thought and reflection (qualities that do not abound among modern readers) to peruse to any purpose."[244] The sale is the more remarkable because it was scarce to any degree helped on by reviews, favourable or otherwise.  The book was not noticed at all, for example, in the Gentleman’s Magazine, and it was allowed only two pages in the Annual Register, while in the same number Watson’s History of Philip got sixteen.  This review of the book, however, was probably written by Burke.

Smith speaks in one of his letters to Strahan of having distributed numerous presentation copies.  One of the first of these was of course sent to his old friend David Hume, and that copy, by the way, with its inscription, probably still exists, having been possessed for a time by the late Mr. Babbage.  Hume acknowledged receipt of it in the following letter, which shows among other things that not even Hume had seen the manuscript of the book before publication:—­

     EDINBURGH, 1st April 1776.

EUGE!  BELLE!  DEAR MR. SMITH—­I am much pleased with your performance, and the perusal of it has taken me from a state of great anxiety.  It was a work of so much expectation, by yourself, by your friends, and by the public, that I trembled for its appearance, but am now much relieved.  Not but that the reading of it necessarily requires so much attention, and the public is disposed to give so little that I shall still doubt for some time of its being at first very popular, but it has depth and solidity and acuteness, and is so much illustrated by curious facts that it must at last attract the public attention.  It is probably much improved by your last abode in London.  If you were here at my fireside, I should dispute some of your principles.  I cannot think that the rent of farms makes any part of the price of the produce, but that the price is determined altogether by the quantity and the demand.  It appears to me impossible that the King of France can take a seignorage of 8 per cent upon the coinage.  Nobody would bring bullion to the mint, it would be all sent to Holland or England, where it might be coined and sent back to France for less than 2 per cent.  Accordingly Necker says that the French king takes only 2 per cent of seignorage.  But these and a hundred other points are fit only to be discussed in conversation, which till you tell me the contrary I still flatter myself with soon.  I hope it will be soon, for I am in a very bad state of health and cannot afford a long delay.  I fancy you are acquainted with Mr. Gibbon.  I like his performance extremely, and have ventured to tell him that had I not been personally acquainted with him I should never have expected such an excellent work from the pen of an Englishman.  It is lamentable to consider how much that nation has declined in literature during our time.  I hope he did not take amiss this national reflection.

All your friends here are in deep grief