklin1 who will be in ,paris about this time1 and will be glad to see you4 ,i conveyed to him your prospectus1 and he expressed to me a great esteem of it4 ,i see that1 in your prospectus1 you take care not to disoblige your economists1 by any declaration of your sentiments2 in which ,i commend your prudence4 ,but ,i hope that in your work you will thunder them1 and crush them1 and pound them1 and reduce them to dust and ashes6 ,they are1 indeed1 the set of men the most chimerical and most arrogant that now exist1 since the annihilation of the ,sorbonne4 ,i ask your pardon for saying so1 as ,i know you belong to that venerable body4 ,i wonder what could engage our friend1 ,m4 ,turgot1 to herd among them2 ,i mean1 among the economists2 though ,i believe he was also a ,sorbonnist4 ,i sent your prospectus to ,dr4 ,tucker1 but have not heard from him since4 ,i shall myself deliver copies to ,dr4 ,robertson and ,mr4 ,smith1 as ,i go to ,scotland this autumn4 ,and now1 my dear ,abb1 what remains to me but to wish you success in your judicious labours8 to embrace you1 and through you1 to embrace all our common friends1 ,d',alembert1 ,helvtius1 ,buffon1 ,baron d',holbach1 ,suard1 ,mlle4 ,l',espinasse8 ,poor ,abb ,le ,bon is dead1 ,i hear4 ,the ,abb ,galliani goes to ,naples3 he does well to leave ,paris before ,i come thither2 for ,i should certainly put him to death for all the ill he has spoken of ,england4 ,but it has happened1 as was foretold by his friend1 ,caraccioli2 who said that the ,abb would remain two months in this country1 would speak all himself1 would not allow an ,englishman to utter a syllable2 and after returning would give the character of the nation during the rest of his life1 as if he were perfectly well acquainted with them4 ,pray make my compliments to ,m4 ,malette4 ,tell him1 that ,prince ,masserane says1 that he has saved much effusion of blood to this country4 ,it is certain that ,m4 ,malette had a great curiosity to see a riot here1 and yet was resolved to keep his person in safety4 ,for this purpose1 he hired a window2 and proposed to be present at one of the mad elections of ,wilkes1 and to divert himself with the fray4 ,somebody got a hint of it1 and put it into the newspapers2 asking the freeholders if they were so degenerate as to make themselves a laughing stock1 even to the ,french1 their enemies1 whom they despised4 ,prince ,masserane alleges that this incident made that election so remarkably peaceable6 ,are you acquainted with ,crbillon8 ,i am ashamed to mention his name4 ,he sent me over his last work1 with a very obliging letter3 but as ,i must write to him in ,french1 ,i have never answered him4 ,if all the ,english were as impertinent as ,i am1 the ,abb ,galliani would have reason to abuse us4--,i am1 dear ,abb1 after asking your blessing1 yours sincerely4#dbh3a ,i returned to ,edinburgh in #agfi1 says ,hume in his own ,life1 very opulent1 7for ,i possessed a revenue of #ajjj a-year7 healthy1 and though somewhat stricken in years1 with the prospect of enjoying long my ease1 and of seeing the increase of my reputation4 ,he had thus finally triumphed over the temptations which assailed him abroad1 and resolved to spend the remainder of his days among the friends of his youth4 ,he had received very strong solicitations from ,madame de ,boufflers and others1 to take up his abode at ,paris4 ,in one letter she informs him that there is a house prepared for him in the ,temple1 and another with a large garden near the ,bois de ,boulogne4#dbi3a ,to these pressing offers he seems not to have trusted himself with rendering a direct answer1 leaving his projects undefined1 until1 by returning to ,edinburgh1 he rendered the acceptance of such invitations impracticable4 ,fairly re-established in his old house in ,james's ,court1 and enjoying its magnificent prospect1 we find him thus writing to ,smith3-- ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,james's ,court1 #bjth ,august1 #agfi4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,i am glad to have come within sight of you1 and to have a view of ,kirkaldy from my windows3 but as ,i wish also to be within speaking terms of you1 ,i wish we could concert measures for that purpose4 ,i am mortally sick at sea1 and regard with horror1 and a kind of hydrophobia1 the great gulf#dbi3b that lies between us4 ,i am also tired of travelling2 as much as you ought naturally to be of staying at home4 ,i therefore propose to you to come hither1 and pass some days with me in this solitude4 ,i want to know what you have been doing2 and propose to exact a rigorous account of the method in which you have employed yourself during your retreat4 ,i am positive you are in the wrong in many of your speculations1 especially where you have the misfortune to differ from me4 ,all these are reasons for our meeting1 and ,i wish you would make me some reasonable proposal for that purpose4 ,there is no habitation on the island of ,inchkeith1 otherwise ,i should challenge you to meet me on that spot1 and neither of us ever to leave the place1 till we were fully agreed on all points of controversy4 ,i expect ,general ,conway here to morrow1 whom ,i shall attend to ,roseneath1 and ,i shall remain there a few days4 ,on my return1 ,i expect to find a letter from you1 containing a bold acceptance of this defiance4 ,i am1 dear ,smith1 yours sincerely4#dcj3a ,the letters addressed to ,hume at this time1 show that he had made inquiries with the view of continuing the education of his nephews at one of the ,english universities4 ,the following letter explains the reason why this plan was not adopted4 ,,hume to ,,sir ,,gilbert ,,elliot4 ,edinburgh1 #afth ,october1 #agfi4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,gilbert1--,i am very much obliged to you for the pains you have taken to give me an account of your sons' expenses and management at ,oxford4 ,i found my brother undetermined1 or rather averse1 to the project4 ,he thinks his son rather inclines to be dissipated and idle2 and believes that a year or two at ,oxford would confirm him thoroughly in that habit1 without any other advantage than the acquiring of a little better pronunciation2 for this reason he seems rather inclined to try him a year in the ,law ,college here1 before he makes him so much his own master4 ,i have been settled here two months1 and am here body and soul1 without casting the least thought of regret to ,london1 or even to ,paris4 ,i think it improbable that ,i shall ever in my life cross the ,tweed1 except perhaps a jaunt to the north of ,england1 for health or amusement4 ,i live still1 and must for a twelvemonth1 in my old house in ,james's ,court1 which is very cheerful1 and even elegant1 but too small to display my great talent for cookery1 the science to which ,i intend to addict the remaining years of my life6 ,i have just now lying on the table before me1 a receipt for making soupe la reine1 copied with my own hand3 for beef and cabbage1 7a charming dish17 and old mutton1 and old claret1 nobody excels me4 ,i make also sheep-head broth1 in a manner that ,mr4 ,keith speaks of it for eight days after2 and the ,duc de ,nivernois would bind himself apprentice to my lass to learn it4 ,i have already sent a challenge to ,david ,moncreif3 you will see that in a twelvemonth he will take to the writing of history1 the field ,i have deserted2 for as to the giving of dinners1 he can now have no further pretensions4 ,i should have made a very bad use of my abode in ,paris1 if ,i could not get the better of a mere provincial like him4 ,all my friends encourage me in this ambition2 as thinking it will redound very much to my honour4 ,i am delighted to see the daily and hourly progress of madness1 and folly1 and wickedness in ,england4 ,the consummation of these qualities are the true ingredients for making a fine narrative in history1 especially if followed by some signal and ruinous convulsion1--as ,i hope will soon be the case with that pernicious people6 ,he must be a very bad cook indeed1 who cannot make a palatable dish from the whole4 ,you see in my reflexions and allusions1 ,i shall mix my old and new professions together4 ,i am1 dear ,sir ,gilbert1 your most obedient humble servant1 c4#dcb3a ,,hume to ,,sir ,,gilbert ,,elliot4 ,edinburgh1 #eth ,february1 #aggj4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,gilbert1--,i do not know whether you be good for any thing1 or at all worth the applying to2 ,i rather suspect not3 but in case you are1 ,i make you the following application in favour of ,christopher ,tate1 probationer1 who was tutor to my nephews4 ,you know ,i resigned my pretensions on the presentation of ,humbie to your nephew's tutor2 but under promise1 that you would assist me in a like case4 ,this kirk is a king's presentation2 it is within your county1 and ,i very earnestly desire success in this application1 and trust much to your friendship in it4 ,the last unexpected incident strikes us mute with astonishment2 either the ,duke of ,grafton is much to blame for leaving us so abruptly in so very critical a time1 or a greater than he1 if he got any just cause for it4 ,i carry my view to very dismal consequences1 especially as ,i suspect the last to be the case4 ,i fancy we shall have curious scenes1 worthy the pen of the greatest historian4 ,i am tired and disgusted with conjecture4 ,my compliments to ,lady ,elliot4 ,believe me to be very sincerely1 your affectionate humble servant1 c4#dcb3b ,to ,smith1 whose ,wealth of ,nations was now supposed to be nearly ready for the press1 we find the following letter3-- #fth ,february1 #aggj4 ,what is the meaning of this1 dear ,smith1 which we hear1 that you are not to be here above a day or two1 on your passage to ,london8 ,how can you so much as entertain a thought of publishing a book full of reason1 sense1 and learning1 to those wicked abandoned madmen8 ,i suppose you have not yet got over your astonishment at this most astonishing resignation4 ,for my part1 ,i knew not at first whether to throw the blame on the ,duke or the ,king2 but ,i now find it is entirely and completely the ,duke's own2 and ,i think him dishonoured for ever4 ,this refers to the ,duke of ,grafton's resignation1 of which he proceeds to quote an account from a very good hand1 prophesying tranquillity and the restoration of confidence4 ,so far my friend--whose prophecy ,i hope will be fulfilled2 though1 for my part1 ,i am rather inclined to give myself up to despair4 ,nothing but a rebellion and bloodshed will open the eyes of that deluded people2 though1 were they alone concerned1 ,i think it is no matter what becomes of them4#dcc3a ,in the following letter1 we have a farther1 and a very strong instance of ,hume's dislike of the ,english as a people4 ,we find him again busy in sifting his ,history of all remains of popular principles2 and there is a tone throughout the letter1 as if it were satisfactory to him to be able to overturn the objects of popular idolatry1 which a people he so heartily disliked had endeavoured to set up1 in the alleged antiquity of their constitution4 ,,hume to ,,sir ,,gilbert ,,elliot4 ,edinburgh1 #bast ,february1 #aggj4 ,,dear ,,sir ,,gilbert1--,i am glad of your victories2 though ,i look upon them all as temporary and imperfect1 like the fallacious recoveries of a hectic person1 who is hastening to his dissolution4 ,our government has become a chimera1 and is too perfect1 in point of liberty1 for so rude a beast as an ,englishman2 who is a man1 a bad animal too1 corrupted by above a century of licentiousness4 ,the misfortune is1 that this liberty can scarcely be retrenched without danger of being entirely lost2 at least the fatal effects of licentiousness must first be made palpable1 by some extreme mischief resulting from it4 ,i may wish that the catastrophe should rather fall on our posterity2 but it hastens on with such large strides1 as leave little room for this hope4 ,i am running over again the last edition of my ,history1 in order to correct it still further4 ,i either soften or expunge many villanous1 seditious ,whig strokes1 which had crept into it4 ,i wish that my indignation at the present madness1 encouraged by lies1 calumnies1 imposture1 and every infamous act usual among popular leaders1 may not throw me into the opposite extreme4 ,i am1 however1 sensible that the first editions were too full of those foolish ,english prejudices1 which all nations and all ages disavow4 ,the present firm conduct of the king1 and his manly resentment1 afford some glimpse of hope4 ,we1 at a distance1 are not acquainted with these matters2 and few even at ,london2 but there still appears something mysterious in the ,duke of ,grafton's resignation4 ,i hope it proceeded only from his discontents with ,bedford ,house4 ,but ,i detain you too long4 ,i shall only conclude1 that1 though ,i reckon myself among the sepoliti1 ,i cannot forbear expressing my hearty good wishes to your cause and you4 ,i am1 very sincerely1 dear ,sir ,gilbert1 your obliged humble servant4#dce3a ,edinburgh1 #eth ,april1 #aggj4 ,i am sorry to inform you1 that all we statesmen in this town condemn loudly the conduct of you statesmen in ,london1 especially in allowing those insolent rascals1 the mayor and sheriffs1 to escape with impunity4 ,we were much disappointed not to find them impeached1 and a bill of pains and penalties passed upon them4 ,the tumults which might have ensued in ,london1 we thought rather an advantage2 as it would give government an opportunity of chastising that abominable rabble4 ,but you have thought otherwise2 and it is pretended that these lenient maxims are succeeding2 that faction abates1 the tide turns1 and the heroes of opposition are in despair4 ,i am heartily glad of it3 but this is a new experiment to reconcile such extreme license with government2 and if1 in a case where popular complaints had not the smallest shadow of pretence1 the king and parliament have prevailed1 after a long struggle1 and with much difficulty1 what must it be1 where there is some plausible appearance1 and perhaps some real ground of complaint1 such as it is natural to expect in all governments8 ,however1 ,i repeat it1 ,i am glad of the present appearance of tranquillity2 and1 indeed1 distant dangers are not to be too anxiously provided against4 ,i am1 c4 ,hume seems to have now commenced the building of the house1 in the ,new ,town of ,edinburgh1 in which he died4 ,it was the commencement of the street leading southward from ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 now called ,st4 ,david ,street4#dcf3a ,,hume to ,,baron ,,mure4 ,edinburgh1 #b;d ,october1 #aggj4 ,,dear ,,baron1--,i am sorry that ,i should correspond so ill to your very obliging letter1 by telling you1 that ,i cannot propose to see you till you come to town next winter4 ,i am engaged in the building a house1 which is the second great operation of human life3 for the taking a wife is the first1 which ,i hope will come in time2 and by being present1 ,i have already prevented two capital mistakes1 which the mason was falling into2 and ,i shall be apprehensive of his falling into more1 were ,i to be at a distance4 ,i must therefore renounce the hopes of seeing you at your own house this autumn1 which1 ,i assure you1 ,i do with much regret4 ,my compliments to ,mrs4 ,mure and the young ladies4 ,please tell ,miss ,kitty1 that my coat is much admired1 even before ,i tell that it is her livery4 ,for her sake ,i shall be careful that it never meet with any such accident1 as the last4 ,i am1 dear ,baron1 yours very sincerely4#dcf3b ,p4,s4--,mr4 ,moore's verses are really very elegant4 ,,footnotes3 #chc3a ,in the conclusion of ,hume's letter to ,dr4 ,blair1 of #bgth ,may1 #agfg1 cited above1 there is the following paragraph3-- ,pray1 how has the ,general ,assembly passed8 ,i have had a long letter from ,mass ,david ,dickson1 complaining of your injustice4 ,has ,john ,home any thoughts of coming up8 ,tell ,robertson that the compliment1 at the end of ,general ,conway's letter to him1 was of my composing1 without any orders from him4 ,he smiled when he read it1 but said it was very proper1 and signed it4 ,these are not bad puffs from ministers of state1 as the silly world goes4 ,i inferred from this that the letter in question was the ,king's letter to the ,general ,assembly of #agfg2 but ,i find no allusion to ,robertson in that document1 and am not aware of any letter1 generally known at the period1 which answers the above description4 ,it is clear that ,hume refers to some official communication from the secretary of state4 ,the letter from ,dickson is a long complaint about the conduct of some judicatories as to a forgotten church dispute4 ,it begins with the statement2--,i am informed that ,his ,majesty's letter to the ,general ,assembly1 of this year1 is issued from the secretary's office1 under your direction4 ,as it is pretty generally believed that the policy of the ,home-office1 in its communications with the ,church of ,scotland1 was directed by ,hume1 during the period when he was under secretary1 the following extract from the ,king's letter to the ,general ,assembly1 in #agfg1 is given1 that the reader may judge for himself whether the style and matter are characteristic of ,hume's pen3-- ,convinced1 as we are1 of your prudence and firm resolution to concur in whatever may promote the happiness of our subjects1 it is unnecessary for us to recommend to you to avoid contentious and unedifying debates2 as well as to avoid every thing that may tend to disturb that harmony and tranquillity which is so essential in councils solely calculated for the suppression of every species of licentiousness1 irreligion1 and vice4 ,and1 as we have the firmest reliance on your zeal in the support of the ,christian faith1 as well as in the wisdom and prudence of your councils1 we are thoroughly assured that they will be directed to such purposes as may best tend to enforce a conscientious observance of all those duties which the true religion1 and laws of this kingdom require1 and on which the felicity of every individual so essentially depends4#chc3;,a #chc3;,a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #che3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #che3b ,see above1 p4 #ef4 #chf3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #chf3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #chh3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #chh3b ,john ,oswald1 brother of ,mr4 ,oswald of ,dunnikier1 who was translated from the see of ,dromore to that of ,raphoe in #agfc4 #cij3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cib3a ,copies in ,r4,s4,e4 ,the originals are in possession of ,colonel ,mure4 #cib3b ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #fff4 ,original1 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cic3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cid3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cie3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cie3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cif3a ,literary ,gazette4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cig3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cih3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #cih3b ,an early acquaintance with this characteristic1 might have saved the present writer some fruitless investigations4 #cii3a ,there are two letters from ,blacklock to ,hume1 remarkably characteristic of the timid and excitable character of the blind genius4 ,after an exordium on the tone which he hopes their intercourse will maintain1 full of nervous susceptibility2 the fear of being too profuse in correspondence alternating with the dread that he may be thought cold1 negligent1 or ungrateful2 he gives an account of the education of his pupil1 ,joseph1 and then turns towards his own dark prospects4 ,it was not indeed without some fear that ,i undertook the office4 ,the vivacity of his disposition1 and even the quickness of his genius1 inspired me with terror that ,i should not be able to manage the one1 or make any lasting impression upon the other4 ,but how agreeable was my disappointment to find his temper1 though lively1 extremely amiable and flexible1 and his apprehension1 though quick1 yet distinct and retentive4 ,he applies with a diligence not often found in people of his age and character4 ,as during this winter we had a pretty numerous family1 most of whom were gentlemen of parts and spirit1 ,i have seen numberless instances in which his passions1 though warm and sensible1 were governed with a discretion worthy of mature age and experience1 yet in such a manner as to preserve his dignity1 and betray no degree of complaisance unworthy of his spirit1 or inconsistent with his ingenuity4 ,you cannot imagine but such an object must pre-engage every susceptible heart4 ,he is really admired by all the young gentlemen of our family who know him4 ,i love him1 and ,mrs4 ,blacklock doats on him2 yet there are not1 perhaps1 two in the human species who have it in their power to vex me in the same degree1 if at any time he should be more remiss and careless than usual4 ,he is now reading ,french with ,monsr ,cauvin1 and the ,satires of ,horace1 and ,homer's ,iliad1 with me4 ,mr4 ,alexander's account of my situation1 in general1 was right4 ,i have indeed got clear of a parish where ,i could have never been happy1 even though their malice had been less implacable than ,i found it4 ,but when ,i left that vindictive place1 my poetical vanity was not quite extinguished2 and it is natural for those who have felt the oppressive hand of unprovoked injury1 to expect a kinder and more human reception1 where civility1 politeness1 and gentler manners prevail4 ,these sentiments1 too sanguinely indulged1 might perhaps have raised my hopes too high1 and taught me to anticipate a greater degree of notice from the people of taste and learning in this place1 than ,i have either obtained or deserved4 ,be that as it will1 ,i am at present almost an absolute recluse2 and when ,i meet with any of the virtuosi in public places1 7where1 indeed1 ,i do not commonly appear17 their behaviour seems more cool and reserved than ,i could have thought4 ,not that all my self-importance can flatter me with any degree of merit in this way2 but surely it was not unnatural to hope the enterprises which ,i attempted in the circumstances in which ,i was involved1 might have attracted some degree of attention1 and impressed some faint prepossessions in my favour1 when not opposed by any vice or immorality in my character4 ,for these reasons1 as well as the private and disinterested attachment of my heart1 you will naturally imagine the pleasure ,i feel from the prospect of your arrival in ,edinburgh1 and from my promised intercourse with one1 who1 though he might do honour to the republic of letters in any period1 yet descends to honour me with the name of a ,,friend4 ,in the other letter1 dated #b;d ,may1 #agfg1 he states that he has been overworking himself2 and says1 ,my old nervous complaints have been like to return1 and unhinge all our schemes2 but1 thank ,god1 they are a little better again4 ,he then details1 with some minuteness1 the reasons for feeling that his pecuniary prospects are precarious2 and ascribes his exertions to his wish to do something1 if possible1 for these approaching contingencies1 which1 he says1 the natural gloom of his mind has made not very distant4 ,he continues3-- ,you was so kind as hint your friendly intention towards a church settlement4 ,that1 ,i begin to think1 ,i am unfit to encounter with again2 for the ten thousand hardships and disagreeable things which ,i met with in my short but dear-bought experience of that kind of life1 brought me a great way on in my journey down hill2 so that if any one of them should again occur in another trial1 ,i would certainly soon reach the foot of the precipice4 ,this event is matter of no great thought to myself1 but as it may concern one not undeservedly dear to me4 ,these letters are written with great precision1 in a small1 neat1 regular hand2 and1 though duly signed1 ,thos4 ,blacklock1 it is clear that they cannot be the penmanship of their sightless author4 ,appended to the second1 and in a bolder and more masculine looking hand1 is the following3-- ,mrs4 ,blacklock begs leave to offer her compliments to ,mr4 ,hume1 herself2 and to supplicate some easy thing1 if it can be procured1 7without giving ,mr4 ,hume much trouble17 for her friend1 whom she has been a good deal apprehensive for this spring1 by reason of his close study4 ,our college has acquired a new professor for natural history4 ,do you think one for poetry could be added1 with a moderate salary to it8--,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dja3a ,the dates of the births of ,john ,home's children1 as entered in the ,kirk-session ,record of ,chirnside1 are3--,joseph1 #bdth ,june1 #ageb2 ,john1 #bast ,april1 #aged2 ,helen1 #bb;d ,august1 #agee2 ,david1 #bgth ,february1 #ageg2 ,john1 #bith ,april1 #ageh2 ,catherine1 #ith ,november1 #agfj2 ,agnes1 #gth ,october1 #agfc2 ,agatha1 #cast ,december1 #agfd4 ,his wife was ,agnes ,carre1 daughter of ,robert ,carre of ,cavers1 in ,roxburghshire4 #djb3a ,hume carried the torch into all the recesses of actual practice4 ,he not only made himself familiar with all the scattered matter that had been published1 though much of it had been hid in places not commonly explored2 but he was the very first who went systematically to the records1 and filtered these fountain heads4--,ed4 ,rev41 ,january #ahdf1 p4 #aig4 #djd3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dje3a ,a comparison of the two brothers1 ,joseph and ,david1 is thus made by their father in a letter to his brother of #bast ,november1 #agfh4 ,he begins with ,david3 ,he still shows the same talents and temper1 and an attention and keenness for what he is employed about1 and might go very far in any profession if he was properly directed1 and quite in a different manner from any of the rest1 particularly from ,josey1 whose trifling superficial talents makes him never apply to any thing thoroughly1 nor do ,i ever expect he will4 ,he this winter is at ,mr4 ,ferguson and ,blair's classes1 and the ,italian1 which completes his university education4 ,i am totally at a loss what to do with him after4 ,law will never do with him4 ,the army he inclines not to1 though that1 as he has address and behaviour1 is best calculated for him4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #djf3a ,scots ,magazine1 #ahjg1 p4 #bdg4 #djf3b ,sir ,gilbert had succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his father1 in #agff4 #djg3a ,minto ,,mss4 #djh3a ,this is probably in allusion to ,wilkes having obtained his verdict of #ajjj damages against the ,secretary of ,state for the seizure of his papers4 #djh3b ,minto ,,mss4 #dji3a ,a ,scottish artist1 whose productions are known to collectors1 but who has not been handed down to posterity by the critics and biographers4 #dji3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dji3c ,milman's edition of ,gibbon's ,life1 p4 #baf4 #daj3a ,deyverdun had 7in a letter1 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 acknowledged himself to be the author of an attack on ,rousseau1 which the latter attributed to ,hume4 #daa3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dab3a ,life of ,gibbon4 #dac3a ,stewart's ,life of ,robertson4 #dad3a ,the ,philosophical ,essays were not written by ,sir ,david ,dalrymple1 as here hinted1 but as ,sir ,gilbert explains1 by ,james ,balfour1 who has already been mentioned1 7see vol4 i4 p4 #afj1 #cde47 ,the ,essays were mainly directed against ,kaimes' ,essays on ,morality and ,natural ,religion4 #dae3a ,minto ,,mss4 #daf3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,i can find no light on the meaning of the words love affair4 #dag3a ,mr4 ,home was a very cautious farmer1 and carried his dislike of novelties and innovations to the unprecedented extent of declining the higher rents he might have obtained from enterprising tenants4 #dah3a ,minto ,,mss4 #dai3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dai3b ,perhaps a false transcript for ,hagley1 the seat of ,lord ,lyttelton4 #dbj3a ,scots ,mag41 #ahjg1 p4 #bdh4 #dbj3b ,in ,mackenzie's ,account of ,home4 #dba3a ,blair1 writing on #aath ,march1 says1-- ,i long exceedingly to hear of the success of ',the ,fatal ,discovery1' and am much pleased with what ,i have already heard4 ,i read it a twelvemonth ago1 and thought highly of it4 ,i will not pronounce it quite equal to ',douglas1' but inferior only to it4 ,mr4 ,garrick told me1 when last in ,london1 that he approved highly of it1 and sent a message to the author by me1 advising him to take measures for bringing it on4 ,i am infinitely diverted with the trick which our friend has played to ,john concerning it4 ,how foolish will he look when he finds how he has been imposed on4 ,i beseech you write me how it goes on with the public4 #dba3b ,dr4 ,robertson1 of whom ,blair says in the letter above cited3 ,what an excellent performance has ,robertson given us4 ,what a treasure of curious and instructive historical information6 ,i think it much superior to his former work4 ,he is a little deaf at present1 which ,i have told him is a thorn in the flesh wisely sent him1 that he may not be too much lifted up with hearing the voice of applause4 ,your ,history of ,england1 and his as an introduction to the ,history of ,europe1 form a perfect historical library4 ,i congratulate myself on living in an age1 when our own country and our friends have done such honour to literature4 ,for myself ,i continue piddling still about my ,lectures4 #dbb3a ,not very4 ,the lines he intended to cite are3 ,cum positis novus exuviis1 nitidusque juvent ,volvitur1 aut catulos tectis aut ova relinquens ,arduus ad solem1 et linguis micat ore trisulcis4 #dbc3a ,it is possible that the words that fellow1 apply to ,wilkes1 but the context makes it more likely that they are intended for ,chatham4 #dbc3b ,the decision was given on #bgth ,february1 #agfi4 #dbc3c ,apparently ,robert ,blair1 afterwards ,lord ,president of the ,court of ,session4 ,dr4 ,blair1 in his letter of introduction1 says3-- ,he is one of the most accomplished and most promising young men who1 for some time1 have appeared at the bar2 and will certainly go very high in his profession4 ,his reputation1 in that line1 is already far advanced2 and he has1 besides this1 many great virtues1 both as a man and a scholar4 ,as he is my near relation1 he has been1 all along1 my pupil2 and ,i have great credit in him4 #dbd3a ,the line of houses1 near the castle of ,edinburgh1 called ,ramsay ,gardens4 ,his friend1 ,mrs4 ,cockburn1 strongly dissuaded him from living in this part of the town4 #dbd3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dbf3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dbh3a ,new ,monthly ,magazine1 original series1 ,no4 #gb4 #dbi3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dbi3b ,the ,firth of ,forth4 #dcj3a ,literary ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #fia4 ,collated with original ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dcb3a ,minto ,,mss4 #dcb3b ,minto ,,mss4 #dcc3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dce3a ,minto ,,mss4 #dcf3a ,when the house was built1 and inhabited by ,hume1 but while yet the street1 of which it was the commencement1 had no name1 a witty young lady1 daughter of ,baron ,ord1 chalked on the wall1 the words ,,st4 ,,david ,,street4 ,the allusion was very obvious4 ,hume's lass1 judging that it was not meant in honour or reverence1 ran into the house much excited1 to tell her master how he was made game of4 ,never mind1 lassie1 he said2 many a better man has been made a saint of before4 #dcf3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 #agga-aggf4 t4 #fj-fe4 ,hume's social character--,his conversation--,his disposition-- ,traditional anecdotes regarding him--,correspondence--,letter about the ,pretender--,gilbert ,stuart's quarrel with ,dr4 ,henry-- ,commercial ,state of ,scotland--,letter to his nephew on ,republicanism--,smith's ,wealth of ,nations--,hume's illness-- ,his ,will--,smith appointed ,literary ,executor--,strahan substituted--,his journey to ,england with ,home--,prospects of ,death--,communications with his ,friends and ,relations--,his ,death--,general view of his influence on ,thought and ,action4 ,it is to the period from the year #aggj to his death1 when he lived among his early friends in ,edinburgh1 that we ought to refer such traditional accounts of ,hume's private life and social habits1 as are not expressly connected with any known event in his history4 ,he was1 it is true1 a distinguished man when he left his native city1 in #agfc4 ,he had then1 indeed1 performed all the services which entitled him to immortality4 ,but his foreign celebrity1 and his official honours1 had since added many ostensible glories to his name1 and introduced him to a wider sphere of public notice than the substantial fruits of his genius and industry would have of themselves secured4 ,when we remember that this was the most celebrated period of his life1 and was the only one of which persons who are still1 or who have lately been alive1 could have any recollection1 we naturally refer to it those traditional notices and incidents which have no distinct place4 ,the impression of ,hume's character1 acquired by one who has sought it in the tenor of his works1 and the history of his literary career1 is quite different from that which we derive from those who knew him1 and were connected with the social circle in which he lived4 ,the former is solitary1 self-relying1 and unimpressible even to sternness2 the latter is good1 easy1 simple1 social1 and amenable to the sway of gentle impulses4 ,these two representations are not without a harmony of principle4 ,in all serious matters1 in his projects of literary ambition1 in the philosophy he taught mankind1 in all that was to connect him with posterity and the intellectual destiny of the human race1 he was resolute and uncompromising4 ,but the exhibition of his strength was reserved for the arena of his triumphs2 and in domestic and social intercourse he put aside his helmet1 with its nodding plumes2 feeling1 that the intellectual exhibitions suited for that sphere1 should spring from whatever ,nature had bestowed on him of sweet1 and peaceful1 and kind1--whatever was fitted to drive rancour or angry emulation from the bosom1 and to render life delightful4 ,hence1 to appear in the social circle as an intellectual gladiator1 does not appear to have been his wish2 he was content if he gave himself and others pleasure4 ,this view of his character is confirmed by ,mackenzie1 who1 when a young man1 enjoyed the high distinction of mingling in that group1 of which he was the principal figure4 ,but the most illustrious of that circle was ,david ,hume1 who had a sincere affection for his poetical namesake1--an affection which was never abated during the life of that celebrated man4 ,the unfortunate nature of his opinions with regard to the theoretical principles of moral and religious truth1 never influenced his regard for men who held very opposite sentiments on those subjects2 subjects which he never1 like some vain and shallow sceptics1 introduced into social discourse3 ,on the contrary1 when at any time the conversation tended that way1 he was desirous rather of avoiding any serious discussion on matters which he wished to confine to the graver and less dangerous consideration of cool philosophy4 ,he had1 it might be said1 in the language which the ,grecian historian applies to an illustrious ,roman1 two minds2 one which indulged in the metaphysical scepticism which his genius could invent1 but which it could not always disentangle2 another1 simple1 natural1 and playful1 which made his conversation delightful to his friends1 and even frequently conciliated men whose principles of belief his philosophical doubts1 if they had not power to shake1 had grieved and offended4 ,during the latter period of his life1 ,i was frequently in his company amidst persons of genuine piety1 and ,i never heard him venture a remark at which such men1 or ladies1 still more susceptible than men1 could take offence4#dci3a ,the late ,lord ,chief ,commissioner ,adam was another of the young men who were so fortunate as to be admitted to this circle4 ,in a curious little collection of notices of eminent persons1 called ,the ,gift of a ,grandfather1 privately printed at his own press at ,blair-,adam1 he says of ,hume3 ,he was an intimate friend and acquaintance3 and in all the intercourse of life1 and in all he said1 and wrote1 and did1 when not employed in his unnecessary metaphysical scepticism 7well named1 by a friend of mine1 intellectual rope-dancing17 was innocent1 playful1 and moral1 and most natural in his conversation3 equally pleasing and instructive to the young and old of both sexes4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ,his simple unaffected nature1 and kindly disposition1 exalted him as much as the singular powers of his mind1 and his talents for expressing in writing what he contemplated--so well described by ,gibbon1 as careless inimitable beauties of style2 which1 when he read1 he laid down the book in despair that he should ever be able to imitate them4 ,i have before shown that he never introduced1 in conversation1 his abstruse or sceptical speculations2 that all his sentiments were moral and natural and pleasing1 and even playful in the extreme4 ,this is evinced by his letters1 which are perfect in their kind4 ,he could bring himself down1 without effort1 to the most familiar playfulness with young persons1 and particularly delighted in the conversation of youthful females4 ,mr4 ,hume was one of our constant visiters1 making1 as was the custom of those days1 tea-time the hour of calling4 ,in the summer he would often stroll to my father's beautiful villa of ,north ,merchiston4 ,on one occasion--,i was then a boy of thirteen--he1 missing my mother1 made his tea-drinking good with two or three young ladies of eighteen or nineteen1 7his acquaintances17 who were my mother's guests4 ,i recollect perfectly how agreeably he talked to them2 and my recollection has been rendered permanent by an occurrence which caused some mirth and no mischief4 ,when the philosopher was amusing himself in conversation with the young ladies1 the chair began to give way under him1 and gradually brought him to the floor4 ,the damsels were both alarmed and amused1 when ,mr4 ,hume1 recovering himself1 and getting upon his legs1 said in his broad ,scotch tone1 but in ,english words1 7for he never used ,scotch17 ,young ladies1 you must tell ,mr4 ,adam to keep stronger chairs for heavy philosophers4 ,this simple story is a good specimen of the man4 ,he was above all affectation4 ,i was a companion of his eldest nephew1 and saw much of him when ,i was very young4 ,as ,i grew up he used to invite me to dinner1 and ,i took great delight in his conversation4 ,i continued in and about ,edinburgh long enough to be able to relish it1 and perhaps to join in it4 ,on one particular occasion ,i met him at tea at ,professor ,ferguson's2 it was at the period of my attending ,dr4 ,blair's class on rhetoric and belles lettres3 their conversation became very interesting to me1 as it bore upon subjects which had an affinity to what ,i was in the habit of hearing prelected upon4 ,they discussed particularly the ,henriade of ,voltaire2 they were not displeased with any want of brilliancy in the versification1 but they condemned the choice of the subject4 ,mr4 ,hume said1 ,he should never choose for an epic poem history1 the truth of which is well known2 for no fiction can come up to the interest of the actual story and incidents of the singular life of ,henry ,,iv42 and ,professor ,ferguson added1 ,what epic poet could improve upon the chivalrous life of ,chevalier ,bayard1 or on the event of his extraordinary romantic death8 ,i always lived1 says ,james ,boswell1 in a passage where he has to record some of his great patron's expressions of contempt and dislike1 on good terms with ,mr4 ,hume1 though ,i have frankly told him ,i was not clear that it was right of me to keep company with him2 'but1' said ,i1 'how much better are you than your books6' ,he was cheerful1 obliging1 and instructive4 ,he was charitable to the poor2#dda3a and many an agreeable hour have ,i passed with him4 ,the testimony which ,adam ,smith bore to his character and disposition1 in the letter which accompanies his autobiography1 though so well known1 must not here be omitted4 ,his temper seemed to be more happily balanced1 if ,i may be allowed such an expression1 than that perhaps of any other man ,i have ever known4 ,even in the lowest state of his fortune1 his great and necessary frugality never hindered him from exercising1 upon proper occasions1 acts both of charity and generosity4 ,it was a frugality founded1 not upon avarice1 but upon the love of independency4 ,the extreme gentleness of his nature never weakened either the firmness of his mind1 or the steadiness of his resolutions4 ,his constant pleasantry was the genuine effusion of good nature and good humour2 tempered with delicacy and modesty1 and without even the slightest tincture of malignity1 so frequently the disagreeable source of what is called wit in other men4 ,it never was the meaning of his raillery to mortify2 and1 therefore1 far from offending1 it seldom failed to please and delight1 even those who were the objects of it4 ,to his friends1 who were frequently the objects of it1 there was not1 perhaps1 any one of all his great and amiable qualities which contributed more to endear his conversation4 ,and that gaiety of temper1 so agreeable in society1 but which is so often accompanied with frivolous and superficial qualities1 was1 in him1 certainly attended with the most severe application1 the most extensive learning1 the greatest depth of thought1 and a capacity in every respect the most comprehensive4 ,upon the whole1 ,i have always considered him1 both in his lifetime1 and since his death1 as approaching as nearly to the idea of a perfectly wise and virtuous man1 as1 perhaps1 the nature of human frailty will permit4 ,of any description of his character1 his own account of it must form a material feature4 ,the mere circumstance that a man should have thus written about himself1 is a noticeable element in his mental history4 ,he says1 in his own life3 ,to conclude1 historically1 with my own character4 ,i am1 or rather was1 7for that is the style ,i must now use in speaking of myself1 which emboldens me the more to speak my sentiments17--,i was1 ,i say1 a man of mild disposition1 of command of temper1 of an open1 social1 and cheerful humour1 capable of attachment1 but little susceptible of enmity1 and of great moderation in all my passions4 ,even my love of literary fame1 my ruling passion1 never soured my temper1 notwithstanding my frequent disappointments4 ,my company was not unacceptable to the young and careless1 as well as to the studious and literary2 and as ,i took a particular pleasure in the company of modest women1 ,i had no reason to be displeased with the reception ,i met with from them4 ,in a word1 though most men1 any wise eminent1 have found reason to complain of calumny1 ,i never was touched1 or even attacked by her baleful tooth3 and though ,i wantonly exposed myself to the rage of both civil and religious factions1 they seemed to be disarmed1 in my behalf1 of their wonted fury4 ,my friends never had occasion to vindicate any one circumstance of my character and conduct3 not but that the zealots1 we may well suppose1 would have been glad to invent and propagate any story to my disadvantage1 but they could never find any which they thought would wear the face of probability4 ,i cannot say there is no vanity in making this funeral oration of myself1 but ,i hope it is not a misplaced one2 and this is a matter of fact which is easily cleared and ascertained4 ,we have here a generous testimony to the tolerant spirit of his age3 ,and yet his history and correspondence show1 that he did not always feel himself safe from the influence of political or polemical resentment4 ,he seemed1 however1 to take a pride in contrasting his own personal reception1 by the world1 with that of his writings2 the one being all courtesy1 the other all prejudice and dislike4 ,a late eminent judge remembered meeting him at dinner with ,black1 ,smith1 and others1 a few months before his death4 ,smith was speaking of the ingratitude1 perversity1 and intolerance of human nature4 ,hume said he differed with him4 ,there was he1 who had written on history1 on politics1 and on morals--some said on divinity2 yet1 in discussing these exciting topics1 he had not made a single enemy2 unless1 indeed1 all the ,whigs1 and all the ,tories1 and all the ,christians6 ,as1 in his playful conversation among his intimate friends1 he was inclined to indulge in practical humour1 he made the general unpopularity of his opinions a common theme of amusement2 picturesquely exaggerating the more offensive features1 and exhibiting them as bugbears to frighten the well-meaning4 ,asking his friend1 ,clephane1 to look for lodgings for him in ,london1 he represents the person who is to inhabit them as a sober1 discreet1 virtuous1 frugal1 regular1 quiet1 good-natured man--of a bad character4 ,this bad character1 he seems to have occasionally used as a method of gently alarming innocent females4 ,a lady1 of strictly evangelical principles1 walking home from church1 through a crowded part of ,edinburgh1 was rather surprised by the zealous attention with which he proffered his arm4 ,after they had passed through the crowd1 he gave his reason for being so obsequious--it was1 that she might be congratulated1 by her friends1 on having been seen walking on ,sunday with ,hume the ,deist4 ,mackenzie relates the following incident1 which shows that he was not1 however1 always proof against the effect of jocular attacks on his principles by others4 ,in the same bonhommie1 ,mr4 ,hume bore with perfect good nature the pleasantries which humorous deductions from his theoretical scepticisms sometimes produced4 ,once1 ,i have been told1 he was in a small degree ruffled by a witticism of ,mr4 ,john ,home's1 who1 though always pleasant1 and often lively1 seldom produced what might be termed or repeated as wit4 ,the clerk of an eminent banker in ,edinburgh1 a young man of irreproachable conduct1 and much in the confidence of his master1 eloped with a considerable sum with which he had been intrusted4 ,the circumstance was mentioned at a dinner where the two ,humes1 the historian and the poet1 and several of their usual friendly circle1 were present4 ,david ,hume spoke of it as a kind of moral problem1 and wondered what could induce a man of such character and habits as this clerk was said to possess1 thus to incur1 for an inconsiderable sum1 the guilt and the infamy of such a transaction4 ,i can easily account for it1 said his friend1 ,john ,home1 from the nature of his studies1 and the kind of books which he was in the habit of reading4 ,what were they8 said the philosopher4 ,boston's ,fourfold ,state1 rejoined the poet1 and ,hume's ,essays4 ,david was more hurt by the joke than was usual with him2 probably from the singular conjunction of the two works1 which formed1 according to his friend's account1 the library of the unfortunate young man4#ddd3a ,as appropriate to his popularity among women and young people1 the following anecdotes from the pen of one who has gained no little celebrity by her genius1 cannot fail to give interest4 ,they are contained in a letter by ,lady ,anne ,lindsay1 authoress of the song ,auld ,robin ,gray1 when she was a young lady living in her grandmother's house in ,edinburgh1 to her sister ,margaret3-- ,dinners go on as usual1 which1 being monopolized by the divines1 wits1 and writers of the present day1 are not unjustly called the ,dinners of the ,eaterati1 by ,lord ,kellie1 who laughs at his own pun till his face is purple4 ,our friend1 ,david ,hume1 along with his friend1 ,principal ,robertson1 continue to maintain their ground at these convivial meetings4 ,to see the lion and the lamb lying down together1 the deist and the doctor1 is extraordinary2 it makes one hope that some day ,hume will say to him1 ,thou almost persuadest me to be a ,christian4 ,he is a constant morning visiter of ours4 ,my mother jested him lately on a circumstance which had a good deal of character in it4 ,when we were very young girls1 too young to remember the scene1 there happened to be a good many clever people at ,balcarres at ,christmas2 and as a gambol of the season1 they agreed to write each his own character1 to give them to ,hume1 and make him show them to my father1 as extracts he had taken from the pope's library at ,rome4#dde3a ,he did4 ,my father said1 ,i don't know who the rest of your fine fellows and charming princesses are1 ,hume2 but if you had not told me where you got this character1 ,i should have said it was that of my wife4 ,i was pleased1 said my mother1 with my lord's answer1 it showed that at least ,i had been an honest woman4 ,hume's character of himself1 said she1 was well drawn and full of candour2 he spoke of himself as he ought2 but added1 what surprised us all1 that1 plain as his manners were1 and apparently careless of attention1 vanity was his predominant weakness4 ,that vanity led him to publish his ,essays1 which he grieved over2 not that he had changed his opinions1 but that he thought he had injured society by disseminating them4 ,do you remember the sequel of that affair8 said ,hume4 ,yes1 ,i do1 replied my mother1 laughing3 you told me that1 although ,i thought your character a sincere one1 it was not so2 there was a particular feature omitted that we were still ignorant of1 and that you would add it2 like a fool ,i gave you the manuscript1 and you thrust it into the fire1 adding1 ',oh1 what an idiot ,i had nearly proved myself to be1 to leave such a document in the hands of a parcel of women6' ,villain6 said my mother1 laughing1 and shaking her head at him4 ,do you remember all this1 my little woman8 said ,hume to me4 ,i was too young1 said ,i1 to think of it at the time4 ,how's this8 have not you and ,i grown up together8 ,i looked surprised4 ,yes1 added he1 you have grown tall1 and ,i have grown broad4#ddf3a ,it may give us some farther idea of the refined simplicity that made his conversation agreeable to intellectual and right thinking women1 to observe the manner in which he was addressed in the following very lively letter from ,lady ,elliot ,murray1 the wife of his friend1 ,sir ,gilbert4 ,minto1 #abth ,october1 #aggb4 ,i am resolved to take the reins of government into my own hands4 ,i don't know what has made me such a humble subservient animal hitherto4 ,i will dictate from this time forth4 ,i will give the law1 and insist on an implicit obedience to my superior wisdom2 for am ,i not wiser than the wisest8 did ,i not foretell what has come to pass1 that ,mons4 ,de ,guigne would not reach ,edinburgh before the middle of this week8 and did ,i not prove my judgment surpassing that best of historians1 who is a mere pedler in understanding to me8 ,had he taken my advice1 he need not have jumbled himself seventy long miles over mountains and plains in one day1 and left a family who were happy in his company1 and exchanged the cheering blaze of a good coal fire1 for the dreary glimpses of a clouded moon4 ,but1 however1 he had the pleasure of gratifying a sense which few people are much troubled with1 a delicacy and ardour in politeness2 and as that is pretty near akin to benevolence1 ,i believe the indulgence of it may be a full recompense for the trouble4 ,but that last principle will lead you back the road you went2 for you left three ladies mourning for your departure1 and the good man of the house has been in a vexation ever since1 and can only be contented by a renewal of your kind intentions towards us1 of passing some quiet days under our roof4 ,sir ,gilbert came home from ,jedburgh1 and had seen your brother there1 who told him he would find you here when he came back4 ,enter ,sir ,gilbert4 ,where is ,mr4 ,hume8--,answer3 ,he is gone4 ,when did he come8--,about one o'clock4 ,and when did he go away8--,about five4 ,what6 have you quarrelled8--,yes4 ,he and ,i had some little difference about his byeuks1 and ,i tried to persuade him to burn them all1 and write the other way2 for1 as ,i said1 ,i was sure he would be a shining light1 and equal the author of the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 or ,mr4 ,ebenezer ,erskine1 if he would only take the right side2 and he flew in a passion and went away in a huff6 ,how could you think he would be persuaded by you8 ,pooh6 though ,i am but a simple woman1 before it be long he may be convinced ,i can see farther into a millstone than he can do2 and if he had taken my advice1 he might have rested his bones here this night in quiet1 in place of rumbling along in the dark in a post chaise2 and so in other matters too1 ,i might perhaps do him a service if he would be ruled by me4 ,my dear1 how can you be so wild8 ,and1 my dear1 where is the harm in telling one's mind1 when you think you can do good by it1 to a good worthy creature that is only a little mistaken or so8 ,good by it1 what a chimera6 but come1 there is some other reason than this for his going away8 ,none that ,i know2 except a fine flim-flam letter that he received from the ,french ,ambassador1 saying1 he expected to have the exquisite joy of beholding him at ,edinburgh to-morrow4 ,ah1 now ,i understand it4 ,but when does he come back8 ,why he either comes back with ,mons4 ,de ,guigne1 or after he has done the last duties to him at ,edinburgh4 ,so you see1 if you do not come1 you will have brought me in for the lesser excommunication2 for you will have been the cause of my deceiving my husband1 and telling him a lie3 although1 for that matter1 neither you nor ,i lukelly have any thing to fear now-a-days1 for either the greater or lesser excommunication3 ,for1 as you justly observe1 line #ab1 first page of your letter1 how are things changed6 ,old prejudices are done away1 but behold new ones arise2 and the last errors ,i am afraid are worse than the first3 but1 for my own part1 ,i would willingly have stood before the kirk-session1 to have shown any respect and regard to ,monsr4 ,l',ambassador1 who is a man we all esteem in this house1 and from whom we have always received every possible civility1 of which we retain a grateful sense4 ,but we perceive he is travelling in his public capacity1 and unless ,sir ,gilbert had had it in his power to go to town to wait of him1 and give him welcome from us to our house1 should it suit his conveniency to rest here upon his road to ,england1 we think any other invitation would appear improper and abrupt2 and as it so happens he cannot possibly accomplish this at present1 for we are to have company with us most part of this week2 and after that we go to our visits1 which will take us most of next week2 and then we shall be chez nous till our journey southwards1 when we will require from you to restore us your good society1 else we shall verily believe your flying visit was all a hum1 and we won't be ,humed so6 ,bless me1 ,i thought ,i was writing to my poor good ,harry4 ,how does he do1 sanctified soul8 ,i have really hopes of you1 now that he and you are come hand to fist at a conversation2 as he tells me you are very often with him1 and he really thinks you are a saint in your nature2 and ,i say that is a great pity1 for tho' ,i cannot deny the fact1 ,i deplore it for the consequences of it2 but give my best wishes to him1 and tell him ,i long to hear of better prospects for him4 ,i am really confounded1 when ,i think what a parcel of nonsense ,i have wrote you3 ,but learn to prefer the truth and sincerity of a ,scots wife1 to the pernicious flattery of ,les ,dames ,franaises1 of which you have had enough in your days2 and so it is fit you should be made to hear on the other side of the head4 ,and so wishing you all health and happiness1 and clearness of understanding1 ,i remain1 sir1 your well wisher1 friend1 and obedient servant1 ,,ag4 ,,elliot ,,murray4 ,p4,s4 ,i don't think the quiet ,euthanasia of ,england will happen in the year #aggc1 the mayoralty of ,j4 ,w4 ,esq4 ,hume had been for many years very corpulent4 ,in a letter to ,sir ,harry ,erskine1 in #agef1 he complains of this tendency to obesity4 ,he occasionally alludes to his partiality for plain food1 and to his being1 to use his own sufficiently distinct expression1 a glutton1 not an epicure4#ddi3a ,we have found him telling ,sir ,gilbert ,elliot1 that for beef and cabbage1 which he calls a charming dish1 and old mutton1 no one could excel him2 and that the ,duc de ,nivernois would become apprentice to his lass1 to learn how she made sheeps'-head broth4 ,the zest with which he returned to the simple food of his native country1 after the diplomatic feasts of ,paris1 seems to have been characteristic of all his habits4 ,burke is said to have affirmed1 that1 in manners he was an easy unaffected man1 previous to going to ,paris as secretary to ,lord ,hertford2 but that the adulation and caresses of the female wits of that capital had been too powerful even for a philosopher1 and the result was1 he returned a literary coxcomb4 ,but the saying is not in harmony with the characteristics noted by others2 and it is not quite clear that it was ever uttered by ,burke4#dej3a ,all who speak as having been familiarly acquainted with him1 concur in describing his manners as kind1 simple1 and polite4 ,he had1 as no one who has read his correspondence can fail to see1 a good heart1 ever ready to do benevolent acts where occasions for their performance came under his notice2 and his exterior appearance and manner corresponded with this part of his character4 ,one occasionally meets with venerable persons who remember having been dandled on ,hume's knee1 and the number of these reminiscences indicates that he was fond of children4#dej3b ,the broad ,scottish pronunciation1 in which1 by all accounts1 he indulged1 was a rather singular habit in one who desired to throw off all marks of provincialism4 ,yet we are told that in this rude ,doric garb he clothed a very pure ,english colloquial style4 ,we must take this statement with allowances3 ,he never probably in his most finished writings completely divested his style of ,scotticisms2 and the ,english he spoke must have been pure only in comparison with the language of his fellow countrymen4 ,but it may be remarked1 that provincial broadness of pronunciation in ,scotland is far from being incompatible with a very pure and unprovincial style of language4 ,it has often been observed1 that in those parts of the country where the speech of the uneducated is most peculiar1 ,english1 when spoken at all1 is found in greatest purity4 ,thus1 an inhabitant of the border districts makes his southern tones1 though hardly distinguishable from those of his ,english neighbours1 the vehicle of intense ,scotticisms2 while beyond the ,grampians1 the deep broad ,teutonic pronunciation sometimes gives voice to uncontaminated ,english1 as established by literary and colloquial rules4 ,hume had very clearly two kinds of conversation1 one for strangers and the world at large1 the other for his chosen friends with whom he was at ease1 and who could understand the good humour of that jocularity which a contemporary pronounced to have something in it perfectly infantine4 ,his friend ,john ,home was somewhat renowned for a warlike and romantic pomp in his ideas1 like those which pervade his own tragic personations4 ,in ,hume's conversation we may believe that there was nothing either heroic or enthusiastic4 ,a good humoured sly application of the fugitive subjects of discussion1 to the peculiarities of the guests2 an occasional vigorous and apt remark2 a fantastic wit sometimes let loose to wander where it pleased1 and choose whatever it thought fit for its object1--seem to have constituted the charm of his society4 ,yet the tone of his thoughts sometimes rose to enthusiasm4 ,thus the son of his valued friend ,ferguson1 remembers his father saying1 that1 one clear and beautiful night1 when they were walking home together1 ,hume suddenly stopped1 looked up to the starry sky1 and said1 more after the manner of ,hervey's ,meditations than the ,treatise of ,human ,nature1 ,oh1 ,adam1 can any one contemplate the wonders of that firmament1 and not believe that there is a ,god6 ,in a late collection of casual reminiscences1 there is the following notice of his social habits4 ,major ,m----1 with whom ,i dined yesterday1 said that he had frequently met ,david ,hume at their military mess in ,scotland1 and in other parties2 that he was very polite and pleasant1 though thoughtful in company1 generally reclining his head upon his hand1 as if in study2 from which he would suddenly recover1 however1 with some indifferent question2#deb3a extremely inquisitive1 but quite easy to himself and all around him4 ,one is glad to catch personal notices1 however slight1 of memorable men and of speculative philosophers4 ,i know no one so memorable as ,hume4 ,he seems to have so far outstripped the spirit of the times in his original and profound researches1 that the world is in no condition at present to do justice to his merits4#deb3b ,those who know him solely by his philosophical reputation1 will perhaps believe him to have been ,parcus deorum cultor et infrequens4 ,but this does not seem to have been the case1 at least in his outward conduct4 ,we find him1 in writing home from ,france1 casually mentioning his not having seen ,elliot's sons in church2 and on another occasion making a like allusion1 indicative of his having been a pretty regular attendant at the ambassador's chapel4 ,he is said to have been fond of ,dr4 ,robertson's preaching1 and not averse to that of his colleague and opponent1 ,john ,erskine4 ,a lady1 distinguished in literature1 remembers that in a conversation with a respectable tradesman's wife1 who had been a servant to ,hume1 she said that her master one day asked her very seriously1 why she was never seen in church1 where he had provided seats for all his household4 ,at that time there were very few of the humbler classes in ,edinburgh1 who did not belong to the ,church of ,scotland4 ,the woman's defence was1 that she belonged to a dissenting congregation2 and it was admitted to be quite satisfactory4 ,social in his habits1 and living the life of a wealthy bachelor1 it was natural that ,hume should connect himself with the societies1 whether of a literary or convivial character1 which brought the good company of ,edinburgh together4 ,he appears to have been a pretty active member of the ,philosophical ,society4 ,in a letter1 of which part has already been printed1 and which would probably in strict chronological order belong to an earlier period1 we find him with mild dignity enforcing the tolerance and philosophical equanimity1 that ought to reign wherever men of different sentiments meet each other in intellectual discussion4 ,tuesday ,forenoon4 ,,sir1--,i am so great a lover of peace1 that ,i am resolved to drop this matter altogether1 and not to insert a syllable in the ,preface1 which can have a reference to your ,essay4 ,the truth is1 ,i could take no revenge but such a one as would have been a great deal too cruel1 and much exceeding the offence3 for1 though most authors think1 that a contemptuous manner of treating their writings is but slightly revenged by hurting the personal character and the honour of their antagonists1 ,i am very far from that opinion4 ,besides1 ,i am as certain as ,i can be of any thing1 7and ,i am not such a sceptic as you may perhaps imagine17 that your inserting such remarkable alterations in the printed copy1 proceeded entirely from precipitancy and passion1 not from any formed intention of deceiving the ,society4 ,i would not take advantage of such an incident to throw a slur on a man of merit1 whom ,i esteem1 though ,i might have reason to complain of him4 ,when ,i am abused by such a fellow as ,warburton1 whom ,i neither know nor care for1 ,i can laugh at him4 ,but if ,dr4 ,stewart approaches any way towards the same style of writing1 ,i own it vexes me2 because ,i conclude1 that some unguarded circumstance of my conduct1 though contrary to my intention1 had given occasion to it4 ,as to your situation with regard to ,lord ,kames1 ,i am not so good a judge4 ,i only think that you had so much the better of the argument1 that you ought1 upon that account1 to have been more reserved in your expressions4 ,all raillery ought to be avoided in philosophical argument1 both because it is unphilosophical1 and because it cannot but be offensive1 let it be ever so gentle4 ,what1 then1 must we think with regard to so many insinuations of irreligion1 to which ,lord ,kames's paper gave not the least occasion8 ,this spirit of the inquisitor is1 in you1 the effect of passion1 and what a cool moment would easily correct4 ,but where it predominates in the character1 what ravages has it committed on reason1 virtue1 truth1 liberty1 and every thing that is valuable among mankind6 ,i shall now speak a word as to the justness of your censure with regard to myself after these remarks on the manner of it4 ,i have no scruple of confessing my mistakes4 ,you see ,i have owned that ,i think ,lord ,kames is mistaken in his argument2 and ,i would sooner give up my own cause than my friend's1 if ,i thought that imputation of any consequence to a man's character4 4 4 4 4#dee3a ,as ,i am resolved to drop this matter entirely from the ,preface1 so ,i hope to persuade ,lord ,kames to be entirely silent with regard to it in our meeting4 ,but in case ,i should not prevail1 or if any body else start the subject1 ,i think it better that some of your friends should be there1 and be prepared to mollify the matter4 ,if ,i durst pretend to advise1 ,i should think it better you yourself were absent1 unless you bring a greater spirit of composition than you express in your letter4 ,i am persuaded that whatever a person of ,mr4 ,monro's authority proposes will be agreed to3 though ,i must beg leave to differ from his judgment in proposing to alter two pages4 ,that chiefly removes the offence given to me2 but what regards ,lord ,kames is so interwoven with the whole discourse1 that there is not now any possibility of altering it4 ,i am1 sir1 your most obedient humble servant1 c4 ,p4 ,s4--,i hope you are very zealous in promoting the sale of ,blacklock's ,poems4 ,i will never be reconciled to you unless you dispose of at least a score of them2 and make your friends ,sir ,john ,maxwell and ,lord ,buchan pay a guinea a piece for their copy4#dee3b ,the ,poker ,club1 occasionally mentioned in these pages1 seems to have had no other direct and specific object but the consumption of claret4 ,the duty laid on that national wine1 by the ,english statesman1 so pathetically commemorated by ,john ,home1 was a heavy blow and great discouragement to the club2 but it rallied1 and returned to its old esteemed beverage2 and1 indeed1 it is a somewhat curious circumstance1 that the national taste1 created by the early intercourse with ,france and the consequent cheapness of ,french wines1 still lingers in ,scotland1 where claret is much more generally consumed than in ,england4 ,the club met in ,fortune's tavern every ,friday4 ,it was the practice1 at each meeting1 to name two to be1 what were called1 attendant members2 an arrangement1 probably1 designed to form a nucleus round which those whose attendance was uncertain1 but who might drop in occasionally in the course of the evening1 could form themselves2 and to prevent any general desertion of the club1 or1 what might be1 perhaps1 more calamitous1 the accident of any individual finding himself1 for the night1 its sole and solitary representative4 ,we find ,hume duly taking his turn in these attendances1 and keeping the minutes according to rotation4 ,on the #bjth ,january1 #agge1 there is this emphatic entry1 in his handwriting1 ,as ,mr4 ,nairne was one of the attendant members1 and neglected his duty1 the club sent him the bill4 ,the last meeting of the club1 attended by ,hume1 appears to have been that of #hth ,december1 #agge4deg3a ,it does not appear to be necessary that traditional anecdotes1 such as the few we possess of ,hume1 must either be authenticated1 or excluded from such a work as the present4 ,it seems to entitle them to a place1 that they were current among those who knew his character and habits4 ,they thus afford all that is expected from such sources--passing fancy sketches1 recognised as likenesses4 ,like several others that have appeared in these pages1 as mere traditions1 the following anecdote1 which is eminently natural and curious1 has no farther authentication than the general belief1 in ,edinburgh1 that it was like the man4 ,about the commencement of his last illness1 a female member of the respectable ,berean congregation1 in ,leith1 presented herself at his door1 with the information that she had been intrusted with a message to him from on ,high2 and1 becoming very urgent1 succeeded in obtaining admission4 ,this is a very important matter1 madam1 said the philosopher1 we must take it with deliberation2--perhaps you had better get a little temporal refreshment before you begin4 ',lassie1 bring this good lady a glass of wine4' ,while she was preparing for the attack1 ,hume entered1 good-humouredly1 into conversation with her2 and1 discovering that her husband was a chandler1 announced that he stood very much in want1 at that time1 of some temporal lights1 and intrusted his guest with a very large order4 ,this unexpected stroke of business at once absorbed all the good woman's thoughts2 and1 forgetting her important mission1 she immediately trotted home to acquaint her husband with the good news4 ,there is an anecdote1 which has appeared in numerous collections of such literary scraps1 which represents him as having slipped into the boggy ground at the base of the castle rock1 and called to a woman to help him out4 ,in his unwieldy and infirm state1 during his latter years1 the accident is not improbable4 ,the anecdote proceeds to say1 that the female called on had great doubts of the propriety of helping ,hume1 the ,deist1 out of that slough of despond into which it had pleased ,providence to cast him4 ,but1 my good woman1 does not your religion as a ,christian1 teach you to do good1 even to your enemies8 ,that may be1 said she1 but ye shallna get out o' that1 till ye become a ,christian yersell3 and repeat the ,lord's ,prayer and the ,belief1 a feat which is said to have been very rapidly performed1 much to the worthy catechist's astonishment4 ,some of his witticisms have a tone of sarcastic severity1 which he does not appear to have been disposed to suppress1 even when women were the victims1 if it was called forth by affectation or folly4 ,to a celebrated fine woman of his day1 who said she was often pestered to tell her age1 and desired his opinion what answer she should give3 he is reported to have said1 ,madam1 say you are not yet come to years of discretion4 ,to the same lady1 who1 when crossing one of the ferries of the ,firth of ,forth1 during a fresh breeze1 was making a loud outcry about danger1 he remarked1 with much coolness1 that they would probably soon be food for fishes2 and who1 said the frightened belle1 probably a little confused by the horrors of their position1 who will they begin with8 ,the answer she received was1 ,why1 madam1 those of them that are gluttons will begin with me2 those that are epicures with your ladyship4 ,we now resume ,hume's correspondence4 ,the letters of the last five years of his life1 which have been preserved1 are comparatively few2 a circumstance which may be accounted for from his living1 during that period1 among his correspondents4 ,on #bhth ,january1 #aggb1 he writes to ,smith1 that he would be glad to receive a visit from him2 but that his house would be rather dull1 from his sister having fever4 ,in continuation he says3-- ,i shall not take an excuse from your own state of health2 which ,i suppose only a subterfuge invented by indolence and love of solitude4 ,indeed1 my dear ,smith1 if you continue to hearken to complaints of this nature1 you will cut yourself out entirely from human society1 to the great loss of both parties4 ,p4,s4--,i have not yet read ',orlando ,inamorato2' but intend soon to do it4 ,i am now in a course of reading the ',italian ,historians1' and am confirmed in my former opinion1 that that language has not produced one author who knew how to write elegant correct prose1 though it contains several excellent poets4#dei3a ,in the following letters1 we find several details about that remarkable revulsion in the state of trade in ,scotland1 which1 at the present day1 is chiefly known by the quantity of decisions on points of bankruptcy law1 with which it filled the ,reports4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 #bgth ,june1 #aggb4 ,we are here in a very melancholy situation1 continual bankruptcies1 universal loss of credit1 and endless suspicions4 ,there are but two standing houses in this place--,mansfields and the ,coutses--for ,i comprehend not ,cummin1 whose dealings were always very narrow4 ,mansfield has paid away #dj1jjj in a few days3 but it is apprehended that neither he nor any of them can hold out till the end of next week1 if no alteration happen4 ,the case is little better in ,london4 ,it is thought that ,sir ,george ,colebroke must soon stop2 and even the ,bank of ,england is not entirely free from suspicion4 ,those of ,newcastle1 ,norwich1 and ,bristol1 are said to be stopped4 ,the ,thistle ,bank has been reported to be in the same condition4 ,the ,carron ,company is reeling1 which is one of the greatest calamities of the whole1 as they gave employment to near ten thousand people4 ,do these events any wise affect your theory1 or will it occasion the revisal of any chapters8 ,of all the sufferers1 ,i am the most concerned for the ,adams1 particularly ,john4 ,but their undertakings were so vast1 that nothing could support them4 ,they must dismiss three thousand workmen1 who1 comprehending the materials1 must have expended above #ajj1jjj a-year4 ,they have great funds2 but if these must be disposed of in a hurry1 and to disadvantage1 ,i am afraid the remainder will amount to little or nothing4 ,people's compassion ,i see was exhausted for ,john1 in his last calamity1 and every body asks why he incurred any more hazards4 ,but his friendship for his brothers is an apology2 though ,i believe he has a projecting turn of his own4 ,to me the scheme of the ,adelphi always appeared so imprudent1 that my wonder is how they could have gone on so long4 ,if ,sir ,george ,colebroke stop1 it will probably disconcert all the plans of our friends1 as it will diminish their patron's influence2 which is a new misfortune4 ,on the whole1 ,i believe that the check given to our exorbitant and ill grounded credit1 will prove of advantage in the long run1 as it will reduce people to more solid1 and less sanguine projects1 and1 at the same time1 introduce frugality among the merchants and manufacturers3 what say you8 ,here is food for your speculation4#dfa3a ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 #bc;d ,nov4 #aggb4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,i should agree to your reasoning1 if ,i could trust your resolution4 ,come hither for some weeks about ,christmas2 dissipate yourself a little2 return to ,kirkcaldy2 finish your work before autumn3 go to ,london2 print it2 return and settle in this town1 which suits your studious independent turn1 even better than ,london4 ,execute this plan faithfully1 and ,i forgive you4 ,ferguson has returned1 fat and fair1 and in good humour1 notwithstanding his disappointment1 which ,i am glad of4#dfa3b ,in #aggb1 ,macpherson published a quarto volume1 called ,an ,introduction to the ,history of ,great ,britain and ,ireland1 of which ,pinkerton1 indignant at the ,celtic spirit it displayed1 said1 ,the empty vanity1 shallow reading1 vague assertion1 and etymological nonsense1 in this production1 are truly risible4 ,in a letter to ,colonel ,dow1#dfa3c we find ,hume criticising this book in a rather less emphatic manner4 ,my compliments to ,ossian4 ,he has given us a work last winter1 which contains a great deal of genius and good writing2 but ,i cannot assent to his system4 ,i must still adhere to the common opinion regarding our origin1 or rather your origin2 for we are all plainly ,danes or ,saxons in the low countries4 ,but these subjects ,i reserve to a discussion over an evening fire on your return4 ,i charge you not to think of settling in ,london1 till you have first seen our ,new ,town1 which exceeds any thing you have seen in any part of the world4#dfb3a ,with the following letter1 many readers may perhaps be familiar1 but to those who have not already seen it1 the curious historical incident it details1 will give it much interest4 ,,hume to ,,sir ,,john ,,pringle4 ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 ,edinburgh1 ,feb4 #aj1 #aggc4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,that the present ,pretender was in ,london1 in the year #agec1 ,i know with the greatest certainty2 because ,i had it from ,lord ,marischal1 who said1 it consisted with his certain knowledge4 ,two or three days after his lordship gave me this information1 he told me1 that the evening before1 he had learned several curious particulars from a lady1 7who ,i imagined to be ,lady ,primrose17 though my lord refused to name her4 ,the ,pretender came to her house in the evening1 without giving her any preparatory information2 and entered the room when she had a pretty large company with her1 and was herself playing at cards4 ,he was announced by the servant under another name4 ,she thought the cards would have dropped from her hands on seeing him4 ,but she had presence enough of mind1 to call him by the name he assumed2 to ask him when he came to ,england1 and how long he intended to stay there4 ,after he and all the company went away1 the servants remarked how wonderfully like the strange gentleman was to the prince's picture1 which hung on the chimney-piece1 in the very room in which he entered4 ,my lord added1 7,i think from the authority of the same lady17 that he used so little precaution1 that he went abroad openly in day-light1 in his own dress2 only laying aside his blue riband and star2 walked once through ,st4 ,james's1 and took a turn in the ,mall4 ,about five years ago1 ,i told this story to ,lord ,holderness1 who was secretary of state in the year #agec2 and ,i added1 that ,i supposed this piece of intelligence had at that time escaped his lordship4 ,by no means1 said he1 and who do you think first told it me8 it was the king himself1 who subjoined1 ',and what do you think1 my lord1 ,i should do with him8' ,lord ,holderness owned that he was puzzled how to reply2 for if he declared his real sentiments1 they might savour of indifference to the royal family4 ,the king perceived his embarrassment1 and extricated him from it1 by adding1 ,my lord1 ,i shall just do nothing at all2 and when he is tired of ,england1 he will go abroad again4 ,i think this story1 for the honour of the late king1 ought to be more generally known4 ,but what will surprise you more1 ,lord ,marischal1 a few days after the coronation of the present king1 told me1 that he believed the young ,pretender was at that time in ,london2 or at least had been so very lately1 and had come over to see the show of the coronation1 and had actually seen it4 ,i asked my lord the reason for this strange fact4 ,why1 says he1 a gentleman told me so that saw him there2 and that he even spoke to him1 and whispered in his ears these words3 ',your royal highness is the last of all mortals whom ,i should expect to see here4'--',it was curiosity that led me1' said the other2 'but ,i assure you1' added he1 'that the person who is the object of all this pomp and magnificence is the man ,i envy the least4' ,you see this story is so near traced from the fountain head1 as to wear a great face of probability4 ,query1 ,what if the ,pretender had taken up ,dymock's gauntlet8 ,i find that the ,pretender's visit in ,england1 in the year #agec1 was known to all the ,jacobites2 and some of them have assured me1 that he took the opportunity of formally renouncing the ,roman ,catholic religion1 under his own name of ,charles ,stuart1 in the new church in the ,strand2 and that this is the reason of the bad treatment he met with at the court of ,rome4 ,i own that ,i am a sceptic with regard to the last particulars4 ,lord ,marischal had a very bad opinion of this unfortunate prince2 and thought there was no vice so mean or atrocious of which he was not capable2 of which he gave me several instances4 ,my lord1 though a man of great honour1 may be thought a discontented courtier2 but what quite confounded me in the idea of that prince1 was a conversation ,i had with ,helvtius at ,paris1 which1 ,i believe1 ,i have told you4 ,in case ,i have not1 ,i shall mention a few particulars4 ,that gentleman told me1 that he had no acquaintance with the ,pretender2 but1 some time after that prince was chased out of ,france1 a letter1 said he1 was brought me from him1 in which he told me that the necessity of his affairs obliged him to be at ,paris2 and1 as he knew me1 by character1 to be a man of the greatest probity and honour in ,france1 he would trust himself to me1 if ,i would promise to conceal and protect him4 ,i own1 added ,helvtius to me1 although ,i knew the danger to be greater of harbouring him at ,paris than at ,london2 and although ,i thought the family of ,hanover not only the lawful sovereigns in ,england1 but the only lawful sovereigns in ,europe1 as having the full and free consent of the people2 yet was ,i such a dupe to his flattery1 that ,i invited him to my house2 concealed him there1 going and coming1 near two years2 had all his correspondence pass through my hands2 met with his partisans upon ,pont ,neuf2 and found1 at last1 that ,i had incurred all this danger and trouble for the most unworthy of all mortals2 insomuch that ,i have been assured1 when he went down to ,nantz1 to embark on his expedition to ,scotland1 he took fright and refused to go on board2 and his attendants1 thinking the matter gone too far1 and that they would be affronted for his cowardice1 carried him1 in the night time1 into the ship1 pieds et mains lis4 ,i asked him1 if he meant literally8 ,yes1 said he1 literally4 ,they tied him and carried him by main force4 ,what think you now of this hero and conqueror8 ,both ,lord ,marischal and ,helvtius agree1 that with all this strange character1 he was no bigot2 but rather had learned1 from the philosophers at ,paris1 to affect a contempt of all religion4 ,you must know that both these persons thought they were ascribing to him an excellent quality4 ,indeed1 both of them used to laugh at me for my narrow way of thinking in these particulars4#dfe3a ,however1 my dear ,sir ,john1 ,i hope you will do me the justice to acquit me4 ,i doubt not but these circumstances will appear curious to ,lord ,hardwicke1 to whom you will please to present my respects4 ,i suppose his lordship will think this unaccountable mixture of temerity and timidity1 in the same character1 not a little singular4 ,i am yours very sincerely4#dfe3b ,if there should be any doubts of the genuineness of this letter1 from its having first appeared1 unauthenticated1 in a periodical work1 they will be removed by the perusal of the following answer by ,sir ,john ,pringle1 printed from the original manuscript4 ,,sir ,,john ,,pringle to ,,hume4 ,london1 #eth ,november1 #aggc4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i was much obliged to you for your letter of the #ajth ult41 as it furnished me with sufficient means for maintaining my credit with ,lord ,hardwicke1 a person ,i have not the honour to be well known to2 and ,i had the more occasion for such a testimony as yours1 as the other earl1 mentioned in your letter1 has thought proper1 7,i presume since he has once more become a courtier17 to deny his knowing any thing of the story1 when one of the company1 7where ,i told the anecdote to ,lord ,hardwicke17 inquired of him about it4 ,lord ,hardwicke1 not being in town when yours came to hand1 ,i charged his intimate friend1 ,mr4 ,wray1 who was going to visit him1 with it4 ,yesterday1 that gentleman returned1 and1 with the letter1 sent me a line1 expressing his lordship's great satisfaction in the communication2 and with many thanks to us both for it4 ,i understand he is very curious in picking up such historical facts2 and1 if so1 he certainly never met with any thing of that kind more suited to his genius4 ,the most extraordinary circumstance is1 that of the pied et poing lis2 and yet your authority seems to be unexceptionable4 ,what could be expected from an adventurer whom they had been obliged to treat in that humiliating manner8 and whose timidity1 they must believe1 was every now and then to recur1 to affront those that set him upon the enterprise8 ,i know that our people were at great pains to decry his courage1 after the battle of ,culloden2 but that ,i considered always as done upon a political1 rather than an historical principle4 ,i had good evidence for believing that1 at ,derby1 he was1 of the council of war1 the person who stood longest out against the motion for returning1 and not advancing to ,london4 ,again1 he was for standing at the ,spey2 and1 lastly1 he did not retire from ,culloden till his whole band was put to flight4 ,it is true he never advanced nearer than the corps de rserve2 but which corresponded to our second line1 in which the ,duke of ,cumberland placed himself4 ,i may add1 that both of us have been informed1 that he betrayed no unmanly concern1 when he skulked so long with his female heroine2 and then1 surely1 he was daily in the greatest danger of his life2 had he been taken he would have met with no quarter4 ,but1 after all1 these testimonies1 in favour of his courage1 must yield to such proofs as you bring to the contrary4#dff3a ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 #bdth ,feb41 #aggc4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,there are two late publications here which ,i advise you to commission4 ,the first is ,andrew ,stuart's ,letters to ,lord ,mansfield1 which they say have met with vast success in ,london4 ,andrew has eased his own mind1 and no bad effects are to follow4 ,lord ,mansfield is determined1 absolutely1 to neglect them4 ,the other is ,lord ,monboddo's treatise on the ,origin and ,progress of ,language1 which is only part of a larger work4 ,it contains all the absurdity and malignity which ,i expected2 but is writ with more ingenuity and in a better style than ,i looked for4#dfg3a ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 #ajth ,april1 #aggc4 ,to-day news arrived in town1 that the ,ayr ,bank had shut up1 and1 as many people think1 for ever4 ,i hear that the ,duke of ,buccleuch is on the road4 ,the country will be in prodigious distress for money this term4 ,sir ,g4 ,colebroke's bankruptcy is thought to be the immediate cause of this event4 ,have you seen ,macpherson's ,homer8 ,it is hard to tell whether the attempt or the execution be worse4 ,i hear he is employed by the booksellers to continue my ,history4 ,but1 in my opinion1 of all men of parts1 he has the most anti-historical head in the universe4 ,have you seen ,sir ,john ,dalrymple8 ,it is strange what a rage is against him1 on account of the most commendable action in his life4 ,his collection#dfg3b is curious2 but introduces no new light into the civil1 whatever it may into the biographical and anecdotical history of the times4 ,have you seen ',alonzo8' ,very slovenly versification1 some pathetic1 but too much resembling ',douglas4'#dfg3c ,we have found ,gilbert ,stuart deferentially courting ,hume's notice of his earlier literary efforts4 ,a few years of popularity as an author1 and the command of a periodical work1 had in the meantime changed the man's character1 by developing all its arrogance1 jealousy1 conceit1 and vindictiveness4 ,he was one of those who indulge in the comfortable consciousness1 that any comparison between their own genius and that of any other given person is supremely ludicrous2 and as some one said of ,la ,harpe1 it might have proved a good speculation to buy him at what he was worth1 and sell him at his own estimate of his value4 ,sick of the praises he heard bestowed on ,robertson and the other eminent historians of his age1 he thought it his duty to show the world how the lamp of such industrious drudges would grow pale before the lustre of true genius2 and thus he favoured the public with some historical efforts1 in which the curious reader of the present day1 who takes them from forgotten shelves1 is somewhat surprised to find how effectually well-turned periods1 and a certain audacity of opinion1 keep out of view the meagreness of the author's inquiries4 ,in #aggc1 ,stuart began to edit the ,edinburgh ,magazine and ,review4 ,periodical literature was the proper sphere for exhibiting his powers2 which consisted in the ready acquisition of a superficial view of any subject1 and a rapid1 yet elegant style2 occasionally magniloquent1 and at other times descriptive or sarcastic4 ,no other periodical work of that day equalled the ,edinburgh ,magazine and ,review1 in genius and originality4 ,but the editor made it the vehicle of his tyrannical and vindictive spirit2 and the purse and person of the proprietor--it might almost be said the peace of society1 were endangered by so formidable a weapon remaining in such hands4#dfh3a ,at this time1 the ,rev4 ,robert ,henry was publishing his valuable ,history of ,britain1 volume by volume4 ,stuart had vowed that he would crush this work2 and the critical columns he concentrated against it1 do great credit to his ability as a tactician4 ,hume was promised the privilege of reviewing the book in the ,magazine1 and probably ,stuart thought that to arm him against an interloper in his own province was excellent policy2 but when the article was written1 and put in proof1 it was found not adapted to the editor's purpose4 ,we find him thus writing to a confederate3 ,david ,hume wants to review ,henry2 but that task is so precious1 that ,i will undertake it myself4 ,moses1 were he to ask it as a favour1 should not have it3 yea1 not even the man after ,god's own heart4 ,i wish ,i could transport myself to ,london1 to review him for the ,monthly3 a fire there and in the ,critical1 would perfectly annihilate him4 ,could you do nothing in the latter8 ,to the former ,i suppose ,david ,hume has transcribed the criticism he intended for us4 ,it is precious and would divert you4 ,i keep a proof of it in my cabinet for the amusement of friends4 ,this great philosopher begins to dote4#dgj3a ,a review of ,henry's work did appear in ,the ,monthly ,review1 but from a very different pen4 ,the proof1 however1 which gave ,stuart so much amusement1 has fortunately been preserved4 ,after giving a favourable analysis of ,henry's second volume1 it concludes with the following sentences1 in many respects remarkable4 ,the reader will scarcely find in our language1 except in the works of the celebrated ,dr4 ,robertson1 any performance that unites together so perfectly the great points of entertainment and instruction4 ,it is happy for the inhabitants of this metropolis1 which has naturally a great influence on the country1 that the same persons who can make such a figure in profane learning1 are intrusted with the guidance of the people in their spiritual concerns1 which are of such superior1 and indeed of unspeakable importance4 ,these illustrious examples1 if any thing1 must make the infidel abashed of his vain cavils1 and put a stop to that torrent of vice1 profaneness1 and immorality1 by which the age is so unhappily distinguished4 ,this city can justly boast of other signal characters of the same kind1 whom learning and piety1 taste and devotion1 philosophy and faith1 joined to the severest morals and most irreproachable conduct1 concur to embellish4 ,one in particular1 with the same hand by which he turns over the sublime pages of ,homer and ,virgil1 ,demosthenes and ,cicero1 is not ashamed to open with reverence the sacred volumes2 and with the same voice by which1 from the pulpit1 he strikes vice with consternation1 he deigns to dictate to his pupils the most useful lessons of rhetoric1 poetry1 and polite literature4#dgj3b ,hume was an early friend of ,benjamin ,franklin1 whom he was instrumental in introducing to his ,parisian friends4#dga3a ,the celebrated publication of the papers revealing the policy of the ascendency party1 and the scene at the council board1 of which ,franklin so deeply cherished the memory1 are thus alluded to in a letter to ,smith1 of #acth ,february1 #aggd3-- ,pray1 what strange accounts are these we hear of ,franklin's conduct8 ,i am very slow in believing that he has been guilty in the extreme degree that is pretended2 though ,i always knew him to be a very factious man1 and faction1 next to fanaticism1 is of all passions the most destructive of morality4 ,how is it supposed he got possession of these letters8 ,i hear that ,wedderburn's treatment of him before the council was most cruel1 without being in the least blameable4 ,what a pity6#dga3b ,the following1 among the very few letters which ,hume appears to have written at this period of his life1 is addressed to ,john ,home4 ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 #dth ,june1 #aggd4 ,,dear ,,john1--,the enclosed came to hand to-day1 and1 as ,i take it to be directed to you1 ,i have sent it you4 ,if on opening it you find it otherwise1 you may return it to me1 that ,i may find the true owner4 ,you have seen1 no doubt1 the specimen of a ,scotch review4#dgb3a ,my first conjecture was that ,carlyle was the author2 but ,dr4 ,blair has convinced me that it is much more probably the production of your spiritual guide1 ,tom ,hepburn2#dgb3b but1 whoever be the father1 the child has a great deal of salt1 and spirit1 and humour4 ,i wish he would continue1 though at the hazard of my getting a rap over the knuckles from time to time2 for ,i see in this hero the spirit of a ,drawcansir1 who spares neither friend nor foe4 ,i think ,i can reckon about twenty people1 not including the king1 whom he has attacked in this short performance4 ,i hope all his spleen is not exhausted4 ,i should desire my compliments to him1 were ,i not afraid that he would interpret the civility as paying black mail to him4 ,i am1 dear ,john1 yours sincerely4#dgb3c ,the following appears to be the earliest letter in which ,hume expresses himself conscious of some unpleasant feelings1 systematic of a decay of the physical functions4 ,,hume to ,,colonel ,,edmondstoune4 ,edinburgh1 #bc;d ,march1 #agge4 ,,caro ,,giuseppe1--,no request can be more obliging than yours2 and no party could have been proposed to any place1 or with any company1 more agreeable to me4 ,but you remember what a plague ,i was to every body and to myself on my last journey2 and you may recollect that ,i made a vow1 in the bitterness of my distress1 never more to leave my own house1 nor lie out of my own bed4 ,this vow ,i have religiously kept1 except two or three days last autumn1 when ,i went to my brother's2 and though ,i could scarcely there esteem myself from home1 ,i resolved never more to pay them a visit4 ,you have not a bed cool enough for me1 which proceeds not from any distemper or disorder1 but from a peculiarity of constitution1 that has been gradually increasing on me these last twelve years4 ,i am in very good health3 but let me tell you1 that you express yourself strangely when you say ,i have been complaining4 ,how could you imagine that ,i could ever complain1 even though fractus illabatur orbis8 ,i beseech you1 know better the people to whom you speak1 and the force of the terms you make use of4 ,miss ,keiths desired me to tell you1 that some time ago they had a letter from ,sir ,basil1 by which they learn that your request with regard to ,maillet's friend1 is complied with4 ,my compliments to ,mrs4 ,edmondstoune2 embrace ,jean ,jacques in my name4 ,dear ,guidelianus1 ,i am ever yours4#dgc3a ,colonel ,edmondstoune's answer to these excuses is not a little curious4 ,,dear ,,obstinate ,,david1 ,pravum et tenacem propositi virum ,non civium ardor recta jubentium ,non vultus instantis ,baronn ,mente quatit stolida4 ,will nothing move you1 you obdurate philosopher8 ,your reasons are not worth a straw2 and ,i'll prosecute you for scandalizing my house4 ,the room next to your last is as cool as any room ought to be4 ,it looks to the north1 and you was put into a south room1 merely because it was thought that the sun's vivifying ray would be of use to a man that had been worn out and so much epuis in ,france4 ,besides1 you scrub1 have ,i not seen you basking for hours together in the sun1 contemplating ,shellie1 and burning with envy at his prowess8 and ,i heard nothing about your being heated till we came to ,killin1 and that was ,crichen's doing1 to season you for still a hotter place4#dgd3a ,,hume to his ,nephew4#dgd3b ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 #cjth ,august1 #agge4 ,,dear ,,davy1--,your letter gave me satisfaction1 and ,i approve very much of your course of study4 ,but ,i think you are unreasonably diffident of yourself with regard to the copia verborum3 you are not wanting in that particular considering you as a beginner2 and the course you take will tend very much to produce greater facility as well as correctness of expression4 ,stylus est optimus magister eloquenti4 ,these1 if not the words1 are the sense of ,quinctilian1 for ,i cite from memory4 ,you know that the ,roman stylus was the same as the pen4 ,i had a letter to-day from ,mr4 ,millar1#dgd3c who tells me that he expects to see you on the first ,monday of ,november4 ,i do not go to ,inverara as soon as ,i proposed3 it will be next week before ,i set out4 ,i think ,i am the better for jaunting2 though in the main ,i should like better to stay at home4 ,my compliments to your mother2 ,i am glad she has heard from ,josey2 but ,i wonder what has detained him so long at ,paris4 ,i fancy you and ,jock are very happy at present in your field sports2 and your father will not be displeased to see the favourable progress of the harvest4 ,i am1 dear ,davy1 your affectionate uncle4#dge3a ,,hume to ,,john ,,home4 ,st4 ,andrew's ,square1 ,sept4 #bjth1 #agge4 ,,dear ,,john1--,of all the vices of language1 the least excusable is the want of perspicuity2 for1 as words were instituted by men1 merely for conveying their ideas to each other1 the employing of words without meaning is a palpable abuse1 which departs from the very original purpose and intention of language4 ,it is also to be observed1 that any ambiguity in expression is next to the having no meaning at all2 and is indeed a species of it2 for while the hearer or reader is perplexed between different meanings1 he can assign no determinate idea to the speaker or writer2 and may1 on that account1 say with ,ovid1 ,inopem me copia fecit4 ,for this reason1 all eminent rhetoricians and grammarians1 both ancient and modern1 have insisted on perspicuity of language as an essential quality2 without which1 all ornaments of diction are vain and fruitless4 ,quinctilian carries the matter so far1 as to condemn this expression1 vidi hominem librum legentem2 because1 says he1 legentem may construe as well with librum as hominem2 though one would think that the sense were here sufficient to prevent all ambiguity4 ,in conformity to this way of thinking1 ,vaugelas1 the first great grammarian of ,france1 will not permit that any one have recourse to the sense1 in order to explain the meaning of the words2 because1 says he1 it is the business of the words to explain the meaning of the sense--not of the sense to give a determinate meaning to the words2 and this practice is reversing the order of nature2 like the custom of the ,romans 7he might have added the ,greeks17 in their ,saturnalia1 who made the slaves the masters2 for you may learn from ,lucian that the ,greeks practised the same frolic during the festival of ,saturn1 whom they called 4 ,now1 to apply1 and to come to the use of this principle3 ,i must observe to you1 that your last letter1 besides a continued want of distinctness in the form of the literal characters1 has plainly transgressed the essential rule above-mentioned of grammar and rhetoric4 ,you say that ,coutts has complained to you of not hearing from me2 had you said either ,james or ,thomas1 ,i could have understood your meaning4 ,about two months ago1 ,i heard that ,james complained of me in this respect2 and ,i wrote to him1 though then abroad1 making an apology for my being one of the subscribers of a paper which gave him some offence4 ,i was afraid he had not received mine4 ,the letter of ,thomas1 ,i conceived to be only a circular letter1 informing me of a change in the firm of the house3 and having answered it a few days ago1 by giving him some directions about disposing of my money1 which proved that ,i intended to remain a customer to the shop2 it happens1 therefore1 luckily1 that ,i had obviated all objections to my conduct on both sides4 ,in turning over my papers1 ,i find a manuscript journal of the last rebellion1 which is at your service4 ,i hope ,mrs4 ,home is better1 and will be able to execute her journey4 ,are you to be in town soon8 ,yours without ambiguity1 circumlocution1 or mental reservation4#dgf3a ,hume1 though we have found him censuring the conduct of ,franklin1 was opposed to any attempt to coerce ,america4 ,i always thought1 says ,sir ,john ,pringle1 when writing to him1 you were in the wrong1 when you supposed these colonies wanted only a pretext to shake off their subjection4#dgg3a ,this subjection he seems to have thought they were entitled to throw off2 for he was far more tolerant of the sway of individuals over numbers1 which he looked upon as the means of preserving order and civilization1 than of the predominance of one territory over another1 which he looked upon as subjugation4 ,unfortunately1 few of his opinions on this subject can be better ascertained than by the reflex light of the letters addressed to him1 in answer to his remarks4 ,with ,strahan1 the eminent printer1 he carried on an extensive correspondence on political matters1 of which the letters on his own side have unfortunately been lost4#dgg3b ,the sentiments which ,hume had expressed on the ,american war1 are thus described1 by contrast1 in the words of that member of ,parliament1 to whom ,franklin addressed his celebrated letter of defiance4 ,,william ,,strahan to ,,hume4 ,i differ from you toto clo with regard to ,america4 ,i am entirely for coercive methods with those obstinate madmen2 and why should we despair of success8 ,why should we suffer the empire to be so dismembered1 without the utmost exertions on our part8 ,i see nothing so very formidable in this business1 if we become a little more unanimous1 and could stop the mouths of domestic traitors1 from whence the evil originated4 ,not that ,i wish to enslave the colonists1 or to make them one jot less happy than ourselves2 but ,i am for keeping them subordinate to the ,british legislature2 and their trade1 in a reasonable degree1 subservient to the interest of the mother country2 an advantage she well deserves2 but which she must inevitably lose1 if they are emancipated1 as you propose4 ,i am really surprised you are of a different opinion4 ,very true1 things look oddly at present2 and the dispute hath1 hitherto1 been very ill managed2 but so we always do at the commencement of every war4 ,so we did1 most remarkably1 in the last4 ,it is perhaps owing to the nature of our government1 which permits not of those sudden and decisive exertions frequently made by arbitrary princes4 ,but1 so soon as the ,british lion is roused1 we never fail to fetch up our lee-way1 as the sailors say4 ,and so ,i hope you will find it in this important case4#dgh3a ,the following letter1 which is not1 however1 written in a spirit of entire earnestness or sobriety1 has some reference to his views on the ,american question4 ,,hume to ,,baron ,,mure4 ,st4 ,david's ,street1 ,oct4 #bgth1 #agge4 ,,oh6 ,,dear ,,baron1--,you have thrown me into agonies1 and almost into convulsions1 by your request4 ,you ask what seems reasonable1--what seems a mere trifle2 yet am ,i so unfit for it1 that it is almost impossible for me to comply4 ,you are much fitter yourself4 ,that address1 by which you gained immortal honour1 was done altogether without my knowledge2 ,i mean that after the suppression of the late rebellion4 ,here is ,lord ,home teazing me for an address from the ,merse2 and ,i have constantly refused him4 ,besides1 ,i am an ,american in my principles1 and wish we would let them alone to govern or misgovern themselves1 as they think proper3 the affair is of no consequence1 or of little consequence1 to us4 ,if the county of ,renfrew think it indispensably necessary for them to interpose in public matters1 ,i wish they would advise the king1 first to punish those insolent rascals in ,london and ,middlesex1 who daily insult him and the whole legislature1 before he thinks of ,america4 ,ask him1 how he can expect that a form of government will maintain an authority at three thousand miles' distance1 when it cannot make itself be respected1 or even be treated with common decency1 at home4 ,tell him1 that ,lord ,north1 though1 in appearance1 a worthy gentleman1 has not a head for these great operations2 and that1 if fifty thousand men1 and twenty millions of money1 were intrusted to such a lukewarm coward as ,gage1 they never could produce any effect4 ,these are objects worthy of the respectable county of ,renfrew3 not mauling the poor infatuated ,americans in the other hemisphere4#dgi3a ,it has already been said1 that ,hume appears to have suspected that his nephew1 ,david1 was imbibing republican principles4 ,it is well worthy of remark1 that he does not appear to have considered the training of his young nephews1 in political opinions different from his own1 as at all to be deprecated2 and ,david1 to whom the following letter is addressed1 was boarded with ,professor ,millar1 afterwards author of the ,historical ,view of the ,english ,government1 who had even then shown himself as one of the most powerful antagonists of ,hume's constitutional doctrines4 ,it must be regretted that the letter is much mutilated2 but enough of it is preserved to show how lightly ,hume's political opinions hung on him--how little they possessed the character of a creed--how tolerant he was of any system of politics which bore the air of philosophy1 and how curiously he could let his reason vibrate between opinions of the most opposite character in practical politics4 ,,hume to his ,,nephew4 ,edinburgh1 #hth ,december1 #agge4 ,,dear ,,davy1--,all your letters1 both to me and to your father1 have given great satisfaction1 particularly your last2 and1 in return1 ,i must give you the satisfaction of telling you1 that ,mr4 ,millar is very well pleased with you1 ----- no less than you with him4 ,he complains only of one thing1 which is not the usual complaint of tutors against their pupils2 to wit1 that he is afraid you apply too close1 and may hurt your health by too assiduous study4 ,i should not mention this if ,i had the least apprehension that a hint of this nature would make you relax too much4 ,but ,i cannot forbear saying1 that every day1 fair or foul1 you ought to use some exercise4 ,relaxation from for8 amusement1 you may use1 or not1 as you fancy2 but that1 for health1 is absolutely necessary4 ,when ,i was of your age1 ,i was inclined to give in to excesses of the same kind2 and ,i remember an anecdote told me by a friend1 the present ,lord ,pitfour4 ,a man was riding1 with great violence1 and running his horse quite out of wind4 ,he stopt a moment to ask when he might reach a particular place4 ,in two hours1 replied the countryman1 if you will go slower2 in four if you be in such a hurry4 ,bad health1 besides other inconveniencies1 is the greatest interrupter to study in the world4 ,i cannot but agree with ,mr4 ,millar1 that the republican form of government is by far the best4 ,the ancient republics were somewhat ferocious and torn ----- by bloody factions2 but they were still much preferable to the monarchies or aristocracies which seem to have been quite intolerable4 ,modern manners have corrected this abuse2 and all the republics in ,europe1 without exception1 are so well governed that one is at a loss to which we should give the preference4 ,but what is this general subject of speculation to our purpose8 ,for1 besides that an established government ----- without the most criminal imputation1 be disjointed from any speculation1 ----- is only fitted for a small state2 and any attempt towards it can1 in our ----- produce only anarchy1 which is the immediate forerunner of despotism ----- tell us what is that form of a republic which we must aspire to8 ,or -----stion be afterwards decided by the sword4 ,one great advantage of a commonwealth over our mixed monarchy1 is1 that it would considerably abridge our liberty2 which is growing to such an extreme as to be incompatible with all4 ,such fools are they who perpetually cry out liberty1 and think to augment it by shaking off the monarchy4 ,i have not heard from ,josey for some time1 which1 you may believe1 has produced ----- reflections in some of your friends4 ,but to show you that you are not forgotten ----- ,i showed ,mr4 ,millar's letter to your mother4 ,i am afraid1 said she1 that ----- some symptoms of a consumption in poor ,davy4 ,i am far from thinking ,mr4 ,millar's demands in point of money unreasonable4 ,on the contrary1 ,i believe that ,i never laid out money to better purpose4 ,harrington is an author of genius1 but chimerical4 ,no laws1 however rigorous1 would make his ,agrarian practicable4 ,and as the people have only a negative1 the ----- would perpetually gain ground upon them4 ,you remember that ,montesquieu says1 that ,harrington establishing his ,oceana in opposition to the ,english constitution1 is like the blind men who built ,chalcedon on the opposite ----- to the seat of ,byzantium4 ,i ask your pardon for not writing to you sooner1 but beg the continuance of your correspondence4 ,my compliments to ,mr4 ,millar1 to whom ,i owe a letter4 ,i am1 your affectionate uncle4#dhb3a ,,hume to ,,john ,,home4 ,edinburgh1 #hth ,february1 #aggf4 ,,dear ,,tyrtaeus1--,it is a remark of ,dr4 ,swift's1 that no man in ,london ever complained of his being neglected by his friends in the country4 ,your complaint of me is the more flattering4 ,two posts ago1 ,i received1 under a frank of ,general ,fraser's1 a pamphlet1 entitled ,a letter from an officer retired4 ,it is a very good pamphlet2 and ,i conjecture you to be the author4 ,sallust makes it a question1 whether the writer or the performer of good things has the preference8 and he ascribes the greater praise to the latter4 ,it is happy for you1 that you may rest your fame on either4 ,i here allude to what you have done for ,ferguson4 ,but1 pray1 why do you say1 that the post of ,boston is like the camp of ,pirna8 ,i fancy our troops can be withdrawn thence without any difficulty4 ,i make no doubt1 since you sound the trumpet for war against the ,americans1 that you have a plan ready for governing them1 after they are subdued3 but you will not subdue them2 unless they break in pieces among themselves--an event very probable4 ,it is a wonder it has not happened sooner4 ,but no man can foretell how far these frenzies of the people may be carried4 ,yours1 c4#dhc3a ,the following letter exhibits a feeling of impatience for the appearance of the long promised ,wealth of ,nations4 ,it shows1 in discussing some questions in political economy1 that1 with his usual sagacity1 ,hume predicted that the loss of ,british supremacy over ,america1 would not have that dire effect on our commercial prosperity1 which had been anticipated4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,edinburgh1 #hth ,feb4 #aggf4 ,,dear ,,smith1--,i am as lazy a correspondent as you1 yet my anxiety about you makes me write4 ,by all accounts your book has been printed long ago3 yet it has never yet been so much as advertised4 ,what is the reason8 ,if you wait till the fate of ,america be decided1 you may wait long4 ,by all accounts1 you intend to settle with us this spring3 yet we hear no more of it3 ,what is the reason8 ,your chamber in my house is always unoccupied4 ,i am always at home4 ,i expect you to land here4 ,i have been1 am1 and shall be probably in an indifferent state of health4 ,i weighed myself t' other day1 and find ,i have fallen five complete stones4 ,if you delay much longer ,i shall probably disappear altogether4 ,the ,duke of ,buccleuch tells me that you are very zealous in ,american affairs4 ,my notion is that the matter is not so important as is commonly imagined4 ,if ,i be mistaken1 ,i shall probably correct my error when ,i see you1 or read you4 ,our navigation and general commerce may suffer more than our manufactures4 ,should ,london fall as much in its size as ,i have done1 it will be the better4 ,it is nothing but a hulk of bad and unclean humours4 ,yours1 c4#dhd3a ,it is not perhaps uncharitable to suppose1 that the following eulogium would have been more warm1 had the person it was addressed to not been one of the barbarians who inhabit the banks of the ,thames4 ,,hume to ,,gibbon4 ,edinburgh1 #ahth ,march1 #aggf4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,as ,i ran through your volume of history with a great deal of avidity and impatience1 ,i cannot forbear discovering somewhat of the same impatience in returning you thanks for your agreeable present1 and expressing the satisfaction which the performance has given me4 ,whether ,i consider the dignity of your style1 the depth of your matter1 or the extensiveness of your learning1 ,i must regard the work as equally the object of esteem2 and ,i own1 that if ,i had not previously had the happiness of your personal acquaintance1 such a performance1 from an ,englishman in our age1 would have given me some surprise4 ,you may smile at this sentiment2 but as it seems to me that your countrymen1 for almost a whole generation1 have given themselves up to barbarous and absurd faction1 and have totally neglected all polite letters1 ,i no longer expected any valuable production ever to come from them4 ,i know it will give you pleasure 7as it did me17 to find that all the men of letters in this place concur in their admiration of your work1 and in their anxious desire of your continuing it4 ,when ,i heard of your undertaking1 7which was some time ago17 ,i own ,i was a little curious to see how you would extricate yourself from the subject of your two last chapters4 ,i think you have observed a very prudent temperament2 but it was impossible to treat the subject so as not to give grounds of suspicion against you1 and you may expect that a clamour will arise4 ,this1 if any thing1 will retard your success with the public2 for in every other respect your work is calculated to be popular4 ,but1 among many other marks of decline1 the prevalence of superstition in ,england1 prognosticates the fall of philosophy and decay of taste2 and though nobody be more capable than you to revive them1 you will probably find a struggle in your first advances4 ,i see you entertain a great doubt with regard to the authenticity of the poems of ,ossian4 ,you are certainly right in so doing4 ,it is1 indeed1 strange1 that any men of sense could have imagined it possible1 that above twenty thousand verses1 along with numberless historical facts1 could have been preserved by oral tradition during fifty generations1 by the rudest1 perhaps1 of all ,european nations2 the most necessitous1 the most turbulent1 and the most unsettled4 ,where a supposition is so contrary to common sense1 any positive evidence of it ought never to be regarded4 ,men run with great avidity to give their evidence in favour of what flatters their passions1 and their national prejudices4 ,you are1 therefore1 over and above indulgent to us in speaking of the matter with hesitation4 ,i must inform you1 that we are all very anxious to hear that you have fully collected the materials for your second volume1 and that you are even considerably advanced in the composition of it4 ,i speak this more in the name of my friends than in my own2 as ,i cannot expect to live so long as to see the publication of it4 ,your ensuing volume will be more delicate than the preceding1 but ,i trust in your prudence for extricating you from the difficulties2 and1 in all events1 you have courage to despise the clamour of bigots4 ,i am1 with regard1 c4#dhe3a ,at length appeared the long looked for work1 in which the parent of the first elucidations of political economy was to see his own offspring eclipsed2 and to see it with pride4 ,one must be familiar with the unenvious friendship which ,hume ever bestowed1 on the fellow countrymen who joined him in the noble path of philosophical inquiry1 to appreciate the genuine satisfaction with which he thus hailed the appearance of ,the ,wealth of ,nations4 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,edinburgh1 #ast ,april1 #aggf4 ,,euge6 ,,belle6 ,,dear ,,mr4 ,,smith1--,i am much pleased with your performance2 and the perusal of it has taken me from a state of great anxiety4 ,it was a work of so much expectation1 by yourself1 by your friends1 and by the public1 that ,i trembled for its appearance1 but am now much relieved4 ,not but that the reading of it necessarily requires so much attention1 and the public is disposed to give so little1 that ,i shall still doubt for some time of its being at first very popular4 ,but it has depth1 and solidity1 and acuteness1 and is so much illustrated by curious facts1 that it must at last take the public attention4 ,it is probably much improved by your last abode in ,london4 ,if you were here at my fireside1 ,i should dispute some of your principles4 ,i cannot think that the rent of farms makes any part of the price of the produce1 but that the price is determined altogether by the quantity and the demand4#dhf3a ,it appears to me impossible1 that the ,king of ,france can take a seignorage of eight per cent upon the coinage4 ,nobody would bring bullion to the mint2 it would be all sent to ,holland or ,england1 where it might be coined and sent back to ,france1 for less than two per cent4 ,accordingly1 ,necker says1 that the ,french king takes only two per cent of seignorage4 ,but these and a hundred other points are fit only to be discussed in conversation2 which1 till you tell me the contrary1 ,i still flatter myself with soon4 ,i hope it will be soon2 for ,i am in a very bad state of health1 and cannot afford a long delay4 ,i fancy you are acquainted with ,mr4 ,gibbon4 ,i like his performance extremely1 and have ventured to tell him1 that1 had ,i not been personally acquainted with him1 ,i should never have expected such an excellent work from the pen of an ,englishman4 ,it is lamentable to consider how much that nation has declined in literature during our time4 ,i hope he did not take amiss the national reflection4 ,all your friends here are in great grief at present1 for the death of ,baron ,mure1 which is an irreparable loss to our society4 ,he was among the oldest and best friends ,i had in the world4#dhg3a ,in ,april1 #aggf1 the disease of which ,hume subsequently died1 had made alarming progress4 ,the little autobiographical sketch1 called my own ,life1 was finished on the eighteenth of that month2 and he there speaks of the rise and progress of his disorder1 and of his feelings under the expectation of a speedy termination of his life1 in the following terms3-- ,in spring1 #agge1 ,i was struck with a disorder in my bowels1 which at first gave me no alarm1 but has since1 as ,i apprehend it1 become mortal and incurable4 ,i now reckon upon a speedy dissolution4 ,i have suffered very little pain from my disorder2 and what is more strange1 have1 notwithstanding the great decline of my person1 never suffered a moment's abatement of my spirits2 insomuch1 that were ,i to name the period of my life which ,i should most choose to pass over again1 ,i might be tempted to point to this latter period4 ,i possess the same ardour as ever in study1 and the same gaiety in company4 ,i consider1 besides1 that a man of sixty-five1 by dying1 cuts off only a few years of infirmities2 and though ,i see many symptoms of my literary reputation's breaking out at last with additional lustre1 ,i knew that ,i could have but few years to enjoy it4 ,it is difficult to be more detached from life than ,i am at present4 ,it was probably early in the year1 and before the disease had made such progress1 as to make his friends in general anticipate its fatal conclusion1 that ,dr4 ,black wrote the following undated letter on the subject to ,smith3-- ,i write at present1 chiefly to acquaint you with the state of your friend ,david ,hume's health1 which is so bad that ,i am quite melancholy upon it1 and as ,i hear that you intend a visit to this country soon1 ,i wish if possible to hasten your coming1 that he may have the comfort of your company so much the sooner4 ,he has been declining several years1 and this in a slow and gradual manner1 until about a twelvemonth ago1 since which the progress of his disorder has been more rapid4 ,one of his distresses has been a sensation of excessive heat1 chiefly in the night time1 and which was only external1 for it occasioned no internal distress1 or anxiety1 or thirst4 ,black then proceeds to describe with more minuteness1 than would be either pleasing or instructive to unscientific readers1 a series of symptoms from which he infers that the most serious part of his patient's disorder1 is a hemorrhage in the upper part of the intestines4#dhh3a ,he continues1-- ,his mother1 he says1 had precisely the same constitution with himself1 and died of this very disorder2 which has made him give up any hopes of his getting the better of it4 ,he concludes by saying1-- ,do not1 however1 say much on this subject to any one else2 as he does not like to have it spoke of1 and has been shy and slow in acquainting me fully with the state of his health4 ,in preparation for the event1 which could not be far distant1 he had executed a settlement of his estate1 so early as the #dth of ,january4 ,he left the bulk of his fortune to his brother1 or1 in the case of his predeceasing him1 to his nephew ,david1 burdened in the latter case with special legacies to his other nephews and his nieces4 ,he left his sister #abjj4 ,along with some legacies to a few obscure private friends and to his servants1 he left #bjj to ,d',alembert1 and the same sum to ,adam ,ferguson4#dhi3a ,he appointed ,smith his literary executor1 in the following terms3#dij3a ,to my friend ,dr4 ,adam ,smith1 late ,professor of ,moral ,philosophy in ,glasgow1 ,i leave all my manuscripts without exception1 desiring him to publish my ',dialogues on ,natural ,religion1' which are comprehended in this present bequest2 but to publish no other papers which he suspects not to have been written within these five years1 but to destroy them all at his leisure4 ,and ,i even leave him full power over all my papers1 except the ,dialogues above mentioned2 and though ,i can trust to that intimate and sincere friendship1 which has ever subsisted between us1 for his faithful execution of this part of my will1 yet1 as a small recompense of his pains in correcting and publishing this work1 ,i leave him two hundred pounds1 to be paid immediately after the publication of it4 ,smith subsequently refused to receive payment of the legacy2 and it was the cause of a long friendly discussion with ,mr4 ,home of ,ninewells1 who1 in opposition to his argument1 that it was bequeathed as a remuneration for editorial labours1 which by a subsequent alteration of the bequest did not require to be performed1 urged such pleas as this1 ,my brother1 knowing your liberal way of thinking1 laid on you something as an equivalent1 not imagining you would refuse a small gratuity from the funds it was to come from1 as a testimony of his friendship4#dij3b ,but he pleaded in vain2 and ,smith continued to refuse the bequest1 with all the firmness of his unmercenary nature4 ,previous to his journey to ,bath1 which has to be presently narrated1 ,hume appears to have informed ,smith of the desire expressed in his will1 that he should undertake the publication of the ,dialogues on ,natural ,religion4 ,the intimation was probably verbal1 as it does not form part of any letter among ,hume's papers4 ,elliot was opposed to the publication of this work4 ,blair pleaded strongly for its suppression2 and ,smith1 who had made up his mind1 that he would not edit the work1 seems to have desired that the testamentary injunction laid on him might be revoked4 ,hume1 however1 before his death1 took effectual steps to guard against its suppression4 ,thus1 after having good-naturedly abstained1 for nearly thirty years1 from the publication of a work1 which might give pain and umbrage to his dearest friends2 at the close of life1 and when the lapse of time since it was written might have been supposed to render him indifferent to its fate1--because there appeared some danger of its final suppression1 he took decided and well pondered steps to avert from it this fate4 ,such was the character of the man6 ,,hume to ,,adam ,,smith4 ,london1 #c;d ,may1 #aggf4 ,,my ,,dear ,,friend1--,i send you enclosed an ostensible letter1 conformably to your desire4 ,i think1 however1 your scruples groundless4 ,was ,mallet any wise hurt by his publication of ,lord ,bolingbroke8 ,he received an office afterwards from the present king and ,lord ,bute1 the most prudish men in the world2 and he always justified himself by his sacred regard to the will of a dead friend4 ,at the same time1 ,i own that your scruples have a specious appearance4 ,but my opinion is1 that if upon my death you determine never to publish these papers1 you should leave them sealed up with my brother and family1 with some inscription that you reserve to yourself the power of reclaiming them whenever you think proper4 ,if ,i live a few years longer1 ,i shall publish them myself4 ,i consider an observation of ,rochefoucault1 that a wind1 though it extinguishes a candle1 blows up a fire4 ,you may be surprised to hear me talk of living years1 considering the state you saw me in1 and the sentiments which both ,i and all my friends at ,edinburgh entertained on that subject4 ,but though ,i cannot come up entirely to the sanguine notions of our friend ,john1 ,i find myself very much recovered on the road1 and ,i hope ,bath waters and farther journeys1 may effect my cure4 ,by the little company ,i have seen1 ,i find the town very full of your book1 which meets with general approbation4 ,many people think particular points disputable2 but this you certainly expected4 ,i am glad that ,i am one of the number2 as these points will be the subject of future conversation between us4 ,i set out for ,bath1 ,i believe1 on ,monday1 by ,sir ,john ,pringle's directions1 who says1 that he sees nothing to be apprehended in my case4 ,if you write to me 7hem6 hem67 ,i say if you write to me1 send your letter under cover to ,mr4 ,strahan1 who will have my direction4#dib3a ,the ostensible letter which was to serve as ,smith's justification1 if he should decline to follow the injunctions of the will1 is as follows3-- ,london1 #c;d ,may1 #aggf4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,after reflecting more maturely on that article of my will by which ,i left you the disposal of all my papers1 with a request that you should publish my ',dialogues concerning ,natural ,religion1' ,i have become sensible that1 both on account of the nature of the work1 and of your situation1 it may be improper to hurry on that publication4 ,i therefore take the present opportunity of qualifying that friendly request4 ,i am content to leave it entirely to your discretion1 at what time you will publish that piece1 or whether you will publish it at all4 ,you will find among my papers a very inoffensive piece1 called my own ,life1 which ,i composed a few days before ,i left ,edinburgh2 when ,i thought1 as did all my friends1 that my life was despaired of4 ,there can be no objection1 that the small piece should be sent to ,messrs4 ,strahan and ,cadell1 and the proprietors of my other works1 to be prefixed to any future edition of them4#dic3a ,smith did not absolutely refuse to edit the ,dialogues1 but ,hume saw pretty clearly that it was a task that would not be performed by him4 ,that he was correct in this supposition1 appears by a letter from ,smith to ,strahan after ,hume's death1 where he says3 ,i once had persuaded him to leave it entirely to my discretion either to publish them at what time ,i thought proper1 or not to publish them at all4 ,had he continued of this mind1 the manuscript should have been most carefully preserved1 and upon my decease restored to his family2 but it never should have been published in my lifetime4 ,when you have read it1 you will perhaps think it not unreasonable to consult some prudent friend about what you ought to do4#did3a ,by a codicil to his will1 dated #gth ,august1 he thus altered the arrangement referred to in these letters4 ,in my later will and disposition1 ,i made some destinations with regard to my manuscripts3 ,all these ,i now retract1 and leave my manuscripts to the care of ,mr4 ,william ,strahan of ,london1 member of ,parliament1 trusting to the friendship that has long subsisted between us1 for his careful and faithful execution of my intentions4 ,i desire that my ',dialogues concerning ,natural ,religion' may be printed and published1 any time within two years after my death4 ,after making the bequest to ,john ,home which is mentioned farther on1 leaving to ,blair1 ,smith1 ,home1 and ,edmondstoune1 all of them persons very dear to me1 and whose affection to me ,i know by repeated proofs to have been mutual1 each a copy of the new edition of his works1 and to ,miss ,ord1 ten guineas to buy a ring1 as a memorial of his friendship and attachment to so amiable and accomplished a person1 the codicil is signed4 ,there is then a new paragraph appended as follows3 ,i do ordain that if my ',dialogues1' from whatever cause1 be not published within two years and a half after my death1 as also the account of my life1 the property shall return to my nephew1 ,david1 whose duty in publishing them1 as the last request of his uncle1 must be approved of by all the world4#did3b ,both ,hume and ,smith seem to have thought that ,strahan would undertake the publication as a mere matter of business4 ,but this book1 like the little hunchback in the ,arabian ,nights1 was a commodity which every one seemed anxious to transfer to his neighbour4 ,strahan declined to undertake the task1 and the ,dialogues did not appear until #aggi1 when they were published by their author's nephew4 ,smith cheerfully agreed to undertake the superintendance of the new edition of his friend's works1 then at press4 ,they appear to have been all in a state of very finished preparation for the press1 and an edition of the ,inquiries and the miscellaneous essays was published in #aggg1 from a copy in which the author had completed that removal of passages of a democratic tendency1 which has been so frequently alluded to4 ,by the entreaties of several friends1 who believed that travelling might have a favourable influence on his health1 ,hume undertook a journey to ,london towards the end of ,april4 ,at ,morpeth he met with ,adam ,smith and ,john ,home1 on their way from ,london1 to visit him in ,edinburgh1 in consequence of a letter which the former had received from ,ferguson1 who says1 ,david1 ,i am afraid1 loses ground4 ,he is cheerful and in good spirits as usual2 but ,i confess that my hopes1 from the effects of the turn of the season towards spring1 have very much abated4 ,smith proceeded to ,edinburgh1 but ,home went back to ,london with his friend1 and fortunately preserved a diary of the journey1 so very interesting1 and containing so lively a picture of ,hume's state of mind and habits1 that1 though already published1#die3a the reader would not excuse its omission on this occasion4 ,note by ,,mr4 ,,john ,,home4 ,soon after ,mr4 ,home received the letter from ,dr4 ,ferguson1 he left ,london1 and set out for ,scotland with ,mr4 ,adam ,smith4 ,they came to ,morpeth on the #bc;d of ,april1 #aggf1 and would have passed ,mr4 ,david ,hume1 if they had not seen his servant1 ,colin1 standing at the gate of an inn4 ,mr4 ,home thinks that his friend1 ,mr4 ,david ,hume1 is much better than he expected to find him4 ,his spirits are astonishing3 he talks of his illness1 of his death1 as matters of no moment1 and gives an account of what passed between him and his physicians since his illness began1 with his usual wit1 or with more wit than usual4 ,he acquainted ,mr4 ,adam ,smith and me1 that ,dr4 ,black had not concealed the opinion he had of the desperateness of his condition1 and was rather averse to his setting out4 ,have you no reason against it1 said ,david1 but an apprehension that it may make me die sooner8--that is no reason at all4 ,i never saw him more cheerful1 or in more perfect possession of all his faculties1 his memory1 his understanding1 his wit4 ,it is agreed that ,smith shall go on to ,scotland1 and that ,i should proceed to ,bath with ,david4 ,we are to travel one stage before dinner1 and one after dinner4 ,colin tells me that he thinks ,mr4 ,hume better than when he left ,edinburgh4 ,we had a fine evening as we went from ,morpeth to ,newcastle4 ,david seeing a pair of pistols in the chaise1 said1 that as he had very little at stake1 he would indulge me in my humour of fighting the highwaymen4 ,whilst supper was getting ready at the inn1 ,mr4 ,hume and ,i played an hour at picquet4 ,mr4 ,david was very keen about his card-playing4 ,newcastle1 ,wednesday1 #bdth ,april4 ,mr4 ,hume not quite so well in the morning--says1 that he had set out merely to please his friends2 that he would go on to please them2 that ,ferguson and ,andrew ,stuart1 7about whom we had been talking17 were answerable for shortening his life one week a-piece2 for1 says he1 you will allow ,xenophon to be good authority2 and he lays it down1 that suppose a man is dying1 nobody has a right to kill him4 ,he set out in this vein1 and continued all the stage in his cheerful and talking humour4 ,it was a fine day1 and we went on to ,durham--from that to ,darlington1 where we passed the night4 ,in the evening ,mr4 ,hume thinks himself more easy and light1 than he has been any time for three months4 ,in the course of our conversation we touched upon the national affairs4 ,he still maintains1 that the national debt must be the ruin of ,britain2 and laments that the two most civilized nations1 the ,english and ,french1 should be on the decline2 and the barbarians1 the ,goths and ,vandals of ,germany and ,russia1 should be rising in power and renown4 ,the ,french king1 he says1 has ruined the state by recalling the parliaments4 ,mr4 ,hume thinks that there is only one man in ,france fit to be minister1 7the ,archbishop of ,toulouse17 of the family of ,brienne4 ,he told me some curious anecdotes with regard to this prelate2 that he composed and corrected without writing2 that ,mr4 ,hume had heard him repeat an elegant oration of an hour and a quarter in length1 which he had never written4 ,mr4 ,hume1 talking with the ,princess ,beauvais about ,french policy1 said that he knew but one man in ,france capable of restoring its greatness2 the lady said she knew one too1 and wished to hear if it was the same4 ,they accordingly named each their man1 and it was this prelate4#dig3a ,thursday1 #beth4 ,left ,darlington about nine o'clock1 and came to ,northallerton4 ,the same delightful weather4 ,a shower fell that laid the dust1 and made our journey to ,boroughbridge more pleasant4 ,mr4 ,hume continues very easy1 and has a tolerable appetite2 tastes nothing liquid but water1 and sups upon an egg4 ,he assured me1 that he never possessed his faculties more perfectly2 that he never was more sensible of the beauties of any classic author than he was at present1 nor loved more to read4 ,when ,i am not in the room with him he reads continually4 ,the post-boys can scarcely be persuaded to drive only five miles an hour1 and their horses are of the same way of thinking6 ,the other travellers1 as they pass1 look into the chaise1 and laugh at our slow pace4 ,this evening the post-boy from ,northallerton1 who had required a good deal of threatening to make him drive as slow as we desired1 had no sooner taken his departure to go home1 than he set off at full speed4 ,pour se ddommager1 said ,david4 ,friday1 #bfth1 ,boroughbridge4 ,mr4 ,hume this morning not quite so well4 ,he observes1 and ,i see it1 that he has a good day and a bad one4 ,his illness is an internal hemorrhage1 which has been wasting him for a long time4 ,he is so thin that he chooses to have a cushion under him when he sits upon an ordinary chair4 ,he told me to-day1 that if ,louis ,,xv4 had died in the time of the regency1 the whole ,french nation were determined to bring back the ,king of ,spain to be ,king of ,france1--so zealous were they for preserving the line of succession4 ,this evening ,mr4 ,hume not quite so well1 and goes to bed at a more early hour than he used to do4 ,ferrybridge1 ,sunday1 #bhth4 ,mr4 ,hume much better this morning4 ,he told me1 that the ,french nation had no great opinion of ,cardinal ,fleury2 that the ,english had extolled him1 in opposition to their own minister ,sir ,robert ,walpole2 but that ,fleury was a little genius1 and a cheat4 ,lord ,marischal acquainted ,mr4 ,hume with a piece of knavery which his lordship said nobody but a ,frenchman and a priest could have been guilty of4 ,the ,french ambassador at ,madrid came to ,lord ,marischal one day1 and told him1 that he had a letter from the ,french minister at ,petersburgh1 acquainting him that ,general ,keith was not pleased with his situation in ,russia1 and wished to return to the ,spanish service1 7where he had formerly been27 that it would be proper for ,lord ,marischal to apply to the court of ,spain4 ,lord ,marischal said nothing could be more agreeable to him than to have his brother in the same country with him2 but that1 as he had heard nothing from himself1 he could not make any application in his name4 ,the ,french minister still urged him to write to the ,spanish minister1 but in vain4 ,when the brothers met1 several years after1 they explained this matter4 ,keith had never any intention of coming into the ,spanish service again2 and if ,lord ,marischal had applied to the court of ,spain1 measures were taken to intercept the letter1 and send it to the court of ,russia4 ,general ,keith1 who commanded the ,russian army in the field against the ,swedes1 would have been arrested1 and sent to ,siberia2 and the moment he had left the army1 the ,swedes were to attack the ,russians4 ,mr4 ,hume told me1 talking of ,fleury1 that ,monsieur ,trudent1#dii3a who was his elve1 acquainted him with an anecdote of that minister and the late ,french king1 which he1 ,mr4 ,hume1 believes ,trudent had never ventured to tell to any body but him2 and he 7,david7 had never told it to any body but me4 ,now1 since ,fleury1 ,trudent1 and ,lewis1 are all dead1 it may be told4 ,trudent took the liberty of observing to ,fleury1 that the king should be advised to apply a little more to business1 and take some charge of his own affairs4 ,fleury1 the first time ,trudent spoke to him upon this subject1 made him no answer2 but upon his speaking again on the same subject1 he told him1 that he had entreated the king to be a man of business1 and assured him that the ,french did not like an inactive prince2 that in former times1 there had been a race of indolent princes who did nothing at all1 and were called ,les ,rois ,fainants2 that one of them had been put into a convent4 ,the king made no reply2 but some time afterwards1 when ,fleury resumed the subject1 the king asked him1 whether or no the prince that was put into the convent had a good pension allowed him8#dii3b ,mr4 ,hume this day told me1 that he had bought a piece of ground2 and when ,i seemed surprised that ,i had never heard of it1 he said it was in the ,new ,church-yard1 on the ,calton ,hill1 for a burying-place2 that he meant to have a small monument erected1 not to exceed in expense one hundred pounds2 that the inscription should be ,,david ,,hume4 ,i desired him to change the discourse4 ,he did so2 but seemed surprised at my uneasiness1 which he said was very nonsensical4 ,i think he is gaining ground2 but he laughs at me1 and says it is impossible2 that the year 7'#gf17 sooner or later1 he takes his departure4 ,he is willing to go to ,bath1 or travel during the summer through ,england1 and return to ,scotland to die at home2 but that ,sir ,john ,pringle1 and the whole faculty1 would find it very difficult to boat him1 7formerly an usual phrase in ,scotland for going abroad1 that is1 out of the island1 for health47 ,this day we travelled by his desire three stages1 and arrived with great ease at ,grantham4 ,monday1 #bith4 ,from the treatment ,mr4 ,hume met with in ,france1 he recurred to a subject not unfrequent with him--that is1 the design to ruin him as an author1 by the people that were ministers1 at the first publication of his ,history1 and called themselves ,whigs1 who1 he said1 were determined not to suffer truth to be told in ,britain4 ,amongst many instances of this1 he told me one which was new to me4 ,the ,duke of ,bedford1 7who afterwards conceived a great affection for ,mr4 ,hume17 by the suggestions of some of his party friends1 ordered his son1 ,lord ,tavistock1 not to read ,mr4 ,hume's ,history of ,england2 but the young man was prevailed upon by one of his companions 7,mr4 ,crawford of ,errol7 to disobey the command4 ,he read the ,history1 and was extremely pleased with it4 ,mr4 ,hume told me1 that the ,duke de ,choiseul1 at the time ,lord ,hertford was in ,france1 expressed the greatest inclination for peace1 and a good correspondence between ,france and ,britain4 ,he assured ,lord ,hertford1 that if the court of ,britain would relinquish ,falkland ,island1 he would undertake to procure from the court of ,spain the payment of the ,manilla ransom4 ,lord ,hertford communicated the proposal to ,mr4 ,grenville1 who slighted it4 ,lord ,hertford told ,mr4 ,hume the same day an extraordinary instance of the violence of faction4 ,towards the end of ,queen ,anne's reign1 when the ,whig ministers were turned out of all their places at home1 and the ,duke of ,marlborough still continued in the command of the army abroad1 the discarded ministers met1 and wrote a letter1 which was signed by ,lord ,somers1 ,lord ,townshend1 ,lord ,sunderland1 and ,sir ,robert ,walpole1 desiring the duke to bring over the troops he could depend on1 and that they would seize the queen's person1 and proclaim the ,elector of ,hanover ,regent4 ,the ,duke of ,marlborough answered the letter1 and said it was madness to think of such a thing4 ,mr4 ,horace ,walpole1 ,sir ,r4 ,walpole's youngest son1 confirmed the truth of this anecdote1 which he had heard his father repeat often and often2 and ,mr4 ,walpole allowed ,mr4 ,hume to quote him as his authority1 and make what use he pleased of it4 ,when ,george ,i4 came to ,england1 he hesitated whether to make a ,whig or a ,tory administration2 but the ,german minister1 ,bernstorf1 determined him to take the side of the ,whigs1 who had made a purse of thirty thousand guineas1 and given it to this ,german4 ,george ,i4 was of a moderate and gentle temper4--,he regretted all his life1 that he had given way to the violence of the ,whigs in the beginning of his reign4 ,whenever any difficulty occurred in parliament1 he used to blame the impeachment of the ,tories1--,ce diable de impeachment1 as he called it4 ,the ,whigs1 in the end of ,queen ,anne's reign1 bribed the ,emperor's ministers1 not to consent to the peace1 and to send over ,prince ,eugene with proposals to continue the war4 ,this anecdote from ,lord ,bath4 ,another anecdote ,mr4 ,hume mentioned1 but distrusted the authority1 for it was ,david ,mallet who told ,mr4 ,hume1 that he had evidence in his custody of a design to assassinate ,lord ,oxford4 ,prior1 after the accession1 was reduced to such poverty by the persecution he met with1 that he was obliged to publish his works by subscription4 ,lord ,bathurst told ,mr4 ,hume1 that he was with ,prior reading the pieces that were to be published1 and he thought there was not enough to make two small volumes4 ,he asked ,prior if he had no more poems8 ,he said1 ,no more that he thought good enough4--,what is that1 said ,bathurst1 pointing to a roll of paper4 ,a trifle1 said ,prior1 that ,i wrote in three weeks1 not worthy of your attention or that of the public4 ,lord ,bathurst desired to see it4 ,this neglected piece was ,alma4 ,tuesday1 #cjth4 ,last night1 when ,mr4 ,hume was going to bed1 he complained of cold4 ,one part of his malady had been a continual heat1 so that he could not endure a soft or warm bed1 and lay in the night with a single sheet upon him2 he desired to have an additional covering4 ,colin observed to him1 that he thought it a good symptom4 ,mr4 ,hume said he thought so too1 for it was a good thing to be like other people4 ,this morning he is wonderfully well2 which is visible in his countenance and colour1 and even the firmness of his step4 ,talking of the state of the nation1 which he continually laments1 he mentioned an anecdote of the former war4 ,he was at ,turin with ,general ,sinclair1 after the peace of ,aix-la-,chapelle1 and1 considering the superiority which the ,french arms had gained1 he could not conceive why ,france granted such good terms to ,britain4 ,he desired ,general ,sinclair to touch upon that subject with the ,king of ,sardinia4 ,that prince1 who was very familiar with the ,general1 said he was at a loss to give any account of that matter2 but1 many years after1 when ,hume was minister in ,france1 and lived in great intimacy with ,monsieur ,puysieux1 ,secretary of ,state1 who had negociated the peace of ,aix1 ,mr4 ,hume asked him the reason of the conduct of ,france at that time8 ,puysieux told him1 that it was the king's aversion to war2 that he knew more of it than any man alive1 for1 the year before the peace1 he was ordered by the king to propose pretty near the same terms4 ,he remonstrated against making the offer2 said that at least the proposal should come from ,england2 and that there was always some advantage to be gained by receiving1 rather than propounding terms4 ,the king was impatient1 and obliged ,puysieux to write the letter1 7which ,general ,ligonier carried17 with those terms which next year were agreed to by the ,british court4 ,mr4 ,john ,home said he knew that the ,king of ,france promoted the peace of ,paris from the aversion he had to war2 and the peace was made at a time when it seemed impossible for ,britain to carry on a war of such extent1 and retain her scattered conquests4 ,mr4 ,hume mentioned another singular anecdote concerning the beginning of the last war4 ,when a squadron of the ,english fleet attacked and took two ,french men of war1 the ,alcide and the ,lys1 ,louis ,,xv4 was so averse to war1 that he would have pocketed the insult2 and ,madame ,pompadour said it was better to put up with the affront1 than to go to war without any object but the point of honour4 ,it is known1 that neither the king nor the ministers of ,england wished for war4 ,the ,french king abhorred the thought of war6--,what then was the cause8 ,chiefly the fear of the popular clamour1 and of the opposition1 in the ,duke of ,newcastle's mind4 ,mr4 ,hume thinks ,lord ,north no great minister1 but does not see a better2 cannot give any reason for the incapacity and want of genius1 civil and military1 which marks this period4 ,he looks upon the country as on the verge of decline4 ,his fears seem rather too great1 and things are not quite so bad as he apprehends2 but certainly the first show of statesmen1 generals1 and admirals1 is1 without comparison1 the worst that has been seen in this country4 ,i said to ,mr4 ,hume1 that ,i thought the great consideration to be acquired by speaking in ,parliament1 was the cause of that want of every other quality in men of rank3 they do speak readily1 but there are many orators who can neither judge nor act well4 ,wednesday1 #cast ,april4 ,arrived in ,london1 where we saw ,sir ,john ,pringle1 who thought ,mr4 ,hume much better than he expected to see him1 and in no immediate danger4 ,we staid a few days in ,london1 and then set out for ,bath4 ,in travelling from ,london to ,bath1 we had occasion frequently to make our observations on the passengers whom we met1 and on those who passed us1 as every carriage continued to do4 ,nothing occurred worthy the writing down1 except ,mr4 ,david's plan of managing his kingdom1 in case ,ferguson and ,i had been princes of the adjacent states4 ,he knew very well1 he said1 7having often disputed the point with us17 the great opinion we had of military virtues as essential to every state2 that from these sentiments rooted in us1 he was certain he would be attacked and interrupted in his projects of cultivating1 improving1 and civilizing mankind by the arts of peace2 that he comforted himself with reflecting1 that from our want of economy and order in our affairs1 we should be continually in want of money2 whilst he would have his finances in excellent condition1 his magazines well filled1 and naval stores in abundance2 but that his final stroke of policy1 upon which he depended1 was to give one of us a large subsidy to fall upon the other1 which would infallibly secure to him peace and quiet1 and after a long war1 would probably terminate in his being master of all the three kingdoms4 ,at this sally1 so like ,david's manner of playing with his friends1 ,i fell into a fit of laughing1 in which ,david joined2 and the people that passed us certainly thought we were very merry travellers4 ,we have the following account from his own pen of his sojourn at ,bath4 ,,hume to ,,dr4 ,,blair4 ,bath1 #acth ,may1 #aggf4 ,,my ,,dear ,,doctor1--,you have frequently heard me complain of my physical friends1 that they allowed me to die in the midst of them without so much as giving a ,greek name to my disorder3 a consolation which was the least ,i had reason to expect from them4 ,dr4 ,black1 hearing this complaint1 told me that ,i should be satisfied in that particular1 and that my disorder was a hemorrhage1 a word which it was easy to decompose into #ejd3a and 4 ,but ,sir ,john ,pringle says1 that ,i have no hemorrhage1 but a spincture in the colon1 which it will be easy to cure4 ,this disorder1 as it both contained two ,greek appellations and was remediable1 ,i was much inclined to prefer2 when1 behold6 ,dr4 ,gustard tells me that he sees no symptoms of the former disorder1 and as to the latter1 he never met with it and scarcely ever heard of it4 ,he assures me that my case is the most common of all ,bath cases1 to wit1 a bilious complaint1 which the waters scarcely ever fail of curing3 and he never had a patient of whose recovery he had better hopes4 ,indeed the waters1 in the short trial which ,i have made of them1 7for ,i have been here only four days17 seem to agree very well with me2 and two days ago ,i found myself so well1 that1 for the first time1 ,i began to entertain hopes of a reprieve4 ,yesterday ,i was not so well1 from a misunderstanding in new lodgings with regard to my bedding4 ,my whimsicalness in this particular surprises ,dr4 ,gustard1 and he knows not what to make of it4 ,by the by1 this ,dr4 ,gustard is an excellent kind of man1 very friendly1 and ,i believe very intelligent4 ,he assures me1 as do several others1 that the summer is the best time for ,bath waters3 and if they continue to agree with me ,i shall probably pass here that season4 ,i promised to ,general ,conway1 and ,lady ,aylesbury1 that if ,i had recovered so much health as to venture myself in company1 ,i should pass some weeks of the autumn at ,park place4 ,this is the only retardment ,i can foresee to my return to ,scotland before winter4 ,my wishes carry me thither2 though the grievous loss we have suffered in friends makes the abode in that country less pleasing to my fancy than formerly4 ,you must have heard of the agreeable surprise which ,john ,home put upon me4 ,we travelled up to ,london very cheerfully together1 and thence to this place1 where we found ,mrs4 ,home almost quite recovered4 ,never was there a more friendly action1 nor better placed2 for what between conversation and gaming1 7not to mention sometimes squabbling17 ,i did not pass a languid moment2 and his company ,i am certain was the chief cause why my journey had so good an effect3 of which1 however1 ,i suppose he has given too sanguine accounts1 as is usual with him4#eje3a ,be so good as to read this letter to ,dr4 ,black and to ,mr4 ,ferguson4 ,when ,i write to one1 ,i suppose myself writing to all my friends3 and ,i also wish to comprehend the ,principal in the number4 ,pray tell him that ,mrs4 ,macauley is settled in ,bath1 and though her muse seems now to be mute1 she is1 if not a more illustrious1 yet a more fortunate historian than either of us4 ,there is one ,dr4 ,wilson1 a man zealous for liberty1 who has made her a free and full present of a house of #bjjj value1 has adopted her daughter by all the rites of ,roman jurisprudence1 and intends to leave her all his fortune1 which is considerable4 ,two ladies of my acquaintance have laid a scheme of bringing ,lady ,huntingdon and me together1 for her or my conversion4 ,i wish ,i may have spirits to humour this folly4#ejf3a ,on #ajth ,june1 ,strahan wrote to ,adam ,smith1 to say that he finds in a letter from ,sir ,john ,pringle1 giving an account of ,hume's health1 that all the good symptoms that attended his first trial of the ,bath waters are now vanished4 ,his distemper has returned with its usual violence1 so he intends to leave that place and try ,buxton4#ejf3b ,he seems not to have attempted this change1 but returning straight from ,bath1 he sent1 on the way1 invitations to a party of his friends to meet him at dinner4 ,the note addressed to ,dr4 ,blair is as follows3 ,mr4 ,john ,hume1#ejf3c alias ,home1 alias ,the ,home1 alias the late ,lord ,conservator1 alias the late minister of the gospel at ,athelstaneford1 has calculated matters so as to arrive infallibly with his friend in ,st4 ,david's ,street1 on ,wednesday evening4 ,he has asked several of ,dr4 ,blair's friends to dine with him there on ,thursday1 being the #dth of ,july1 and begs the favour of the ,doctor to make one of the number4#ejg3a ,thus did this knot of men1 united in friendship by the greatness of their talents1 and their superiority to all things small and mean1 meet for the last time round the social board1 to bid1 as it were1 a farewell to him who had been the chief ornament and distinction of their circle4 ,the eyes of these affectionate friends sedulously and anxiously watched the expiring flame--their pens have recorded the last scenes of its existence1 and leave to the ordinary biographer only the task of embodying their statements in deferential silence4 ,nothing1 therefore1 remains1 but to put together1 along with the few remaining letters by ,hume himself1 the accounts furnished us by those who had the best means of knowing the manner in which he spent the last few days of his life4 ,the following is his last letter to ,john ,home4 ,edinburgh1 #fth ,august1 #aggf4 ,,my ,,dear ,,john1--,i shall begin with telling you the only piece of good news of the family1 which is1 that my nephew1 in no more than two days that he has staid here1 has recovered so surprisingly1 that he is scarcely knowable1 or rather is perfectly knowable1 for he was not so on his first arrival4#ejh3a ,such are the advantages of youth6 ,his uncle declines1 if not with so great rapidity1 yet pretty sensibly4 ,sunday1 ill2 half of yesterday the same2 easy at present2 prepared to suffer a little to-morrow2 perhaps less the day after4 ,dr4 ,black says1 ,i shall not die of a dropsy1 as ,i imagined1 but of inanition and weakness4 ,he cannot1 however1 fix1 with any probability1 the time1 otherwise he would frankly tell me4 ,poor ,edmondstoune and ,i parted to-day1 with a plentiful effusion of tears2 all those ,belzebubians#ejh3b have not hearts of iron4 ,i hope you met with every thing well at ,foggo1 and receive nothing but good news from ,buxton4 ,in spite of ,dr4 ,black's caution1 ,i venture to foretel that ,i shall be yours cordially and sincerely till the month of ,october next4#ejh3c ,next in date is the following affectionate and considerate letter to his nephew4 ,edinburgh1 #aeth ,august1 #aggf4 ,,dear ,,davy1--,you need not doubt but your company1 as well as your father's1 would have been very agreeable to me1 especially at present1 for the consolation of your company2 but ,i see the immediate inconveniences that attend it4 ,you cannot be well spared from ,josey1 whose state of health1 ,i am sorry to find1 is still somewhat precarious2 and there is no immediate call for your being here4 ,for besides that you would but pass a melancholy time with me1 however your affection might cover it and relieve it1 ,i am weakening very gradually1 and am not threatened with any immediate incident4 ,i shall probably have more warning1 in which case ,i shall not fail to summon you2 and ,i shall never die in satisfaction without embracing you4 ,i doubt not but my name would have procured you friends and credit1 in the course of your life1 especially if my brother had allowed you to carry it1 for who will know it in the present disguise8 ,but as he is totally obstinate on this head1 ,i believe we had better let him alone4 ,i have frequently told him1 that it is lucky for him he sees few things in a wrong light1 for where he does he is totally incurable4 ,i am very much at my ease to-day4 ,i beg my compliments to all your family4 ,your affectionate uncle4#eji3a ,of the manner in which he conducted himself when he had come near to the end of his days1 ,adam ,smith tells us3-- ,his cheerfulness was so great1 and his conversation and amusements run so much in their usual strain1 that1 notwithstanding all bad symptoms1 many people could not believe he was dying4 ,i shall tell your friend1 ,colonel ,edmondstoune1 said ,dr4 ,dundas to him one day1 that ,i left you much better1 and in a fair way of recovery4 ,doctor1 said he1 as ,i believe you would not choose to tell any thing but the truth1 you had better tell him1 that ,i am dying as fast as my enemies1 if ,i have any1 could wish1 and as easily and cheerfully as my best friends could desire4 ,colonel ,edmondstoune soon afterwards came to see him1 and take leave of him2 and on his way home1 he could not forbear writing him a letter1 bidding him once more an eternal adieu1 and applying to him1 as to a dying man1 the beautiful ,french verses in which the ,abb ,chaulieu1 in expectation of his own death1 laments his approaching separation from his friend1 the ,marquis de la ,fare4#eaj3a ,mr4 ,hume's magnanimity and firmness were such1 that his most affectionate friends knew that they hazarded nothing in talking or writing to him as to a dying man1 and that so far from being hurt by this frankness1 he was rather pleased and flattered by it4 ,i happened to come into his room while he was reading this letter1 which he had just received1 and which he immediately showed me4 ,i told him1 that though ,i was sensible how very much he was weakened1 and that appearances were in many respects very bad1 yet his cheerfulness was still so great1 the spirit of life seemed still to be so very strong in him1 that ,i could not help entertaining some faint hopes4 ,he answered1 ,your hopes are groundless4 ,an habitual diarrha of more than a year's standing1 would be a very bad disease at any age3 at my age it is a mortal one4 ,when ,i lie down in the evening1 ,i feel myself weaker than when ,i rose in the morning2 and when ,i rise in the morning1 weaker than when ,i lay down in the evening4 ,i am sensible1 besides1 that some of my vital parts are affected1 so that ,i must soon die4 ,well1 said ,i1 if it must be so1 you have at least the satisfaction of leaving all your friends1 your brother's family in particular1 in great prosperity4 ,he said that he felt that satisfaction so sensibly1 that when he was reading1 a few days before1 ,lucian's ,dialogues of the ,dead1 among all the excuses which are alleged to ,charon for not entering readily into his boat1 he could not find one that fitted him2 he had no house to finish1 he had no daughter to provide for1 he had no enemies upon whom he wished to revenge himself4 ,i could not well imagine1 said he1 what excuse ,i could make to ,charon in order to obtain a little delay4 ,i have done every thing of consequence which ,i ever meant to do2 and ,i could at no time expect to leave my relations and friends in a better situation than that in which ,i am now likely to leave them4 ,i therefore have all reason to die contented4 ,he then diverted himself with inventing several jocular excuses1 which he supposed he might make to ,charon1 and with imagining the very surly answers which it might suit the character of ,charon to return to them4 ,upon further consideration1 said he1 ,i thought ,i might say to him1 ',good ,charon1 ,i have been correcting my works for a new edition4 ,allow me a little time1 that ,i may see how the public receives the alterations4' ,but ,charon would answer1 ',when you have seen the effect of these1 you will be for making other alterations4 ,there will be no end of such excuses2 so1 honest friend1 please step into the boat4' ,but ,i might still urge1 ',have a little patience1 good ,charon2 ,i have been endeavouring to open the eyes of the public4 ,if ,i live a few years longer1 ,i may have the satisfaction of seeing the downfal of some of the prevailing systems of superstition4' ,but ,charon would then lose all temper and decency4 ',you loitering rogue1 that will not happen these many hundred years4 ,do you fancy ,i will grant you a lease for so long a term8 ,get into the boat this instant1 you lazy loitering rogue4' ,but1 though ,mr4 ,hume always talked of his approaching dissolution with great cheerfulness1 he never affected to make any parade of his magnanimity4 ,he never mentioned the subject but when the conversation naturally led to it1 and never dwelt longer upon it than the course of the conversation happened to require4#eab3a ,how much his mind continued to be occupied with all that it had taken interest in1 in the days of his health and enjoyment1 the following letter1 written five days before his death1 will show3-- ,,hume to the ,,comtesse ,,de ,,boufflers4 ,edinburgh1 #bjth of ,august1 #aggf4 ,,though ,i am certainly within a few weeks1 dear madam1 and1 perhaps1 within a few days of my own death1 ,i could not forbear being struck with the death of the ,prince of ,conti--so great a loss in every particular4 ,my reflection carried me immediately to your situation in this melancholy incident4 ,what a difference to you in your whole plan of life6 ,pray write me some particulars2 but in such terms that you need not care1 in case of decease1 into whose hands your letter may fall4 ,my distemper is a diarrha1 or disorder in my bowels1 which has been gradually undermining me these two years2 but1 within these six months1 has been visibly hastening me to my end4 ,i see death approach gradually1 without any anxiety or regret4 ,i salute you1 with great affection and regard1 for the last time4#ead3a ,smith1 proceeding with his narrative1 says1 ,he had now become so very weak1 that the company of his most intimate friends fatigued him2 for his cheerfulness was still so great1 his complaisance and social disposition were still so entire1 that when any friend was with him1 he could not help talking more1 and with greater exertion1 than suited the weakness of his body4 ,at his own desire1 therefore1 ,i agreed to leave ,edinburgh1 where ,i was staying1 partly upon his account1 and returned to my mother's house here1 at ,kirkaldy1 upon condition that he would send for me whenever he wished to see me2 the physician who saw him most frequently1 ,dr4 ,black1 undertaking1 in the mean time1 to write me1 occasionally1 an account of the state of his health4 ,on the #bb;d of ,august1 the ,doctor wrote me the following letter3-- ',since my last1 ,mr4 ,hume has passed his time pretty easily1 but is much weaker4 ,he sits up1 goes down stairs once a-day1 and amuses himself with reading1 but seldom sees any body4 ,he finds that even the conversation of his most intimate friends fatigues and oppresses him2 and it is happy that he does not need it1 for he is quite free from anxiety1 impatience1 or low spirits1 and passes his time very well with the assistance of amusing books4' ,i received1 the day after1 a letter from ,mr4 ,hume himself1 of which the following is an extract4 ',edinburgh #bc;d ,august1 #aggf4 ',,my ,,dearest ,,friend1--,i am obliged to make use of my nephew's hand in writing to you1 as ,i do not rise to-day4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 ',i go very fast to decline1 and last night had a small fever1 which ,i hoped might put a quicker period to this tedious illness2 but1 unluckily1 it has1 in a great measure1 gone off4 ,i cannot submit to your coming over here on my account1 as it is possible for me to see you so small a part of the day2 but ,doctor ,black can better inform you concerning the degree of strength which may1 from time to time1 remain with me4 ,adieu1' c4#eae3a ,three days after ,i received the following letter from ,doctor ,black3-- ',edinburgh1 ,monday1 #bfth ,august1 #aggf4 ',,dear ,,sir1--,yesterday1 about four o'clock1 afternoon1 ,mr4 ,hume expired4 ,the near approach of his death became evident in the night between ,thursday and ,friday1 when his disease became excessive1 and soon weakened him so much that he could no longer rise out of his bed4 ,he continued1 to the last1 perfectly sensible1 and free from much pain or feelings of distress4 ,he never dropped the smallest expression of impatience2 but1 when he had occasion to speak to the people about him1 always did it with affection and tenderness4 ,i thought it improper to write to you to bring you over1 especially as ,i heard that he had dictated a letter to you desiring you not to come4 ,when he became very weak1 it cost him an effort to speak2 and he died in such a happy composure of mind that nothing could exceed it4' ,the world is fortunately in possession of an account of this event1 by another scientific man of no less eminence1 the great ,dr4 ,cullen4 ,from a letter which he wrote to ,dr4 ,hunter1 on #agth ,september1 the following extracts are made3 ,you desire an account of ,mr4 ,hume's last days1 and ,i give it you with some pleasure2 for1 though ,i could not look upon him in his illness without much concern1 yet the tranquillity and pleasantry which he constantly discovered did1 even then1 give me satisfaction2 and1 now that the curtain is dropped1 allows me indulge the less alloyed reflection4 ,it was truly an example des grands hommes qui sont morts en plaisantant2#eaf3a and to me1 who have been so often shocked with the horrors of the superstitious on such occasions1 the reflexion on such a death is truly agreeable4 ,for many weeks before his death1 he was very sensible of his gradual decay2 and his answer to inquiries after his health was1 several times1 that he was going as fast as his enemies could wish1 and as easily as his friends could desire4 ,he was not1 however1 without a frequent recurrence of pain and uneasiness2 but he passed most part of the day in his drawing-room1 admitted the visits of his friends1 and with his usual spirit conversed with them upon literature1 politics1 or whatever else was accidentally started4 ,in conversation he seemed to be perfectly at ease1 and to the last abounded with that pleasantry1 and those curious and entertaining anecdotes1 which ever distinguished him4 ,this1 however1 ,i always considered rather as an effort to be agreeable1 and he at length acknowledged that it became too much for his strength4 ,for a few days before his death1 he became more averse to receive visits2 speaking became more and more difficult for him2 and1 for twelve hours before his death1 his speech failed altogether4 ,his senses and judgment did not fail till the last hour of his life4 ,he constantly discovered a strong sensibility to the attention and care of his friends1 and1 amidst great uneasiness and languor1 never betrayed any peevishness or impatience4 4 4 4 4 4#eaf3b ,these are a few particulars1 which may perhaps appear trifling1 but to me no particulars seem trifling that relate to so great a man4 ,it is perhaps from trifles that we can best distinguish the tranquillity and cheerfulness of the philosopher1 at a time when the most part of mankind are under disquiet1 anxiety1 and sometimes even horror4 ,i consider the sacrifice of the cock as a more certain evidence of the tranquillity of ,socrates1 than his discourse on immortality4#eag3a ,the death and burial of so distinguished a fellow citizen1 were naturally the objects of much attention among the inhabitants of ,edinburgh4 ,on the one hand his unpopular opinions2 on the other1 the blameless character of his life and his great genius1 excited conflicting opinions1 and these giving zest to public attention and curiosity1 attracted crowds to witness his funeral1 and to look with mingled feelings1 on the spot where his remains were1 by the injunctions of his will1 deposited4#eag3b ,on the declivity of the ,calton ,hill there is an old grave-yard1 which seventy years ago was in the open country beyond the boundary of the city of ,edinburgh1 and even at the present day1 when it is the centre of a wide circumference of streets and terraces1 has an air of solitude1 from its elevated site1 and the abrupt rocky banks that separate it from the crowded thoroughfares4 ,there1 on a conspicuous point of rock1 beneath a circular monument built after the simple and solemn fashion of the old ,roman tombs1 lies the dust of ,david ,hume4 ,whither the immortal spirit that gave life to it is gone1 let no man too presumptuously pronounce2 but let us rather contemplate with respectful awe1 that unseen essence which the ,deity had imbued with so great a power over the intellects of men1 and believe that this wide sway over the destinies of the human species had its own wise and beneficent design1 and was no produce of malign influences or untoward accidents4 ,fallacies may be the brilliant insects of a day1 but truth is eternal2 and when the searcher in philosophy groping amid the darkness of man's imperfect reason1 produces falsehoods1 they are speedily forgotten2 but if he develop great truths1 they live to bless his species for ever4 ,there are few who will now deny that mankind have learned many valuable truths of ,david ,hume4 ,the wide influence of his mind over thought and action1 during the last hundred years1 is expressed in the mere naming of the systems of which he was the author or suggester4 ,his ,metaphysical labours gave birth to two great schools of philosophy4 ,the one rising at his own door1 endeavoured by powerful and earnest efforts to reconstruct in a more rational and substantial form the old system which he had sapped--the other in a distant land1 where new lights of science had begun to burn1 sought to raise mental philosophy from its original elements1 purified of the dross and rubbish that had rendered the old materials cumbrous and unsafe1 and to endow the whole with fresh life and a new form and structure4#eai3a ,in ,ethics he was the first to make an ,utilitarian morality assume the aspect of a theoretical system1 which it was the task of a great successor1 aided by subordinate labourers1 to apply to the practical operations of mankind1 and to spread widely over the earth4 ,in ,history he was the first to divert attention from wars1 treaties1 and successions1 to the living progress of the people1 in all that increases their civilization and their happiness4 ,the example thus set has been the chief service of the ,history of ,england2 yet1 with all the faults of its matter1 its purely literary merits have been so great1 that1 as a classical and popular work1 it has hitherto encountered no rival4#eai3b ,but his triumphs in ,political ,economy are those which1 in the present day1 stand forth with the greatest prominence and lustre4 ,in no long time1 a hundred years will have elapsed from the day when ,hume told the world1 what the legislature of this country is now declaring1 that national exclusiveness in trade was as foolish as it was wicked2 that no nation could profit by stopping the natural flood of commerce between itself and the rest of the world2 that commercial restrictions deprive the nations of the earth of that free communication and exchange1 which the author of the world has intended by giving them soils1 climates1 and geniuses1 so different from each other2 and that1 like the healthy circulation of the blood in living bodies1 ,free ,trade is the vital principle by which the nations of the earth are to become united in one harmonious whole4#ebj3a ,those who1 with a reverential eye1 have marked the wonders of the animal structure1 and discovered beauty1 utility1 and harmonious purpose1 where presumptuous ignorance has found uselessness or deformity2 or have seen the lower animals1 each working in its own blind ignorance1 gregariously constructing a fabric more perfect1 on philosophical principles1 than human science can create1--have thence drawn vivid pictures of the wisdom and goodness with which the world is ordered4 ,may we not extend this harmony to the social economy of the globe1 and say1 that the spirit of activity and enterprise1 harmonizing with the dispersal of the different bounties of ,providence in the distant regions of the globe1 are part of the same harmonious system2 that the love of commerce and the desire of aggrandisement1 which in the eye of a narrow philosophy assume the air of selfish and repulsive passions1 represent themselves1 when they are left to their legitimate course1 as motives implanted in us for the great purposes of securing mutual dependance and kind offices1 and their fruits1 peace and good-will1 throughout the great family of mankind4 ,to be the first to teach that the earth is not doomed to the eternal curse of rivalry and strife1 and to open up so wide a prospect of beneficence1 may be an atonement for many errors1 and in the eye of good taste may justify the brief assumption of conscious superiority1 in which the subject of this memoir indulged1 when he desired that the inscription on his monument should contain only his name1 with the year of his birth and of his death4 ,leaving it to posterity to add the rest4 ,,footnotes3 #dci3a ,account of ,home1 p4 #bj4 #dda3a ,it has been said that1 having once given a guinea by mistake to a beggar1 the man1 who was a respectable member of his trade1 returned and explained the mistake4 ,he was permitted to keep the coin1 the philosopher observing1 ,oh1 ,honesty--how poor a dwelling-place hast thou found6 #ddd3a ,account of ,john ,home1 p4 #bj-ba4 #dde3a ,see1 on this amusement of character drawing1 vol4 i4 p4 #bbf4 #ddf3a ,lives of the ,lindsays4 ,by ,lord ,lindsay4 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #ahc4 #ddi3a ,among the traditional anecdotes of his habits1 one is1 that going to sup with ,mrs4 ,cockburn1 and not arriving until after the choice of the good things had been consumed1 when some effort was made to cater for him1 he said1 ,trouble yourself very little about what you have1 or how it appears2 you know ,i am no epicure1 but only a glutton4 ,mr4 ,chambers says1 7,scottish ,jests1 p4 #aga17 that he took down this anecdote from one who was present4 ,these literary parties at ,mrs4 ,cockburn's1 appear to have been frequent and agreeable4 ,a gentleman still living1 was present at many of them when a youth1 and particularly recollects one occasion when a tipsy relative of that lady chose to lock the door of the room where the walking habiliments of the guests were preserved4 ,a general borrowing of articles of clothing from surrounding neighbours took place1 and those which fell to ,hume's lot1 happened to produce a peculiarly ludicrous effect4 #dej3a ,it is given without reference to authority1 in ,prior's ,life of ,burke1 vol4 i4 p4 #ih4 #dej3b ,in one instance1 a vivid recollection was preserved of the difficulty1 from his fatness1 of getting sufficient room on his knee1 and the necessity of keeping fast hold of the corner of his laced waistcoat4 #deb3a ,he seems1 from this and other notices1 to have been occasionally absent in his habits2 but there is no such collection of practical illustrations of this failing1 as we possess in the case of ,smith and others4 ,i only remember having heard of one trifling instance1 of which ,i had an account from an eye-witness4 ,hume had been dining with ,dr4 ,jardine1 and there had been much conversation about internal light4 ,in descending the stair leading from the ,doctor's flat1 when he left the party1 ,hume failed to observe that after so many flights which reached the street door1 there was1 according to a not uncommon practice1 another flight of stairs leading to the cellars4 ,he continued his descent1 accordingly1 till the very end1 where some time afterwards he was found in extreme darkness and perplexity1 wondering how it was that he could find no outlet4 ,the circumstance bore rather curiously on some opinions he had been maintaining1 and ,jardine said1 shaking his head1 ,oh ,david6 where is your internal light8 #deb3b ,diary of a ,lover of ,literature4--,gentleman's ,magazine1 ,n4,s4 i4 #adb4 #dee3a ,the passage here omitted will be found above1 vol4 i4 p4 #ig4 #dee3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,in citing this letter above1 vol4 i4 p4 #ih1 it is stated that on one ,,ms4 there is noted a supposition that it was addressed to ,dr4 ,traill--on another that it was addressed to ,gilbert ,stuart4 ,i now think it must have been addressed to ,dr4 ,john ,stewart1 ,professor of ,natural ,philosophy in the ,university of ,edinburgh1 and that it related to his ,remarks on the ,laws of ,motion and the ,inertion of ,matter1 published in ,essays and ,observations physical and literary1 read before a ,society in ,edinburgh4 #deg3a ,minute-book of ,the ,poker ,club1 in possession of ,sir ,adam ,ferguson4 #dei3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dfa3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dfa3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dfa3c ,of the ,east ,india ,company's service1 author of ,the ,history of ,hindostan1 translated from the ,persian1 #ahjc4 #dfb3a ,edinburgh ,monthly ,magazine1 ,sept4 #ahaj4 #dfe3a ,see above1 p4 #bbj4 #dfe3b ,edinburgh ,magazine1 #aghh1 p4 #cdj4 #dff3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dfg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dfg3b ,memoirs of ,great ,britain and ,ireland1 from the dissolution of the last parliament of ,charles ,,ii4 until the sea battle of ,la ,hogue1 #c vols4 #dto4 #dfg3c ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dfh3a ,william ,smellie1 the respectable printer of the ,magazine1 seems to have led an uneasy life1 between the quarrels and the dissipation of his editor1 of which he has left some picturesque memorials4 ,having come one night to ,smellie's house on magazine business in a very advanced stage of intoxication1 ,stuart was charitably put to bed4 ,roused in the middle of the night by an immense outcry from the awakened editor1 ,smellie rushed to the bedroom in his night clothes4 ,stuart sitting up in bed and glaring around him1 immediately associated the respectable printer's presence with the places in which he was himself accustomed to waken1 and said1--,smellie1 ,i never expected to find you in such a place3 put on your clothes1 and go back to your wife and family1 ,i shall never say a word about this4 ,a journey of six miles1 from ,edinburgh to ,musselburgh1 made by ,stuart and some of his companions1 in which1 by reason of the abundance of good cheer on the way1 they occupied several days1 seems to have been fruitful in adventures4 ,one of the party falling asleep among the ashes of a steam engine1 wakened in the night1 and found himself in the presence of a great red furnace1 surrounded by dusky figures clanging bolts and chains4 ,associating the exhibition with the course of life he had been running1 and its probable reward1 he was heard to exclaim1 ,good ,god1 is it come to this at last6--,see ,kerr's ,memoirs of ,smellie4 #dgj3a ,d',israeli's ,calamities of ,authors1 ii4 #fg4 ,the letter1 after such exhortations as the following1--,strike by all means3 the wretch will tremble1 grow pale1 and return with a consciousness of his debility1 winds up with the assurance1 ,when you have an enemy to attack1 ,i shall in return give my best assistance1 and aim at him a mortal blow1 and rush forward to his overthrow1 though the flames of hell should start up to oppose me4 #dgj3b ,the proof1 with ,hume's corrections1 is in the possession of ,john ,christison1 ,esq41 who has kindly allowed me to make this use of it4 ,the last paragraph is a manuscript addition made in correcting the proof4 ,the substance of ,hume's praise was probably given to ,henry in some other form2 for a portion of the analytical part of the review is printed in a memoir of ,henry1 in ,the ,gentleman's ,magazine1 7vol4 lxxi4 p4 #ijg17 as written by one of the most eminent historians of the present age1 whose history of the same period possesses the highest reputation4 #dga3a ,madame ,geoffrin1 in writing to ,hume1 notices ,franklin's imperfect acquaintance with the ,french language2 this must have been one of the difficulties which his matchless perseverance conquered4 ,i may mention that1 aware that ,hume had written to ,franklin1 ,i thought it not unlikely that the letters might be incorporated in the elaborate edition of his ,life and ,correspondence by ,sparkes4 ,unfortunately trusting to the copy in the ,british ,museum1 ,i found1 at the last moment1 that that copy was imperfect1 and did not afford the means of ascertaining whether they were published in the work4 #dga3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dgb3a ,a specimen of the ,scots ,review1 a thin duodecimo pamphlet1 is now very rare4 ,its chief object of attention is that great necromancer and magician ,david ,hume4 ,it is not inaptly described by the ,scots ,magazine3-- ,it professes to give a prospectus1 and a specimen of an intended new review2 but the whole object seems to have been to laugh at some individuals obnoxious to the writer1 and particularly to ridicule the virulence1 and to lower the pretensions of those who had signalized themselves by their attacks upon the philosophical writings of ,mr4 ,hume2 a promise is held out1 that this arch-infidel is himself to be reviewed in the first place2 and next1 those authors who have waged a holy war against him2 of whom a list is given1 with their characters1 the delineation of which1 in no very favourable colours1 appears1 as already mentioned1 to have exhausted the main object of the piece1 though one or two gentle hits are aimed at the historian himself4 #dgb3b ,rev4 ,thomas ,hepburn1 minister of ,athelstaneford4 #dgb3c ,scots ,mag4 ,new ,series4 ,vol4 i4 #dgc3a ,original in possession of the ,cambusmore family4 #dgd3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dgd3b ,addressed1 ,mr4 ,david ,hume1 at ,ninewells1 with a great coat4 #dgd3c ,professor ,millar of ,glasgow4 #dge3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dgf3a ,mackenzie's account of ,home1 p4 #aeh4 #dgg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dgg3b ,strahan's letters were carefully preserved by ,hume4 ,on application to those who would be likely to possess ,hume's side of the correspondence1 if it existed1 ,i was informed that it was ,mr4 ,strahan's practice to destroy all the letters addressed to him2 but ,i was very politely favoured with a copy of one of his own letters1 which ,mr4 ,strahan had preserved4 #dgh3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dgi3a ,lit4 ,gazette1 #ahbb1 p4 #fcg4 ,corrected from original ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dhb3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,addressed1 ,mr4 ,david ,hume1 at ,mr4 ,professor ,millar's1 at ,glasgow4 ,the blanks are caused by a stripe having been torn off the side of the letter4 #dhc3a ,mackenzie's ,account of ,home1 p4 #afj4 #dhd3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dhe3a ,life of ,gibbon4 #dhf3a ,from this it would appear that ,hume had opened up in his own mind1 the theory of rent1 afterwards successively suggested by ,dr4 ,anderson and ,ricardo1 without the latter1 it is believed1 knowing that he had been anticipated by the author of the ,bee4 #dhg3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dhh3a ,the letter is of such a character1 as one medical man might be supposed to write to another4 ,black was no pedant1 and he writes as if his correspondent knew the technicalities of the science in their full practical meaning1--an addition to the many illustrations of the varied range of scientific knowledge1 at the command of the master of political economy4 #dhi3a ,the following provision is in a codicil3 ,i also leave for rebuilding the bridge of ,churnside the sum of a hundred pounds2 but on condition that the manager of the bridge shall take none of the stones for building the bridge from the quarry of ,ninewells1 except from that part of the quarry which has been already opened4 ,with reference to this1 ,dr4 ,cullen1 in the letter cited1 p4 #eaf1 says1 ,in the neighbourhood of his brother's house1 in ,berwickshire1 is a brook1 by which the access in time of floods is frequently interrupted4 ,mr4 ,hume bequeaths #ajj for building a bridge over this brook1 but upon the express condition that none of the stones for that purpose shall be taken from a quarry in the neighbourhood1 which forms part of a romantic scene1 in which1 in his earlier days1 ,mr4 ,hume took particular delight4 ,this is the only authenticated instance that ,i remember to have met with of ,hume's attachment to local scenery4 ,it is a tradition in ,edinburgh1 that he was fond of walking along the base of ,salisbury ,crags4 #dij3a ,in #aggc1 ,smith1 apparently in bad health1 wrote to ,hume1 desiring him to take charge of his manuscripts in case of his own predecease1 7,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e47 ,this1 and some other letters by ,smith1 ,i might have been tempted to print in this work1 had ,i not the satisfaction of knowing that they are likely soon to be published under the auspices of ,lord ,brougham4 #dij3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dib3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #dic3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #did3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #did3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #die3a ,in the ,appendix to ,mackenzie's ,account of the ,life of ,home4 #dig3a ,it is curious to observe1 that the object of this united prediction was that same ,lomnie de ,brienne1 who was put at the head of affairs before the outbreak of the revolution1 and who left behind him so undisputed a character of utter incapacity to be a statesman in difficult times4 #dii3a ,probably ,m4 ,trudaine de ,montigny1 frequently mentioned above1 whose son translated ,hume's ,natural ,history of ,religion4 ,see above1 p4 #afg4 #dii3b ,this anecdote is told nearly in the same words1 in one of ,walpole's posthumous works4 ,memoirs of ,george ,,iii4 vol4 ii4 p4 #bdj4 #ejd3a 4 #eje3a ,this paragraph is printed by ,mackenzie4 #ejf3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ejf3b ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ejf3c ,david ,hume1 as many of his letters must have shown1 persisted in spelling his friend's name thus4 ,to commemorate this dispute1 and ,home's dislike of port wine1 he added this codicil to his will on #gth ,august3-- ,i leave to my friend ,mr4 ,john ,home of ,kilduff1 ten dozen of my old claret1 at his choice2 and one single bottle of that other liquor called port4 ,i also leave to him six dozen of port1 provided that he attests under his hand1 signed ,john ,hume1 that he has himself alone finished that bottle at two sittings4 ,by this concession1 he will at once terminate the only two differences that ever arose between us concerning temporal matters4 ,the original is in the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 #ejg3a ,subjoined to the card1 there is this note in ,dr4 ,blair's handwriting3--,mem4--,this the last note received from ,mr4 ,david ,hume4 ,he died on the #beth of ,august1 #aggf4--,mackenzie's ,account of ,home4 #ejh3a ,his nephew1 ,joseph1 had just returned from abroad in very bad health4 #ejh3b ,colonel ,edmondstoune was a member of what was called the ,ruffian ,club2 men whose hearts were milder than their manners1 and their principles more correct than their habits of life4 ,mackenzie4 #ejh3c ,mackenzie's ,account of ,home4 ,on the #acth he wrote thus to his brother3-- ,,dear ,,brother1--,dr4 ,black tells me plainly1 like a man of sense1 that ,i shall die soon1 which was no disagreeable news to me4 ,he says ,i shall die of weakness and inanition1 and perhaps give little or no warning4 ,but though ,i be growing sensibly weaker every day1 this period seems not to be approaching2 and ,i shall have time enough to inform you1 and to desire your company1 which will be very agreeable to me4 ,but at this time your presence is necessary at ,ninewells1 to settle ,josey1 and comfort his mother4 ,davie will be also very useful with you4 ,i am much pleased with his tenderness and friendship4 ,i beg1 therefore1 that neither you nor he may set out2 and as the communication between us is open and frequent1 ,i promise to give you timely information4--,lit4 ,gaz4 #ahbb1 p4 #gdf4 ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #eji3a ,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #eaj3a ,colonel ,edmondstoune's letter has been preserved1 and is as follows3-- ,linlithgow1 ,wednesday4 ,,my ,,dear1 ,,dear ,,david1--,my heart is very full4 ,i could not see you this morning4 ,i thought it was better for us both4 ,you can't die1 you must live in the memory of all your friends and acquaintances1 and your works will render you immortal4 ,i could never conceive that it was possible for any one to dislike you or hate you4 ,he must be more than savage who could be an enemy to a man of the best head and heart1 and of the most amiable manners4 ,o toi1 qui de mon ame es la chre moiti2 ,toi1 qui joins la dlicatesse ,des sentimens d'une maitresse la solidit d'une sure amiti1 ,david1 il faut bien-tt que la parque cruelle ,vienne rompre des si doux noeuds1 ,et malgr nos cris et nos voeux ,bien-tt nous assuirons une absence eternelle4 ,adieu6 adieu6--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 #eab3a ,it is from more1 perhaps1 than the mere force of contrast1 that1 after reading this account of the manner in which the dying philosopher's thoughts were occupied1--the spelling of the family name1 the imagined interview with ,charon1 c4 the following letter1 addressed to him by a distant friend1 possesses a peculiarly solemn interest4 ,,william ,,strahan to ,,hume4 ,,my ,,dear ,,sir1--,last ,friday ,i received your affectionate farewell1 and therefore melancholy letter1 which disabled me from sending an immediate answer to it1 as ,i now do1 in hopes this may yet find you1 not much oppressed with pain1 in the land of the living4 ,i need not tell you1 that your corrections are all duly attended to1 as every particular shall be that you desire or order4 ,nor shall ,i now trouble you with a long letter4 ,only permit me to ask you a question or two1 to which ,i am prompted1 you will believe me1 not from a foolish or fruitless curiosity1 but from an earnest desire to learn the sentiments of a man1 who had spent a long life in philosophic inquiries1 and who1 upon the extreme verge of it1 seems1 even in that awful and critical period1 to possess all the powers of his mind in their full vigour1 and in unabated tranquillity4 ,i am more particularly led to give you this trouble1 from a passage in one of your late letters1 wherein you say1 ,it is an idle thing in us to be concerned about any thing that shall happen after our death2 yet this1 you added1 is natural to all men4 ,now ,i would eagerly ask1 if it is natural to all men1 to be interested in futurity1 does not this strongly indicate that our existence will be protracted beyond this life8 ,do you now believe1 or suspect1 that all the powers and faculties of your own mind1 which you have cultivated with so much care and success1 will cease and be extinguished with your vital breath8 ,our soul1 or immaterial part of us1 some say1 is able1 when on the brink of dissolution1 to take a glimpse of futurity2 and for that reason ,i earnestly wish to have your last thoughts on this important subject4 ,i know you will kindly excuse this singular application2 and believe that ,i wish you1 living or dying1 every happiness that our nature is capable of enjoying1 either here or hereafter2 being1 with the most sincere esteem and affection1 my dear sir1 faithfully yours4--,,ms4 ,r4,s4,e4 ,london1 ,august #ai1 #aggf4 ,this letter1 if it ever reached him for whom it was designed1 must have done so too late to receive an answer4 ,but if he did peruse it1 with his mind so collected and clear1 yet so close on the point of being severed from those objects of literary ambition which had been its chief glory and occupation1 how valuable would have been the first thought that passed across it1 when the great question was brought thus so distinctly before his understanding6 #ead3a ,edinburgh ,review1 xvii4 #cjf4 #eae3a ,this letter1 and ,dr4 ,black's1 are in the ,,mss4 ,r4,s4,e4 #eaf3a ,in reference to a work so entitled1 published at ,amsterdam4--,dr4 ,thomson4 #eaf3b ,the passage here omitted describes the conversation about ,lucian1 and other incidents which have been already narrated4 #eag3a ,thomson's ,life of ,cullen1 p4 #fjg4 #eag3b ,in a little book1 called ,supplement to the ,life of ,david ,hume1 ,esq4 there is the following curious statement4 ,the anxious attention with which the public viewed every circumstance respecting ,mr4 ,hume's illness was not terminated even by his death4 ,from the busy curiosity of the mob1 one would have presumed them to entertain notions that the ashes of ,mr4 ,hume were to have been the cause or the object of miraculous exertion4 ,as the physicians of ,london and ,edinburgh were divided about the seat of his disorder1 those of the city where he died proposed that his body should be opened2 but this his brother1 who was also his executor1 agreeably to the orders of the deceased1 would not permit4 ,it is hardly to be credited that the grave-diggers1 digging with pick-axes ,mr4 ,hume's grave1 should have attracted the gaping curiosity of the multitude2 that1 notwithstanding a heavy rain which fell during the interment1 multitudes of all ranks gazed on the funeral procession1 as if they had expected the hearse to have been consumed in livid flames1 or encircled with a ray of glory2 that people in a sphere much above the rabble would have sent to the sexton for the keys of the burying-ground1 and paid him to have access to visit the grave4 ,and that on a ,sunday evening1 7the gates of the burying-ground being opened for another funeral17 the company from a public walk in the neighbourhood flocked in such crowds to ,mr4 ,hume's grave1 that his brother actually became apprehensive upon the unusual concourse1 and ordered the grave to be railed in with all expedition4 #eai3a ,on peut dire que ,hume est la fantme perptuel de ,kant4 ,ds que le philosophe ,allemand est tent de faire un pas en arrire1 dans l'ancienne route1 ,hume lui apparat et l'en dtourne1 et tout l'effort de ,kant est de placer la philosophie entre l'ancien dogmatisme et le sensualisme de ,locke et de ,condillac1 a l'abri des attaques du scepticisme de ,hume4--,cousin1 ,leons sur la ,philosophie de ,kant1 #ah4 #eai3b ,while this sheet is passing through the press1 the ,french newspapers announce a new translation of ,hume's ,history1 precede d'un essai sur la vie et les crits de ,hume1 par ,campenon1 de l'acadmie ,franaise4 #ebj3a ,in one of his epistles to the great ,frederic1 ,voltaire says of the distribution of the fruits of the earth3-- ,il murit1 ,moka1 dans le sable ,arabique1 ,ce caff ncessaire aux pays des frimats2 ,il met la fivre en nos climats1 ,et le remde en ,amerique4 ,but the policy of the earth's distribution1 with many other truths not to be at once penetrated1 even by the keenest mortal vision1 were mysteries to the auto-theist1 and being so1 were therefore to his self-sufficient wisdom1 absurd and ludicrous4 ,could that be right of which the sage of ,ferney could not understand the ruling principle6 ,,index4 ,abercrombie--,general ,james1 i4 #bab1 #bbb1 #caa4 ,abingdon--,lord1 ii4 #ahe4 ,adam--,john1 architect1 ii4 #agd1 #ahg1 #aie1 #bhf4 ----1 ,william--,lord ,chief ,commissioner1 ii4 #agd4 ,his notices of ,hume1 #dci4 ----1 ,mrs41 ii4 #agd1 #bhf4 ,advocates' ,library4 ,hume as librarian1 i4 #cfg4 ,its extent1 #cgc4 ,french works removed from1 as improper1 #cie4 ,hume resigns librarianship of1 ii4 #ah4 ,aiguillon--,duchesse de1 ii4 #age4 ,albemarle--,lord1 i4 #bde-bdf4 ,alembert--,d'1 i4 #id2 ii4 #aha4 ,hume's friendship with1 #bah1 #bgj1 #cbc1 #cde1 #cdh1 #cej1 #ced1 #cee1 #cgg1 #dhi4 ,allen--,dr41 his inquiry into the rise and progress of the royal prerogative1 ii4 #abb4 ,amelia--,the ,princess1 ii4 #bib4 ,ancient ,nations--,essay on the populousness of1 i4 #cfc4 ,anderson--,revd4 ,george1 i4 #dbe4 ,his writings against ,hume and ,lord ,kames1 #dbh4 ,his death1 #dcb4 ,anderson--,dr4 ,walter1 i4 #dbd4 ,annandale--,marquis of4 ,his invitation to ,hume1 i4 #agj4 ,his mental condition1 #agb4 ,hume's residence with1 #agj1 et seq4 ----1 ,marchioness-,dowager of1 i4 #ahe4 ,letter to1 #bjc4 ,anson--,madame1 ii4 #bcf4 ,anstruther--,general1 i4 #chc4 ,antiquaries4 ,their use to the historian1 ii4 #abb-abc4 ,antiquity1 the populousness of4 ,dissertation on1 i4 #cbf4 ,aquinas--,his theory of association1 i4 #bhf4 ,its alleged similarity to ,hume's1 #bhg4 ,argyle--,duke of1 ii4 #ee4 ,armstrong--,dr41 ii4 #fd1 #adh4 ,arnauld--,antony1 i4 #dcb4 ,artois--,comte d'1 ii4 #agh4 ,assembly--,general4 ,its proceedings against ,hume1 i4 #dbi4 ,overture to1 regarding him1 #dcj4 ,association--,hume's theory of1 i4 #bhf4 ,aylesbury--,lady1 ii4 #cje1 #che4 ,bacon--,lord1 ii4 #fg4 ,balance of trade--,hume's opinions on1 i4 #ceh4 ,balcarras--,earl of1 letter to1 i4 #dab4 ,his appearance1 #dac4 ,balfour--,james of ,pilrig1 i4 #afj1 #cde2 ii4 #aib1 #dad1 #dae4 ,bank--,cash credit in4 ,its nature1 i4 #cei4 ,banking--,hume's remarks on1 i4 #cei4 ,barbantane--,marquise de1 ii4 #bhj1 #cji1 #cbb1 #cfj4 ,barr--,colonel1 ii4 #aej1 #bhi4 ,bastide--,m41 ii4 #bcf1 #bda4 ,bath--,hume's visit to1 ii4 #die1 et seq4 ,bayard--,the ,chevalier1 ii4 #dda4 ,beauchamp--,lord1 ii4 #afa1 #afb1 #aga1 #ahc1 #bjd1 #bde1 #bfh1 #bhg4 ,beauvais--,princess1 ii4 #dig4 ,beauveau--,madame de1 ii4 #bjf4 ,beccaria1 i4 #aba4 ,bedford--,duke of1 ii4 #bgi1 #bhj1 #bhe1 #bij4 ----1 ,duchess of1 ii4 #bgi4 ,bellman's ,petition1 i4 #cae1 #cag4 ,belot--,madame1 her translation of ,hume's works1 ii4 #agf4 ,bentham1 i4 #aba1 #chd4 ,berri--,duc de1 ii4 #agh4 ,bertrand--,professor1 ii4 #ahg4 ,betham--,mr4 and ,mrs41 i4 #daa4 ,birch--,dr41 i4 #daf1 #dcf2 ii4 #hb4 ,black--,joseph4 ,letters from1 ii4 #dhh1 #ead-eae4 ,blacklock--,thomas1 i4 #che4 ,hume's first acquaintance with1 #chh4 ,his ideas of light and colours1 #chi4 ,account of his early life1 #cij4 ,publication of his poems1 #cib4 ,miscellaneous notices of1 #cic1 #cih2 ii4 #afd1 #ded4 ,letters from1 #cii4 ,blacklock--,mrs41 ii4 #dja4 ,blackwell--,hume's criticism on his ,court of ,augustus1 i4 #dcd4 ,blair--,dr41 i4 #dbg2 ii4 #hf1 #aae1 #aag1 #aci1 #aec1 #afg1 #age1 #aib1 #aih4 ,letters to1 #ahj1 #aha1 #aic1 #bbi1 #bfe1 #bfg1 #bhf1 #bhh1 #big1 #caj1 #cab1 #cah1 #cdd1 #cfe1 #cga1 #chf1 #cie1 #dba1 #dgb4 ----1 ,robert1 ,president of the ,court of ,session1 ii4 #dbc4 ,blanc--,abb le1 i4 #cfe4 ,his translations from ,hume1 #cff4 ,letter to1 #djf1 #dji2 ii4 #cdg4 ,bologna--,university of1 i4 #aea4 ,bon--,abb le1 his death1 ii4 #dbh4 ,bonne--,hume's account of1 i4 #bdi4 ,boswell--,james1 received ,johnson in ,hume's house1 ii4 #ach1 #aci1 #cjg1 #dda4 ,boufflers--,madame de1 ii4 #gb4 ,account of1 #ij4 ,her letters to ,hume1 #id1 #ii1 #ajf1 #aaj4 ,letters to1 #aad1 #bje1 #bdf1 #bdg4 ,notice of1 #bea1 #bgi1 #bhj1 #bih1 #cjc1 #cbc1 #ccj1 #cdf1 #ceb1 #cec1 #dbi4 ,last letter to1 #eac4 ,bourgs--,university of1 i4 #aea4 ,bower--,archibald1 ii4 #eh4 ,boyle--,the ,honourable ,mr41 i4 #bic4 ,brand--,mr41 ii4 #bbe4 ,breda--,hume's account of1 i4 #bdd4 ,brest1 ii4 #fc4 ,brienne1 ,archbishop of ,toulouse1 ii4 #bhc1 #dig4 ,bristol--,lord1 ii4 #djg4 ,brodie--,george1 ii4 #ff4 ,brougham--,lord1 ii4 #cdh4 ,his opinion of ,hume's ,political ,discourses1 i4 #ced4 ,brown--,dr4 ,john1 ii4 #bc4 ,browne--,sir ,thomas1 i4 #id4 ,bruce--,professor1 ii4 #aib4 ,bruyre--,la1 i4 #adh4 ,buccleuch--,duke of1 ii4 #eh1 #bbg1 #dfg4 ,buchan--,lord1 ii4 #dee4 ,buckingham--,mrs41 ii4 #ahf4 ,buffon--,m4 de1 ii4 #aha1 #bii4 ,bunbury--,mr4 afterwards ,sir ,charles1 ii4 #aei1 #afd1 #ahi1 #bci1 #bgg1 #bhj4 ----1 ,lady ,sarah1 ii4 #bci4 ,burke--,edmund1 i4 #cea1 #cec2 ii4 #ei1 #ccc1 #ddi4 ,burnet--,james1 ,lord ,monboddo1 i4 #cid2 ii4 #bjd1 #bca4 ,bute--,lord1 ii4 #cd1 #adi1 #aei1 #afb1 #afc1 #ahg1 #beh1 #bfe1 #bhb1 #bij1 #ccd1 #djg2 ii4 #dah4 ,butler--,samuel1 ii4 #ij4 ----1 ,bishop1 i4 #fd1 #adc4 ,caldwell--,sir ,james1 i4 #bfj4 ,calton ,hill--,hume's monument on1 ii4 #eah4 ,campbell--,dr4 ,george1 ii4 #aae1 #aaf4 ,letter to1 #aah4 ,letter from1 #aai4 ,notice of1 #aed4 ,carlyle--,dr41 ii4 #hh1 #afd1 #bff1 #dgb4 ,carraccioli1 ii4 #ec4 ,carre--,george1 of ,nisbet1 i4 #aae4 ,cause and ,effect--,hume's views of1 i4 #gi4 ,their effect on ,kant1 ib4 ,causes--unseen1 aptly illustrated by ,hume1 i4 #hc4 ,charles ,edward--his insurrection1 i4 #age4 ,anecdotes of1 ii4 #dfb4 ,charlemont--,lord4 ,description and anecdotes of ,hume by1 i4 #bgj1 #cid2 ii4 #aaf1 #bbc4 ,chatham--,lord1 ii4 #cif1 #djf1 #dah4 ,hume's dislike to1 ii4 #dbj1 #dbb4 ,chaulieu1 #eaj4 ,chesterfield--,lord1 ii4 #aca1 #afj4 ,cheyne--,dr4 ,george1 i4 #db4 ,his work1 ,the ,english ,malady1 i4 #dc4 ,chivalry--,essay on1 i4 #ah-be4 ,choiseul--,duc de1 ii4 #bbh1 #ejj4 ----1 ,duchesse de1 her civilities to ,hume1 ii4 #afi4 ,choquart--,abb1 ii4 #bdb1 #bfa1 #bfb1 #bga1 #bgc4 ,christianity--cannot be injured by theories purely metaphysical1 i4 #hf1 #hh4 ,church--,catholic4 ,hume's treatment of1 ii4 #e4 ----1 ,scottish ,episcopal4 ,its condition in ,hume's time1 ii4 #f4 ----1 ,english4 ,hume's sympathies with1 ii4 #i4 ,churchill--,charles1 ii4 #adh4 ,chute--,mr41 ii4 #bbe4 ,cicero--,orations of4 ,essay on1 i4 #add1 #ade4 ,clagenfurt in ,carinthia4 ,hume's account of1 i4 #bfd4 ,clairaut--,m41 ii4 #bie4 ,clarendon--as a historian1 i4 #djd4 ,clark--,general1 ii4 #agb1 #aie4 ,clarke--,dr4 ,staniers1 ii4 #agi4 ,cleghorn--,william4 ,appointed ,professor of ,moral ,philosophy1 i4 #agj4 ,clephane--,dr4 ,letters to1 i4 #cad1 #cgf1 #cgi1 #cha1 #chd1 #cig1 #djh1 #dcc2 ii4 #ch1 #ddc4 ,clow--,mr41 ,professor of logic in the ,university of ,glasgow1 i4 #cea2 ii4 #aii4 ,club--,the ,poker4 ,its proceedings1 ii4 #def4 ,coblentz--,hume's account of1 i4 #bdi4 ,cockburn--,mrs4 ,letter from1 ii4 #bcj1 #dbd1 #ddi4 ,coke--,sir ,edward1 ii4 #fi4 ,colebroke--,sir ,george1 ii4 #dfj1 #dfg4 ,coleridge--,his charge against ,hume1 i4 #bhf4 ,how disproved1 #bhg4 ,cologne--,hume's account of1 i4 #bdh4 ,cond--,prince of1 ii4 #ib4 ,constitutional theories--,hume's1 ii4 #fe1 #fg1 #gc4 ,conti--,prince of1 ii4 #ij1 #bba1 #bdf1 #big1 #cjg4 ----1 ,princess of1 ii4 #bde4 ,conway--,marshal1 ii4 #aef-aeg1 #bhc1 #bhd1 #cje1 #cjg1 #cbd1 #cbf1 #cea1 #cfe1 #cga1 #cgd4 ----1 ,appoints ,hume under-secretary1 ii4 #chb1 #cif1 #djg4 ,corby castle1 i4 #bbf4 ,corneille1 ii4 #aif4 ,coutts--,provost1 i4 #afe4 ----1 ,thomas1 ii4 #dgf4 ----1 ,james1 ii4 #dgf4 ,cowley1 ii4 #ij4 ,craigie--,professor1 i4 #cej4 ,crawford--,james1 i4 #bcc2 ii4 #adi1 #ejj4 ,crbillon--,his ,l',ecumoire1 i4 #cie2 ii4 #dbh4 ,crowle--,anecdote regarding1 i4 #cjf4 ,cudworth1 i4 #id4 ,cullen--,dr4 ,letter to1 i4 #cej1 #dah4 ,notice of1 #daa2 ii1 #aii4 ,letters from1 ii4 #dhh1 #dhi1 #eae4 ,currency--,hume's views on1 ii4 #dbf4 ,d',angiviller--,m41 ii4 #baf4 ,dalrymple--,sir ,david1 i4 #cie2 ii4 #dae1 #daf4 ----1 ,sir ,john1 ii4 #cg1 #dfg4 ,dauphin of ,france--,his attentions to ,hume1 ii4 #agg-agh4 ,notice of1 #bhf4 ,davenport--,richard1 ii4 #cac4 ,gives ,rousseau a retreat at ,wooton1 #cai4 ,notice of1 #cbc1 #cbg1 #cbh4 ,letter from1 #cce1 #ccf1 #cdc1 #cde1 #cfd1 #cfg1 #cfh1 #cgj4 ,notice of1 #cgd1 #cgh1 #cgi4 ,deffand--,madame du4 ,character of1 ii4 #bad4 ,her quarrel with ,mademoiselle de ,l',espinasse1 #bae4 ,de ,lolme1 i4 #acg4 ,d',epinay--,madame4 ,anecdote from1 ii4 #bbd4 ,dettingen--,battle-field of1 i4 #beb4 ,deyverdun1 ii4 #daj4 ,dialogues concerning ,natural ,religion--,their characteristics1 i4 #cbh-ccj4 ,account of them in a letter to ,sir ,gilbert ,elliot1 #ccb2 ii4 #dij4 ,dickson--,david1 ii4 #chc4 ,diderot1 ii4 #aha1 #bbj4 ,d',ivernois--,m41 ii4 #cbe4 ,divine right--,hume's opinions on1 i4 #abc-abd4 ,dodwell--,mr41 ii4 #chf4 ,donaldson--,alexander1 i4 #dca2 ii4 #d1 #hb4 ,douglas--,mr41 ii4 #bjd4 ----1 ,dr41 afterwards ,bishop of ,carlisle1 ii4 #gh1 #hg4 ---- cause1 ii4 #aej1 #afc1 #bjc1 #dba1 #dbc4 ---- of ,cavers1 ii4 #djg4 ----1 ,duchess of1 ii4 #bcb4 ----1 ,lady ,jane1 ii4 #dbd4 ----1 ,tragedy of4 ,hume's criticism on1 i4 #dai4 ,rehearsal of1 #dbj4 ,dow--,colonel1 ii4 #dfa4 ,duclos1 ii4 #aha1 #cdg4 ,dupr de ,st4 ,maur--,madame1 ii4 #afh1 #cdg4 ,durand--,m41 ii1 #cgh4 ,dysart--,mrs41 of ,eccles4 ,hume's correspondence with1 i4 #ccg4 ,dyson--,mr41 ii4 #acb1 #djh4 ,earthquakes--,fears regarding1 i4 #bih4 ,economy--,political4 ,see ,political ,economy4 ,edmondstoune--,colonel1 i4 #bab1 #cig1 #dji4 ,letter to1 ii4 #ahb4 ,letter from1 to ,hume1 #ahe4 ,letters to1 #ahg1 #dgc4 ,letter from1 #dgd1 #ejh4 ,education--,on the influences of1 i4 #he4 ----1 ,state of1 in ,scotland1 in #agth and #ahth centuries1 i4 #aea4 ,egmont--,countess of1 ii4 #bii4 ,election--,westminster1 in #agdi1 i4 #cje4 ,elibank--,lord1 letters to1 i4 #aib1 #chg2 ii4 #afg1 #beb1 #bef1 #beg1 #bfj4 ,elliot--,sir ,gilbert1 of ,minto4 ,hume's intercourse with1 i4 #cbj4 ,letters to1 #cba1 #cbd4 ,his criticism on ,hume's ,dialogue1 #cbc4 ,hume's reply to1 #cbd4 ,account of the ,epigoniad to1 ii4 #be4 ,letter to1 #cb4 ,letters to1 #add1 #aei1 #ahi4 ,letter from1 #bcc4 ,reply1 #bce4 ,letters to1 #bdj1 #bdd1 #bfa1 #bgj1 #bgc1 #bhj1 #djf1 #djg1 #dad4 ,letter from1 #dae4 ,letters to1 #dcb1 #dcd4 ----1 ,gilbert1 younger of ,minto1 afterwards ,governor-general of ,india1 ii4 #bcc1 #bfb1 #bga1 #bgc1 #bha4 ,elliot--,sir ,john1 of ,stobs1 ii4 #djg4 ----1 ,anne1 ii4 #cde4 ----1 ,hugh1 ii4 #bfb1 #bga1 #bgc1 #bha4 ----1 ,lady1 ii4 #dae1 #ddf4 ----1 ,miss1 ii4 #fb1 #ij4 ----1 ,peggy1 ii4 #fb ,emile--,criticism on1 ii4 #aad4 ,england--,history of4 ,rapidity with which it was composed and printed1 i4 #cha2 ii4 #aba4 ,english ,malady1 by ,dr4 ,cheyne--,extracts from1 i4 #dc-df4 ,entails--,device for breaking1 ii4 #cb4 ,epicurean--,the4 ,remarks on1 i4 #adb4 ,epicurus1 i4 #adb4 ,epigoniad4 ,some account of1 ii4 #be4 ,hume's partiality to1 #ca4 ,its rejection by the public1 #cd1 #cg4 ,eriot--,professor1 ii4 #bda4 ,erskine--,sir ,harry1 i4 #bab4 ,letter to1 #bai4 ,his illness1 #bfd1 #cig1 #dji2 ii4 #aei4 ,erskine--,john1 ii4 #dec4 ,essay--,historical1 on chivalry and modern honour1 i4 #ah1 #be4 ,essays--,moral and ,political1 when published1 and how1 i4 #acf4 ,their success1 #adc4 ,third edition of1 #bhi4 ---- on ,suicide and the ,immortality of the ,soul1 ii4 #ac4 ---- on ,political ,economy1 i4 #ced1 #cfc4 ,eugene--,prince4 ,his palace1 i4 #bfb2 ii4 #eja ,fairholms--,bankruptcy of1 ii4 #aie4 ,falconer--,sir ,david1 of ,newton1 i4 #a4 ,farquhar--,john1 ii4 #aed4 ,ferguson--,sir ,adam1 ii4 #dea1 #deg4 ----1 ,professor ,adam4 ,hume's commendation of1 ii4 #cb4 ,notice of1 #cd4 ,appointed ,professor of ,natural ,philosophy1 #de4 ,notice of1 #ef4 ,sister ,peg attributed to him1 #hc4 ,hume's mystification on the subject1 #hh4 ,letter to1 #agb4 ,letter from1 #age4 ,his ,essay on the ,history of ,civil ,society1 #che1 #dji1 #ddj1 #dfa4 ----1 a painter1 ii4 #dji4 ,fitzmaurice--,mr41 ii4 #afc1 #aga4 ,fitzroy--,charles1 ii4 #djg4 ,flche--,la4 ,hume's residence in1 i4 #eg4 ,jesuit's ,college of1 ib4 ,fleury--,cardinal1 #dih4 ,fontaine--,la1 ,les ,contes de1 removed from the ,advocates' ,library1 i4 #cie4 ,forester--,colonel ,james4 ,his connexion with the ,marquis of ,annandale1 i4 #agd4 ,verses on his traveling to the ,highlands of ,scotland1 ib4 ,fourqueux1 ii1 #cdh4 ,france--,state of morality in1 during ,hume's time1 ii4 #ia4 ----1 ,manners in1 i4 #ec-ed1 #ee-ef2 ii4 #bjh4 ,frankfort--,hume's account of1 i4 #bea1 #beb4 ,franklin--,benjamin1 ii4 #dbf1 #dbg1 #dga1 #dgf4 ,fraser--,james1 i4 #cje4 ,hume's character of1 #cjh4 ,free ,trade--,hume as the founder of the principles of1 ii4 #ebj4 ,french literature4 ,its licentious features1 i4 #cie4 ,galliani--,abb1 ii4 #dbh4 ,garden--,francis1 ii4 #bjd4 ,garrick--,david1 ii4 #ada1 #cji1 #dba4 ,gascoigne--,chief-justice1 ii4 #fi4 ,genlis--,madame de1 ii4 #bba1 #cja4 ,geoffrin--,madame4 ,her position in ,paris1 ii4 #baj4 ,specimen of her handwriting1 #baa4 ,character of1 #bab1 #dga4 ,geometry and ,natural ,philosophy--,dissertation on1 i4 #dba4 ,gerard--,alexander1 ii4 #ee1 #aed1 #aee4 ,gibbon--,edward1 ii4 #dji4 ,letter from1 #daj4 ,letter to1 #daa1 #dhd4 ,gillies--,adam1 ii4 #ach4 ,glamorgan--,lord1 ii4 #gg1 #gh4 ,glanvill--,joseph1 i4 #hc4 ,glover--,richard1 ii4 #ada4 ,goodall--,walter1 i4 #cgd4 ,anecdote regarding him1 ib42 ii4 #bed4 ,gordon--,father1 ii4 #bja4 ,government--,monarchical4 ,hume's partiality for1 i4 #adj4 ,gower--,earl1 i4 #cje4 ,graffigny--,m41 ii4 #cij4 ----1 ,madame de1 ii4 #cia4 ,grafton--,duke of1 ii4 #bhd1 #cig1 #djg1 #dcb4 ,grammont--,madame de1 ii4 #bjf4 ,gregory--,dr41 ii4 #aed1 #aee4 ,grenville--,george1 ii4 #aia1 #bbf1 #bfe1 #bgb1 #bgd1 #bhb4 ,greville--,mrs4 ,her ,ode to ,indifference1 i4 #bbh4 ,grimm--,baron de1 ii4 #afh1 #bbc4 ,guerchy--,m4 de1 ii4 #bij1 #cgc4 ,guichiardin1 i4 #aac4 ,his character of ,alexander ,,vi4 #aac-aad4 ,guigne--,m4 de1 ii4 #ddf4 ,gustard--,doctor1 ii4 #ejd4 ,hague--,the4 ,hume's account of1 i4 #bdc4 ,hamilton--,duke of1 i4 #dag4 ----1 ,sir ,william1 i4 #bhh2 ii4 #aec4 ,halifax--,lord1 ii4 #afj1 #bgg4 ,hall--,edward1 ii4 #gb4 ,hallam--,henry1 ii4 #ff4 ,hardwicke--,lord1 ii4 #dfe4 ,harrington--,hume's opinion of1 i4 #cfa2 ii4 #dha4 ,hawke--,admiral1 ii4 #fc4 ,hay--,secretary to ,prince ,charles ,edward1 ii4 #bjc4 ,helvtius--,his ,de l',esprit1 i4 #aba2 ii4 #eb4 ,proposes ,hume to translate it1 #eb4 ,hume excuses himself1 #ec4 ,notice of1 #ed1 #eg1 #afh1 #aca1 #chg4 ,his intercourse with ,prince ,charles ,edward1 ii4 #dfd4 ,henault--,president1 ii4 #aha1 #bff1 #bfi4 ,henry--,robert4 ,his ,history of ,britain1 ii4 #dfi4 ,hume's review of it1 #dgj4 ,hepburn--,rev4 ,thomas1 ii4 #dgb4 ,herbert--,mr41 ii4 #afb4 ,hertford--,marquis of4 ,his appointment to the ,french ,embassy1 ii4 #aef4 ,invitation to ,hume1 #aef1 #aeh4 ,notice of1 #aei1 #afa1 #afd1 #aga1 #agb1 #aha4 ,hume's opinion of1 #ahc1 #ahh1 #aig1 #bje1 #bcb1 #beh1 #bfi1 #bgb1 #bgd1 #bgh4 ,appointed lord-lieutenant of ,ireland1 #bhb1 #bhd1 #chh4 ----1 ,marchioness of1 ii4 #ib1 #afa1 #aga1 #bhj4 ,hervey--,lady1 ii4 #bbe4 ,historians--,benefit to1 from being familiar with military service1 i4 #bah1 #bba4 ----1 ,knowledge requisite in1 ii4 #abc-abg4 ,history--,essay on1 ii4 #abc1 #abf4 ---- of ,england--,hume's4 ,preparation of1 i4 #cgh4 ,rapidity of composition1 #cha4 ,its reception1 #dad4 ,hobbes--,hume's remarks regarding1 i4 #gg1 #id4 ,holbach--,baron d'1 ii4 #cdf1 #cec1 #ceg4 ,holderness--,lord1 ii4 #aid1 #chf1 #dfc4 ,holingshed--,raphael1 ii4 #gc4 ,holland--,lord1 i4 #djc2 ii4 #bci4 ,home--,alexander1 ,solicitor ,general1 i4 #bjh4 ----1 ,alexander1 of ,whitfield4 ,letter to1 i4 #b-c4 ----1 ,lord4 ,his relationship to the ,humes1 i4 #c4 ----1 ,henry4 ,letters to1 i4 #fb1 #aje1 #add4 ,letter from1 #bjd4 ,his ,essays1 #dbf4 ,anderson's writings against1 #dbh4 ,attacked in the ,general ,assembly1 #dbi4 ,his ,law ,tracts1 ii4 #ef1 #aca1 #aie1 #ded4 ----1 ,john4 ,his ,douglas noticed1 i4 #caf1 #cib1 #daa2 ii4 #ag4 ,hume's interest in him1 i4 #dah4 ,hume's opinion of his ,douglas1 i4 #dai2 ii4 #cb4 ,suppressed dedication to1 #af4 ,his ,siege of ,aquileia1 #ha1 #aei1 #aff1 #ahh1 #aia1 #aii1 #chc1 #ddd1 #def1 #dge1 #dhb4 ,his diary of a journey with ,hume1 #die4 ,bequest of port wine to1 #ejf1 #ejg4 ---- of ,ninewells4 ,see ,hume4 ----1 ,mrs41 ii4 #djd4 ----1 ,sir ,james1 of ,blackadder1 i4 #c4 ,hope--,lord1 ii4 #ef4 ,human ,nature1 treatise of1 i4 #ff4 ,character of the work1 #ff1 #ig4 ,its ,style1 #ia4 ----1 ,understanding1 ,philosophical ,essays concerning1 i4 #bga4 ,inquiry concerning1 #bga4 ,human ,actions1 as the object of inductive philosophy1 i4 #bge4 ,application of this theory to history1 #bgf4 ,hume--,david1 his birth and parentage1 i4 #b-c4 ,account of his family1 #b-g4 ,his opinions on the philosophy of family pride1 #e4 ,scenes of his boyhood1 #h-i4 ,account of his early years1 #aj-aa4 ,education1 ib4 ,early correspondence1 #ab-af4 ,ambitious projects1 #ag4 ,early writings1 #ah-ai4 ,essay on chivalry1 #ah-be4 ,deserts the law1 #bf4 ,letter to a physician1 #cj-ci4 ,goes to ,bristol1 #ci4 ,leaves ,bristol for ,france1 #dh4 ,visit to ,paris1 #di4 ,residence at ,rheims1 #ea-ef4 ,residence at ,la ,flche1 #eg4 ,correspondence with ,home1 #fb-fe4 ,preparing his treatise for press1 #fe4 ,treatise of ,human ,nature1 #ff4 ,treatise on the ,passions1 #ii4 ,review of ,treatise in ,works of the ,learned1 #aji4 ,anecdote on the subject1 #aaj4 ,intercourse with ,hutcheson1 #aab4 ,application for a situation1 #aae4 ,treatise on ,morals1 #abj4 ,extracts from memorandum book1 #abg-ace4 ,moral and ,political ,essays1 their publication1 #acf4 ,their character1 #acg-adc4 ,his partiality for monarchical government1 #adj4 ,opinions on the liberty of the press1 #acg-aci4 ,criticism on ,cicero1 #add-adf4 ,correspondence with ,hutcheson1 #adf4 ,correspondence with ,mure1 #aec1 #aeh4 ,thoughts on religion1 #afb4 ,on prayer1 #afc4 ,endeavours to obtain the professorship of moral philosophy1 #afe4 ,opposition1 #afh-afi4 ,unsuccessful1 #agj4 ,residence with the ,marquis of ,annandale1 ib4 ,dissension there1 #ahb-aij4 ,its effect on ,hume1 #aia4 ,he resigns the appointment1 #aic4 ,different views of his resignation1 #aid4 ,state of society in ,scotland at that time1 #aif4 ,difficulty of means of subsistence1 #aif-aig4 ,position of the poor scholar1 #aii4 ,offer from ,general ,st4 ,clair of the ,secretaryship accepted1 #bjh4 ,expedition to the coast of ,france1 #baj4 ,one of the historians who have been familiar with military service1 #bah4 ,letter to ,sir ,harry ,erskine1 #bai4 ,to ,henry ,home1 #bbj4 ,to ,col4 ,abercrombie1 #bbb4 ,desponding remarks on public affairs1 #bbd4 ,returns to ,ninewells1 #bbe4 ,supposed character of himself1 found amongst his papers1 #bbf4 ,his poetical attempts1 #bbg-bbi4 ,question whether he was ever in love1 #bca4 ,poetic epistle to ,john ,medina1 #bcd4 ,appointment as secretary to the mission to the court of ,turin1 #bce4 ,letter to ,james ,oswald1 #bcf4 ,views regarding history1 ib4 ,disinclination to leave his studies1 #bci4 ,new edition of his ,essays1 ib4 ,philosophical ,essays1 ib4 ,his position with ,general ,st4 ,clair1 #bdj4 ,extracts from the ,journal of his journey to ,italy1 #bdj-bga4 ,hague1 #bdb4 ,breda1 #bdd4 ,nimeguen1 #bdg4 ,bonne1 #bdi4 ,coblentz1 ib4 ,frankfurt1 #bea4 ,wurtzburg1 #beb4 ,ratisbon1 #bee4 ,vienna1 #beg4 ,knittlefeldt1 #bfb4 ,trent1 #bfd4 ,mantua1 #bfe4 ,turin1 #bff4 ,publication of his ,philosophical ,essays1 #bga4 ,inquiry concerning ,human ,understanding1 #bgb4 ,doctrine of ,necessity1 #bge4 ,doctrines on ,miracles1 #bgi-bhe4 ,his mode of treating the subject1 #bha4 ,leading principle of his theory concerning1 #bhb4 ,third edition of ,essays1 ,moral and ,political1 #bhi4 ,his mother's death1 #bia4 ,silliman's story1 #bib4 ,disproved1 #bic4 ,correspondence with ,dr4 ,clephane1 #bif4 ,westminster election1 #cje4 ,document regarding ,james ,fraser1 #cjh4 ,letters to ,col4 ,abercrombie1 #caa1 #cab4 ,to ,dr4 ,clephane1 #cad4 ,bellman's ,petition1 #cae1 #cag4 ,correspondence with ,sir ,gilbert ,elliot1 #cbd4 ,dissertation on the ,populousness of ,antiquity1 #cbf4 ,dialogues concerning ,natural ,religion1 #cbh4 ,their character and tendency1 #ccj4 ,writes to ,elliot regarding them1 #cca4 ,his brother's marriage1 #ccg4 ,letter to ,mrs4 ,dysart1 ib4 ,the independence of his mind1 and moderation of his wishes1 #cdj4 ,letter to ,michael ,ramsay1 #cdb4 ,his domestic arrangements1 #cdd4 ,his theory of morals1 #cdf4 ,utilitarian system1 #cdd4 ,limited extent to which ,hume carried it1 #cdg4 ,charge against it1 #cdi4 ,publication of ,political ,discourses1 #cej4 ,is unsuccessful in his application for the chair of logic in ,glasgow1 #cej4 ,letter to ,dr4 ,cullen1 #cej4 ,unfitness to be a teacher of youth1 #ceb4 ,political ,discourses1 #ced4 ,political economy1 #cee1 #cff4 ,appointment1 as keeper of the ,advocates' ,library1 #cfg4 ,letter to ,dr4 ,clephane1 #cfi1 #cgf4 ,account of domestic arrangements1 #cgg4 ,preparation of the ,history1 #cgh4 ,letter to ,dr4 ,clephane1 #cgi1 #cha4 ,absorbing nature of his studies1 #chb4 ,kindness to ,blacklock1 #che4 ,letter to ,joseph ,spence1 #chh4 ,to ,adam ,smith1 #cic4 ,gives ,blacklock his salary as librarian1 #cic4 ,history of the ,stuarts1 #cig4 ,letter to ,dr4 ,clephane1 #cig4 ,conflicting opinions regarding the ,history of the ,stuarts1 #djj4 ,misapprehension regarding state of constitution1 #djc4 ,inconsistencies between his philosophical and historical works1 #dje4 ,letter to the ,abb le ,blanc1 #djf4 ,to ,dr4 ,clephane1 #djh4 ,to ,william ,mure of ,caldwell1 #dji4 ,to ,mrs4 ,dysart1 #daj4 ,to ,andrew ,millar1 #dae4 ,to ,adam ,smith1 #dag4 ,criticism on ,home's ,douglas1 #dai4 ,edinburgh ,review1 #dbb4 ,attacked by ,anderson1 #dbi4 ,by the church courts1 #dcj4 ,the second volume of the ,history of the ,stuarts1 ii4 #e4 ,its reception1 ib4 ,apologies for his treatment of religion1 #aj4 ,unpublished preface1 #aa4 ,essay on ,suicide1 #ac4 ,natural ,history of ,religion1 ib4 ,the suppressed ,essays1 ib4 ,resigns the office of librarian1 #ah4 ,dedication to ,home1 #ba4 ,third volume of the ,history1 #bb4 ,epigoniad1 #be4 ,warburton's attack1 #ce4 ,goes to ,london1 #dg4 ,correspondence with ,dr4 ,robertson1 #dh4 ,returns to ,scotland1 #fe4 ,history of the ,tudors1 ib4 ,his constitutional theories1 #fg4 ,alterations of the ,history in the direction of despotic principles1 #gc4 ,specimens of alterations1 #gd-gg4 ,specimens of alteration in style1 #gi1 #hj4 ,letter to ,millar1 #ha4 ,to ,robertson1 #hc4 ,macpherson's ,ossian1 #he4 ,letter to ,dr4 ,carlyle1 #hh4 ,to ,adam ,smith1 #hi4 ,madame de ,boufflers1 #ij4 ,correspondence with ,madame de ,boufflers1 #id-ih1 #ajb4 ,rousseau1 #ajb4 ,letters from ,earl ,marischal1 #ajd4 ,criticism on ,emile1 #aad4 ,publication of the ,history anterior to the accession of the ,tudors1 #abj4 ,intention to write an ,ecclesiastical ,history1 #acj4 ,correspondence with ,millar1 #acb4 ,residence in ,james's ,court1 #acf4 ,corrections of his works1 #add4 ,his projects1 #add-adf4 ,douglas cause1 #aej4 ,criticisms on ,reid's ,inquiry into the ,human ,mind1 #aec4 ,accepts the office of secretary to the ,french embassy1 #aeg4 ,correspondence on the occasion1 #aeg-afj4 ,his celebrity in ,paris1 #afg4 ,feelings on the occasion1 #aga-agb4 ,attentions of the dauphin1 #agg4 ,memoirs of ,james ,,ii41 #agi4 ,advice to a clergyman1 #ahe4 ,secretaryship of the embassy1 #ahh4 ,his pension1 #aia4 ,letters from ,paris1 #aic4 ,madame de ,boufflers1 #bje4 ,social position in ,france1 #bjg4 ,notices by ,h4 ,walpole1 #bbe4 ,takes charge of ,elliot's sons1 #bce4 ,settles them in ,paris1 #bdd4 ,liability to anger1 #bea4 ,letter to ,lord ,elibank1 #beb4 ,care of ,elliot's sons1 #bgc4 ,secretaryship of legation1 #bgh-bha4 ,is appointed to it1 and to receive the salary1 #bhd4 ,expects to be secretary to ,lord ,hertford1 as ,lord-lieutenant of ,ireland1 #bhg4 ,is disappointed1 #bhi4 ,rousseau1 #bic4 ,hume's first opinion of him1 #bii4 ,brings him to ,england1 #cjc4 ,settles him at ,wooton1 #cai4 ,rousseau's quarrel1 #cbf-ccj4 ,publication of it1 #ced-cfj4 ,walpole1 #cfa4 ,kindness to ,rousseau1 #cha4 ,appointed under secretary of state1 #chb4 ,his amiability of character1 #cij4 ,compared with his nephew1 ,baron ,hume1 #djb4 ,his interest in the education of his nephews1 #djc4 ,influence in church patronage1 #djf4 ,his picture1 #djh4 ,criticism of ,robertson's ,charles ,v41 #dab4 ,views on currency1 #dbf4 ,returns to ,edinburgh1 #dbi4 ,education of his nephews1 #dcj4 ,his dislike of the ,english1 #dcc4 ,his social character1 #dcg4 ,temper and disposition1 #dda4 ,his own account of his character1 #ddb4 ,his conversation1 #dea4 ,traditional anecdotes1 #deg4 ,incidents regarding ,prince ,charles ,edward1 #dfb4 ,review of ,henry's ,history1 #dfi4 ,political opinions1 #dgi4 ,impatient for ,smith's ,wealth of ,nations1 #dhc4 ,his last illness1 #dhg1 et seq4 ,his will1 #dhi4 ,disposal of his manuscripts1 #dij4 ,publication of the ,dialogues on ,natural ,religion1 #dia-dic4 ,negotiations with ,smith on the subject1 ib4 ,his journey to ,bath1 #die1 et seq4 ,john ,home's account of their journey1 ib4 ,his return1 #ejf4 ,party to bid him farewell1 #ejg4 ,correspondence1 ib4 ,smith's account of his latter days1 #ead4 ,account of his death by ,dr4 ,black and ,dr4 ,cullen1 #eae4 ,his funeral and monument1 #eag-eah4 ,influence of his works on the opinions of the world1 #eai4 ,hume1 or ,home of ,ninewells--,anecdote of1 i4 #f1 #g4 ----1 ,john of ,ninewells1 brother to ,hume1 i4 #bac4 ,narrative of the ,expedition to the coast of ,france1 addressed to1 #bac-bag4 ,his marriage1 #ccg4 ,letters to1 ii4 #bij1 #cjh1 #cif4 ,his character1 #cih4 ----1 ,david1 afterwards ,baron1 ii4 #djj4 ,compared with his uncle1 #djb1 #dje1 #dbe1 #dgd1 #dgi1 #dhj4 ----1 ,joseph1 of ,ninewells1 i4 #a4 ----1 ,joseph1 younger4 ,his education1 ii4 #agd1 #age1 #bib1 #cih1 #djc1 #djd4 ----1 ,director1 i4 #chg4 ----1 ,john4 ,see ,home--,john4 ----1 ,mrs41 verses by1 i4 #bie4 ----1 ,frank1 ii4 #aii4 ,huntingdon--,lady1 ii4 #ejf4 ,hurd--,warburton's letter to1 ii4 #ce4 ,notice of1 #ej4 ,hutcheson--,francis1 i4 #aaa4 ,hume's correspondence with1 #aab4 ,his reflexions on ,hume's papers1 #aab4 ,letter to1 #aag1 #adf4 ,ideas--,hume's theory of1 i1 #gj4 ,impressions--,hume's theory of1 i4 #gc4 ,inquiry concerning the ,principles of ,morals1 i4 #cdd4 ,its tendency1 ib4 ---- concerning ,human ,understanding1 its publication1 #bgc4 ,views developed in it1 #bgd4 ,irvine--,colonel1 ii4 #afj4 ,james ,,ii4--,memoirs of1 ii4 #agi1 #bjj4 ,james's ,court--,hume's residence in1 description of1 ii4 #acf4 ,jardine--,dr41 ii4 #aig1 #bcj1 #bhf4 ,his death1 #cag1 #cah4 ,jeffrey--,lord1 i4 #djc4 ,jenyns--,soame1 ii4 #ee1 #ei4 ,johnson--,dr41 ii4 #abb4 ,anecdote of1 #ach1 #dbj4 ,johnstone of ,hilton--,anecdote of1 i4 #f1 #g4 ----1 ,colonel ,john1 i4 #ahe4 ----1 ,sir ,james--of ,westerhall1 i4 #age1 #agf4 ,letters to1 #ahb1 #ahd1 #aib4 ,letter to1 from ,henry ,home1 #bjd4 ,johnstone--,sir ,william1 ii4 #afh4 ,journal--,hume's1 of his journey to ,italy1 i4 #bdj1 #bga4 ,judge ,advocate--,hume appointed1 i4 #bab4 ,claim for half-pay1 #bbb4 ,justice ,clerk--,the1 ii4 #dg4 ,kames--,lord4 ,see ,home--,henry4 ,kant--,effect of ,hume's ,theory of ,cause and ,effect on1 i4 #gi4 ,his justification of ,hume1 #hh4 ,keith--,mr41 ii4 #dca4 ,keith--,general1 ii4 #dih4 ,kenrick--,william ,shakspere1 editor of ,the ,london ,review1 i4 #aaj4 ,kincaid--,alexander1 i4 #dca2 ii4 #d1 #ha1 #hb4 ,kirkpatrick--,james1 i4 #chg4 ,knittlefeldt in ,styria1 ,hume's account of it1 i4 #bfb4 ,knox--,john1 ii4 #eh4 ,la ,chapelle1 ii4 #bgj4 ,la ,harpe1 ii4 #dfh4 ,lansdowne--,lord1 ii4 #adf4 ,larpent--,mr41 ii4 #bde1 #bga4 ,law and government--first principles of1 ,hume's remarks on1 i4 #abb4 ,leechman--,dr41 i4 #afj4 ,hume's criticism on his sermon1 #afa1 #daa4 ,legge1 ,h4 ,b41 ii4 #ed4 ,leslie--,sir ,john4 ,his professorship1 i4 #hi4 ,l',espinasse--,mademoiselle de4 ,her position with ,madame du ,deffand1 ii4 #bae4 ,d',alembert's attachment to her1 ib4 ,notice of1 #bcg4 ,lestock--,admiral ,richard1 i4 #baj4 ,leyden--,university of1 i4 #aea4 ,lindsay--,lord1 i4 #dac4 ----1 ,lady ,anne4 ,her remembrances of ,hume1 ii4 #dde4 ,liston--,mr41 afterwards ,sir ,robert1 ii4 #bde1 #bgj1 #bga1 #bgc1 #bhj1 #dad4 ,literature1 ,french--,state of1 ii4 #aff4 ,locke1 i4 #id2 ii4 #fh4 ,logic--chair of1 in ,glasgow1 i4 #cej4 ,l',orient--,port of1 i4 #baa4 ,expedition against1 i4 #baa4 ,loughborough--,lord1 ii4 #dbe4 ,louis ,,xv--,anecdotes of1 #dii4 ,lounds--,mr41 ii4 #cfh4 ,lyttelton--,george ,lord1 i4 #cia1 #dcc2 ii4 #ee1 #eh1 #gi1 #hb1 #bbf1 #cde4 ,luze--,m4 de1 ii4 #cjc-cje4 ,macdonald--,sir ,james1 ii4 #bbh1 #bbi1 #beg1 #bfg1 #bgb1 #cdi4 ,mackenzie--,henry1 i4 #eh4 ,his ideas of ,hume1 ii4 #dch1 #ddd4 ,mackenzie1 ,stuart1 ii4 #beh1 #bei4 ,mackintosh--,sir ,james1 i4 #bhg4 ,macpherson--,james1 i4 #dfb2 ii4 #he1 #dfa4 ,malesherbes1 ii4 #bai4 ,malette--,m41 ii4 #dbh4 ,mallet--,david1 ii4 #c1 #gi1 #hb1 #aca1 #adj1 #ada4 ,letter from1 to ,hume1 #adb4 ,notice of1 #add1 #ahg1 #bcb4 ,his death1 #bgc4 ----1 ,mrs41 ii4 #fb1 #ada1 #bjj1 #bcb4 ,malthus1 i4 #cfd4 ,mansfield--,lord1 ii4 #afc1 #chf1 #dae1 #dbd1 #dff4 ,mantua--,hume's account of1 i4 #bfe4 ,march--,lord1 ii4 #bdj1 #bda1 #bdb1 #bde4 ,marchmont--,lord1 extraordinary adventure of1 i4 #bcg4 ,marischal--,lord1 ii4 #ajc4 ,letters from1 #ajd1 #aje4 ,notice of1 #aac1 #aci1 #age1 #agi1 #ahb1 #bag1 #bic1 #bie1 #cjf1 #cac1 #ced1 #dfd1 #dfe4 ,markham--,sir ,george1 ii4 #adf4 ,marlborough--,duke of1 ii4 #ada4 ----1 ,duchess of1 ii4 #ada4 ,marmontel1 ii4 #aha1 #aif4 ,martigny1 ii4 #eb4 ,masserane--,prince1 ii4 #dbh4 ,mathematics4 ,hume's application of1 i4 #gc4 ,mauvillon--,elazar1 i4 #cfe4 ,maxwell--,sir ,john1 ii4 #dee4 ,mead--,dr41 i4 #caf4 ,medina--,john1 poetic epistle to1 by ,hume1 i4 #bcd4 ,memorandum book--,hume's4 ,extracts from1 i4 #abf-ace4 ,mesnieres--,president1 ii4 #agg4 ,metaphysics4 ,theories purely such not dangerous to religion1 i4 #hf1 #hh4 ,millar--,andrew1 i4 #dae4 ,his views for ,hume1 ib4 ,correspondence with1 #dba2 ii4 #b1 #bb1 #cd4 ,notice of1 #eg1 #fd1 #ha4 ,letters to1 #acj1 #acd1 #ace1 #acf1 #ach1 #adc1 #adg1 #agi1 #aii1 #bjj1 #bca1 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bgb1 #cic1 #djh4 ----1 ,mrs41 ii4 #ahj1 #bjj1 #bcb4 ----1 ,professor1 ii4 #dgd1 #dgi1 #dhj1 #dha4 ,milton--,lord1 ii4 #df1 #aii4 ,minto--,lord1 i4 #cbj2 ii4 #bcc4 ,mirabeau1 the elder1 i4 #cfe1 #cff4 ,miracles--,doctrines on1 i4 #bgi-bhf4 ,mirepoix--,madame de1 ii4 #bdd1 #bde4 ,monarchical character--sacredness of1 ,hume's ideas on1 ii4 #gj4 ,monboddo--,lord1 ii4 #dfg4 ,see ,burnet4 ,moncrief--,david1 ii4 #dca4 ,money--,letter on the value of1 i4 #cja4 ----1 ,elements of the value of1 according to ,hume1 i4 #ceh-cfj4 ,montesquieu1 i4 #ib1 #aci4 ,his ,esprit des ,loix1 i4 #cjd4 ,his appreciation of ,hume's critical works1 #cje1 #cfe1 #chg4 ,letters from1 to ,hume1 #dbf4 ,montigny--,trudaine de1 letter from1 ii4 #afg1 #ceb4 ----1 ,madame1 ii4 #cdh4 ,moore--,mr41 ii4 #dcf4 ,moral and ,political ,essays1 their publication1 i4 #acf4 ---- ,sentiments--,theory of1 by ,adam ,smith1 ii4 #ee4 ,hume's appreciation of it1 ib4 ,morals--,treatise on1 i4 #abj4 ,principles of1 inquiry concerning1 #cdd4 ,the utilitarian1 limited extent to which it was carried by ,hume1 #cdg4 ,charge against it1 #cdi4 ,morellet--,the ,abb1 ii4 #bgf1 #ccg1 #dbe4 ,letter to1 #dbf4 ,morrice--,corbyn1 ii4 #adg4 ,mount ,stuart--,lord1 ii4 #ahd4 ,muirhead--,mr41 i4 #daa4 ,mure--,william1 of ,caldwell1 i4 #chj4 ,letters to1 i4 #aec1 #aeh1 #afb1 #afe2 ii4 #ai1 #aeh1 #afe1 #aii1 #bjj1 #cij1 #cia1 #dcf1 #dgh4 ,murray--,lady ,elliot1 letter from1 ii4 #ddf4 ----1 ,alexander1 i4 #cjf2 ii4 #ic1 #aja1 #afh1 #beh1 #bei4 ----1 ,mrs41 ii4 #bha4 ----1 of ,broughton1 i4 #afg4 ,musset ,pathay1 ii4 #cbb1 #cbe1 #cbi1 #ccj4 ,nairne--,mr41 ii4 #def4 ,national characters--,essay on1 i4 #bij4 ,nationality--,hume's spirit of1 ii4 #ca4 ,natural ,philosophy--,hume's notes on1 i4 #ie-if4 ,natural ,religion--,dialogues concerning1 i4 #cbh1 #ccj4 ,arrangements regarding their publication1 ii4 #dij-dic4 ,necessity--,doctrine of1 i4 #bge4 ,necker1 ii4 #dhg4 ,neville--,mr41 ii4 #aga4 ,nicholas--,sir ,harris4 ,his chronology of history1 ii4 #abc4 ,nicol--,miss1 ii4 #cfa4 ,niebuhr1 i4 #bah4 ,nimeguen--,hume's account of1 i4 #bdg4 ,ninewells1 family residence of the ,humes1 i4 #a1 #h4 ,nivernois--,duc de1 ii4 #bhf1 #dca1 #ddi4 ,nominalism--,hume's1 a system of1 i4 #gc4 ,north--,lord1 ii4 #dgi4 ,norwich--,bishop of1 ii4 #ed4 ,note-book--,hume's1 extracts from1 i4 #abf-ace4 ,obedience--,passive1 ,hume's opinions on1 ii4 #gj4 ,orange--,prince of4 ,his popularity1 i4 #bdb4 ,ord--,baron1 ii4 #dcf4 ----1 ,miss1 ii4 #dcf1 #did4 ,original ,contract--,essay of the1 i4 #bij4 ,orleans--,duke of1 ii4 #bfi4 ----1 ,duchess of1 ii4 #bfi4 ,ormond--,james ,butler1 ,duke of1 ii4 #gg4 ,ossian's ,poems1 ii4 #he4 ,essay on the authenticity of1 #hf4 ,notice of1 #ahj4 ----1 ,papers regarding1 i4 #dfb4 ,ossory--,lord1 ii4 #cbb4 ,oswald--,sir ,harry1 ii4 #ahh1 #aia4 ----1 ,james1 of ,dunnikier1 i4 #aef1 #bbb4 ,letter to1 #bcf1 #cja1 #chj4 ,notice of1 ii4 #eh4 ,letter to1 #adi4 ,notice of1 #ahh4 ,letter to1 #bge4 ,page du ,boccage--,madame de1 ii4 #bac4 ,paley--,william1 i4 #aeb4 ,palgrave--,sir ,francis1 ii4 #abb4 ,paoli1 ,king of ,corsica1 ii4 #cjg4 ,paris--,abb1 miracles at his tomb1 i4 #di-ej4 ----1 ,hume's first visit to1 i4 #di-ea4 ----1 ,university of1 i4 #aea4 ,passions--,treatise on1 i4 #ii4 ,some account of1 #ajd4 ,dissertation on1 #dba4 ,passive obedience--,essay of1 i4 #bbj4 ,percy--,bishop1 ii4 #che4 ,peyrou1 du1 ii4 #cce4 ,philosophical ,essays concerning the ,human ,understanding4 ,when published1 i4 #bga4 ,philosophy--,system of1 in the ,treatise of ,human ,nature1 i4 #ff1 #ig4 ,its characteristic1 #ig4 ,physician--,letter to1 i4 #cj-ci1 #da1 #db4 ,piozzi--,mrs41 ii4 #aci4 ,pitcairne--,dr41 ii4 #cij4 ,pitfour--,lord1 ii4 #dhj4 ,pitt--,william1 i4 #cib2 ii4 #fc1 #aei1 #afj1 #afb1 #afc4 ,platonist--,the1 i4 #ada4 ,pluche--,the ,abb1 i4 #eb4 ,plutarch--,hume's project of translating1 i4 #dae1 #dag4 ,poetry by ,hume1 i4 #bbh4 ---- by ,mrs4 ,home of ,ninewells1 i4 #bie4 ---- ,by ,miss ,a4 ,b41 to ,mrs4 ,h----1 by her ,black ,boy1 i4 #bif4 ,political ,discourses--,publication of1 i4 #cej4 ,their character1 #ced4 ---- ,economy4 ,hume's ideas on1 i4 #cee4 ,how received1 #cef4 ,state of opinion on1 in the time of ,hume1 i4 #cee-cef4 ,effect of the ,french ,revolution on1 #ceg4 ,political ,doctrines--,hume's1 i4 #abc4 ,their inconsistency with his historical works1 #dje4 ,pompadour--,madame de1 ii4 #afi4 ,populousness of ,ancient ,nations--,essay on1 i4 #cbf1 #cfc4 ,praslin--,duc de1 ii4 #agb1 #bhc1 #bij4 ----1 ,duchess de1 ii4 #agc4 ,press--,liberty of1 i4 #acg-ach4 ,prevt--,abb1 i4 #djh2 ii4 #eb4 ,primrose--,lady1 ii4 #dfb4 ,pringle--,sir ,john1 president of the ,royal ,society of ,london1 i4 #afe4 ,letter to1 ii4 #afb4 ,letter from1 #dfe1 #dgf4 ,protestant ,succession--,essay on1 i4 #cfe4 ,provence--,comte de1 ii4 #agh4 ,prussia--,king of1 ii4 #cjf1 #cji1 #cfc4 ,prynne--,william1 i4 #dje4 ,puysieuls--,mons4 de1 ii4 #bjd1 #bff4 ,quesnay1 i4 #cfe4 ,rabutin--,bussy1 i4 #cjf4 ,ralph--,mr41 ii4 #adh4 ,ramsay--,allan1 i4 #dba2 ii4 #ace4 ----1 ,the ,chevalier1 i4 #ab1 #ec4 ----1 ,michael1 an early correspondent of ,hume's1 i4 #aa1 #ea1 #ajg1 #aaf4 ,letter to1 ii4 #cdb4 ,ratisbon--,hume's account of1 i4 #bee4 ,raynal--,the ,abb1 i4 #cfe4 ,record ,commission4 ,works prepared by1 ii4 #aba4 ,reid--,dr4 ,thomas2 his ,inquiry into the ,human ,mind1 ii4 #aea4 ,intercourse with ,hume1 #aec4 ,letter from1 #aed4 ,religion--,hume's thoughts regarding1 i4 #afb-afd1 #bgi4 ,his treatment of1 ii4 #e4 ,tone in speaking of the ,roman ,catholic religion1 ii4 #f4 ----1 ,hume's apologies for his treatment of1 ii4 #aj4 ----1 ,natural4 ,dialogues concerning1 i4 #cbh2 ii4 #dij4 ,their character and tendency1 i4 #ccj4 ,republicanism--,hume's estimate of1 ii4 #dha4 ,review--,the original ,edinburgh4 ,its origin1 i4 #dbb4 ,rheims--,hume's residence in1 i4 #ea-ef4 ,rianecourt--,madame1 ii4 #cea4 ,riccoboni--,madame1 ii4 #cej4 ,richmond--,duke of1 ii4 #bhb1 #bij1 #cbf4 ,rivire1 i4 #cfe4 ,robertson--,dr4 ,william4 ,hume's commendations of1 ii4 #cb1 #dc4 ,letter to1 regarding ,queen ,mary1 #dh4 ,correspondence with ,hume1 #di-ee4 ,notice of1 #eh4 ,correspondence and notices1 #hc1 #ajj1 #agf1 #bbi1 #beb1 #bff1 #bgj1 #bhf1 #chc4 ,remarks by ,hume on his ,history of ,charles ,fifth1 #dab1 #dde1 #dec1 #dgj4 ,robinson--,sir ,thomas1 i4 #beg4 ,roche--,la4 ,story of1 i4 #eh4 ,rockingham--,lord1 ii4 #bhb1 #cie1 #cif4 ,rodney--,admiral1 ii4 #fa4 ,rohan--,louis1 ,prince de1 ii4 #bba4 ,rollin1 ii4 #ej4 ,romilly--,sir ,samuel1 ii4 #bbj4 ,rougemont--,m41 ii4 #ccj4 ,rousseau--,jean ,jacques1 ii4 #ajb1 #aaj1 #aab-aac1 #aad1 #ahg4 ,takes up his abode at ,motier ,travers1 #bic4 ,removes to ,st4 ,pierre1 #bid4 ,goes to ,strasburg1 #bif4 ,to ,paris1 ib4 ,the enthusiasm for him at ,paris1 #bii4 ,goes to ,england1 #cjc1 #cjh1 #caa1 #cab4 ,hume's account of him1 #cae4 ,his judgment on his own works1 #caf4 ,settlement at ,wooton1 #cai4 ,walpole's letter1 #cba4 ,pension from the ,king of ,england1 #cbd4 ,quarrel with ,hume1 #cbf-chj4 ,ruat--,professor1 ii4 #ef1 #fb4 ,ruddiman--,thomas1 i4 #cfg2 ii4 #ai4 ,russel--,j41 ii4 #aib4 ,rutherford--,dr41 ii4 #aii4 ,saducismus ,triumphatus1 i4 #hc4 ,sandwich--,lord1 ii4 #afj4 ,sarsfield--,count1 ii4 #chh4 ,saurin1 ii4 #chg4 ,sceptic--,the1 i4 #ada4 ,character of1 #adc4 ,scholar--,the poor4 ,his position in ,hume's time1 i4 #aii4 ,scott of ,scotstarvet1 i4 #daf4 ----1 ,sir ,walter4 ,his remarks on ,hume's poetical attempts1 i4 #bbf1 #bbg2 ii4 #acg4 ,selwin--,george1 ii4 #bdj4 ,shaftesbury--,lord1 i4 #chd4 ,sharp--,matthew1 of ,hoddam4 ,letter to1 i4 #agh-ahj1 #chf4 ,sheffield--,lord1 ii4 #dji4 ,shelburne--,lord1 ii4 #dje1 #djf4 ,short--,mr41 ii4 #fd4 ,silliman--the ,american traveller4 ,his story regarding ,hume1 i4 #bia-bic4 ,smellie--,william1 ii4 #dfi4 ,smith--,adam4 ,his first introduction to ,hume1 i4 #aag4 ,his appointment to the chair of ,moral ,philosophy1 #cej4 ,the method of his political economy1 #cfa4 ,letters to1 and notices of1 #cge1 #cic4 ,his correspondence with ,hume1 #dag4 ,letter to1 ii4 #af4 ,hume's commendation of1 #cb4 ,notice of1 #eh1 #ei4 ,correspondence with1 #hi1 #adh1 #aej1 #aeg1 #afj1 #afh1 #bbg1 #bbh1 #cdh1 #cdi1 #cec1 #chh1 #cij1 #cie1 #dbf1 #dbi1 #dcb1 #dcc1 #dei1 #dfa1 #dff1 #dga4 ,letter to1 on his ,wealth of ,nations1 #dhf4 ,appointed ,hume's literary executor1 #dij4 ,letters to1 #dia4 ,revocation of the nomination1 #did4 ,his account of ,hume's last moments1 #eji4 ,smollett--,tobias1 ii4 #ec4 ,hume's interest in1 #dje4 ,letter from1 #dah4 ,letter to1 #dai4 ,solitude--,hume's opinion on1 i4 #ii4 ,spence--,joseph4 ,letter to1 i4 #chh4 ,notice of1 #dce4 ,spinoza1 i4 #hi4 ,st4 ,clair--,general4 ,his invitation to ,hume1 to act as secretary to the expedition to the ,coast of ,france1 i4 #bjh4 ,his expedition1 ib4 #ddj4 ,appoints ,hume secretary to the mission to the ,court of ,turin1 #bce1 #cgb4 ,stanislaus ,augustus1 ,king of ,poland1 ii4 #ia4 ,stevenson--,john1 ii4 #df4 ,stewart--,dugald1 i4 #hh1 #hi4 ----1 ,john1 ii4 #afh1 #ahj1 #caa1 #cba4 ,stobo--,captain ,robert1 ii4 #dah4 ,stoic--,the1 i4 #ada4 ,strahan--,william1 ii4 #hb-hc1 #dab4 ,hume's papers left to the charge of1 #did4 ,letters from1 #dgg1 #eab4 ,stuart--,andrew1 ii4 #afh1 #age1 #bjc1 #dbc1 #dbd1 #dff4 ----1 ,dr41 ii4 #ded4 ---- ,mackenzie1 ,mr41 ii4 #beh4 ----1 ,gilbert1 ii4 #dad1 #daf1 #def1 #dfg4 ,his opinion of himself1 #dfh4 ,anecdotes regarding1 #dfi4 ,his malignity1 ib4 #dgj4 ,stuarts--,history of the1 i4 #cii4 ,character of the work1 ib4 ,conflicting opinions regarding1 #djj4 ,charge brought against1 #dja4 ,tendency1 #djb4 ,its reception1 #dad4 ,second volume1 ii4 #b4 ,suard--,m4 ,letter to1 ii4 #ceg4 ,suicide--,hume's ideas on1 ii4 #ae4 ,sympathy--,criticism on ,smith's ideas on1 ii4 #fj4 ,tate--,christopher1 ii4 #dcb4 ,tavistock--,lord1 ii4 #bci4 ,teacher of youth--,hume's unfitness for1 i4 #ceb4 ,qualifications requisite1 ib4 ,temple--,lord1 ii4 #afc4 ,tess--,countess of1 ii4 #bjf4 ,thomson--,dr4 ,john1 i4 #cea1 #cec4 ,torbay1 ii4 #fc4 ,townsend--,lord1 ii4 #djg4 ----1 ,charles1 ii4 #eh1 #acb1 #acc1 #acd1 #cjd1 #cje4 ----1 ,mrs41 ii4 #cje4 ,trade--,free4 ,see ,free ,trade4 ,tragedy--,dissertation on1 i4 #dba4 ,trail--,dr41 ii4 #bjd1 #bde1 #def4 ,treatise of ,human ,nature1 when published1 i4 #ff4 ,character of the work1 #ff-ig4 ,its service to philosophy1 #ij4 ,characteristics of the system1 #ig4 ,hume's condition during its composition1 #if4 ,its reception1 #ajg-aji4 ,treatise on the ,passions1 some account of1 #ii4 ,treatise on ,morals1 its character1 #abj-abc4 ,trent--,hume's account of1 i4 #bfd4 ,trentham--,lord1 i4 #cje4 ,tronchin1 ii4 #ahf1 #cch1 #cde4 ,tucker4 ,his ,light of ,nature1 i4 #aej4 ----1 ,dr41 ii4 #dbh4 ,turgot1 i4 #cfe4 ,hume's friendship with1 ii4 #bai1 #cea1 #ced4 ,letters from1 #ceb1 #cha1 #dbh4 ,tweeddale--,marquis of1 ii4 #chc4 ,understanding--,the ,treatise on1 i4 #ii4 ,universities--foreign4 ,the resort of ,scottish youth1 i4 #aej4 ,utilitarian system--,hume's development of1 i4 #aba1 #cdd4 ,limited extent to which he carried it1 #cdg4 ,vain man--,hume's character of1 i4 #ajd4 ,vallire--,duc de1 ii4 #bfh4 ,vandeput--,sir ,george1 i4 #aje4 ,vauban1 i4 #cfe4 ,vasseur--,thrse le1 ii4 #bid1 #bii1 #cje1 #cjg1 #cbc1 #ceb1 #cff1 #cgj4 ,verdelin--,madame de1 ii4 #bie4 ,vienna4 ,hume's account of the court there1 and his introduction1 i4 #beg-bei4 ,vincent--,captain ,philip1 i4 #agg1 #ahj4 ,his position with the ,marquis of ,annandale1 #aha1 #ahf-ahi4 ,letter from1 #ahi4 ,terms specified by1 of ,hume's engagement with the ,marquis of ,annandale1 #bja1 #bjc4 ,voltaire1 i4 #bai2 ii4 #eg1 #abf1 #aff1 #ahd1 #aie1 #cbc1 #cdh1 #ceh4 ,his ,henriade1 ,hume's opinion of1 #ddj4 ,walker--,professor1 ii4 #ccd4 ,wallace--,dr4 ,robert1 i4 #cfd1 #chg2 ii4 #aic4 ,walpole1 ,lady1 ii4 #ach4 ----1 ,sir ,robert4 ,hume's character of1 i4 #bhi4 ----1 ,horace4 ,anecdote from1 i4 #aig2 ii4 #ed1 #ee1 #aei4 ,his notices of ,hume1 #bbf4 ,account of his own reception in ,paris1 #bbf4 ,his letter in the name of the ,king of ,prussia1 #cjf1 #cba4 ,his ,memoirs of ,george ,,iii41 #bhb1 #cde1 #cea4 ,letter to1 #cee1 #cfa4 ,warburton--,bishop4 ,his letter to ,hurd1 i4 #bhe4 ,notice of1 ii4 #ce4 ,his letter against ,hume1 ib4 ,his ,remarks on ,hume's essays1 ib4 ,notice of1 #ch1 #fd1 #ded4 ,warton--,thomas1 ii4 #ea4 ,wealth of ,nations--,hume's opinion of the1 ii4 #dhf4 ,wedderburn--,alexander1 i4 #cgi2 ii4 #dga4 ,westminster election1 in #agdi1 i4 #cje4 ,weymouth--,lord1 ii4 #chd4 ,wilkie--,william4 ,his ,epigoniad1 ii4 #be1 #bi4 ,his education1 #bf4 ,wilkes--,john1 ii4 #adh1 #bjb1 #bhb1 #dbb4 ,wilson--,mr41 type-founder1 ii4 #ei4 ,wood--,mr41 ii4 #fc1 #ahb4 ,worcester--,marquis of4 ,see ,glamorgan--,lord4 ,wray--,mr41 ii4 #dfe4 ,wroughton--,mr41 ii4 #bgb4 ,wurtzburg--,hume's account of1 i4 #beb4 ,york--,archbishop of1 ii4 #chf4 ----1 ,duke of1 ii4 #caj4 ,yorke--,mr41 ii4 #ei4 ,,errata4 ,vol4 i4 p4 #cfa1 for ,harrison read ,harrington4 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #ad1 in the reference in the note1 p4 #bdf1 read p4 #baf4 ---- p4 #bae1 for protg read protge4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,the following explanation of the different kinds of blockquotes used in this volume can be found on page xiv of ,vol4 ,i of this series3 ,it may be right to explain1 that the two sizes of type1 used in this work1 were first adopted with the design of presenting all letters addressed to ,hume1 all extracts1 and all letters from him with which the public is already familiar1 in the smaller type1 in order that the reader coming to a document with which he is already acquainted1 might see at once where it ends4 ,this arrangement was accidentally broken through1 several letters having been printed in the larger that should have appeared in the smaller type4,a ,a ,burton1 ,john ,hill4 ,life and ,correspondence of ,david ,hume4_/cite ,vol4 ,i4 ,edinburgh3 ,william ,tait1 #ahdg4 ,the following words use an oe ligature in the original3 coelo coeur diarrhoea ,foedera ,phoenix ,text in ,french has been preserved as printed4 ,corrections listed in the ,errata have been made4 ,the ,errata is included for completeness4 ,the following corrections have been made to the text3 ,page #a3 ,nationalism--,warburton--,colonel ,edmondstouneoriginal has ,edmonstoune ,page #dd3 and that a man cannotoriginal has connot employ himself ,page #eg3 more decisive than he usedoriginal has uses to be in its favour ,page #eh3 he would put the ,duke of ,buccleuchoriginal has ,buccleugh ,page #eh3 conclude with--,your humble servant4original has extraneous quotation mark ,page #hd3 once entertained thoughts of attempting4#hd3a ,footnote anchor added by transcriber ,page #aej3 the enclosed to ,colonel ,barroriginal has ,barr ,page #afj3 ,someoriginal has some pretend that the present ,page #afg3 ,madame ,dupr de ,st4period missing in original ,maur writes ,page #agh3 by express order from the ,d4#agh3a;,footnote anchor added by transcriber ,page #agh3 the ,comte d',artois1 afterwards ,charlesoriginal has ,charle ,x4 ,page #aib3 any civilities you show the ,colonel4quotation mark missing in original ,page #aig3 point vous tes chri en ,france4'quotation mark missing in original ,page #aii3 ,literary classes of the universityoriginal has unversity ,page #bjb3 imprudent for me to lend them to him4quotation mark missing in original ,page #bjg3 ,aristocracy--,madame ,geoffrinoriginal has ,geofrin--,madame ,du ,page ,page #bac3 ,madame le ,page du ,boccageoriginal has ,bocage ,page #bbc3 quotation mark missing in original,from what has been already said of him ,page #bci3 no new ground of attachment to ,england4quotation mark missing in original ,page #bdc3 every body1 by which you desire 4 4 4 4quotation mark missing in original ,page #bdi3 without withdrawing from a friendshiporiginal has frendship ,page #bge3 sir1 your most obedient servant4quotation mark missing in original ,page #bhb3 with whom he and his connexionsoriginal has connexious were not ,pages #cjh-i3 and came to ,strasburg1original has a period with an intention ,page #cab3 original has extraneous quotation mark,lisle ,street1 ,leicester ,fields ,page #cab3 original has extraneous quotation mark,,dear ,,doctor1--,i had asked ,m4 ,rousseau ,page #cbe3 original has extraneous quotation mark,june #af1 #agff ,page #cfi3 de faciliter mon retour d'ici chez vous4transcriber removed extraneous footnote anchor ,page #cge3 assured that ,davenport would receive him4original has a comma ,page #djg3 ,i am1 dear ,sir ,gilbert1 yours sincerely4quotation mark missing in original ,page #dba3 ,,hume to ,,dr4period missing in original ,,blair4 ,page #dbf3 otherwise it would be multipliedoriginal has mutiplied without ,page #dbi3 quotation mark missing in original,minto1 #aath ,july1 #agfh4 ,page #dbi3 quotation mark missing in original,i am sorry1 my dear sir ,page #ddd3 ,mr4original has ,hr4 ,hume bore with perfect good nature ,page #ddf3 adding1 ',oh1 what an idiot ,i had nearly proved myself to be1 to leave such a document in the hands of a parcel of women6'both single quotes missing in original ,page #dfh3 proprietor--it mightoriginal has it ght almost be said ,page #dgg3 for coercive methods with those obstinateoriginal has ohstinate madmen ,page #dhd3 would have given meoriginal has given m some surprise ,page #dhe3 ,i am1 with regard1original has extraneous quotation mark c4 ,page #ejf3 may have spirits to humour this folly4quotation mark missing in original ,page #ejg3 the ,doctor to make one of the number4quotation mark missing in original ,page #eab3 about any thing that shall happenoriginal has hoppen ,page #ebc3 ,aiguillonoriginal has ,aguillon--,duchesse de1 ii4 #age4 ,page #ebc1 under ,alembert--,d'3 ,hume's friendship with1 #bah1 #bgj1 #cbc1 #cde1 #cdh1 #cej1 #ced1 #cee1 #cgg1 #dhioriginal has #ehi4 ,page #ebd3 ,calton ,hill--,hume's monument on1 ii4volume number missing in original #eah4 ,page #ebe3 ,contioriginal has extraneous comma--,prince of1 ii4 #ij1 #bba1 #bdf1 #big1 #cjg4 ,page #ebe3 ,crbillonoriginal has ,crebillon--,his ,l',ecumoire1 i4 #cie2 ii4 #dbh4 ,page #ebe3 under ,cullenmdash2,dr41 ,letters from1 ii4 #dhh1 #dhi1 #eaeoriginal reads #dhi1 #eae2 ii4 #dhh4 ,page #ebf3 under ,eugenemdash2,prince ,his palace1 i4 #bfb2 ii4ii4 missing in original #eja4 ,page #ebf3 ,fitzroyoriginal has ,fitz-roy--,charles1 ii4 #djg4 ,page #ebf3 ,gower--,earloriginal has ,lerd1 i4 #cje4 ,page #ebh3 under ,hume--,david1 ,extracts from the ,journal of his journey to ,italy1 ,wurtzburgoriginal has ,wurtzburgh1 #beb ,page #ebh3 under ,hume--,david1 ,letters from ,earl ,marischaloriginal has ,marishal1 #ajd4 ,page #ecj3 ,keithmdash2,general1 ii4original has i4 #dih4 ,page #ecj3 ,mesnieresoriginal has ,mesnires--,president1 ii4 #agg4 ,page #eca3 ,musset ,pathay1 ii4 #cbb1 #cbeoriginal has #cbb1-cbe1 #cbi1 #ccj4 ,page #ecc3 ,vasseur--,thrseoriginal has ,therse le1 ii4 #bid1 #bii1 #cje1 #cjg1 #cbc1 #ceb1 #cff1 #cgj4 #e3b written by ,daniel ,macqueen1 ,d4,d41comma missing in original the chief object #f3a quotation mark missing in original,by one who personally knew him4 #ada3a ,i desire to be known by that appellation4'quotation mark missing in original #ahg3b ,sicoriginal has extraneous period in ,,ms4 #baf3a ,matre ,janotus de ses chausses4quotation mark missing in original #bba3b ,he makes great account of his worksoriginal has vorks #bbf3a 7,ib4 #acj-aca47;closing parenthesis missing in original #bbf3a self-satisfied account of the distinctions conferredoriginal has conerred #bch3a interest taken by the ,comtesse de ,boufflersoriginal has ,boufilers #bci3a methods often hostile1 always indelicateoriginal has indolicate #cja3a quotation mark missing in original,c'est un des malheurs de ma vie1 says ,rousseau #cja3a having been exhibited as a wild beast6original has extraneous quotation mark #cji3a mark of interrogation is in the ,,ms4original has ,m4,s4 #cbi3a expect to meet with a work of the nineteenthoriginal has nineteeth century #cbi3a one letter from ,m4 ,rougemontoriginal has ,rougement among the ,,mss4 #cbi3a quotation mark missing in original,l'opinion que vous avez de ,m4 ,rousseau #cca3a degree little short of madness4quotation mark missing in original #dba3b ,dr4period missing in original ,robertson #dba3b piddling still about my ,lectures4quotation mark missing in original #deb3b ,gentleman's ,magazine1 ,n4,s4 i4 #adb4period missing in original #dgb3a aimed at the historian himself4quotation mark missing in original ,punctuation has been standardized in the ,index4