Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume 2Burton, John Hill
Philosophy
Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume 2
Burton, John Hill
Hume, David, 1711-1776; Philosophers -- Great Britain -- Biography
In recompense for so many mortifying things, which nothing but
truth could have extorted from me, and which I could easily
have multiplied to a greater number, I doubt not but you are
so good a Christian as to return good for evil; and to flatter
my vanity by telling me, that all the godly in Scotland abuse
me for my account of John Knox and the Reformation. I suppose
you are glad to see my paper end, and that I am obliged to
conclude with--Your humble servant.[58:2]
HUME _to_ ADAM SMITH.
_London, 28th July, 1759._
DEAR SIR,--Your friend, Mr. Wilson,[59:1] called on me two
three days ago when I was abroad, and he left your letter. I
did not see him till to-day. He seems a very modest, sensible,
ingenious man. Before I saw him, I spoke to Mr. A. Millar
about him, and found him very much disposed to serve him. I
proposed particularly to Mr. Millar, that it was worthy of so
eminent a bookseller as he, to make a complete elegant set of
the classics, which might set up his name equal to the
Alduses, Stevenses, or Elzevirs; and that Mr. Wilson was the
properest person in the world to assist him in such a project.
He confessed to me that he had sometimes thought of it; but
that his great difficulty was to find a man of letters, who
could correct the press. I mentioned the matter to Wilson, who
said he had a man of letters in his eye: one Lyon, a nonjuring
clergyman at Glasgow. He is probably known to you, or at least
may be so; I would desire your opinion of him.
Mr. Wilson told me of his machines, which seem very ingenious,
and deserve much encouragement. I shall soon see them.
I am very well acquainted with Bourke, who was much taken with
your book. He got your direction from me, with a view of
writing to you, and thanking you for your present; for I made
it pass in your name. I wonder he has not done it: he is now
in Ireland. I am not acquainted with Jenyns; but he spoke very
highly of the book to Oswald, who is his brother in the board
of trade. Millar showed me, a few days ago, a letter from Lord
Fitzmaurice; where he tells him, that he has carried over a
few copies to the Hague, for presents. Mr. York was very much
taken with it, as well as several others who had read it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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