The Wealth of Nations/Preface
Preface
In this new edition of an often-republished work no attempt has been made, as has generally been done, to bring it up to date by a vast accumulation of footnotes. The book has been regarded exclusively from the historical side, in the belief that in that form it will be most useful to the student. Footnotes are given only when they have seemed absolutely necessary as correctives of the text; and the short introductory sketch of the history of political economy gives an outline of the development of the science, both before and after the epoch which was marked by the publication of this work. E. B. B.