Philosophical essays on morals, literature, and politics (Volume 1).

  • Hume, David, 1711-1776.
Date:
1817
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Philosophical essays on morals, literature, and politics (Volume 1). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    cd together from France, happening to meet Hume in the park, I wished him joy of his pleasing connexion, and par- ticularly hinted that I was convinced he must he perfectly happy in his new friend, as their sentiments were, I believ- ed, nearly similar. » Why, no man, said he, in that you are mistaken ; Rousseau is not what you think him ; he has a hankering after the bible, indeed is little better than a chris- tian, in a way of his own. Excess of vanity was the mad- ness of Rousseau. When he first arrived in London, he and his Armenian dress were followed by crowds, and as long as this species of admiration lasted, he was contented and hap- py. But in London such sights arc only the wonder of the day, and in a very short time he was suffered to walk where he pleased, unattended, unobserved. From that instant his discontent may be dated. But to dwell no longer on mat- ters of public notoriety, I shall only mention one fact, which I can vouch for truth, and which would, of itself, be amply sufficient to convey an adequate idea of the amazing eccen- tricity of this singular man. When, after having quarrel- led with Hume, and all his English friends, Rousseau was bent on making his escape, as he termed it, into France, lie stopped at a village between London and Dover, and from thence wrote to general Conway, then secretary of state, informing him that although he had got so far with safety, he was well apprised that the remainder of his route was so beset by his inexorable enemies, that, unprotected, he could not escape. He therefore solemnly claimed the protection of the king, and desired that a party of cavalry might be immediately ordered to escort him to Dover. This letter general Conway showed to me, together with his answer, in which he assured him that the postillions were, altoge- ther, a very sufficient guard throughout every part of the king's dominions. To return to Hume. In London whfire he often did me the honour to communicate the manuscrir