this peevish delicacy, whence-ever it arifes, can never be carried fo far as to make ús deny the existence of every fpecies of merit, and all diftinction of manners and behaviour. Befides difcretion, caution, enterprise, industry, affiduity, frugality, economy, good-fenfe, prudence, difcernment; befides thefe endowments, I fay, whofe very names force an avowal of their merit, there are many others, to which the most determined fcepticism cannot, for a moment refufe the tribute of praise and approbation. Temperance, Sobriety, patience, conftancy, perfeverance, forethought, confiderateness, fecrecy, order, infinuation, address, prefence of mind, quickness of conception, facility of expreffion; these, and a thousand more of the fame kind, no man will ever deny to be excellencies and perfections. As their merit confifts in their tendency to ferve the perfon, poffeffed of them, without any magnificent claim to public and focial defert, we are the lefs jealous of their pretenfions, and readily admit them into the catalogue of laudable qualities. We are not fenfible, that, by this conceffion, we have paved the way for all the other moral excellencies, and cannot confiftently hefitate any longer, with regard to difinterested benevolence, patriotifm, and humanity. It feems, indeed, certain, that firft appearances are here, as ufual, extremely deceitful, and that it is more difficult, in a fpeculative way, to refolve into felf-love the merit, which we afcribe to the selfish virtues above-mentioned, than that even of the focial virtues, juftice and beneficence. For this latter purpose, we need but fay, that whatever conduct promotes the good of the community is loved, praised, and esteemed by the community, on account of that utility and intereft, of which every one partakes: And though this affection and regard be, in reality, gratitude, not felf-love, yet a diftinction, even of this ob U 2 vious vious nature, may not readily be made by fuperficial reafoners; and there is room, at leaft, to support the cavil and difpute for a moment. But as qualities, which tend only to the utility of their poffeffor, without any reference to us, or to the community, are yet efteemed and valued; by what theory or fyftem can we account for this fentiment from felf-love, or deduce it from that favourite origin? There feems here a neceffity for confeffing that the happiness and mifery of others are not fpectacles entirely indifferent to us; but that the view of the former, whether in its caufes or effects, like fun-fhine or the prospect of well-cultivated plains, (to carry our pretenfions no higher) communicates a fecret joy and fatisfaction; the appearance of the latter, like a lowering cloud or barren landskip, throws a melancholy damp over the imagination. And this conceffion being once made, the difficulty is over; and a natural unforced interpretation of the phænomena of human life will afterwards, we may hope, prevail among all speculative enquirers. PART II. It may not be improper, in this place, to examine the influence of bodily endowments, and of the goods of fortune, over our fentiments of regard and esteem, and to confider whether these phænomena fortify or weaken the prefent theory. It will naturally be expected, that the beauty of the body, as is fuppofed by all ancient moralifts, will be fimilar, in fome refpects, to that of the mind; and that every kind of esteem, which is paid to a man, will have fomething similar in its origin, whether it arife from his mental endowments, or from the fituation of his exterior circumstances. It is evident, that one confiderable fource of beauty in all animals is the advantage, which, they reap from the particular structure of their limbs and members, fuitably to the particular manner of life, to which they are by nature deftined. The just proportions of a horse, defcribed by Xenophon and Virgil, are the fame, that are received at this day by our modern jockeys; because the foundation of them is the fame, namely, experience of what is detrimental or useful in the animal. Broad fhoulders, a lank belly, firm joints, taper legs; all these are beautiful in our fpecies, becaufe figns of force and vigour. Ideas of utility and its contrary, though they do not entirely determine what is handfome or deformed, are evidently the fource of a confiderable part of approbation or diflike. ་ In ancient times, bodily ftrength and dexterity, being of greater use and importance in war, was alfo much more efteemed and valued, than at prefent. Not to infift on Homer and the poets, we may obferve, that hiftorians fcruple not to mention force of body among the other accomplishments even of Epaminondas, whom they acknowledge to be the greatest hero, statesman, and general of all the Greeks*. A like praise is given to Pompey, one of the greatest of the Romanst. This inftance is fimilar to what we observed above, with regard to memory. What dérifion and contempt, with both fexes, attend impotence; while the unhappy object is regarded as one deprived of fo capital a pleasure in life, and at the fame time, as difabled from communicating it to others. Barrenness in wo See NOTE [GG]. men, + Cum alacribus, faltu; cum velocibus, curfu; cum validis recte certabat. SALLUST apud VEGET. men, being also a fpecies of inutility, is a reproach, but not in the fame degree: of which the reafon is obvious, according to the prefent theory. There is no rule in painting or ftatuary more indifpenfible than that of balancing the figures, and placing them with the grateft exactness on their proper center of gravity. A figure, which. is not justly balanced, is ugly; because it conveys the disagreeable ideas of fall, harm, and pain*. A difpofition or turn of mind, which qualifies a man to rife in the world, and advance his for tune, is entitled to esteem and regard, as has already been explained. It may therefore, naturally be fuppofed, that, the actual poffeffion of riches and authority will have a confiderable influence over thefe fentiments. . Let us examine any hypothefis, by which we can account for the regard paid to the rich and powerful: We shall find none fatisfactory, but that which derives it from the enjoyment communicated to the fpectator by the images of profperity, happiness, eafe, plenty, authority, and the gratification of every appetite. Self-love, for inftance, which fome affect fo much to confider as the fource of every fentiment, is plainly infufficient for this purpose. Where no good-will or friendship appears, it is difficult to conceive on what we can found our hope of advantage from the riches of others; though we naturally refpect the rich, even before they discover any fuch favourable difpofition towards us. We are affected with the fame sentiments, when we lie fo much out of the fphere of their activity, that they cannot even be fuppofed to poffefs the power of ferving us. A prifoner of war, in all civilized nations, is treated with a regard + See NOTE [HH]. fuited fuited to his condition; and riches, it is evident, go far towards fixing the condition of any perfon. If birth and quality enter for a fhare, this ftill affords us an argument to our present purpofe. For what is it we call a man of birth, but one who is defcended from a long fucceffion of rich and powerful ancestors, and who acquires our esteem by his connexion with perfons whom we esteem? His ancestors, therefore, though dead, are respected, in fome measure, on account of their riches; and confequently, without any kind of expectation. But not to go fo far as prifoners of war or the dead, to find inftances of this difinterested regard for riches; we may only observe, with a little attention, thofe phænomena, which occur in common life and converfation. A man, who is himfelf, we shall fuppofe, of a competent fortune, and of no profeffion, being introduced to a company of ftrangers, naturally treats them with different degrees of refpect, as he is informed of their different fortunes and conditions; though it is impoffible that he can fo fuddenly propofe, and perhaps he would not accept of, any pecuniary advantage from them. A traveller is always admitted into company, and meets with civility, in proportion as his train and equipage fpeak him a man of great or moderate fortune. In fhort, the different ranks of men are, in a great meafure, regulated by riches; and that with regard to fuperiors as well as inferiors, ftrangers as well as acquaintance. What remains, therefore, but to conclude, that, as riches are defired for ourselves only as the means of gratifying our appetites, either at prefent or in fome imaginary future period; they beget efteem in others merely from their having that influence. This indeed is their very nature or effence: They have a direct reference to the commodities, |