"I must begin by complaining of you for having yoked me here with a man
of the Captain's character, without giving me the least hint concerning
it, if it was known to you, as, indeed, it is no secret to the world.
You seemed satisfied with his conduct, and even praised him to me; which
I am fully persuaded was the effect of your caution, not your
conviction. However, I, who was altogether a stranger, entered into the
family with so gross a prepossession. I found a man who took an infinite
deal of pains for another, with the utmost professions both of
disinterestedness and friendship to him and me; and I readily concluded
that such a one must be either one of the best, or one of the worst of
men. I can easily excuse myself for having judged at first on the
favourable side; and must confess that, when light first began to break
in upon me, I resisted it as I would a temptation of the devil. I
thought it, however, proper to keep my eyes open for farther
observation; till the strangest and most palpable facts, which I shall
inform you of at meeting, put the matter out of all doubt to me.
"There is nothing he would be fonder of than to sow dissension betwixt
my Lady and you, whom he hates and fears. He flatters, and caresses, and
praises, and hates me also; and would be glad to chase me away, as doing
me the honour, and, I hope, the justice of thinking me a person very
unfit for his purposes. As he wants all manner of pretext from my
conduct and behaviour, he has broken his word."
That these statements are not those of a secret foe emitting calumnies
in the dark, is made clear by the concluding terms of the letter, in
which the writer, instead of asking his correspondent to keep its
contents secret--a very common clause when people, thrown much in each
other's way, write about each other's conduct to third parties--says, "I
wish you would bring this letter south with you, that, if you will allow
it, I may show it to him,"--that is, to Vincent.
The excitement communicated to Hume's nerves on this occasion, is shown
by the following short letter to Sir James, so much at variance with the
usual character of his writings:--