counsellor of state.

The other pleasing circumstance was a visit I received from Madam de
Verdelin with her daughter, with whom she had been at the baths of
Bourbonne, whence they came to Motiers and stayed with me two or three
days. By her attention and cares, she at length conquered my long
repugnancy; and my heart, won by her endearing manner, made her a return
of all the friendship of which she had long given me proofs. This
journey made me extremely sensible of her kindness: my situation rendered
the consolations of friendship highly necessary to support me under my
sufferings. I was afraid she would be too much affected by the insults
I received from the populace, and could have wished to conceal them from
her that her feelings might not be hurt, but this was impossible; and
although her presence was some check upon the insolent populace in our
walks, she saw enough of their brutality to enable her to judge of what
passed when I was alone. During the short residence she made at Motiers,
I was still attacked in my habitation. One morning her chambermaid found
my window blocked up with stones, which had been thrown at it during the
night. A very heavy bench placed in the street by the side of the house,
and strongly fastened down, was taken up and reared against the door in
such a manner as, had it not been perceived from the window, to have
knocked down the first person who should have opened the door to go out.
Madam de Verdelin was acquainted with everything that passed; for,
besides what she herself was witness to, her confidential servant went
into many houses in the village, spoke to everybody, and was seen in
conversation with Montmollin. She did not, however, seem to pay the
least attention to that which happened to me, nor never mentioned
Montmollin nor any other person, and answered in a few words to what I
said to her of him. Persuaded that a residence in England would be more
agreeable to me than any other, she frequently spoke of Mr. Hume who was
then at Paris, of his friendship for me, and the desire he had of being
of service to me in his own country. It is time I should say something
of Hume.

He had acquired a great reputation in France amongst the Encyclopedists
by his essays on commerce and politics, and in the last place by his
history of the House of Stuart, the only one of his writings of which I
had read a part, in the translation of the Abbe Prevot. For want of
being acquainted wi