Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume 2

David Hume · en
MY DEAR SIR,--I believe I mentioned to you a French gentleman,
     Monsieur Helvetius, whose book, "De l'Esprit," was making a
     great noise in Europe. He is a very fine genius, and has the
     character of a very worthy man. My name is mentioned several
     times in his work with marks of esteem; and he has made me an
     offer, if I would translate his work into English, to
     translate anew all my philosophical writings into French. He
     says that none of them are well done, except that on the
     "Natural History of Religion," by Monsieur Martigny,[52:1] a
     counsellor of state. He added, that the Abbé Prevôt,
     celebrated for the _Memoires d'un homme d'Honneur_, and other
     entertaining works,[52:2] was just now translating my
     History. This account of Helvetius engaged me to send him over
     the new editions of all my writings; and I have added your
     History, which, I told him, was here published with great
     applause; adding, that the subject was interesting, and the
     execution masterly; and that it was probable some man of
     letters at Paris may think that a translation of it would be
     agreeable to the public. I thought that this was the best
     method of executing your intentions. I could not expect that
     any Frenchman here would be equal to the work. There is one
     Carraccioli, who came to me and spoke something of translating
     my new volume of History; but as he also mentioned his
     intentions of translating Smollett, I gave him no
     encouragement to proceed. The same reason would make me averse
     to see you in his hands.

     But though I have given this character of your work to
     Monsieur Helvetius, I warn you, that this is the last time
     that, either to Frenchman or Englishman, I shall ever speak
     the least good of it. A plague take you! Here I sat near the
     historical summit of Parnassus, immediately under Dr.
     Smollett; and you have the impudence to squeeze yourself by
     me, and place yourself directly under his feet. Do you imagine
     that this can be agreeable to me? And must not I be guilty of
     great simplicity, to contribute, by my endeavours, to your
     thrusting me out of my place in Paris as well as at London?
     But I give you warning that you will find the matter somewhat
     difficult, at least in the former city. A friend of mine, who
     is there, writes home to his father, the strangest accounts on
     that head, which my modesty will not permit me to repeat, but
     which it allowed me very deliciously to swallow.

     I have got a good reason or pretence for excusing me to
     Monsieur Helvetius, with regard to the translating his work. A
     translation of it was previously advertised here.


     _---- 20th, 1759._