1796. | Oricinal Letters between Doétors Birch and Robertfin. 563 
_Lerrers BETWEEN Dr. Bracu anp 
Dr, W. ROBERTSON, RELATIVE TO 
THE HIsTORIES OF SCOTLAND, 
AND OF CHARLES V. 
Jo Dr. BIRCH. 
Reverend fir 
HOUGH I have not the good fortune 
* to be known to you perfonally, I am 
fo happy as to be no itranger to your 
writings, to which I have been indebted 
for much ufeful inftruétion. And as I 
have heard from my friends Sir David 
Dairymple and Mr. Davidfon, that your 
difpofition to oblige was equal to your 
knowledge, | now prefume to write to 
you and to afk your affiftance without any 
apology. 
I have been engaged for fome time in 
writing the hiflory of Scotland from the 
death of James V to theacceffion of James 
WI to the throne of England. My 
chief objet is to adorn (as far as I am 
capable of adorning) the hiftory of a 
piriod, which on account of the greatnefs 
of the events, and their clofe conneétion 
with the tranfaétions in England deferves 
to be better known. But as elegance of 
Compofition, even where a Writer can 
attain that, is but a trivial merit without 
hiftorical truth and accuracy, and as the 
prejudices and rage of factions, both re- 
livious and political, have rendered al- 
moft every faét, in the period which I 
ave cholen, a matter cf doubt or of con- 
troverfy, I have therefore taken all the 
pains in my power to examine the evi- 
dence on both fides with exaétnels. You 
know how copious the Materia Hi/frorica 
in this period 1s. Befides all the com- 
mon Hiftorians and printed collections of 
papers, I have confulted feveral Manu- 
{cripts which are to be found in this 
country. Jam perfuaded that there are 
ftill many manufcripts worth my feeing 
to be met with in England, and for that 
teafon I propofe to pafs fome time in 
London. this Winter. JI am impatient 
however to know what difcoverys of this 
kind I may expeét, and what are the trea- 
fures before me, and with regard to this 
I beg leave to confult you. 
‘T was afraid for fome time that Dr. 
Forbes’s Colleétions had been loft upon 
his death, but I am glad to find by your 
Memoirs that they are in the poffelfion of 
Mr. Yorke. I fce likewife that the De- 
peches de Beaumont are in the handé of the 
fame Gentleman. But I have no oppor- 
tunity of confulting your Memoirs at 
prefent, and I cannot remember whe- 
ther the Depeches de Fenelon be till pre- 
ferved or not. I fee that Carte has made 
a great ufe of them in a very bufy period 
from 1563 to1576. I knowthe ftrength 
of Gurte’s prejudices fo well that I dare 
fay many things may be found there 
that he could not fee, or would not pub- 
lif, May I beg the favour, of you to 
lec me know whether Fenelon’s papers 
be yet extant and acceflible, and to 
~ give-me fome general idea of what Dr. 
Forbes’s Colle€tions contain with regard 
to Scotland, and whether the papers they 
confift of are different froin thofe pub- 
lithed by Haynes, Anderfon, &c. lam 
far from defiring that you thould enter 
into any detail, that would be trouble- 
fome to you, but fome fhort hint of the 
nature of thefe Colleétions would be ex- 
tremely fatisfying to my curiofity, and I 
fhall efteem ita great obligation laid upon 
me. 
I have brought my Work almoft to a 
conclufion. If you would be fo good as 
to fuggeft any thing that you thought 
ufeful tor me to know, cr to examine 
into I thall receive your dire€tions with 
great re{pect and gratitude. 
~ I am with fincere efleem 
Rev? Sir Y' m. ob. & m.h. St 
Gladfinuty Wm. ROBERTSON, 
19 Sept, 1747. 
Fo Dr. Brreu. 
Dear Sir, 
IF Thad not confidered a letter of mere 
compliment as an impertinent inter- 
ruption to one who 1s fo bufy as you com- 
monly are, I would long before this, 
have made my acknowledgments to you 
for the civilities which you was fo good 
as to fhew me while I was .in London. 
Ishad not only a proof of your obliging 
difpofition but 1 reaped the good cilcéts 
Or Tt. Eviedamuniair 
‘The papers to which I got accefs by 
your means, efpecially thofe from Lord 
Royiton have rendered my work more per- 
feét rhan it could haye otherwife been. My 
Huttory is now ready for publication, and 
I have defired Mr, Millar to fend you a 
large paper copy of itin my name, which 
eg you may accept as a teftimony of 
my regard and of my gratitude. He will 
hikewite tranfmit to you another copy 
“which ~ muft imtreat you-to prefent to 
my Lord Royfton, with fuch acknow- 
ledgments of his favours toward me, as 
are proper for me to make. I have 
printed a fhort appendix of original pa- 
pers. You will obferve that there are 
Ay A feveral 

