XCVIII ACCOUNT OF 'l'HI LI l 7 E AND

Difcourfes, received a very flattering proof of M.Turgot’s approbation, by his undertaking thetalk of tranflating them into the trench language.

I am aware that the evidence I have hithertoproduced of Mr. Smith’s originality may be ob-jected to as not perfedly decifive, as it refls en-tirely on the recolleCtion of thofe ftuderits who at-tended his hrft courfes of moral philofophy atGlalgow, a recolleCtion which, at the diltance offorty years, cannot be fuppofed to be very accu-rate. There exifts, however foitunately, a fliortmanufcript drawn up by Mr. Smith in the year1755 , and prefented by him to a fociety of whichhe was then a member; in which paper, a prettylong enumeration is given of certain leading prin-ciples, both political and literary, to which hewas anxious to eftablilh his excluhve right; in or-der to prevent the poflibility of fome rival claimswhich he thought he had reafon to apprehend,and to which his fituation as a Profelfor, added tohis unreferved communications in private compa-nies , rendered him peculiarly liable. This paperis at prefentin my poffefllon. It is expreffed witha good deal of that h on eft and indignant warmth,which is perhaps unavoidable by a man who isconfcious of the purity of his own intentions,when he fufpeCls that advantages have been takenof the franknefs of his temper. On fucli occalions,due allowances are not always made for thofe