 This edition was also enormously profitable, yielding 42,000 pounds sterling profit on the sale of roughly 10,000 copies.The 3rd edition began the tradition (continued to this day) of dedicating the "Britannica" to the reigning British monarch, then King George III; calling him "the Father of Your People, and enlightened Patron of Arts, Sciences and Literature", Gleig wished

The 3rd edition is also famous for its bold article on "Motion", which erroneously rejects Isaac Newton's theory of gravitation.Instead, Dr. Gleig, or more likely, James Tytler, wrote that gravity is caused by the classical element of fire.