Michael, My quick impression is that Smith was writing for a British, not just a Scottish audience, and primarily for the British statesmen and legislators mentioned in the introduction to Book Four of the Wealth of Nations as those concerned with political economy and its policies. He was seeking to reform the mercantile policies for which Britain was responsible, and was addressing himself to London rather than Edinburgh. Of course, some of the statesmen in London happened to be Scotsmen. Andrea Maneschi