rn for
ourselves, and a sympathy with persons remote from us much fainter
than that with persons near and contiguous; yet we neglect all these
differences in our calm judgments concerning the characters of
men. Besides, that we ourselves often change our situation in this
particular, we every day meet with persons, who are in a different
situation from ourselves, and who coued never converse with us on any
reasonable terms, were we to remain constantly in that situation and
point of view, which is peculiar to us. The intercourse of sentiments,
therefore, in society and conversation, makes us form some general
inalterable standard, by which we may approve or disapprove of
characters and manners. And though the heart does not always take part
with those general notions, or regulate its love and hatred by them, yet
are they sufficient for discourse, and serve all our purposes m company,
in the pulpit, on the theatre, and in the schools.

From these principles we may easily account for that merit, which
is commonly ascribed to generosity, humanity, compassion, gratitude,
friendship, fidelity, zeal, disinterestedness, liberality, and all those
other qualities, which form the character of good and benevolent. A
propensity to the tender passions makes a man agreeable and useful
in all the parts of life; and gives a just direction to all his other
quailties, which otherwise may become prejudicial to society. Courage
and ambition, when not regulated by benevolence, are fit only to make
a tyrant and public robber. It is the same case with judgment and
capacity, and all the qualities of that kind. They are indifferent in
themselves to the interests of society, and have a tendency to the
good or ill of mankind, according as they are directed by these other
passions.

As Love is immediately agreeable to the person, who is actuated by it,
and hatred immediately disagreeable; this may also be a considerable
reason, why we praise all the passions that partake of the former, and
blame all those that have any considerable share of the latter. It is
certain we are infinitely touched with a tender sentiment, as well
as with a great one. The tears naturally start in our eyes at the
conception of it; nor can we forbear giving a loose to the same
tenderness towards the person who exerts it. All this seems to me a
proof, that our approbation has, in those cases, an origin different
from the prospect of utility and advantage, either to oursel