However, you shall not, at any rate, be kept
long in suspense, as you shall soon have my final
resolution. [February 3, 1777]
Ultimately, Strahan made his decision and declined to publish the
Dialogues. In a letter to Hume's brother (i.e., the father of
Hume's nephew) Strahan repeats his reasoning that the Dialogues
"might be published with more propriety" by the nephew (March 3,
1777).
The almost absurd preoccupation with public image continued
as Hume's brother strategized as to how long his son should delay
in bringing the Dialogues to the press. Hume's brother recorded
his thoughts in a reply to Strahan:
My opinion was that he [i.e., his son, and Hume's nephew]
should delay the publication of the dialogues on Natural
Religion till the end of the two years, after this that he
had a title by his uncles settlement upon your not
publication of them; otherways it carried the appearance of
being too forward, and of more than he was called upon in
duty; and if a clamour rose against it, he would have a
difficult task to support himself, almost in the
commencement of his manhood. What weighs with him is, that
his publishing as early as he had the power, would look more
like obedience, than a voluntary deed, and of judgement; and
exculpate him in the eyes of the world... [March 13, 1777]
Indeed, Hume's nephew delayed for two years and the Dialogues
finally appeared in the middle of 1779.
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