106 HIS TORT of the SOCIETr. 



Acc°untof " a nd the public is difpofed to give fo little, that I (hall ftill 



" doubt for fome time of its being at firft very popular. But 

 " it has depth and folidity and acutenefs, and is fo much illu- 

 " fixated by curious facts, that it muft at laft take the public 

 M attention. It is probably much improved by your laft abode 

 " in London. If you were here at my fire-fide, I mould dif- 



" pute fome of your principles But 



" thefe, and a hundred other points, are fit only to be difcuf- 

 " fed in converfation. I hope it will be foon ; for I am in 

 " a very bad ftate of health, and cannot afford a long de- 

 " lay." 



Of a book which is now fo univerfally known as " The 

 Wealth of Nations," it might be considered perhaps as fuper- 

 fluous to give a particular analyfis ; and at any rate, the limits 

 of this effay make it impofiible for me to attempt it at pre- 

 fent. A few remarks, however, on the object and tendency 

 of the work may, I hope, be introduced without impropriety. 

 The hiftory of a Philofopher's life can contain little more 

 ■ than the hiftory of his fpeculations ; and in the cafe of fuch 

 an author as Mr Smith, whofe ftudies were fyftematically di- 

 rected from his youth to fubjedts of the laft importance to 

 human happinefs, a review of his writings, while it ferves to 

 illuftrate the peculiarities of his genius, affords the moft faith- 

 ful picture of his character as a man. 



SECTION 



