DEAR SIR—­I should have sent you the enclosed bill the day after I received your letter accompanyed with a note from Mr. Spottiswood, had not Mr. Charteris, the Solicitor of the Customs here, told me that the fees were not paid in London, but at Edinburgh, where Mr. Shadrach Moyes acted as receiver and agent for the officers of the treasury at London.  I have drawn the bill for L120, in order to pay, first, what you have advanced for me; secondly, the exchange between Edinburgh and London; and lastly, the account which I shall owe to Mr. Cadell, after he has delivered the presents I desired him to make of the second edition of my book.  To this I beg he will add two copies, handsomely bound and guilt (sic), one to Lord North, the other to Sir Gray Cooper.  I received Sir Gray’s letter, and shall write to him as soon as the new Commission arrives, in order not to trouble him with answering two Letters.  I believe that I have been very highly obliged to him in this business.  I shall not say anything to you of the obligations I owe you for the concern you have shewn and the diligence you have exerted on my account.  Remember me to Mr. Spottiswood.  I shall write to him as soon as the affair is over.  Would it be proper to send him any present or fee?  I am much obliged to him, and should be glad to express my sense of it in every way in my power.

     I would not make any alteration in my title-page on account
     of my new office.

Remember me to Mrs. and Miss Strahan, likewise to the Homes and the Hunters.  How does the Painter go on?  I hope he thrives.—­I ever am, my dear sir, most faithfully and affectionately yours,

     ADAM SMITH.

     KIRKALDY, 14th January 1777.[282]

The Mr. Spottiswood mentioned in this letter was a nephew of Strahan, and no doubt an ancestor of Strahan’s present successor in his printing business.  The Hunters are John and William Hunter, the Homes are John Home and his wife, and the painter is Allan Ramsay.

In the course of a fortnight the Commission arrived, and Smith then wrote Strahan again:—­

     EDINBURGH, 5th February 1778.

MY DEAR STRAHAN—­I received the Commission in due course, and have now to thank you for your great attention to my interest in every respect, but above all, for your generosity in so readily forgiving the sally of bad humour which, in consequence of General Skeenes, who meant too very well, most unreasonably broke out upon you.  I can only say in my own vindication that I am not very subject to such sallies, and that upon the very few occasions on which I have happened to fall into them, I have soon recovered from them.  I am told that no commission ever came so soon to Edinburgh, many having been delayed 3 weeks or a month after appearing in the Gazette.  This extraordinary despatch I can impute to nothing but your friendly diligence and that of Mr. Spottiswood,