824 



HUME HUMMING-BIRD. 



upon Human Nature originated from its too dry and 

 systematic form, he cast the first part of the work 

 anew, and caused it to be published, while he was 

 Abroad, with the title of an Inquiry concerning the 

 Human Understanding. It, however, attracted very 

 little more notice titan at first, and, on his return the 

 author retired to Scotland, where he resided two 

 years. In 1751, he repaired to the metropolis, where, 

 in the next year, he published his Political Discourses, 

 which were at once well received. Nearly about the 

 same time, appeared his Inquiry concerning the 

 Principles of Morals a work that he himself deems 

 " incomparably his best," but which met with but 

 little attention. In 1752, he obtained the appoint- 

 ment of librarian to the faculty of advocates at Edin- 

 burgh, which, by affording him the command of a 

 large and curious collection of books, seems to have 

 inspired him with the idea of writing history. The 

 History of England, under the House of Stuart, of 

 which a quarto volume appeared in 1754, to use his 

 own language, was received " with one cry of re- 

 proach, disapprobation, and even detestation." He 

 attributes tltts reception to his favourable treatment 

 of Cliarles I. and lord Stratford, but it was much 

 more owing to his equally contemptuous mention of 

 the opposing religious parties ; which, as far as they 

 were sincerely actuated by their opinions, he regards 

 as little more than votaries of superstition on the one 

 side, and of enthusiasm on the other. The work was 

 therefore not only decried, but neglected ; and, had 

 not a war broken out between the two countries, the 

 author would have again retired to France. His con- 

 stitutional equanimity, however, gradually prevailed, 

 and he resolvtd to proceed in his task ; in the mean 

 time, he published his Natural History of Religion, 

 and other pieces, the first of which was answered by 

 Warburton, in the name of doctor Hurd. In 1756, 

 he published the second volume of his history, which 

 embraced the period from Charles II. to the revolu- 

 tion, and was comparatively well received. He now 

 resolved to take a wider range, and, in 1759, pub- 

 lished his History of the House of Tudor, which ex- 

 cited almost as much clamour against him as his first 

 volume. His reputation as a historian, however, 

 gradually increased, and he was encouraged to com- 

 plete his work from the earliest period, which he 

 accomplished, in two additional volumes, in 1761 ; 

 and his History of England became thenceforth a 

 standard book. Although free from the narrow 

 partialities and prejudices which so frequently influ- 

 ence national historians, and enlarged and philoso- 

 phical in his general views of events and characters, 

 his researches into the origin and progress of the 

 English constitution are wanting both in depth and 

 accuracy. He has too sweepingly regarded the 

 liberty of the country as of modern date, and the 

 mere result of concessions from the sovereign, and 

 has sometimes even coloured facts to support that 

 conclusion. His predilection for the house of Stuart 

 has also made him somewhat unfair to that of Tudor, 

 and still more to the real patriotism of the motives of 

 many of those who sought to curb the high preten- 

 sions and baleful extent of prerogative so imprudently 

 claimed by that unhappy family. With every 

 abatement, however, his reputation stands high, and, 

 aided by his clear style, which although sometimes 

 incorrect, and exhibiting Gallicisms, is frequently 

 eloquent, and always agreeable, will probably 

 remain so. The copy money received for his History, 

 added to a considerable pension obtained from the 

 crown by the interest of lord Bute, finally secured 

 him independence, and he was about to retire from 

 his native country, when he was invited by the earl 

 of Hertford, then proceeding as ambassador to Paris, 

 to attend him, with a view of ultimately becoming 



the secretary of the embassy. He accordingly ac- 

 companied that nobleman to France, and received the 

 expected appointment. He was also farther grati- 

 fied by a most enthusiastic reception in the Pari'shui 

 circles, in his character of historian and philosopher. 

 He remained charge d'affaires, after the departure 

 of lord Hertford, in 1756* and returned to England in 

 1766, accompanied by Jean Jacques Rousseau, to 

 whom he behaved with a delicacy and generosity 

 which that eccentric person repaid with his usual 

 ingratitude and suspicion. Mr Hume, in 1767, 

 became under secretary of state, under general Con- 

 way, which post he held until the resignation of that 

 minister, in 1769. He then finally retired to Edin- 

 burgh ; and having, by this time, realized a thousand 

 per annum, he drew round him a chosen set of suita- 

 ble associates, among whom he lived, generally 

 admired and respected. He died Aug. 25, 1776, in 

 the sixty-fifth year of his age. Doctor Adam Smith 

 depictures him as charitable, generous, urbane, and 

 possessed of a degree of gayety and good humour 

 which is seldom attendant on students so persevering 

 as Mr Hume. This temper even evinced itself on 

 his death-bed, and it will be as difficult to deny the 

 high personal moral claims of this writer, favoured 

 as he was with the rare talent of self-command, as 

 the vigour and acuteness of his intellect. He doubt- 

 less takes the lead among modern philosophical 

 sceptics, and, while open to the objections to which 

 that system of philosophizing will ever be liable, he 

 must be allowed to have upheld it with distinguished 

 ability. 



HUMMING-BIRD (trochilus). These beautiful 

 birds, which may be termed the gems of animated 

 nature, are peculiar to America, and almost exclu- 

 sively tropical. They are distinguished by their long 

 and slender bill, and attenuated and retractile tongue 

 which is divided into two filaments from the middle 

 to the tip. They feed on honey, though they are 

 also insectivorous. Their flight is extremely rapid, 

 and, whilst feeding, they remain poised in the air by 

 means of the horizontal motion of their wings, which 

 produces a humming noise, whence their common 

 name is derived. The genus trochilus is very exten- 

 sive. There is, however, only one species in the 

 United States, the T. colubris, belonging to the 

 subgenus mellisuga (Bris.), or those having straight 

 bills. This well known and splendid little bird arrives 

 in Pennsylvania towards the end of April, and begins 

 to build its nest early in May. This is usually fixed 

 on the upper side of a horizontal branch, seldom above 

 ten feet from the ground. It is hemispherical, and 

 about an inch in diameter, lined with vegetable down, 

 and covered externally with lichen. The female 

 lays two eggs of a white colour. The humming- 

 bird is very fond of tubular flowers, particularly 

 those of the trumpet vine. When he alights, he 

 always prefers the small dead twigs of a tree or bush, 

 where he dresses and arranges his plumage with great 

 dexterity. His only note is a single chirp, not louder 

 than that of a cricket. The humming-bird is very 

 irascible, two males scarcely ever meeting without a 

 contest ensuing. They will also attack birds of a 

 much larger size, as wrens or king-birds, and some- 

 times have contests for a favourite flower with the hum- 

 ble-bee . From the beauty of this bird, many attempts 

 have been made to domesticate them, but unsuccess- 

 fully, though they have been kept from three to four 

 months with attention. They are exceedingly suscepti- 

 ble of cold, and droop and die when deprived of the 

 animating influence of the sun's rays. There is every 

 reason to believe that insects form no inconsiderable 

 portion of their food. They begin to retire south in 

 September, and, in November, take refuge, for the 

 winter, in Florida. The common humming-bird is 





