Life of Adam Smith John Rae Life of Adam Smith By JOHN RAE London MACMILLAN & CO. AND NEW YORK 1895 PREFACE The fullest account we possess of the life of Adam Smith is still the memoir which Dugald Stewart read to the Royal Society of Edinburgh on two evenings of the winter of 1793, and which he subsequently published as a separate work, with many additional illustrative notes, in 1810. Later biographers have made few, if any, fresh contributions to the subject. But in the century that has elapsed since Stewart wrote, many particulars about Smith and a number of his letters have incidentally and by very scattered channels found their way into print. It will be allowed to be generally desirable, in view of the continued if not even increasing importance of Smith, to obtain as complete a view of his career and work as it is still in our power to recover; and it appeared not unlikely that some useful contribution to this end might result if all those particulars and letters to which I have alluded were collected together, and if they were supplemented by such unpublished letters and information as it still remained possible to procure. In this last part of my task I have been greatly assisted by the Senatus of the University of Glasgow, who have most kindly supplied me with an extract of every passage in the College records bearing on Smith; by the Council of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, who have granted me every facility for using the Hume Correspondence, which is in their custody; and by the Senatus of the University of Edinburgh for a similar courtesy with regard to the Carlyle Correspondence and the David Laing MSS. in their library. I am also deeply indebted, for the use of unpublished letters or for the supply of special information, to the Duke of Buccleuch, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Professor R. O. Cunningham of Queen’s College, Belfast, Mr. Alfred Morrison of Fonthill, Mr. F. Barker of Brook Green, and Mr. W. Skinner, W.S., late Town Clerk of Edinburgh. CONTENTS CHAPTER I EARLY DAYS AT KIRKCALDY Birth and parentage, Adam Smith senior, his death and funeral, Smith’s mother, Burgh School of Kirkcaldy, Schoolmaster’s drama, School-fellows, Industries of Kirkcaldy CHAPTER II STUDENT AT GLASGOW COLLEGE Professors and state of learning there. Smith’s taste for mathematics. Professor R. Simson. Hutcheson, his influence over Smith; his economic teaching, Smith’s early connection with Hume, Snell exhibitioner, College friends, CHAPTER III AT OXFORD Scotch and English agriculture, Expenses at Oxford, Did Smith graduate?, State of learning, Smith’s censure of His gratitude to Oxford. Life in Balliol College, Smith’s devotion to classics and belles-lettres, Confiscation of his copy of Hume’s Treatise, Ill-health. Snell exhibitioners ill-treated and discontented at Balliol, Desire transference to other college, Smith’s college friends, or his want of them. Return to Scotland. CHAPTER IV LECTURER AT EDINBURGH Lord Kames. Smith’s class on English literature, Blair’s alleged obligations to Smith’s lectures. Smith’s views as a critic, His addiction to poetry, His economic lectures. James Oswald, M.P.. Oswald’s economic correspondence with Hume, Hamilton of Bangour’s poems edited by Smith, Dedication to second edition. CHAPTER V PROFESSOR AT GLASGOW Admission to Logic chair, Letter to Cullen about undertaking Moral Philosophy class. Letter to Cullen on Hume’s candidature for Logic chair and other business. Burke’s alleged candidature, Hume’s defeat, Moral Philosophy class income, Work, Professor John Millar, His account of Smith’s lectures, of his qualities as lecturer, Smith’s students. H. Erskine, Boswell, T. Fitzmaurice, Tronchin. Smith’s religious views suspected, His influence in Glasgow, Conversion of merchants to free trade, Manifesto of doctrines in 1755, Its exposition of economic liberty, Smith’s alleged habitual fear of the plagiarist, This manifesto not directed against Adam Ferguson. CHAPTER VI THE COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR Smith’s alleged helplessness in business transactions, his large participation in business at Glasgow, Appointed Quæstor, Dean of Faculty; Vice-Rector, Dissensions in the University, their origin in the academic constitution, Enlightened educational policy of the University authorities, James Watt, University instrument-maker; Robert Foulis, University printer, Wilson, type-founder and astronomer, The Academy of Design. Professor Anderson’s classes for working men, Smith and Watt. Smith’s connection with Foulis’s Academy of Design, Smith and Wilson’s type-foundry, Proposed academy of dancing, fencing, and riding in the University, Smith’s opposition to the new Glasgow theatre; his generally favourable views on theatrical representation, His protests against Professor Anderson voting for his own translation to Natural Philosophy chair, Joins in refusing Professor Rouet leave to travel abroad with a pupil, and in depriving him of office for his absenteeism. CHAPTER VII AMONG GLASGOW FOLK Glasgow at period of Smith’s residence, its beauty; its expanding commerce and industry, its merchants. Andrew Cochrane, The economic club, Duty on American iron and foreign linen yarns. Paper money, The Literary Society, Smith’s paper on Hume’s Essays on Commerce, “Mr. Robin Simson’s Club, ” Saturday dinners at Anderston, Smith at whist, Simson’s ode to the Divine Geometer. James Watt’s account of this club. Professor Moor. CHAPTER VIII EDINBURGH ACTIVITIES Edinburgh friends, Wilkie, the poet, William Johnstone (afterwards Sir William Pulteney), Letter of Smith introducing Johnstone to Oswald. David Hume, The Select Society, Smith’s speech at its first meeting, its debates, its great attention to economic subjects, its practical work for improvement of arts, manufactures, and agriculture, its dissolution. Thomas Sheridan’s classes on elocution, The Edinburgh Review; Smith’s contributions, on Wit and Humour, on French and English classics, on Rousseau’s discourse on inequality. Smith’s republicanism, Premature end of the Review, Hume’s exclusion from it, Attempt to subject him to ecclesiastical censure,. Smith’s views and Douglas’s Criterion of Miracles Examined, Home’s Douglas, Chair of Jurisprudence in Edinburgh, Miss Hepburn, The Poker Club, founded to agitate for a Scots militia, Smith’s change of opinion on that subject, The tax on French wines. CHAPTER IX THE “THEORY OF MORAL SENTIMENTS” Letter from Hume, Burke’s criticism, Charles Townshend, Letter from Smith to Townshend, Second edition of Theory, Letter from Smith to Strahan, The union of Scotland with England, Benjamin Franklin. CHAPTER X FIRST VISIT TO LONDON Conversion of Lord Shelburne to free trade, Altercation with Dr. Johnson, Boswell’s account, Sir Walter Scott’s, Bishop Wilberforce’s. CHAPTER XI LAST YEAR IN GLASGOW Letter on Rev. W. Ward’s Rational Grammar, Letter to Hume introducing Mr. Henry Herbert. Smith’s indignation at Shelburne’s intrigues with Lord Bute, On Wilkes, Letter from Hume at Paris, Letter from Charles Townshend about Buccleugh tutorship, Smith’s acceptance, Salary of such posts, Smith’s poor opinion of the educational value of the system, Smith’s arrangements for return of class fees and conduct of class, Letter to Hume announcing his speedy departure for Paris, Parting with his students, Letter resigning chair. CHAPTER XII TOULOUSE Sir James Macdonald. Toulouse, Abbé Colbert, The Cuthberts of Castlehill. Archbishop Loménie de Brienne, Letter to Hume, Trip to Bordeaux. Colonel Barré, Toulouse and Bordeaux, Sobriety of Southern France, Duke of Richelieu, Letter to Hume, letter to Hume, Visit to Montpellier, Horne Tooke, The States of Languedo, The provincial assembly question, Parliament of Toulouse, The Calas case. CHAPTER XIII GENEVA Its constitution, Voltaire, Smith’s veneration for, remarks to Rogers and Saint Fond on, Charles Bonnet G.L. Le Sage, Duchesse d’Enville and Duc de la Rochefoucauld, Lord Stanhope, Lady Conyers. CHAPTER XIV PARIS Arrival, Departure of Hume, Smith’s reception in societ, Comtesse de Boufflers, Baron d’Holbach. Helvetius, Morellet. Mademoiselle de l’Espinasse, Turgot and D’Alembert, Question of literary obligations. Alleged correspondence, Smith’s opinion of Turgot, Necker, Dispute between Rousseau and Hume, Letter to Hume, Madame Riccoboni, letter from her to Garrick introducing Smith, Visit to Abbeville, A marquise, The French theatre, Smith’s love of music, The French economists, Dupont de Nemours’s allusion, Quesnay, Views of the political situation, Mercier de la Rivière and Mirabeau, Activity of the sect in 1766, Smith’s views of effect of moderate taxation on wages, Illness of Duke of Buccleugh at Compiègne, Letter of Smith to Townshend, Hume’s perplexity where to stay, Death of Hon, Hew Campbell Scott, Duke of Buccleugh on the tutorship, Smith’s merits as tutor, His improvement from his travels, their value to him as thinker, Did he foresee the Revolution?, His views on condition of French people, His suggestion for reform of French taxation. CHAPTER XV LONDON Arrival in November 1766, On Hume’s continuing his History, Third edition of Theory, Letter to Strahan, Letter to Lord Shelburne, Alexander Dalrymple, hydrographer, Colonies of ancient Rome, Anecdote of Smith’s absence of mind, F. R.S., CHAPTER XVI KIRKCALDY Count de Sarsfield, Letter from Smith to Hume, His daily life in Kirkcaldy, Letter to Hume from Dalkeith, Bishop Oswald, Captain Skene, The Duchess of Buccleugh, Home-coming at Dalkeith, The Duke, Stories of Smith’s absence of mind, Letter to Lord Hailes on old Scots Acts about hostellaries, On the Douglas case, Reported completion of Wealth of Nations in 1770, Smith receives freedom of Edinburgh, Letter to Sir W. Pulteney on his book and an Indian appointment, Crisis of 1772, The Indian appointment, Thorold Rogers on, Work on Wealth of Nation after this date, Tutorship to Duke of Hamilton, Anecdote of absence of mind, Habits in composing Wealth of Nations, CHAPTER XVII LONDON Letter to Hume appointing him literary executor, Long residence in London, Assistance from Franklin, Recommendation of Adam Ferguson for Chesterfield tutorship, Hume’s proposal as to Smith