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your design of continuing Mr Hume's History of England. Notwithstanding the just and deep sense which I must "entertain (if the intelligence be true) of our public loss, I "have scarcely courage enough to blame you. The want "of materials and the danger of offence are two formidable "obstacles for an Historian who wishes to instruct, and who " is determined not to betray his readers.-But if you leave "the narrow limits of our Island, there still remain, without returning to the troubled scene of America, many subjects "not unworthy of your genius. Will you give me leave, "as a vague and indigested hint, to suggest the History of "the Protestants in France; the events are important in

themselves, and intimately connected with the great Re"volutions of Europe: some of the boldest or most amiable "characters of modern times, the Admiral Coligny, Henry "IV. &c. would be your peculiar heroes; the materials are copious, and authentic, and accessible; and the objects appear to stand at that just distance which excites curiosity without inspiring passion. Excuse the freedom, and weigh "the merits (if any) of this proposal *.”

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As I have had very little access to see any of Dr Robertson's answers to the letters of his correspondents, I am ignorant what reply he made to this suggestion of Mr Gibbon,

* Appendix, Note (F).

as well as of the circumstances that induced him to lay aside his plans with respect to the History of England. It is impossible, however, not to feel much regret that he did not carry them into execution. In spite of the obstacles which Mr Gibbon mentions, there can be little doubt that the work would have been an important accession to English literature; and, in all probability, from the interesting nature of the subject, the most popular of his performances. The intrigues of the different factions during the reign of Queen Anne would have afforded an ample field for the exercise of his cool and discriminating judgment; the campaigns of Marlborough deserved such an Historian; while the literature and philosophy of that memorable period would have given full employment to those critical powers which he so eminently possessed, and of which he has unfortunately left no monument behind him. The slight sketches of this kind, interspersed with the narrative of Mr Hume's History, have always been favourite passages with readers of taste; and, if may be permitted to judge from Dr Robertson's conversation, he would not, in this species of composition, have been surpassed by any of his contemporaries.

I

I have not heard of any other work that he projected after this period. He seems indeed soon to have abandoned all

thoughts of writing any more for the public, and to have indulged the idea of prosecuting his studies in future for his private amusement. His circumstances were independent : he was approaching to the age of sixty, with a constitution considerably impaired by a sedentary life; and a long application to the compositions he had prepared for the press, had interfered (it is presumable) with much of the gratification he might have enjoyed, if he had been at liberty to follow the impulse of his own taste and curiosity. Such a sacrifice must be more or less made by all who devote themselves to letters, whether with a view to emolument or to fame ; nor would it perhaps be easy to make it, were it not for the prospect (seldom, alas ! realized,) of earning by their exertions, that learned and honourable leisure which he was so fortunate as to attain. He retired from the business of the ecclesiastical courts about the same time; and, for seven or eight years, divided the hours which he could spare from his professional duties, between the luxury of reading and the conversation of his friends.

The activity of his mind, in the mean time, continued unimpaired; and the habits of study he had so long been accustomed to, gave a certain scope and connection even to his historical recreations. To one of these, which, from its accidental connection with some of his former works, engaged his attention more closely than his ordinary pursuits, the public

is indebted for a valuable performance, of which the materials seem almost insensibly to have swelled to a volume, long after his most intimate friends imagined that he had renounced all thoughts of the press. The Disquisition concerning Ancient India, which closed his historical labours, took its rise (as he himself informs us,)" from the perusal of Major "Rennell's memoir for illustrating his map of Indostan. "This suggested to him the idea of examining, more fully "than he had done in the introductory book to his History "of America, into the knowledge which the Ancients had "of that country, and of considering what is certain, what is obscure, and what is fabulous, in the accounts of it which they have handed down to us."- —“In undertaking this inquiry," (he adds,) “ he had originally no other object than "his own amusement and instruction; but in carrying it on, " and consulting with care the authors of antiquity, some "facts hitherto unobserved, and many which had not been "examined with proper attention, occurred; new views

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opened; his ideas gradually extended, and became more interesting; till at length he imagined that the result of "his researches might prove amusing and instructive to "others."

Such is the account given by himself of the origin and progress of a disquisition begun in the sixty-eighth year of his age, and in twelve months brought to a conclusion; exhi

biting, nevertheless, in every part, a diligence in research, a soundness of judgment, and a perspicuity of method, not inferior to those which distinguish his other performances. From the nature of the subject it was impossible to render it equally amusing to ordinary readers, or to bestow on his language the same splendour and variety; but the style possesses all the characteristical beauties of his former compositions, as far as they could with propriety be introduced into a discourse, of which the general design excluded every superfluous and ambitious ornament. The observations in the Appendix, upon the character, the manners, and the institutions of the people of India, present a valuable outline of all the most important information concerning them, which was then accessible to the philosophers of Europe; and, if they have already lost part of their interest, in consequence of the astonishing discoveries which have been since brought to light in Asia, by a fortunate and unexampled combination of genius, learning, and official rank, in a few individuals whose names do honour to this country; they, at least, evince that ardent and enlightened curiosity which animated the Author's inquiries in his most advanced years; and afford a proof, that his mind kept pace, to the last, with the progress of historical knowledge.

In these observations too, we may occasionally trace the