A

LETTER, &c.

SIR,

OU have been lately employed a

You

in embalming a philofopher; his body, I believe I must say; for concerning the other part of him, neither you nor he seem to have entertained an idea, fleeping or waking. Elfe, it furely might have claimed a little of your care and attention; and one would think, the belief of the foul's existence and immortality could do no harm, if it did no good, in a Theory of Moral Sentiments. But every gentleman understands his own bufiness best.

Will you do an unknown correfpondent the honour, Sir, to accept a few plain remarks, in a free and easy way, upon the curious letter to Mr. STRAHAN, in which this ever memorable operation of embalming is performed? Our Philofopher's account of his own life will likewife be confidered, as we go along.

Trust me, good Doctor, I am no bigot, enthusiasft, or enemy to human learning-Et ego in Arcadia-I have made many a hearty meal, in private, upon CICERO and VIRGIL, as well as Mr. HUME.* Few perfons (though, perhaps, as Mr. HUME fays, upon a like occafion, I ought not "to judge on that fubject") have a quicker relish for the productions of genius, and the beauties of compofi

LIFE, P. 5.

tion. It is therefore as little in my intention, as it is in my power, to prejudice the literary character of your friend. From fome of his writings I have received great pleasure, and have ever esteemed his Hiftory of England to have been a noble effort of Matter and Motion. But when a man takes it into his head to do mif. chief, you must be fenfible, Sir, the Public has always reafon to lament his being a clever fellow.

I hope it will not be deemed vanity in me likewife to fay, that I have in my compofition a large portion of that, which our inimitable SHAKESPEARE ftyles, the milk of human kindness. I never knew what envy or hatred was; and am ready, at all times, to praise, wherever I can do it, in honour and confcience. DAVID, I b

doubt not, was, as you affirm, a focial agreeable perfon, of a convivial turn, told a good ftory, and played well at "his favourite game of whift*.' I know not that JOHN THE PAINTER did the fame. But there is no abfurdity in the fuppofition. If he did not, he might have done it-Doctor, be not offended-I mean no harm. I would only infer thus much, that I could not, on that account, bring myself absolutely to approve his odd fancy of firing all the dock-yards in the kingdom.

Concerning the philofophical opinions of Mr. HUME you obferve, † that "men will, no doubt, judge vari

oufly." They are certainly at li berty fo to do, because the author himself did the fame. Sometimes, to

LIFE, &c. p. 43. † LIFE, &c. p. 59.

be fure, he esteemed them ingenious, deep, fubtile, elegant, and calculated to diffuse his literary fame to the ends of the world. But, at other times, he judged very differently; very much fo, indeed. "I dine, fays he, I play a game at back-gammon, I converse, "and am merry with my friends; and

when, after three or four hours "amufement, I would return to thefe fpeculations, they appear fo cold, "fo ftrained, and fo ridiculous, that I "cannot find in my heart to enter "into them any farther." * "* Now, Sir, if you will only give me leave to judge, before dinner, of Mr. HUME's philofophy, as he judged of

* Treatife of Human Nature. I. 467. In the Poftcript to this Letter, a view will be exhi bited of the HUMIAN fyftem, taken exactly as it appeared to it's author at fix o'clock in the evening.