Jefferson’s copy was purchased from Lackington’s catalogue for 1792, price £ 3.0.0.

The book was one of a list sent to A. Donald of London on November 23, 1791; Jefferson’s original memorandum had specified catalogue no. 1843. Hume’s H. of Eng. 8. v. new in a curious & very eleg ^t. bind ^g. inlaid w ^th. moroc silk headbands, registers ib. 8.v. 8 ^vo. 1790. The list actually sent to Donald read: No. 1843. Hume’s £3.--or 1841. Hume’s £2.-14.--or 1842. Hume’s £3. The last mentioned, no. 1842 was the copy sent to Jefferson, and, to Lackington’s bill, which contained only the number, the key word and the price, Jefferson has added that it was in 8 v. 8 ^vo. 1790. Russia leather.

There had been a copy of this work in the Shadwell library, purchased from the bookshop of the Virginia Gazette on March 7, 1764. Jefferson had read it when young, and frequently expressed his opinion of it, both in speech and in writing.

On June 11, 1807, in a letter to John Norvell, of Danbury, Kentucky, who had written to ask advice on reading, Jefferson wrote: “ History in general only informs us what bad government is. but as we have employed some of the best materials of the British constitution in the construction of our own government, a knolege of British history becomes useful to the American politician. there is however no generat [ sic -- Ed. ] history of that country which can be recommended. the elegant one of Hume seems intended to disguise & discredit the good principles of the government, and is so plausible & pleasing in it’s style and manner, as to instil it’s errors & heresies insensibly into the minds of unwary readers. Baxter has performed a good operation on it . . . ”

Again, to William Duane, on August 12, 1810, when trying to get Baxter’s History reprinted, Jefferson wrote: “ Our laws, language, religion, politics, & manners are so deeply laid in English foundations, that we shall never cease to consider their history as a part of ours and to study ours in that as it’s origin. every one knows that judicious matter & charms of stile have rendered Hume’s history the Manual of every student. I remember well the enthusiasm with which I devoured it when young, and the length of time, the research & reflection which were necessary to eradicate the poison it had instilled into my mind. it was unfortunate that he first took up the history of the Stuarts, became their apologist and advocated all their enormities. to support his work, when done, he went back to the Tudors, and so selected and arranged the materials of their history as to present their abitrary [ sic -- Ed. ] acts only, as the genuine samples of the constitutional power of the crown; and, still writing backwards, he then reverted to the early history, and wrote the Saxon & Norman periods with the same perverted view. altho’ all this is known, he still continues to be put into the hands of all our young people, and to infect them with the poison of his own principles of government. it is this book which has undermined the free principles of the English government, has persuaded readers of all classes that these were usurpations on the legitimate and salutary rights of the crown, and has spread universal toryism over the land. and the book will still continue to be read here as well as there. Baxter, one of Horne Tooke’s associates in persecution, has hit on the only remedy the evil admits . . . ”

Hume’s History is not recommended by Jefferson to any enquirers for reading lists, but is replaced by Baxter’s History with the information that this is Hume’s text republicanized.

For Baxter’s History, with further criticisms by Jefferson of Hume, see no. 405.

David Hume, 1711-1776, Scottish philosopher and historian. The History of England was first published in Edinburgh, 1754-1759.