274 ROBERTSON. 



near the historical summit of Parnassus, immediately 

 under Dr. Smollett,* and you have the impudence to 

 squeeze yourself past me, and place yourself directly un- 

 der his feet! Do you imagine that this can be agree- 

 able to me ? and must not I be guilty of great simpli- 

 city to contribute by my endeavours to your thrusting 

 me out of my place both at Paris and in London ? 

 But I give you warning that you will find the matter 

 somewhat difficult, at least in the former city. A 

 friend of mine who is there, writes home to his father 

 the strangest accounts of that kind, which my modesty 

 will not allow me to repeat, but which it allowed me 

 very deliciously to swallow." 



Just before the ' History ' was published, the author 

 visited London for the first time ; and his merit hav- 

 ing been made known to some persons of eminence 

 and of good taste, who had been allowed to peruse por- 

 tions, at least, of the proof sheets, his reception was of 

 a distinguished kind. I have now before me some letters 

 of his to his bosom friend, and steady coadjutor in 

 ecclesiastical politics, Dr. Jardine, and it is pleasing 

 to mark the natural expression of his satisfaction with 

 his visit. 



The first letter which I shall give begins with 

 a good deal of narrative upon the success of John 

 Home's c Agis/ At that time the violence and folly of 

 the fanatical party made the subject of this elegant 

 and amiable writer's dramas doubly interesting to his 

 friends. The tragedy, so successful at first, chiefly be- 



* He of course had the lowest opinion of this writer's parts as 

 an historian. 



