CHARACTERS. 
matical. ‘* The different significa- 
tions of a word (he observes) are in- 
deed collected ; but they are seldom 
digested into general classes, or 
ranged under the meaning which 
the word principally expresses : and 
sufficient care is not taken to distin- 
guish the words apparently synoni- 
mous.” To illustrate this criticism, 
he copies from Dr. Johnson the arti- 
cles but and humour, and opposes to 
_ them the same articles digested 
agreeably to his own ideas. The 
various significations of the word but 
are very nicely and happily discrimi- 
nated. The other article does not 
seem to have been executed with 
equal care. 
The observations on the state of 
learning in Europe are written with 
ingenuity and elegance; but are 
chiefly interesting, as they shew the 
attention which the author had 
given to the philosophy and litera- 
ture of the continent, at a period 
when they were not much studied 
in this island. 
In the same volume with the 
Theory of Moral Sentiments, Mr. 
Smith published a dissertation “* on 
the Origin of Languages, and on the 
different Genius of those which are 
original and compounded.” 
I shall subjoin an original letter 
of Mr. Hume’s addressed to Mr. 
Smith soon after the publication of 
_ his Theory. It is strongly marked 
with that easy and affectionate plea- 
santry which distinguished Mr. 
Hume’s epistolary correspondence, 
and is entitled to a place in this 
memoir, on account of its connexion 
with an important event of Mr. 
Smith’s life, which soon after «re- 
moved him into a new scene, and 
influenced; to a considerable degree, 
the subsequent source of his studies. 
[*43 
The letter is dated from London, 
12th April, 1739. 
*¢ | give you thanks for the agree. 
able present of your Theory. Wed« 
derburn and I made presents of our 
copies to such of our acquaintances 
as we thought good judges, and 
proper to spread the reputation of 
the book. I sent one to the duke 
of Argyle to lord Lyttleton, Horace 
Walpole, Soame Jennyns, and 
Burke, an Irish gentleman, who 
wrote lately a very pretty treatise 
on the Sublime. Millar desired my 
permission to send one in yourname 
to Dr. Warburton, I have delayed 
writing to you till I could tell you 
something of the success of the book, 
and could prognosticate with some 
probability, whether it should be 
finally damned to oblivion, or should 
be registered in the temple of im- 
mortality. Though it has been 
published only a few weeks, I think 
there appear already such strong 
symptoms, that I can almost venture 
to foretell its fate. It isin short 
this; but I\ have been interrupted 
in my letter by a foolish impertinent 
visit of one who has lately come 
from Scotland. He tells me that 
the university of Glasgow intend to 
declare Rouet’s office vacant, upon 
his going abroad with lord Hope. 
I question not but you will have our 
friend Ferguson in your eye, in case 
another project for procuring him a 
place in the university of Edinburgh 
should fail. Ferguson has very much 
polished and improved his Treatisé 
on Refinement, and with some 
amendments it will make an admi- 
rable book, and discovers an elegant 
and a singular genius. The Epigo- 
niad, 1 hope, will do: but it is 
somewhat up-hill work. As I doubt 
not but you consult the reviews 
sometimes 
