100 ADAM SMITH. 



himself to the acquisition of various learning. He became 

 master of both ancient and modern languages, and exer- 

 cised himself in translation, especially from the French, 

 a mode which, like his illustrious friend Robertson, he 

 always recommended, as tending to improve the student's 

 style, by giving a facility in the use of his own language. 

 But it is somewhat remarkable that his chief study was 

 of mathematical and physical science, a walk little fre- 

 quented at the University, and which, except as subser- 

 vient to other speculations, he himself appears to have 

 ever after abandoned. For some time, however, he must 

 have retained both the taste and the capacity for those 

 exalted studies ; for Mr. Stewart recollects his father, 

 the celebrated geometrician, reminding him of a problem 

 proposed to him by Dr. Simson, which had occupied his 

 attention after he had left College, and had come to 

 reside at Glasgow. 



On his return from Oxford he went to reside for two 

 years at Kirkaldy with his mother, for whom he enter- 

 tained through his whole life an extraordinary and a 

 perfectly well-grounded affection, being ever happier in 

 her society than in any other ; and he enjoyed the un- 

 speakable blessing of having her days prolonged till he 

 had himself reached a good old age. The plan of his 

 family had been, that he should enter the English 

 Church, and with this view he had been sent to Oxford. 

 But Mr. Stewart says, that he did not find this profes- 

 sion suit his tastes ; perhaps it did not accord with his 

 habits of thinking; certain it is that he abandoned all 

 thoughts of it, and contented himself with those chances 

 of very moderate preferment which the Scotch Univer- 

 sities present to lovers of literature and science. 



