To William Laing from Aberdeen He goes out little because of vertigo. Dislike of modern novels, but Virgil, Addison and other good authors please him. Laing need not return Smellie's philosophy of natural history. Rather too much given to theory. Smellie was not only a philosopher but considered one of the best printers in Edinburgh. But he was so slow in printing first edition of Evidences, and broke his word so often, they almost quarreled. 20 October 1796