 It was among the books John Harvard bequeathed to the newly-founded Harvard College in 1638.The work, being written in a clear distinct style, made it accessible to readers with no formal training in philosophy, and there was a wide readership among women in England.The "Enchiridion" was a common school text in Scotland during the Scottish Enlightenment—Adam Smith had a 1670 edition in his library, acquired as a schoolboy.