XXXXVI ACCOUNT OF THE UPE AND

nomy that can alone render it interefting to themoralift, and can dignify calculations of profit andlofs in the eye of the philofopher. Mr. Smith hasalluded to it in various paflages of his work, buthe has nowhere explained himfelf fully on thefubjeCt; and the great ftrefs he has laid on the ef-fects of the diviiion of labor in increafing its pro-ductive powers feems, at firft fight, to point to adifferent and very melancholy conclufion ; — thatthe fame caufes which promote the progrefs of thearts, tend to degrade the mind of the a r tiff; and,ofconfequence, that the growth ofnational wealthimplies a facrifice of the charaCter of the people.

The fundamental doCtrines of Mr. Smith’sfyftem are now fo generally known , that it wouldhave been tedious to oiler any recapitulation ofthem in this place; even if I could have hoped todo juftice to the fubjeCt, within the limits whichI have prefcribed to myfelf at prefent. A difdnCtanalyfis of his work might indeed be ufeful to manyreaders; but it would itfelf form a volume of con-fiderable magnitude. I may perhaps, at fome fu-ture period, prefent to the Society , an attempttowards fuch an analyfis, which I began long ago,for my own fatisfaCtion, and which I lately madeconfiderable progrefs in preparing for the prefs,before I was aware of the impoffibility of connect-ing it, with the general plan of this paper. In themean time, I fhall content myfelf with remarking,