1000000031

~92

MORAL

PH I L O S O P H Y.

fex, in wbom bcauty

a¡¡retablenef. of perfon and ex·

t ernal gracdulnels of mann,n confpire

expref. and

heighlen tbe moral charm of a leDd.r honen he.. t, and

.fwccI, ingenuou., moden temper, lighled up by good

fenfe, it g.Derally grow. iOlo a more fofl and e.dearing

Inaehmenl. When lhi. an.chmenl i, improved by a

growing l cquainta.oce

with

lhe

worth

of its

objelt,

is con·

duaed by difer.lion, and irrues

lenglh, as il ougbl

do, in the moral

conneltioD

of marriage,

becomes

che

fource

nHDy

amiabJc dutiu

a communication of

pallion. 3nd inle ren.. of lhe

mo(l

refiDed d.centi••,

. nd of a lJ.ouf,nd namelef. dccp.fell joyo of recipro.

cal leoderoef, aud love. Bowing from every look, word, .

aDd . aion.

Here friendrbip aél. Wilb double eDer·

gy, aod lhe n..ural confpires Wilb lhe moral cbarm tO

flr.nglhen aod fecure lhe lave of vinue. A. lhe deli·

cate nllur. of female honour and decorom••nd lhe in·

expreffible grace of a

eb.ll

. and moden.bebaviour. are lbe

furen and inde.d lh. only mean. of kiodling al lirn, .aod

ever afler of kccping alive lhi,

len~er

and elegao, aame,

ao~f

aeeomplilhiog lh. exe.llenl .nd' d.r.gn.d by il ;

atlem~t

(nud

violate one, or, uodcr prctcoce of

pallioo, fuUy and corrupl lhe other. ando by fo doiDg,

.xpofe Ihe

100

of..n e«dulou. and uneuard.d

obj.él

Wilh a Wanlon eru.lty, lo Ihe hatred of her olVn fex, aod

,he feorn of ours. and

Ihe lowen infamy of bolb, is a

eonduél

00 1

o.ly

bafe and crimioal. bUI ioconfilleol wilh

, hat Iruly ratioaal and refin.d

.ojoym.DI

, Ihe fpiril ,nd

quinl.rreOCe of which is derived from Ihe barbfal and fa·

cred eharm. of vinue kep' unlaioled, aod Iber.fore ev.r

a1luriog

Ibe lover's

he.rt.

Co.mey. Rood.neighboorhoood. affabililY••od Ihe

lil<.. dUli.. which are founded

our privale focial coo·

oeaioos. are no lef. necerrary and obligatory

cr....r.s

"niled in foeielY• •od fupportine aDd fupportcd by eaeb

olher iD a cbaio of mutual

W.OI

and depend.oee. Th.y

do nOI confin iD

fmoolh addref., aa arti6cial or obfe·

'luiou. air, fawning 'adulation, or a pol ile fervilily. of

m.nnen; out ia a jan and mC>den f.nfe of our qwn digo

ni,y ;and

Ihat

Olhers,

aad of the

rc,erence

due

10 maao

\tind, efpecially

,hofe who hold the bigh.r link. of lhe

foci.1

eb.ia

; in a difcrc.. añd maaly aeeommodalion of

ourfel, e.

Ihe Ihe foibles aod humonrs of olhe.. ; iD a

nriél obfunoee of Ihe rules of decoruro aod eivililY; bUl

. bove all iD a frank obliging earriage, .nd generou. iD'

lerehange of good dedo ralher lhan words. Such a

tonduél i. of

gr.at

uf. and ad..

nu~e,

a. il i. an e"cclleOl

fecuril' againn injory. and lhe b.n claim and recomo

mon.!.tiOD

lbe entem. civililY. aod univerfal refpea of

mankind. This inferior order of

virluU unitcl

the

partIcular members of fociety more clofely, and form Ibe

lerrer pillars of Ibe civil fabrie; which, in maoy.innaoees,

fupply Ibe uouoid.ble

d.f.él.

of l...... aod mainlain

Ihe ,.armonr . nd decorum of focial iOlereourf•• wher. the

more: imporu nl

and drenlial lines

virtue

are waniing.

CharÍty Uld fu. ¡¡ivenef. are Iruly amiabl. and ufer.1

dUli•• of lh. foei.1 kind. There i•• twofold dillin{\ion

of ri¡¡hu eommonl , l.ken oOlice of by mon l \'Iril.,.,

~,..

perfdt . nd ¡",

perf.él.

To fulfil lhe former. i. n.·

cerru y

the being "nd fu pport of fo:iety; ID fulfil lhe

I.utr, is a dUly e u

lIy

f. cr. d and

~bligator y,

aDl! lcod.

ID lh. improv.menl and profperilY of.

foci.ty

: but a.

me–

violalion of lhem is nOI equally prejudicial

Ihe public.

good. lh. fulroU ing lh.m is nOl fubjeéled lO Ihe cogDi–

zaoce of laws.

b.1

lefl

Ihe candor, humanilY, aad·

gralilude of indivlduals. And by Ihi. mean. ample reope

gi.en

e"ereife . lIlhe g.nerouly. and difplay Ibe ge.

nuine m.rit and lunre of virtue. Thus Ihe waau ando

mi.fortune. of olhero eall r9r our eharitaule allillance and–

fea fon oble fupplie.: and Ibe good roan, uoconnraioeJ

by law, and uoconlroQledby human aUlhorilY. will che.,.

fully aeknowledge and geoerouOy falisfy Ihi. mourmul

and moving claim; a c1aim fupported by lhe fanélioo of

he.ven, of- whofe bounlie. he is honottred

be Ihe

¡¡ral.ful trunce.

his own perfea righ.. are iovad.d

by Ihe iojnRiee of othe", he ",ill nOI Ihercfore rejeél

th.ir

imperfeél right la pilY and forgivenefs, uol.f. hit

granl

lhere !hould 'be ineoofinenl wirh Ihe mor••x·

lenuve righlS of focielY or Ihe public good. In tbal'

..fehe \ViII ha.e recourt.

public junie. aod the law. l.

and even Ihen he will profecu.. Ihe injory \Vilh

unne·

ccrrary fe.erilY, bUl ralher wilh tnildoef. and humaniIY.·

When lbe iojury is merely perfonaJ, and of ruch a nature

admit of. all••ialioo., and tbe Eorgivenef.

which'

would be a!tended ",ilb no

"orr~

coofequenee., efpe–

eially of a publie kiod, Ihe good man \ViII ,enerouOy.

forgi o. his offending brolher. Aod it i. his dUly lo d...

fo, aod

nOI

to takc prívate rcvcnge, or rctaliate cvil for

e.il

. For' Ihough r.reolment of injury i... nalural·

pallioo, aod implapled, as wa. obferved above, for wife

and good tnds; yel; confidering Ihe manifold parti.litie.

which mon men bave for Ibemfdves,

Wa$

e.ery ooe la

.{\ as judge in his own caufe. and to ."ceule Ihe f.D·

lenee diélaled by hi. owo

refenlm.ot

. il i. but too ••ideol

thal n¡ankiod would paf. all bound. in Iheir fury. aad Ih'e

lan fufferer be provoked iD hit luro

ma.

full reprifal••

So thal .vil, Ihu. eneouolering Wilh evil, would prod...

one cootinued feries of violence and mifery, and

(eDd~

focietyimolerabl., if

001

imprallieable. Therefore, where

the fecurity of Ihe iodividual, or good of Ihe public. does

not

(equin:

proponionablé

rctaltatioD,

¡.

agreeebJe

Ihe geoeral law of

bencvolro~e,

aod

Ihe panicular end

of Ihe p.Uion (which i.

prevenl injury, and lbe

mif.ry

oce.fioned by il) lo forgi •• perfoDal injuri.., or not

re–

t.rn

evil for e\'il. Tbis

d.ly·

is <loe of Ihe noble r.6ae–

menl' which ChrifiiaoilY ha. made upoo lbe general max–

im. ¡ad pra{\iee of maoci.d, aod eoforeed wilh • pecu–

liar nreoglh and beauty by fanélioos DO lef. alluring thlD

awfu!. And iodecd Ibe pr.élice of it i. gen.rally in owo

rewud; by exp. lling from lhe mi"d Ihe moll dre.dful

¡ntrudero upon i.. repofe. Ihore raoeorou. pallions which

are be, ot -aod ourf.d by

refenlm.nl;

at¡¡! by difa.miog

and

eVeD

fubdui n~

every

( Dtmy

one ha,s, except

{ueh

have nOlhin¡:

I.fl

of me_ bUI Ihe outward formo

T he mon .olorged aod human: eODD.aioDof Ihf

~ri

vate Itind, etem. ID be Ih: hofpitable allianee from ",hlth

fiow lb: amiable aDd dlfinlcrefled dUli.. we owe

IIr,n·

g." .

Ih: e"" eife nf pallions

lbe mo(l private and

inninélive kiod i. beheld \Vilh moral apptohation aod

~e.

lighl. how lovdy and ven.raMe muO lhof. appe", Whlch

r.fult from a ealm philanlhropy, ar'e fuunded in Ihe como

Olon rigLu aod cooocélioo. of

foei.lY

, aod .mbnee meo,

001