Lot 202
Hume, David (1711-1776), philosopher and John Home, clergyman.
Rare Books, Maps, Manuscripts & Photographs
Auction: 10 January 2007 at 11:00 GMT
Description
Two draft A.L.S. from John Home, clergyman and friend of David Hume to Mr Cadell the publisher concerning Hume's final illness: "Mr Home... thinks it proper to give them n[otice] of a piece he intends to bring up with him. When Mr David Hume was taken ill with the Distemper of which the died Mr Home was informed by Doctor Ferguson that Mr D[avid] Hume was in a very bad state of health. that it was necessary Mr... should come down to Scotland immediately & prevail upon him to take a journey to Bath as the most likely place for his recovery. Mr Home set out instantly & accompanied Mr David Hume to Bath. They travelled only two stages a day & had a great deal of conversation. Mr J. Home every night when Mr D. Hume went to bed committed to writing the different anecdotes Mr D. Hume had told him; for Mr Hume who had gone with Lord Hertford to France as his secretary, when Lord Hertford returned to London remained at Paris as Chargé d'affaires & was in great esteem with the Ministers & with all the people. I need say no more but that my journal prefixed to an edition of Mr Hume's History of England would make it preferable to any other edition whatsoever", both 4pp, with some variation between the two drafts, both with loss of some words John Home Three page A.L.S. to Lord Johnston begging Johnston to desist in some decision and referring to Lord Bab, Lord Egremont & Mr Grenville who are very concerned (3)
Footnote
Note: David Hume's cheerful approach to his imminent death was widely reported at the time, most notably by James Boswell, William Cullen and Adam Smith. Within a few weeks of Hume's death his friend the clergyman John Home had written a series of anonymous articles to the London Chronicle in praise of Hume's character and writings. In these letters he tries to tempt the publishers to reissue Hume's History with his own anecdotes.