HUME. 197 



press. He afterwards distributed it into separate 

 ' Essays/ which, with additions, he published in 1742, 

 and it had more success. 



After his first publication he retired to his bro- 

 ther's house, and lived so happily there among his 

 books that he afterwards says, in a letter to Dr. Robert- 

 son, that he should never have left it, had not his 

 brother's marriage made a change in the family. 

 Although he appears to have felt much more and 

 much earlier than Robertson the love of literary fame, 

 his first work having been published when he was only 

 26, while the ' History of Scotland ' only appeared in 

 the author's 38th year, yet manifestly the same love of 

 literary pursuits for their own sake, the desire of 

 knowledge, the indulgence of a speculative turn, and 

 meditating on the events of past times and on the sys- 

 tems of former inquirers, appears to have been the 

 mainspring of both their movements ; and Hume was 

 happy in being allowed to gratify these strong pro- 

 pensities of his nature. 



The last Marquess of Annandale was a person of 

 weak intellect. Though neither insane nor idiotic, he 

 required the company of a friend, as his imbecility ex- 

 cluded him from society, and he was not ill enough to 

 require the care of a keeper. Mr. Hume, in 1745, ac- 

 cepted this situation, as a large salary was very natu- 

 rally given to induce him. But after a year's resi- 

 dence, finding, as we see from the late publication of 

 some querulous letters very little like his ordinary cor- 

 respondence, that he could no longer submit to such a 

 life, he left this occupation, and was fortunate enough to 

 receive an invitation immediately after of a very different 



