Account of 
Dr Smith. 
114 HISTORY of the SOCIETY. 
provement in their condition and in their chara@ter. The ad- 
vantages which modern policy poflefles over the ancient, arifes 
principally from its conformity, in fome of the moft important 
articles of political ceconomy, to an order of things recom- 
mended by nature; and it would not be difficult to fhew, that 
where it remains imperfect, its errors may be traced to the re- 
ftraints it impofes on the natural courfe of human affairs. In- 
deed, in thefe reftraints may be difcovered the latent feeds of 
many of the prejudices and follies which infect modern man- 
ners, and which have fo long bid defiance to the reafonings of 
the philofopher and the ridicule of the fatirift. 
Tue foregoing very imperfect hints appeared to me to form, 
not only a proper, but in fome meafure a neceflary introduc- 
tion to the few remarks I have to offer on Mr Smitu’s Inquiry3 
as they tend to illuftrate a conneétion between his fyftem of 
commercial politics, and thofe fpeculations of his earlier years, 
in which he aimed more profeffedly at the advancement of hu- 
man improvement and happinefs. It is this view of political 
ceconomy that can alone render it interefting to the moralift, 
and can dignify calculations of profit and lofs in the eye of 
the philofopher. Mr Smiru has alluded to it in various paf- 
fages of his work, but he has no where explained himfelf fully 
on the fubje&t ; and the great ftrefs he has laid on the effects 
of the divifion of labour in increafing its produétive powers 
feems, at firft fight, to point to a different and very melancholy 
conclufion ;—that the fame caufes which promote the progrefs 
of the arts, tend to degrade the mind of the artift; and, of 
confequence, that the growth of national wealth implies a fa- 
crifice of the character of the people. 
Tue fundamental doftrines of Mr Smiru’s fyftem are now 
fo generally known, that it would have been tedious to offer 
any recapitulation of them in this place; even if I could have 
hoped to do juftice to the fubject, within the limits which I have 
prefcribed. 
