Account of 

 Br Smith. 



56 HISTORT of the SOCIETY. 



His constitution during infancy was infirm and fickly, and 

 required all the tender folicitude of his furviving parent. She 

 was blamed for treating him with an unlimited indulgence ', 

 but it produced no unfavourable effects on his temper or his 

 difpofitions : — and he enjoyed the rare fatisfaction of being able 

 to repay her affection, by every attention that filial gratitude 

 could dictate, during the long period of fixty years. 



An accident, which happened to him when he was about three 

 years old, is of too interefting a nature to be omitted in the account 

 of fo valuable a life. He had been carried by his mother to 

 Strathenry on a vifit to his uncle Mr Douglas, and was one day 

 amufing himfelf alone at the door of the houfe, when he was ftolen 

 by a party of that fet of vagrants who are known in Scotland by 

 the name of tinkers. Luckily he was foon miffed by his uncle, 

 who hearing that fome vagrants had paffed, purfued them, with 

 what affiftance he could find, till he overtook them in Leflie 

 wood ; and was the happy inftrument of preferving to the 

 world a genius, which was deflined, not only to extend the 

 boundaries of fcience, but to enlighten and reform the com- 

 mercial policy of Europe. 



The fchool of Kirkaldy, where Mr Smith received the firfl 

 rudiments of his education, was then taught by Mr David 

 Miller, a teacher, in his day, of confiderable reputation, and 

 whofe name deferves to be recorded, on account of the eminent 

 men whom that very obfcure feminary produced while under his 

 direction. Mr Oswald of Dunikeir, whofe profound know- 

 ledge of finances raifed him afterwards to important employ- 

 ments in the State, and to a diftinguifhed rank as a Parliament- 

 ary fpeaker; his brother, Dr John Oswald, afterwards Bifhop 

 of Raphoe ; and Dr John Drysdale, whofe talents and worth 

 are well known to this Society, were among the number of 

 Mr Smith's contemporaries. — One of his fchool-fellow^s is ftill 

 alive * ) and to his kindnefs I am principally indebted for 



the 



* George Drysdale, Efq; of Kirkaldy, brother of the late Dr Drysdale. 



