an innocent man; I will not say as your friend; I will not say as your benefactor; but I repeat it as an innocent man, I claim this privilege of proving my innocence, and of refuting any scandalous lye which may have been invented against me. Mr. Davenport, to whom I have sent a copy of your letter, and who will read this before he delivers it, I am confident, will second my demand, and will tell you, that nothing possibly can be more equitable. Happily I have preserved the letter you wrote me after your arrival at Wooton; and you there express in the strongest terms, indeed in terms too strong, your satisfaction in my poor endeavours to serve you; the little epistolary intercourse which afterwards passed between us, has been all employed on my side to the most friendly purposes. Tell me, what has since given you offence. Tell me of what I'am accused. Tell me the man who accuse sme. Even after you have fulfilled all these conditions, to my satisfaction, and that of Mr. Davenport, you will have great difficulty to justify the employing such outrageous terms towards a man, with whom you have been so intimately connected, and whom, on many accounts, you ought to have treated with some regard and decency. "Mr. Davenport knows the whole transaction about your pension, because I thought it necessary that the person who had undertaken your settlement should be fully acquainted with your circumstances; lest he should be tempted to perform towards you concealed acts of generosity, which if they accidentally came to your knowledge, might give you some grounds of offence. "I am, Sir, "D. H." By the influence of Mr. Davenport, Rosseau wrote Hume another letter, of great length, in which he persisted in his charges and recriminations; so that no accomodation took place between them. There is no reason to suppose, but that Hume really meant to serve Rosseau; but the latter was of a very jealous temper, and his uncommon force of imagination led him to combine circumstances, seemingly minute and trifling, in such a manner as to impose on his own understanding. The latter years of Mr. Hume were spent by him among his literary friends at Edinburgh; where he died, with great compo sure, after a lingering illness, on the 25th of August, 1776. His manners were agreeable; he possessed much easiness and chearful. ness of temper; and his conversation was often distinguished by its gaiety and pleasantry. Of his works, his "History of England? is probably now the most generally read. But this, though it has great literary merit, is far from containing a just and impartial account of the transactions of this country. In a piece published, in 8vo. in 1770, under the title of "Another Letter to Mr. Almon; in matter of Libel;" which was then attributed by some to Mr. Dunning, and by others with more probability to sir Martin Wright, is the following passage, relative to our author's History of England; "Mr. Hume, the historian, instead of relating actions, matters of religion, or politics, drawing characters, ac counting for events, or representing the constitution, like all other writers before him, strives to give the whole in a different way; and having a good deal of ingenuity, has so far succeeded, as to give another turn to almost every thing, insomuch that his history is not the true story of this country, nor does any man of knowledge look upon it as such." In 1756, were also published at Edinburgh, in 8vo. " Letters on Mr. Hume's History of England;" and in these letters, the very unjust and indefensible representation which Mr. Hume has given of the reformation, and the reformers, was very properly animadverted upon, and refuted. In 1778, were published, in 8vo. "Observations on Mr. Hume's History of England," by Dr. Towers. In this piece, the author says, "Few of our modern historical performances have been more read, or more celebrated, than the History of England, by Mr. David Hume; and as an elegant composition, and the production of real and distinguished genius, it is unquestionally entitled to great applause. But though beauty of diction, harmory of periods, and acuteness and singularity of sentiment, may captivate the reader, yet there are other qualifications essentially necessary to the character of a good historian. Fidelity, accuracy, and impartiality, are also requisite; and in these Mr. Hume is frequently deficient; so that those who read his work, with a view to obtain just ideas of the most remarkable transactions and events which have happened in this country, will if they solely rely on his authority, be led to form conceptions exceedingly erroneous respecting matters of very considerable importance." Dr. Towers also remarks, that "there is a wide difference between occasional and accidental errors, into which the most impartial historian may sometimes fall, and a kind of systematic misrepresentation, which runs through the whole of a considerable work. This appears to be the case with Mr. Hume's History.""He was extremely desirous of representing the government of England as arbitrary, as least as much so as he could with any degree of plausibility, in the periods preceding the accession of the house of Stuart and this he was led to do by his desire of vindicating, or extenuating, the tyranny of that family, under the pretence, that they found the government despotic, or nearly so, on their accession to the throne of Great Britain."- "His account of the reign of king Charles I. may be considered rather as a specious and artful apology for that prince's conduct, than a just history. In some respects, it is more partial than the celebrated history of lord Clarendon, though that nobleman was an ayowed partizan of Charles. But this seems to have been necessary, in order to enable Mr. Hume to support his favorite hypothesis." Our author likewise observes, that in many passages of his history, Mr. Hume seems to take a particular pleasure in degrad. ing the national character of the inhabitants of England; and therefore, in the earlier part of his history, he passes very slightly over those circumstances and transactions, which reflects honor on the natives of this country; while he dwells in a very copious manner on those circumstances and transactions in which they appear to disadvantage.". "He seems also studious to lessen the re putation of some of the most celebrated English geniuses. He generally begins with bestowing some compliments upon them, and then contrives, with great dexterity, to throw out such insinua tions against them, and so magnifies their defects, real or imaginary, as almost wholly to overturn what he has said in their favor; and the ideas which he endeavors to convey are such, as if we adopt them, must greatly lessen our opinion of the merit of the eminent persons of whom he speaks." After pointing out a variety of instances of partiality, and gross misrepresentation in Mr. Hume's history, Dr. Towers says, "Notwithstanding the defects of Mr. Hume's history of England, it may be read with considerable advantage, if it be read with caution, with a due attention to the prevailing views, sentiments, and prepossessions of the writer, and if it be compared with other English historical authors. Independently of its merit as a composition, it may be admitted, that much real information, and many remarks, equally just and acute, are to be found in Mr. Hume's History; but those who read his work, without such a previous acquaintance with other English historians as will, in some degree, enable them to judge of the truth and impartiality of his representations, will often be led into the most erroneous conceptions. And it is certainly by no means a proper book to be put into the hands of British youth, in order to give them just ideas of the history and consti tution of their own country, though this is a use to which it is sometimes applied. It requires a maturity of judgment, and a considerable degree of historic knowledge, to be able to read it, without being misled by the political prejudices of the author, and by the art and dexterity which frequently attend his misrepresentations. There are sentiments in it which may be highly pernicious to the minds of youth, especially when considered in the light of subjects of a free state; and in many places the observations of this historian, are calculated to infuse into his readers principles of scepticism, and to give them views very unfavorable, not only to superstition and enthusiasm, but to genuine and rational religion.' mis Dr. Towers farther remarks, that there is a neatness, and elegance, and a perspicuity, in Mr. Hume's narrations, which can not fail to captivate his readers. But those who read history from rational motives, must wish to be instructed, as well as entertained; and no elegance of composition can atone for gross representations of the real state of facts. Upon the whole, he says, it is manifest, that whatever commendation may be due to Mr. Hume as an ingenious, elegant, and polished writer, he is not entitled to equal praise, as an exact, faithful, and impartial historian, Whatever may be the beauties of his style, and however we may admire the eloquence with which his work is embellished, it is nevertheless certain, that we must have recourse to other sources of information, if we would obtain an accurate knowledge of the English history, if we would form just ideas of the most remarkable transactions and characters which occur in the annals of this country.' In Mr. Hayley's "Essay on History," are the following lines relative to RAPIN and HUME: «Nor shalt thou want, RAPIN! thy well earn'd praise, The sage POLYBIUS thou of modern days! Thy sword, thy pen, have both thy name endear'd; This join'd our arms, and that our story clear'd. With these strong powers to form a winning tale, High on the pinnacle of fashion plac'd, HUME shone the idol of historic taste. Already, pierc'd by freedom's searching rays. To tear each leaf of laurel from thy tomb! Would shield thy grave, and give, with guardian care, But public love commands the painful task, From the pretended sage to strip the mask, As Asia's soothing opiate drugs, by stealth, Our hearts more free from faction's weeds we feel, |