I EARLY LIFE 25 



Hume has been accused of departing, in his old 

 age, from the liberal principles of his youth ; and, 

 no doubt, he was careful, in the later editions of 

 the " Essays," to expunge everything that savoured 

 of democratic tendencies. But the passage just 

 quoted shows that this was no recantation, but 

 simply a confirmation, by his experience of one of 

 the most debased periods of English history, of 

 those evil tendencies attendant on popular govern- 

 ment, of which, from the first, he was fully aware. 



In the ninth essay, " On the Parties of Great 

 Britain," there occurs a passage which, while it 

 affords evidence of the marvellous change which 

 has taken place in the social condition of Scotland 

 since 1741, contains an assertion respecting the 

 state of the Jacobite party at that time, which at 

 first seems surprising : 



" As violent things have not commonly so long a duration as 

 moderate, we actually find that the Jacobite party is almost 

 entirely vanished from among us, and that the distinction of 

 Court and Country, which is but creeping in at London, is the 

 only one that is ever mentioned in this kingdom. Beside the 

 violence and openness of the Jacobite party, another reason has 

 perhaps contributed to produce so sudden and so visible an 

 alteration in this part of Britain. There are only two ranks of 

 men among us ; gentlemen who have some fortune and educa- 

 tion, and the meanest slaving poor ; without any considerable 

 number of that middling rank of men, which abound more 

 in England, both in cities and in the country, than in any other 

 part of the world. The slaving poor are incapable of any 

 principles ; gentlemen may be converted to true principles, 

 by time and experience. The middling rank of men have 

 curiosity and knowledge enough to form principles, but not 



