Account of 
Dr Smith. 
90 HISTORY of the SOCIETY. 
it is of more importance to afcertain the progrefs that is moft fim-. 
ple, than the progrefs that is moft agreeable to fact; for, para- 
doxical as the propofition may appear, itis certainly true, that 
the real progrefs i is not always the moft natural. It may have. 
been determined by particular accidents, which are not likely 
again to occur, and which cannot be confidered as forming any. 
part of that general provifion which. nature has made for the: 
improvement of the race.. 
{wn order to make fome amends for the length (I'am afraid 1’ 
may add for the tedioufnefs) of this fection, I fhall fubjoin to 
it an original letter of Mr Hume’s, addrefled to. Mr Smiru, 
foon after the publication.of his Theory. It is ftrongly mark- 
ed with that eafy and affectionate pleafantry which diftinguifh- 
ed Mr Humsg’s epiftolary correfpondence, and is. entitled to a 
place in this Memoir, on account of its connection with an im- 
portant event of Mr SmitTu’s life, which foon after removed 
him into a new-fcene, and influenced, to a confiderable degree, 
the fubfequent courfe of his ftudies.—The letter is dated from: 
London, 12th April 1759-. 
“. T grve you thanks for the agreeable prefent of your: 
Theory. WeEpprRBurN and I made prefents of our copies to. 
fuch of our acquaintances as we thought good judges, and pro- 
per to fpread the reputation. of the book. I fent one to the: 
Duke of ArcyLe, to Lord LytrzetTon, Horaczt Wa.prote, 
SoaME JENNYNS, and Burke, an Irifh Gentleman, who wrote 
lately a very pretty treatife on, the Sublime. Muxxar defired. 
my permiffion to fend one in your name to Dr WarsurRToON. 
I have delayed writing to you till I could tell you fomething of © 
the fuccefs of the book, and could prognofticate with fome pro- 
bability, whether it fhould be finally damned to oblivion, or 
I fhould 
