Born:
Thomas Reid (moral philosophy), 1710, Strachan,
Kincardineshire; David Hume, philosopher and
historian, 1711, Edinburgh; Johann Ludwig Uhland,
German poet, 1787.
Died:
Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese navigator, killed,
1521, Isle of Matan; John, Lord Somers, Lord High
Chancellor of England, 1697-1700, statesman, 1716,
North Mims; Jeremy Collier, writer against the stage,
1726, London; Sir Eyre Coote, military commander,
1783, Madras; Carsten Niebuhr, traveller, 1815,
Meldorf in Holstein; Henry Cockburn, author of 'Memorials of Edinburgh,'
&c., 1854.
Feast Day:
Saints Cletius and Marcellinus, popes and martyrs, 1st
and 3rd centuries. St. Riquier, or Ricardus, French
anchoret, about 645. St. Paschasius Radbert, abbot of
Corwei, in Saxony, about 865.
DAVID HUME, HIS NATIVITY AND
EARLY CIRCUMSTANCES
The exact or parochial
nativity of David Hume has never been stated. It was
the Tron church parish in Edinburgh, as appears from a
memorandum in his father's handwriting among the
family papers. The father was a small laird on the
Whitadder, in Berwickshire, within sight of English
ground, and the family mansion, where David must have
spent many of his early years, was a plain small
house, as here represented, taking its name of
Ninewells from a remarkable spring, which breaks out
in the steep bank, descending from the front of the
house to the river.
The sketch of Ninewells House
here given�the more curious, as the house has long
since been superseded by a neat modern mansion�is from
Drummond's History of Noble British Families.
The eccentric author of the work says, underneath: 'It
is a favourable specimen of the best Scotch lairds'
houses, by the possession of which they think
themselves entitled to modify their family coats, and
establish coats of their own.'
A remarkable circumstance in
the early history of the philosopher has been little
regarded. Though. of good descent, and the nephew of a
Scotch peer, he was compelled, by the narrow
circumstances of the family, to attempt a mercantile
career at Bristol when a little over twenty years of
age. We know nothing of what he did, with whom he was
placed, or how he chiefly spent his time while aiming
at a mercantile life in the city of the west; but we
are made aware by himself that the scene was an alien
one. He seems to have looked back with some degree of
bitterness to his sojourn in Bristol, if we may judge
from a little quiet sarcasm at the place which he
utters in his History of England. He is there
describing James Naylor, the quaker's, entry into the
city at the time of the civil war, in imitation of
that of Christ into Jerusalem:
'He was mounted,' says
Hume, 'on a horse;' then adds, 'I suppose from the
difficulty in that place of finding as ass.'
Doubtless, David believed
there could have been no difficulty in finding an ass
in Bristol.
It is a curious fact,
sometimes adverted to in Edinburgh, but which we
cannot authenticate, that in the room in which David
Hume died, the Bible Society of Edinburgh was many
years afterwards constituted, and held its first
meeting.
SUNDAY SPORTS AUTHORIZED
BY
QUEEN ELIZABETH
The antiquary Hearne, as an
illustration of the views of the early reformed church
of England regarding amusements for the people on
Sundays, brings forward the following license issued
by Elizabeth on the 26th of April, in the eleventh
year of her reign (1569):
'To all mayors, sheriff's,
constables, and other head officers within the county
of Middlesex. After our hearty commendations, whereas
we are informed that one John Seconton, poulter,
dwelling within the parish of St. Clement's Danes,
being a poor man, having four small children, and
fallen into decay, is licensed to have and use some
plays and games at or upon several Sundays, for his
better relief, comfort, and sustentation, within the
county of Middlesex, to commence and begin at and from
the 22nd of May next coming, after the date hereof,
and not to remain in one place not above three several
Sundays; and we considering that great resort of
people is like to come thereunto, we will and require
of you, as well for good order as also for the
preservation of the Queen's Majesty's peace, that you
take with you four or five of the discreet and
substantial men within your office or liberties where
the games shall be put in practice, then and there to
foresee and do your endeavour to your best in that
behalf, during the continuance of the games or plays,
which games are hereafter severally mentioned; that is
to say, the shooting with the standard, the shooting
with the broad arrow, the shooting at twelve score
prick, the shooting at the Turk, the leaping for men,
the running for men, the wrestling, the throwing of
the sledge, and the pitching of the bar, with all such
other games as have at any time heretofore or now be
licensed, used, or played. Given the 26th day of
April, in the eleventh year of the Queen's Majesty's
reign.'
In connexion with the above,
it may be worth while to advert to the fact that, on
the 27th September, 1631, being Sunday, the play of
the Midsummer Night's Dream was privately
performed in the Bishop of Lincoln's house in London.
The Puritans had influence to get this affair inquired
into and visited with punishment, and there is
something rather humorous in what was decreed to the
performer of Bottom the weaver:
'We do order that Mr.
Wilson, as he was a special plotter and contriver of
this business, and did in such a brutish manner act
the same with an ass's head, shall upon Tuesday next,
from six o'clock in the morning till six o'clock at
night, sit in the porter's lodge at my lord bishop's
house, with his feet in the stocks, and attired with
an ass's head, and a bottle of hay before him, and
this subscription on his breast:
'Good people, I have
played the beast,
And brought ill things to pass;
I was a man, but thus have made,
Myself a silly ass.'
April 27th