In a letter to Millar, chiefly in reference to some English law books,
which Hume had engaged to obtain for a French lawyer, he recurs to the
Memoirs of King James. He seems to have indolently adopted the notion
that there were few chances of his having an opportunity of making
additions to his History of the Stuarts. He did live, however, to see
more than one new edition of it: but the references in them to the
treasure he had discovered at Paris, are extremely meagre. Another
letter immediately follows, in which we find that his anticipations of
new editions are already outrun by the demands: and we find in his, as
in many other cases, where permanent fame has been reached, that the
excitement of expectant authorship has declined long before its visions
are realized; and that their fulfilment comes at last on minds sobered
down to indifference.
HUME _to_ ANDREW MILLAR.
"_Paris, 18th March, 1764._
"I have lived such a life of dissipation as not to be able to think of
any serious occupation. But I begin to tire of that course of life. I
have, however, run over King James's Memoirs, and have picked up some
curious passages, which it is needless to speak of till we have occasion
for a new edition, which I suppose is very distant."
"_Paris, 18th April, 1764._
"DEAR SIR,--All the discoveries I made in King James's Memoirs, make
against himself and his brother; and he is surely a good enough witness
on that side: but I believe him also a man of veracity, and I should
have put trust in any matter of fact that he told from his own
knowledge. But this it is needless for us to talk any more about; since,
I suppose, you have got copies enough of my History, already printed, to
last for your lifetime and mine. I shall certainly never think of adding
another line to it. I am too much your friend to think of it. . . . I
beg my sincere compliments to Mrs. Millar. I saw a few days ago Mrs.
Mallet, who seems to be going upon a strange project, of living alone,
in a hermitage, in the midst of the forest of Fontainbleau. I pass my
time very agreeably here; though somewhat too much dissipated for one of
my years and humour."[201:1]
"_Paris, 23d April, 1764._