APPENDIX. 65 



** words apparently fynonymous." To illuftrate this criticifm, Account of 



f ■*-> 1 • 1 1 ^ r Smith. 



he copies from Dv Johnson the articles but and humour, 

 and oppofes to them the fame articles digefted agreeably to his 

 own idea. The various figniflcations of the word but are 

 very nicely and happily difcriminated. The other article does 

 not feem to have been executed with equal care. 



The obfervations on the ftate of learning in Europe are 

 written with ingenuity and elegance ; but are chiefly intereft- 

 ing,as they fhew the attention which the Author had given to the 

 philofophy and literature of the Continent, at a period when 

 they were not much (ludied in this ifland. 



In the fame volume with the Theory of Moral Sentiments, 

 Mr Smith publifhed a DifTertation " on the Origin of Lan- 

 guages, and on the different Genius of thofe which are origi- 

 nal and compounded." The remarks I have to offer on thefe 

 two difcourfes, I fhall, for the fake of diftinclnefs, make the 

 fubject of a feparate feclion. 



SECTION II. 



Of the Theory of Moral Sentiments, and the DifTertation on 

 the Origin of Languages. 



THE fcience of Ethics has been divided by modern 

 writers into two parts ', the one comprehending the 

 theory of Morals, and the other its practical doclrines. The 

 queftions about which the former is employed, are chiefly the 

 two following. Firji % By what principle of our conftitution 

 are we led to form the notion of moral diflinclions ; — whether 

 by that faculty which perceives the diftinclion between truth 

 Vol. III. (I) and 



