ADAM SMITH. 127 



pendent of any theory whatever, and which deserves to 

 be known and understood, whatever theory may obtain 

 our assent. 



The beauty of the illustrations, and the eloquence of 

 the diction, are indeed a great merit of this work. That 

 the author living nearly twenty years in a College, or in 

 a small country town, and with his habits, both of study 

 and mental absence or distraction, should have all the 

 while been so curious an observer even of minute par- 

 ticulars in conduct, manners, habits, is exceedingly sin- 

 gular, and seems to justify a conjecture of Mr. Stewart, 

 that he often gave a partial attention to what was pass- 

 ing around him, and was afterwards able to recall it by 

 an effort of recollection, as if he had given his whole 

 mind to it at the time. His style, indeed, is peculiarly 

 good; his diction is always appropriate and expressive, 

 quite natural, often picturesque, even racy and idiomatic 

 beyond what men are apt to acquire who gather their 

 language rather from books than from, habitually hearing 

 it spoken by the natives. Johnson, though an English- 

 man, has filled his ' Rambler' with very inferior English, 

 in comparison of such passages as these : " We seldom 

 resent our friends being at enmity with our friends, 

 though upon that account we may sometimes affect to 

 make an awkward quarrel with them; but we quarrel 

 with them in good earnest, if they live in friendship with 

 our enemies." (Vol. I. p. 20.) "Smaller offences are 

 always better neglected; nor is there any thing more 

 despicable than that froward and captious humour which 

 takes fire upon every slight occasion of quarrel." (I. 86.) 

 Look through the heavy and wearying pages of the 

 great English moralist's most admired ethical writings, 



