96 HISTORr of the SOCIETr. 



Account of ftudious leifure for which nature feems to have deftined him, 



Dr Smith. . iji i 1 ..n 



and in which alone he could have hoped to accomphih thofe li- 

 terary projects which had flattered the ambition of his youthful 

 genius. 



The alteration, however, which, from this period, took 

 place in his habits, was not without its advantages. He had 

 hitherto lived chiefly within the walls of an Univerfity ; and 

 although to a mind like his, the obfervation of human nature 

 on the fmalleft fcale is fufficient to convey a tolerably juft con- 

 ception of what pafTes on the great theatre of the world, yet it 

 is. not to be doubted, that the variety of fcenes through which 

 he afterwards paffed, mull have enriched his mind with many 

 new ideas, and corrected many of thofe mifapprehenfions of 

 life and manners which the bed defcriptions of them can fcarce- 

 ly fail to convey. — But whatever were the lights that his travels 

 afforded to him as a ftudent of human nature, they were pro- 

 bably ufeful in a (till greater degree, in enabling him to perfect 

 that fyftem of political ceconomy, of which he had already de- 

 livered the principles in his lectures at Glafgow, and which it 

 was now the leading object of his (tudies to prepare for the pu- 

 blic. The coincidence between fome of thefe principles and 

 the diftingnifhing tenets of the French Oeconomifts, who were 

 at that very time in the height of their reputation, and the in- 

 timacy in which he lived with fome of the leaders of that feet, 

 could not fail to aflift him in methodizing and digefling his 

 j, fpeculations ; while the valuable collection of facts, accumu- 

 lated by the zealous induftry of their numerous adherents, fur- 

 nifhed him with ample materials for illuftrating and confirm- 

 ing his theoretical conclulions. 



After leaving Glafgow, Mr Smith joined the Duke of 

 BuccLEUGHat London early in the year 1764, and fet out with 

 him for the Continent in the month of March following. At Do- 

 ver they were met by Sir James Macdonald, who accompa- 

 nied them to Paris, and with whom Mr Smith laid the foun- 



2 dation 



