In 1781 Gibbon seems to have been in doubt as to continuing his History, and desired Robertson, who happened to be up in London at the time, to talk the matter over with Smith after his return to Edinburgh.  The result of this consultation is communicated in a letter from Robertson to Gibbon on 6th November 1781.  “Soon after my return,” says Robertson, “I had a long conversation with our friend Mr. Smith, in which I stated to him every particular you mentioned to me with respect to the propriety of going on with your work.  I was happy to find that his opinion coincided perfectly with that which I had ventured to give you.  His decisions, you know, are both prompt and vigorous, and he could not allow that you ought to hesitate a moment in your choice.  He promised to write his sentiments to you very fully, but as he may have neglected to do this, for it is not willingly he puts pen to paper, I thought it might be agreeable to you to know his opinion, though I imagine you could hardly entertain any doubt concerning it."[317]

Professor B. Faujas Saint Fond, Professor of Geology in the Museum of Natural History at Paris and member of the National Institute of France, paid a visit to Edinburgh in October or November 1782 in the course of a tour he made through Scotland, and received many civilities from Adam Smith, as he mentions in the account of his travels which he published in 1783.  Saint Fond says there was nobody in Edinburgh he visited more frequently than Smith, and nobody received him more kindly or studied more to procure for him every information and amusement Edinburgh could afford.  He was struck with Smith’s numerous and, as he says, excellently chosen library.  “The best French authors occupied a distinguished place in his library, for he was fond of our language.”  “Though advanced in years, he still possessed a fine figure; the animation of his countenance was striking when he spoke of Voltaire.”  I have already quoted the remark he made (p. 190).

One evening when the geologist was at tea with him, Smith spoke about Rousseau also, and spoke of him “with a kind of religious respect.”  “Voltaire,” he said, “set himself to correct the vices and follies of mankind by laughing at them, and sometimes by treating them with severity, but Rousseau conducts the reader to reason and truth by the attractions of sentiment and the force of conviction.  His ’Social Compact’ will one day avenge all the persecutions he suffered.”

Smith asked the Professor if he loved music, and on being told that it was one of his chief delights whenever it was well executed, rejoined, “I am very glad of it; I shall put you to a proof which will be very interesting for me, for I shall take you to hear a kind of music of which it is impossible you can have formed any idea, and it will afford me great pleasure to know the impression it makes upon you.”  The annual bagpipe competition was to take place next day, and accordingly in the morning Smith came to