Account of 

 Dr Smith. 



92 HIS TORT of the SOCIE'TK 



ing, not for its philofophy, which I do not highly value, 

 but for its agreeable compolition. I had a letter from him a 

 few days ago, wherein he tells me that my name was much 

 oftener in the manufcript, but that the Cenfor of books at 

 Paris obliged him to ftrike it out. Voltaire has lately 

 publifhed a fmall work called Candide, ou VOptimifme. I 



ihall give you a detail of it But what is all this to my 



book ? fay you. — My dear Mr Smith, have patience : Compofe 

 yourfelf to tranquillity : Shew yourfelf a philofopher in prac- 

 tice as well as profeflion : Think on the emptinefs, and rafh- 

 nefs, and futility of the common judgments of men : How- 

 little they are regulated by reafon in any fubjedt, much more in 

 philofophical fubjecls, which fo far exceed the comprehenfion 

 of the vulgar. 



Nonfi quid turbida Ro??ia, 



Elevet, accedas : examenve improbum in ilia 

 Cajliges trutina : nee te qucejiveris extra. 



A wife man's kingdom is his own breaft \ or, if he ever looks 

 farther, it will only be to the judgment of a feledl few, who 

 are free from prejudices, and capable of examining his work. 

 Nothing indeed can be a ftronger prefumption of falfehood 

 than the approbation of the multitude ; and Phocion, you 

 know, always fufpecled himfelf of fome blunder, when he was 

 attended with the applaufes of the populace. 



" Supposing, therefore, that you have duely prepared your- 

 felf for the worft by all thefe reflections, I proceed to tell you 

 the melancholy news, that your book has been very unfortu- 

 nate ; for the public feem difpofed to applaud it extremely. It 

 was looked for by the foolifh people with fome impatience ; and 

 the' mob of literati are beginning already to be very loud in its 

 praifes. Three Bifhops called yefterday at Millar's lhop in 

 order to buy copies, and to a(k queftions about the author. 



The 



