Category Archives: Uncategorized

On Tuesday, March 25, Adam Smith’s pupils Duke Henry and Hew Campbell Scott most likely visited a porcelain manufactory in Sèvres, a small town located west of Paris, for Horace Walpole’s journal entry for that day reads: “To manufacture at … Continue reading →

Horace Walpole’s journal entry for Monday, March 24 reads: “Dined at Duke of Buccleuch’s with several English.” [Lewis 1939, p. 309.] The Duke of Buccleuch here refers to Smith’s pupil, Duke Henry, the future 3d Duke of Buccleuch, whose portrait … Continue reading →

Horace Walpole’s journal for Saturday, March 22 reads: “With Lady [Louisa Kerr] and Lord George [Lennox], Mr and Mrs Carr, Duke of Buccleuch, Mr Scot, and Mr Nicholson to the Foire St-Germain, and supped afterwards at Lord George’s.”[1] Did Walpole … Continue reading →

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed yesterday at a school in Texas; below are some of the victims (clockwise from top left): Irma Garcia, Xavier Lopez, Amerie Jo Garza, Eva Mireles, Uziyah Garcia, Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez. Why aren’t the … Continue reading →

As I mentioned in my previous post, Adam Smith was in France when the infamous Stamp Act was approved in the summer of 1765 and later repealed in the spring of 1766. As it happens, Smith refers to the Stamp … Continue reading →

Let’s pick up where we left off, with Horace Walpole’s journal entry for Thursday, March 20, which reads: “Mr Young, Mr Lyttelton, Duke of Buccleuch and Mr Smith came. To shops.”[1] What shops would they have visited? And where were … Continue reading →

I will resume my “Smith in the City” series in the next day or two. In the meantime, check out the following description of “Paris in the 18th century” via Wikipedia (links in the original): “Paris in the 18th century … Continue reading →

Originally posted on prior probability:
I have been reading the correspondence of Horace Walpole for the years 1765/66 as part of my researches into Adam Smith’s life in Paris. (Walpole’s first visit to Paris coincided with Smith’s second.) Walpole, a…

Adam Smith may have had an opportunity to visit David Hume’s old stomping grounds, the luxurious Hôtel de Brancas on the rue de l’Université, on Sunday, March 16, for Horace Walpole’s journal entry for that day reads: “To Hôtel de … Continue reading →

Note: This blog post should have appeared before my previous one, “Jacobites in Paris.” I am posting it here, out of order, for your edification. Horace Walpole, still recuperating from a serious eye infection, mentions two more individuals by name … Continue reading →