128 HISTORr of the SOCIETT, 



Account of Mifs Jane Douglas, (who had formerly been a member of 

 his family at Glafgow, and for whom he had always felt the 

 affection of a brother), while fhe divided with him thofe ten- 

 der attentions which her aunt's infirmities required, relieved 

 him of a charge for which he was peculiarly ill qualified, by 

 her friendly fuperintendence of his domeftic oeconomy. 



The acceflion to his income which his new office brought 

 him enabled him to gratify, to a much greater extent than his 

 former circumftances admitted of, the natural generofity of his 

 difpofition ; and the date of his funds at the time of his death, 

 compared with his very moderate eftablifhment, confirmed, 

 beyond a doubt, what his intimate acquaintances had often fu- 

 fpected, that a large proportion of his annual favings was al- 

 lotted to offices of fecret charity. A fmall, but excellent li- 

 brary, which he had gradually formed with great judgment in 

 the felection \ and a Ample, though hofpitable table, where, 

 without the formality of an invitation, he was always happy to 

 receive his friends, were the only expences that could be confi- 

 dered as his own *. 



The change in his habits which his removal to Edinburgh 

 produced, was not equally favourable to his literary purfuits. 

 The duties of his office, though they required but little exer- 

 tion of thought, were yet fufficient to wafte his fpirits and to 

 diffipate his attention ; and now that his career is clofed, it is 

 impoflible to reflect ^on the time they confumed, without la- 

 menting that it had not been employed in labours more profi- 

 table to the world, and more equal to his mind. 



During the firft years of his refidence in this city, his ftu- 

 dies feemed to be entirely fufpended j and his paffion for let- 

 ters 



* Some very affecting inftances of Mr Smith's beneficence, in cafes where he 

 found it impoffihle to conceal entirely his good offices, have been mentioned to me 

 by a near relation of his, and one of his moft confidential friends, Mifs Ross, daugh- 

 ter of the late Patrick Ross, Efq; of Innernethy. They were all on a fcale much 

 beyond what might have been expected from his fortune ; and were accompanied 

 with circumftances equally honourable to the delicacy of his feelings and the libe- 

 rality of his heart, 



