The appointment was worth L600 a year,—­L500 for the Commissionership of Customs and L100 for the Commissionership of the Salt Duties; and Smith still retained his pension of L300 from the House of Buccleugh.  When he obtained this place he thought himself bound in honour to give up his Buccleugh pension, possibly because of the assistance he may have believed the Duke to have given in securing it; but he was informed that the pension was meant to be permanent and unconditional, and that if he were consulting his own honour in offering to give it up, he was not thinking of the honour of the Duke of Buccleugh.  Smith now settled in Edinburgh accordingly with an assured income of L900 a year, and L900 a year was a comparatively princely revenue in the Scottish capital at a time when a Lord of Session had only L700 a year, and a professor in the best chair in the University seldom made as much as L300.

Though the appointment was made probably in November 1777, Smith did not receive the Commission till January 1778, and there were still fees to pay and other business to transact about the matter, which he got Strahan to do for him.  That occasioned the following letters:—­

DEAR SIR—­The last letter I had the pleasure of receiving from you congratulated me upon my being appointed one of the Commissioners of Customs in Scotland.  You told me at the same time that you had dined that day with Sir Grey Cooper, and that you had both been so good as to speak very favourably of me.  I have received from London several other congratulations of the same kind.  But I have not yet received, nor has the office here received, any official information that any such appointment had been made.  It is possible that the Commission is not made out on account of the fees.  If this is the case, you may either draw upon me for the amount, which I understand to be about L160, or you may write to me, and I shall by return of post remit you the money to London.  Whatever be the cause of the delay, I beg you will endeavour to find it out and let me know as soon as possible, that I may at least be at the end of my hope.  Remember me most affectionately to all your family, and believe me to be, most faithfully yours,

     ADAM SMITH.

     EDINBURGH, 20th December 1777.

Neither you nor Mr. Cadell have wrote me anything concerning the new Edition of my Book.  Is it published? does it sell well? does it sell ill? does it sell at all?  I left directions with Mr. Cadell to send copies of it to several of my friends.  If John Hunter was not among the number, put him in ex dono authoris, and desire Cadell to send me the account of the whole, that I may pay it.  I should write to him, but it would only be plaguing him.  If you draw upon me make your bill payable at five days’ sight.  I return to Kirkaldy on Christmas Day.[281]

On returning to Kirkcaldy Smith again wrote Strahan:—­