192 HUME viii 



rather than place them in virtue and good morals. The 

 sublime prologue of Zaleucus' laws inspired not the Locri- 

 ans, so far as we can learn, with any sounder notions of the 

 measures of acceptance with the deity, than were familiar 

 to the other Greeks." (IV. p. 505.) 



It has been remarked that Hume's writings are 

 singularly devoid of local colour; of allusions to 

 the scenes with which he was familiar,, and to the 

 people from whom he sprang. Yet, surely, the 

 Lowlands of Scotland were more in his thoughts 

 that the Zephyrean promontory, and the hard 

 visage of John Knox peered from behind the 

 mask of Zaleucus, when this passage left his pen. 

 Nay, might not an acute German critic discern 

 therein a reminiscence of that eminently Scottish 

 institution, a " Holy Fair"? where, as Hume's 

 young contemporary sings: 



" . . . opens out his cauld harangues 



On practice and on morals ; 

 An' an the godly pour in thrangs 

 To gie the jars and barrels 

 A lift that day. 



"What signifies his barren shine 

 Of moral powers and reason ? 

 His English style and gesture fine 



Are a' clean out of season. 

 Like Socrates or Antonine, 



Or some auld pagan heathen, 



The moral man he does define, 



But ne'er a word o' faith in 



That's right that day." * 



* Burns published the Holy Fair only ten years after 

 Hume's death. 



