“If you will give me leave I will add a few lines to yr. account of your own life, giving some account in my own name of your behaviour in this illness, if, contrary to my own hopes, it should prove your last. Some conversations we had lately together, particularly that concerning your want of an excuse to make to Charon, the excuse you at last thought of, and the very bad reception wh. Charon was likely to give it, would, I imagine, make no disagreeable part of the history. You have in a declining state of health, under an exhausting disease, for more than two years together now looked at the approach of death with a steady cheerfulness such as very few men have been able to maintain for a few hours, tho’ otherwise in the most perfect Health. I shall likewise, if you give me leave, correct the sheets of the new edition of your works, and shall take care that it shall be published exactly according to your last corrections. As I shall be at London this winter, it will cost me very little trouble.” But “the cool and steady Dr. Black” still gave him some hopes of his friend’s recovery. On the following day Hume dictated a brief answer to this letter, explaining that he had only taken an extra precaution in case anything might happen to Strahan. “You are too good,” he added, “in thinking any trifles that concern me are so much worthy of your attention, but I give you entire liberty to make what additions you please to the account of my life.” Two days afterwards Hume died, and was buried in Calton Cemetery. Smith did not like the round tower erected under a provision of the will to mark the grave—“it is the greatest piece of vanity I ever saw in my friend Hume.” By the will a legacy of £200 and copies of all Hume’s published works were left to him; but he stoutly refused to accept the money, as he had ceased to be executor, although he had no thought of relinquishing his promise to edit Hume’s life and works. “I have added,” he wrote to Hume’s brother (Kirkcaldy, October 7th), “at the bottom of my will the note discharging the legacy of £200 which your brother was so kind as to leave me. Upon the most mature deliberation I am fully satisfied that in justice it is not due to me. Tho’ it should be due to me therefore in strict law, I cannot with honour accept of it.” A month earlier he had written to Strahan from Dalkeith, where he was staying with the Duke of Buccleuch, a careful explanation of Hume’s will and last wishes. “Both from his will and from his conversation I understand that there are only two [manuscripts] which he meant should be published—an account of his life, and _Dialogues concerning Natural Religion_. The latter, tho’ finely written, I could have wished had remained in manuscript to be communicated only to a few friends. I propose to add to his Life a very well authenticated account of his behaviour during his last illness.”