My Own Life

It is difficult for a man to speak long of himself without vanity; therefore, I shall be short. It may be thought an instance of vanity that I pretend at all to write my life; but this Narrative shall contain little more than the History of my Writings; as, indeed, almost all my life has been spent in literary pursuits and occupations. The first success of most of my writings was not such as to be an object of vanity. I was born the 26th of April 1711, old style, at Edinburgh. I was of a good family, both by father and mother: my father's family is a branch of the Earl of Home's, or Hume's; and my ancestors had been proprietors of the estate, which my brother possesses, for several generations. My mother was daughter of Sir David Falconer, President of the College of Justice: the title of Lord Halkerton came by succession to her brother.

Este greu pentru un om sa vorbeasca mult despre sine fara desertaciune; prin urmare, voi fi scurt. Poate fi considerat un exemplu de desertaciune pe care ma prefac deloc ca imi scriu viata; dar aceasta naratiune va contine putin mai mult decat Istoria scrierilor mele; deoarece, intr-adevar, aproape toata viata mea a fost petrecuta in activitati si ocupatii literare.