Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume 2

David Hume · en
you observe, by the ladies, renders my present course of life,
     though somewhat too hurried and dissipated, as amusing as I
     could wish. My lord appears zealously my friend, and has urged
     the matter so home, in my favour, to the king and the
     ministers, that he has obtained a promise, that I shall soon
     have the appointments and commission of secretary to the
     embassy, which is about £1000 a-year, added to what I already
     possess: so that you see, dear Edmondstoune, I am in the high
     road to riches; and as there is no instance of a secretary to
     the embassy at Paris, that has not been advanced to the most
     considerable employments, I am at the same time in the high
     road to dignities. You must know, that Lord Hertford has so
     high a character for piety, that his taking me by the hand is
     a kind of regeneration to me, and all past offences are now
     wiped off. But all these views are trifling to one of my age
     and temper. The material point is (if any thing can be
     material,) that I keep my health and humour as entire as I
     possessed them at five and-twenty. I am sorry to hear, dear
     Edmondstoune, that the case is not the same with you, at least
     with regard to the former; and perhaps somewhat with regard to
     the latter. Your situation is no doubt tiresome, and somewhat
     disagreeable. What is the fancy of sending one of the first
     noblemen in the kingdom to pass years in a country
     town?[184:1] why do you not go forward to Italy, or back to
     Paris? When I arrived here, all M. Voltaire's friends told me
     of the regard he always expressed for me; that some advances
     on my part were due to his age, and would be well taken. I
     accordingly wrote him a letter, in which I expressed the
     esteem which are[184:2] undoubtedly due to his talents; and
     among other things I said, that if I were not confined to
     Paris by public business, I should have a great ambition to
     pay him a visit at Geneva. This is the foundation of the
     report you mention; but I am absolutely confined to Paris and
     the court, and cannot on any account leave them so much as for
     three days.