, 
’ 
: 

3997+) 
_the whole fabric into ruins. 
authors. Hume, in the mean time, arofe ; 
and, upon the difputatious f{pirit of a Scot- 
tifh lawyer, ingrafting the metaphyfics of 
Locke and Berkley with the morality and 
the religion of Hobées, purfued the re. 
ceived metaphyfical doctrines into confe- 
quences neceflarily refulting from them, 
but of which the abfurdity was to drag 
Turning 
from metaphyfics to Aiffory, he here fo 
well combined the moderate Tory with the 
innovating, fceptical philofopber, and with 
the artful, cool, infinuating advocate for 
a party, as to obtain a decifive preference 
- with all but the moft furious Whigs, and 
the moft high-flying Tories, over every 
former hiftorian of the fame train of 
tranfaétions andevents. In his hiftorical 
ftyle, the mafly flrength of Clarendon 
was joined to the eafy flow of Burzei, 
with a correétnefs which neither of thefe 
his mafters had difplayed; and this rich 
tiffue was embroidered, but not too pro- 
fufely, with the fplendid eloquence of 
Bolingbroke and Sodaficfbury, and — be- 
~{pangled here and there with the ‘gems, 
the ardentia verba, of Montefguieu and 
Voltaire. Attending that f{ceptical philo- 
fophy which he had:chofen for his guide, 
into the provinces of public aconomy and 
of general jurifprudence ; and ftill ambi- 
tious rather of the praife of an invinci- 
ble’ difputant, and an inexhanftible in- 
ventor of paradoxes, than of that of a 
~ true philofopher, deftined to enlarge the 
empire of ufeful knowledge, by real, in- 
controyertible difcoveries ; he, in thefe 
provinces alfo, diftinguifhed himfelf, 
fometimes by fpecioufly maintaining un- 
mixed error, fometimes by fortunately 
éfpoufing, without any fond predilection 
for its excellence, even new, important, 
elementary truth. Tn fubtlety, in re- 
finement, in a fkilful choice as to ftyle of 
the happy. medium between feeble, in- 
fipid fimplicity, and cumbrous decora- 
tion, David Hume was, perhaps, without 
a rival; but his underftanding was alto- 
gether incapable cf that more than hu- 
man intuition, which, has been, in fome 
inflances, known to feize and difplay 
hidden truths, with the mighty energy 
of that lightning’s flath which Homer 
defcribes as having fuddenly illumed the 
regions of the dead, and made‘even Pluto 
tremble on his throne: but he kuew 
not thofe artifices of compofition ; he was 
“Uuninfpired with that rapturous’glow of 
* Imagination ; his foul was a ftranger alike 
to that trembling delicacy, and to that 
impetuous ardour of paflion, which can 
*alone enable’ a writer to enchain the at- 
ww - 
. Progrefs of Literature ia Scotland. 
359 
tention of every reader to his page, to 
kindle up all the tumult of the patiions 
in the human breaft, and to charm’ the 
fancy, even as the adder’s eye is faid to 
fafcinate that of the little Auttering bird 
which is to become its prey. 
BLaAirR, a clergyman and father to the 
prefent folicitor-general for Scotland, 
wrote, about the fame time, that admira- 
ble little poem, the GRAVE 5 in which 
tendernefs, and a fublimiry allied to the 
tender, and, at times, to the terrible, are 
happily affociated with fome ef the moft 
interefting doctrines of theology, and with 
fome of the moft pleafing and impreffive 
truths of morality. Not one Hume alone, 
but a conftellation of perfons of this 
re{pectable name, was to win to Scot- 
land, new literary and fcientific honours, 
Joun Home, who fucceeded the author 
of the GRAVE, a3 minifer of the parifh of 
Athelfianeford, was, like his predeceffor, 
a poet. In that fituation, he wrote his 
tragedy of DOUGLAS; imitating, In its 
flyle, the models of Rowe and Thom- 
Yon ;——in the fable, the charaéters, and 
the involution of the plot, the MeE- 
ROPE of Voltaire; but with great judg- 
ment, choofing his fcene at home, and 
drawing his leading charaéters, manners, 
and allufions, from the ancient Scottifh 
Hiftory. Its fuccefs on the ;ftage, and 
from the prefs, the patronage it. procured 
to its author, and the popularity which 
it ftill retains, are fufficiently knowa. 
It is alfo true, that Fobn Home, as if 
inftantly after finifhing Douglas, he had 
loft the talifman by the magic power of 
which he produced this charming diama, 
has never fince be able to offer aught to 
the public that could detain their notice ! 
Henry Home, Lord KaIMEs, was 
another illuftrious ornament of his coun- 
try, during the fame period. On Furi/- 
prudence, on Agriculture; on Criticifm, on 
the Metapbyfics of theology and mora- 
lity, on Education, Kaimes has written 
with ingenuity, fprightlinefs, and infor- 
mation. He was ambitious to diftinguifh 
himfelf as an acute and learned lawyer. 
He afpired to the praife of an efprit fort, a 
philofopher, an elegant writer: he was, 
in his heart, a fincere and ardent patriot, 
defirous to cultivate and diffeminate alt 
knowledge, by which he believed that 
his country might be truly benefited. 
‘The mind of KaIMEs appears to: have 
been much lefs thoroughly impregnated 
with learning and fcience, than was that 
of David Hume. He is always: much 
more fuperficial, much lefs entirely maf- 
ter of his fubjec&i. Burt, it is evident, 
thar 

