ABSTRACT
“Postlethwayt, the Publicist” was a prolific writer who provided “a good deal of information on eighteenth-century English business”; and received a full chapter within Johnson’s Predecessors of Adam Smith. It is questioned, however, whether a writer whose work was neither systematic, concise, nor (more emphatically) original was a very “worthy” predecessor. Besides the dictionary, and prior sequels to The accomplish’d merchant, Postlethwayt during the years 1745-58 published at least eight books or shorter tracts on a variety of topics concerning British foreign trade, half of them relating to Africa. Besides the dictionary, and prior sequels to The accomplished merchant, Postlethwayt during the years 1745-58 published at least eight books or shorter tracts on a variety of topics concerning British foreign trade, half of them relating to Africa.
