66 66 mentioning, except upon the principle of dimi"dium qui cepit. As to what people may expect, I know not. If much, they will be disappointed; but I certainly do not intend to decline the labour of any search, which I am "able to make, and much less to refuse any as"sistance I can have in such research. I hope, therefore, you will not be satisfied with merely 6,6 recommending to me to make use of assistance, "but give me some hint of what nature, and "from whom I may get it. To enable you to "do this better, it is necessary to inform you, "that the death of Charles the Second is the 66 period from which I commence my history; though in my Introduction, I take a pretty “full view of his reign, and consequently, should “be glad enough to get new lights with regard "to it. Even this Introductory Chapter, how66 ever, is not yet finished. Next, it is fit you should know, that so far from having as yet examined, or even looked into any manuscript papers, or other documents not generally known, I do not even know where any such "exist, and, therefore, any information on that 66 66 66 66 с “head will be very welcome. I find one of my greatest difficulties to be, how to discover the "authorities upon which historians advance "their facts, for they very often do not refer to "them. Hitherto, where I am only taking a 66 cursory review, this is of no great importance. "But in regard to the Popish and Rye-house plots particularly, I find both Rapin and "Hume advancing so many facts, for which I "cannot guess their authorities, that if I were "to give a regular history of these transactions, "I should be much puzzled. Now, when I am "under difficulties of this sort, can you either direct me to whom I can apply for a solution "of them? or if I send queries to you, can you give me answers to them?" With both the above requests Lord Lauderdale complied; and by his own, diligence, and the assistance of Mr. Laing, was enabled to transmit to Mr. Fox much useful information. In a very short time afterwards that Gentleman published his History of Scotland, a work which Mr. Fox emphatically termed “ a treasure," and which so animated his labours, by opening new sources of information, and new views of transactions, that at no period was he so ardent in the prosecution of his plan, as when fresh from the perusal of that valuable performance. The advantages he derived from it he frequently declared to be incalculable; and it certainly was not among the least, that it afforded him an opportunity of cultivating the friendship of the Author, and consulting him on many points connected with his own undertaking. As the early part of his correspondence is of a general nature, I subjoin his first letter, and an extract from the second. "I ought long since to have acknowledged "the receipt of your History of Scotland, and "to have returned you my thanks for your 66 early communication to me of that excellent "work. It has given me the greatest satisfac"tion; and there are several points relating to "English history in it, which you appear to me "to have cleared up much more than any other of those historians who have professedly treated "of them. 66 66 "What you say in answer to Hume, upon "the subject of Glamorgan's powers, is quite conclusive; but I rather regret that you have not taken notice of that part of his argument which is built upon what he calls Glamorgan's defeazance, and which is the most plausible part of it. 66 66 66 "In Charles the Second's reign, I observe that you do not mention the atrocious case of Wier, which Hume details; but that which you say of Laurie of Blackwood is very like what he relates of Wier. Would it be too much trouble to ask of you to let me know whether Hume's statement of Wier is a cor"rect one? 66 "I had detected the trick of Hume's theatrical and false representation of Charles the First hearing the noise of his scaffold, but did not know that he had had Herbert's authentick account so lately under his eye. In general, “I think you treat him (Hume) too tenderly. "He was an excellent man, and of great powers “of mind, but his partiality to kings and princes “is intolerable. Nay, it is, in my opinion, quite ridiculous, and is more like the foolish admi"ration which women and children sometimes "have for kings, than the opinion, right or wrong, of a philosopher. I wanted no conviction on the point of Os“ sian; but if I had, you afforded abundance. 66 Whether your book, coming out at a period "when the principles upon which it appears to "be written are becoming so unfashionable, will "be a popular one or not, I know not; but to "all who wish to have a true knowledge of the 66 history of your country, it is a most valuable acquisition, and will serve to counteract the “mischief which Hume, Dalrymple, Macpher 66 66 son, Somervile, and others of your countrymen have done. You will easily believe that I do not class Hume with the others, except as to the bad tendency of their repre"sentations. 66 66 |