accident of life; and fecurely placed in the temple of wisdom, looks down on inferior mortals, engaged in purfuit of honours, riches, reputation, and every frivolous enjoyment. Thefe pretenfions, no doubt, when stretched to the utmoft, are, by far, too magnificent for human nature. They carry, however, a grandeur with them, which feizes the fpectator, and ftrikes him with admiration. And the nearer we can approach in practice to this fublime tranquillity and indifference (for we muft diftinguish it from a ftupid infenfibility), the more fecure enjoyment fhall we attain within ourselves, and the more greatness of mind fhall we difcover to the world. The philofophical tranquillity may, indeed, be confidered only as a branch of magnanimity.

Who admires not SOCRATES; his perpetual ferenity and contentment, amidst the greatest poverty and domestic vexations; his refolute contempt of riches, and his magnanimous care of preserving liberty, while he refufed all affiftance from his friends and difciples, and avoided even the dependence of an obligation? EPICTETUS had not fo much as a door to his little houfe or hovel; and therefore foon loft his iron lamp, the only furniture which he had worth taking. But refolving to disappoint all robbers for the future, he fupplied its place with an earthen lamp, of which he very peacebly kept poffeffion ever after.

Among the ancients, the heroes in philofophy, as well as thofe in war and patriotifm, have a grandeur and force of fentiment, which aftonishes our narrow fouls, and is rafhly rejected as extravagant and fupernatural. They, in their turn, I allow, would have had equal reafon to confider as romantic and incredible, the degree of humanity, clemency, order, tranquillity, and other focial virtues, to which, in the administration of government, we have attained in modern times, had any one been then able to have made a fair representation of them. Such is the compenfation, which nature, or rather education, has

made in the diftribution of excellencies and virtues in thofe different ages.

The merit of BENEVOLENCE, arifing from its utility, and its tendency to promote the good of mankind, has been already explained, and is, no doubt, the fource of a confiderable part of that esteem which is fo univerfally paid to it. But But it will also be allowed, that the very softness and tenderness of the fentiment, its engaging endearments, its fond expreffions, its delicate attentions, and all that flow of mutual confidence and regard which enters into a warm attachment of love and friendship: It will be allowed, I fay, that thefe feelings, being delightful in themselves, are neceffarily communicated to the fpectators, and melt them into the fame fondness and delicacy. The tear naturally starts in our eye on the apprehenfion of a warm fentiment of this nature: Our breast heaves, our heart is agitated, and every humane tender principle of our frame is fet in motion, and gives us the purest and most fatisfactory enjoy

ment.

When poets form defcriptions of ELYSIAN fields, where the bleffed inhabitants ftand in no need of each other's affiftance, they yet reprefent them as maintaining a conftant intercourse of love and friendfhip, and footh our fancy with the pleafing image of these foft and gentle paffions. The idea of tender tranquillity in a paftoral ARCADIA, is agreeable from a like principle, as has been obferved above *.

Who would live amidst perpetual wrangling, and fcolding, and mutual reproaches? The roughnefs and harfhness of these emotions disturb and difpleafe us: we fuffer by contagion and fympathy; nor can we remain indifferent spectators, even tho' certain that no pernicious confequences would ever follow from fuch angry paffions.

As a certain proof that the whole merit of benevolence is not derived from its usefulness, we may obferve,

Sect. V. Part 2.

observe, that, in a kind of blame, we fay, a perfon is too good, when he exceeds his part in fociety, and carries his attention for others beyond the proper bounds. In like manner, we fay a man is too highfpirited, too intrepid, too indifferent about fortune: Reproaches which really, at bottom, imply more efteem than many panegyrics. Being accustomed to rate the merit and demerit of characters chiefly by their useful or pernicious tendencies, we cannot forbear applying the epithet of blame, when we difcover a fentiment which rifes to a degree that is hurtful But it may happen, at the fame time, that its noble elevation, or its engaging tenderness, so feizes the heart, as rather to increase our friendship and concern for the perfon *.

The amours and attachments of HARRY the IVth of FRANCE, during the civil wars of the league, frequently hurt his intereft and his caufe; but all the young at least, and amorous, who can fympathize with the tender paffions, will allow, that this very weakness (for they will readily call it fuch) chiefly endears that hero, and interefts them in his fortunes.

The exceflive bravery and refolute inflexibility of CHARLES the XIIth ruined his own country, and infested all his neighbours; but have such splendor and greatness in their appearance, as ftrikes us with admiration and they might, in fome degree, be even approved of, if they betrayed not fometimes too evident symptoms of madness and diforder.

The ATHENIANS pretended to the first invention of agriculture and of laws; and always valued themfelves extremely on the benefit thereby procured to the whole race of mankind. They alfo boafted, and with reafon, of their warlike enterprizes; particularly

* Cheerfulness could fcarce admit of blame from its excefs, were it not that diffolute mirth, without a proper cause or fubject, is a fure fymptom and characteristic of folly, and on that account difguftful.

larly against those innumerable fleets and armies of PERSIANS, which invaded GREECE during the reigns of DARIUS and XERXES. But though there be no comparison, in point of utility, between these peaceful and military honours; yet we find, that the orators, who have write fuch elaborate panegyrics on that famous city, have chiefly triumphed in displaying the warlike atchievements. LYSIAS, THUCYDIDES, PLATO, and ISOCRATES, difcover, all of them, the fame partiality; which, though condemned by calm reafon and reflection, appears fo natural in the mind of man.

It is obfervable, that the great charm of poetry confists in lively pictures of the fublime paffions, magnanimity, courage, difdain of fortune; or thofe of the tender affections, love and friendship; which warm the heart, and diffuse over it fimilar fentiments and emotions, And though all kinds of paffion, even the most disagreeable, fuch as grief and anger, are observed, when excited by poetry to convey a fatisfaction, from a mechanifm of nature, not eafy to be explained: Yet thofe more elevated or fofter affections have a peculiar influence, and please from more than one caufe or principle. Not to mention, that they alone intereft us in the fortune of the perfons reprefented, or communicate any efteem and affection for their character.

And can it poffibly be doubted, that this talent itself of poets to move the paffions, this PATHETIC and SUBLIME of fentiment, is a very confiderable merit; and being enhanced by its extreme rarity, may exalt the perfon poffeffed of it above every character of the age in which he lives? The prudence, addrefs, fteadiness, and benign government of AuGUSTUS, adorned with all the fplendor of his noble birth and imperial crown, render him but an unequal competitor for fame with VIRGIL, who lays nothing into the oppofite scale but the divine beautics of his poetical genius.

The

The very fenfibility to these beauties, or a DELICACY of tafte, is itself a beauty in any character;' as conveying the pureft, the most durable, and moft innocent of all enjoyments.

These are some inftances of the feveral fpecies of merit, that are valued for the immediate pleasure which they communicate to the perfon poffeffed of them. No views of utility or of future beneficial confequences enter into this fentiment of approbation; yet is it of a kind fimilar to that other fentiment, which arifes from views of a public or private utility. The fame focial fympathy, we may obferve, or fellow-feeling with human happiness or mifery, gives rife to both; and this analogy, in all the parts of the present theory, may juftly be regard ed as a confirmation of it.

SECTION VIII.

OfQUALITIES IMMEDIATELY AGREEABLE TO OTHERS*,

A

S the mutual fhocks, in fociety, and the oppofitions of intereft and felf-love, have constrained mankind to establish the laws of justice, in order to preserve the advantages of mutual affiftance and protection; in like manner, the eternal contrarieties, in company, of mens pride and felf-conceit, have introduced the rules of GOOD-MANNERS or POLITENESS,

*It is the nature, and indeed the definition of virtue, that it is a quality of the mind agreeable to or approved of by every one, wha confiders or contemplates it. But fome qualities produce pleasure, because they are useful to fociety, or ufeful or agreeable to the perfon himself; others produce it more immediately: which is the cafe with the class of virtues here confidered.