APPENDIX. 121 



and of induftry coincides remarkably with that which we find Account of 



J ■■ ,'. Dr Smith. 



in the writings of the French Oeconomifts, appears from the 

 flight view of their fyftem which he himfelf has given. But 

 it furely cannot be pretended by the warmed admirers of that 

 fyftem, that any one of its numerous expofitors has approached 

 to Mr Smith in the preciflon and perfpicuity with which he 

 has ftated it, or in the fcientific and luminous manner in which 

 he has deduced it from elementary principles. The awkward - 

 nefs of their technical language, and the paradoxical form in 

 which they have chofen to prefent fome of their opinions, 

 are acknowledged even by thofe who are moft willing to do 

 juftice to their merits ; whereas it may be doubted with re- 

 fpect to Mr Smithes Inquiry, if there exifts any book beyond 

 the circle of the mathematical and phyfical fciences, which is 

 at once fo agreeable in its arrangement to the rules of a found 

 logic, and fo acceffible to the examination of ordinary readers. 

 Abftracting entirely from the author's peculiar and original fpe- 

 culations, I do not know, that upon any fubject whatever, a 

 work has been produced in our times, containing fo methodical, 

 fo comprehenfive and fo judicious a digeft of all the moft pro- 

 found and enlightened philofophy of the age. 



In juftice alfo to Mr Smith, it mull be obferved, that al- 

 though fome of the ceconomical writers had the ftart of him 

 in publiftiing their doctrines to the world, thefe doctrines ap- 

 pear, with refpect to him, to have been altogether original, and 

 the refult of his own reflections. Of this, I think, every per- 

 fon muft be convinced, who reads the Inquiry with due atten- 

 tion, and is at pains to examine the gradual and beautiful pro- 

 grefs of the author's ideas : But in cafe any doubt fliould re- 

 main on this head, it may be proper to mention, that Mr 

 Smith's political lectures, comprehending the fundamental 

 principles of his Inquiry, were delivered at Glafgow as early as 

 the year 1752 or 1753 j at a period, furely, when there exifted 



Vol. III. (QJ no 



