E-text prepared by David J. Cole
Transcriber's Note:
Like much 18th and 19th century publishing, the edition of David Hume's "History of England" from which this text was prepared makes extensive use of both footnotes and marginal notes. Since this e-text format does not allow use of the original superscripts to denote the lettered footnotes, they are indicated by the relevant letter within brackets, thus "[a]", and the footnotes themselves are reproduced within brackets and preceded by "FN" at the end of the PARAGRAPH to which they relate; since some of Hume's paragraphs are considerably longer than is normal in 21st century American or British writing, you may have to scroll some distance to find the text of the footnote. All footnotes are reproduced exactly as in the printed text.
More discretion has been exercised regarding marginal notes. Those which simply repeat chapter numbers and dates already given in the text are omitted as non-essential clutter. The remainder are reproduced within brackets and preceded by "MN". Those marginal notes which appear to correspond to sub-chapter headings are reproduced as the first line of the paragraph to which they relate. Other marginal notes are reproduced within the text of the paragraph. Some apparently incomplete marginal notes ending or beginning with ellipses are due to cases where what is logically a single marginal note has been broken into two or more pieces separated by a considerable vertical distance.
From the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution in 1688
by
With the Author's Last Corrections and Improvements, to which isprefixed a Short Account of His Life Written by Himself
It is difficult for a man to speak long of himself without vanity;therefore I shall be short. It may be thought an instance of vanitythat I pretend at all to write my life; but this narrative shallcontain little more than the history of my writings; as, indeed,almost all my life has been spent in literary pursuits andoccupations. The first success of most of my writings was not such asto be an object of vanity.
I was born the 26th of April, 1711, old style, at Edinburgh. I was ofa good family, both by father and mother: my father's family is abranch of the Earl of Home's, or Hume's; and my ancestors had beenproprietors of the estate which my brother possesses, for severalgenerations. My mother was daughter of Sir David Falconer, Presidentof the College of Justice: the title of Lord Halkerton came bysuccession to her brother.
My family, however, was not rich; and being myself a younger brother,my patrimony, according to the mode of my country, was of course veryslender. My father, who passed for a man of parts, died when I was aninfant, leaving me, with an elder brother and a sister, under the careof our mother, a woman of singular merit, who, though young andhandsome, devoted herself entirely to the rearing and educating of herchildren. I passed through the ordinary course of education withsuccess, and was seized very early with a passion for literature,which has been the ruling passion of my life, and the great source ofmy enjoyments. My studious disposition, my sobriety, and my industry,gave my family a notion th