already to be very loud in its praises. Three bishops called yesterday at Millar's fhop in order to buy copies, and to ask questions about the author. The Bishop of Peterborough faid, he had paffed the evening in a company where he heard it extolled above all books in the world. The Duke of Argyle is more decifive than he uses to be, in its favour. I fuppofe he either confiders it as an exotic, or thinks the author will be ferviceable to him in the Glasgow elections. Lord Lyttleton fays, that Robertson, and Smith, and Bower are the glories of English literature. Ofwald protests he does not know whether he has reaped more inftruction or entertainment from it. But you may eafily judge what reliance can be put on his judgment, who has been engaged all his life in public business, and who never fees any faults in his friends. Millar exults and brags, that twothirds of the edition are already fold, and that he is now fure of fuccefs. You see what a fon of the earth that is, to value books only by the profit they bring him. It that view, I believe it may prove a very good book.

"Charles Townsend, who paffes for the cleverest fellow in England, is fo taken with the performance, that he faid to Ofwald he would put the Duke of Buccleugh under the author's care, and ould make it worth his while to accept of that charge. As foon as I heard this, I called on him twice, with a view of talking with him about the matter; and of convincing him of the propriety

of

of fending that young nobleman to Glasgow: For I could not hope, that he could offer you any terms which would tempt you to renounce your Profefforship; but I miffed him. Mr. Townfend paffes for being a little uncertain in his refolutions; fo perhaps you need not build much on his fally.

"In recompence for fo many mortifying things, which nothing but truth could have extorted from me, and which I could eafily have multiplied to a greater number, I doubt not but you are fo good a Chriftian as to return good for evil; and to flatter my vanity by telling me, that all the godly in Scotland abufe me for my account of John Knox and the Reformation. I fuppofe you are glad to fee my paper end, and that I am obliged to con clude with

"Your humble fervant, &c."

Mr. HUME to Dr. ROBERTSON.

"MY DEAR SIR,

"London, May 29, 1759.

"I had a letter from Helvetius lately wrote before your book arrived at Paris. He tells me, that the Abbé Prevot, who had just finished the translation of my Hiftory, Paroit très-difpofé à traduire l'Hiftoire d'Ecoffe que vient de faire Monfieur Robertfon. If he be engaged by my perfua

fion,

fion, I fhall have the fatisfaction of doing you a real credit and pleasure; for he is one of the best pens in Paris.

"I locked with great impatience in your new edition for the note you feemed to intend with regard to the breach of the capitulation of Perth ; and was much disappointed at miffing it. I own that I am very curious on that head. I cannot fo much as imagine a colour upon which their accufations could poflibly be founded. The articles were only two; indemnity to the inhabitants, and the exclufion of French foldiers-now that Scotch national troops were not Frenchmen and foreigners feems pretty apparent and both Knox and the manifefto of the congregation acquit the QueenRegent of any breach of the first article, as I had obferved in my note to page 422. This makes me fufpect, that fome facts have efcaped me; and I beg you to indulge my curiofity by informing me of them.

"Our friend Smith is very fuccefsful here, and Gerard is very well received. The Epigoniad I cannot fo much promife for, though I have done all in my power to forward it, particularly by writing a letter to the Critical Review, which you may perufe. I find, however, fome good judges. profess a great esteem for it, but habent et fua fata libelli: however, if you want a little flattery to the

author,

author, (which I own is very refreshing to an author), you may tell him, that Lord Chesterfield faid to me he was a great poet. I imagine, that Wilkie will be very much elevated by praise from an English Earl, and a Knight of the Garter, and an Ambaffador, and a Secretary of State, and a man of fo great reputation. For, I obferve, that the greatest ruftics are commonly moft affected with fuch circumftances.

"Ferguson's book has a great deal of genius and fine writing, and will appear in time."

These letters afford a noble fpecimen of generofity on the part of Hume; and the intimate and uninterrupted friendship between our two great and immortal hiftorians is honourable to both, confidering the coincidence of their labours.

After the publication of the History of Scotland, Dr. Robertson confulted his literary friends on the choice of a subject for his next work. It is known, that he had not only tempting offers from the bookfellers, but confident affurances of the countenance of government, if he would undertake the Hiftory of England. In particular, Dr. John Blair, prebendary of Westminster, and author of The Chronology and Hiftory of the World, urged him to engage in it, and informed him that Lord Chesterfield was prepared to move in the Houfe of Peers, that he should have public encouragement to.

enable him to execute the task. Lord Cathcart. alfo wrote the Doctor, that the Earl of Bute had expreffed to him his Majefty's wifh to fee a Hiftory of England from the pen of Dr. Robertson, and that every source of information, which government could command, would be open to him, and encouragement given in proportion to the labour and extent of fo great an undertaking. His Lordship, in order to overcome the Doctor's fcruples, pointed out likewife the difference in the manner and ftyle of two writers like him. and Mr. Hume, and argued that their works could not interfere, as our author's had fo much the start of the other in point of time.

Although Dr. Robertson had already fixed on the reign of Charles V., and even made fome progrefs in writing it, thefe powerful reafons, the flattering manner in which they were conveyed, and the respectability of the quarter from which they came, feem to have ftaggered his refolution. He began to confider, that from the time which fuch a work would require for its execution, little injury could arife to Mr. Hume. He, therefore, expreffed an inclination for the undertaking, and even agreed to commence it after completing the History of Charles V.; to accomplish which, as only one-third of it was finished, two years would be neceflary. "The Hiftory of England," faid he, "was my first choice long before Mr. Hume "undertook it, though I was then too diffident of

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myfelf, and too idle to make any progress in the

"execution