illustrations
from their condition and growth occur in nearly every chapter. We may
go further and say that the American Colonies constitute the
experimental evidence of the essential truth of the book, without
which many of its leading positions had been little more than
theory."[234] It ought of course to be borne in mind that Smith had
been in the constant habit of hearing much about the American Colonies
and their affairs during his thirteen years in Glasgow from the
intelligent merchants and returned planters of that city.

After coming to London Smith seems to have renewed his acquaintance
with Lord Stanhope, who sought Smith's counsel as to a tutor for his
ward the Earl of Chesterfield, and appointed Adam Ferguson on Smith's
recommendation. The negotiations with Ferguson were conducted through
Smith, and some of Ferguson's letters to Smith on the matter still
exist, but contain nothing of any interest for the biography of the
latter. But in contemplation of Ferguson's going abroad with the Earl
of Chesterfield, Hume, ever anxious to have his friend near him,
sounds Smith on the possibility of his agreeing to act during
Ferguson's absence as his substitute in the Moral Philosophy chair at
Edinburgh. Smith, however, was apparently unwilling to undertake that
duty. As we have already seen, he was strongly opposed to professorial
absenteeism, and in the present case it was associated with unpleasant
circumstances. The Town Council, the administrators of the College,
refused to sanction Ferguson's absence, and called upon him either to
stay at home or to resign his chair. Ferguson merely snapped his
fingers, appointed young Dugald Stewart his substitute, and went off
on his travels, quietly remarking that fools and knaves were necessary
in the world to give other people something to do. Hume's letter is as
follows:--

ST. ANDREW'S SQUARE, _13th February 1774_.

DEAR SMITH--You are in the wrong for never informing me of
your intentions and resolutions, if you have fix'd any. I am
now obliged to write to you on a subject without knowing
whether the proposal, or rather Hint, which I am to give you
be an absurdity or not. The settlement to be made on
Ferguson is a very narrow compensation for his class if he
must lose it. He wishes to keep it and to serve by a Deputy
in his absence. But besides that this scheme will appear
invidious and is really scarce admissible, tho