MADAM,--It is not easy for your ladyship to imagine the
pleasure I received from the letter, with which you have so
unexpectedly honoured me, nor the agreeable visions of vanity,
in which, upon that occasion, I indulged myself. I concluded,
and, as I fancied, with certainty, that a person, who could
write so well herself, must certainly be a good judge of
writing in others; and that an author, who could please a lady
of your distinction, educated in the court of France, and
familiarized with every thing elegant and polite, might
reasonably pretend to some degree of merit, and might presume
to take his rank above the middling historians. But, madam, it
is but fair, that I, who have pretended, in so long a work, to
do justice to all parties and persons, should also do some to
myself; and should not feed my vanity with chimeras, which, I
am sensible, in my cooler moments, can have no foundation in
reason. When I had the pleasure of passing some time in
France, I had the agreeable experience of the polite
hospitality, by which your nation is distinguished; and I now
find, that the same favourable indulgence has appeared in your
ladyship's judgment of my writings. And, perhaps, your esteem
for the entire impartiality which I aim at, and which, to tell
the truth, is so unusual in English historians, has made your
ladyship overlook many defects, into which the want of art or
genius has betrayed me.
In this particular, madam, I must own, that I am inclined to
take your civilities in their full latitude, and to hope that
I have not fallen much short of my intentions. The spirit of
faction, which prevails in this country, and which is a
natural attendant on civil liberty, carries every thing to
extremes on the one side, as well as on the other; and I have
the satisfaction to find, that my performance has alternately
given displeasure to both parties. I could not reasonably hope
to please both: such success is impossible from the nature of
things; and next to your ladyship's approbation, who, as a
foreigner, must necessarily be a candid judge, I shall always
regard the anger of both as the surest warrant of my
impartiality.
As I find that you are pleased to employ your leisure hours in
the perusal of history, I shall presume to recommend to your
ladyship a late work of this kind, wrote by my friend and
countryman, Dr. Robertson, which has met with the highest
approbation from all good judges.