folicitous for a proper object, than when under the influence of any of these appetites.

The feeling I have endeavoured to unfold, may well be termed the Sympathetic emotion of virtue; for it is raised in a spectator by virtuous actions of every kind, and by no other fort. When we contemplate a virtuous action, which never fails to delight us, and to prompt our love for the author, the mind is warmed, and put into a tone fimilar to that which infpired the virtuous action; and the propensity we have to fuch actions is fo much enlivened, as to become for a time an actual emotion. But no man hath a propenfity to vice as fuch on the contrary, a wicked deed difgufts him, and makes him abhor the author ; and this abhorrence is a ftrong antidote against vice, fo long as any impreffion remains of the wicked action.

:

In a rough road, a halt to view a fine country is refreshing; and here a delightful profpect opens upon us. It is indeed wonderful to observe what incitements there are to virtue in the human frame juftice is perceived to be our duty, and it is guarded by natural punishments, from which the guilty never efcape: to perform noble and generous actions, a warm fenfe of their dignity and fuperior excellence is a moft efficacious incitement *. And to leave virtue in no quarter

* See Essays upon morality and natural religion, part 1. cff. 2. ch. 4.

unfupported,

unfupported, here is unfolded an admirable contrivance, by which good example commands the heart, and adds to virtue the force of habit. Did our moral feelings extend no farther than to approve the action, and to beftow our affection on the author, good example would not have great influence but to give it the utmost force, nothing can be better contrived than the sympathetic emotion under confideration, which prompts us to imitate what we admire. This fingular emotion will readily find an object to exert itself upon: and at any rate, it never exists without producing fome effect; because virtuous emotions of this fort, are in fome degree an exercise of virtue; they are a mental exercife at least, if they show not externally. And every exercise of virtue, internal and external, leads to habit; for a difpofition or propenfity of the mind, like a limb of the body, becomes ftronger by exercise. Proper means, at the fame time, being ever at hand to raise this fympathetic emotion, its frequent reiteration may, in a good measure, fupply the want of a more complete exercise. Thus, by proper difcipline, every perfon may acquire a fettled habit of virtue: intercourfe with men of worth, histories of generous and disinterested actions, and frequent meditation upon them, keep the fympathetic emotion in conftant exercise, which by degrees introduceth a habit, and confirms the authority of virtue: with refpect to e

ducation

ducation in particular, what a fpacious and commodious avenue to the heart of a young perfon, is here opened!

SECT. IV.

In many inftances one emotion is productive of another. The fame of paffions.

are

Nie N the first chapter it is obferved, that the relations by which things are mutually connected, have a remarkable influence upon the train of our ideas. I here add, that they have an influence not lefs remarkable, in the production of emo→ tions and paffions. Beginning with the former, it holds in fact, that an agreeable object makes every thing connected with it appear agreeable: the mind gliding sweetly and easily through related objects, carries along the beauties it meets with in its paffage, and blends them with the beauty of the prefent object, which thereby appears more agreeable than when confidered apart *. This reafon may appear obscure and metaphyfical,

* Such proneness has the mind to this communication of proper ties, that we often find a property ascribed to a related object, of which naturally it is not fufceptible. Sir Richard Greenville in a single ship being furprised by the Spanish fleet, was advised to retire. He utterly refused to turn from the enemy; declaring, "he would rather die, than difhonour himself, his

country,

and

"her

taphyfical, but it must be relifhed when we attend to the following examples, which eftablish the fact beyond all difpute. No relation is more intimate than that between a being and its qualities and accordingly, the affection I bear a man expands itself readily upon all his qualities, which by that means make a greater figure in my mind, than more fubftantial qualities in others: the talent of speaking in a friend, is more regarded than prudent conduct in a perfon with whom I have no connection and graceful motion in a miftrefs, gives imore delight than confummate prudence in any other woman. Affection fometimes rifes fo high, as to convert defects into properties the wry neck of Alexander was imitated by his courtiers as a real beauty, without intention to flatter: Lady Piercy, fpeaking of her husband Hotspur,

By his light

Did all the chivalry of England move,

To do brave. acts. He was indeed the glass,
Wherein the noble youth did drefs themselves.

In

"her Majefty's fhip." Hakluyt, vol. 2. part 2. p. 169. To aid the communication of properties in fuch inftances, there always must be a momentary perfonification: a fhip must be imagined a fenfible being, to make it fufceptible of honour or dishonour. the battle of Mantinea, Epaminondas being mortally wounded, was carried to his tent in a manner dead: recovering his fenfes, the first thing he inquired about was his fhield; which being brought,, he kiffed it as the companion of his valour and glory. It must be remarked, that among the Greeks and Komans it was deemed in famous for a foldier to return from battle without his fhield.

He

He had no legs that practis'd not his gait:

And speaking thick, which Nature made his blemish,
Became the accents of the valiant :

For those who could speak flow and tardily,
Would turn their own perfection to abuse,
To feem like him,

Second part, Henry IV. a&t 2. fc. 6.

When the paffion of love has ended its course, its object becomes quite a different creaturenothing left of that genteel motion, that gaiety, that sprightly converfation, thofe numberless graces, which formerly, in the lover's opinion, charmed all hearts.

The fame communication of paffion obtains in the relation of principal and acceffory: pride, of which felf is the object, expands itself upon a house, a garden, fervants, equipage, and every thing of that nature: a lover addreffeth his miftrefs's glove in the following terms,

Sweet ornament that decks a thing divine.

A temple is in a proper fense an acceffory of the deity to which it is dedicated: Diana is chafte, and not only her temple, but the very ificle which hangs on it, must partake of that property:

The noble fister of Poplicola,

The moon of Rome; chafte as the ificle

That's curdled by the froft from purest snow,

And hangs on Dian's temple.

Coriolanus, act 5. Sc. 39.

Thus