commodities, conveniencies, and pleasures of life . The bill of a banker, who is broke, or gold in a defart island, would otherwife be full as valuable. When we approach a man, who is, as we fay, at his eafe, we are prefented with the pleafing ideas of plenty, fatisfaction, cleanliness, warmth; a chearful house, elegant furniture, ready fervice, and whatever is defirable in meat, drink, or apparel. On the contrary, when a poor man appears, the difagreeable images of want, penury, hard labour, dirty furniture, coarfe or ragged cloaths, naufeous meat and diftafteful liquor, immediately strike our fancy. What else do we mean by faying that one is rich, the other poor? And as regard or contempt is the natural confequence of those different fituations in life; it is eafily feen what additional light and evidence this throws on our preceding theory, with regard to all moral diftinctions*..

A man, who has cured himself of all ridiculous prepoffeffions, and is fully, fincerely, and fteadily convinced, from experience as well as philofophy, that the difference of fortune makes lefs difference in happiness than is vulgarly imagined; fuch a one does not measure out degrees of esteem according to the rent rolls of his acquaintance. He may, indeed, externally pay a fuperior deference to the great lord above the vaffal; becaufe riches are the most convenient, being the moft fixed and determinate, source of distinction: But his internal sentiments are more regulated by the perfonal characters of men, than by the accidental and capricious favours of fortune.

In most countries of Europe, family, that is, hereditary riches, marked with titles and fymbols from the fovereign, is the chief fource of diftinction. In England, more regard is paid to prefent opulence and plenty. Each practice has its advantages and disadvantages.

* See NOTE [II].

disadvantages. Where birth is refpected, unactive, fpiritlefs minds remain in haughty indolence, and dream of nothing but pedigrees and genealogies: The generous and ambitious feek honour and authority and reputation and favour. Where riches are the chief idol, corruption, venality, rapine prevail Arts, manufactures, commerce, agriculture flourifh. The former prejudice, being favourable to military virtue, is more fuited to monarchies. The latter, being the chief spur to industry, agrees better with a republican government. And we accordingly find, that each of these forms of government, by varying the utility of thofe cuftoms, has commonly a proportionable effect on the sentiments of mankind.

SECTION

3

SECTION VII.

Of QUALITIES IMMEDIATELY AGREEABLE to

OURSELVES.

WHOEVER has paffed an evening with feri

ous melancholy people, and has obferved how fuddenly the converfation was animated, and what fprightliness diffused itself over the countenance, difcourfe, and behaviour of every one, on the acceffion of a good-humoured, lively companion; fuch a one will eafily allow, that Chearfulness carries great merit with it, and naturally conciliates the good-will of mankind. No quality, indeed, more readily communicates itfelf to all around; becaufe no one has a greater propensity to display itself, in jovial talk and pleafant entertainment. The flame fpreads through the whole circle; and the most fullen and morofe are often caught by it. That the melancholy hate the merry, even though Horace faysit, I have fome difficulty to allow; because I have always obferved, that, where the jollity is moderate and decent, ferious people are fo much the more delighted, as it diffipates the gloom, with which they are commonly oppreffed and gives them an unusual enjoyment.

From this influence of chearfulness, both to communicate itself, and to engage approbation, we may perceive, that there is another fet of mental qualities, which, without any utility or

any

any tendency to farther good, either of the community or of the poffeffor, diffuse a satisfaction on the beholders, and procure friendship and regard. Their immediate fenfation, to the perfon poffeffed of them, is agreeable: Others enter into the fame humour, and catch the fentiment, by a contagion or natural fympathy: And as we cannot forbear loving whatever pleases, a kindly emotion arifes towards the perfon, who communicates fo much fatisfaction. He is a more animating spectacle: His prefence diffuses over us more ferene complacency and enjoyment: Our imagination, entering into his feelings and dispofition, is affected in a more agreeable manner, than if a melancholy, dejected, fullen, anxious temper were prefented to us. Hence the affection and approbation, which attend the former: The averfion and difguft, with which we regard the latter *.

Few men would envy the character, which Cafar gives of Caffius.

He loves no play,

As thou do'ft, Anthony: He hears no mufic:
Seldom he finiles; and fmiles in fuch a fort,
As if he mock'd himfelf, and scorn'd his fpirit
That could be mov'd to fmile at any thing.

Not only fuch men, as Cæfar adds, are commonly dangerous, but also, having little enjoyment within themfelves, they can never become agreeable to others, or contribute to focial entertainment. In all polite nations and ages, a relish for pleasure, if accompanied with temperance and decency, is efteemed a confiderable merit, even in the greatest men; and becomes ftill more requifite in thofe of inferior rank and character. It is an agreeable reprefentation, which a French

* See NOTE [KK].

writer