“I am, w. great regard, Dr. Sir,

“Y’r m. obed’t. & rust. o. ser’t.,

“WILLIAM ROBERTSON.

“My address is, one of the ministers of Ed.”

TO DR. BIRCH.

“Edinburgh, 13 Dec. 1759.

“Dear Sir,—­I beg leave once more to have recourse to your good nature and to your love of literature, and to presume upon putting you to a piece of trouble.  After considering several subjects for another history, I have at last fixed upon the reign of Charles V., which contains the first establishment of the present political system of Europe.  I have begun to labour seriously upon my task.  One of the first things requisite was to form a catalogue of books which must be consulted.  As I never had access to very copious libraries, I do not pretend to any extensive knowledge of authors, but I have made a list of such as I thought most essential to the subject, and have put them down just in the order which they occurred to me, or as I found them mentioned in any book I happened to read.  I beg you would be so good as to look it over, and as your erudition and knowledge of books is infinitely superior to mine, I doubt not but you’ll be able to make such additions to my catalogue as may be of great use to me.  I know very well, and to my sorrow, how servilely historians copy from one another, and how little is to be learned from reading many books, but at the same time when one writes upon any particular period, it is both necessary and decent for him to consult every book relating to it, upon which he can lay his hands.  I am sufficiently master of French and Italian; but have no knowledge of the Spanish or German tongues.  I flatter myself that I shall not suffer much by this, as the two former languages, together with the Latin, will supply me with books in abundance.  Mr. Walpole informed me some time ago, that in the catalogue of Harleian MSS. in the British Museum, there is a volume of papers relating to Charles V., it is No. 295.  I do not expect much from it, but it would be extremely obliging if you would take the trouble of looking into it and of informing me in general what it contains.  In the catalogue I have inclosed, this mark x is prefixed to all the books which I can get in this country; if you yourself, or any friend with whom you can use freedom, have any of the other books in my list, and will be so good as to send them to Mr. Millar, he will forward them to me, and I shall receive them with great gratitude and return them with much punctuality.  I beg leave to offer compliments to all our common friends, and particularly to Dean Tucker, if he be in town this season.  I wish it were in my power to confer any return for all the trouble you have taken in my behalf—­”

FROM DR. BIRCH TO THE REV.  DR. ROBERTSON, AT EDINBURGH.

“London, 3 Jany. 1760.

“Dear Sir,—­Your letter of the 13 Dec’r. was particularly agreeable to me, as it acquainted me with your resolution to resume your historic pen, and to undertake a subject which, from its importance and extent, and your manner of treating it, will be highly acceptable to the public.