pparent from the well-known anecdote told of his
absence of mind in connection with Henry Mackenzie's story of "La
Roche." That story was written soon after Hume's death; it was
published in the _Mirror_ in 1779, while Horne's agitation was raging;
and the author introduced Hume as one of the characters of the piece
for the very purpose of presenting this more favourable view of the
great sceptic's religious position with which Mackenzie had been
impressed in his own intercourse with him. Hume appears in the story
as a visitor in Switzerland, an inmate of the simple household of the
pastor La Roche, and after describing him as being deeply taken with
the sweet and unaffected piety of this family's life and with the
faith that sustained them in their troubles, the author goes on to
observe, "I have heard him long after confess that there were moments
when, amidst the pride of philosophical discovery and the pride of
literary fame, he recalled to his mind the venerable figure of the
good La Roche and wished he had never doubted." Before publishing his
story Mackenzie read it to Adam Smith, in order to be told whether
anything should be omitted or altered as being out of keeping with
Hume's character, and so completely was Smith carried away by the
verisimilitude that he not only said he found not a syllable to object
to, but added that he was surprised he had never heard the anecdote
before. In his absence of mind he had forgotten for the moment that he
had been asked to listen to the story as a work of fiction, and his
answer was the best compliment Mackenzie could receive to his fidelity
to the probabilities of character.[274]

FOOTNOTES:

[255] Burton's _Life of Hume_, ii. 492.

[256] _Ibid._, ii. 493.

[257] Hill's _Letters of Hume to Strahan_, p. 330.

[258] Burton's _Life of Hume_, ii. 494.

[259] _Hume Correspondence_, R.S.E. Library.

[260] _Hume Correspondence_, R.S.E. Library.

[261] _Hume Correspondence,_ R.S.E. Library.

[262] Hume's brother always spelt his name with an _o_.

[263] _Hume Correspondence_, R.S.E. Library.

[264] _Ibid._

[265] _Hume Correspondence_, R.S.E. Library.

[266] _New York Evening Post,_ 30th April 1887. Original in possession
of Mr. Worthington C. Ford of Washington, U.S.A. The first draft of
this letter, in Smith's handwriting but without the last paragraph and
the signature, seems to have been preserved by him as a copy for
reference, and having been sent by him w