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LETTER LXII.: The proposed Continuation of the History. - David Hume, Letters of David Hume to William Strahan [1756]

Edition used:

Letters of David Hume to William Strahan, ed. G. Birkbeck Hill (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1888).

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LETTER LXII.

The proposed Continuation of the History.

Dear Sir

I am much oblig’d to you for your Attention in returning me the Proof Sheets: But I never doubted of your Exactness in following my Corrections which were also, in part, your own1 . I had unfortunately bespoke most of the Smith Work of my new house; but I still found a small Job to give Mr. Richardson, who seems to me a clever young Fellow. I remove in little more than two Months. If I find my Time lie heavy on my hands, I may, for my Amusement, undertake a reign or two after the Revolution2 : But I believe, in case of my composing any more, I had better write something that has no Reference to the Affairs of these factious Barbarians3 .

I am Dear Sir Yours sincerely

D. H.

5 of March, 1772.

[1]Note 1. Strahan, no doubt thinking of Hume's suspicions of him—his ‘want of faith’ as he called it—had returned him the proof sheets of his History, so that he might see that all his corrections had been followed.

[2]Note 2. Gibbon on Aug. 7, 1773, wrote to his friend Holroyd at Edinburgh:—‘You tell me of a long list of dukes, lords, and chieftains of renown to whom you are introduced; were I with you, I should prefer one David to them all. When you are at Edinburgh, I hope you will not fail to visit the sty of that fattest of Epicurus's hogs, and inform yourself whether there remains no hope of its recovering the use of its right paw.’ Gibbon's Misc. Works, ii. 110. See post, p. 253, for Hume's resolution to write no more.

[3]Note 3. Hume's abuse of the English recalls a passage in Boswell's Life of Johnson, iii. 170, where Boswell says:—‘I ventured to mention [to Dr. Johnson] a person who was as violent a Scotsman as he was an Englishman; and literally had the same contempt for an Englishman compared with a Scotsman that he had for a Scotsman compared with an Englishman; and that he would say of Dr. Johnson, “Damned rascal! to talk as he does of the Scotch.” This seemed for a moment “to give him pause.” It perhaps presented his extreme prejudice against the Scotch in a point of view somewhat new to him, by the effect of contrast.’