my Treatife of Human Nature. After paffing three years very agreeably in that country, I came over to London in 1737. In the end of 1738, I published my Treatife, and immediately went down to my mother and my brother, who lived at his country-house, and was employed himself very judiciously and fuccessfully in the improvement of his fortune.

I

NEVER literary attempt was more unfortunate than my Treatife of Human Nature. It fell dead-born from the press, without reaching fuch distinction, as even to excite a murmur among the zealots. But being naturally of a cheerful and fanguine temper, very foon recovered the blow, and profecuted with great ardour my studies in the country. In 1742 I printed at Edinburgh the first part of my Effays: The work was favourably received, and foon made me entirely forget my former difappointment. I continued with my mother and brother in the country, and in that time recovered the knowledge of the Greek language, which I had too much neglected in my early youth.

IN 1745 I received a letter from the Marquis of Annandale, inviting me to come and live with him in England; I found alfo, that the friends and family of that young nobleman were defirous of putting him under my care and direction, for the state of his mind and health required it-I lived with him a twelvemonth. My appointments during that time made a confiderable acceffion to my small fortune. I then received an invitation from General St. Clair to attend him as a fecretary to his expedition, which was at first meant against Canada, but ended in an incurfion on the coaft of France. Next year, to wit, 1747, I received an invitation from the General to

attend

attend him in the fame ftation in his military embaffy to the courts of Vienna and Turin. I then wore the uniform of an officer, and was introduced at these courts as aid-de-camp to the General, along with Sir Harry Erskine and Captain Grant, now General Grant. These two years were almost the only interruptions which my studies have received during the course of my life: I paffed them agreeably, and in good company; and my appointments, with my frugality, had made me reach a fortune, which I called independent, though most of my friends were inclined to fmile when I faid fo: In fhort, I was now master of near a thousand pounds.

I HAD always entertained a notion, that my want of fuccefs in publishing the Treatise of Human Nature, had proceeded more from the manner than the matter, and that I had been guilty of a very usual indiscretion, in going to the prefs too early. I therefore caft the first part of that work anew in the Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, which was published while I was at Turin. But this piece was at firft little more fuccefsful than the Treatise of Human Nature. On my return from Italy, I had the mortification to find all England in a ferment, on account of Dr. Middleton's Free Enquiry, while my performance was entirely overlooked and neglected. A new edition, which had been published at London, of my Effays, moral and political, met not with a much better reception.

SUCH is the force of natural temper, that these disappointments made little or no impression on me. I went down in 1749, and lived two years with my brother at his country-houfe, for my mother was now dead. I there compofed the fecond part of my

Effay,

Essay, which I called Political Difcourfes, and also my Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals, which is another part of my Treatife that I caft anew. Meanwhile my bookfeller, A. Millar, informed me that my former publications (all but the unfortunate Treatife) were beginning to be the fubject of converfation; that the fale of them was gradually increasing, and that new editions were demanded. Anfwers by Reverends and Right Reverends came out two or three in a year; and I found, by Dr. Warburton's railing, that the books were beginning to be esteemed in good company. However, I had a fixed refolution, which I inflexibly maintained, never to reply to any body; and not being very irafcible in my temper, I have easily kept myself clear of all literary squabbles. These symptoms of a rising reputation gave me encouragement, as I was ever more difposed to see the favourable than unfavourable fide of things; a turn of mind which it is more happy to poffefs, than to be born to an estate of ten thousand

a-year.

IN 1751, I, removed from the country to the town, the true scene for a man of letters. In 1752 were published at Edinburgh, where I then lived, my Political Difcourfes, the only work of mine that was successful on the first publication. It was well received abroad and at home. In the fame year was published at London, my Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals; which, in my own opinion (who ought not to judge on that fubject), is of all my writings, hiftorical, philofophical, or literary, incomparably the beft. It came unnoticed and unobferved into the world.

4

1

IN 1752 the Faculty of Advocates chofe me their Librarian, an office from which I received little or no emolument, but which gave me the command of a large library. I then formed the plan of writing the Hiftory of England; but being frightened with the notion of continuing a narrative through a period of 1700 years, I commenced with the acceffion of the house of Stuart, an epoch when I thought the mifrepresentations of faction began chiefly to take place. I was, I own, fanguine in my expectations of the fuccefs of this work. I thought that I was the only historian that had at once neglected prefent power, intereft, and authority, and the cry of popular prejudices; and as the fubject was fuited to every capacity, I expected proportional applaufe. But miferable was my disappointment: I was affailed by one cry of reproach, difapprobation, and even deteftation, English, Scotch, and Irish, Whig and Tory, churchman and fectary, freethinker and religionist, patriot and courtier, united in their rage against the man who had prefumed to fhed a generous tear for the fate of Charles I. and the earl of Strafford; and, after the first ebullitions of their fury were over, what was still more mortifying, the book feemed to fink into oblivion. Mr. Millar told me, that in a twelvemonth he fold only forty-five copies of it. I fcarcely, indeed, heard of one man in the three kingdoms, confiderable for rank or letters, that could endure the book. I muft only except the primate of England, Dr. Herring, and the primate of Ireland, Dr. Stone, which feem two odd exceptions. Thefe dignified prelates feparately fent me meffages not to be difcouraged.

I WAS

I WAS, however, I confefs, difcouraged; and had not the war been at that time breaking out between France and England, I had certainly retired to fome provincial town of the former kingdom, have changed my name, and never more have returned to my native country. But as this fcheme was not now practicable, and the fubfequent volume was confiderably advanced, I refolved to pick up courage and to persevere.

In this interval, I published at London my Natural History of Religion, along with fome other fmall pieces: Its public entry was rather obfcure, except only that Dr. Hurd wrote a pamphlet against it, with all the illiberal petulance, arrogance, and fcurrility, which diftinguish the Warburtonian school. This pamphlet gave me fome confolation for the otherwife indifferent reception of my performance.

IN 1756, two years after the fall of the firft volume, was published the fecond volume of my Hiftory, containing the period from the death of Charles I. till the Revolution. This performance happened to give less displeasure to the Whigs, and was better received. It not only rofe itself, but helped to buoy up its unfortunate brother.

BUT though I had been taught by experience, that the Whig party were in poffeffion of bestowing all places, both in the ftate and in literature, I was fo little inclined to yield to their fenfelefs clamour, that in above a hundred alterations, which farther ftudy, reading, or reflection engaged me to make in the reigns of the two firft Stuarts, I have made all of them invariably to the Tory fide. It is ridiculous to confider the English conftitution before that period as a regular plan of liberty.