Account of 

 Dr Smith. 



134 HISTORT of the S0-CIE7T. 



refpect which his abilities commanded ; and, although to his in- 

 timate friends, they added an inexpreftible charm to his conver- 

 fation, while they difplayed, in the mod interefting light, the 

 artlefs fimplicity of his heart ; yet it would require a very (kil- 

 ful pencil to prefent them to the public eye. He was certainly 

 not fitted for the general commerce of the world, or for the bu- 

 finefs of active life. The comprehenlive fpeculations with 

 which he had been occupied from his youth, and the variety of 

 materials which his own invention continually fupplied to his 

 thoughts, rendered him habitually inattentive to familiar objects, 

 and to common occurrences ; and he frequently exhibited in- 

 flances of abfence, which have fcarcely been furpafled by the 

 fancy of Bruvere. Even in company, he was apt to be in- 

 grofTed with his ftudies ; and appeared, at times, by the motion 

 of his lips, as well as by his looks and geftures, to be in the fer- 

 vour of compofition. I have often, however, been ftruck, at 

 the diftance of years, with his accurate memory of the mod 

 trifling particulars ; and am inclined to believe, from this and 

 fome other circumflances, that he poflTeffed a power, not perhaps 

 uncommon among abfent men, of recollecting, in confequence 

 of fubfequent efforts of reflection, many occurrences which, at 

 the time when they happened, did not feem to have fenfibly at- 

 tracted his notice. 



To the defect now mentioned, it was probably owing, in 

 part, that he did not fall in eafily with the common dialogue of 

 converfation, and that he was fomewhat apt to convey his own 

 ideas in the form of a lecture. When he did fo, however, it 

 never proceeded from a wifh to ingrofs the difcourfe, or to gra- 

 tify his vanity. His own inclination difpofed him fo ftrongly 

 to enjoy in filence the gaiety of thofe around him, that his 

 friends were often led to concert little fchemes, in order to 

 bring him on the fubjects moft likely to intereft him. Nor do 

 I think I fhall be accufed of going too far, when I fay, that he 



was 



