Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume 2

David Hume · en
DEAR SIR,--I have done at last, what nothing but the greatest
     regard for the writer, and the truest friendship for the man,
     could have made me submit to; I have gone over both your
     volumes again, with the eye and attention of a mere
     grammarian. The task of looking after verbal mistakes, or
     errors against the idiom of a tongue, though not unnecessary,
     is trivial, and disgusting in the greatest decree; but your
     work, and you, deserved it of me: and I could not have
     forgiven myself had I not treated yours as I hope and expect
     you will do mine.

     I have not been idle; though I give no account of my progress
     to one in a hundred I converse with; as it contains several
     particulars of the reigns of the two brothers, Charles and
     James, the most interesting though the least known parts of
     King William's, and embraces the whole of Queen Anne's reign,
     together with some anecdotes relative to her successor,--it
     will swell into two quarto volumes. I am resolved, too, that
     the translation, which will be done here by an excellent hand
     under my own eye, shall appear at the same time the original
     does. These are some of the causes that occasion the
     complaints I have been teased with: and there are many others,
     that would make no figure on paper, though they are
     unavoidable and consume much irretrievable time. But what is
     well done is done soon; and, as I have not you in my way, I
     should not feel the least uneasiness, if all our other
     complete historians should write the same period twenty times
     over. My work, both in matter and form, would still be new. If
     you are upon the undertaking, which you desired might remain a
     secret, I dare assure you, that besides the merit of accuracy
     and impartiality, it will have all the charm of novelty; for
     such a work, on a rational and philosophical plan, is a
     thing, as Milton has it, unattempted yet in prose or rhime.
     Adieu. I am, dear sir, most faithfully yours.

                                           D. MALLET.[143:1]

The following letter is a not less curious revelation of Mallet's
proceedings.


HUME _to_ ANDREW MILLAR.

"_Edinburgh, 21st April, 1763._