WRITINGS OF DR. SMITH. IXXXVII

that the great and leading obje£f of Mr. Smith’-;spéculations is to illustrate the provision made bynature in die principles of the human mind, andin the circumstances of man’s external situation,for a gradual and progreffive augmentation in themeans of national wealth ; and to demonstrate,that the most effectual plan for advancing a peo-ple to greatness, is to maintain that order of thingswhich nature has pointed out; by allowing everyman, as long as he observes the rules of juftice,to pursue his own interest in his own way, and tobring both his industry and his capital into thefreed competition with those of his fellow-citizens.Every system of policy which endeavours, eitherby extraordinary encouragements, to draw to-wards a particular fpecies of industry a greater shareof the capital of the society than what would na-turally go to it; or, by extraordinary restraints,to force from a particular species of industry somesliare of the capital which would otherwise be em-ployed in it, is, in reality, subversive of the greatpurpose which it mean- to promote.

What the circumstances are, which, in modernEurope , have contributed to disturb this order ofnature, and, in particular, to encourage the in-dustry of towns, at the expense of that of thecountry, Mr. 3mith has investigated with greatingenuity; and in such a manner, as to throwmuch new light on the history of that state of