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have not yet read the two laft chapters, but am forry, from what I have heard of them, that he has taken fuch a tone in them as will give great offence, and hurt the fale of the book.

Mr. Ferguson to Mr. Gibbon.
Edinburgh, March 19th, 1776.
DEAR SIR,

I received, about eight days ago, after I had been reading your hiftory, the copy which you have been fo good as to fend me, and for which I now trouble you with my thanks. But even if I had not been thus called upon to offer you my refpects, I could not have refrained from congratulating you on the merit, and undoubted fuccefs, of this valuable performance. The perfons of this place whofe judgment you will value moft, agree in opinion, that you have made a great addition to the claffical literature of England, and given us what Thucydides propofed leaving with his own countrymen, a poffeffion in perpetuity. Men of a certain modetty and merit always exceed the expectations of their friends; and it is with very great pleature I tell you, that although you must have obferved in me every mark of confideration and regard, that this is, nevertheless, the cafe, I receive your inftruction, and ftudy your model, with great deference, and join with every one elfe, in applauding the extent of your plan, in hands fo well able to execute it. Some of your readers, I find, were impatient to get at the fifteenth chapter, and began at that place. I have not heard much of their criticism, but am told that many doubt of your orthodoxy. I wish to be always of

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the charitable fide, while I own you have proved that the clearef ftream may become foul when it comes to run over the muddy bot tom of human nature. I have not ftayed to make any particular remarks. If any fhould occur on the fecond reading, I thall not fail to lay in my claim to a more needed, and more useful admonition from you, in cafe I ever produce any thing that merits your attention.

And am, with the greatest refpect, Dear Sir, Your molt

obliged, and moít humble Servant,

ADAM FERGUSON.

Extract of a Letter from Mr. David Hume to Mr. Strahan, dated Edinburgh, April 8th, 1776.

**** I am very much taken with Mr. Gibbon's Koman hiftory, which came from your prefs, and am glad to hear of its fuccefs. There will no books of reputation now be printed in London but through your hands and Mr. Cadell's. The author tells me, that he is already preparing a fecond edition. I refolved to have given him my advice with regard to the manner of printing it; but as I am now writing to you, it is the fame thing. He ought certainly to print the number of the chapter at the head of the margin; and it would be better if fomething of the contents could also be added. One is also plagued with his notes, according to the prefent method of printing the book: when a note is announccd, you turn to the end of the volume; and there you often find nothing but a reference to an authority. All these authorities ought only to be printed at the margin, or the bottom of the page. I de

fire a copy of my new edition fhould be fent to Mr. Gibbon; as withing that gentleman, whom I fo highly value, thould perufe me in a form the leaft imperfect to which I can bring my work.

***** Dr. Smith's performance is another excellent work that has come from your prefs this winter; but I have ventured to tell him, that it requires too much thought to be as popular as Mr. Gibbon's.

Mr. Ferguson to Mr. Gibbon.

Edinburgh, April 18th, 1775. Dear Sir,

I SHOULD make fome apology for not writing you fooner an a fwer to your obliging letter; but if you should honour me frequently with fuch requests, you will find, that, with very good intentions, I am a very dilatory and irregular correfpondent. I am forry to tell you, that our refpectable friend [Mr. Hume] is fill declining in his health; he is greatly emaciated, and lofes ftrength. He talks familiarly of his near profpect of dying. His mother, it feems, died under the fame fymptoms; and it appears to little neceflary, or proper, to flatter him, that no one attempts it. I never observed his understanding more clear, or his humour more pleasant and lively. He has a great ave: fion to leave the tranquillity of his own houfe, to go in fearch of health among inns and hoftlers. And his friends here gave way to him for fome time; but now think it neceffary that he fhould make an effort to try what change of place and air, or any thing elfe Sir John Pringle may advile, can do for him. I left him this morning in the mind to com

ply in this article, and I hope that he will be prevailed on to fet out in a few days. He is just now fixty-five.

I am very glad that the pleasure you give us, recoils a little on yourfelf, through our feebie teftimony. I have, as you fuppofe, been employed, at any intervals of leifure or reft I have had for fome years, in taking notes, or collecting materials, for a history of the diftractions that broke down the Roman Republic, and ended in the establishment of Auguftus and his inmediate fucceffors. The com pliment you are pleafed to pay, I cannot accept of, even to my fubject. Your fubject now appears with advantages it was not fuppofed to have had; and I fufpe& that the magnificence of the mouldering ruin will appear more liriking, than the fame building when the view is perplexed with feaffolding, workmen, and diforderly lodgers, and the ear is ftunned with the noife of deftructions and repairs, and the alarms of fire. The night which you begin to defcribe is folemn, and there are gleams of light fuperior to what is to be found in any other time. I comfort myfelf, that as my trade is the ftudy of human nature, I could not fix on a more interefting corner of it, than the end of the Roman Republic. Whether my compilations thould ever deferve the attention of any one befides myfelf, must remain to be determined after they are farther advanced. I take the liberty to trouble you with the inclofed for Mr. Smith, whofe uncertain ftay in London makes me at a lofs how to direct for him. You have both fuch reafon to be pleafed with the world juft now,

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cation will fupport, and, if poifible, will extend the fame of the author; that the materials are collected with diligence, and arranged with kill; that the fira book contains a learned fatisfactory account of the progrefs of difcovery; that the achievements, the dangers, and the crimes, of the Spanith adventurers are related with a temperate fpirit; and that the most original, perhaps the most curious, portion of the hiftory of human manners is at length refcued from the hands of fophifts and declaimers. Lord Stormont, and the few in this capital, who have had an opportunity of perufing the hiftory of America, unanimoufly concur in the fame fentiments. Your work is already become a favourite topic of public converfation; and Mr. Suard is repeatedly preffed, in my hearing, to fix the time when his tranflation will appear.

SIR, WHEN I ventured to affume the character of hiftorian, the first, the moft natural, but at the fame time moft ambitious, with which I entertained, was to obtain the approbation of Dr. Robertfon and of Mr. Hume; two names which friendship united, and which pofterity will never feparate. I thall not therefore attempt to diffemble, though I cannot eafily exprefs, the pleafure which I received from your obliging letter, as well as from the intelligence of your most valuable prefent. The fatisfaction which II flatter myself you will not thould otherwife have enjoyed, in common with the public, will now be heightened by a fentiment of a more perfonal and flattering na ture; and I fhall frequently whifper to myfelf, that I have in fome meafure deferved the efteem of the writer whom I admire.

A fhort excurfion which I made to this place, during the fummer months, has occafioned fome delay in my receiving your letter, and will prevent my poffefling, till my return, the copy of your hiftory, which you fo politely defired Mr. Straban to fend me. But I have already gratified the eagerness of my impatience; and although I was obliged to return the book much fooner than I could have withed, I have feen enough to convince me, that the prefcnt publi

abandon your defign of vifiting London next winter; as I already anticipate, in my own mind, the advantages which I fhall derive from fo pleafing and fo honourable a connection: In the mean while, I fhould efteem myself happy, if you could think of any literary commiffion, in the execution of which I might be useful to you at Paris, where I propofe to ftay till very near the meeting of Parliament Let me, for instance, fuggeft an enquiry, which cannot be indifferent to you, and which might, perhaps, be within my reach. A few days ago I dined with Beniofiki, the famous adventurer, who escaped from his exile at Kamschatska, and returned into Europe by Japan and China, His narrative was amufing, though

I know not how far his veracity, in point of circumfiances, may fafely be trufted. It was his original de fign to penetrate through the North Eaft Paffage; and he actually followed the coaft of Afia as high as the latitude of 67° 35', till his progrefs was ftopped by the ice, in a ftreight between the two continents, which was only feven leagues broad. Thence he defcended along the coaft of America, as low as Cape Mendocin; but was repulfed by contrary winds, in his attempts to reach the port of Acapulco. The journal of his Voyage, with his original charts, is now at Verfailles, in the Depot des faires Etrangeres; and if you conceived that it would be of any ufe to you for a fecond edition, I would try what might be obtained: though I am not ignorant of that mean jealoufy which you yourself have experienced, and fo defervedly ftigmatifed. I am, &c.

Dr. Roberfun to Mr. Gibbon.

SIR,

I HAD the honour of your obliging letter, and I fhould be a very proud man indeed, if I were not vain of the approbation which you are pleafed to beftow upon me. As you will now have had an opportunity to perufe the book, which you had only feen when you wrote to me, I indulge myfelf in the hopes, that the favourable opinion you had formed of it, is not diminifhed. I am much pleased with your mentioning my friendship with Mr. Hume; I have always confidered that as one of the moft fortunate and honourable circumftances of my life. It is a felicity of the age and country in which

we live, that men of letters can enter the fame walk of fcience, and go on fuccefsfully, without feeling one fentiment of envy or rivalihip. In the intercourse between Mr. Hume and me, we always found fomething to lane, as well as me hing to commend. I have received frequently very valuable criticifins on my performances from him; and I have fometimes ventured to offer him my ftrictures, on his works. Permit me to bope for the fame indulgence from you. If, in reading the Hiflory of America, any thing, either in the matter or ftyle, has occurred to you as reprehenfible, I will deem it a moft obliging favour if you will communicate it freely to me. I am certain of profiting by fuch a communication.

I return you thanks for your frank offer of executing any liteI accept rary commiffion for me. it without ceremony, and am flattered with the idea of receiving fuch aid from your hands. I know nothing of Beniofiki's Adventures, but what was published in fome newspapers. If one can rely on his veracity, what he relates must be very interefling to me. If you had been writing the History of America, the queftion concerning the mode of peopling it, might not perhaps have occupied your attention very much. But it was proper for me to confider it more fully.

Benioffki (if he may be credited) has, fecp what it may be useful for me to know. I can fee no reafon why the Court of France fhould be fhy about communicating his journal, and the charts which illuftrate it; poffibly my name may operate fomewhat towards obtaining a copy of both;

your

ductions will, I flatter myfelf, be thought interefting, and not venerable merely on account of their antiquity.

In the mean while, let me requeft you to honour me with accepting a copy of a Law Tract, which is not yet published: the fubject is fo generally important, that I make no apology for fending you a profeffional work.

your interpofition, I am confident will do a great deal. It will be very illiberal indeed, if fuch a communication were refufed. My Lord Stormont (by whofe attention I have been much honoured) would not decline to give his aid, were that neceffary. But if your court refembles that of Spain, I am afraid every propofal from an ambalador is received with fome degree of jealoufy. Your own private ap- You mult pardon my inveterate plication will, I apprehend, be more effectual. As it is probable a fecond edition may go to prefs early in the winter, it will add to the favour, if you can foon inform me concerning the fuccefs of your negociation. As this is fomething in the ftyle of the Corps Diplomaique, allow me to recommend one of its members to you. Mr. Fullarton, the new fecretary to the embatly, is a particular friend of mine. He is a young man of fuch qualities both of head and heart, that I am fure you will efteem and love him. Please reinember me to him. I have the honour to be, with great refpect,

Your obliged humble Servant,
WILLIAM ROBERTSON.

Sir William Jones to Mr. Gibbon.

Lamb Buildings, June 30th, 1781.,
DEAR SIR,

I HAVE more than once fought, without having been fo fortunate as to obtain, a proper opportunity of thanking you very fincerely for the elegant compliment which you pay me, in a work abounding in elegance of all kinds.

My Seven Arabian Poets will fee the light before next winter, and be proud to wait on you in their English drefs. Their wild pro

hatred of C. Octavianus, bafely furnamed Auguftus. I feel myfelf unable to forgive the death of Cicero, which, if he did not promote, he might have prevented. Befides, even Macænas knew the cruelty of his difpofition, and ventured to reproach him with it. In fhort, I have not Chriftian charity for him.

With regard to Afiatic letters, a neceflary attention to my profethion will compel me wholly and eternally to abandon them, unles Lord North (to whom I am already under no fmall obligation) thould think me worthy to concur in the improved adminiftration o: juftice in Bengal, and thould appoint me to fupply the vacancy on the India Bench. Were that appointment to take place this year, I fhould probably travel for speed, through part of Egypt and Arabia, and hould be able, in my way, to procure many eaftern tracts of literature and jurifprudence. I might become a good Mahomedan lawyer before I reached Calcutta and, in my vacations, thould find leifure to explain, in my native language, whatever the Arabs, Perfians, and Turks, have written on fcience, hiftory, and the fine arts.

My happiness by no means depends on obtaining this appoint

ment,

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