Account of 
Dr Smith, 
96 HISTORY of the SOCIETY. 
ftudious leifure for which nature feems to have deftined him, 
and in which alone he could have hoped to accomplifh thofe li- 
terary projects which had flattered the ambition of his youthful 
genius. 
Tue alteration, however, which, from this period, took 
place in his habits, was not without its advantages. He had 
hitherto lived chiefly within the walls of an Univerfity ; and 
although to a mind like his, the obfervation of human nature 
on the fmalleft fcale is fufficient to convey a tolerably juft con- 
ception of what pafles on the great theatre of the world, yet it 
is, not to be doubted, that the variety of fcenes through which 
he afterwards paffed, muft have enriched his mind with many 
new ideas, and correéted many of thofe mifapprehenfions of 
life and manners which the beft defcriptions of them can {carce- 
ly fail to convey.—But whatever were the lights that his travels 
afforded to him as a ftudent of human nature, they were pro- 
bably ufeful in a ftill greater degree, in enabling him to perfect 
that fyftem.of political economy, of which he had already de- 
livered the principles in his le@ures at Glafgow, and which it 
was now the leading object of his ftudies to prepare for the pu- 
blic. The coincidence between fome of thefe principles and 
the diftingnifhing tenets of the French Oeconomifts, who were 
at that very time in the height of their reputation, and the in- 
timacy in which he lived with fome of the leaders of that fect, 
could not fail to affift him in methodizing and digefting his 
{peculations ; while the valuable collection of facts, accumu- 
lated by the zealous induftry of their numerous adherents, fur- 
nifhed him with ample materials for illuftrating and confirm- 
ing his theoretical conclufions. _ 
ArTer leaving Glafgow, Mr Smitru joined the Duke of 
Buccieucu at London early in the year 1764, and fet out with 
him for the Continent in the month of March following. At Do- 
ver they were met by Sir James MAcDoNALD, who accompa- 
nied them to Paris, and with whom Mr Smrtu laid the foun- 
2 dation 
