Hume’s death occurred on the 25th of August, 1776.  His scepticism, or philosophy as he called it, remained with him to the end.  He even diverted himself with the prospect of the excuses he would make to Charon as he reached the fatal river, and is among the few doubters who have calmly approached the grave without that concern which the Christian’s hope alone is generally able to dispel.

WILLIAM ROBERTSON.—­the second of the great historians of the eighteenth century, although very different from the others in his personal life and in his creed,—­was, like them, a representative and creature of the age.  They form, indeed, a trio in literary character as well as in period; and we have letters from each to the others on the appearance of their works, showing that they form also what in the present day is called a “Mutual Admiration Society.”  They were above common envy:  they recognized each other’s excellence, and forbore to speak of each other’s faults.  As a philosopher, Hume was the greatest of the three; as an historian, the palm must be awarded to Gibbon.  But Robertson surprises us most from the fact that a quiet Scotch pastor, who never travelled, should have attempted, and so gracefully treated, subjects of such general interest as those he handled.

William Robertson was the son of a Scottish minister, and was born at Borthwick, in Scotland, on September 19th, in the year 1721.  He was a precocious child, and, after attending school at Dalkeith, he entered the University of Edinburgh at the age of twelve.  At the age of twenty he was licensed to preach.  He published, in 1755, a sermon on The Situation of the World at the Time of Christ’s Appearance, which attracted attention; but he astonished the world by issuing, in 1759, his History of Scotland During the Reigns of Queen Mary, and of James VI. until his Accession to the Crown of England.  This is undoubtedly his best work, but not of such general interest as his others.  His materials were scanty, and he did not consult such as were in his reach with much assiduity.  The invaluable records of the archives of Simancas were not then opened to the world, but he lived among the scenes of his narrative, and had the advantage of knowing all the traditions and of hearing all the vehement opinions pro and con upon the subjects of which he treated.  The character of Queen Mary is drawn with a just but sympathetic hand, and his verdict is not so utterly denunciatory as that of Mr. Froude.  Such was the popularity of this work, that in 1764 its author was appointed to the honorable office of Historiographer to His Majesty for Scotland.  In 1769 he published his History of Charles V. Here was a new surprise.  Whatever its faults, as afterwards discerned by the critics, it opened a new and brilliant page to the uninitiated reader, and increased his reputation very greatly.  The history is preceded by a View of the Progress of Society in Europe from the Subversion