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Extracts From The Memoirs Of The Life And Writings Of Edward Gibbon, Esq.
" MR . GIBBON TO DR . ROBERTSON . " sin , Paris , 1777 . " WHEN I ventured to assume the character of Historian , the first , the most natural , but , at the same time , the most ambitious , wish which I entertained , was to obtain the approbation of Dr . Robertson and of Mr . Hume ; two names , which friendship
united , and which posterity will never separate . I shall not , therefore , attempt to dissemble , though I cannot easily express , the pleasure which . I received from your obliging letter , as \ ve \ l as from the intelligence of your most valuable present . The satisfaction which I should otherwise have enjoyed , in common with the public , will now be heightened by a sentiment of a more personal and flattering
nature ; and I shall frequently whisper to myself , that I have , in some measure , deserved the esteem of the writer whom I admire . " A short excursion which I have made to this place , during the summer months , has occasioned some delay in my receiving your letter , and will prevent my possessing , till my return , the copy of your History , which you so politeldesired Mr . Strahan to send me .
y But I have already gratified the eagerness of my impatience ; and although I was , obliged to return the book much sooner than I could have wished , 1 have seen enough to convince me , that the present publication will support , and , if possible , will extend the fame of the Author ; that'the materials are collected with diligence , and arranged with skill ; that the first book contains a learned and satisfactory
account of the progress of discovery ; that the achievements , the dangers , and the crimes , of the Spanish adventurers , are related with a temperate spirit ; and that the most original , perhaps the most curious , portion of the history of human manners is , at length , rescued from the hands of sophists and declaimers . Lord Stormont , and the few in this Capitalwho have had an opportunity of perusing the History
, of America , unanimously concur in the same sentiments . Your work is already become a favourite topic of public conversation ; and Mr . Suard is repeatedly pressed , in my hearing , to fix the time when his translation will appear .
" 1 flatter myself you will not abandon your design of visiting London next winter ; as I already anticipate , in my own mind , the advantages which I shall derive from so pleasing and so honourable a connection . In the mean while , I should esteem myself happy , if you could think of any literary commission , in the execution of which I mig ht be useful to you at Paris , where I propose to stay till very
near the meeting of Parliament . Let me , for instance , suggest an enquiry , which cannot be indifferent to you , and which mi ght , perhaps , be within my reach . A few days ago I dined with Bagniouski , the famous adventurer , who escaped from his exile at Kamschatska , and returned into Europe by Japan and China . His narrative was amusing , though I know not how far his veracity , in point of circumstances , may safely Be trusted . It was his ori ginal design to penetrate through th . e North East Passage ; and he actuall y followed the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Extracts From The Memoirs Of The Life And Writings Of Edward Gibbon, Esq.
" MR . GIBBON TO DR . ROBERTSON . " sin , Paris , 1777 . " WHEN I ventured to assume the character of Historian , the first , the most natural , but , at the same time , the most ambitious , wish which I entertained , was to obtain the approbation of Dr . Robertson and of Mr . Hume ; two names , which friendship
united , and which posterity will never separate . I shall not , therefore , attempt to dissemble , though I cannot easily express , the pleasure which . I received from your obliging letter , as \ ve \ l as from the intelligence of your most valuable present . The satisfaction which I should otherwise have enjoyed , in common with the public , will now be heightened by a sentiment of a more personal and flattering
nature ; and I shall frequently whisper to myself , that I have , in some measure , deserved the esteem of the writer whom I admire . " A short excursion which I have made to this place , during the summer months , has occasioned some delay in my receiving your letter , and will prevent my possessing , till my return , the copy of your History , which you so politeldesired Mr . Strahan to send me .
y But I have already gratified the eagerness of my impatience ; and although I was , obliged to return the book much sooner than I could have wished , 1 have seen enough to convince me , that the present publication will support , and , if possible , will extend the fame of the Author ; that'the materials are collected with diligence , and arranged with skill ; that the first book contains a learned and satisfactory
account of the progress of discovery ; that the achievements , the dangers , and the crimes , of the Spanish adventurers , are related with a temperate spirit ; and that the most original , perhaps the most curious , portion of the history of human manners is , at length , rescued from the hands of sophists and declaimers . Lord Stormont , and the few in this Capitalwho have had an opportunity of perusing the History
, of America , unanimously concur in the same sentiments . Your work is already become a favourite topic of public conversation ; and Mr . Suard is repeatedly pressed , in my hearing , to fix the time when his translation will appear .
" 1 flatter myself you will not abandon your design of visiting London next winter ; as I already anticipate , in my own mind , the advantages which I shall derive from so pleasing and so honourable a connection . In the mean while , I should esteem myself happy , if you could think of any literary commission , in the execution of which I mig ht be useful to you at Paris , where I propose to stay till very
near the meeting of Parliament . Let me , for instance , suggest an enquiry , which cannot be indifferent to you , and which mi ght , perhaps , be within my reach . A few days ago I dined with Bagniouski , the famous adventurer , who escaped from his exile at Kamschatska , and returned into Europe by Japan and China . His narrative was amusing , though I know not how far his veracity , in point of circumstances , may safely Be trusted . It was his ori ginal design to penetrate through th . e North East Passage ; and he actuall y followed the