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Bodleian Library, MS Eng. Lett. c. 22. Not previously published.
These letters were edited with the assistance of Carol Bolton, Tim Fulford and Ian Packer
For permission to publish the text of MSS in their possession, the editor wishes to thank the Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library, Yale University; Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations; the Bodleian Library Oxford University; the British Library; Boston Public Library; the Syndics of Cambridge University Library; the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge; Haverford College, Connecticut; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; the Hornby Library, Liverpool Libraries and Information Services; the Houghton Library, Harvard University; the John Rylands Library, Manchester; the Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas; Luton Museum (Bedfordshire County Council); Massachusetts Historical Society; McGill University Library; the National Library of Scotland; the Newberry Library, Chicago; the New York Public Library (Pforzheimer Collections); the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; the Public Record Offices of Bedford, Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) and Northumberland, the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge; the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne; the Trustees of the William Salt Library, Stafford, the Wisbech and Fenland Museum; the University of Virginia Library.
A research grant from the British Academy made much of the archival work possible, as did support from the English Department of Nottingham Trent University.
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of this enough. I had materials enough in my head to fill up the sheet — but the
days of romance are past & a man may travel over the face of this
country without meeting one adventure worthy of recording. on my journey I have
however been fortunate enough to meet three literary characters. Dr Napletonr Shepherd
last night an old man entertained my Uncle (NB a clergyman) &
myself. neither of whom he had ever seen before with a conversation of which I
will endeavour to give you a specimen. I have been riving along
with the Bishop & he is an amazing man. he told me that when he
was young he wrote over all the bible because he took such a liking to the
Hebrew letters — I had a mind to ask him if there wernt some wrong translations,
if it would not have been going too far. I was once very sorry to hear a
gentleman say — we was talking along with him about
religion you know — & about the excellent moral system of our church
& how good a man would be that lived as the Bible & the
scriptures tell him & how good the Bible & the scriptures was
& he said God d—n you do you think God would inspire a man to write
nonsense — ha ha ha — I was very sorry to hear him talk so — but there he was a
friend of Humes.r
Combe’sr such a thing — received yours — done the needful.
draft honourd &c he used to make English of the letters & so the
business would not do for him. but he was a very pleasant man. he used to say he
would rather excuse a man for being a Atheist than a Deist — there his essays
are very pretty. a friend of mine asked him why he did not write — he said I am
too old too fat & too rich. (I have none of these objections to
author-ity or-ship) so much for Humes life from one who knew him. I do not
believe that he would have pardoned an Atheist. what Hayley
his essays I have never read. upon any other subject it would be arrogant to
decide without reading but upon this common sense will speak. however
prostituted by villains & disgraced by fools. Xtianity is the purest of
moral systems. Deism — will do well for the philosopher whose cool calm passions
may be governed by the principles of Reason & Morality — but the minds
of the million require a more powerful tie. they must be actuated by hope
& fear two master springs admirably touchd by religion. even a Deist
will not deny this. the best & wisest of mankind have believed this
religion; upon a subject where Reason fails to reason is absurd. it is
impossible in favour of any thing where every thing must rest upon supposition.
Hume was a vain sophist & a partial
historian, & a cold friend —
Rousseau in the present proscription of his opinions has been
branded as an Infidel. he was not one. the Savoyard curate
dinner is just ready & I even doubt whether this can go to day. the variety of different occupations which filled my time upon my journey must excuse my not having written before.
your letter did not reach me till the evening before I left Bristol & I arrived at home but last night so you I have wasted no time.
I have a letter two thirds finished to your brother which I
purpose sending by tomorrows post. Charles Collinss I found on my return & have to acknowledge
with one from Edmund Seward. when
the regiment which had been quarterd at Derby embarked for Valenciennes — many
of the men wept. the King desired them to shout &
was answered ‘it will be time enough to shout when we return’. with how very
different an account was the public insulted.
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you will I think see me in the course of ten days but I shall
write & say when. when I can exactly fix. let me hear from you in the
mean time. I am at Bristol. I long for a bathe. the only good thing at Oxford is
the river. Isis — silver slipperd Queen