Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume 2

David Hume · en
I am afraid that my letters will be tedious and disagreeable
     to you by their uniformity. Nothing but continued and
     unvaried accounts of the same thing must in the end prove
     disgusting. Yet since you will hear me speak on this subject,
     I cannot help it, and must fatigue your ears as much as ours
     are in this place, by endless and repeated, and noisy praises
     of the "History of Scotland." Dr. Douglas told me yesterday,
     that he had seen the Bishop of Norwich, who had just bought
     the book, from the high commendations he heard of it from Mr.
     Legge. Mallet told me that Lord Mansfield is at a loss whether
     he shall most esteem the matter or the style. Elliot told me,
     that being in company with George Grenville, that gentleman
     was speaking loud in the same key. Our friend pretended
     ignorance; said he knew the author, and if he thought the book
     good for any thing, would send for it and read it. "Send for
     it, by all means," said Mr. Grenville; "you have not read a
     better book of a long time."--"But," said Elliot, "I suppose,
     although the matter may be tolerable, as the author was never
     on this side the Tweed till he wrote it, it must be very
     barbarous in the expression." "By no means," cried Mr.
     Grenville. "Had the author lived all his life in London, and
     in the best company, he could not have expressed himself with
     greater elegance and purity." Lord Lyttelton seems to think
     that, since the time of St. Paul, there scarce has been a
     better writer than Dr. Robertson. Mr. Walpole triumphs in the
     success of his favourites the Scotch, &c. &c. &c.

     . . . . . The great success of your book, beside its real
     merit, is forwarded by its prudence, and by the deference paid
     to established opinions. It gains also by its being your first
     performance, and by its surprising the public, who are not
     upon their guard against it. By reason of these two
     circumstances, justice is more readily done to its merit;
     which, however, is really so great, that I believe there is
     scarce another instance of a first performance being so near
     perfection.


     _London, 29th May, 1759._

     MY DEAR SIR,--I had a letter from Helvetius lately, wrote
     before your book arrived at Paris. He tells me, that the Abbé
     Prevôt, who had just finished the translation of my History,
     paroit très-disposé à traduire l'Histoire d'Ecosse que vient
     de faire Monsieur Robertson. If he be engaged by my
     persuasion, I shall have the satisfaction of doing you a real
     credit and pleasure; for he is one of the best pens in
     Paris.[55:1] . . . . . .