Ralph McLean, Manuscripts Curator for the Long 18th Century, writes: All four of Hume’s letters refer to his quarrel with the Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Following an initially friendly relationship, Rousseau attacked Hume in a letter accusing him, among other things, of trying to sideline him. The quarrel became an 18th-century cause célèbre and attracted the attention of philosophers and literary figures all across Europe. Hume corresponded with many of his friends throughout the continent before finally publishing his response to Rousseau’s accusations.
The letters cover important milestones in the unfolding quarrel. In the first letter, of 26 July 1766, Hume notes that all his literary friends in France encouraged him to publish a response to Rousseau. He also references the ‘King of Prussia’ letter, a piece mocking Rousseau, which some thought Hume had written, but in fact was by Walpole himself. The second, dated 30 October, relates that the French Philosophes including D’Alembert have published in support of Hume, and that Walpole’s response to Hume acknowledging his own authorship of the ‘King of Prussia’ letter has been added to this. The third letter, of 4 November, recounts the publication in Paris of the piece in defence of Hume, and conveys Hume’s hope that there will be no need for a London edition. The last letter, of 20 November, contains a long description of the unfolding events in Paris following the publication, and outlines Hume’s reluctance to publish his own account of the quarrel, although he ultimately decided to do so.
These four letters have been published in J Y T Greig’s standard edition of The Letters of David Hume (1932). However, Greig did not have access to the original letters and relied on Mary Berry’s The Works of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford Vol.4 (1798), which was the last time the location of the originals was known.
The National Library of Scotland holds the most significant collection of Hume manuscripts to be found anywhere in the world and is the premier destination for those studying his life and work. In the Royal Society of Edinburgh Hume Papers, held on deposit at the Library, are significant collections of letters, including the original letter Rousseau sent to Hume outlining the charges against him, some which directly address the quarrel with Rousseau, and the letters which Walpole sent to Hume in answer to these four letters. The Library also owns a copy of Rousseau’s letter with notes in the hand of Hume refuting the charges against him as he prepared his response. These letters greatly complement those existing collections and complete the sequence of correspondence between Hume and Walpole on this philosophical affair. The National Library of Scotland is extremely grateful to the Friends of the National Libraries for their generous contribution to the acquisition of these Hume letters.
The letters subsequently passed through the family by descent.Bought from Bonhams (14 November 2023, Lot 59).
