The Earl of Chatham to the Hon. W. Pitt.. 141-148 William Jones, Esq. to Robert Orme, Esq........ 149 ELEGANT EXTRACTS. PART XI. Letters, OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. DAVID HUME TO MATTHEW SHARP, ESQ. Welde Hall, near St. Alban's, April 25th, 1745. MY DEAR SIR, I AM informed that such a popular clamour has been raised against me in Edinburgh, on account of scepticism, heterodoxy, and other hard names, which confound the ignorant, that my friends find some difficulty in working out the point of my professorship, which once appeared so easy. Did I need a testimonial for my orthodoxy, I should certainly appeal to you; for you know that I always imitated Job's friends, and defended the cause of Providence, when you attacked it on account of the headachs you felt after a debauch. But, as a more particular explication of that particular seems superfluous, I shall only apply to you for a renewal of your good offices with your nephew, Lord Tinwel, whose interest with Yeths and Allan may be of service to me. There is no time to lose; so that I must beg you to be speedy in writing to him or speaking to him on that head. A word to the wise, even that is not necessary to a friend such as I have always esteemed and found you to be. I live here very comfortably with the Marquis of Annandale, who, I suppose you have heard, sent me a letter of invitation, along with a bill of 100%., about two months ago. Every thing is much better than I expected from the accounts I heard after I came to London. For the secrecy with which I stole away from Edinburgh, and which I thought necessary for preserving my interest there, kept me entirely ignorant of his situation my lord never was in so good a way before. He has a regular family, honest servants, and every thing is managed genteelly and with economy; he has entrusted all his English affairs to a mighty honest friendly man, Captain Vincent, who is cousin-german to the marchioness. And, as my lord has now taken as strong a turn to solitude and repose as he formerly had to company and agitation, 'tis to be hoped that his good parts and excellent dispositions may at last, being accompanied with more health and tranquillity, render him a comfort to his friends, if not an ornament to his country. As you live in the neighbourhood of the marchioness, it may give her a pleasure to hear these particulars. I am, dear sir, your most affectionate humble servant, DAVID HUME. |