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3°0 M OR A L P HI L O S O P H Y.
and falls. For this \ViII gi.e 'lO the true key . to Iheir
managenll!nt, and lec us ioto the rigbt m~thod ofcorrea·
¡ng the bad, aod improving the good.
No kind of objeas makes fo powerful an imprenion
on us a. Ihofe which are immedirtely, impr,lfed on
our recfes, or flrongly pair:ted on ou r imaginations.
\Vhatever i. purely intdl,aual, .s ab(lraéled or fcienti6c
tru,hs, ,he fubtl, relations aod differencc of things, ha.
a (¿inter ron oC c>vifiencc in (he mind; aod, tbough it
may exercife and whet (he memory. the judg~nt, or
tbe re.foning .powers, give. h.rdly any" impulfe al all 10
the aétive, powers, the paffioos, which are ,he main
fprings of motion. On Ibe other hand, were the mind
entirely under Ihe direélion of fenfe , and impreffible only
by fuch objcas a. are prefent and Ilrike fo~e of the
outward org'o,. ",e Chould then beprecifely in Ihe Ilate
of the brute creation, and be .governed folely by inllioa
or appctite, and bave no power tO controul whatever ¡ni·
preffions are made upon u•. Nature has Iherefore endued
u. with a middle faculty, '",onderfuUy adapted tO' OUt
mixed Ilate; which holds partir of fenfe, and partly of
rem o; being Clron~ly allied 10 the former, aod tbe com o
mO'n receptaele in which all the noticeSlhal come from tbat
quarter are tre,fured up; and re< ')' fubfervienl and
minineri.1 to Ihe latter, by giving a body, a coherence,
aod beauly to its conceptioos. This middle faculty i.
called the imagillaJiolJ, one of the mo(l bufy and fruitful
powers of the mind. Into this common Clorehoufe are
likewife earried all Ihof. moral images or formo which
are derived from Our moral facuhies of perception; amI
there they often undergo new changes and appearances,
by bei ng mixed and wrought up wiJb Ihe imáges and forms
of feoGble or natural Ihings. By Ihis coalitioo of ima–
.gery, nalura: beaUty is digoiGed i.d heightened by mo–
ral qualities and p'erfeRions, and moral qualities are at
once exhibited and fet off by natural be.uty. Tbe feo·
fi~le be. uty, or good, is refined from ies drof. by par–
taking of the moral; .od Ihe moral [eceives a a
viGble ch.raRer and curreocy (rom the fenGble.
As we are flrll of all accu!lomed tO fenGblo impreffion.
.nd fenfible enjoyments, we conlraa early a fenfu.1 re–
liCh or lave of pleafure in the lower fenfe of the word.
In arder, however, to juClify this rdiCh, the mind, as il
becomes open tOhigher perceptions of beauty and good,
borrow9 from theoce a nobler (el of imagc:s, as fine talle,
generoGty, focial afleRion, friendfl,ip, good-fellowfllip,
and the like ; and, by dreffing out the old purfui" witb
thefe new ornamenlS, giv.. lliem an additional dignity
.nd luClre. By thefe ways the defire of. table, lave of
finery, intrigue, and pl..fure; .re vaClly increafed beyond
their na'ural pitch, having an impulfe combined of the
force of ,he natural appetites 3nd of the fuperadded
lIrenglh of Ihofe paffioos \Vhich Icnd 10 the moral fpocies.
- When the mind becomes more fenGble to thof. objeas
or ::tvpearances, in wbich it pere,eives beauty, uniformity,
grandc:ur, and harmony, as fine cloaths, elegant furniture,
pl¡te, piélures, ga rden~, hoofes, equipa~e, the bcau!y
of . and particul.rly the attraaions or the fex;
to Ihefe objetts the mind i. led by natule, or taughl by
c!lUom, (he apioion and example Qf others, to a"oex
c~rtaio idea, of Olcral c"aratln, dignity. decorum. ho-
Dour, liberality, tendernefs, and aaive or fociarenjoymeln:.
The confequence of Ihi, alfocialion is, Ihal the objea. " ,
which thefe are annexed, mu(l rife io thei r value, .od be
purfued with proportionable ardor. T he enjoymeol of
them . il often atlended w¡th pleafure ; and Ihe mere
polfeffion of them, where Ihal i. wanling, frequently
draw. refpea (rom one's fello\V·crealur.. : thi, refpéa i"
by many. Ihougbt equivalent 10 the enjoymenl:
Heoto il happens, Ihal .Ihe idea of bappinefs .i. cODoeaed
with Ihe mere polf,ffioo; which is tberefore cagerly fought
after, without any regard tO the genero¡J, ufe, or bODour·
able enjoyment. Thus Ihe ~allioo . refling 00 Ihe means;
not the eod, i. <. Iofing figblofitS natur.l.objea, becoron
wild and eXlravaganl.
In 6ne. aoy objea, or external denominalion, a IlalF,
a garter, a cup, a crOWD, a title, may become a moral
badge or emblem of me~il, magnificence, or hODOurl
according as thefe have beeo fou ad O[ thoughl by Ih.
polfelfo" or admirers of them 10 acconlpany Ihem ; yell
by Ibe deception forme rly meotioned, . tI!e meril or Ibe
coodua which entitled, or tbould.entide, to thofe mark.
of diClinaioD; Chall:be forgo t or negleRéd. and Ibe "
Ihemfelves be paffiooalely affeaed, or purfued, a. in·
e1uding every excellency. :¡,¡; Ihefe are anained by aoy
means, all the concomilanls which Dature, c"fioro, or
accidenlS have joined to them,. will be fuppofed Ip follow
of courf.. Thus moral end" witb which ·me uDhappy
admirer is apIlo cólour ~ver his paffion and , will;
io his opinioo, jollify the mo(! immoral mean" as profii–
tUlion, aduJalioo, fraud, Ireacbery, and every fpecies of
ko.ver)', wholher more open or more difguifed.
When men are once engagen in aai.. life, and find
that weahh and power, generally called in/u<jI, are Ibe
greal ayenues 10 every enjoymenl, thefare apt
lo.throw in maoy enga;¡iog moral forms to tbe ohjea of
thei,. purfuit, in order 10 juClify their palflOn, aod Yarnilh
o..rthe oleafures thertake 10 gralify it.; as, independeqcy
on the vices' or p'.lIions of olhers, proviGoo and fecurity
10 Ihemfelves and friends. prudent oecoDOlny or well·
placed charity, focial communication, fu periori,y 10 thei,
enen ies who are all villaios, honouf2ble fer vice, aod
olher ing"dierits of m~ril. 'To attain fueh e. paci.
ties of ufefulnef, or enjoym,"I, ",hal am; nay, what
meanoelfes cao be thou~hl blameable by thofe cool pur–
fue" of interell !--Nor have !hey, whom the gay
world is pleafed 10 indulge with the title of m'" ofpl<,,·
flirt, their imsginatioD' ler, pregnanl with moral ¡magu,
with which they never fail to eODoble, or, if they cann~1
do Ihat, 10 palli.t. Iheir grofs parfuits. .Thus, admiratioD
of wit, offentimenls and merir, friendlhip, love,·geDerOUt
fympathy, mutu. l coolideoce, giving aod receiving plea–
fure. are ~"e ordinary ingredients with which they fe. foa
Iheir gallantry and pleafurabl~ entertainments; •.nd by
which they impofe 00 thtmfelve., ao,1endeavour 10 Impofe
on other>, that tbeir amours are the joinl i/fue of goad
fenfe .nd virtue.
Thefe ./focialion., yarioufly combined and proportio~cd
by the imagioation, form the chief private paffion. ",hlch
gove," the lives of the generality; as ,he love ~f .a,o.a.
of pleafitre, power, we.lth, and fame : they .
the dcfeofive, aad affea Ihe public palli~os, and r~lfe
JOy