Aug. 25. The British army arrives at Elk Ferry 595. 27. A pardon offered by Gen. Howe to fuch as fhould furrender before he fo This notification given Se notify a difcontinuance of the indulgence 595. 28. 645 Sept. 11. A battle at Brandy-wine 597, 9. оя 19. A battle between the British and provincial troops under Gen' Burgoyne an Gates 653. 21. A great inundation at Petersburg 553. A battle at Germantown 602, 42. 4. An engagement between the British and provincial troops near Saratoga 655 7. 16. A convention agreed to between Gen Burgoyne and Gates 660. The day of the week on which every month of 1777 began: A help to find the date of any article expreffed as falling on a certain week-day before or after a date mentioned. [The 1st, 8th, 15th, 22d, and 29th, of a month, fall on the-fame week-day.The month-day advances one week-day every common year, and two every leap year: fo, as 1777 was a common year, all the months of 1778 fall on the week-day after that on which the fame month-day fell in 1777.] September, Monday. Saturday. June, Sunday. October, Wednesday, Saturday. July, Tuesday. November, Saturday, Tuesday, Auguft, Friday. December, Monday. Notes inclofed thus [ ], for explaining or illuftrating any thing in a paper or Notes added by the authors of the pieces inferted, extract, are generally our own. or by the compilers of the collections from which we take them, are not fo inclosed. Examples of both may be feen, of the firft p. 688. - and of the fecond p. 685. of this volume. References made by letters and figures, when no book is named, point to this collection; the letters directing to the volumes, and the figures to the pages: ex. gr. Scots Magazine, vol. xxxvii. [or Mag. 1775.] p. 146. is thus referred to - Vol, i, answers to the [xxxvii. 146.] in this volume, p. 686. col. 1. lin. 2. year 1739, vol. ii. to 1740, and so on, a volume every year. letters, point to pages of the volume in which the reference is made. C To the BINDER. OUT off the blue covers, and place this quarter of a fheet, containing the General Title-page, the Chronological Series of Events, &c, before the Magazine for January. Place the Elevation of the West Front of the intended New High School at Edinburgh, fo as to front p. 334.—and The map of Hudson's river, from its fource, illuftrating all the marches of the armies, fo as to front p. 664.-N. B. This map not having been got done in tim will be given with the January Marazine. A fpecimen of the Music of the fouthern_tropic is in p. 489. - An Books. Dr Beattie's Effays: Subfcribers The life of DAVID HUME, Efq; 1. On POOR RICHARD'S ALMANACK: Prelimi OURNAL of a woman of no taste 27. tunes 44- Religion, Morality, Controversy, &c. HISTORICAL AFFAIRS 45-53. [The Life of DAVID HUME, Zfq; MY OWN LIFE. as born the 26th of April 1711, and handsome, devoted herself entirely to the rearing and educating of her children. I paffed through the ordinary courfe of education with fuccefs, and was seized very early with a paffion for literature, which has been the ruling paffion of my life, and the great fource of my enjoyments. My ftudious difpofition, my fobriety, and my induftry, gave my family a notion that the law was a proper profeffion for me: but I found an unfurmountable averfion to every thing but the pursuits of philofophy and general learning; and while they fancied I was poring upon Voet and Vinnius, Cicero and Virgil were the authors which I was fecretly devouring. My very flender fortune, however, being unfuitable to this plan of life, and my health being a little broken by my ardent application, I was tempted, or rather forced, to make a very feeble trial for entering into a more active fcene of life. In 1734, I went to Bristol, with fome recommendations to eminent mer. chants; but in a few months found that fcene totally unfuitable to me. I went over to France, with a view of profecuting my ftudies in a country retreat; and I there laid that plan of life which I have fteadily and fuccefsfully purfued. I refolved to make a very rigid frugality fupply my deficiency of fortune, to maintain unimpaired my independency, and to regard every object as contemptible, except the improvement of my talents in literature. During my retreat in France, firft at Rheims, but chiefly at La Fleche, in Anjou, I compofed my Treatife of Human Nature. After paffing three years very agreeably in that country, I came over to London in 1737. In the end of 1738, I published my Treatife, and immediate ly went down to my mother and my brother, who lived at his country-house, and was employing himself very judiciously and fuccessfully in the improvement of his fortune. Never literary attempt was more unfortunate than my Treatife of Human Nature. It fell dead-born from the prefs, without reaching fuch diftinction as even to excite a murmur among the zealots. But being naturally of a chearful and fanguine temper, I very foon recovered the blow, and profecuted, with great ardour, my ftudies in the country, In 1742 I printed, at Edinburgh, the first part of my Effays. The work was favourably received, and foon made entirely forget my former disappointme, I continued with my mother and broth in the country, and in that time re vered the knowledge of the Greek la guage, which I had too much neglect in my early youth. In 1745, I received a letter from the Marquis of Annandale, inviting me to come and live with him in England: found alfo, that the friends and famil of that young nobleman were defirous of putting him under my care and direction; for the ftate of his mind and health required it. I lived with him a twelvemonth. My appointments during that time made a confiderable acceffion to my fmall fortune. I then received an invitation from Gen. St Clair to attend him as a fecretary to his expedition, which was at first meant against Canada, but ended in an incurfion on the coaft of France. Next year, to wit, 1747, I received an invitation from the General to attend him in the fame ftation in his military embaffy to the courts of Vienna and Turin. I then wore the uniform of an officer, and was introduced at the fe courts as aid-de-camp to the General, along with Sir Harry Erfkine and Capt Grant, now Gen. Grant. Thefe tw years were almoft the only interruptio which my ftudies have received during the courfe of my life: I paffed them agreeably, and in good company; and my appointments, with my frugality, hac made me reach a fortune which I called independent, though most of my friends were inclined to fmile when I faid fo; in short, I was now mafter of near a thoufand pounds. I had always entertained a notion, that my want of fuccefs in publishing the Treatife of Human Nature, had proceeded more from the manner than the matter; and that I had been guilty of a very ufual indiscretion in going to the prefs too early. I, therefore, caft the first part of that work anew in the Inquiry concerning Human Understanding, which was published while I was at Turin. But this piece was at first little more fuccefsful than the Treatife of Human Nature, On my return from Italy, I had the mortification to find all England in a ferment, on account of Dr Middleton's Free Inquiry, while my performance was entirely overlooked and neglected. A new edition, which had been publifhed at London, of my Effays, Moral Moral and Political, met not with a much better reception. when, I thought, the misrepresentations of faction began chiefly to take place. I Such is the force of natural temper, was, I own, fanguine in my expectations that these disappointments made little or of the fuccefs of this work. I thought no impreffion on me. I went down in that I was the only hiftorian that had at 1749, and lived two years with my bro- once neglected prefent power, intereft, ther at his country-houfe, for my mother and authority, and the cry of popular was now dead. I there compofed the prejudices; and as the fubject was suited fecond part of my Effays, which I called to every capacity, I expected proporPolitical Difcourfes, and also my Inquiry tional applause. But miferable was my concerning the Principles of Morals, which difappointment: I was affailed by one is another part of my treatife that I caft cry of reproach, difapprobation, and anew. Mean while, my bookfeller, A. even deteftation; English, Scots, and Millar, informed me, that my former Irifh, Whig and Tory, churchman and publications (all but the unfortunate fectary, freethinker and religionist, paTreatife) were beginning to be the fub- triot and courtier, united in their rage ject of converfation; that the fale of against the man who had prefumed to them was gradually increafing, and that fhed a generous tear for the fate of new editions were demanded. Answers Charles I. and the Earl of Strafford; and by Reverends, and Right Reverends, after the firft ebullitions of their fury came out two or three in a year; and I were over, what was still more mortifyfound, by Dr Warburton's railing, that ing, the book seemed to fink into oblithe books were beginning to be efteem- vion. Mr Millar told me, that in a ed in good company. However, I had twelvemonth he fold only forty-five cofixed a refolution, which I inflexibly pies of it. I fcarcely, indeed, heard of maintained, never to reply to any body; one man in the three kingdoms, confiand not being very irafcible in my tem- derable for rank or letters, that could per, I have eafily kept myself clear of all endure the book. I must only except literary fquabbles. Thefe fymptoms of a the Primate of England, Dr Herring, and rifing reputation gave me encourage- the Primate of Ireland, Dr Stone, which ment, as I was ever more difpofed to fee feem two odd exceptions. Thefe dignithe favourable than unfavourable fide of fied prelates feparately fent me messages things; a turn of mind which it is more not to be discouraged. happy to poffefs, than to be born to an eftate of ten thousand a-year. In 1751, I removed from the country to the town, the true fcene for a man of letters. In 1752 were publifhed, at Edinburgh, where I then lived, my Political Difcourfes, the only work of mine that was successful on the first publication. It was well received abroad and at home. In the fame year was publish ed, at London, my Inquiry concerning the Principles of Morals; which, in my own opinion, (who ought not to judge on that fubject), is, of all my writings, hiftorical, philofophical, or literary, incomparably the beft, It came unnoticed and unobserved into the world. I was, however, I confefs, difcou→ raged; and had not the war been at that time breaking out between France and England, I had certainly retired to fome provincial town of the former kingdom, have changed my name, and never more have returned to my native country. But as this fcheme was not now practicable, and the fubfequent volume was confiderably advanced, I refolved to pick up courage, and to persevere. In this interval I published, at London, my Natural Hiftory of Religion, along with fome other fmall pieces. Its public entry was rather obfcure, except only that Dr Hurd wrote a pamphlet against it, with all the illiberal petulance, arroIn 1752, the Faculty of Advocates gance, and feurrility, which diftinguish chofe me their librarian; an office from the Warburtonian fchool. This pamphwhich I received little or no emolument, let gave me fome confolation for the but which gave me the command of a otherwife indifferent reception of my large library. I then formed the plan of performance. writing the Hiftory of England; but being frightened with the notion of continuing a narrative through a period of 1700 years, I commenced with the acceffion of the houfe of Stuart; an epoch In 1756, two years after the fall of the firft volume, was published the second volume of my Hiftory, containing the period from the death of Charles I. till the Revolution. This performance happened A 2 pened to give lefs difpleasure to the Whigs, and was better received. It not only rofe itself, but helped to buoy up its unfortunate brother. But though I had been taught by experience, that the Whig party were in poffeffion of beftowing all places, both in the ftate and in literature, I was fo little inclined to yield to their fenfelefs clamour, that in above a hundred alterations, which farther ftudy, reading, or reflection, engaged me to make in the reigns of the two firft Stuarts, I have made all of them invariably to the Tory fide. It is ridiculous to confider the English conftitution before that period as a regular plan of liberty. In 1759, I published my Hiftory of the Houfe of Tudor. The clamour against this performance was almoft equal to that against the Hiftory of the two first Stuarts. The reign of Elifabeth was particularly obnoxious. But I was now callous against the impreffions of public folly, and continued very peaceably and contentedly in my retreat at Edinburgh, to finish, in two volumes, the more early part of the English Hiftory; which I gave to the public in 1761, with tolerable, and but tolerable fuccefs. it; But notwithstanding this variety of winds and feafons to which my writings had been expofed, they had ftill been making fuch advances, that the copymoney given me by the bookfellers, much exceeded any thing formerly known in England; I was become not only independent, but opulent. I retired to my native country of Scotland, determined never more to fet my foot out of and retaining the fatisfaction of never having preferred a request to one great man, or even making advances of friendfhip to any of them. As I was now turned of fifty, I thought of paffing all the rest of my life in this philofophical manner, when I received, in 1763, an invitation from the Earl of Hertford, with whom I was not in the leaft acquainted, to attend him on his embaffy to Paris, with a near profpect of being appointed fecretary to the embaffy; and, in the meanwhile, of performing the functions of that office. This offer, however inviting, I at firft declined; both because I was reluctant to begin connections with the great, and because I was afraid, that the civilities and gay company of Paris, would prove difagreeable to a perfon of my age and humour. But, on his Lord fhip's repeating the invitation, I accept ed of it. I have every reason, both pleasure and intereft, to think myfe happy in my connections with that noble men, as well as afterwards with his bro ther, Gen. Conway. Those who have not feen the ftrang effects of modes, will never imagine th reception I met with at Paris, from me and women of all ranks and ftations The more I refiled from their exceffiv civilities, the more I was loaded wit them. There is, however, a real fatif faction in living at Paris, from the grea number of fenfible, knowing, and polit company with which that city abound above all places in the universe. thought once of fettling there for life. I was appointed fecretary to the em baffy; and, in fummer 1765, Lord Hert ford left me, being appointed Lord Lieu tenant of Ireland. I was charge d'af faires till the arrival of the Duke of Rich mond, towards the end of the year. I the beginning of 1766, I left Paris; and next fummer went to Edinburgh, with the fame view as formerly, of burying myself in a philofophical retreat. I re turned to that place, not richer, bu with much more money, and a much larger income, by means of Lord Hertford's friendship, than I left it; and i was defirous of trying what fuperfluity could produce, as I had formerly made an experiment of a competency. But in 1767, I received from Mr Conway an invitation to be under-fecretary; and this invitation, both the character of the perfon, and my connections with Lord Hertford, prevented me from declining. I returned to Edinburgh in 1769, very opulent (for I poffeffed a revenue of roool. a-year), healthy, and though fomewhat ftricken in years, with the profpest of enjoying long my cafe, and of feeing the increafe of my reputation. In fpring 1775, I was ftruck with a diforder in my bowels, which at first gave me no alarm, but has fince, as I apprehend it, become mortal and incurable. I now reckon upon a speedy diffolution. I have suffered very little pain from my diforder; and what is more strange, have, notwithstanding the great decline of my perfon, never fuffered a moment's abatement of my fpirits; infomuch that, were I to name the period of my life which I fhould moft chufe to pafs over again, I might be tempted to point to this later period. I poffefs the fame ardour as |