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54.: To WILLIAM STRAHAN - Adam Smith, Glasgow Edition of the Works and Correspondence Vol. 6 Correspondence of Adam Smith [1740]

Edition used:

Correspondence of Adam Smith, ed. E. C. Mossner and I. S. Ross, vol. VI of the Glasgow Edition of the Works and Correspondence of Adam Smith (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1987).

Part of: The Glasgow Edition of the Works and Correspondence of Adam Smith, 7 vols.

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


54.

To WILLIAM STRAHAN

  • Address: To Mr William Strahan, Printer in London

MS., Boston Public Libr., Mellen Chamberlain Autograph Collection Ch.h.12.13; Scott 254–5 (in part).

Glasgow, 30 Dec. 1760

My Dear Strahan

The opposite leaf will set before your eyes the manifold sins and iniquities you have been guilty of in printing my book. The first six, at least the first, third and fourth and sixth are what you call sins against the holy Ghost which cannot upon any account be pardoned. The Remainder are capable of remission in case of repentance, humiliation and contrition. I should have sent you them sooner.1

Remember me to Rose. Tell him I have not forgot what I promised him but have been excessively hurried. My Delay, I hope, will occasion him no inconvenienancy: if it does I shall be excessively concerned and shall order some papers I left in England to be given to him.2 They are not what I would wish them, but I had rather lose a little reputation with the public as let him suffer by my negligence. It will give me infinite pleasure to hear both from him and from you.

I hear much good of our King;3 I ever am my Dear friend Yours

Adam Smith

Remember me to Mrs Strahan and likewise to Dr Franklin and Son.

The following Errata must be corrected as totally disfiguring the sense

PageLine    
1722.approbation. Read. disapprobation
18812.justness. Read justest.
ditto.15.utility – – – – inutility
201.30.pleased – – – – displeased
204.10.relations – – – retaliations
375.10.public or private – public to private

Errata of less consequence

PageLine        
1323.occasion. Read – occasioned.[never corrected]
4727 [l. 26].interests. – – – – – interest.[corrected ed. 4]
5231 [l. 30].the – – – – – – – – their.[n.c.]
5319turn – – – – – – – his turn[n.c.]
5629force – – – – – – forces[ed. 4]
12924in every respect – – – and in every respect.[ed. 6]
13121himself – – – – – – – myself[ed. 3]
15033Tis – – – – – – – – – Its[ed. 3]
1616last to all – – – – – last of all, to[‘lastly’, ed. 6]
18029will – – – – – – – – – would[ed. 6]
18328 [l. 26]the – – – – – – – – – this[ed. 4]
1852consequence – – – – – consequences[n.c.]
18717men – – – – – – – – – man[n.c.]
1903efforts. – – – – – – – effort.[n.c.]
21118to this – – – – – – – – – to do this.[ed. 3]
21927this even – – – – – – – even this[ed. 3]
220.20call – – – – – – – – – calls[ed. 3]
25230loss of acquisition – – loss or acquisition.[ed. 6]
28921his – – – – – – – – – this[n.c.]
29620 [l. 17]measure or verse – – – – measure of verse[n.c.]
30626these – – – – – – – – – the[n.c.]
31529 [l. 28]the – – – – – – – – – – this[ed. 3]
33037 [l. 27]subject – – – – – – – – subjects[ed. 6]
34930 [l. 29]expose – – – – – – – – exposed[ed. 3]
40830to what – – – – – – – Or to what.[n.c.]

[1 ]See the errata which follow the letter. The first six were corrected in ed. 3, 1767; of the twenty–five errors of the second group, fifteen were corrected piecemeal up to ed. 6, 1790; and the remainder were never corrected. The details are noted within square brackets on the errata list.

[2 ]Possibly ‘Considerations concerning the First Formation of Languages’, published in The Philological Miscellany, i (1761) 440–79, and reprinted in TMS ed. 3, 1767.

[3 ]On 31 Oct. 1760, a week after his accession, George III (1738–1820) issued a royal proclamation: ‘For the encouragement of piety and virtue, and for preventing and punishing of vice, profaneness, and immorality.’ He also declared that he ‘gloried in the name of Briton’.