XXV.]

HUME'S DREAD OF ROUSSEAU.

83

Johnson with half a dozen strong words would have rent the fine but flimsy web of suspicion which Rousseau had woven; and would never have troubled his head about it again. But Hume was too much troubled by his 'love of literary fame-his ruling passion,' as he himself avowed it. He and his enemy were in the very front rank of European writers; Voltaire perhaps alone equalled them in fame. Rousseau, in the days of their friendship, had addressed him as 'le plus illustre de mes contemporains dont la bonté surpasse la gloire'.' And now, to use the words of Hume's champions, 'the news of this dispute had spread itself over Europe? There was a fresh terror added. Rousseau, he says, 'who had first flattered him indirectly with the figure he was to make in his Memoirs, now threatened him with it.' 'A work of this nature,' Hume continues, 'both from the celebrity of the person, and the strokes of eloquence interspersed, would certainly attract the attention of the world; and it might be published either after my death, or after that of the author. In the former case, there would be nobody who could tell the story, or justify my memory. In the latter, my apology, wrote in opposition to a dead person, would lose a great deal of its authenticity. The Apology was accordingly published. The justification was complete, but the end was missed. For Hume's memory, which would have proved invulnerable to the attack, has suffered from the vanity which prompted the defence. In the brief memoir which he has left us of his life we observe without surprise that he passes over in silence his quarrel with Rousseau. It may be that he was unwilling to give his enemy a chance of escaping that 'perpetual neglect and oblivion' to which he maintained that he had been consigned. It is far more probable however that, like some other conquerors, he grew to be ashamed of the quarrel into which he had entered, and of the victory which he had won.

Note 6. Hume writing to Blair on July 15, 1766, expresses himself in almost the same words. He writes:-'To-day I received a letter from Rousseau, which is perfect frenzy. It would make a good eighteen-penny pamphlet; and I fancy he intends to publish it.... I own that I was very anxious about this affair, but this letter has totally relieved me.' Burton's Hume, ii. 345-6. Rousseau thus describes his letter to Lord Marischal :-'Je voudrais vous envoyer copie des lettres, mais c'est un livre pour la grosseur.' Euvres de Rousseau, xxiv. 382.

Note 7. How little his mind was at ease is shewn by the very 1 Euvres de Rousseau, xxiv. 317. 2 A Concise Account, p. vii.

3 Ib. p. 92.

Hume wrote to Adam Smith on Oct. 8, 1767:-Thus Rousseau has had the satisfaction during a time of being much talked of for his late transactions; the thing in the world he most desires; but it has been at the expense of being consigned to perpetual neglect and oblivion.' Burton's Hume, ii. 378.

long account of the affair which he wrote on this same 15th of July to the Countess De Boufflers. In it he says:-'I must now, my dear friend, apply to you for consolation and advice in this affair, which both distresses and perplexes me. . . . It is extremely dangerous for me to be entirely silent. He is at present composing a book, in which it is very likely he may fall on me with some atrocious lie.... My present intention therefore is to write a narrative of the whole affair.... But is it not very hard that I should be put to all this trouble, and undergo all this vexation, merely on account of my singular friendship and attention to this most atrocious scélérat?... I know that I shall have Mme. de Barbantane's sympathy and compassion if she be at Paris.' Hume's Private Corres. p. 181.

LETTER XXVI.

Hume's Account of his Quarrel with Rousseau.

DEAR SIR,

[EDINBURGH, Oct. 1766 1.]

My Friends at Paris have thought it absolutely necessary to publish an Account which I sent them, of my Transactions with Rousseau, together with the original Papers: The Affair had made a great Noise every where, and he had been such a Fool, as to write Defiances against me to all parts of Europe; so that the Justification of my Character they thought requir'd a Publication, which, however, is very much against my Will, coud it have been prevented 2. The whole will compose a pretty large Pamphlet, which, I fancy, the Curiosity of the Public will make tolerably saleable. I desire you to take upon you the printing and publishing of it; and if any Profit result from it to you, I shall be very happy; reserving the after property and Disposal of the Pamphlet to myself. You will take in what Bookseller you please; Becket or Caddel or any other: For Mr. Millar woud not think such a Trifle worthy of his Attention.

5

I shall immediatly send you up a Copy of the original

XXVI.]

TRANSLATION OF HUME'S PAMPHlet.

85

Manuscript, which is partly English, partly French; but more of the latter Language, which must be translated. I shall employ Mr. Coutt's Cover®. The Method the Translator must proceed is this 7: My Friends at Paris are to send me over in a Parcel ten Copies, which will be deliverd to Miss Elliot. I have desird her to send them to you; open the Parcel and take out one Copy for your own Use. Get a discreet and careful Translator': Let him compare exactly the French Narration with my English: Where they agree, let him insert my English: Where they differ, let him follow the French and translate it: The Reason of this is, that I allowd my Friends at Paris to make what alterations they thought proper 10; and I am desirous of following exactly the Paris Edition. All my Letters must be printed verbatim, conformable to the Manuscript I send you.

My Parisian Friends are to add a Preface of their own composing, which must be translated: Add, by way of Nota bene, that the Original Letters will all be deposited in the Musæum 11. The Reason of this is, that Rousseau has been so audacious as to write, that I dare not publish his Letters without falsifying them 12.

If you think, that a Republication of the French Edition will answer the Expence, I am also willing you should do it 13.

Of the remaining nine Copies, send one to Lord Hertford, lower Grosvenor Street, another to Mr. Secretary Conway, another to Horace Walpole, Arlington Street 11, another to Lady Hervey 15, St. James Place. Send the remaining five to me by any private hand or by the Waggon.

Mr. Kincaid 16 tells me, that two Years ago he sent enclosd in a Parcel of Yours a corrected Quarto Copy of my History to be deliverd to Mr. Millar. Yet Mr. Millar told me in London that he had never seen any such thing. I

suppose he has forgot and will be able to find it upon Search. Try, if you can recollect and put him in mind of it 17.

I am Dear Sir Your most obedient humble Servant
DAVID HUME.

Note 1. Hume returned to Edinburgh late in this summer. Millar writing to him from Kew Green, on Oct. 4, says :-'I could scold you most heartily if you were here, and so could Mrs. Millar, for breaking your appointment with friends that love you sincerely, when they had provided a turtle, and a fine haunch of forest venison for your entertainment, and to be disappointed of you and Geo. Scott two such heroes was too much, though we had tolerable heroes: both your losses was very mortifying, and I am sure to more cordial friends you could not go, though perhaps to more powerful.' Hume replied from Edinburgh, on Oct. 21 :-'I hope to be often merry with you and Mrs. Millar in your House in Pall Mall; and I wish both of you much Health and Satisfaction in enjoying it.' M.S. R. S. E.

A son of Hume's friend, Baron Mure, gives the following description of the historian and Sir James Stewart on their return to Edinburgh. 'They came home from Paris about the same time. I remember, as a boy of five or six years old, being much struck with the French cut of their laced coats and bags, and especially with the philosopher's ponderous uncouth person equipped in a bright yellow coat spotted with black.' Caldwell Papers, i. 38.

Note 2. The following extracts shew the opinions formed by Hume and others as to the expediency of publication :

Hume to Blair.

'London, July 1, 1766. I know you will pity me when I tell you that I am afraid I must publish this to the world in a pamphlet, which must contain an account of the whole transaction between us. My only comfort is that the matter will be so clear as not to leave to any mortal the smallest possibility of doubt. You know how dangerous any controversy on a disputable point would be with a man of his talents. I know not where the miscreant will now retire to, in order to hide his head from this infamy.' Burton's Hume, ii. 344. Adam Smith to Hume.

...

'Paris, July 6. I am thoroughly convinced that Rousseau is as great a rascal as you and as every man here believes him to be; yet let me beg of you not to think of publishing anything to the world. . . . Expose his brutal letter, but without giving it out of your own hand, so that it may never be printed; and if you can, laugh at yourself, and I shall pawn my life that before three weeks are at an end this little affair, which at present gives you so much uneasiness, shall be understood to do you as much honour as any

1 Johnson defines Bag as An ornamental purse of silk tied to men's hair.

XXVI.]

OPINIONS AS TO PUBLICATION.

87

thing that has ever happened to you. . . M. Turgot and I are both afraid that you are surrounded with evil counsellors, and that the advice of your English literati, who are themselves accustomed to publish all their little gossiping stories in newspapers, may have too much influence upon you.' Ib. p. 350. Hume to the Countess de Boufflers.

...

'Lisle Street, July 15. This is a deliberate and a cool plan to stab me. . . . Should I give the whole account to the public, as I am advised by several of my friends, particularly Lord Hertford and General Conway, I utterly ruin this unhappy man. . . . Notwithstanding his monstrous offences towards me, I cannot resolve to commit such a piece of cruelty even against a man who has but too long deceived a great part of mankind. But on the other hand it is extremely dangerous for me to be entirely silent. He is at present composing a book in which it is very likely he may fall on me with some atrocious lie. I know that he is writing his memoirs, in which I am sure to make a fine figure. . . . My present intention is to write a narrative of the whole affair . . . to make several copies . . . to send a copy to Rousseau, and tell him in what hands the other copies are consigned; that if he can contradict any one fact he may have it in his power.' Hume ends by calling him 'this most atrocious scélérat. Private Corres. p. 180.

D'Alembert to Voltaire.

...

'[Paris] 16 de juillet. Il [Hume] se prépare à donner toute cette histoire au public. Que de sottises vont dire à cette occasion tous les ennemis de la raison et des lettres! les voilà bien à leur aise; car ils déchireront infailliblement ou Rousseau, ou M. Hume, et peut-être tous les deux. Pour moi, je rirai, comme je fais de tout, et je tâcherai que rien ne trouble mon repos et mon bonheur.' Euvres de Voltaire (ed. 1819-25), lxii. 383.

D'Alembert to Hume.

'Paris, July 21. [D'Alembert sends Hume the opinion of Turgot, Morellet, Marmontel and other friends who had met at the house of Mlle. de l'Espinasse.] 'Tous unanimement, ainsi que Mlle. de l'Espinasse et moi, sommes d'avis que vous devez donner cette histoire au public avec toutes ses circonstances.' Burton's Hume, ii.

'Then [towards the middle of July] arrived Rousseau's long absurd letter to Mr. Hume, which most people in England, and I amongst the rest, thought was such an answer to itself that Mr. Hume had no occasion to vindicate himself from the imputations contained in it. The gens de lettres at Paris, who aim at being an order, and who in default of parts raise a dust by their squabbles, were of a different opinion, and pressed Mr. Hume to publish on the occasion. Mr. Hume however declared he was convinced by the arguments of his friends in England, and would not engage in a controversy. Lord