APPENDIX. 12t 
and of induftry coincides remarkably with that which we find 
in the writings of the French Oeconomifts, appears from the 
flight view of their fyftem which he himfelf has given. But 
it furely cannot be pretended by the warmeft admirers of that 
fyftem, that any one of its numerous expofitors has approached 
to Mr Smiru in the precifion and perfpicuity with which he 
has ftated it, or in the {cientific and luminous manner in which 
he has deduced it from elementary principles. The awkward- 
nefs of their technical language, and the paradoxical form in 
which they have chofen to prefent fome of their opinions, 
‘are acknowledged even by thofe who are moft willing to do 
juftice to their merits; whereas it may be doubted with re- 
fpect to Mr Smiru’s Inquiry, if there exifts any book beyond 
the circle of the mathematical and phyfical fciences, which is 
at once fo agreeable in its arrangement to the rules of a found 
logic, and fo acceflible to the examination of ordinary readers. 
Abftracting entirely from the author’s peculiar and original fpe- 
culations, I do not know, that upon any fubje&t whatever, a 
work has been produced in our times, containing fo methodical, 
fo comprehenfive and fo judicious 4 digeft of all the moft pro- 
found and enlightened philofophy of the age. . 
In juftice alfo to Mr Smitu, it muft be obferved, that al- 
though fome of the ceconomical writers had the ftart of him 
in publifhing their doctrines to the world, thefe dodtrines ap- 
pear, with refpect to him, to have been altogether original, and 
the refult of his own reflections. Of this, I think, every per- 
fon muft be convinced, who reads the Inquiry with due atten- 
tion, and is at pains to examine the gradual and beautiful pro- 
grefs of the author’s ideas: But in cafe any doubt fhould re- 
main on this head, it may be proper to mention, that Mr 
SmitTuH’s political lectures, comprehending the fundamental 
principles of his Inquiry, were delivered at Glafgow as early as. 
the year 1752 or 1753; at a period, furely, when there exifted ~ 
Vo. IIL (Q) no 
Account of 
Dr Smith. 
