DAVID, Esq. a celebrated philosopher and historian, was born in the south part of Scotland on the 26th of April O.S. in the year 1711. Being the younger son of a country gentleman of good family, but no great fortune, his patrimony was of consequence insufficient to support him. For this reason he was destined for the bar, and passed through his academical courses in the university of Edinburgh; but being more inclined to studies of a different nature, he never put on the gown, nor even took the introductory steps for that purpose. The writings of Locke and Berkeley had directed the attention of the generality of learned men towards wards metaphysics; and Mr Hume having early applied himself to studies of this kind, published in 1739 the two first volumes of his Treatise of Human Nature, and the third the following year. He had the mortification, however, to find his book generally decried; and to perceive, that the taste for systematic writing was now on the decline. He therefore divided this treatise into separate Essays and Dissertations, which he afterwards published at different times with alterations and improvements.
In 1742, Mr Hume published two small volumes, consisting of Essays moral, political, and literary. These were better received than his former publication; but contributed little to his reputation as an author, and still less to his profit; and his small patrimony being now almost spent, he accepted an invitation from the marquis of Annandale to come and live with him in England. With this nobleman he staid a twelvemonth; during which time his small fortune was considerably increased. He then received an invitation from General St Clair, to attend him as a secretary to his expedition, which was at first meant against Canada, but afterwards ended in an excursion against the coast of France. In 1747, he received an invitation from the general to attend him in the same station in his military embassy to the courts of Vienna and Turin. He then wore the uniform of an officer; and was introduced at these courts as aid-de-camp to the general, along with Sir Harry Erskine and Captain Grant, afterwards General Grant. In 1749, he returned to Scotland, and lived two years with his brother at his country-house; where he composed the second part of his essays, called Political Discourses. And now the general approbation of his performances was indicated by a more extensive sale than formerly, and likewise by the numerous answers published by different persons in order to counteract their supposed pernicious tendency. In 1752, were published at Edinburgh his Political Discourses, the only work of his which was well received on its first appearance; and the same year at London, his Inquiry concerning the Principles of Morals, which in his own opinion was incomparably the best of all his performances. This year also he was appointed librarian to the faculty of advocates at Edinburgh; the principal advantage resulting from which employment was, that he had by that means the command of a large library. He then formed the plan of writing the History of England: but deeming the whole to be too extensive, he confined his history to that of Britain under the house of Stuart. The book was almost universally decried on its first appearance, and soon after seemed to sink in oblivion. Dr Herring, primate of England, and Dr Stone, primate of Ireland, were the only literati of the author's acquaintance who approved of the work, and sent him messages not to be discouraged.
Notwithstanding the approbation of these eminent men, however, Mr Hume's spirits were so much sunk by his bad success, that he had some thoughts of retiring to France, changing his name, and bidding adieu to his own country for ever; but his design was rendered impracticable by the breaking out of the war of 1755 between France and Britain. He then published his Natural History of Religion; to which an answer was published, soon after its appearance, in the name of Dr Hurd bishop of Litchfield and Coventry; of which, however, he since disclaimed being the sole author. In 1756, the second volume of the History of the Stuarts was, published, two years after the appearance of the first. This was better received, and helped to retrieve the character of the former volume. Three years after, his History of the House of Tudor made its appearance; which was almost as ill received as the History of the Stuarts had been, the reign of Elizabeth being particularly obnoxious. The author, however, had now learned to despise popular clamours; and continued to finish at his leisure the more early part of the English history, which was published in 1761, and was received with tolerable success.
Mr Hume being now turned of fifty, and having obtained by the sale of his books a competent and independent fortune, retired into his native country of Scotland, determined never more to set his foot out of it. From this resolution, however, he was diverted by the earl of Hertford; whom he attended as secretary on his embassy to Paris in 1763. In 1765, the earl being appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland, Mr Hume was intrusted with the sole management of the business of the state till the arrival of the duke of Richmond towards the latter end of the year. In 1767, he returned to Edinburgh, with a much larger income, procured to him by the earl of Hertford, than he formerly had; and now formed the same design he had formerly entertained, namely, of burying himself in his philosophical retreat. In this, however, he was again disappointed, by receiving an invitation from General Conway to be under secretary; and this invitation he was prevented from declining, both by the character of the person, and his connexions with Lord Hertford. In 1769 he returned to Edinburgh, possessed of 1000l. a-year, healthy, and though somewhat stricken in years, yet having a prospect of long enjoying his ease, and of seeing the increase of his reputation. Of his last illness and character, he himself gives the following account. In spring 1775, I was struck with a disorder in my bowels; which at first gave me no alarm, but has since, as I apprehend it, become mortal and incurable. I now reckon upon a speedy dissolution. I have suffered very little pain from my disorder; and what is more strange, have notwithstanding the great decline of my person, never suffered a moment's abatement of my spirits; insomuch, that were I to name the period of my life which I should most choose to pass over again, I might be tempted to point to this latter period. I possess the same ardour as ever in study, and the same gaiety in company. I consider, besides, that a man of sixty-five, by dying, cuts off only a few years of infirmities; and though I see many symptoms of my literary reputation breaking out at last with additional lustre, I know that I could have but few years to enjoy it. It is difficult to be more detached from life than I am at present.
"To conclude, historically, with my own character, I am, or rather was (for that is the style I must now use in speaking of myself, which emboldens me the more to speak my sentiments)—I was, I say, a man of mild dispositions, of command of temper, of an open, social, and cheerful humour, capable of attachment, but little susceptible of enmity, and of great moderation in all my passions. Even my love of literary fame, my ruling passion, never soured my temper, notwithstanding my frequent disappointments. My company was not unacceptable to the young and careless, as well as to the studious and literary; and as I took particular pleasure in the company of modest women, I had no reason to be displeased with the reception I met with from them. In a word, though most men anywise eminent have found reason to complain of calumny, I never was touched, or even attacked, by her baleful tooth: and though I wantonly exposed myself to the rage of both civil and religious factions, they seemed to be disarmed in my behalf of their wonted fury. My friends never had occasion to vindicate any one circumstance of my character and conduct: not but that the zealots, we may well suppose, would have been glad to invent and propagate any story to my disadvantage, but they could never find any which they thought would wear the face of probability. I cannot say there is no vanity in making this funeral oration of myself, but I hope it is not a misplaced one; and this is a matter of fact which is easily cleared and ascertained."
His fears concerning the incurableness of his disorder proved too true. He died on the 25th of August 1776; and was interred in the Calton burying-ground, Edinburgh, where a monument is erected to his memory.
**Humectation**, formed of humour, moisture, moistening, in pharmacy, the preparing of a medicine by steeping it a while in water, in order to soften and moisten it when too dry; or to cleanse it, or prevent its subtle parts from being dissipated in grinding, or the like.
Humectation is also used for the application of moistening remedies.
In this sense we say, embrocations, emplasters, unctions, humectations, fomentations, &c.
**Humerus**, or Os Humeri, in Anatomy, the uppermost bone of the arm, popularly called the shoulder-bone; extending from the scapula, or shoulder-blade, to the upper end of the cubitus, or elbow. See Anatomy Index.
**Humidity**, that quality in bodies whereby they are capable of wetting other bodies. This differs very much from fluidity; and seems to be merely a relative thing, depending on the congruity of the component particles of the liquor to the pores of such particular bodies as it is capable of adhering to, penetrating a little into, or wetting. Thus, for instance, quicksilver is not a moist thing with regard to our hands or clothes; but may be called so in reference to gold, tin, or lead, to whose surfaces it will perfectly adhere, and render them soft and moist.
**Humiliati**, a congregation of religious in the church of Rome, established by some Milanese gentlemen on their release from prison, where they had been confined under the emperor Conrad, or, as others say, under Frederick I. in the year 1162. This order, which acquired great wealth, and had no less than 90 monasteries, was abolished by Pope Pius V. in 1570, and their houses given to the Dominicans and Cordeliers, for their luxury and cruelty.
**Humiliation**, the act of humbling, i.e. of abating a person's pride, and bringing him lower in his opinion.
In this sense humiliation stands distinguished from mortification: humiliation brings down the mind; mortification subdues the flesh.
**Humility**, in Ethics, is a virtue consisting in the moderate value which a person puts upon himself; and every thing relating to him. Or, more particularly, it consists in not attributing to ourselves any excellence or good which we have not; in not overrating anything which we have or do; in not taking an immoderate delight in one's self; in not assuming more of the praise of a quality or action than belongs to us; and in a lowly sense and acknowledgment of our imperfections, errors, and sins. This virtue expresses itself in the modesty of our appearance, of our pursuits, and of our behaviour towards other men. It is distinguished from affectation, bashfulness, and meanness.
**Humming-bird.** See Trochilus, Ornithology Index.
**Humour**, from the Latin humor, in its original signification, stands for moisture in general; from whence it has been restrained to signify the moisture of animal bodies, or those fluids which circulate through them.
It is distinguished from moisture in general in this, that humours properly express the fluids of the body; when in a vitiated state, it would not be improper to say, that the fluids of such a person's body were full of humours.
The only fluids of the body, which, in their natural and healthful state, are called humours, are those in the eye; we talk of the aqueous humour, the crystalline humour, without meaning any thing that is morbid or diseased: yet when we say in general, that such a person has got a humour in his eye, we understand it in the usual sense of a vitiated fluid.
As the temper of the mind is supposed to depend upon the state of the fluids in the body, humour has come to be synonymous with temper and disposition. A person's humour, however, is different from his disposition, in this, that humour seems to be the disease of a disposition: it would be proper to say that persons of a serious temper or disposition of mind, were subject to melancholy humours; that those of a delicate and tender disposition, were subject to peevish humours.
Humour may be agreeable or disagreeable: but it is still humour; something that is whimsical, capricious, and not to be depended upon. An ill-natured man may have fits of good-humour, which seem to come upon him accidentally, without any regard to the common moral causes of happiness or misery.
A fit of cheerfulness constitutes the whole of good-humour; and a man who has many such fits, is a good-humoured man: yet he may not be good-natured; which is a character that supposes something more constant, equable, and uniform, than what is requisite to constitute good humour.
Humour is often made use of to express the quality of the imagination, which bears a considerable resemblance to wit.
Wit expresses something that is more designed, concerted, regular, and artificial; humour, something that is more wild, loose, extravagant, and fantastic; something which comes upon a man by fits, which he can neither command nor restrain, and which is not perfectly consistent with true politeness. Humour, it has been said, is often more diverting than wit; yet a man of wit is as much above a man of humour as a gentleman is above a buffoon; a buffoon, however, will often divert more than a gentleman. The duke of Buckingham, however, makes humour to be all in all; wit, according to him, should never be used, but to add an agreeableness to some proper and just sentiment, which, without some such turn, might pass without its effect.
See Wit.