Philosophical Works, v. 1 (of 4): Including All the Essays, and Exhibiting the More Important Alterations and Corrections in the Successive Editions Published by the AuthorHume, David
PhilosophyPhilosophy
Philosophical Works, v. 1 (of 4): Including All the Essays, and Exhibiting the More Important Alterations and Corrections in the Successive Editions Published by the Author
Hume, David
Knowledge, Theory of; Philosophy, English -- 18th century
SIR,
I shall only answer one article of your long letter: it
is that which regards the conversation between us the
evening before your departure. Mr Davenport had imagined a
good natured artifice, to make you believe that a retour
chaise had offered for Wooton; and I believe he made an
advertisement be put in the papers, in order the better to
deceive you. His purpose was only to save you some expenses
in the journey, which I thought a laudable project; though
I had no hand either in contriving or conducting it. You
entertained, how ever, suspicions of his design, while we
were sitting alone by my fire-side; and you reproached me
with concurring in it. I endeavoured to pacify you, and to
divert the discourse; but to no purpose. You sat sullen,
and was either silent, or made me very peevish answers. At
last you rose up, and took a turn or two about the room;
when all of a sudden, and to my great surprise, you clapped
yourself on my knee, threw your arms about my neck, kissed
me with seeming ardour, and bedewed my face with tears.
You exclaimed, 'My dear friend, can you ever pardon this
folly! After all the pains you have taken to serve me,
after the numberless instances of friendship you have given
me, here I reward you with this ill humour and sullenness.
But your forgiveness of me will be a new instance of your
friendship; and I hope you will find at bottom, that my
heart is not unworthy of it.'
I was very much affected, I own; and I believe, there
passed a very tender scene between us. You added, by
way of compliment, that though I had many better titles
to recommend me to posterity, yet perhaps my uncommon
attachment and friendship to a poor unhappy persecuted
man, would not altogether be overlooked.
This incident, Sir, was somewhat remarkable; and it is
impossible that either you or I could so soon have forgot
it. But you have had the assurance to tell me the story
twice in a manner so different, or rather so opposite, that
when I persist, as I do, in this account, it necessarily
follows, that either you or I am a liar. You imagine,
perhaps, that because the incident passed privately without
a witness, the question will lie between the credibility
of your assertion and of mine. But you shall not have this
advantage or disadvantage, whichever you are pleased to
term it. I shall produce against you other proofs, which
will put the matter beyond controversy.
First, You are not aware, that I have a letter under your
hand, which is totally irreconcilable with your account,
and confirms mine.[41]
Secondly, I told the story the next day, or the day after,
to Mr Davenport, with a friendly view of preventing any
such good natured artifices for the future. He surely
remembers it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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