APPENDIX. 115 
prefcribed to myfelf at-prefent. A diftin@ analyfis of his work 
might indeed be ufeful to many readers ; but it would itfelf 
form a volume of confiderable magnitude. I may perhaps, 
at fome future period, prefent to the Society, an attempt to- 
wards fuch an analyfis, which I began long ago, for my own 
fatisfaction, and which I lately made confiderable progrefs in 
preparing for the prefs, before | was aware of the impofhbility 
of conneéting it, with the general plan of this paper. In the 
mean time, | fhall content myfelf with remarking, that the 
great and leading object of Mr Smiru’s fpeculations is to illu- 
{trate the provifion made by nature in the principles of the hu- 
man mind, and in the circumftances of man’s external fitua- 
tion, for a gradual and progreflive augmentation in the means 
of national wealth ; and to demonftrate, that the moft effefual 
plan for advancing a people to greatnefs, is to maintain that 
order of things which nature has pointed out; by allowing 
every man, as long as he obferves the rules of juftice, to pur- 
fue his own intereft in his own way, and to bring both his in- 
duftry and his -capital into the freeft competition with thofe 
of his fellow-citizens. Every fyftem of policy which endea- 
vours, either by extraordinary encouragements, to draw_to- 
wards a particular fpecies of induftry a greater {hare of the ca- 
pital of the fociety than what would naturally go to it; or, by 
extraordinary reftraints, to force from a particular fpecies of 
indu(try fome fhare of the capital which would otherwife be 
employed in it, is, in reality, fubverfive of the great purpofe 
which it means to promote. 
Wuart the circumftances are, which, in modern Europe, have 
contributed to difturb this order of nature, and, in particular, 
to encourage the induftry of towns, at the expence of that of 
the country, Mr Smiru has inveftigated with great ingenuity ; 
and in fuch a manner, as to throw much new light on the hiftory 
3 (P 2) of 
Account of 
Dr Smith, 
