Ill

ACCOUNT or THE L I X 7 E AND

the propofition may appear, it is certainly true,that the real progrefs is not always the molt natural.It may have been determined by particular acci-dents, which are not likely again to occur, andwhich cannot be confidered as forming any partof that general providon which nature has madefor the improvement of the race.

In order to make fome amends for the length( I am afraid I may add for the tedioufnefs) of thisfeflion, I lliall fubjoin to it an original letter of Mr.Hume’s , addreffed to Mr. Smith , foon after thepublication of his Theory. It is ftrongly markedwiththateafyand affectionatepleafantry which dif-tinguillied Mr. Hume’s epiftolary correfpondence,and is entitled to a place in this Memoir, onaccount of its connexion with an important eventofMr. Smith’s life, which foon after removed himinto anew fcene , and influenced, to a conlider-able degree, the fubfequent courfe of his ftudies.The letter is dated from London , 12th April 1759.

“ I give you thanks for the agreeable prefentof your Theory. Wedderburn and I made pre-fents of our copies to fuch of our acquaintances aswe thought good judges, and proper to fpread thereputation of the book. I fent one to the Duke ofArgyle, to Lord Lyttleton , Horace Wal-tole, Soame Jennyns, and Burke, an Irilh