ADAM SMITH. 121 



he could sit a silent spectator of other men's gaiety, which 

 he was perceived to enjoy even when he took no part in 

 what excited it. 



Somewhat akin to these peculiarities was his habitual 

 absence, not only muttering in company as unconscious of 

 their presence, but even unaware of the obstructions he 

 might encounter while walking in the streets. One that 

 knew him, which the sufferer did not, was a good deal 

 amused to hear a poor old woman, whose stall he had over- 

 turned while he moved on with his hands behind his back 

 and his head in the air, exclaim in some anger, "doating 

 brute!"* Another was amused at the remark of an old 

 gardener, near Kirkaldy, who only knew him by having 

 answered his questions, somewhat incoherently put in his 

 walks, when the ' Wealth of Nations ' appeared, and he 

 found who was its author : " Weel a weel !" quoth he, 

 " they tell me that lad Adam Smith has put out a great 

 book. I am sure it would be long before I would think of 

 doing a thing of the kind/' It is related by old people at 

 Edinburgh, that while he moved through the Fishniarket 

 in his accustomed attitude, and as if wholly unconscious 

 of his own existence or that of others, a female of the 

 trade exclaimed, taking him for an idiot broken loose, 

 " Heigh ! Sirs, to let the like of him be about ! And yet 

 he's weel eneugh put on" (dressed). It was often so 

 too in society. Once during dinner at Dalkeith he broke 

 out in a long lecture on some political matters of the 

 day, and was bestowing a variety of severe epithets on a 

 statesman, when he suddenly perceived his nearest rela- 



* The Scotch word is "doited" or "donnert" and expresses one 

 whose faculties are entirely gone, if ever they existed. 



