Dr Smith. 



64 his To Rr of the societ r. 



Account of ginal proportion or general truth, from which this beautiful 



train of fpeculation had proceeded. 



" His reputation as a ProfefTor was accordingly raifed very- 

 high, and a multitude of ftudents from a great diftance retort- 

 ed to the Univerfity, merely upon his account. Thofe branches 

 of fcience which he taught became fafhionable at this place, 

 and his opinions were the chief topics of difcuffion in clubs and 

 literary focieties. Even the fmall peculiarities in his pronun- 

 ciation or manner of fpeaking, became frequently the objects 

 of imitation." 



While Mr Smith was thus diftinguifhing himfelf by his 

 zeal and ability as a public teacher, he was gradually laying the 

 ■foundation of a more extenfive reputation, by preparing for 

 the prefs his fyftem of morals. The firft edition of this work 

 appeared in 1759, under the title of " The Theory of Moral 

 Sentiments." 



Hitherto Mr Smith had remained unknown to the world 

 as an author ; nor have I heard that he had made a trial of his 

 powers in any anonymous publications, excepting in a periodi- 

 cal work called The Edinburgh Review, which was begun in the 

 year 17^5, by fome gentlemen of diftinguifhed abilities, but 

 which they were prevented by other engagements from carrying 

 farther than the two firft numbers. To this work Mr Smith 

 contributed a review of Dr Johnson's Dictionary of the Englilh 

 Language, and alfo a letter, addrefied to the editors, con- 

 taining fome general obfervations on the ftate of literature 

 in the different countries of Europe. In the former of 

 thefe papers, he points out fome defects in Dr Johnson's plan, 

 which he cenfures as not fufficiently grammatical. " The 

 " different fignifications of a word (he obferves) are indeed 

 " collected ; but they are feldom digefted into general claiTes, 

 " or ranged under the meaning which the word principally ex- 

 ■" prelVes : And fufficient care is not taken to diftinguiih the 



3 " words 



