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"second and third, before I was tolerably satisfied with their effect. “In the remainder of the way I advanced with a more equal and easy pace; but the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters have been "reduced by three successive revisals, from a large volume to "their present size; and they might still be compressed, without "any loss of facts or sentiments. An opposite fault may be “imputed to the concise and superficial narrative of the first reigns “from Commodus to Alexander; a fault of which I have never "heard, except from Mr. Hume in his last journey to London. "Such an oracle might have been consulted and obeyed with “rational devotion; but I was soon disgusted with the modest "practice of reading the manuscript to my friends. Of such "friends some will praise from politeness, and some will criticise “from vanity. The author himself is the best judge of his own "performance; no one has so deeply meditated on the subject; "no one is so sincerely interested in the event.

"By the friendship of Mr. (now Lord) Eliot, who had married "my first cousin, I was returned at the general election for the "borough of Leskeard. I took my seat at the beginning of "the memorable contest between Great Britain and America, " and supported, with many a sincere and silent vote, the rights, though not, perhaps, the interest, of the mother country. After a fleeting illusive hope, prudence condemned me to acquiesce "in the humble station of a mute. I was not armed by Nature “and education with the intrepid energy of mind and voice.

"Vincentem strepitus, et natum rebus agendis.

Timidity was fortified by pride, and even the success of my pen "discouraged the trial of my voice. But I assisted at the debates of a free assembly; I listened to the attack and defense of "eloquence and reason: I had a near prospect of the characters, “views, and passsions of the first men of the age. The cause of government was ably vindicated by Lord North, a statesman "of spotless integrity, a consummate master of debate, who could wield, with equal dexterity, the arms of reason and of ridicule. "He was seated on the Treasury-bench between his Attorney "and Solicitor General, the two pillars of the law and state, magis pares quam similes; and the minister might indulge in a short slumber, whilst he was upheld on either hand by the majestic sense of Thurlow, and the skilful eloquence of "Wedderburne. From the adverse side of the house an ardent "and powerful opposition was supported, by the lively declama

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“tion of Barré, the legal acuteness of Dunning, the profuse and "philosophic fancy of Burke, and the argumentative vehemence “of Fox, who in the conduct of a party approved himself equal "to the conduct of an empire. By such men, every operation of “peace and war, every principle of justice or policy, every ques"tion of authority and freedom, was attacked and defended; and “the subject of the momentous contest was the union or separa“tion of Great Britain and America. The eight sessions that I "sat in Parliament were a school of civil prudence, the first and “most essential virtue of an historian.

“The volume of my History, which had been somewhat delayed "by the novelty and tumult of a first session, was now ready for “the press. After the perilous adventure had been declined by "my friend Mr. Elmsly, I agreed, upon easy terms, with Mr. “Thomas Cadell, a respectable bookseller, and Mr. William Stra“han, an eminent printer; and they undertook the care and risk "of the publication, which derived more credit from the name of "the shop than from that of the author. The last revisal of the “proofs was submitted to my vigilance; and many blemishes of “ style, which had been invisible in the manuscript, were discov❝ered and corrected in the printed sheet. So moderate were our "hopes, that the original impression had been stinted to five hun“dred, till the number was doubled by the prophetic taste of Mr. “Strahan. During this awful interval I was neither elated by the ❝ ambition of fame, nor depressed by the apprehension of contempt. My diligence and accuracy were attested by my own "conscience. History is the most popular species of writing, "since it can adapt itself to the highest or the lowest capacity. “I had chosen an illustrious subject. Rome is familiar to the "school-boy and the statesman ; and my narrative was deduced " from the last period of classical reading. I had likewise flattered "myself, that an age of light and liberty would receive, without scandal, an enquiry into the human causes of the progress and establishment of Christianity.

"I am at a loss how to describe the success of the work, without “betraying the vanity of the writer. The first impression was “exhausted in a few days; a second and third edition were "scarcely adequate to the demand; and the bookseller's property “was twice invaded by the pirates of Dublin. My book was on “every table, and almost on every toilette; the historian was "crowned by the taste or fashion of the day; nor was the general "voice disturbed by the barking of any profane critic. The favor

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"of mankind is most freely bestowed on a new acquaintance of any original merit; and the mutual surprise of the public and their favorite is productive of those warm sensibilities, which at "a second meeting can no longer be rekindled. If I listened to the music of praise, I was more seriously satisfied with the "approbation of my judges. The candor of Dr. Robertson em"braced his disciple. A letter from Mr. Hume overpaid the labor " of ten years; but I have never presumed to accept a place in the triumvirate of British historians."

The following is the letter from Mr. Hume to which Mr. Gibbon refers:

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"EDINBURGH, 18th March, 1776. "DEAR SIR: As I ran through your volume of history with great avidity and impatience, I cannot forbear discovering some"what of the same impatience in returning you thanks for your agreeable present, and expressing the satisfaction which the performance has given me. Whether I consider the dignity of your style, the depth of your matter, or the extensiveness of your learning, I must regard the work as equally the object of esteem; and I own that if I had not previously had the happiness of your personal acquaintance, such a performance from an Englishman in our age would have given me some surprise. You may smile at this sentiment; but as it seems to me that your countrymen, for almost a whole generation, have given themselves up to barbarous and absurd faction, and have totally neglected all polite letters, I no longer expected any valuable production ever to come from them. I know it will give you pleasure (as it did me) to find that all the men of letters in this place concur in the admiration of your work, and in their anxious desire of your continuing it.

"

རྒྱུར རང ར ར ར ར ར

When I heard of your undertaking, (which was some time ago,) I own I was a little curious to see how you would extricate yourself from the subject of your two last chapters. I think you have observed a very prudent temperament. It was impossible to treat the subject so as not to give grounds of suspicion against you, and you may expect that a clamor will arise. This, if any thing, will retard your success with the public; for in every other respect your work is calculated to be popular. But among many other marks of decline, the prevalence of superstition in England prognosticates the fall of philosophy and decay of taste; and though nobody be more capable than you to revive them, you will probably find a struggle in your first advances. "I see you entertain a great doubt with regard to the authenticity of the poems of Ossian. You are certainly right in so doing. It is indeed strange that any men of sense could have imagined it possible, that the above twenty thousand verses, along with numberless historical facts, could have been preserved by oral tradition during fifty generations, by the rudest, perhaps, of all the European nations, the most necessitous, the

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most turbulent, and the most unsettled. Where a supposition is so contrary to common sense, any positive evidence of it ought never to be regarded. Men run with great avidity to give their evidence in favor of what flatters their passions and "their national prejudices. You are therefore over and above indulgent to us in speaking of the matter with hesitation.

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"I must inform you that we are all very anxious to hear that you have fully collected the materials for your second volume, "and that you are even considerably advanced in the composition "of it. I speak this more in the name of my friends than in my own; as I cannot expect to live so long as to see the publication "of it. Your ensuing volume will be more delicate then the preceding, but I trust in your prudence for extricating you from "the difficulties; and, in all events, you have courage to despise "the clamor of bigots. I am, with great regard, dear sir, your 'most obedient, and most humble servant, DAVID HUME."

"Some weeks afterwards," says Mr. Gibbon, "I had the melancholy pleasure of seeing Mr. Hume in his passage through "London; his body feeble, his mind firm. On the 25th of August "of the same year (1776) he died, at Edinburgh, the death of a "philosopher."

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Mr. Ferguson addressed Mr. Gibbon, as follows:

EDINBURGH, March 19th, 1776. "DEAR SIR: I received about eight days ago, after reading your History, the copy which you have been so good as to send me, "and for which I now trouble you with my thanks. But even if I "had not been thus called upon to offer you my respects, I could "not have refrained from congratulating you on the merit, and "undoubted success, of this valuable performance. The persons "of this place, whose judgment you will value most, agree in opinion, that you have made a great addition to the classical "literature of England, and given us what Thucydides proposed "leaving with his own countrymen, a possession in perpetuity. "Men of a certain modesty and merit always exceed the expecta"tions of their friends; and it is with very great pleasure I tell you, that although you must have observed in me every mark “of consideration and regard, that this is, nevertheless, the case, "I receive your instruction, and study your model, with great deference, and join with every one else, in applauding the extent of your plan, in hands so well able to execute it. Some of your readers, I find, were impatient to get at the fifteenth chapter, and began at that place. I have not heard much of their "criticism, but am told that many doubt your orthodoxy. "With the greatest respect, dear sir, your most obliged, and "most humble servant, ADAM FERGUSON."

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The following are extracts from Dr. Robertson's letters: "College of Edinburgh, July 30, 1788. "DEAR SIR : Long before this I should have acknowledged the receipt of your most acceptable present. . . During my solitude

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"the perusal of your book has been my chief amusement and "consolation. I have gone through it once with great attention, " and am now advanced to the last volume in my second reading. "I ventured to predict the superior excellence of the volumes lately published, and I have not been a false prophet. Indeed

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when I consider the extent of your undertaking, and the im"mense labor of historical and philosophic research requisite "towards executing every part of it, I am astonished that all this "should have been accomplished by one man. I know no example, in any age or nation, of such a vast body of valuable and 'elegant information communicated by any individual. I feel, "however, some degree of mortification mingled with my astonishment. Before you began your historic career, I used to pride “myself in being at least the most illustrious historian of the age; but now, alas! I can pretend no longer to that praise, and must say, as Pliny did of his uncle, Si comparer illi sum desidiosissimus. Your style appears to me improved in these new volumes; "by the habit of writing, you write with greater ease. I am sorry "to find that our ideas on the effects of the Crusades do not alto"gether coincide. I considered that point with great care, and "cannot help thinking still that my opinion was well founded. I shall consult the authorities to which I refer; for when my sen"timents differ from yours, I have some reason to mistrust them. "Your chapter concerning the pastoral nations is admirable; “and though I hold myself to be a tolerably good general histo“ rian, a great part of it was new to me. As soon as I have leisure I propose to trace you to your sources of information, and I "have no doubt of finding you as exact there, as I have found "you in other passages where I have made a scrutiny. It was always my idea that an historian should feel himself a witness "giving evidence upon oath. I am glad to perceive by your “minute scrupulosity, that your notions are the same. Farewell "my dear Sir. I ever am yours most faithfully.

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"WILLIAM ROBERTSON."

Dr. Adam Smith addressed to Mr. Gibbon the following note: "EDINBURGH, December 10th, 1788. "MY DEAR FRIEND: I have ten thousand apologies to make, "for not having long ago returned you my best thanks for the very agreeable present you made me of the three last volumes of your History. I cannot express to you the pleasure it gives "me to find, that by the universal assent of every man of taste " and learning, whom I either know or correspond with, it sets you at the very head of the whole literary tribe at present existing in Europe. I ever am, my dear friend, most affectionately ADAM SMITH." Extract from a letter to Mr. Gibbon by Sir William Jones: "LAMB'S BUILDINGS, June 30th, 1781. “Dear Sir: I have more than once sought, without having 'been so fortunate as to obtain, a proper opportunity of thanking you very sincerely for the elegant compliment which you pay me, in a work abounding in elegance of all kinds.

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yours.

་་