(404. 
«€ DEAR SIR, - 
«¢T am greatly obliged to you for your 
kind letter of the roth. I had not the 
Jeaft imagination that the paflage in the 
Critical Review was Dr. Smollett’s.— 
When Mr. Millar mentioned it to me, in 
amanner very favourable to both, I had 
mot heard of 1.3; to this hour I have not 
feen it. ‘The author of it, whcever he be, 
is very welcome to cenfure -what I have 
written. But, perhaps, he would have 
forborne the uncalled-for and unprovoked 
temptation, had he confidered tiat pro- 
lixity, length at leait, cannot be avoided 
in letters written to the moments. Iwith 
he would try his hand at that fort of 
writing. 
“‘Tam no lefs obliged to you, good 
Sir, for your taking fo kindly the little 
hint I prefumed to offer on a plan I was 
very much pleafed with, and which I 
wifhed to be followed, as to the main of 
it, by any gentleman who fhould be in- 
duced to undertake the writing of a new 
Hiftory of England. [ had not offered 
thefe poor and infignificant hints, had I 
not been greatly taken with your plan. 
«¢ T repeatedly thank you, Sir, for the 
whole of your very kind letter, and am, 
with wifhes for your fuceefs in every un- 
dertaking, as weilas in that before us, 
«* Your obliged, an 
« Faithful humble Servant, 
* S. RICHARDSON.” 
S¢ London, Augu/? 13, 1756. 
“© Ja Dr. Smollett.”’ 
«6 MY DEAR SIR, 
“I did not fee your friend Captain 
Stobo till the day before I left Cirencefer, 
and only for a little time: but he feemed 
to bea man of good fenfe, and has furely 
had the moft extraordinary adventures in 
the world. He has promifed to call on 
me when he comes to London, and I fnall 
always fee him with pleafure. 
** But what is this you tell me of your 
perpetual exile, and of your never re- 
turning to this country? I hope that this 
idea arcfe from the bad ftate of your 
health ; it will vanifh on your recovery, 
which, from ycur paft experience, you 
may expect from thofe happier climates 
to which you are retiring: after which 
the defire of revifiting your native coun- 
try will probably, return upon you; 
unlefs the fuperior cheapnefs of foreign 
‘countries prove an obftacle, and detain 
youthere. I could wifh that»means had 
been -failen on to remove this objection ; 
and that, at leaft, it might be equal to 
you to live any where, except when the 
Extradis from the Port-folio of a Man of Letters. [June ty 
confideration of your health pave the pres 
ference to one climate above another. 
But the indifference of minifers towards 
literature, which has been long, and, in- 
deed, almoft always the cafe in England, 
gives little profpeét of any alteration in 
this particular, _ by sued 
“ Tam fenfible of your great partia- 
lity, in the good opinion you exprefs to- 
wards me: but it gives me no le{s plea- 
fure than if it were founded on the great- 
ef truth; for I accept it asa pledge of 
your good-will and friendfhip. J with an 
opportunity of fhewing my fenfe of it 
may prefent itfelf during your abfence. 
Taflure you I fhould embrace it with 
great alacrity; and you, need have no 
icruple on every occafion of having re- 
courfe to me. 
‘¢ T am, my dear Sir,. 
«¢ With great efleem and fincerity, 
«© Your moft obedient 
«* And moft humble Servant, 
“* Davip Hume.” 
“© Ragley, September 21,1768. < 
“© Jo Dr. Smollett.” 
‘¢ Edinburgh, March 14, 1768. 
DEAR SIR, ; 
*« That evil is perpetually infinuating 
itfelf into the bek enjoyments of man, is 
an old reflection; but every day adds fome 
additional evidence to the truth of it. 
“‘ T have juft publifhed an account of 
Corfica. 
from many diftinguifhed men; and what 
my enthufiaftic foul prizes ftill more, I> 
have interefted many a Britifh bofom 
bebalf of the brave Corficans. | 
“« I therefore hoped to enjoy one por- 
tion of unmingled felicity ; and I did en- 
joy it till yefterday, that I was told by 
Mr. Douglas, of Douglas, who is juft 
come from London, that he under ood 
Dr, Smoilett bad taken amifs what I have 
faid of himin my book. 
«‘ Allow me to aflure you, Sir, that 
in 
you have no reafon to be offended with 
me. In page 12* of my pr<face, I fay, 
that the error with refpect to Paoli’s age 
has found its way into your Hiftory, by 
which I meant to fhew how very obfeure 
the Corficans have hitherto been: and in 
pages 124} and 125 of the account, Peb- 
ferve, that an oath which was generally 
believed tobe genuine was admitted into 
your Hifory,. but that Paoli aflured me it 
was a fiction; by which I mean te cor- 
ret a miftake, wihout impeaching the 
ee ee 
* Page 16, of Preface of third edition, 
} Page 153, of third edition, : e. 
author ; 
I have seceived great applaufe 
*\ 
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