as the quantity required was so
trifling that it would not support the population of Edinburgh for a
single day. The population of Edinburgh suggested their houses, and
Smith said that the houses were piled high on one another in Paris as
well as in Edinburgh. They then touched on Sir John Sinclair, of whom
Smith spoke disparagingly in certain aspects, but said that he never
knew a man who was in earnest and did not do something at last. Before
leaving to return to his hotel Rogers seems to have asked Smith if he
knew Mrs. Piozzi, who was then living there, and had called upon
Rogers after learning from the landlord that Smith and Robertson had
left cards for him, and Smith said he did not know her, but believed
she was spoiled by keeping company with odd people. Smith then invited
his visitor to dine with him next day at the usual Friday dinner of
the Oyster Club, and Rogers came away delighted with the interview,
and with the illustrious philosopher's genuine kindness of heart.

On Friday, as appointed, Rogers dined with the Oyster Club as Smith's
guest, but he has made no specific entry of the event in his journal,
and no record of the conversation. Black and Playfair seem to have
been there, and possibly other men of eminence; but the whole talk was
usurped by a commonplace member, and Smith felt--and possibly Rogers
too--that the day was lost. For next time they met Smith asked Rogers
how he liked the club, and said, "_That_ Bogle, I was sorry he talked
so much; he spoiled our evening." That Bogle was the Laird of
Daldowie, on the Clyde. His father had been Rector of Glasgow
University in Smith's professorial days, and one of his brothers,
George Bogle, attained some eminence through the embassy on which he
was sent by Warren Hastings to the Llama of Thibet, and his account of
which has been published quite recently; and the offender himself was
a man of ability and knowledge, who had been a West India merchant for
many years, was well versed in economic and commercial subjects, and
very fond of writing to the Government of the day long communications
on those subjects, which seem to have been generally read, and
sometimes even acted upon. In society, as we are told by one of his
relations, Mr. Morehead, he was generally considered very "tedious,
from the long lectures on mercantile and political subjects (for he
did not converse when he entered on these, but rather declaimed) which
he was in the habit of deliverin