HUME. 223 



.as Franklin was at a later period, when his name was 

 given to articles of fashionable attire. One of his let- 

 ters gives an amusing account of the Dauphin, after- 

 wards Louis XVI., then a child, having paid him 

 court at his presentation, by speaking familiarly of his 

 works, and of his younger brother, afterwards Louis 

 XVIIL, having followed in the same complimentary 

 strain. The charms, however, of such society as 

 Paris then presented, the elegance of the manners, 

 the easy good humour of the inhabitants, the freedom 

 from all coarse dissipation, and, above all, from fac- 

 tious brawls, naturally made a pleasing contrast with 

 that which he had left behind him at home. There 

 certainly was nothing in this country more alien to 

 his nature, and less suited to his taste, than our poli- 

 tical violence ; and the intolerance of our religious 

 feelings, as well as the rudeness of our manners, he 

 had some right to complain of, when a man like Dr. 

 Johnson could be found to roar out " No, Sir !" in his 

 presence, on being asked by a common friend to let 

 him present the Historian to the Moralist. Upon a 

 subsequent occasion the same intolerant believer be- 

 haved with personal insolence and vulgar rudeness to 

 Dr. Smith,* as good a Christian as himself, and a man 

 of purer moral life, merely because he had, while 

 afflicted with Mr. Hume's recent death, vented his 

 grief in a touching panegyric upon his undoubtedly 

 profound wisdom, and his virtue free from all re- 



* Mr. Smith came to a company, of which Professor Millar, the 

 relater of the fact, was one, and seemed to be much disturbed. It 

 turned out that Dr. Johnson had just said to him, before another 

 company, with great rudeness, " You lie.' 1 



