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LETTER LXVIII.: All Faith lost in Cadell and Strahan. - 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 LXVIII.

All Faith lost in Cadell and Strahan.

  • Edinburgh,

Dear Sir

The Number of Copies of my History, which I desir’d to have, was twelve. I agreed with Mr. Millar verbally to reserve six on every new Edition; but as I had taken uncommon Pains on this Edition, I proposd twelve, which you very frankly agreed to1 : I desire one copy to be sent to Lord Beauchamp2 with my Compliments, and the rest to be shipt off to this Place with the first convenient Opportunity.

You and Mr. Cadel had so much lost all faith with me, that indeed I thought it was impossible for you any longer to deceive me3 : Yet when you mention’d a new Edition, I own I was so simple as to believe, that all the old one was nearly sold off. This woud have been very blameable in you, if you had proposd any other End than that of seducing me into the continuing of my work, which you thought, and probably with Reason, woud have been for my own Advantage in more respects than one. But however the Consequence is, that I am now at a Loss, and ever shall remain so, what I am to think and believe: And many Questions, interesting to me, which I wishd to ask you, woud, I find, be entirely vain and fruitless; and therefore I shall forbear them, since I can give no manner of credit to the Answers. A very little time will make me totally indifferent about these Matters, which is the State of Mind that I have nearly attain’d already. I only desire that before you begin any new Edition of any of my Writings, you give me Information some time beforehand.

I am Dear Sir Your most obedient Servant

David Hume.

[1]Note 1. See ante, p. 213.

[2]Note 2. See ante, p. 203, n. 6.

[3]Note 3. See ante, pp. 144, 150, 154.