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“ANECDOTE,” The Columbian Magazine, vol. 2, no. 5 (May 1788), p. 283.
Anonymous
The Columbian Magazine (1786–90, and carried on thereafter as The Universal Asylum and Columbian Magazine) was one of the most prestigious of early America’s periodical publications. Its contents were miscellaneous with a leaning toward the historical. “Dr. Johnson” was Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709–84), the famous English dictionary maker and contemporary of Hume. “Dr. Rose” was Dr. William Rose (1719–86); less well remembered today, he was a Scottish-born school teacher and literary man of note. Rose was also a frequent reviewer, including of several of Hume’s works among which was the second volume of Hume’s History for the Monthly Review, a periodical founded by Rose’s brother-in-law, Ralph Griffiths. On Rose, see DNB. This particular anecdote circulated widely in America well into the nineteenth century. It should be read alongside other anecdotes reprinted in Part IV: “Early American Responses to Hume’s Character and Death.”
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Anecdote.
IT was an annual custom with Dr. Johnson’s bookseller (whose name I have forgot) to invite his authors to dine with him; and it was upon this occasion that Dr. Johnson, and Dr. Rose, of Chiswick, met, when the following dispute happened between them on the pre-eminency of the Scotch and English writers. In the course of conversation Dr. Warburton’s name was mentioned, when Dr. Rose observed what a proud imperious person he was. — Dr. Johnson answered, “Sir, so he was, but he possessed more learning than has been imported from Scotland since the days of Buchanan.” Dr. Rose, after enumerating a great many Scotch authors (which Johnson treated with contempt) said, ‘What think you of David Hume, Sir?’ — “Ha! a deistical scribbling fellow?” — Rose. ‘Well, be it so, but what say you to Lord Bute?’ — Johnson. (with a surly wow wow) “I did not know that he ever wrote any thing.” — Rose. ‘No! I think he has written one line that has out-done any thing that Shakespeare, or Milton, or any one else ever wrote.’ — Johnson. “Pray what was that, Sir?” — Rose. ‘It was when he wrote an order for your pension, Sir.’ — Johnson. (quite confounded) “Why that was a very fine line to be sure, Sir.” Upon which the rest of the company got up and laughed, and hallooed till the whole room was in a roar.