HUME. 249 



against my will to write also to such of my friends as had credit 

 with that favourite, Oswald, Elliot, Sir Harry Erskine, and 

 John Hume of Douglas. The King has promised that my 

 Lord Hertford shall soon be satisfied in this particular ; and 

 yet I know not how, I suspect that some obstacle will yet in- 

 terpose, though nothing can be more scandalous than for a 

 man to enjoy the revenue of an office which is exercised by 

 another. Mr. Bunbury has great interest, being married to 

 a sister of the Duke of Richmond, and sister-in-law to Lord 

 Holland. The appointments of this office are above WOOL 

 a- year, and the expense attending it nothing ; and it leads to 

 all the great employments. I wait the issue with patience, 

 and even with indifference. At my years, and with my for- 

 tune, a man with a little common sense, without philosophy, 

 may be indifferent about what happens. 



" I am, dear Edmonstone, 



" Yours sincerely, 



" DAVID HUME." 



The following fac-simile extracts from the MS. of the ' His- 

 tory' prove two things : First, that Hume carefully composed 

 and diligently corrected his composition; but secondly, that 

 the finer passages having more occupied his attention, he had, 

 before committing them to paper, more attentively elaborated 

 and more nearly finished them. The characters of Alfred 

 and of Edward III. are of this description, so is the earlier 

 part of the magnificent description of the Romish Interdict's 

 operation. The MS. of the * Dialogues ' affords an example of 

 his repeated correction in his more ordinary passages. In the 

 second edition of his works he again and again corrected ; and 

 even his familiar letters appear to have been laboured with 

 similar care : 



merit in private 



" The porsonal be character of this Prince, both personal 



life, 

 & public A may with advantage be set in opposition to 



that which that of any Monarch or citizen, which the Annals 



