HUME. 227 



While Mr. Hume lived in Paris, he was applied to by 

 some friends of Rousseau, who had become tired of his 

 fantastic plans of solitude in Switzerland, and who was 

 doubtful of his reception in French society, as others 

 naturally were of his power to demean himself so as 

 to make himself bearable in it ; and intending shortly 

 to remove from France, and settle in England, he ex- 

 pressed his readiness to take charge of the "interest- 

 ing solitary," as he was called, whose writings he ad- 

 mired in common with the rest of the world. He 

 wrote to Rousseau, and offered to take him over to 

 England ; the offer was immediately accepted, with the 

 warmest expressions of gratitude. He came to Paris, on 

 a permission of the Government to pass through France, 

 notwithstanding the decree of arrest still in force against 

 him. On his arrival, in December, 1765, he chose to 

 parade himself daily in the neighbourhood of his hotel, 

 in his ridiculous Armenian dress. The insolence of 

 this proceeding in a person only by sufferance at large, 

 made the police intimate that he must leave the coun- 

 try ; and he accompanied Mr. Hume to London, at the 

 beginning of January. He does not deny that he was 



talents for public business, certainly in perfect ignorance of the sub- 

 ject. After saying that it would be superfluous to inquire in what 

 manner he executed the duties of his office as Under Secretary, 

 he adds, ll Certain it is that the state papers of those times evince 

 no extraordinary marks of splendid abilities " (Ritchie's Life of 

 Hume, p. 281) ; as if the Under Secretary of State had any con- 

 nexion with these papers or as if this writer had carefully exa- 

 mined them, when he had just said the inquiry would be super- 

 fluous ! But he who so discharged the similar nay, the same duties 

 of Ambassador, must have acted with equal ability as Foreign Under 

 Secretary. 



Q2 



