Part 3 (1/2)
Huh in 1769, ”very opulent” in the possession of 1,000 a year, and determined to take what remained to him of life pleasantly and easily In October, 1769, he writes to Elliot:--
”I have been settled here twothe least thought of regret to London, or even to Paris I live still, and must for a twelvemonth, in my old house in Jaant, but too sreat talent for cookery, the science to which I intend to addict the re on the table before_soupe a la reine_, copied withdish) and old mutton and old claret nobody excels me I make also sheep's-head broth in a ht days after; and the Duc de Nivernois would bind himself apprentice to e to David Moncreiff: you will see that in a twelve of history, the field I have deserted; for as to the giving of dinners, he can now have no further pretensions I should have et the better of a eit will redound very much to my honour”
In 1770, Huh, which was then springing up It was the first house in the street, and a frolicso lady chalked upon the wall ”St David's Street” Hume's servant complained to her master, who replied, ”Never mind, lassie, many a better man has been made a saint of before,” and the street retains its title to this day
In the following six years, the house in St David's Street was the centre of the accoh Adauson ithin easy reach; and what remains of Hume's correspondence with Sir Gilbert Elliot, Colonel Edlis, and enables us to understand his contentment with his absence from the more perturbed, if more brilliant, worlds of Paris and London
Towards London, Londoners, and indeed Englishled with contempt, which was as nearly rancorous as any e his residence in Paris, in 1764 and 1765, he writes to Blair:--
”The taste for literature is neither decayed nor depraved here, as with the barbarians who inhabit the banks of the Thaenius and learning” in France as one of the points in which it land Ten years later, he cannot even thank Gibbon for his History without the left-handed compliment, that he should never have expected such an excellent work frolishe and prejudice of parties frighten ainst the Scots, which is so dishonourable, and indeed so infalish nation We hear that it increases every day without the least appearance of provocation on our part It has frequently round I dread, if I should undertake a more modern history, the impertinence and ill- to know from you whether forood reception”
His fears were kindly appeased by Millar's assurance that the English were not prejudiced against the Scots in general, but against the particular Scot, Lord Bute, as supposed to be the guide, philosopher, and friend, of both Dowager Queen and King
To care nothing about literature, to dislike Scotchmen, and to be insensible to the merits of David Hulish nation, which would have been amply sufficient to ruffle the te foolishly vain, had certainly no need of what has been said to be the one form of prayer in which his countryree; ”Lord! gie us a gude conceit o'
oursels” But when, to all this, these same Southrons added a passionate admiration for Lord Chatham, as in Hume's eyes a charlatan; and filled up the cup of their abo for ”Wilkes and Liberty,” Hume's wrath knew no bounds, and, between 1768 and 1770, he pours a perfect Jeremiad into the boso to see America and the East Indies revolted, totally and finally--the revenue reduced to half--public credit fully discredited by bankruptcy--the third of London in ruins, and the rascallywitness to all these blessings
”I aress of land The consu a fine narrative in history, especially if followed by sonal and ruinous convulsion--as I hope will soon be the case with that pernicious people!”
Even from the secure haven of James's Court, thebut a rebellion and bloodshed will open the eyes of that deluded people; though were they alone concerned, I think it is no overnment has become a chimera, and is too perfect, in point of liberty, for so rude a beast as an Englishman; who is a man, a bad animal too, corrupted by above a century of licentiousness The misfortune is that this liberty can scarcely be retrenched without danger of being entirely lost; at least the fatal effects of licentiousnessfrom it I may wish that the catastrophe should rather fall on our posterity, but it hastens on with such large strides as to leave little rooain the last edition of my History, in order to correct it still further I either soften or expungestrokes which had crept into it I wish that ed by lies, calu popular leaders, may not throw me into the opposite extreme”
A ish, indeed Posterity respectfully concurs therein; and subjects Hulish to such one had the wish been fulfilled
In 1775, Hu year, his disorder, which appears to have been haeht that he knew it must be fatal So he made his will, and wrote _My Own Life_, the conclusion of which is one of the s of life and all its concerns, extant
”I now reckon upon a speedy dissolution I have suffered very little pain fro the great decline of my person, never suffered a moment's abatement of spirits; insomuch that were I to name the period of ht be tempted to point to this later period I possess the saaiety in co, cuts off only a few years of infirh I seeout at last with additional lustre, I know that I could have but few years to enjoy it It is difficult to be more detached from life than I am at present
”To conclude historically with my own character, I am, or rather was (for that is the style Iof myself, which emboldens me the more to speak my sentiments); I was, I say, a man of mild dispositions, of command of temper, of an open, social, and cheerful humour, capable of attachreat moderation in allpassion, never souredmy frequent disappoint and careless, as well as to the studious and literary; and as I took a particular pleasure in the company of modest women, I had no reason to be displeased with the reception I h most men any wise eminent, have found reason to complain of calumny, I never was touched or even attacked by her baleful tooth; and though I wantonly exposed ious factions, they seemed to be disarmed in my behalf of their wonted fury My friends never had occasion to vindicate any one circumstance of my character and conduct; not but that the zealots, we ate any story to e, but they could never find any which they thought would wear the face of probability I cannot say there is no vanity inthis funeral oration of myself, but I hope it is not a misplaced one; and this is a matter of fact which is easily cleared and ascertained”
Huust, 1776, and, a few days later, his body, attended by a great concourse of people, who seem to have anticipated for it the fate appropriate to the remains of wizards and necromancers, was deposited in a spot selected by hiround on the eastern slope of the Calton Hill
From the summit of this hill, there is a prospect unequalled by any to be seen froreat city Westward lies the Forth, and beyond it, dihland hills; eastward, rise the bold contours of Arthur's Seat and the rugged crags of the Castle rock, with the grey Old Town of Edinburgh; while, far below, frohfares, the hoarse etic men is borne upon the ear At times, a man may be as solitary here as in a veritable wilderness; and may meditate undisturbedly upon the epitodoms of this world--spread out before him
Surely, there is a fitness in the choice of this last resting-place by the philosopher and historian, who saw so clearly that these two kingdooverned by uniform laws and alike based on impenetrable darkness and eternal silence: and faithful to the last to that profound veracity which was the secret of his philosophic greatness, he ordered that the sirave should bear no inscription but
DAVID HUME
BORN 1711 DIED 1776
_Leaving it to posterity to add the rest_