"My Own Life" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hume David)

continuing a narrative through a period of 1700 years, I commenced
with the accession of the House of Stuart, an epoch when, I thought,
the misrepresentations of faction began chiefly to take place. I
was, I own, sanguine in my expectations of the success of this work.
I thought that I was the only historian, that had at once neglected
present power, interest, and authority, and the cry of popular
prejudices; and as the subject was suited to every capacity, I
expected proportional applause. But miserable was my disappointment:
I was assailed by one cry of reproach, disapprobation, and even
detestation; English, Scotch, and Irish, Whig and Tory, churchman
and sectary, freethinker and religionist, patriot and courtier,
united in their rage against the man, who had presumed to shed a
generous tear for the fate of Charles I. and the Earl of Strafford;
and after the first ebullitions of their fury were over, what was
still more mortifying, the book seemed to sink into oblivion. Mr.
Millar told me, that in a twelve-month he sold only forty-five
copies of it. I scarcely, indeed, heard of one man in the three
kingdoms, considerable for rank or letters, that could endure the
book. I must only except the primate of England, Dr. Herring, and
the primate of Ireland, Dr. Stone, which seem two odd exceptions.
These dignified prelates separately sent me messages not to be
discouraged.

I was, however, I confess, discouraged; and had not the war
been at that time breaking out between France and England, I had
certainly retired to some provincial town of the former kingdom,
have changed my name, and never more have returned to my native
country. But as this scheme was not now practicable, and the
subsequent volume was considerably advanced, I resolved to pick up
courage and to persevere.

In this interval, I published at London my Natural History of
Religion, along with some other small pieces: its public entry was
rather obscure, except only that Dr. Hurd wrote a pamphlet against
it, with all the illiberal petulance, arrogance, and scurrility,
which distinguish the Warburtonian school. This pamphlet gave me
some consolation for the otherwise indifferent reception of my
performance.

In 1756, two years after the fall of the first volume, was
published the second volume of my History, containing the period
from the death of Charles I. till the Revolution. This performance
happened to give less displeasure to the Whigs, and was better
received. It not only rose itself, but helped to buoy up its
unfortunate brother.

But though I had been taught by experience, that the Whig party
were in possession of bestowing all places, both in the state and in
literature, I was so little inclined to yield to their senseless
clamour, that in above a hundred alterations, which farther study,