[252:1] "But there is a person that has written an "Inquiry, historical and critical, into the evidence against Mary Queen of Scots;" and has attempted to refute the foregoing narrative. He quotes a single passage of the narrative, in which Mary is said simply to refuse answering; and then a single passage from Goodall, in which she boasts simply that she will answer; and he very civilly and almost directly, calls the author a liar, on account of this pretended contradiction. The whole inquiry, from beginning to end, is composed of such scandalous artifices; and, from this instance, the reader may judge of the candour, fair dealing, veracity, and good manners of the inquirer. There are, indeed, three events in our history which may be regarded as the touchstone of party men. An English Whig, who asserts the reality of the Popish plot; an Irish Catholic, who denies the massacre in 1641: and a Scotch Jacobite, who maintains the innocence of Queen Mary, must be considered as men beyond the reach of argument or reason, and must be left to their prejudices." [252:2] There is no address on the MS., but circumstances show the letter to have been intended for Lord Elibank. [253:1] These references are to the first edition of the "History of the House of Tudor." [256:1] Scroll MS. R.S.E. A faint line is drawn through the concluding paragraph, and the passage may have been omitted in the letter as transmitted. [260:1] Scroll, MS. R.S.E. [260:2] MS. R.S.E. [261:1] See pp. 240, 244. [263:1] Minto MSS. CHAPTER XIV. 1765-1766. Æt. 54-55. Hume's Sentiments as to the Popularity of his works--A letter to the Scottish Clergy--Correspondence with Elliot continued-- Sir Robert Liston--Mallet--Hume appointed Secretary of Legation--Chargé d'Affaires at Paris--Proposal to appoint him Secretary for Ireland--Reasons of the Failure of the Project-- Lord Hertford--Resumption of Communication with Rousseau-- Rousseau in Paris--Notices of his History and Character-- Hume's solicitude for his welfare--Return to Britain--Disposal of Rousseau--Death of Jardine. Allusion has occasionally been made to the difficulty of satisfying Hume with any amount of literary success. His correspondence with Millar is a long grumble about the prejudices he has had to encounter, and their influence on the circulation of his works; while the bookseller, by the most glowing pictures of their popularity, is only able to elicit a partial gleam of content. The success of the History made worthy Mr. Millar very anxious that it should be continued, and Hume for a time acquiesced in the proposal. There is a letter from Millar on the 26th October, enlarging on the great and rapid sales: about 2500 complete sets of the quarto edition, and upwards of 3000 of the "History of the Stuarts," had been sold, along with near 2000 of the 8vo. edition. In continuation he says: