The Theory of Moral Sentiments; To Which Is Added a Dissertation on the Origin of Languages (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: enjoyment. Men of retirement and fpecula- tion, who are apt to fit brooding at home over either grief or refentment, though they may often have more humanity, more gene- rofity, and a nicer fenfe of honour, yet fel- dom poffefs that equality of temper which is fo common among men of the world. CHAP. V. Of the amiabIe and refpettable virtues. i UPON thefe two different efforts, upon that of the fpectator to enter into the fentiments of the perfon principally concerned, and upon that of the perfon principally concerned, to bring down his emotions to what the fpectator can go along with, are founded two different fets of virtues. The foft, the gentle, the amiable virtues, the virtues of candid condefcenfion and indulgent humanity, are founded upon the one: the great, the awful and refpeftable, the virtues of felf- denial, of felf-governrnent, of that command of the paffions which fubjects all the movements of our nature to what our own dignity and honour, and the propriety of our own conduct require, take their origin from the other. How amiable does he appear to be, 'whofe fympathetic heart feems to re-echo all the fentiments of thofe with whom he converfes, who grieves for their calamities, who refentstheir injuries, and who rejoices at their good fortune! When we bring home to ourfelves the fituation of his companions, we enter into their gratitude, and feel what confolation they muft derive from the tender fympathy of fo affectionate a friend. And for a contrary reafon, how difagreeable does he appear to be, whofe hard and obdurate heart feels for himfelf only, but is altogether infenfible to the happinefs or mifery of others ! We enter, in this cafe too, into the pain which his prefence muft give to every mortal with whom he converfes, to thofe efpecially with whom...