Hume

Concise and Genuine Account

BI4dS

C74

. ^^

A

CO N C I S E andGEKUINE

A Ct C O U

OFT

. I S P U T

E

B E T W E E X

RUME and Mr. ROUSSEAU:

WITH T H E

LETTERS

That paffed between them during their Controversy.

as ALSO,

The LETTERS of the Hon. Mr. Walpole, and Mr. D'Alembert, relative td this extra- ordinary Affair.

Tranflated from the French.

m LONDON:

"Printed for T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, near Surry-ftreet, in the Strand.

MDCCLXVI.

L6

£<

K

T~

• ••

112

ADVERTISEMENT

Of the French Editors.

THE name and writings of Mr. Hume have been long fince well known

-Qjghout Europe. At the fame time, his

rfonal acquaintance have remarked, in the candour and fimplicity of his manners, that impartiality and ingenuoufnefs of dif- pofition which diftinguifties his character, and is fufficiently indicated in his writings.

He hath exerted thofe great talents he re- ceived from nature, and the acquifitions he made by fludy, in the fearch of truth, and promoting the good of mankind : never wafting his time, or facrificing his repofe, in literary or perfonal difputes. He hath feen his writings frequently cenfured with bitternefs, by fanaticifm, ignorance, and the fpirit of party, without ever giving an an- fwer to his adverfaries.

Even thofe who have attacked his works with the greateft violence, have always re- fpecled his perfonal character. His love of peace is fo well known, that the criticifms written againft his piece3, have been often A 2 brought

jv ADVERTISEMENT.

brought him by their refpective authors, for him to revile and correct them. At one time, in particular, a performance of this kind was ihewn to him ; in which he had been treat- ed in a very rude and even injurious manner; on remarking which to the author, the latter ft ruck out the exceptionable paffages; bluih' ing, and wondering at the force of that polemic 'i fpirit which had carried him imperceptibly i away beyond the bounds of truth and decency

It was with great reluctance that a iaar v pofTefTed of fuch pacific difpofitions, cou be brought to confent to the publication ox the following piece. Fie was very fenfibie that the quarrels among men of letters are a fcandal to philofophy ; nor was any perfon in the world lefs formed for giving occafion to a fcandal, fo confolatory to blockheads. But the circumftances were fuch as to draw him into it, in fpite of his inclinations.

All the world knows that Mr. RoufFeau, profcribed in almofr. every country where he refided, determined at length to take re- fuoe in England ; and that Mr. Hume, af- t '. :ied by his iituation, and his misfortunes, undertcck to bring him over, and to pro- vide for him a peaceful, fafe, and conve- nient aiylum. But very few perfons are privy to the zeal, activity, and even deli- cacy, with which Mr. Hume conferred this act of benevolence j what an affectionate 2 attach-

ADVERTISEMENT.

attachment he had contracted for this new friend, which humanity had given him ; with what addrefs he endeavoured to anti- cipate his defires, without offending his pride ; in fhort, with what addreis he llrove to juftify, in the eyes of others, the fingu- larities of Mr. Rouffeau, and to defend his character againft thofe who were not dif- pofedto think fo favourably of him as he { did himfelf.

\ 3ven at the time when Mr. Hume was , npioyed in doing Mr. Rouffeau the moft effential fervice, he received from him the moft infolent and abufive letter. The more fuch a flroke was unexpected, the more it was cruel and affecting. Mr. Hume wrote an account of this extraordinary adventure to his friends at Paris j and expreffed him- felf in his letters with all that indignation which fo ftrange a proceeding muft excite. He thought himfelf under no obligation to keep terms with a man, who, after having received from him the moft certain and con- ftant marks of friendfliip, could reproach him, without any reafon, as falfe, treache- rous, and as the moft wicked of mankind. In the mean time, the difpute between thefe two celebrated perfonages did not fail to make a noife. The complaints of Mr. Hume foon came to the knowlege of the public 5 which at nrft hardly believed it pof-

fible

vi ADVERTISEMENT.

fible that Mr. RoufTeau could be guilty of that exceffive ingratitude laid to his charge. Even Mr. Hume's friends were fearful, left, in the ^rft effufions of fenfibility, he was not carried too far, and had not miftaken for wilful crimes of the heart, the vagaries \ of the imagination, or the deceptions of the underfknding. He judged it necefTary, therefore, to explain the affair, by writing a precife narrative of all that pafTed between him and Mr. RoufTeau, from their frft connection to their rupture. This narrative he fent to his friends ; fome of whom ad- vifed him to print it -, alledging, that as Mr. RoufTeau's accufations were become public, the proofs of his juftification ought to be \o too. Mr. Hume did not give into thefe ar- guments, choofing rather to run the rifk of being unjuflly cenfured, than to refolve on making himfelf a public party m an affair, fo contrary to his difpofition and character. A new incident, however, at length over- came his reluctance. Mr. RoufTeau had ad- dreffcd a letter to a bookfeller at Paris ; in which he directly accufes Mr. Hume of having entered into a league with his ene- mies, to betray and defame him ; and in which he boldly defies Mr. Hume to print the papers he had in his hands. This letter was communicated to feveral perfons in Pa- ris, was tranflated into Enelifh, and the

tranfla-

ADVERTISEMENT, vii

tranflation printed in the public papers in London. An accufation and defiance fo very public could not be fuffered to pafs without reply ; while any long filence on the part of Mr. Hume might have been in- terpreted little in his favour.

Befides, the news of this difpute had fpread itfelf over Europe, and the opinions entertained of it were various. It had louMeis been much happier, if the whole affair ljad been buried in oblivion, and re- mained a profound fecret : but as it was im- pofTible to prevent the public interefting it- felf in the controverfy, it became neceflary at lealt. that the truth of the matter mould be known. Mr. Hume's friends unitedly reprefented to him all thefe reafons ; the force of which he was at length convinced of; and feeing the neceffity, confented, though with reluctance, to the printing of his memorial.

The narrative, and notes, are tranflated from the EngliiTi *. The letters of Mr. RoufTeau, which ferve as authentic proofs of the facts, are exact copies of the originals -f-.

This

* And are now re-tranflated, for the mofl part, from the French ; the French editors having taken fome li- berties, not without Mr. Hume's confent, with the Englifh original. Englijh tranjlator.

f In the prefent edition Mr. Hume's letters are printed verbatim ; and to Mr. Roufleau's the tranflator

hath

viii ADVERTISEMENT.

This pamphlet contains many ftrange in- ftances of fingularity, that will appear ex- traordinary enough to thofe who will give thernfelves the trouble to perufe it. Thofe who do not chufe to take that trouble, how- ever, may poffibly do better; as its contents are of little importance, except to thofe who are immediately interefted.

On the whole, Mr. Hume, inoTeringt0 the public the genuine pieces of his Waj has authorifed us to declare, that he vv-'i'A ne- ver take up the pen again on the fubjedl. Mr. Roufleau indeed may return to the charge; he may produce fuppofitions, mif- confiruclions, inferences, and new declama- tions ; he may create and realize new phan- toms, and envelop them in the clouds of his rhetoric ; he will meet with no more con- tradiction. The facls are all laid before the public * : and Mr. Hume fubmits his caufe to the determination of every man of fenfe and probity.

hath endeavoured to do juftice, as well with regard to the fenfe as the expreflion. Not that he can flatter himfelf with having always fucceeded in the latter. He has taken the liberty alfo to add a note or two, regard- ing fome particular circumftances which had come to his knowlege.

* The original letters of both parties will be lodged in the Britifh Mufeum ; on account of the above men- tioned defiance of Mr. RoufTeau, and his fubfequent infinuation that if they fhould be published, they would be falfified,

AN

A N

ACCOUNT

^ O F T H E

CONTROVERSY

BETWEEN

Mr. HUME and Mr. ROUSSEAU.

Auguji i, 1766.

Y connection with Mr. RoufTeau be- gan in 1762, when the Parliament of Paris had ifTued an arret for apprehending him, on account of his Emilius. I was at that time at Edinburgh. A perfon of great worth wrote to me from Paris, that Mr. RoufTeau intended to feek ap* afylurn in England, anddefired I would do him all the good offices in my power. As I conceived Mr. RoufTeau had actually put his defign in execution, I wrote to feveral of my friends in London, recommending this celebrated exile to their favour. I wrote aifo imme- diately to Mr. RoufTeau himfelf ; alluring B him

( 2 )

him of my defire to oblige, and readinefs to ferve him. At the fame time, I invited him to come to Edinburgh, if the fituation would be agreeable, and offered him a retreat in my own houfe, fo long as he mould pleafe to partake of it. There needed no ot motive to excite me to this act of huma than the idea given me of Mr. RoufTe. perfonal chara&er, by the friend who he recommended him, his well-known geniu and abilities, and above all, his misfortunes j the very caufe of which was an additional reafon to intereft me in his favour. The following is the anfwer I received.

Mr. ROUSSEAU to Mr. HUME.

Motiers-Trdvers, Feb. 19, 1763.

S I R,

DID not receive till lately, and at this place, the letter you did me the ho- nour to direct to me at London, the 2d of July kit, on the fuppofition that I was then arrived at that capital. I mould doubtlefs have made choice of a retreat in your coun- try, and as near as poffible to yourfelf, if I had forefeen what a reception I was to meet with in my own. No other nation could claim a preference to England. And this 1 pre-

( 3 )

prepofleflion, for which I have dearly fuf- fered, was at that time too natural not to be very excufable j but to my great aftonifh- ment, as well as that of the public, I have met with nothing but affronts and infults, where I hoped to have found confolation at leaft, if not gratitude. How many reafons have I not to regret the want of that afylum and philo- fophical hofpitality I mould have found with you ! My misfortunes indeed have con- ftantly feemed to lead me in a manner that way. The protection and kindnefs of my Lord Marfhal, your worthy and illuftrious- countryman, hath brought Scotland home to me, if I may fo exprefs myfelf, in the midft of Switzerland ; he hath made you. fo often bear a part in our converfation8 hath brought me fo well acquainted with your virtues, which I before was only with your talents, that he infpired me with the mod tender friendship for you, and the moil ardent defire of obtaining yours, before I even knew you were difpofed to grant it» Judge then of the pleafure I feel, at finding this inclination reciprocal. No, Sir, I mould pay your merit but half its due, if it were the fubject only cf my admiration. Your great impartiality, together with your amazing penetration and genius, would lift you far above the reft of mankind, if you were lefs attached to them by the goodnete B 2 oi

(4 ) of your heart. My Lord Marfhal, in ac- quainting me that die amiablenefs of your difpofition was Hill greater than the fubli- mity of your genius, rendered a correfpond- ence with you every day more defirable, and cherimed in me thofe wifhes which he infpired, of ending my days near you. Oh, Sir, that a better ftate of health, and more convenient circumftances, would but enable me to take fuch a journey in the manner I could like'! ' Couid I but hope to fee you and my Lord Marfhal one day fettled in your own country ; which mould for ever after be mine ; I mould be thankful, in fuch afociety, for the very misfortunes that led me into if, and mould account the day of its commencement as the nrft of my life. Would to Heaven I might live to fee that

a

happy day, though now more to be defired than expected ! With what tranfports mould I not exclaim, on fetting foot in that happy country which gave birth to David Hume and the Lord Marfhal of Scotland !

Salve, facts mihi debit a tellus !

Hac do mm, hcec f atria ejl.

J. J. R.

This letter is not publimed from a motive of vanity ; as will be feen prefently, when I give the reader a recantation of all the eu- logies it contains j but only to compleat the

courfe

( 5 )

courfe of our correfpondence, and to mew that I have been long iince difpofed to Mr. Rouffeau's fervice.

From this time our correfpondence en- tirely ceafed, till about the middle of lad autumn (1705;) when it was renewed by the following accident. A certain lady of Mr. RourTeau's acquaintance, being on a journey to one of the French provinces, bordering on Switzerland, had taken that opportunity of paying a vifit to our folitary philofopher, in his retreat at Motiers-Tra- vers. To this lady he complained, that his Situation in Newfchatel was become ex- tremely difagreeable, as well on account of the fuperftition of the people, as therefent- ment of the clergy ; and that he was afraid -he mould fhortly be under the neceffity of feeking an afylum elfewhere ; in which cafe, England appeared to him, from the nature of its laws and government, to be the only place to which he could retire with perfect, fecurity ; adding, that my Lord Marflial, his former protector, had advifed him to put himfelf under my protection (that was the term he was pleafed to make ufe of) and that he would accordingly addrefs him- felf to me, if he thought it would not be giving me too much trouble.

I was at that time charged with the af- fairs of England at the court of France j B 3 but

( 6 )

lut as I had the profpect of foon returning to London, I could not reject a propofai made to me under fuch circumfcances, by a man io celebrated for his genius and misfor- tunes. As fcon as I was thus informed, therefore, of the fituation and intentions of Mr. RoufTeau, I wrote to him, making him an offer of my fervices ; to which he re- turned the following; anfwer.

Mr. ROUSSEAU to Mr. HUME,

Strajbhurg, Dec. 4, 1765,

SIR,

r\T OUR goodnefs afFe&s me as much as it does me honour. The beft reply J can make to your offers is to accept them, which I do, I mail let out in five or fix days to throw myfelf into your arms. Such is the advice of my Lord Marfhal, my pro- te^tor, friend and father ; it is the advice alfo of Madam * * * -f whofe good fenfe and benevolence ferve equally for my direction

f The per{bn here mentioned defired her name piiorl.t be fypprefied. Frincb Editor.

As the motive to the fupprefl-on of the lady's name can hardly be fuppofed to extend to this country, the EngUJh ra'vjlaivr 'takes the liberty to mention the name pf (tlTC Marchionefs de Verdelin.

an cj

( 7 )

and confolation ; in fine, I may fay it is the advice of my own heart, which takes a pleafure in being indebted to the moft illu- strious of my contemporaries, to a man whofe goodnefs furpafTes his glory. I figh after a folitary and free retirement, wherein I might nniili my days in peace. If this be procured me by means of your benevolent folicitude, I fliall then enjoy at once the plea- fure of the only bleffing my heart defires, and alfo that of being indebted for it to you. I am, Sir, with all my heart, &c.

J. J. R.

Not that I had deferred till this time my endeavours to be ufeful to Mr. RoufTeau. The following letter was communicated to me by Mr. Clairaut, fome weeks before his death.

Mr. ROUSSEAU to Mr. CLAIRAUT.

Mot iers-Tr avers, March 3, 1765. SIR,

TH E remembrance of your former kindnefs, induces me to be again im- portunate. It is to defire you will be fo good, for the fecond time, to be the cenfor of one of my performances. It is a very paltry rhap- B 4 fody,

( 8 )

fody, which I compiled many years ago, under the title of A Mufical Dictionary, and am now obliged to republifh it for fubfiftence. Amidft. the torrent of misfortunes that over- whelm me, I am not in a fituation to review the work ; which, I know, is full of over- fights and miftakes. If any intereft you may take in the lot of the molt unfortunate of mankind, mould induce you to beftow a little more attention on his work than on that of another, 1 mould be extremely obli- ged to you, if you would take the trouble to correct Juch errors as you may meet with in the perufal. To point them out, without correcting them, would be doing nothing, for I am abfolutely incapable of paying the leail attention to fuch a work ; fo that if you would but condefcend to alter, add, re- trench, and in fhort ufe it as you would do your own, you would do a very great cha- rity, for which I mould be extremely thank- ful. Accept, Sir, my mod humble excufes and falutations.

J. J. R,

It is with reluctance I fay it, but I am compelled to it ; I now know of a certainty that this afTtcl.ttion of extreme poverty and dilirefs was a mere pretence, a petty kind of impofture which Mr. RoufTeau fuccefsfully employed to excite the compaffion cf the

public -3

( 9 )

public j but I was then very far from fuf- pecting any fuch artifice. I muft own, I felt on this occafion an emotion of pity, mixed with indignation, to think a man of letters of fuch eminent merit, mould be re- duced, in fpite of the fimpiicity of his man- ner of living, to fuch extreme indigence; and that this unhappy ftate (hould be rendered more intolerable by ficknefs, by the approach of old age, and the implacable rage of per- fection. I knew that many per ions impu- ted the wretchednefs of Mr. Rouffcau to his exceiiive pride, which induced him to refufe the afliilance of his friends; but I thought this fault, if it were a fault, was a very refpeCiable one. Too many men of letters have debated their character in {loop- ing fo low as to folicit the afiiftance of per- fons of wealth or power, unworthy of af- fording them protection j and I conceived that a noble pride, even though carried to excefs, merited fome indulgence in a man of genius, who, borne up by a ftnfe of his own fuperiority and a love of independence, mould have braved the ftorms of fortune and the in- fults of mankind. I propofed, therefore, to ferve Mr. RoufTeau in his own way. I delired Mr. Clairaut, accordingly, to give me his letter ; which I fhewed to feveral of Mr. Rouffeau's friends and patrons in Paris. At the fame time, I propofed to them a

fcheme,

( to ) fcheme, by which he might be relieved, without fufpecting any thing of the matter. This was to engage the bookfeller, who was to pubiifh his dictionary, to give Mr. Rouf- feau a greater Turn for the copy than he had offered, and to indemnify him by paying him the difference. But this project, which could not be executed without the affiftance of Mr. Clairaut, fell to the ground, at the unexpected deceafe of that learned and re- fpectable academician.

Retaining, however, ftill the fame idea of Mr. Houffeau's exceffive poverty, I con- itantly retained the fame inclination to oblige him ; and when I was informed of his intention to go to England under my conduir, I formed a fcheme much of the fame kind with that I could not execute at Paris. I wrote immediately to my friend, Mr. John Stewart, of Buckingham flreet, that I had an affair to communicate to him of So fecret and delicate a nature, that I fhould not venture even to commit it to pa- per, but that he might learn the particulars of Mr. Elliot (now Sir Gilbert Elliot) who would foon return from Paris to London. The plan was this, and was really communi- cated by Mr. Elliot fome time after to Mr. Stewart -, who was at the fame time en- joined to the greateft fecrecy.

Mr.

( »» )

Mr. Stewart was to look out for fome ho- neli difcreet farmer in his neighbourhood in the country, who might be willing to lodge and board Mr. RoufTeau and his Gouvern- ante, in a very decent and plentiful manner, at a penfion which Mr. Stewart might fettle at fifty or fixty pounds a year j the farmer engaging to keep fuch agreement a profound fecref, and to receive from Mr. RoufTeau only twenty or twenty five pounds a year; I engaging to fupply the difference.

It was not long before Mr. Stewart wrote me word he had found a fituation which he conceived might be agreeable; on which I defired he would get the apartment furnifhed in a proper and convenient manner at my expence. But this febeme, in which there could not pollibly enter any motive of vanity on my part, fecrecy being a neceiTary con- dition of its execution, did not take place ; other defigns prefenting themfelves more con- venient and agreeable. The fact, however, is well known both to Mr. Stewart and Sir Gilbert Elliot.

It will not be improper here to mention another plan concerted with the fame inten- tions. I had accompanied Mr. RoufTeau into a very pleafant part of the county of Surry, where he fpent two days at Colonel Webb's ; Mr. RoufTeau feeming to me highly delighted with the natural and folitary btau-

ties

( «2 )

ties of the place. Through the means c£ Mr. Stewart, therefore, I entered into treaty with Colonel Webb for the purchasing the houfe, with a little eftate adjoining, in order to make a fettlement for Mr. Rouf- feau. If after what has palled, Mr. Rouf- feau's teftimony be of any validity, I may appeal to himfelf for the truth of what I advance. But be this as it will, thefe fads are well known to Mr. Stewart, to General Clarke, and in part to Colonel Webb.

But to proceed in my narrative. Mr. Roufieau came to Paris, provided with a. paflport, which his friends had obtained for him. I conducted him to England. For upwards of two months after our arrival. I employed myfelf, and my friends, in look- ing out for fome agreeable fituation for him. We gave way to all his caprices ; excufed all his Angularities ; indulged him in all his humours ; in fhort, neither time nor trouble was fpared to procure him what he defired || ;

and,

|| It is probably to this exceffive and ill-judged com- plaifance Mr. H. may in a great degree impute the dis- agreeable confequences that have followed. There is no end in indulging caprice, nor any prudence in doing it, when it is known to be fuch. It may be thought hu- mane to indulge the weak of body or mind, the decre- pitude of age and imbecility of childhood j but even here it too often proves cruelty to the very panics indu'ged. How much more inexcufable therefore is it to che»ifh • the

( '3 )

and, notwithstanding he rejected feveral of the projects which I had laid out for him, vet I thought myfelf fufficiently recompenfed for my trouble, by the gratitude and even affection with which he appeared to repay my folicitude.

At length his prefent fettlement was pro- pofed and approved. Mr. Davenport, a gentleman of family, fortune, and worth, offered him his houfe at Wooton, in the county of Derby, where he himfelf feldom refides, and at which Mr. RoufTeau and his houfekeeper are boarded, at a very moderate expence.

When Mr. RoufTeau arrived at Wooton, he wrote me the following letter.

Mr. ROUSSEAU to Mr. HUME,

JVooion, March 22, 1766.

YOU fee already, my dear patron, by the date of my letter, that I am ar- rived at the place of my deftination 5 but

the abfurdities of whim and Angularity in men of geniu3 and abilities ? How is it poffible to make a man eafy or happy in a world, to whofe cufioms and maxims he is determined to run retrograde .' No. Capricious men, like froward children, fhould be left to kick againft the pricks, and vent their fpleen unnoticed. To humour, is only to fpoil them. Englijh tranJJaiir.

4 you

( H )

you cannot fee all the charms which I find in it ; to do this, you fhould be acquainted with the fituation, and be able to read my heart. You ought, however, to read at leaft thofe of my fentiments with refpect to you, and which you have fo well deferved. If I live in this agreeable afylum as happy as I hope to do, one of the greater!: pleafures of my life will be, to reflect that I owe it to you. To make another happy, is to de- ferve to be happy one's felf. May you there- fore find in yourfelf the reward of all you have done for me ! Had I been alone, I might perhaps have met with hofpitality, but I mould have never relimed it fo highly as I now do, in owing it to your friendmip. Retain (till that friendmip for me, my dear patron ; love me for my fake, who am fo much indebted to you ; love me for your own, for the good you have done me. lam fenfible of the full value of your fincere friendmip ; it is the object of my ardent willies ; I am ready to repay it with all mine, and feel fomething in my heart which may one day convince you that it is not with- out its value. As, for the reafons agreed on between us, I (hall receive nothing by the port, you will be pleafed, when you have the goodnefs to write to me, to fend your letters to Mr. Davenport. The affair of the carriage is not yet adjurled, becaufe I

know

( «5 )

know I was impofed on : it is a trifling fault, however, which may be only the effect of an obliging vanity, unlefs it fhould happen to be repeated. If you were concerned in it, I would advife you to give up, once for all, thefe little impclitions, which cannot proceed from any good motive, when con- verted into fnares for fimplicity. I embrace you, my dear patron, with the fame cor- diality which I hope to find in you.

J. J. R.

Some few days after, I received from him another letter -3 of which the following is a copy.

Mr. ROUSSEAU to Mr. HUME.

Wooton, March 29, 1766.

YO U will fee, my dear patron, by the letter Mr. Davenport will have tranfmitted you, how agreeably I find my- felf fituated in this place. I might, per- haps, be more at my eafe if I were Ids no- ticed i but the foiicitude of fo polite an hoil as mine is too obliging to give offence; and as there is nothing in life without its in- convenience, that of being too good, is one of thofe which is the moit tolerable. I find a much greater inconvenience in not being able to make the fervants underfraod me,

and

( i6 )

and particularly in my not underftanding

them. Luckily Mrs. le Vafleur ferves me

as interpreter, and her fingers fpeak better

than my tongue. There is one advantage

however attending my ignorance, which is a

kind of compeniation j it ferves to tire

and keep at a diitance impertinent viiitors.

The minifter of the pariih came to fee me

yefterday, who, finding that I fpoke to him

only in French, would not fpeak to me in

Englifh, fo that our interview was almofr. a

lilent one. I have taken a great fancy to

this expedient, and fhall make ufe of it with

all my neighbours, if I have any. Nay,

fhould I even learn to fpeak Englim, I would

converfe with them only in French, efpe-

cially if I were fo happy as to find they did

not underftand a word of that language.

An artifice this, much of the fame kind with

that which the Negroes pretend is practifed by

the monkeys, who, they fay, are capable of

fpeech, but cannot be prevailed upon to

talk, left they fhould be fet to work.

It is not true in any fenfe, that I agreed to accept of a model from Mr. GorTet as a pre- fent. On the contrary, I afked him the price, which he told me was a guinea and half, adding that he intended to prefent me with it y an offer I did not accept. I defire you therefore to pay him for it, and Mr. Davenport will be fo good as repay you the

money.

( i> )

money. And if Mr. GofTet does notconfent to be paid for it, it muft be returned to him, and purchafed by fome other hand. It is defigned for Mr. du Peyrou, who defired long fince to have my portrait, and caufed one to be painted in miniature* which is not at all like me. You were more fortunate iri this refpect than he, but I am forry that, by yourafliduityto ferve me, you deprived me of the pleafure of difcharging the frme friendly obligation with regard to yourfelf. Be fo good, my dear patron, as to order the model to be fent to MefTrs. Guinand and Hankey, Little St. Helen's, BiiTiopfgate-ftreet, in order to be tranfmitted to Mr. du Peyrou by the firft fafe conveyance. It hath been a froft ever lince I have been here : the fnow falls daily; and the wind is cutting and fevere : notwith- ftanding ail which, I had rather lodge in the hollow trunk of an old tree, in this country, than in the moil fuperb apartment in London. Good day, my dear patron. I embrace you with all my heart*

J. J. R.

Mr. Rou (Tea ii and I having agreed not to lay each other under any reftraint by a con- tinued correfpondence, the only fubject of our future letters was the obtaining a penfion. for him from the king of England j which C was

( i8 )

was then in agitation ; and of which affair the following is a concife and faithful rela- tion.

As we were converting together one eve- ning at Calais, where we were detained by contrary winds, I afked Mr. RoufTeau if he would not accept of a penfion from the king of England, in cafe his majefty mould be pleafed to grant him one. To this he re- plied, it was a matter of fome difficulty to re- folve on -j but that he mould be entirely di- rected by the advice of my Lord Marshall. Encouraged by this anfwer, I no fooner ar- rived in London, than I addreffed myfelf to his majefty's minifters, and particularly to General Conway, Secretary of State, and General Grame, Secretary and Chamberlain to the queen. Application was accordingly made to their majefties, who with their ufual goodnefs confented, on condition only that the affair mould not be made publick. Mr. RoufTeau and I both wrote to my Lord Marfhall ; and Mr. RoufTeau exprefsly ob- ferved in his letter, that the circumflance of the affair's being to be kept fecret, was very agreeable to him. The confent of my Lord Marfhall arrived, as may readily be imagi- ned ; foon after which Mr. RoufTeau fet out for Wootonj while the bufinefs remained 4 Come

( 19 )

fome time in fufpenfe, on account of the in* difpofition of General Conway.

In the mean time,- 1 began to be afraid, from what I had obferved of Mr. Rouf- feau's difpofition and character, that his na- tural reftleflhefs of mind would prevent his enjoyment of that repofe, to which the hofpitality and fecurity he found in Eng- land, invited him. I faw, with infinite re^ gret, that he was born for ftorms and tu^ mults, and that the difguft which might fucceed the peaceful enjoyment of folitude and tranquillity, would foon render him a burthen to himfelf and every body abouE him *. But, as I lived at the diflance of an hundred and fifty miles from the place of his refidence, and was conftantly employed in doing him good offices, I did not expect that I myfelf mould be the vi&im of this un- happy difpofition.

* Jn forming the opinion of Mr. Roufieau's difpo- fition, Mr. Hume was by no means fingular : the (hik- ing features of Mr. Roufleau's extraordinary character having been ftrongiy marked in the criticifms on his feveral writings, in the Monthly Review, particularly in the account of his Letters from the mountains, in the appendix to the 31ft vol. of that work ; where this cele- brated genius is defcribed, merely from the general tenour of his writings and the outlines of his publick conduct, to be exactly fuch a kind of perfon as Mr. Hume hath difcovered him from intimate and perfonal acquaint*- arxe, EngUJh tranfiator.

C Z It

( 2° )

It is neceffary to introduce here a letter, which was written laft winter, at Paris, in the name of the king of Pruffia.

My dear John James,

YO U have renounced Geneva, your native foil. You have been driven from Switzerland, a country of which you have made fuch boaft. in your writings. In France you are outlawed : come then to me. I admire your talents, and amufe myfelf with your reveries ; on which how- ever, by the way, you bellow too much time and attention. It is high time to grow prudent and happy j you have made yourfelf fufficiently talked of for Angularities little becoming a truly great man : fhow your enemies that you have fometimes com- mon fenfe : this will vex them without hurt- ing you. My dominions afford you a peace- ful retreat : I am defirous to do you good, and will do it, if you can but think it fuch. But if you are determined to refufe my affift- ance, you may expect that I mall fay not a word about it to any one. If you perfift in perplexing your brains to find out new mif- fortunes, chufe fuch as you like beftj I am a king and can make you ;s miferable as you can with ; at the fame time, I will engage to do that which your enemies never will, I

will

( 21 )

will ceafe to perfecute yon, when you are no longer vain of perfecution.

Your finccre friend,

FREDERIC.

This letter was written by Mr. Horace Walpole, about three weeks before I left Paris ; but though we lodged in the fame hotel, and were often together, Mr. Wal- pole, out of regard to me, carefully con- cealed this piece of pleafantry till after my departure. He then mewed it to fome friends, who took copies; and thole of courfe prefently multiplied : fo that this little piece had been fpread with rapidity all over Europe, and was in every body's hands when I faw it, for the firfttime, in London.

I believe every one will allow, who knows any thing of the liberty of this country, that fuch a piece of raillery could not, even by the utmoft influence of kin^s, lords and commons, by all the authority ecclefiaflical, civil and military, be kept from finding its way to the prefs. It was accordingly pub- limed in the St. James's Chronicle, and a few days after I was very much furprized to find the following piece in the fame paper.

Mr.

(

Mr. ROUSSEAU to the AUTHOR

of the St. James's Chronicle.

Woof on s April j, 1766. SIR,

O U have been wanting in that refpect which every private perfon owes to crowned heads, in publickly afcribing to the king of PruOia,. a letter full of bafenefs and extravagance ; by which ci re urn (lance alone you might be very well aflured. he could not be the author. You have even dared to fub~ fcribe his name, as if you had feen him write it with his own hand. I inform you, Sir, that this letter was fabricated at Paris, and, what rends and afflicts my heart, that the impoftorhath his accomplices in England* In juftice to the king of Pruffia, to truth, and to myfelf, you ought therefore to print the letter I am now writing> and to which I fet my name 3 by way cf reparation for a fault, which you would undoubtedly re- proach yourfelf for, if you knew of what atrocioufnefs you have been made the inltru- msnt. Sir, I make you my fincere faluta- tions.

J- J. R.

( *3 )

I was forry to fee Mr. RoufTeau difplay fuch an exccfs of fenfibility, on account of fo fimple and unavoidable an incident, as the publication of this pretended letter from the King of Pruffia. But I mould have accufed myfelf of a moft black and ma- levolent difpofition, if I had imagined Mr. RoufTeau could have fufpected me to have been the editor of it $ or that he had inten- tionally directed his refentment againft me. He now informs me, however, that this was really the cafe. Jufb eight days before, I had received a letter, written in the mod amicable terms imaginable *. I am, furely, the lad man in the world, who, in common fenfe ought to be fufpecled ; yet, without even the pretence of the fmalleft proof or probability, I am, of a fudden, the firft. man not only fufpected, but certainly con- cluded to be the publifher; I am, without further enquiry or explication, intentionally infulted in a public paper ; I am, from the deareft friend, converted into a treacherous and malignant enemy ; and all my prcfent and paft fervices are at one ftroke very art- fully cancelled. Were it not ridiculous to employ reafoning on fuch a fubjecl, and with fuch a man, I might afk Mr. RoufTeau, ** Why I am fuppofed to have any malig-

* That of the 29th of March.

C 4 nity

( 24 )

nity againft him ?" Mv actions, in a hun* dred infiances, had fufticiently demonftrated the contrary ; and it is not ufual for favours conferred to beget ill-will in the perfon who confers them. But fuppofing I had fecretly entertained an animofuy towards him, would I run the rifque of a difcovery, by fo filly a vengeance, and by fending this piece to the prefs, when I knew, from the ufual avidity of the news-writers to find articles of intel- ligence, that it mud necefTarily in a few days be laid hold of?

But not imagining that I was the object of fo black and ridiculous a fufpicion, I pur- fued my ufual train, by ferving my friend in the leaf! doubtful manner. I renewed my applications to General Conway, as foon as the ftate of that gentleman's health permitted it : the General applies again to his Majeity : his Majefty's content is renewed : the Mar^ quis of Rockingham, firit commiflioner of the Treafury, is alfo applied to : the whole affair is happily fmifhed ; and full of joy, I conveyed the intelligence to my friend. On which Mr. Conway foon after received the following letter.

Mr,

( 25 )

Mr. ROUSSEAU to General CONWAY.

May 12, 1766. S I R,

AFFECTED with a moft lively fenfe of the favour his Majefty hath honoured me with, and with that of your goodnefs, which procured it me ; it affords me the moft pleafing fenfation to reflect, that the beft of Kings, and the Minifter moft worthy of his confidence, are pleafed to intereft themfelves in my fortune. This, Sir, is an advantage of which I am juftly tenacious, and which I will never deferve to lofe. But it is neceffary I fhould fpeak to you with that franknefs you admire. After the many misfortunes that have befallen me, I thought myfelf armed againft all poffible events : there have happened to me fome, however, which I did not forefee ; and which indeed an ingenuous mind ought not to have forefeen : hence it is that they affect me by fo much the more feverely. The trouble in which they involve me, indeed, deprives me of the eafe and prefence of mind neceffary to direct' my conduct: all I can reafonably do, under fo diftreffed a fituation, is to fuf- pend my refolutions about every affair of fuch Importance as is that in agitation. So far 7 from

( 26 )

from refufing the beneficence of the King from pride, as is imputed to me, I am proud of acknowleging it, and am only forry I cannot do it more publicly. But when I actually receive it, I would be able to give up myfclf entirely to thofe fentiments which it would naturally infpire, and to have an heart replete with gratitude for his Majelly's goodnefs, and yours. I am not at all afraid this manner of thinking will make any al- teration in yours towards me. Deign, there- fore, Sir, to preferve that goodnefs for me, till a more happy opportunity ; when you will be fatisfied that I defer taking the ad- vantage of it, only to render myfelf more worthy of it. I beg of you, Sir, to accept of my moil humble and refpec~tful faluta- tions,

J. J. R.

This letter appeared both to General Con- way and to me a plain refufal, as long as the article of fecrecy was infifted on ; but as I knew that Mr. RoufTeau had been acquaint-^ ed with that condition from the beginning, I was the lefs furprized at his filencfe towards me. I thought, that my friend, confcious of having treated me ill in this affair, was afhamed to write to me ; and having pre- vailed on General Conway to keep the mat- ter flill open, I wrote a very friendly letter

to

( 27 )

to Mr. Rouffeau, exhorting him to return to his former way of thinking, and to ac- cept of the penfion.

As to the deep diftrefs which he mentions to General Conway, and which, he fays, deprives him even of the ufe of his reafon, I was fet very much at eafe on that head, by receiving a letter from Mr. Davenport -, who told me, that his gueft was at that very time extremely happy, eafy,chearful, and even fociable. I faw plainly, in this event, the ufual infirmity of my friend, who wifhes to intereft the world in his favour, by pat- ling for fickly, and perfecuted, and diftref- fed, and unfortunate, beyond all meafure, even while he is the moii happy and con- tented. His pretences of an extreme fen- fibility had been too frequently repeated, to have any effect on a man who was fo well acquainted with them.

I waited three weeks in vain for an an- fwer : I thought this a little flirange, and I even wrote fo to Mr. Davenport ; but hav- ing to do with a very odd fort of a man, and (till accounting for his filence, by fuppofing him afhamed to write to me, I was refolved not to be difcouraged, nor to lofe the oppor- tunity of doing him an efTential fervice, on account of a vain ceremonial. I accordingly renewed my applications to the Minifters, and was fo happy as to be enabled to write

the

( 28 )

the following letter to Mr. RoufTeau, the only one of fo old a date of which I have a copy.

Mr. HUME to Mr. ROUSSEAU.

Lijle-Jlreet, Leicejier-Jields, 19 June> 1766.

AS I have not received any anfwer from you, I conclude, that you perfevere in the fame refolution of refuting ail marks of his Majefty's goodnefs, as long as they mult remain a fecret. I have therefore ap- plied to General Conway to have this con- dition removed ; and I was fo fortunate as to obtain his promife that he would fpeak to the King for that purpofe. It will only be requifite, faid he, that we know previoufly from Mr. RoufTeau, whe- ther he would accept of a peniion publicly granted him, that his Majefty may not be expofed to a fecond refufal. He gave me authority to write to you on that fubjecl: ; and I beg to hear your refolution as foon as pof- fible. If you give your confent, which I earneftly intreat you to do, I know, that I could depend on the good offices of the Duke of Richmond, to fecond General Conway's application j fo that 1 have no doubt of fuccefs. I am, my Dear Sir, Yours, with great lincerity,

D. H.

( *9 )

In five days I received the following an- fwer.

Mr. ROUSSEAU to Mr. HUME.

Wooton, June 23, 1766.

I Imagined, Sir, that my filence, truly in- terpreted by your own confcience, had faid enough ; but fince you have Tome de- fign in not underftanding me, I (hall fpeak. You have but ill difguifed yourfelf. I know you, and you are not ignorant of it. Before we had any perfonal connections, quarrels, or difputes ; while we knew each other only by literary reputation, you affectionately made me the offer of the good offices of yourfelf and friends. Affected by this ge- nerolity, I threw myfelf into your arms ; you brought me to England, apparently to procure me an afylum, but in fact to bring me to difhonour. You applied to this noble work, with a zeal worthy of your heart, and a fuccefs worthy of your abilities. You needed not hpve taken fo much pains : you live and converie with the world ; I with my- felf in folitude. The public love to be de- ceived, and you were formed to deceive them. I know one man, however, whom you can not deceive j I mean yourfelf. You know with what horrour my heart rejected the

firft

( 3° )

firfr. fufpicion of your defigns. You know I embraced you with tears in my eyes, and told you, if you were not the beft of men, you muft be the blackeft of mankind. In reflecting on your private conduct, you muft fay to yourfelf fometimes, you are not Uie beft of men : under which conviction, I doubt much if ever you will be the happieft. I leave your friends and you to carry on your fchemes as you pleafe ; giving up to you, without regret, my reputation during life i certain that fooner or later juflice will bs done to that of both. As to your good offices in matters of intereft, which you have made ufe of as a maik, I thank you for them, and fhall difpenfe with profiting by them. I ought not to hold a correfpond- ence with you any longer, or to accept of it to my advantage in any affair in which you are to be the mediator. Adieu, Sir, I wifh you the trued happinefs j but as we ought not to have any thing to fay to each other for the future, this is the laft letter you will receive from me.

J. J. R.

To this I immediately fent the following reply.

( 3* )

Mr. HUME to Mr. ROUSSEAU.

'June 26, 1766.

S I am confcious of having ever acted towards you the mod friendly part, of having always given the molt tender, the molt active proofs of fincere affection ; you may judge of my extreme furprize on per- ufing your epiftle. Such violent accufations, confined altogether to generals, it is as im- pomble to anfwer, as it is impoffible to com- prehend them. But affairs cannot, mud not remain on that footing. I mail chari- tably fuppofe, that fome infamous calumni- ator has belied me to you. But in that cafe, it is your duty, and I am perfuaded it will be your inclination, to give me an oppor- tunity of detecting him, and of juftifying myfelf; which can only be done by your mentioning the particulars of which I am accufed. You fay, that I myfelf know that I have been falfe to you ; but I fay it loudly, and will fay it to the whole world, that I know the contrary, that I know mv friendfhip towards you has been unbounded and uninterrupted, and that though irutances of it have been very generally remarked both in France and England, the fmallen: part of it only has as yet come to the knowlege

of

( 3* )

of the public. I demand, that you will produce me the man who will affert the contrary ; and above all, I demand, that he will mention any One particular in which I have been wanting to you. You owe this tome; you owe it to yourfelf ; you owe it to truth, and honour, and juftice, and to every thing that can be deemed facred among men. As an innocent man ; I will not fay, as your friend -, I will not fay, as your bene- factor ; but, I repeat it, as an innocent man, I claim the privilege of proving my innocence, and of refuting any fcandalous lie which may have been invented againft me. Mr. Davenport, to whom I have fent a copy of your letter, and who will read this before he delivers it, I am confident, will fe* cond my demand, and will tell you> that no- thing poflibly can be more equitable. Happily I have preferved the letter you wrote me after your arrival at Wooton ; and you there ex- prefs in the ftrongeft terms, indeed in terms too ftrong, your iatisfaction in my poor en- deavours to ferve you : the little epillolary intercourfe which afterwards paiTed between us, has been all employed on my fide to the moft friendly purpofes. Tell me, what has fince given you offence ? Tell me of what I am accufed. Tell me the man who ac- cufes me. Even after you have fulfilled all thefe conditions, to my fatisfacYion, and to

thas

( 33 )

that of Mr. Davenport, you will have great difficulty to juftify the employing fuch out- rageous terms towards a man, with whom you have been To intimately connected, and whom, on many accounts, you ought to have treated with fome regard and decency. Mr. Davenport knows the whole tranfac- tion about your penfion, becaufe I thought it neceffary that the perfon who had under- taken your fettlement, mould be fully ac- quainted with your circumftances ; left he mould be tempted to perform towards you concealed acts of generality, which, if they accidentally came to your knowlege, might give you fome grounds of offence. I am, Sir,

D. H.

Mr. Davenport's authority procured me, in three weeks, the following enormous letter ; which however has this advantage, that it confirms all the material circumftan- ces of the foregoing narrative. I have fub- joined a few notes relative to fome facts which Mr. RoufTeau hath not truly repre- fented, and leave my readers to judge which of us deferves the greateft confidence.

D Mr.

( 34 )

Mr. ROUSSEAU to Mr. HUME.

Wool lon , 'July 10, 1766. S I R,

1AM indifpofed, and little in a fituation to write j but you require an explana- tion, and it muft be given you : it was your own fault you had it not long fince j but you did not defire it, and I was therefore filent : at prefent you do, and I have fent it. It will be a long one, for which I am very forry j but I have much to fay, and would put an end to the fubjecl: at once.

As I live retired from the world, I am ignorant of what paffes in it. I have no party, no aflbciates, no intrigues ; I am told nothing, and I know only what I feel. But as care hath been taken to make me feverely feel ; that I well know. The firft concern of thofe who engage in bad defigns is to fe- cure themfelves from legal proofs of detec- tion : it would not be very advifeable to feek a remedy againft them at law. The innate conviction of the heart admits of another kind of proof, which influences the fenti- ments of honeit men. You well know the bafis of mine.

You afk me, with great confidence, to

same your accufer. That accufer, Sir, is

4 the

( 35 )

the only man in the world whofe teftimony I mould admit againft you j it is yourfelf. I mall give myfelf up without fear or referve to the natural franknefs of my difpofition ; being an enemy to every kind of artifice, I fhall fpeak with the fame freedom as if you were an indifferent perfon, on whom I placed all that confidence which I no longer have in you. I will give you an hiftory of the emotions of my heart, and of what produced them , while, fpeaking of Mr. Hume in the third perfon, I mall make yourfelf the judge of what 1 ought to think of him. Notwith- ftanding the length of my letter, I mail pur- fue no other order than that of my ideas, beginning with the premifes, and ending with the demonftration.

I quitted Switzerland, wearied out by the barbarous treatment I had undergone j but which affected only my perfonal fecurity, while my honour was fafe. I was going, as my heart directed me, to join my Lord Mar- shal ; when I received at Strafburg a mod af- fectionate invitation from Mr. Flume, to go over with him to England ; where he pro- mifed me the mod agreeable reception, and more tranquillity than I have met with. I he- fitated fome time between my old friend and my new one j in this I was wrong. I pre- ferred the latter, and in this was itill more fo. But the defire of vifiting in perfon a ce- D 2 lebrated

( 36 )

lebrated nation, of which I had heard both fo much good and fo much ill, prevailed. ArTured I could not lofe George Keith, I was flattered with the acquifition of David Hume. His great merit, extraordinary abi- lities, and eftablifhed probity of character, made me defirous of annexing his friendship to that with which I was honoured by his illuftrious countryman. Befides, I gloried not a little in fetting an example to men of letters, in a fincere union between two men fo different in their principles.

Before I had received an invitation from the King of Pruffia, and my Lord Marfhal, undetermined about the place of my retreat, I had defired, and obtained by the intereft of my friends, a paflport from the Court of France. I made ufe of this, and went to Paris to join Mr. Hume. He faw, and per- haps faw too much of, the favourable reception I met with from a great Prince, and I will venture to fay, of the public. I yielded, as it was my duty, though with reluctance, to that eclat; concluding how far it muft excite the envy of my enemies. At the fame time, I faw with pleafure the regard which the public entertained for Mr. Hume, fenfibly increafing throughout Paris, on account of the good work he had undertaken with refpect to me. Doubtlefs he was af- fected

( 37 )

fected too ; but I know not if it was in the fame manner as I was.

We fet out with one of my friends, who came to England almoft entirely on my ac- count. When we were landed at Dover, tranfported with the thoughts of having fet foot in this land of liberty, under the conduct of fo celebrated a perfoo, I threw my arms round his neck, and preffed him to my heart, without fpeaking a fy liable ; bathing his cheeks, as I kiffed them, with tears fufficiently expref- iive. This was not the only, nor the moft re- markable inftance I have given him of the ef- fufions of an heart full of fenfibility. I know not what he does with the recollection of them, when that happens; but I have a notion they mult be fometimes troublefbme to him.

At our arrival in London, we were migh- , tily careffed and entertained : all ranks of people eagerly preffing to give me marks of their benevolence and efteem. Mr. Hume prefented me politely to every body ; and it was natural for me to afcribe to him, as I did, the bed: part of my good reception. My heart was full of him. I fpoke in his praife to every one, I wrote to the fame purpofe to all my friends ; my attachment to him ga- thering every day new ftrength, while his appeared the mod; affectionate to me ; of which he frequently gave me inftances that touched me extremely. That of caufing my D 3 portrait

( 38 )

portrait to be painted, however, was not of* the number. This feemed to me to carry with it too much the affe&ation of popula- rity, and had an air of oftentation which by no means p'ealcd me. All this, however, might have been eafily excufable, had Mr. Hume been a man apt to throw away his money, or had a gallery of pictures with the portraits of his friends. After all, I freely coniefs, that, on this head, I may be in the wrong *.

But what appears to me an act of friend- fhip and generofity the moil: undoubted and eftimable, in a word, the mod worthy of Mr. Hume, was the care he took to folicit for me, of his own accord, a penfion from the King j to which moft afTuredly I had no right to afpire. As I was a witneis to the zeal he exerted in that affair, i was greatly arTeeled with it. Nothing could flatter me more than a piece of fervice of that nature ; not merely for the fake of interelt ; for, too much at-

* The fa£t was this. My friend, Mr. Ramfay, a painter of eminence, and a man of merit, propofed to draw Mr. Rouffeau's picture ; and when he had begun it, told me he intended to make me a prefent of it. Thus the defign of having Mr. Rouffeau's picture drawn did not come from me, nor did it coft me any thing. Mr.RouiTcau,thererorev is equally contemptible in paying me a compliment for this pretended gallantry, Jn his letter of the 29th of March, and in converting it into ridicule here. Mr. Hume.

tached,

( 39 )

lached, perhaps, to what I actually pofTefs, I am not capable of defiring what I have not, and as I am able to fubfift on my labour and the affiftance of my friends, I covet nothing more. But the honour of receiving teftimo- nies of the goodnefs, I will not fay of fo great a monarch, but of fo good a father, fo good a huiband, fo good a matter, fo good a friend, and above all, fo worthy a man, was fenfibly affecting : and when I consider- ed farther, that the minifter who had ob- tained for me this favour, was a living inftance of that probity which of all others is the mod important to mankind, and at the fame time hardly ever met with in the only character wherein it can be ufeful, I could not check the emotions of my pride, at having for my benefactors three men, who of all the world I could mod defire to have my friends. Thus, fo far from refufing the penfion offered me, 1 only made one condition necefTary for my acceptance j this was the confent of a perfon, whom I could not, without neglecting my duty, fail to confult.

Being honoured with the civilities of all the world, I endeavoured to make a proper return. In the mean time, my bad ftate of health, and being accuftomed to live in the country, made my relidence in town very difagreeable. Immediately country boufes prefented themfelves in plenty j I had my D 4 choice

( 4° )

choice of all the counties of England. Mr. Hume took the trouble to receive thefe pro- pofals, and to reprefent them to me ; accom- panying me to two or three in the neighbour- ing counties. I hefitated a good while in my choice, and he increafed the difficulty of de- termination. At length, I fixed on this place, and immediately Mr. Hume fettled the affair j all difficulties vanifhed, and I de- parted ; arriving prefently at this folitary, con- venient, and agreeable habitation ; where the owner of the houfe provides every thing, and nothing is wanting. I became tranquil, in- dependant ; and this feemed to be the wifhed for moment, when all my misfortunes mould have an end. On the contrary, it was now they began ; misfortunes more cruel than any I had yet experienced.

Hitherto I have fpoken in the fulnefs of my heart, and to do juftice, with the greater!: pleafure, to the good offices of Mr. Hume. Would to Heaven that what remains for me to fay were of the fame nature ! It would never give me pain to fpeak what would re- dound to his honour; nor is it proper to fet a value on benefits till one is accufed of in- gratitude; which is the cafe at prefent. 1 will venture to make one obfervation, there- fore, which renders it neceffary. In efti- mating the fervices of Mr. Hume, by the time and the pains they took him up, they

were

( 4i )

were of an infinite value, and that flill more from the good-will difplayed in their per- formance ; but for the actual fervice they were of to me, it was much more in ap- pearance than reality. I did not come over to beg my bread in England ; I brought the means of Jubfiflence with me. I came merely to feek an afylum in a country which is open to every Granger without diftinclion. I was, befides, not fo totally unknown as that, if I had arrived alone, 1 fhould have wanted either alii fiance or f:rvice. If fome perfons have fought my acquaintance for the fake of Mr. Hume, others have fought it for my own. Thus when Mr. Davenport, for example, was fo kind as to offer my prefent retreat, it was not for the fake of Mr. Hume, whom he did not know, and whom he faw only in order to deiire him to make me his obliging propofal. So that when Mr. Hume endeavours to alienate from me this worthy man, he takes that from me which he did not give me *. All the good that hath been done me, would have been done me nearly the fame without him, and perhaps better j but the evil would not have been done me at all : for

* Mr. RoufTeau forms a wrong judgment of me, and ought to know me better. I have written to Mr. Davenport, even fince our rupture, to engage him to continue his kindnefs to his unhappy gueft.

Mr. Hume.

why

( 42 )

why mould I have enemies in England ? Why are thofe enemies all the friends of Mr. Hume ? Who could have excited their en- mity againft me ? It certainly was not I j who knew nothing of them, nor ever faw them in my life : I mould not have had a fingle enemy had I come to England alone *.

I have hitherto dwelt upon public and no- torious facts ; which from their own nature, and my acknowledgment, have made the greateft eclat. Thofe which are to follow are particular and fecret, at lead: in their caufe, and all poffible meafures have been tak- en to keep the knowledge of them from the public ; but as they are well known to the perfon interefted, they will not have the lefs influence toward his own conviction.

A very lhoit time after our arrival in Lon- don, I obferved an abfurd change in the minds of the people regarding me, which foon became very apparent. Before I arrived

* How ftrange are the effects of a disordered ima- gination ! Mr. RoufTeau tells us he is ignorant of what pafles in the world, and yet talks of the enemies he has in England. How does he know this ? Where did he fee them? He hath received nothing but marks of bene- ficence and hofpitality. Mr. Walpole is the only perfon who hath thrown out a little piece of raillery againft him ; but is not therefore his enemy. If Mr. RoufTeau could have feen things exactly as they are, he would have feen that he had no other friend in England but me, and no other enemy but himfeJf. Mr. Hume.

in

( 43 )

in England, there was not a nation in Eu- rope in which I had a greater reputation, I will venture to fay, was held in greater, efti-* mation. The public papers were full of en- comiums on me, and a general outcry pre- vailed on my peifecutors*. This was the cafe at my arrival, which was publifhed in the news papers with triumph ; England prided itfelf in affording me refuge, and juftly gloried on that occafion in its laws and government : when, all of afudden, without the lead affignable caufe, the tone was changed ; and that fo fpeedily and totally, that of all the caprices of the public, never

* That a general outcry fhould prevail againft Mr. RoufTeau's perfecutors in England is no wonder : (iich an outcry would have prevailed from fentiments of hu- manity, had he been a perfon of much lefs note ; fothat this is no proof of his being efteemed : and as to the enco- miums on himinferted in the public news papers, the va- lue of fuch kind of puffs is well known in England. I have already obfe;ved that the authors of more refpeclable works were at no lofs what to think of Mr. Roufleau j but had formed a proper judgment of him long before his arrival in England. The genius which difplayed itfelf in his writings, did, by no means, blind the eyes of the more fenfible part of mankind to the abfurdity and inconfiftency of his opinions and condu£t. In exclaim- ing againft Mr. RoulTeau's fanatical perfecutors, they did not think him the more pofTefled of the true fpirit of mar- tyrdom. The general opinion indeed, was, that he had too much philofophy to be very devout, and had too much devotion to have much philofophy.

Englijh tranjlator.

was

( 44 )

was known any thing more furprizing. The Signal was given in a certain Magazine, equally full of follies and faKhoods, in which the author, being well informed, or pretend- ing to be fo, gives me out for the fon of a mufician. From this time *, I was con- stantly fpoken of in print in a very equivocal or flighting manner. Every thing that had been publifhed concerning my misfortunes was mifrsprefented, altered, or placed in a wrong light, and always as much as poflible to my difadvantage. So far was any body from fpeaking of the reception I met with at Paris, and which had made but too much noife, it was not generally fuppofed that I durft have appeared in that city j even one of Mr. Hume's friends being very much fur- prized when I told bim I came through it.

Accuftomed as I had been too much to the inconftancy of the public, to be affected by this inftance of it, I could not help being aftonifhed, however, at a change, fo very

* Mr. Rouffeau knows very little of the public judg- ment in England, if he thinks it is to be influenced by any fiory told in a certain Magazine. But, as I have before faid, it was not from this time that Mr. Rouffeau was flightingly fpoke of, but long before ; and that in a more confequential manner. Perhaps, indeed, Mr. RoufTeau ought in juftice to impute great part of thofe civilities he met with on his arrival, rather to vanity and curiofity than to refpedt and efleem.

Englifl) tranjlator.

fudden

( 45 )

fudden and general, that not one of thoie who had fo much praifed me in my abfence, appeared, now I was prefent, to think even, of my exiftence. I thought it fomething very odd that, immediately after the return of Mr. Hume, who had fo much credit in Lon- don, with fo much influence over the book- fellers and men of letters, and fuch great connections with them, his prefence mould produce an effect fo contrary to what might have been expected j that among fo many, writers of every kind, not one of his friends mould mew himfelf to be mine ; while it was eafy to be feen, that thofe who fpoke of him were not his enemies, (ince, in no- ticing his public character, they reported that I had come through France under his protection, and by favour of a parTport which he had obtained of the court ; nay, they almoft went fo far as to infinuate, that I came over in his retinue, and at his ex- pence. All this was of little fignifica- tion, and was only lingular ; but what was much more fo, was, that his friends changed their tone with me as much as the public. I mail always take a pleafure in faying that they were ftill equally folicitous to ferve me, and that they exerted themfelves greatly in my favour ; but fo far were they from mewing me the famerefpect, particularly the gentleman at whofe houfe we alighted

on

( 46 )

on our arrival, that he accompanied all his actions with difcourfe fo rude, and fometimes fo intuiting, that one would have thought he had taken an occalion to oblige me, merely to have a right to exprefs his con- tempt*. His brother, who was at firft very polite and obliging, altered his beha- viour with fo little referve, that he would hardly deign to fpeak a fingle word to me even in their own houfe, in return to a civil falutation, or to pay any of thofe civilities which are ufually paid in like circumftances to ftrangers. Nothing new had happened, however, except the arrival of j. J. Rouf- feau and David Hume : and certainly the caufe of thefe alterations did not come from me, unlefs indeed too great a portion of fim- plicity, difcretion, and modefty, be the caufe of offence in England. As to Mr. Hume, he was fo far from affuming fuch a difgufting tone, that he gave into the other extreme. I have always looked upon flat-

* This relates to my friend Mr. John Stewart, who entertained Mr. Roufleau at his houfe, and did him all the good offices in his power. Mr. Roufleau, in com- plaining of this gentleman's behaviour, forgets that he wrote Mr. Stewart a letter from Wooton, full of ac- knowlegements, and juft expreffions of gratitude. What Mr. Roufleau adds, regarding the brother of Mr. Stewart, is neither civil nor true.

Mr. Hume.

terers

( 47 )

terers with an eye of fufpicion : and he was lb full of all kinds -j- of flattery, that he even obliged me, when I could bear it no longer J, to tell him my fentiments on that head. His behaviour was fuch as to render few Words neceffary, yet I could have wifli- ed he had fubftituted, in the room of fuch grofs encomiums, fometimes the language of a friend ; but I never found any thing in his, which favoured of true friendmip, not even in his manner of fpeaking of me to others in my prefence. One would have thought that, in endeavouring to procure me patrons, he ftrove to deprive me of their good-will ; that he fought rather to have me affiited than loved ; and I have been fometimes furprized at the rude turn he

•f- I fhall mention only one, that made me fmile ; this was, his attention to have, every time I came to fee him, a volume of Eloija upon his table; as if I did not know enough of Mr. Hume's tafte for reading, as to be well aflured, that of all books in the world, Eloifa muft be one of the moil tirefome to him.

Mr. Rousseau.

% The reader may judge from the two firft letters of Mr. Rouffeau, which I publifhed with that view, on which fide the flatteries commenced. As for the reft, I loved and efreemed Mr. Rouffeau, and took a plea- fure in giving him to underfiand fo. I might perhaps be too lavifh in my praifes ; but I can aiTure the reader he never once complained of it.

Mr, Hume.

hath

( 48 )

hath given to my behaviour before peopfd who might not unreafonably have taken of- fence at it. I (hall give an example of what I mean. Mr. Pennick of the Mufeum, a friend of my Lord Marshal's, and miniiter of a parifh where I was folicited to refide> came to fee me. Mr. Hume made my ex- cufes, while I myfelf was prefent, for not having paid him a vifit. Doctor Matty, faid he, invited us on Thurfday to the Mu- feum, where Mr. RoufTeau fhould have feen you j but he chofe rather to go with Mrs. Garrick to the play : we could not do both the fame day *. You will confefs, Sir, this was a flrange method of recommending me to Mr. Pennick.

I know not what Mr. Hume might fay- in private of me to his acquaintance, but nothing was more extraordinary than their behaviour to me, even by his own confef- iion, and even often through his own means. Although my purfe was not empty, and I needed not that of any other perfon ; which he very well knew j yet any one would have thought I was come over to fubfift on the

* I don't recoiled a fingle circumftance of this hif- tory ; but what maices me give very little credit to it, is, that I remember very well we had fettled two dif- ferent days for the purpofcs mentioned, that is, one to go to the Mufeum, and another to the play.

Mr. Hume.

j -charity

C 49 ) charity of the public, and that nothing more was to be done than to give me alms in fuch a manner as to fave me a little con- fufion ~f~. I muft own, this conftant and infolent piece of affectation was one of thofe things which made me averfe to refide iri London. This certainly was not the foot- ing on which any man mould have been in- troduced in England, had there been a de- lign of procuring him ever fo little refpect. This difplay of charity, however, may ad- mit of a more favourable interpretation, and I confent it mould. To proceed.

At Paris was publifhed a fictitious letter from the King of Pruffia, addreffed to me, and replete with the mod cruel malignity. I learned with furprize that it was one Mr. Walpole, a friend of Mr. Hume's, who was the editor ; I afked him if it were true ; in anfwer to which queition, he only afked me, of whom I had the information. A mo- ment before he had given me a card for this fame Mr. Walpole, written to engage him

■f I conceive Mr. RoufTeau hints here at two or three dinners, that were fent him from the houfe of Mr. Steward, when he chofe to dine at his own lodg- ings ; this was not done, however, to fave him the expence of a meal, but becaufe there was no conve- nient tavern or chop-houfe in the neighbourhood. I beg the reader's pardon for defcending to fuch trivial particulars. Mr. Hume.

R to

( 5° )

to bring over fuch papers as related to me from Paris, and which I wanted to have by a fafe hand.

I was informed that the fon of that quack * Tronchin, my mod: mortal enemy, was not only the friend of Mr. Hume, and under his protection, but that they both lodged in the fame houfe together; and when Mr. Hume found that I knew it, he impart- ed it in confidence ; alluring me at the fame time, that the fon was by no means like the father. I lodged a few nights myfelf, toge- ther with my governante, in the fame houfe ; and by the air and manr.cr with which we were received by the landladies, who are his friends, I judged in what man- ner either Mr. Hume, or that man, who, as he faid, was by no means like his father, tr.uft have fpoken to them both of her and me -f.

All

* We have not been authorized to fupprefs this af- fronting term ; but it is too grofs and groundiefs to do any injury to the celebrated and refpe&able phyfician to whofe name it is annexed. ' French Editors.

f Thus am I accufed of treachery, becaufe I am a friend of Mr. Walpole, who hath thrown out a little raillery on Mr. RouiTeau ; and becaufe the fon of a man whom Mr. RoulTeau does not like, lodges by ac- cident in the fame houfe ; becaufe my landladies, who do not underhand a fyllable of French, received Mr. RouiTcs.u coldly. As So the reft, all that 1 faid to Mr. Rouf-

feau

( 5* )

All thefe fa&s put together, added to a certain appearance of things on the whole, infenfibly gave me an unealinefs, which I re- jected with horror. In the mean time, I found the letters I wrote did not come to hand; thofe I received had often been open- ed ; and all went through the hands of Mr. Hume -J-. If at any time any one efcaped

feau about the young Tronchin was, that he had not the fame prejudices againft him as his father. Mr. Hume.

f The ftory of Mr. RoufTeau's letters is as follows. He had often been complaining to me, and with rea- fon, that he was ruined by poftage at Neuf-chatel, which commonly coft him 25 or 26 louis d'ors a year ; and all for letters which were of no fignificance, being wrote, forrie of them by people who took that oppor- tunity of abufing him, and moft of them by perfons Unknown to him : he was therefore refolved, he faid, in England to receive no letters which came by the port ; and the fame refolution he re-iterates in his letter to me dated the 22d of March. When he went to Chifwick, near London, the poft-man brought his letters to me. I carried him out a cargo of them : he exclaimed, defired me to return the letters, and recover the price of poftage: I told him, that in that cafe, the clerks of the poft-ofHce were entire matters of his let- ters : he faid, he was indifferent ; they might do with them what they pleafed. I added* that he would by that means be cut off from all correfpondence with all his friends : he replied, that he would give a particular direction to fuch as he defired to correfpond with. But till his inftrudions for that purpofe could arrive, what could I do more friendly, than to fave, at my own ex- pence, his letters from the curiofity and indiferetion ot the clerks of the poll-office ? I am indeed afiiamed to find myfelf obliged todifcovcr fuch petty circumftances.

' Mr. Hume. E i him*

( 52 )

him, he could not conceal his eagernefs to fee it. One evening in particular I remem- ber a very remarkable circumftance of this kind, that greatly ftruck me J. As we were fitting one evening, after fupper, filent by the fire-fide, I caught his eyes intently fixed on mine, as indeed happened very

J It is necefiary to explain this circumftance. I had been writing on Mr. Hume's table, during his abfence, an anfwer to a letter I had juft received. He came in, very curious to know what I had been writing, and hardly able to contain himfelf from defiring to read it. I clofed my letter, however, without fhewing it him ; when, as I was putting it into my pocket, he afked me for it eagerly, faying, he would fend it away on the morrow, being poll-day. The letter lay on the table. Lord Newnham came in. Mr. Hume went out of the room for a moment ; on which I took the letter up again, faying I mould find time to fend it the next day. Lord Newnham offered to get it inclofed in the French ambaf- fador's packet ; which I accepted. Mr. Hume re-entered the moment his lordfliip had inclofed it, and was pulling out his feal. Mr. Hume officioufly offered his own feal, and that with fo much earneflnefs, that it could not well be refufed. The bell v/as rung, and Lord Newnham gave the letter to Mr. Hume's fervant, to give it his own, who waited below with the chariot, in order to have it fent to the ambaffador. Mr. Hume's fervant was hardly got out of the room, but I faid to myfelf, I'll lay a wager the mailer follows. He did not fail to do as I expected. Not knowing how to leave Lord Newn- ham alone, I ftaid fome time, before I followed Mr, Hume. I faid nothing; but he muff perceive that I was uneafy. Thus, although I have received no an- fwer to my letter, I doubt not of its going to hand ; but I confefs, I cannot help fufpefting it was read firft. Mr. Rousseau.

i often j

( 53 )

often ; and that in a manner of which it is very difficult to give an idea j at that time he gave me a ftedfaft, piercing look, mixed with a fneer, which greatly difturbed me. To get rid of the embarrafsment I lay under, I endeavoured to look full at him in my turn j but, in fixing my eyes againft his, I felt the mod inexpremble terror, and was obliged foon to turn them away. The fpeech and phyfiognomy of the good David is that of an honefl man ; but where, great God ! did this good man borrow thofe eyes he fixes fo flernly and unaccountably on thofe of his friends !

The impremon of this look remained with me, and gave me much uneafinefs.' My trouble increafed even to a degree of fainting ; and if I had not been relieved by an effufion of tears, I had been fuffocated. Prefently after this I was feized with the moft violent remorfe ; I even defpifed my- felf -, till at length, in a tranfport, which I flill remember with delight, I fprang on his neck, embraced him eagerly ; while almofl choked with fobbing, and bathed in tears, I cried out, in broken accents, No, no, David Hume cannot be treacherous ; if he be not the bejl of men, he muft be the bafeji of mankind. David Hume politely returned my embraces, and gently tapping me on the back, repeat- ed feveral times, in a good-natured and eafy E 3 tone,

( 5+ )

tone, Why, what my dear Sir ! Nay, my dear Sir I Oh I my dear Sir ! He fa id no-: thing more. I felt my heart yearn within me. We went to bed ; and I fet out the next day for the country.

Arrived at this agreeable afylum, to which I have travelled io far in fearch of repofe, I ought to hid it in a retired, convenient, and pleafant habitation ; the mafter of which, a man of underftanding and worth, fpares for nothing to render it agreeable to me. But what repofe can be tafred in life, when the heart is agitated ? Afflicted with the mod cruel uncertainty, and ignorant what to think of a man whom I ought to love and efteem, I endeavoured to get rid of that fatal doubt, in placing confidence in my be- nefactor. For, wherefore, from what un- accountable caprice fhould he difplay fo much apparent zeal for my happinefs, and at the lame time entertain fecret defigns ngainfl my honour. Among the feveral ob- fervations that difturbed me, each fact was in itfelf of no great moment -, it was their concurrence that was furprizing ; yet I thought, perhaps, that Mr. Hume, inform- ed of other facts, of which I was ignorant, could have given me a fatisfactory folution of them, had we come to an explana- tion. The only thing that was inexpli- cable, was, that he refufed to come to fuch

( S5 )

an explanation ; which both his honour and his friendfhip rendered equally neceffary. I faw very well there was ibmething in the affair which I did not comprehend, and which I earneflly wifhed to know. Before I came to an abfolute determination, there- fore, with regard to him, I was defirous of making another effort, and to try to recover him, if he had permitted himfelf to be feduced by my enemies, or. in fhort to prevail on him to explain himfelf one way or other. Accordingly I wrote him a letter, which he ought to have found very na- tural *, if he were guilty j but very extra- ordinary, if he were innocent. For what could be more extraordinary than a letter full of gratitude for his fervices, and at the fame time, of difiruft, of his fentiments ; and in which, placing in a manner his actions on one fide, and his fentiments on the other, inftead of fpeaking of the proofs of friendfhip he had given me, I defired him to love me, for the good he had done me -f ? I did not take the precaution to pre^

* It appears from what he wrote to me afterwards, that he was very well fatisfied with this letter, and thaC he thought of it very well. Mr. Rousseai/.

f My anfwer to this is contained in Mr. Roufleau's own letter of the 2ad of March j wherein he expreffes himfelf with the utmoft cordiality, without any re- fcrve, and without the leaft appearance of fufpicion.

Mr. Hume. E 4 ferve

( 56 ) ferve a copy of this letter ; but as he hath done ir, let him produce it : and whoever ihall read it, and fee therein a man labour- ing under a fecret trouble, which he is de- iirous of exprefling, and is afraid to do it, will, I am perfuaded, be curious to know what kind of eclaircifTement it produced, efpecially after the preceeding fcene. None. Abfolutely none at all. Mr. Hume con- tented himfelf, in his anfwer, with only fpeaking of- the obliging offices Mr. Daven- port propofed to do for me. As for the reft, he faid not a word of the principal fubjecT: of my letter, nor of the fituation of my heart, of whole diftrefs he could not be ignorant. I was more ftruck with this filence, than I had been with his phlegm during our laft con- verfation. In this I was wrong; this filence was very natural after the other, and was no more than I ought to have expected. For when one hath ventured to declare to a man's face, I am tempted to believe you a traitor, and he hath not the curioiity to afk you for ivhat *, it may be depended on he will never have any fuch curiofity as long as he lives; and it is eafy to judge of him from thefe flight indications.

After the receipt of his letter, which was long delayed, I determined at length to write

* Aii this hangs upon the fable he had To artfully forked up, as I before obferved. Mr. Hume.

to

( 57 )

to him no more. Soon after, every thing lerved to confirm me in the refolution to break of! all farther correfpondence with him. Curious to the laft degree concerning the minuted circumftance of my affairs, he was not content to learn them of me, in our fre- quent converfations ; but, as I learned, ne- ver let flip an opportunity of being alone with my governante -j~, to interrogate her even importunately concerning my occupa- tions, my refources, my friends, acquaint- ances, their names, Situations, place of abode, and all this after fetting out with telling her he was well acquainted with the whole of my connections ; nay, with the mod jefu- itical addrefs, he would afk the fame ques- tions of us Separately. One ought undoubt- edly to intereft one's felf in the affairs of a friend ; but one ought to be fatisned with what he thinks proper to let us know of them, particularly when people are fo frank and in- genuous as 1 am. Indeed all this petty inqui- fitivenefs is very little becoming a philofopher. About the fame time I received two other letters which had been opened. The one from Mr. Bofwell, the feal of which was fo

■f I bad only one fuch opportunity with his gover- nante, which was on their arrival in London. I muft pwn it never entered into roy head to talk to her upon any other fubjedr. than the concerns of Mr. Roufleau.

Mr. Hume.

loofe

( 5S )

Joofe and disfigured, that Mr. Davenport, when he received it, remarked the fame to Mr. Hume's fervant. The other was from Mr. d'lvernois, in Mr. Hume's packet, and which had been fealed up again by means of a hot iron, which, aukwardly applied, had burnt the paper round the imprefllon. On this, I wrote to Mr. Davenport to defire him to take charge of all the letters which might be fent for me, and to trull none of them in any body's hands, under any pretext whatever. I know not whether Mr. Daven- port, who certainly was far from thinking that precaution was to be obferved with re- gard to Mr. Hume, fhowed him my letter or not; but this I know, that the latter had all the reaion in the world to think he had forfeited my confidence, and that he pro- ceeded neverthelefs in his ufual manner, without troubling himfelf about the recovery of it.

But what was to become of me, when I faw, in the public papers, the pretended letter of the King of Pruffia, which I had never before (ceny that fictitious letter, printed in French and Engliih, given for genuine, even with the fignature of the King, and in which I knew the pen of Mr. d'Alembert as cer- tainly as if I had feen him write it * ?

* See Mr. d'AJembert's declaration on this head, an- nexed to this narrative.

6 In

( 59 )

In a moment a ray of light difcovered to me the fecret caufe of that touching and fud- den change, which I had obferved in the public reflecting me; and I faw the plot which was put In execution at London, had been laid in Paris.

Mr. d'Alembert, another intimate friend of Mr. Hume's, had been long fince my fecret enemy, and lay in watch for opportu- nities to injure me without expofing himfelf. He was the only perfon, among the men of letters, of my old acquaintance, who did not come to fee me 4-, or fend their civilities during my laft paffage through Paris. I knew his fecret difpofition, but I gave my- felf very little trouble about it, content- ing myfelf with advifing my friends of it occafionally. I remember that being afked about him one day by Mr. Hume, who afterwards afked my governante the fame queftion, I told him that Mr, d'Alembert was a cunning, artful man. He contradicted me with a warmth that furprized me ; not then knowing they flood fo well with each other, and that it was his own caufe he de- fended.

t Mr. Roufleau declares himfelf to have been fatigued with thevifits he received ; ought he therefore to complain that Mr. d'Alembert, whom he did not like, did nof importune him with his ? Mr. Hume.

The

( 6o )

The perufal of the letter above mentioned alarmed me a good deal, when, perceiving that I had been brought over to England in confequence of a project which began to be pat in execution, but of the end of which I was ignorant, I felt the danger without knowing what to guard againft, or on whom to rely. I then recollected four terrify- ing words Mr. Hume had made ufe of, and of which I (hall fpeak hereafter. What could be thought of a paper in which my misfor- tunes were imputed to me as a crime, which tended, in the midft of my diftrefs, to de- prive me of all compaffion, and, to render its effects ftill more cruel, pretended to have been written by a Prince who had afforded me protection ? What could I divine would be the confequence of fuch a beginning ? The people in England read the public pa- pers, and are in no wife prepoffelTed in favour of foreigners. Even a coat, cut in a dif- ferent fafhion from their own, is fufficient to excite a prejudice againft them. What then had not a poor ftranger to expect in his rural walks, the only pleafures of his life, when the good people in the neighbourhood were once thoroughly perfuaded he was fond of being perfecuted and pelted ? Doubtlefs they would be ready enough to contribute to his favourite amufement. But my concern, my profound and cruel concern, the bittereft in- deed

( 6i )

deed I ever felt, did not arife from the dan- ger to which I was perfonally expofed. I had braved too many others to be much moved with that. The treachery of a falfe friend* to which I had fallen a pre/, was the circumftance that rilled my too fuf- ceptible heart with deadly forrow. In the impetuolity of its firfr. emotions, of which I never yet was matter, and of which my ene- mies have artfully taken the advantage, I wrote feveral letters full of diforder, in which I did not difguife either my anxiety or indig- nation.

I have, Sir, fo many things to mention, that I forget half of them by the way. For inftance, a certain narrative in form of a let- ter, concerning my manner of living at Montmorency, was given by the bookfellers to Mr. Hume, who (hewed it me. I agreed to its being printed, and Mr. Hume under- took the care of its edition ; but it never ap- peared. Again, I had brought over with me a copy of the letters of Mr. du Peyrou, con- taining a relation of the treatment I had met

* This falfe friend, is, undoubtedly, myfelf. But what is the treachery ? What harm have I done, or could I do to Mr. RoufTeau ? On the fuppofition of my entering into a project to ruin him, how could I think to bring it about by the fervices I did him ? If Mr. Rouf- feau mould gain credit, I muft be thought (till more weak than wicked. Mr. Hume.

with

( 62 )

with at Neufchatel. I gave them into th-e hands of the fame bookfeller to have them' tranflated and reprinted. Mr. Hume charged himfelf with the care of them ; but they ne- ver appeared -f-. The fuppofititious letter of the King of Pruffia, and its tranflation, had no fooner made their appearance, than I im- mediately comprehended why the other pieces had been fuppreffed J, and I wrote as much to the bookfellers||. I wrote feverat

other

■f The bookfellers have lately informed me that the edition is finifhed, and will fhortly be publifhed. This may be j but it is too late, and what is ftill worfe, it is too opportune for the purpofe intended to be ferved.

Mr. Rousseau.

^ It is about four months fince Mr. Becket, the bookfeller, told Mr. Rouffeau that the publication of thefe pieces was delayed on account of the indifpofrtiori, of the tranflator. As for any thing elfe, I never pro- mifed to take any charge at all of the edition, as Mr. Becket can teftify. Mr. Hume.

|| As to Mr. Rouffeau's fufpicions of the caufe of the fupprejjiori) as he calls it, of the Narrative and Letters above mentioned, the tranflator thinks it incumbent on him to affirm, they were entirely groundlefs. It is true, as Mr. Becket told Mr. Hume, that the tranflator of the letters was indifpofed about that time. But the principal caufe of the delay was, that he was of his own mere motion, no lefs indifpofed to thofe pieces making their appearance in Englim at * all j and this not out of

ill

t i ;

* For, fo far were the bookfellers from intending to fupprefs thefe pieces, that they actually reprinted the French edition, of Peyrou's letters, and publifhed it i£ London.

( 63 )

©ther letters alfo, which probably were handed about London ; till at length I em- ployed the credit of a man of quality and merit, to infert a declaration of the impoflure in the public papers. In this declaration, I concealed no part of my extreme concern ; nor did I in the leaft difguife the caufe.

Hitherto Mr. Hume feems to have walked in darknefs. You will foon fee him appear

ill will to Mr. Roufleau, or good will to Mr. Hume, neither of which he ever faw, or fpoke to, in his life ; but really out of regard to the character and reputation of a man, whofe genius he admired, and whole works he had tranflated : well knowing the publication of fuch fquabbles could do Mr. Roufleau no good in the opinion of the more judicious and fenfible part of mankind. With regard to the tranflation of the Narrative of his manner of living at Montmorency, I never faw it ti'i it was actually printed; when Mr. Becket put it into my hands, and I frankly told him that I thought it a very unfeafonable, puerile affair, and could by no means ferve to advance Mr. RoulTeau's eftimation in the eyes of the public. It was certainly of great importance to the good peopie of England, to know how Mr. Rouf- feau amufed himfelf 7 or 8 years ago at Montmorency, that he cooked his own broth, and did not leave it to the management of his nurfe, for fear fhe fhould have a better dinner than himfelf ! Yet this is one of the mofk remarkable circumftances contained in that narrative, except indeed that we are told, Mr. Roufleau is a moft pafllonate admirer of virtue, and that his eyes always fparkle at the bare mention of that word — O Virtue ! how greatly is thy name proftituted ! And how fair, from the teeth outward, are thy nominal votaries !

EngHJb tranjlator.

in

( 64 )

in open day, and act without difguife. No-* thing more is neceifary, in our behaviour toward cunning people, than to act ingenu- oufly ; fooner or later they will infallibly be- tray themfelves.

When this pretended letter from the King of Pruffia was firft. published in London, Mr. Hume, who certainly knew that it was fictitious, as I had told him fo, yet faid no- thing of the matter, did not write to me, but was totally filent ; and did not even think of making any declaration of the truth, in favour of his abfent friend *. It anfwered his purpofe better to let the report take its courfe, as he did.

Mr. Hume having been my conductor into England, he was of courfe in a manner my patron and protector. If it were but na- tural in him to undertake my defence, it was no lefs fo that, when I had a public proteftation to make, I mould have addreffed myfelf to him. Having already ceafed writ- ing to him "jr, however, I had no mind to renew our correfpondence. I addreffed my- felf therefore to another perfon. The firft

* No body could poflibly be miftaken with regard to the letter's being fictitious; befides it was well known that Mr. Walpole was the author of it. Mr. Hume.

t Mr. RouiTeau forgets himfelf here. It was but a week before that he wrote me a very friendly letter. See his letter of the 29th of March, Mr. Hume.

Hap

( 65 )

flap on the face I gave my patron. He felt nothing of it.

In laying the letter was fabricated at Paris, it was of very little confequence to me whe- ther it was understood particularly of Mr. d'Alembert, or of Mr. Walpole, vvhofe name he borrowed on the occafion. But in adding that, what afflicted and tore my heart was, the impoftor had got his accom- plices in England ; I expreffed myicAf very clearly to their friend, who was in London, and was defirous of paffing for mine. For. certainly he was the only perfon in England, whofe hatred could afflict and rend my heart. This was the fecond flap of the face I gave my patron. He did not feel, however, yet.

On the contrary, he malicioufly pretended that my affliction arofe folely from the pub- lication of the above letter, in order to make me pafs for a man who was exceffively affected by fatire. Whether I am vain or not, certain it is I was mortally afflicted ; he knew it, and yet wrote me not a word. This affectionate friend, who had fo much at heart the filling of my purfe, gave him- felf no trouble to think my heart was bleed- ing with forrow.

Another piece appeared foon after, in the

fame papers, by the author of the former,

and (till if poffible more cruel ; in which the

writer could not difguife his rage at the recep-

F tioa

( 66 )

tlon I met with at Paris *. This however &td not affect me ; it told me nothing new. Mere libels may take their courfe without giving me any emotion ; and the inconftant public may amufe themfelves as long as they pleafe with the fubjecT. It is not an affair of con- fpirators, who, bent on the deftruction of my honeft fame, are determined by fome means or other to effect it. It was neceffary to change the battery.

The affair of the penfion was not deter- mined. It was not difficult, however, for Mr. Hume to obtain, from the humanity of the minifter, and the generofity of the King, the favour of its determination. He was required to inform me of it, which he did. This, I muff confefs, was one of the critical moments of my life. How much did it coft me to do my duty ! My preceding engage- ments, the neceffity of (hewing a due refpect for the goodnefs of the King, and for that of his minifter, together with the defire of difplaying how far I was fenfible of both ; add to thefe the advantage of being made a little more eafy in circumftances in the de- cline of life, furrounded as I was by enemies and evils ; in fine, the embarraffment I was under to find a decent excufe for not accept-

I know nothing of this pretended libel.

Mr. Hume.

Mg

( 67 )

ing a benefit already half accepted ; all thefe together made the neceffity of that refufalvery difficult and cruel : for neceffary it was, or I mould have been one of the meaneft and bafefl of mankind to have voluntarily laid my- felf under an obligation to a man who had betrayed me.

I did my duty, though not without reluc- tance. I wrote immediately to General Con- way, and in the mod civil and refpectful manner poflible, without giving an abfolute refufal, excufing myfelf from accepting the penfion for the prefent.

Now, Mr. Hume had been the only ne- gotiator of this affair, nay the only perfon who had fpoke of it. Yet I not only did not give him any anfwer, though it was he who wrote to me on the fubject, but did not even fo much as mention him in my letter to Ge- neral Conway. This was the third flap of the face I gave my patron j which if he does not feel, it is certainly his own fault, he can feel nothing.

My letter was not clear, nor could it be fo to General Conway, who did not know the motives of my refufal •, but it was very plain to Mr. Hume, who knew them but too well. He pretended neverthelefs to be deceived as well with regard to the caufe of my difcon- tent, as to that of my declining the penfion ; and, in a letter he wrote me on the occafion, F 2 gave

t 68 >

gave me to underfTand that the king's goocJ- nefs might be continued towards me, if I ihould reconfider the affair of the penfion. In a word he feemed determined, at all events, to remain ftill my patron, in fpite of my teeth. You will imagine, Sir, he did not expect my anfwer ; and he had none. Much about this time, for I do not know exactly the date, nor is fuch precifion necef- fary, appeared a letter, from Mr. de Voltaire to me, with an Englifh tranllation, which (till improved on the original. The noble object of this ingenious performance, was to draw on me the hatred and contempt of the people, among whom I was come to refide. I made not the leafl doubt that my dear patron was one of the inftruments of its publication -r particularly when I faw that the writer, in endeavour ins: to alienate from me thofe who might render my life agreeable, had omitted the name of him who brought me over. He doubtlefs knew that it was fuperfluous, and that with regard to him, nothing more was neceffary to be faid. The omiflion of his name, fo impoliticly forgot in this letter, recalled to my mind what Tacitus fays of the picture of Brutus, omitted in a funeral folemnity, viz. that every body took notice of it, particularly becaufe it was not there.

Mr. Hume was not mentioned ; but he lives and converfes with people that are men- tioned.

< H )

tioned. It is well known his friends are all my enemies ; there are abroad fuch people as Tronchin, d'Alembert, and Voltaire * ; but it is much worfe in London ; for here I have no enemies but what are his friends. For why, indeed, fhould I have any other 1 Why mould I have even them -j- ? What have I done to Lord Littleton J, whom I

don't

* I have never been fo happy as to meet with Mr. de Voltaire ; he only did me the honour to write me a letter about three years ago. As to Mr. Tronchin, I never faw him in my life, nor ever had any correfpon- •dence with him. Of Mr. d'Alembert's friendfhip, in- deed, I am proud to make a boaft.

Mr. Hume.

-f Why indeed ? except that fenfible people in Eng- land are averfe to afTedtation and quackery. Thofe who ■fee and defpife thefe moil in Mr. RouiTeau, are nor, however, his enemies ; perhaps, if he could be brought to think fo, they are his beft and trueft friends.

Englijh tr.mjlator,

% Mr. RouiTeau, feeing the letter addrefTed to him in the name of Voltaire advertifed in the public papers, wrote to Mr. Davenport, who was then in London, to defire he would bring it him. I told Mr. Davenport that the printed copy was very faulty, but that I would afk of Lord Littleton a manufcript copy, which was cor- recl:. This is fufficient to make Mr. Rouffcau conclude that Lord Littleton is his mortal enemy, and my inti- mate friend ; and that we are in a confpiracy againft him. He ought rather to have concluded that the printed copy could not come from me.

Mr. Hume.

The piece above mentioned was fhewn to the Tranf-

■laiot before its publication, and many abfurd liberties

F 3 taken

( 7° )

don't even know ? What have I done to Mr. Walpole, whom I know full as little ? What do they know of me, except that I am unhappy, and a friend to their friend Hume? What can he have faid to them, for it is only through him they know any thing of me ? I can very well imagine that, conli- dering the part he has to play, he does not unmalk himfelf to every body ; for then he would be difguifed to no body. I can very well imagine, that he does not fpeak of me to General Conway and the Duke of Rich- mond, as he does in his private converfations with Mr. Walpole, and his fecret corre- fpondence with Mr. d'Alembert ; but let any one difcover the clue that hath been un- ravelled fince my arrival in London, and it will eafily be feen whether Mr. Hume does not hold the principal thread.

At length the moment arrived in which it was thought proper to ftrike the great blow ; the effect of which was prepared for, by a frefb, fatirical piece, put in the papers *.

Had

taken with the original pointed out and cenfured. At which time- there did not appear, from the parties con- cerned in it, that Mr. Hume could have had the leaft hand in, or could have known any thing of the edition.

Englijh tranJJator. * I have never feen this piece, neither before nor after its publication ; nor has it come to the knowlege ©f any body to whom I have fpoken of it.

Mr. Hume. The

( 7' )

Had there remained in me the leaft doubt, it would have been impoffible to have har- boured it after perufing this piece ; as it con- tained facls unknown to any body but Mr. Hume , exaggerated, it is true, in order to render them odious to the public.

It is faid, in this paper, that my door was opened to the rich, and (hut to the poor. Pray who knows when my door was open or iliut, except Mr. Hume, with whom I lived, and by whom every body was intro- duced that I (aw ? I will except one great perfonage, whom I gladly received without knowing him, and whom I fhould (till have more gladly received if I had known him. It was Mr. Hume who told me his name, when he was gone ; on which information, I was really chagrined that, , as he deigned to mount up two pair of ftairs, he was not received in the firft floor. As to the poor, I have nothing to fay about the matter. I was conftantly defirous of feeing lefs company ; but as I was unwilling to difpleafe any one, I fuffered myfelf to be directed in this af- fair altogether by Mr. Hume, and endea- voured to receive every body he introduced

The tranjlator, who has been attentive to every thing that has come out from, or about Mr. Roufleau, knows alfo nothing of this piece. Why did not Mr. Roiilfeau mention particularly in what paper, and when it ap- peared ? EngVJh tranjlator.

F 4 as

( 72 )

as well as I could, without diftindtion, whe* ther rich or poor. It is faid in the fame piece, that I received my relations very coldly, not to fay any thing nscorfe. This general charge relates to my having once re- ceived with iome indifference the only rela* tion I have, out of Geneva, and that in the prefence of Mr. Hume *. It muft. necefla- rily be either Mr. Hume or this relation who fumimed that piece of intelligence. Now, my coufin, whom I have always known for a friendly relation, and a worthy man, is incapable of furnifhing materials for public fatires againft me. Add to this, that his fituation in life confining him to the con- verfatlon of perfons in trade, he has no connection with men of letters, or para- graph-writers, and ftill lefs with fatirifts aiid libellers. So that the article could not come from him. At the worft, can I help imagining that Mr. Hume muft have en- deavoured to take advantage of what he faid, and conftrued it in favour of his own pur- pole ? It is not improper to add, that after my rupcure with Mr. Hume, I wrote an account of it to my coufin.

* I was not prefent when Mr. RoufTeau received his coufin : I only juft faw them afterwards together for about a minute on the terrace in Buckingham-ftreet.

Mr. Hume.

In

( 73 )

In fine, it is faid in the fame paper, that I am apt to change my friends. No great fubtlety is neceflary to comprehend what this reflection is preparative to.

But let us diftinguifh fads. I have pre-

ferved fome very valuable and folid friends

for twenty-five to thirty years. I have

others whofe friendfhip is of a later date,

but no lefs valuable, and which if I live, I

may preferve (till longer. I have not found,

indeed, the fame fecurity in general among

thofe friendships I have made with men of

letters. I have for this reafon fometimes

changed them, and (hall always change

them, when they appear fufpicious j for I

am determined never to have friends by way

of ceremony j I have them only with a view

to fhew them my affection.

If ever I was fully and clearly convinced of any thing, I am fo convinced that Mr. Hume furniihed the materials for the above paper.

But what is flill more, I have not only that abfolute conviction, but it is very clear to me that Mr. Hume intended I mould : For how can it be fuppofed that a man of his fubtlety mould be fo imprudent as to ex- pofe himfelf thus, if he had not intended it ? What was his defign in it ? Nothing is more clear than this. It was to raife my refentment to the higheft pitch, that ne

might

( 74 ) might ftrike the blow he was preparing to give me with greater eclat. He knew he had nothing more to do than to put me in a paffion, and I mould be guilty of a number of abfurdities. We are now arrived at the critical moment which is to (hew whether he reafoned well or ill.

It is neceffary to have all the prefence of mind, all the phlegm and refolution of Mr. Hume, to be able to take the part he hath taken, after all that has palTed between us. In the embarraflrnent I was under, in writing to General Conway, I could make ufe only of obfcureexpreffionsj to which Mr. Hume, in quality of my friend, gave what inter- pretation he pleafed. Suppofing therefore, for he knew very well to the contrary, that it was the circumftance of fecrecy which gave meuneafinefs, he obtained the promife of the General to endeavour to remove it ; but before any thing was done, it was pre- viouily neceffary to know whether I would accept of the penllon without that condi- tion, in order not to expofe his Majefty to a fecond refufal.

This was the decilive moment, the end and object of all his labours. An anfwer was required ; he would have it. To pre- vent effectually indeed my neglect: of it, he fent to Mr. Davenport a duplicate of his letter to me ; and, not content with this

pre-

( 75 )

precaution, wrote me word, in another billet, that he could not poffibly flay any longer in London to ferve me. I was giddy with amazement, on reading this note. Ne- ver in my life did I meet with any thing fo unaccountable.

At length he obtained from me the (o much defired anfwer, and began prefently to triumph. In writing to Mr. Davenport, he treated me as a monfter of brutality and in- gratitude. But he wanted to do ftill more. He thinks his meafures well taken ; no proof can be made to appear againft him. He demands an explanation j he fhali have it, and here it is.

That laft ftroke was a mafter-piece. He himfelf proves every thing, and that beyond reply.

I will fuppofe, though by way of impof- fibility, that my complaints againft Mr. Hume never reached his ears ; that he knew nothing of them ; but was as perfectly ig- norant as if he had held no cabal with thofe who are acquainted with them, but had re- flded all the while in China *. Yet the be- haviour paffing directly between us j the

* How was it pofTible for me to guefs at fuch chi- merical fufpicions ? Mr. Davenport, the only perfort of my acquaintance who then faw Mr. RoufTeau, af- fures me, that he was perfectly ignorant of them him- felf. Mr. Hume.

laft

( 76 )

laft ftriking words, which I faid to him In London ; the letter which followed replete with fears and anxiety; my perfevering filence ftill more expreffive than words j my public and bitter complaints with regard to the let- ter of Mr. d'Alembert; my letter to the Se- cretary of State, who did not write to me, in anfwer to that which Mr. Hume wrote to me himfelf, and in which I did not mention him j and in fine my refufal, without deign- ing to addrefs myfelf to him, to acq^iefce in an affair which he had managed in toy fa- vour, with my own privity, and without any oppofition on my part : all this muff have fpoken in a very forcible manner, I will not fay to any perfon of the leaff fenfibility, but to every man of common fenfe.

Strange that, after I had ceafed to corres- pond with him for three months, when I liad made no anfwer to any one of his letters, however important the fubject of it, fur- rounded with both public and private marks of that affliction which his infidelity gave me; a man of fo enlightened an underitanding, of fo penetrating a genius by nature, and fo dull by defign, mould fee nothing, hear no- thing, feel nothing, be moved at nothing; but, without one word of complaint, juffi- rrcation, or explanation, continue to give me the mod preffing marks of his good will to ierve ok, in fpite of myfelf! He wrote to

me

( 77 )

me affectionately, that he could not ftay any longer in London to do me fervice, as if we had agreed that he mould ftay there for that purpofe ! This blindnefs, this infen- libility, this perfeverance, are not in nature; they muft be accounted for, therefore, from other motives. Let us fet this behaviour in a ftill clearer light j for this is the decifive point.

Mr. Hume muft neceflarily have acted in this affair, either as one of the firft or laft of mankind. There is no medium. It remains to determine which of the two it hath been.

Could Mr. Hume, after fo many inftances of difdain on my part, have ftill the aftonifh- ing generality as to perfevere fincerely to ferve me ? He knew it was impoffible for me to accept his good offices, fo long as I enter- tained for him fuch fentiments as I had con- ceived. He had himfelf avoided an expla- nation. So that to ferve me without juftifying himfelf, would have been to render his fer- vices ufelefs j this therefore was no genera- lity. If he fuppofed that in fuch circumftances I mould have accepted his fervices, he muft have fuppofed me to have been an infamous fcoundrel. It was then in behalf of a man whom he fuppofed to be a fcoundrel, that he fo warmly folicited a penfion from his Ma- jefty. Can any thing he fuppofed more ex- travagant ?

But

( 78 )

But let it be fuppofed that Mr. Hume, conftantly purfuing his plan, fhould only have faid to himfelf, This is the moment for its execution ; for, by prefling RoufTeau to accept the penfion, he will be reduced either to accept or refufe it. If he accepts it, with the proofs I have in hand againft him, I (hall be able compleatly to difgrace him : if he refufes, after having accepted it, he will have no pretext, but muft give a reafon for fuch refufal. This is what I expect ; if he ac- cufes me he is ruined.

If, I fay, Mr. Hume reafoned with him~ felf in this 'manner, he did what was con- fiflent with his plan, and in that cafe very natural ; indeed this is the only way in which his conduct in this affair can be explained, for upon any other fuppofition it is inexpli- cable : if this be not demonftrable, nothing ever was fo. The critical fituation to which he had now reduced me, recalled ftrongly to my mind the four words I mentioned above ; and which I heard him fay and repeat, at a time when I did not comprehend their full force. It was the firft night after our de- parture from Paris. We flept in the fame chamber, when, during the night, I heard him feveral times cry out with great vehe- mence, in the French language, ye tie?is J. y, Roujfeau. [I have you, RoufTeau.]

I know

( 79 )

I know not whether he was awake or afleep*.

The expreffion was remarkable, coming from a man who is too well acquainted with the French language, to be miftaken with regard to the force or choice of words. I took thofe words however, and I could not then take them otherwife than in a favourable fenfe : notwithstanding the tone of voice in which they were fpoken, was ftill lefs favour- able than the expreffion. It is indeed im- poffible for me to give any idea of it ; but it correfponds exactly with thofe terrible looks I have before mentioned. At every repeti- tion of them I was feized with a fhuddering, a kind of horror I could not refift j though a moment's recollection reftored me, and made me fmile at my terror. The next day all this was fo perfectly obliterated, that I did not even once think of it during my (lay in London, and its neighbourhood. It was not till my arrival in this place, that fo many things have contributed to recall thefe words to mind; and indeed recall them every mo- ment.

* I cannot anfwer for every thing I may fay in my fleep, and much lefs am I confcious whether or not I dream in French. But pray, as Mr. Roufieau did not know whether I was afleep or awake, when I pro- nounced thofe terrible words, with fuch a terrible voice, how is he certain that he himfelf was well awake when he heard them ? Mr, Hume.

Thefe

( 8o )

Thefe words, the tone of which dwells on my heart, as if I had but juft heard them ; thofe long and fatal looks fo frequently caft on me; the patting me on the back, with the repetition of Q, my dear Sir, in an- fwer to my fufpicions of his being a trai- tor : all this affects me to fuch a degree, after what preceded, that this recollection, had I no other, would be fufficient to pre- vent any reconciliation or return of confi- dence between us ; not a night indeed paries over my head, but I think I hear, Roujfeau, I have you, ring in my ears as if he had juft pronounced them.

Yes, Mr. Hume, I know you have me ; but that only by mere externals : you have me in the public opinion and judgment of mankind. You have my reputation, and perhaps my fecurity, to do with as you will. The general prepofTeflion is in your favour ^ it will be very eafy for you to make me pafs for the monfter you have begun to reprefent me ; and I already fee the barbarous exulta- tion of my implacable enemies. The public will no longer fpare me. Without any far- ther examination4 every body is on the fide of thofe who have conferred favours j becaufe each is defirous to attract the fame good offices, by difplaying afenfibility of the obli- gation. I forefee readily the confequences of all this, particularly in the country to 4 which

( Si )

"which you have concluded me ; and where, being without friends and an utter fbanger to every body, I lie almoft entirely at your mercy. The fenfible part of mankind, how- ever, will comprehend that I mufl be fo far from feeking this affair, that nothing more difagreeable or terrible could potlibly have happened to me in my prefent fituation. They will perceive that nothing but my in- vincible averfion to all kind of falfhood, and the poffibility of my profeffing a regard for a perfon who had forfeited it, could have pre- vented my diffimulation, at a time when it was on fo many accounts my intereft. But the fenfible part of mankind are few, nor do they make the greater!: noife in the world.

Yes, Mr. Hume, you have me by all the ties of this life -3 but you have no power over my probity or my fortitude, which, being independent either of you or of mankind, I will preferve in fpite of you. Think not to frighten me with the fortune that awaits me. I know the opinions of mankind ; I am ac- cuftomed to their injuftice, and have learned to care little about it. If you have taken your refolution, as I have reafon to believe you have, be affured mine is taken alfo. I am feeble indeed in body, but never pofftfTed greater (irength of mind.

Mankind may fay and do what they will,

it is of little eonfequence to me. What is of

G confequence,

( 82 )

confequence, however, is, that I mould end as I have begun j that I mould continue to preferve my ingenuoufnefs and integrity to the end, whatever may happen; and that I fhould have no caufe to reproach myfelf either with meannefs in adverfity, or info- lence in profperity. Whatever difgrace at- tends, or misfortune threatens me, I am ready to meet them. Though I am to be pitied, I am much lefs (o than you, and all the revenge I fhall take on you, is, to leave vou the tormenting confcioufbefs of being obliged, in fpite of yourfelf, to have a refpect for the unfortunate perfon you have op- prefTed.

In clofing this letter, I am furprized at' my having been able to write it. If it were poffible to die with grief, every line was fuf- iicient to kill me with forrow. Every cir- cumstance of the affair is equally incompre- henlible. Such conduct as yours hath been, is not in nature : it is contradictory to itfelf, and yet it is demonftrable to me that it has been fuch as 1 conceive. On each fide of me there is a bottomlefs abyfs ! and I am loft in one or the other.

If you are guilty, I am the mofl unfor- tunate of mankind; if you are innocent, I am the molt culpable *. You even make

* And does it depend on an if% after all Mr. R's pofitive ccnyiSion, anda?;folute demonftrations ? Englijb tranf.

2 me

( «3 )

me defire to be that contemptible object. Yes, the fituation to which you fee me re- duced, proftrate at your feet, crying out fcr mercy, and doing every thing to obtain it ; publifhing aloud my own unworthinefs, and paying the moft explicit homage to your vir- tues, would be a ftate of joy and cordial ef- fufion, after the grievous ftate of reftraint and mortification into which you have plung- ed me. I have but a word more to fay. If you are guilty, write to me no more; it would be fuperfluous, for certainly you could not deceive me. If you are innocent, juftify yourfelf. I know my duty, I love, and fhall always love it, however difficult and fevere. There is no ftate of abjection that a heart, not formed for it, may not recover from. Once again, I fay, if you are innocent, deign to juftify yourfelf; if you are not, adieu for ever.

J. J. R.

I hefitated fome time whether I mould make any reply to this ftrange memorial. At length I determined to write to. Mr, Rouf- feau the following letter.

G 2 Mr.

( H )

Mr. HUME to Mr. ROUSSEAU.

LiJJe-Jireet, Leicejier-Jieldsy J idy 22, 1766.

S I R,

1 SHALL only anfwer one article of your long letter : it is that which regards the converfation between us the evening be- fore your departure. Mr. Davenport had imagined a good natured artifice, to make you believe that a retour chaife had offered for Wooton y and I believe he made an adver- tifement be put in the papers, in order the better to deceive you. His purpofe only was to fave you fome expences in the journey, which 1 thought a laudable project; though I had no hand either in contriving or con- dueling it. You entertained, however, fuf- picions of his defign, while we were fitting alone by my fire-fide ; and you reproached me with concurring in it. I endeavoured to pacify you, and to divert the difcourfe ; but to no purpofe. You fat fullen, and was either filent, or made me very peevifli an- fwers. At laft you rofe up, and took a turn or two about the room ; when all of a fud- den, and to my great furprife, you clapped yourfelf on mv knee, threw your arms about my neck, killed me with feeming ardour, 1 and

( 85 )

and bedewed my face with tears. You ex- claimed, " My dear friend, can you ever lt pardon this folly ! After all the pains you <c have taken to ferve me, after the num- " berlefs inftances of friendfhip you have " given me, here I reward you with this ill u humour and fullennefs. But your for- " givenefs of me will be a new inflance of " your friendship; and I hope you will find " at bottom, that my heart is not unwor- 14 thy of it."

I was very much affected, I own; and, I believe, there palled a very tender fcene between us. You added, by way of com- pliment, that though I had many better titles to recommend me to pofterity, yet perhaps my uncommon attachment and friendfhip to a poor unhappy perfecuted man, would not altogether be overlooked. -

This incident, Sir, was fomewhat remark- able ; and it is impoilible that either you or I could fo foon have forgot it. But you have had the afiurance to tell me the ftory twice in a manner fo different, or rather fo oppo- fite, that when I perflft, as I do, in this ac- count, it neceffarily follows, that either you or I are a liar. You imagine, perhaps, that becaufe the incident paffed privately without a witnefs, the queftion will lie between the credibility of your affertion and of mine. But you (hall not have this advantage or difad- G 3 vantage.

( 86 )

vantage, which ever you are pleafed to term it. 1 ihall produce againft you other proofs, which will put the matter beyond con troverfy.

Firft, You are not aware, that I have a letter under your hand, which is totally irre- concilable with your account, and confirms mine *?

Secondly, I told the ftory the next day, or the day after, to Mr. Davenport, with a friendly view of preventing any fuch good natured artifices for the future. He iurely remembers it.

Thirdly, As I thought the ftory much to your honour, I told it to feveral of my friends here. I even wrote it to Mde. de Boufflers at Paris. I believe no one will imagine, that I was preparing before-hand an apology, in cafe of a rupture with you ; which, of all human events, I mould then have thought the mod incredible, efpecially as we were feparated almoft for ever, and I ftill conti- nued to render you the mofl elTential fervices.

Fourthly, The flory, as I tell it, is con- fident and rational : there is not common fenfe in your account. What ! becaufe

* That of the 22.d of March, which is entirely cor- dial ; and proves that Mr. Rouffeau had never, till that moment, entertained, or at ieaft difcovered, thefmalleft fufpkion againft me. There is alfo in the fame letter, a peevjfh pafiage about the hire of a chaife.

Mr. Hume.

fometimes,

( 37 )

fometimes, when abfent in thought, I have a fixed look or ftare, you fufpect me to be a traitor, and you have the aflbrance to tell me of fuch black and ridiculous fufpicions ! Are not moll: ftudious men (and many of them more than I) fubjecl to fuch reveries or fits of abfence, without being expofed to fuch fufpicions ? You do not even pretend that, before you left London, you had any other folid grounds of fufpicion againft me.

I fhall enter into no detail with regard to your letter : the other articles of it are as much without foundation as you yourfelf know this to be. I fhall only add, in general, that I enjoyed about a month ago an uncommon pleafure, when 1 reflected, that through many difficulties, and by mod; affiduous care and pains, I had, beyond my moft fanguine expectations, provided for your repofe, ho- nour and fortune. But I foon felt a very fenfible uneafinefs when I found that you had wantonly and voluntarily thrown away all thefe advantages, and was become the de- clared enemy of your own repofe, fortune, and honour : I cannot be furprized after this that you are my enemy. Adieu, and for ever. I am, Sir, yours,

D. H.

To all thefe paper?, I need only fubjoin

the following letter of Mr. Walpole to me,

G 4 which

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which proves how ignorant and innocent I am of the whole matter of the King of Piufr fia's letter.

Mr. W A LP OLE to Mr. HUME.

Arlington Street, July 26, 1766.

CANNOT be precife as to the time of my writing the King of Prufha's letter, but 1 do allure you, with the utmott truth, that It was feveral days before you left Paris, and before RouiTeau's arrival there, of which I can give you a (trong proof j for I not only fupprefled the letter while you ftaid there, out of delicacy to you, but it was the reafors why, cut of delicacy to my felf, I did not go to fee him, as ycu often propofed to me 5 thinking it wrong to go and make a cordial vifit to a man, with a letter in my pocket to laugh at him. You are at full liberty, dear Sir, to make ufe of what I fay in your justi- fication, either to RoufTeau or any body elfe. I mould be very forry to have you blamed on my account : I have a hearty contempt of Rouffeau, and am perfectly indifferent what any body thinks of the matter. If there is any fault, which I am far from thinking, let it lie on me. No parts can hinder my laughing at their pofieflbr, if he

is

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]s a mountebank. If he has a bad and mod ungrateful heart, as RoufTeau has mown in your cafe, into the bargain, he will have my fcorn likewife, as he will of all good and fen- fible men. You may truft your fentence to fuch, who are as re fpectable judges as any that have pored over ten thoufand more volumes. Yours mofl: fincerely,

H. W.

Thus I have given a narrative, as concife aspofilble, of this extraordinary affair, which I am told has very much attracted the atten- tion of the public, and which contains more unexpected incidents than any other in which I was ever engaged. The perfons to whom I have mown the original papers which au- thenticate the whole, have differed very much in their opinion, as well of the ufe I ought to make of them as of Mr. Rouffeau's pre- fent fentiments and ftate of mind. Some of them have maintained, that he is altogether infincere in his quarrel with me. and his opinion of my guilt, and that the whole pro- ceeds from that exceffive pride which forms the bads of his character, and which leads him both to feek the eclat of refufing , e King of England's bounty, and to fhake off the intolerable burthen of an obligation to me, by every facrifice of honour, truth, and friendship, as well as of intereft. They

found

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found their fentiments on the abfurdity of that firft: fuppofition on which he grounds his anger, viz. that Mr. Walpole's letter, which he knew had been every where dif- perfed both in Paris and London, was given to the prefs by me ; and as this fuppofition is contrary to common fenfe on the one hand, and not fupported even by the pretence of the flighted: probability on the other, they conclude, that it never had any weight even with the perfon himfelf who lays hold of it. They confirm their fentiments by the number of fictions and lies, which he employs to juf- tlfy his anger ; fictions with regard to points, in which it is impoffible for him to be mif- taken. They alio remark his real chearful- nefs and gaiety, amidft the deep melancholy with which he pretended to be oppreffed. Not to mention the abfurd reafoning which runs through the whole, and on which it is impoffible for any man to reft his conviction ; and though a very important intereft is here abandoned, yet money is not univerfally the chief object with mankind ; vanity weighs farther with fome men, particularly with this philofopher ; and the very oftentation of re- filling a penfion from the King of England, an oltentation which, with regard to other Princes, he has often fought, might be of itfelf a fufficient motive for his prefent con- duct.

There

( 9i )

There, are others of my friends, who re- gard this whole affair in a more compan- ionate light, and confider Mr. RoufTeau as an object rather of pity than of anger. They fuppofe the fame domineering pride and ingratitude to be the bafis of his cha- racter ; but they are alio willing to believe, that his brain has received a fenfible (Lock, and that his judgment, fet afloat, is carried to every fide, as it is pufhed by the current of his humours and of his paffions. The ab- furdity of his belief is no proof of its in- sincerity. He imagines himfelf the fole im- portant being in the univerfe : he fancies all mankind to be in a combination againft him : his greateft benefactor, as hurting him mod, is the chief object of his animofity : and though he fupports all his whimiies by lies and fictions, this is fo frequent a caie with wicked men, who are in that middle ftate between fober reafon and total frenzy, that it needs give no furprize to any body.

I own that I am much inclined to this lat- ter opinion ; though, at the fame time, I queftion whether, in any period of his life, Mr. RoufTeau was ever more in his fenfes than he is at prefent. The former brilliancy of his genius, and his great talents for writing, are no proof of the contrary. It is an old remark, that great wits are near allied to madnefsj and even in thofe frantic

letters

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letters which he has wrote to me, there are evidently ftrong traces of his wonted genius and eloquence. He has frequently told me, that he was compofing his memoirs, in which juftice mould be done to his own character, to that of his friends, and to that cf his enemies j and as Mr. Davenport in- forms me that lince his retreat into the coun- try, he has been much employed in writing, I have reaibn to conclude that he is at pre- (ent finishing that undertaking. Nothing could be more unexpected to me than my pa/Ting fo fuddenly from the clafs of his friends to that of his enemies j but this tranfition being made, I mud expect to be treated accordingly ; and 1 own that this re- flection gave me fome anxiety *. A work of this nature, both from the celebrity of the perfbn, and the mokes of eloquence in- terfpeded, would certainly attract the atten- tion of the world j and it might be pub- limed either after my death, or after that of the author. In the former cafe, there would be no body who could tell the {lory, or juftify my memory. In the latter, my apology, wrote in oppoiition to a dead per-

* In bis letter of the 22d of March, he flatters me indireclly with the figure I am to make in his Memoirs ; in that of the 23d of June, he threatens me. Thefe are proofs how much he is in earneft.

fona

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fon, would lofe a great deal of its authenti- city. For this reafon, I have at prefent col- lected the whole ftory into one Narrative, that I may (how it to my friends, and at any time have it in my power to make whatever ufe of it they and I mould think proper. I am, and always have been, fuch a lover of peace, that nothing but necefhty, or very forcible reafons, could have obliged me to give it to the public.

Perdidi beneficium. Numquid qute confe- cravimus {wcdidiffe nos dicimus ? Inter confe- crata be?jep,cium eft ; etiamji male refpondity bene collfaatiim. Non eft ille qualem fperavi- mus ; Jimus nos quales Juimus, ei dijjimiles.

Seneca de benefices, lib. vii. cap. 19,

Decla*

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Declaration of Mr. d'Alembert, relating to Mr. Walpole's Letter.

AddrefTed to the French Editors.

T is with the greateft furprize I learn, from Mr. Hume, that Mr. RoufTeau ac- cufes me of being the author of the ironical letter addreffed to him, in the public paper?, under the name of the King of Pruflia. Every body knows, both at Parj^tnd Lon- don, that fuch letter was writtln-by Mr. Walpole j nor does he difown it. iHe ac- knowleges only that 'he was a little^ffifted in regard to the riile, by a perfon $e does not name, and whom perhaps he ought to name. As to my part, on whom the pub- lic fufpicions have fallen in this affair, I am not at all acquainted with Mr. Walpole: I don't even believe I ever fpoke to him ; having only happened to meet once occa-* iionaily on a vifit. — I have not only had not the leafl to do, either directly or indirectly, with the letter in quefiion, but could mention above an hundred perfons, among the friends as well as enemies of Mr. RoufTeau, who have heard me greatly difapprove of it ; be- caufe, as I faid, we ought not to ridicule the unfortunate, efpecially when they do us no

harm*

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harm. Befides, my refpecl: for the King of Pruffia, and the acknowledgments I owe him, might, I mould have thought, have perfuaded Mr. Roufleau, that I mould not have taken fuch a liberty with the name of that prince, even tho' in pleafantry.

To this I mail add, that I never was an enemy to Mr. RoufTeau, either open or fe- cret, as he pretends ; and I defy him to produce the leaft proof of my having en- deavoured to injure him in any lhape what- ever. I can prove to the contrary, by the moft refpectable witneffes, that 1 have al- ways endeavoured to oblige him, whenever it lay in my power.

As to my pretended fecret correspondence with Mr. Hume, it is very certain, that we did not begin to write to each other till about five or fix months after his departure, on occalion of the quarrel arifen between him and Mr. RoufTeau, and into which the lat- ter thought proper unneceflarily to intro- duce me.

I thought this declaration neceffary, for my own fake, as well as for the fake of truth, and in regard to the fituation of Mr. Rouileau : I fincerely lament his having fo little confidence in the probity of mankind, and particularly in that of Mr. Hume.

D'Alembert. The End.

f

i

u

m

E R R A T U M. "

The following Note fhould have been in- ferted in page 44, line 6, after the words, / was injiantly fpokcn of in print, in a very equivocal or flighting manner *.

* So then, I find I am to anfwer for every article of every Magazine and News-pape^jprinted in England : I affure Mr. Roufleau, I would rather anfwer for every robbery committed on the high-way j and I am entirely as innocent of the one as the other.

Mr. Hume.

DATE DUE
AUG 3 1 ,<	I7B
GAYLORD			flllHtID IN U.S.A.