SMITH. 



was habitually employed in reading, the fruits of which were 

 at length given to the world in his celebrated " Inquiry 

 into the Nature and Caufes of the Wealth of Nations." 

 This work has long been a ftandard work, not only in our 

 own country, but throughout Europe. It has been ftudied 

 and referred to by all who pay attention to the important 

 pohtical topics on which it treats. After the publication 

 of this " Inquiry," he fpent a great part of two years in 

 London, where his fociety was courted by perfons of the 

 higheft rank in the philofophical and literary world. In the 

 year 1778 he obtained, through the intereft of the duke of 

 Buccleugh, the lucrative place of a commidioner of the cuf- 

 toms of Scotland, in confequence of which he removed to 

 Edinburgh, which was thenceforth the place of his refi- 

 dence. His mother, who lived to a great age, fpent her lail 

 days with him here. After the death of his friend, Mr. 

 Hume, he publiflied that philofopher's memoirs of his own 

 life, with fome additions, in which he expreffed himfelf fo 

 favourably with regard to the character and opinions of the 

 deceafed, that it was readily inferred his own fentiments 

 with refpeft to revealed religion could not be very different 

 from thofe of his friend, which drew upon him an attack in 

 an anonymous letter, fince known to have been from the pen 

 of the late Dr. Home, afterwards bifliop of Norwich. In 

 1787 he was appointed rector of the univerfity of Glafgow, 

 and in 1790 he died, at the age of fixty-feven. A few days 

 before his death he caufed all his papers to be burnt, except 

 a few Elfays, which have fince been publifhed. 



Dr. Smith was a man of great fimplicity of character, 

 lubjeft to abfence of mind in fociety, and fitter for fpecu- 

 lative than aftive life. He was much beloved by his friends, 

 and pofTefled a calm and benignant difpofition. Of the ori- 

 ginality and comprehenfivenefs of his views, the extent, 

 variety, and the correftnefs of his information, and the inex- 

 hauftible fertility of his invention, he has left lafting monu- 

 ments behind him. To his private worth, the moll certain of 

 all teftimonies may be found in that confidence, refpedl, and 

 attachment, which followed him through all the various re- 

 lations of life. When perfeftly at eafe, and when warmed 

 with converfation, his geltures were animated and not un- 

 graceful ; and in the fociety of thofe whom he loved, his 

 features were often brightened by a fmile of inexpreffible 

 benignity. 



Smith, Edward, one of the minor Englifh poets, born 

 in 1668, near Tenbury, Worcefterlhire, was the fon of Mr. 

 Neale, a merchant, by the daughter of lord Lechmere. 

 The conncftion of his parents was dubious, or at leall un- 

 avowed ; for after his father's death, being left to the care 

 of Mr. Smith, who had married his paternal aunt, he ail'umcd 

 his guardian's name, by which he was ever afterwards known. 

 He was indeed, when grown to mature years, acknowledged 

 by his motiicr as her legitimate fon, but lie derived no ad- 

 vantage from this declaration. He was educated at Well- 

 minllcr fchool, under Dr. Bufty, who is faid to have formed 

 a high opinion of his talents, and, in confequence of this 

 opinion, to have detained him longer than the ufual time 

 under his tuition. From Wcftminlter he was eleftcd to 

 Trinity college, Cambridge, but having at the fame time an 

 invitation from Chrillchurch college, Oxford, he preferred 

 the latter, and became a (Indent of that college. Here he 

 diftinguifhed himfelf by Latin verfes, written on fome public 

 occafions ; and a Latin ode, which he compofed in 1691, on 

 the death of Dr. Pococke, the learned Orieiitalift, obtained 

 for him much celebrity for a poetical imagination. In 170J 

 lie was expelled from his college, on account of his intem- 

 perance and licentious conduft. He had, however, previ- 

 oufly to this, taken his degree of M.A. He now went to 



London, where his wit and convivial powers caufed him to 

 be much carcffed by perfons of eminence, cfpecially of the 

 Whig party ; though neither his manners, nor his external 

 appearance, rendered him adapted to good fociety. In 1708 

 he publilhed a " Poem to the Memory of Mr. John Phillips," 

 which is faid to be the only one of his mifcellaneous pieces 

 that merits notice. It has been much admired, becaulc it 

 partakes more of fatire than elegy. In the following year 

 he produced his tragedy of Phsedra and Hippolitus, which 

 was not very well received. Addifon, however, wrote the 

 prologue, and Prior the epilogue ; the principal aftors took 

 parts in it, and it was patronifed by men of high rank, 

 yet it was fcarcely heard to the third night. " It has," fays 

 the critic, " more poetical than dramatic merit, and is greatly 

 inferior, in point of delicacy, pathos, and condud, to Racine's 

 tragedy on the fame fubjeft." Mr. Smith died in the forty- 

 fecond year of his age, and his early death was imputed, 

 probably with great juftice, to his intemperate habits. He 

 had attained much harmony of verfification as a poet, and 

 pofFefled a certain luxuriance of fancy, but he gives no indi- 

 cation of a higher genius ; and did very little for the inte- 

 refts of literature. He was lifted to temporary fame by the 

 efforts of academic partiality, but has now funk to the 

 level of many who are well nigh forgotten. Johnfon'o Lives 

 of the Poets. 



Smith, Sir Thomas, an eminent fcholar and ftatefman 

 of the 15th century, was born at Saffron-Walden, in Effex, 

 in 1524. He was educated for, and fent early to. Queen's 

 college, Cambridge, and by his proficiency in learning ob- 

 tained a penfion as king's fcholar. Being chofen fellow of 

 his college, he was appointed, in 1535, to read the pubhc 

 Greek lefture, on which occafion he concurred with Cheke 

 in introducing an improved mode of pronouncing that lan- 

 guage. In 1539 he travelled to the continent, for the fupe- 

 rior advantages offered by the foreign univerfities, and at 

 Padua he ftudied the civil law, in which faculty he gra- 

 duated. On his return he refumed his refidence at Cam- 

 bridge, where, in 1542, he was admitted to the degree of 

 doftor, and was nominated king's profellor in civil law. 

 He purfued with great ardour his fcheme of reforming the 

 pronunciation of the Greek, and he llkewife attended to 

 the improvement of his native tongue, and publifhed a work 

 concerning its corrcdl orthography and pronunciation. He 

 was a promoter of the principles of the reformation in re- 

 ligion, and did his utmofl to flieltcr thofe reformers who 

 were cxpofed to the perfecution of the tyrant Henry VIII. 

 He had himfelf taken orders, poffeffed a rcftory, and alfo 

 the deanery of Carhfle. On the accelTion of the virtuous 

 Edward VI., he was taken into favour by the proteftor 

 Som -rfet, and raifed to feveral lucrative polls, and in 1548 

 he was knighted, and appointed fccretary of flate. On the 

 difgrace of the protedlor he vVas deprived of the fecretary- 

 fliip, but was foon replaced in it, and continued during the 

 remainder of the reign in trull and honour. When Mary fuc- 

 ceedcd to the throne he loll all his offices, and was forbidden 

 to quit the kingdom ; but by his caution and prudence he 

 was enabled to fleer in fafety through the ftormy and peril- 

 ous period. As foon as Elizabeth became queen he was in- 

 vited to court, and reinftated in the deanery of Carhfle, and 

 employed in various public concerns, particularly in the re- 

 vifion of tlie Liturgy. He was fent on various embafTies to 

 the court of France, and during one of his rclidenccs in 

 that country he compofed his work " On the Common- 

 wealth of England." Owing to fome difappointment he 

 retired to the country, where he fpent three years, exercifing 

 the duties of a magiflrate, and dillinguilliing himfelf by his 

 feverity againll fuppoled witches. In 1571 he returned to 

 A a z court, 



