Beschreibung:

(David, philosopher and historian, 1711-76) Autograph manuscript [part of "Of the Populousness of Ancient Nations" in "Essays, Moral, Political and Literary", manuscript, 1p., 4to, n.d. [1752], written on the reverse of the conclusion of an Autograph Letter signed from James Oswald of Dinnikier to David Hume, (James Oswald, politician, 1715-69), last 3pp. only, Honington, 10th October 1750, small tear along fold, folds, browned, 4to. *** Hume's essay on slavery discussing aristocracy in Greece and Rome. (1). Of the Populousness of Ancient Nations, Part II, Essay XI, 80, from Essays, Moral, Political and Literary, 1752. "One ^general^ Cause of the great Disorders (of deleted) ^in all^ antient Governments seems to have proceeded from the great Difficulty of establishing any Aristocracy in (antie... deleted) those Ages, & the perpetual Discontents & Seditions of the People, when ^ever^ even the meanest & most beggarly were excluded from from the Legislature. The ^very^ Quality of Freeman gave such a Rank, being opposd to that of slave, that it seem'd to intitle the Possessor to every ^Power^ [and] Privilege ^of the commonwealth^ Solon's ^Laws^ excluded no Freeman from Votes or Elections ^?(a)^; but confin'd some Magistracies to a particular Census; yet were the People never pleasd till their Laws were abrogated ['repealed' in the published text]. By the Treaty of Antipater no Athenian had a vote, whose Census was less than 2000 Drachmas (above 130 Lb sterling ['60' in the published text)]. And tho' such a Government woud to us appear sufficiently democratical it was so disageeable to that People, that 22,000 ['above two thirds' in the published text] immediately deserted their Country: Only 9000 remain'd [these three words omitted in the final text]. Cassander [brother of Antipater] reduc'd that Census to the twentieth Part ['the half' published]; yet still the Government was considerd as an oligarchical Tyranny ['and the effect of foreign violence' - added when published]." Part II, Essay XI, 81. "Servius ^Tullius^ Laws appear very equal & reasonable, by fixing the Power in proportion to the Property: ('We know' deleted Yet the Roman People coud never be brought quietly to submit to them. Part II, Essay XI, 82 (part only). "In those times, there was no Medium betwixt a severe, jealous Aristocracy, over discontented subjects, & a turbulent, factious, tyrannical Democracy." (2). James Oswald's criticism of Hume's essay "Of the Balance of Trade." "Oswald was criticizing the Ms. of Hume's essay Of the Balance of Trade, published as one of the Political Discourses, 1752; and the criticism shows him to have been an enlightened economist..." - The Letters of David Hume, Ed. J.Y.T. Greig, 1932, vol 1, 144n. Oswald's letter to Hume is published in Selections from the family papers preserved at Caldwell..., 1854, vol. II, I, 93ff., where this manuscript of Hume's is illustrated together with the last page of the letter.Hume replied to Oswald's letter on 1 November 1750 (Greig,1, 142-4, from printed sources). James Oswald (1715-69), politician; MP for Kirkcaldy burghs. "Oswald was an able and industrious public servant, and also a man of literary and philosophical tastes. He was a close friend and an amiable critic not only of Adam Smith, but also of David Hume, Henry Home, Lord Kames, and John Home, the author of Douglas." - Oxford DNB.