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    DAVID HUME'S LETTERS* Students of litera...

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    —o> .. A HIISIT TO SCHOOLMASTERS. Emerso...

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    Dec . 6 , 1888 The Publishers * Circular ts 6 $

    David Hume's Letters* Students Of Litera...

    DAVID HUME'S LETTERS * Students of literature are indebted to Dr .

    Birkbeck Hill for a book of much more than passing — ^ j B ^ rBBB ^ Br p ^ v m ^ m- ^ m ^ -m — Vbbil «& interest a ^^ — — . — bb Some ^^ ^^ — ^^ time — tfk ago — * ^ . tb bb > bhpbbbb he — * —^ examined ^^ — — » m a — m

    the * . collection ^ of letters by ^ David ^^^ Hume which he has given to the world in the handsome

    volume before us . He read them with an interest which made him anxious to save them

    from despaired dispersion of finding , " yet a for purchaser a time he for almost them .

    ' The funds at the dispdsal of ___ the Bodleian , ' writes — — — Dr . Hill ' were _ altogether ____ inadequate _ _ _ .

    At .. the British , Museum I ^^ should probabl ^ y have met with success had not its grant been

    lately curtailed . By the happy suggestion of the Master of Balliol College I applied to the

    Earl of Rosebery . His lordship at once consented np ^ b ^ bb > bbj ^ mw ^ B ^ ^ b ^ bb to ™« b ^ b » v buy *^^ ~ " ™ W the bmtbbbbb * ^ bt ^ whole V v bbbbbp ^ p bbb ^ bbt collection ^ bbi ^ b » bbbbbb ^ v ^ v - ^^ bbv ^ b' bbfbbi . v The b ™^ p » ^ bb- ^ bp ^ Br ^ * ¦

    obligation under which he has thereby laid men of letters willI feel surebe gratefully

    acknowledged . ' The , volume contains , eightyeight letters addressed by Hume to his

    publisher ab ^ ^» , ¦ William B ^ k bb ^ bb . * ^ n ^ ^ S ^ B > . a trahan ^ k , during ^ n ^ the . bb years ' 1756-1776 . It cannot be said that these letters

    wei are g rem ht of ark thoug able for ht . wit Their , or interest literary , grac which e , or is very w great L ¦ is to be b found *» in the Bi BBB li q ^^ p g ^ B ^ BB ht pi which ¦ ¦

    they *• BB ~^^ - ^^¦ r shed ^ p ^ ~^^^ -mw - ^ ^^ , ^ on p m ^^ — ~^— their BB -m— - ^^ r « * -mr- *™ writer ^ ^^^ " ~ ^^™~ ^ mr ^^ ^^^^ " ' s *^^ w life BBt — ^^» ^^^ ^ B' and ""^ B" ^ BBB ™ times ^ ^^» v ^™ , w ¦ cha ^^— ~ - ~^™~ - ™ ^ - ^ racter and opinions . They illustrate both his

    good and his bad qualities , his vanity and his petulant discontent , no less than his tireless

    industry and ardent love of literature . They show how zealously he strove to bring his work

    nearer to perfection . Thus in the last letter forward " of T" /\« 1 V « the V af"h •*¦>¦ J * -J series to sL . _*¦_ . death j -J , j-fc _ a written sAa E-k _•* . » - >* «*» - when relief . aMi . ^ v I «¦ ^ -1 sL he he !•¦ * . was j- % . requested b _ a j- » j looking -n . bb _ bj ^ -v « -v 4 * ^ -v *• 1

    Strahan to erase certain as a words , from , one of his philosophical piecesand remarks r : ' Thisdear

    ¦ ^^** A Bi ^ , ^^ ^~^ ¦ is BL - " ^ «^ the . ^^ BBI ^^ ^ " ^ B ^ ^" r ^ " " ^^ last « B > Bfcl ^^^ . " ^ B ^ ^^ correction ^^ ^^^ , W ^»^ ^ BIB ^ ^^»^^ «!¦ * h ^^ B" ^^^^^^ ^ I H ^ ^ A ^^^ ^ BP shall ^^ » BBj ^^ ^ BBj ^^ ^^^^ probabl ^^ r ^^^^ w ^— - , v AAk ^^^^ BBi BB ' ^ - ^ y trouble you with . ' And thereupon he appends

    a postscript suggesting yet another verbal alteration in the same work .

    Dr . Birkbeck Hill has discharged his duties as ^ editor ^^^ ^^ ¦ ^^ ^ B ^ ™ ^^ i ^ with ^ ^ ^^^ ~^ W ^^^ ^ w ^ an B' ^ V ^ V ^^^ B industry ^^ Bl ^ B >^>^ ^^ KIV ^^^^^ B ^ h ^ ^^^ B ^ V and ^ Bff ^ B ^ ^ l ^>^^ ^^ VHV jud « l ^ w ^^^ ^^ gment ^ VHBh J ^^^ ^^ H ^^* ^*^ ^^^ ^^^ ^ B *

    but worth nearl y of y all alw praise ays to . the His notes point . are Indeed voluminous they ,

    are often niore interesting than the letters , to which - ^— ™ ^~™ ' ™ they - ^ r * ¦ - ^^ ^ B ^ W B are ^^^ F ^ B . ~^ pr ^ affixed b' ^ HlrfBHdB ^ Bi ^^ ' ^^ B' ^^ BH . They ^^^^ B Bi BH ^ B" V form B . ^^^ Bl ^* ^ m PB > a ^ 1 *^^ V store ^ BT ^ V ' ¦¦^ BB W -

    house from ¦ ¦ ¦ the of fresh most ¦ h r- ^ r- and varied bi solid ~~ - B sources np information BW ^ i . Dr . comp Hill ¦ iled has

    —— — ^^ v ^ - ^^ - ^ - w - ^ r ^^^^^ ^ b ^ ^~ ^^ ^ B ^^ ^^™ ^» . ^ T ^^^^™~ ^ V ^ f ^^^^^—^™ ^^_» —w ^^ m ^ m- ^ r ^ v of ransacked facts ~^ —¦ ~^ " ~ — ~~^ " - which » » ^^ ^^ the ^™~ ^^^ ^^ ^^ literature —^ ^^^™ ^ tp- ^ p W B serve ^ l ^ " ^ B »^ BBri W ^* P of ~ to ^ B" kd the elucidate ^¦ B' BB ^ h ^ period ^ 'BBr ^ " ^™ B » ^ V ^ B ^ P' ' ^ B ^ in ^ Hume ^^™ ^—^ Bl - ^ quest » ^ ^^ ^^ w ^ Bi ' ^ IB' ' s V Bi may

    cular references ~~— —*— " ^ BB he B ) B . ^^ apT has bB ¦ * ^ B , ^ M to B ^^ p succeeded *^ contemporary -V ¦ ^ B ^ B ^ pT ^ ^ b * ^^ P * ^^ B » ^ Mb * * 1 ^ in P , Jfc fll throwin Bb ^ Bk affairs ¦ P ^ ^^ V * . ¦^ jBBB ^ new 4 In B > -BB ^^ V B / parti li IBB , « kb . 4 ht , Bt - * , g g

    on the wretched quarrel between Hume and anti Roussea path u y , and to on Chatham h the cause Bi HtB . of He BJBtBBBB Hum has Bi e's prefixed violent B ¦ BBI

    — W ^ ~ ^~ ^ W ^^ ^^^ ^^ ™~ ^*^» ^^ ^^ - ^ ^ B « V B * ^^^ ¦ " ^ " ^ " »* ^ - * ^^ ' ^» ^»^»^ - ^ « . p Hume dence dence ' s and and short haa haa autobiograp turnished furnish or h ! y the tvh to pk hook the book correspon with with an a . n - ,

    excellent , index . Altogether , the volume , is one on which its editor may be very heartily

    congratulated .

    —O> .. A Hiisit To Schoolmasters. Emerso...

    —o > .. A HIISIT TO SCHOOLMASTERS . when Emerson he said that of Vf aB . ma all ViP y professorshi not have been a rig ht

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    -* Letter *

    Press A JV 5 MM . . lOOO ..

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    guidance % ^ which in ^ the , great majority « J of cases they do not at present receive . A boy or girl

    may be endowed with a strong love for reading and may yet gain little good , may very

    proba bably . blv derive rlerivft not not , a a little lit . tlp . h h arm arm , th tfi e firftfrom refrom , . jno "NTn drugg one ¦ doubts ing ¦ 9 their that ¦ brains bV numbers with 1 the of poisonous boys BBBJP BBBk are trash dail B « BV BB / PW y

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    now have been gaining healthy enjoyment , from reading and forming a taste for genuine

    literature general . reading The may evil is be a grav of less e one importance . A boy ' s

    re than ckon Ms its school importance -work , li but ghtl no y . sensible Good literature man will

    destroys the taste XT for bad ^ b ? . ^ But the preventive must be taken in time ; and if a boy's relations

    are loo illiterate or too indifferent to guide him in the course of — his readings — tlie will naturall - _ — y .

    fall bWs . •*•« into *' . the . hands ¦_ •¦ of the . s ^ p , weekl bhbb y rubbish __ aa «• at •¦ - monger . Why should not the teacher make

    his influence felt here ? < To denounce the penny JL ml dreadful — will -. do little - good C 3 __ . But _ - _ mig ht

    not the teacher in the course of the week's work find a brief interval in which to direct

    Via Ills pupils minilsattention attention to to hook books a at at once nncfi healthv healthy and amusing ? And in this connection ' amusing ' is a word to be insisted on . The natural

    healthy-minded boy craves for a story . The , teacherif his advice is to be of profitmust

    clear his , mind of any foolish prejudice again , st fictionfor fiction the ordinary boy will have .

    The question , is whether he is to drink from a clear or an impure source * Again , a teacher

    whose pupils are the sons of men of small means could hardly do a more useful thing

    than let those in his charge know from time to time of the appearancein specially cheap

    formof a book which has , stood the test of criticism , as a source of innocent

    entertainment . Masterp , ieces equally suited for young and hh old " ¦ ¦» are steadil b y issued a * t the ¦ price i of a few

    pence of ~ ** m— m ^ ( B * ^^ v ~^ r p U ointing * m ^ b ^ ^ . 4 B Bk ^ Bi ~^ lf ^ * W ^ But ^ * Bh ^^ ^ B > Wh ¦ ^^^ ¦ out ^ k ^ Bjp how - B » Bj ^ B ^ T BF ^^ to ^ Bf ^ " * mm ^^ ^ b ^ v h many their ^ B » ^ Bi ^^™ Bb ~ v ^^ B ^ ^ B » « Bj ^ b ^ pup BP ^^ ^ ^ teachers ^^ BJB * ^^ BB ^ ^ BP ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^ ils « m ^^ * B » ^ pT m ' the B ™ " W ^ B ^ BV — » —~— ever enj W - ^ " » - ^ B oyment ^ ^^^ — W think ^ ^^ ~~ — ^~ ^ B- — — - ¦ ' ^

    which a few coppers spent on such works will bring ? No one denies that most teachers are

    hard th BB el - PB driv P the en question to get throug whether h their the work boy . s Never in his

    charge ^ p ta B > ^ B ^* BH ^^ p * ^^ m ¦ ^^ r , BB are ^ v ^ ^ B > ^ Bl ^ B ^ to ^>*^^ brace ^ B ^ B ^ V ^ B ^ ^ B * B ^ v ^*^^ ^^¦ ^ " their SB ' F V ^ 1 ^^ BI ^ BIV ¦ -m ^ ¦»« minds a ^^ ^^ 1 ^ » B 1 ^^^ Bm «^ - ' - — ^^ v with ^ ¦ - BI - ¦ « g ~ healthy BM — — ' IB . BH ^ - w ^^ ^ literature ^ H ^^» V - ^ b * BiB" ^^^^ W ^ B ^^ ^^» « P or ^ p' B ^^ to " ^» ' ^^ enfe Bi ™ ' " — ¦ - " ~^ eble ~^ " W ^ m ^ m- ^— ~^ m * them ~ r "' ^^^ ' ' » with — — — ¦ " nauseous ' — ^ ^ - -.

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    an ^ B "" ^ p Bfe ^^ p ^ B » hour - * BBBjb '" B ^ " p ^^ ^ B in * 1 PF " ^ " ^ B * ^* B » the wmw ^ mm ^ v ^^ - ^ " ^ ^^ course w ^ m ' ^^ ' »^ , - ^ b ^^~ ^ ' ¦^ . of ™ ¦¦ - ^ »^ - a » - ^*~ ^ - week ¦^ 'm , —m — — ' s H - ¦ - _ lessons _ — - - — — . -- S ^ ^^ u B ^ # BJt pp M ^^ p * M ^^ p" ose ^^^ r W ^^ r ^ B ^* a B ^ B * num BI Bi ^ B ^^ B- " ^ BBi Bi b P ^ k ^^ er ^ pT B ^^ B o ^^^^^ f BBB t ^ BF eac ^^ ^ W ^ ¦ ^ ' ^ B ^ h ^^^ « e ^^ v ^ r p ^^ i s w ^ m- were m v ^^^ — - ^— ^ m t —m- o - —~ ac — — — t -m ~ on — - ^^ — - ~

    diat our - ^^^ r ^ B > ^ Bi B ^^ BJP ^ fcF e ^ suggestion b # ^ wonders ^ ~ ^^^^^ B ^ i ^ Bfc ^¦• . B ^ BB ^ *^^ B •^•¦ P' . . BF The They ^^ " ^^» ^^^»^^^ ^ BB" sale T ^^^ would ^ ' ^¦ B *^^ ^^^ ¦ of ^^^ ^^^ " B not /^* ^^^^ ^ ^ ^ work — dreadfuls ^^ — ^^^ imme ^^ ^ ^^ ¦ i ~— ^ " - penny

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    ^^^ r ¦ * ^ b ^ f ^*^ F ^ mr « . ^^ ' * " ^ ^^ Bjb" ^**^ B ^ Tm ~ ^^^ ^^^ - ^^ >*^*^ v v ^ w ^ pr ^» ^^ - - ^— ^ ^^— - - — ^ — — - ^^ ~— — to extended ^ mW ^^^ f check ^ i ^» P ^ " BBB " * B ^ ^* m * B 4 B | , a ^ B * b ut dep ^ BP !¦* ^ p > somet B 1 ^* ' lorable " ^* i ^ p ^ m *^ m ^ B" ^» ™ hi ^^ P ^ ¦ ¦ ^¦ ng «»^ waste V wou i ¦ ^ r r ™ ^^ ^ ld ^^ of ^^ h ave time ' ^ ' b een and - ^~ — d one of

    brain neg Bl BBh ^ BB * BBBh lected ™™* ^* - power * jP ^^ " ^ p ^ ~~«* ' ^ Bi , Bf . It B ^^ Pp ^ B" concerns The ^ pP ~ m ^^ ^^ ^^ "P > question ^ w B ^ - ^^ ^> a ' ^ p- all ^ F" —P- ¦ ' " ^ ¦ " who ¦ - has m ^ m ^^ — are been — »— interested i rr— too — - ™ - — -- long » —

    in the diffusion of sound literature ; it concerns ^ raising in a far the higher moral degre and ' e all intellectual who PBBi BP ^ are interested standards BJ V in of

    ¦ PBB 1 ^ fpT _ m J \ _ f- p > W « TBi ^ » " ^ ^ pP ^ * " * ^ W-P « B |^ V « fc ^ m ^ Jk * «/*/*» Bp ^ BJT BB ^ B * ~ VB | MlBtA ^* ^ T ^ p ^ - B ^ Ppf BB . ~^ SW ^** ^^ "" ^ - I I I « ^ -B ^ •—BF * fP" ^^ ^^ our school-boys . To' generalise on the pestilent

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• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Dec. 6, 1888, page 1565, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_06121888/page/71/