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our　course；　they　would　do　what　could　be　done　to　avoid　or　surmount

them。　　In　this　confidence　I　envelope　myself；　and　hope　to　slumber　on

to　my　last　sleep。　　And　should　difficulties　occur　which　they　cannot

avert；　if　we　follow　them　in　phalanx；　we　shall　surmount　them　without

danger。




　　　　　　　　I　have　been　long　intending　to　write　to　you　as　one　of　the

associated　company　for　printing　useful　works。




　　　　　　　　Our　laws；　language；　religion；　politics　and　manners　are　so

deeply　laid　in　English　foundations；　that　we　shall　never　cease　to

consider　their　history　as　a　part　of　ours；　and　to　study　ours　in　that

as　its　origin。　　Every　one　knows　that　judicious　matter　and　charms　of

style　have　rendered　Hume's　history　the　manual　of　every　student。　　I

remember　well　the　enthusiasm　with　which　I　devoured　it　when　young；　and

the　length　of　time；　the　research　and　reflection　which　were　necessary

to　eradicate　the　poison　it　had　instilled　into　my　mind。　　It　was

unfortunate　that　he　first　took　up　the　history　of　the　Stuarts；　became

their　apologist；　and　advocated　all　their　enormities。　　To　support　his

work；　when　done；　he　went　back　to　the　Tudors；　and　so　selected　and

arranged　the　materials　of　their　history　as　to　present　their　arbitrary

acts　only；　as　the　genuine　samples　of　the　constitutional　power　of　the

crown；　and；　still　writing　backwards；　he　then　reverted　to　the　early

history；　and　wrote　the　Saxon　and　Norman　periods　with　the　same

perverted　view。　　Although　all　this　is　known；　he　still　continues　to　be

put　into　the　hands　of　all　our　young　people；　and　to　infect　them　with

the　poison　of　his　own　principles　of　government。　　It　is　this　book

which　has　undermined　the　free　principles　of　the　English　government；

has　persuaded　readers　of　all　classes　that　these　were　usurpations　on

the　legitimate　and　salutary　rights　of　the　crown；　and　has　spread

universal　toryism　over　the　land。　　And　the　book　will　still　continue　to

be　read　here　as　well　as　there。　　Baxter；　one　of　Horne　Tooke's

associates　in　persecution；　has　hit　on　the　only　remedy　the　evil

admits。　　He　has　taken　Hume's　work；　corrected　in　the　text　his

misrepresentations；　supplied　the　truths　which　he　suppressed；　and　yet

has　given　the　mass　of　the　work　in　Hume's　own　words。　　And　it　is

wonderful　how　little　interpolation　has　been　necessary　to　make　it　a

sound　history；　and　to　justify　what　should　have　been　its　title；　to

wit；　〃Hume's　history　of　England　abridged　and　rendered　faithful　to

fact　and　principle。〃　I　cannot　say　that　his　amendments　are　either　in

matter　or　manner　in　the　fine　style　of　Hume。　　Yet　they　are　often

unperceived；　and　occupy　so　little　of　the　whole　work　as　not　to

depreciate　it。　　Unfortunately　he　has　_abridged_　Hume；　by　leaving　out

all　the　less　important　details。　　It　is　thus　reduced　to　about　one　half

its　original　size。　　He　has　also　continued　the　history；　but　very

summarily；　to　1801。　　The　whole　work　is　of　834　quarto　pages；　printed

close；　of　which　the　continuation　occupies　283。　　I　have　read　but

little　of　this　part。　　As　far　as　I　can　judge　from　that　little；　it　is　a

mere　chronicle；　offering　nothing　profound。　　This　work　is　so

unpopular；　so　distasteful　to　the　present　Tory　palates　and　principles

of　England；　that　I　believe　it　has　never　reached　a　second　edition。　　I

have　often　inquired　for　it　in　our　book　shops；　but　never　could　find　a

copy　in　them；　and　I　think　it　possible　the　one　I　imported　may　be　the

only　one　in　America。　　Can　we　not　have　it　re…printed　here？　　It　would

be　about　four　volumes　8vo。




　　　　　　　　I　have　another　enterprise　to　propose　for　some　good　printer。　　I

have　in　my　possession　a　MS。　work　in　French；　confided　to　me　by　a

friend；　whose　name　alone　would　give　it　celebrity　were　it　permitted　to

be　mentioned。　　But　considerations　insuperable　forbid　that。　　It　is　a

Commentary　and　Review　of　Montesquieu's　Spirit　of　Laws。　　The　history

of　that　work　is　well　known。　　He　had　been　a　great　reader；　and　had

commonplaced　everything　he　read。　　At　length　he　wished　to　undertake

some　work　into　which　he　could　bring　his　whole　commonplace　book　in　a

digested　form。　　He　fixed　on　the　subject　of　his　Spirit　of　Laws；　and

wrote　the　book。　　He　consulted　his　friend　Helvetius　about　publishing

it；　who　strongly　dissuaded　it。　　He　published　it；　however；　and　the

world　did　not　confirm　Helvetius'　opinion。　　Still；　every　man　who

reflects　as　he　reads；　has　considered　it　as　a　book　of　paradoxes；

having；　indeed；　much　of　truth　and　sound　principle；　but　abounding　also

with　inconsistencies；　apochryphal　facts　and　false　inferences。　　It　is

a　correction　of　these　which　has　been　executed　in　the　work　I　mention；

by　way　of　commentary　and　review；　not　by　criticising　words　or

sentences；　but　by　taking　a　book　at　a　time；　considering　its　general

scope；　and　proceeding　to　confirm　or　confute　it。　　And　much　of

confutation　there　is；　and　of　substitution　of　true　for　false

principle；　and　the　true　principle　is　ever　that　of　republicanism。　　I

will　not　venture　to　say　that　every　sentiment　in　the　book　will　be

approved；　because；　being　in　manuscript；　and　the　French　characters；　I

have　not　read　the　whole；　but　so　much　only　as　might　enable　me　to

estimate　the　soundness　of　the　author's　way　of　viewing　his　subject；

and；　judging　from　that　which　I　have　read；　I　infer　with　confidence

that　we　shall　find　the　work　generally　worthy　of　our　high　approbation；

and　that　it　everywhere　maintains　the　preeminence　of　representative

government；　by　showing　that　its　foundations　are　laid　in　reason；　in

right；　and　in　general　good。　　I　had　expected　this　from　my　knowledge　of

the　other　writings　of　the　author；　which　have　always　a　precision

rarely　to　be　met　with。　　But　to　give　you　an　idea　of　the　manner　of　its

execution；　I　translate　and　enclose　his　commentary　on　Montesquieu's

eleventh　book；　which　contains　the　division　of　the　work。　　I　wish　I

could　have　added　his　review　at　the　close　of　the　twelve　first　books；

as　this　would　give　a　more　complete　idea　of　the　extraordinary　merit　of

the　work。　　But　it　is　too　long　to　be　copied。　　I　add　from　it；　however；

a　few　extracts　of　his　reviews　of　some　of　the　books；　as　specimens　of

his　plan　and　principles。　　If　printed　in　French；　it　would　be　of　about

180　pages　8vo；　or　23　sheets。　　If　any　one　will　undertake　to　have　it

translated　and　printed　on　their　own　account；　I　will　send　on　the　MS。

by　post；　and　they　can　take　the　copyright　as　of　an　original　work；

which　it　ought　to　be　understood　to　be。　　I　am　anxious　it　should　be

ably　translated　by　some　one　who　possesses　style　as　well　as　capacity

to　do　justice　to　abstruse　conceptions。　　I　would　even　undertake　to

revise　the　translation　if　required。　　The　original　sheets　must　be

returned　to　me；　and　I　should　wish　the　work　to　be　executed　with　as

little　delay　as　possible。




　　　　　　　　I　close　this　long　letter　with　assurances　of　my　great　esteem　and

respect。