WRITINGS Of DR. SMITH.

XLIII

which, in fuch very difficult difquifitions, canalone conduct us with certainty to the truth.

It is proper to obferve farther, that with thetheoretical doctrines of the book, there are everywhere interwoven, with fmgular talie and addrefs,the pureft and moft elevated maxims concerningthe pradical conduft of life; and that it aboundsthroughout with interefting and inftruCfive deline-ations of characters and manners. A confiderablepart of it too is employed in collateral inquiries,which, upon every hypothefis that can be formedconcerning the foundation of morals , are of equalimportance. Of this kind is the fpeculation for-merly mentioned, with refpecf to the influence offortune on our moral fentiments and another fpe-culation, no lefs valuable, with refpeCf to the in-fluence of cuflom and fafliion on the fame part ofour conftitution.

The ftylein which Mr. Smith has conveyed thefundamental principles on which his theory refts,does not feem to me to be fo perfeCfly fuited to.the fubjeci as that which he employs on mollother occafions. In communicating ideas which areextremely ahftracf and fubtile, and about whichit is hardly poflihle to reafon correClly, withoutthe fcrupulous ufe of appropriated terms, he fome-times prefents to us a choice of words, by no meansftriCtly fynonymous, fo as to divert the attentionfrom a precife and Heady conception of his propo-