to incite us to the pradice, it may not be improper to confider EOOK ly.
in what degree public intereft is coincident with private, and bv ' « ' that means at once to remove one of the enticements and apo- logies of vice, and afford an additional encouragement and direc- tion to the true politician^ In the firft place then, there appears to be fufficient reafon it is the road to believe, that the pravSice of virtue is the true road to individual happinefs. Many of the reafons which might be adduced in this place have been anticipated in the chapter of the Cultivation of Truth. "Virtue is a fource of happinefs that does not pall in the enjoyment, and of which no man can deprive us *. The effence of virtue confifts in the feeing every thing in its true light, and eftimating every thing at its intrinfic value. No man therefore, fo far as he is virtuous, can be in danger to become a prey to forrow and difcontent. He will habituate himfelf, refpedling every fpecies of conduct and temper, to look at its abfolute utility, and to tolerate none from which benefit cannot arife either to himfelf or others. Nor will this be fo diificult a tafk as it is commonly imagined. The man, who is accuftomed upon every occafion to confult his reafon, will fpeedily find a habit of this nature growing upon him, till the jufl and difpaf- fionate value of every incident that befals him will come at length fpontaneoufly to fuggell itfelf. Thole evils which prejudice ha& 3 A 2 taught ^*^9\^ ^Z- taught fo great a p?a-t of mankind to regard with horror, will ap- -'— — V-— — ' pear to his underftanding difarmed of their terrors. Poverty, obloquy and difgrace will be judged by him to be very trivial . misfortunes. Few conditions can bfe fo deilitute as to deprive us of the means of obtaining for ourfelves a fubfiftence. The reafonable mind perceives at once the poffibility of this and the beft method of executing it; and it needs no great ftretch of un- derftanding to decide, that real happinefs does not confift in lux- urious accommodations. With refped to obloquy and difgrace, the wife man may lament the tendency they poflefs to narrow the fphere of his ufefulnefs; but he will readily perceive, that, feparately from this confideration, they are no evils. My real value depends upon the qualities that are properly my own, and .cannot be diminiflied by the flander and contempt of the whole world. Even bodily pain lofes much of its fting, when it Is encountered by a chearful, a compofed, and a determined fpirit. To all thefe negative advantages of virtue, we may add the po- fitive fatisfa£lion of a mind confcious of redltude, rejoicing in the good of the whole, and perpetually exerted for the promo- * rtion of that good.
There are indeed fome extreme cafes of the eledion of a vir- tuous conduft, refpeding which it is difficult to pronounce. Was it Regulus's intereft to return to Carthage to a tormenting death, rather than fave his life by perfuading the Roman fenate io an exchange of prifonets? Probably it w^as. Probably, with the tlie e^rquifite feellncr of duty with which Re^ruhis was riulmatcd, COOK TV.
a liiC that was to be pei'petually haunted with the recolleftion of *^ v ' jiis having omitted the nobleft opportunity of public fervice, was not worth his purchafe. His reafoning, fo far as related to perfonal intereft, might be like that of Cato in the play.; " A day, an hour, of virtuous liberty Is worth a whole eternity in bondage *."
Secondly, virtue not only leads to the happinefs of him who to tlie eilenik pradlifes it, but to the efteem and aiTedion of others. Nothing of others.' can be more indifputable, than that the direct road to the efteem of mankind, is by doing things worthy of their efteem. The jnoft artful fcheme for paffing things upon others for fomewhat different from what they really are, is in momentary danger of -detection; and it would be an egregious miftake to fuppofe, that tnien efteem any thing but what comes to them under the ap- * The firft; of the three heads difcuffed in this chapter is inferted chiefly for the fake of method, few perfons having really doubted that virtue is the moft genuine fource of individual tranquillity and happinefs. It is therefore difmilTed with all practicable brevity. The two remaining heads had a fironger claim to difculTion. It unfortunately happens to be the generally received opinion, that rigid virtue is neither the furcfl road to other men's approbation and efteem, nor the moft probable means of fecuring our external profperity. If the author had known of any work at prefent exifting, that had appeared to him to place this fubjeft in any degree in its true light, he would have omitted the reafon- ings of tliis chapter.
pearancc r^66 OF THE TENDENCY BOGK IV. pearance of virtue. No man ever exiftecl of a tafte Co depravecT CHAP. IX. ^ * " ' as to feel real approbation of another, for the artfulnefs of his flattery, or the cunning with which he over-reached his neighshours.
Obieaion f^ There is indeed one difadvantage that occurs under this head, \ itruftioll '^and confifting in this circumftance, " that no man truly admires___j ealumny. | ^^at he docs not underftand. Now, in order thoroughly to- comprehend the value of any mental effort, whether of a purely intelledlual or moral nature, it is perhaps neceflary that the ge- i'-, nius or virtue of the fpedator fhould be equal to that of him ^^ t^^^' by whom it is made. It is an inevitable law of our nature, that we fhould in a great meafure judge of others by ourfelves, and form our ftandard of human nature by an inveftigation of our own minds. That, refpeding which we feel a clear and diftin£t convidion that we are ourfelves incapable, we are prone to fufpe£t to be mere fhow and deception in others. We are the more inclined to this, becaufe we feel their virtues to be a: reproach to our indolence, and therefore are little difpofed to make a liberal eftimate of them," AnfvTcr. But, though there be fome truth in thefe obfervations, they have frequently been made much too indifcriminate, by the mi- - fanthropy and impatience of thofe, who have conceived their eftimation with their neighbours or the world to fall greatly jQiort of their merit, i It mull be admitted that mankind are J relu<Sant OF VIRTUE. ^sj Teludant to acknowledge a wifdom or a virtue fuperior to their own; but this reludance is by no means invincible. It is abfurd to fuppofe that no man believes himfelf the inferior of his neigh- bour, or that, when he reads the plays of Shakefpeare, the phi- lofophy of Roufleau, or the actions of Cato, he fays, " I am as fkilful, as wife, or as virtuous as this man." It would be flill more abfurd to fuppofe that men may not in a eonfiderable degree perceive the beauty of pa(Kxges they could never have written, and adtions they would never ha-ve performed.
It is true that men of high moral excellence are feldom efti- ViVtue comxnated at then- true value, elpecially by their contemporaries, t'ler modes of procuring But the queilion does not relate to this point, but to that other, eaeem. whether they be not efteemed more thaii perfons of any other defcription, and of confequence whether virtue be not the befl road to efteem? Now, let a fpecious appearance be maintained with ever fo much uniformity of fuccefs, it is perpetually in danger of detedlion. It will always want fomething of anima- tion, of confiftency and firmnefs that true virtue would produce. The imitation will never come up to the life. That temporifmg and compliance, which are careful not to contradid too much the prejudices of mankind, and in which the principal advantage -of a merely exterior virtue confifts, will always bear fomething -fufpicious about them. Men do not love him who is perpetually courting their applaufe. They do not give with a liberal fpirit iwhat is fought with too unwearied an affiduity. But their praife IS BOOK IV. ig involimtanly extorted, by him who is not fo anxious to oB- ^^ ' tain fuccefs, as to deferve it.
Vice and not If men of Virtue be frequently niifinterpreted or mifundervivtue is t'ae fubjeftofob- ftocd, this IS in a great degree to be afcrihed to the. imperfection loquy.: of their virtue and the errors of their condu6t. True virtue inftanced In iliould hoLl no Commerce with art. We ought not to be lb detlie bafe al-.
loy with firous to exhibit our virtue to advantage, as to give it free fcope \vliich our Tirtuss are and fufFer it to exhibit itfelf. Art is nearly allied to felfifhinixed: nefs 5 and true virtue has already been fhown to be perfedtljr difmterefted. The mind fhould be fixed only on the objeft purfued, and not upon the gracefulnefs or gallantry of the purfuit. We fhould be upon all occafions perfe(5lly ingenuous,- expreffing with fimplicity the fentiments of our heart, and fpeaking of ourfelves, when that may be neceffary, neither with oftentation and arrogance on the one hand, nor with the frequently applauded lies of a cowardlike humility on the other. There is a charm in fincerity that nothing can refift. If once a man could be perfeftly frank, open and firm in all his w^ords and adions, it would be impolTible for that man to be mif- interpreted.
in arroffance Another fruitful fource of mifreprefentation has appeared to tion: be envy. But, it we be regarued with envy, it may be fufpefted to be in a great meafure our own fault. He will always be envied moft, who is mod arrogant, and whofe mind I rnoft OF VIRTUE. 365 moft frequentiv recurs to his own attainments and the inferiaritv BOOK iv.
of Others. Our virtues would feldom be contemplated with an *^ v ' iineafy fenfe of reproach, if they were perfedly unaffuming.
Any degree of oftenLation in their lefs corrupted neighbour, as it humbles the vanity of mankind, mull be expeded to excite \.i\ them a defire of retaliation. But he whofe virtues flow from philanthropy alone, whole heart expands with benevolence and good will, and who has no defire to make his fuperiority felt, will at all times have many friends and few enemies.
Virtue has aUb frequently been fubjed to mifreprefentation f' tlie vices i 1 which from a farther circumftance which is moil properly chargeable p^^rfons of moral excel upon the fufferers, and that is, the inequality of their adions. l'""" allow themfclves.
It is no wonder, if we firft roufe the angry paffions of mankind by our arrogance, and then render our motives fufpeded by a certain mixture of art in the exhibition of our cliaraders, that the follies and vices we commit, if they be of a glaring kind, fhould too often furnilli a triumphant argument to fupport againft us the accuHition of hypocrify and deceit. It unfortunate- ly happens, that, when men of an ardent fpirit fall into eri'or their errors are inevitably confpicuous. It happens, that men, v.'ho have dedicated the flower of their ftrength to laudable pur- pofes, too often think they have a right to indulge in relax- ations unworthy of the energy of their charaders. They v,-ould furely avoid this fatal miftake, if they duly receded, that it is not their individual charader only that is at flake, but that they rH A p" \y' ^^'^ injuring the caufe of juftlce and general good. Prudential "^ ^ ' and timid virtues, unalloyed with imprudent and thoughtlefs vices, are beft underftood by the vulgar. Their reign indeed is Ihort; they triumph only for a day: but that they are tranfitory is of little avail, while thofe who are moll worthy of lafting cfteem, wantonly barter it for gratifications, contemptible in themfelves, and fatally important in their efFeds.
The virtuous gm; to retum to the comparifon between the efteem and man only has friends. afFedlon that accrue from virtue, and from any other plan of condud. The produce in the latter cafe mull always be in a confiderable degree barren, and of very fhort duration. "Whether the good name acquired by virtue be more or lefs, virtue will appear in the end to be the only mode for its acqui- fition. He who merits the efteem of his neighbours and fellow citizens, will at leaft be underftood by a few. Inftances might be adduced in which perfons inftigated by the pureft motives hkve been eminently unpopular. But there is perhaps no In- ftance in which fuch men have not had a few friends of tried and zealous attachment. There is no friendihip but this. No man was ever attached to an individual but for the good quali- ties he afcribed to him j and the degree of attachment will always bear fome proportion to the eminence of the qualities. Who would ever have redeemed the life of a knave at the ex- pence of his own? And how many inftances do there occur of fuch heroic friendihip w^here the charader was truly illuftrious?
In OF VIRTUE. jyi In the third place, virtue will probably be found the fecureft BOOK iv.
road to outward profperity and fuccefs in the world, according "^ v ' Virtue tlie to the old maxim, "that honefty is the beft policy." It is road to profperity and indeed natural to fuppofe that a good name fhould eminently ^"^'^^'^'^ "' the contribute to our fuccefs. This is evident even in the humbleft walks of life. That tradefman, other things equal, will always applied to • be molt prolperous, who is molt tair and equitable in his tiaufaaious: dealings. Which is mofl likely to fucceed, he who never gives expectations that he cannot fulfil, or who is perpetually dif- appointing his cuftomers? he who is contented with a reafon- able profit, or who is ever upon the watch to outwit thofe with whom he deals? he who puts one conftant price upon his com- modities, or who takes whatever he can get, favouring a fuf- picious cuftomer unreafouably, and extorting with mercilefs avarice from an eafy one? in a word, he who wilhes to keep the perfons with whom he is concerned in prefent good humour or who would give them permanent fatisfadion?
There is no doubt, that, though the former may obtain by his artifices a momentary fuccefs, the latter will in thefequel be -generally preferred. Men are not fo blind to their own intercft as they have fometimes been reprefentcd, and they will foon feel the advantage of dealing with the perfon upon whom they can depend. We do not love to be perpetually upon our guard againft an enemy, and for ever prying into the tricks and fub- terfuges of a d«praved heart.
372 OFTHETENDENCy ,^,9?!^ ^X* But what (hall we fay to thofe Cafes in which advancement CHAP. IX. ^ ';^^--' depends upon patronas2;e? There are two circumftances under depend upon tj^js head which feem to form an exception to the rule above patronage.
Apparent ex- delivered. The firft is that of a patron, whofe vicious and ception where the depend- imperfedl charafter renders the co-oj>€ration of vicious men cat is em- ployed as the neceffaiy to his purfuits, whom therefore he will be contented inftrunnent ©fvice. to reward, even while he defpifes. The fecond is tha.t of an office, and it is to be feared fuch offices exift, which may require a compliant and corrupt character in the perfon who ij to fill it, and for the obtaining of which vice of a certain. lort is a neceflary recommendation..
Virtue com- It muft no doubt be admitted as to this fubje^t In gen^ralj pared with other modes that, fo far as relates to fuccefs in the world, vicious men will of becoming profperous. often prove fortunate. But it may reafonably be queftioned, whether vice be in the firft inftance the moft likely road to for-, tune. The candidates for this equivocal fpecies of preferment may be numerous. An individual cannot diftinguifli himfelf^,ffi the crowd but by a portion of ability, which it may well be fuppofed would not have been, unfuccefsful in the career of virtue. After all,, not every candidate, not. even every fkilful candidate, will be vicStorious. There is always a ftruggle in the breaft of the patron between contempt and a corrupt motive j and, where- there is ftruggle, the decifion \ylll fometimes he on .the fide which the client leaft defires.. Even when fortune feems to have overtaken him, his fituation is ftill precarious, His fuccefs is founded upon a. local and mutable bafis; his 3- patron patron may defert him, may be deprived of his pov/er or his p^*^p ^^* life; and the client, who, after having facrificed every principle *■ ^■^ ' to his hopes of advantage, miifes his aim, or is cut fhort in his career, is in all cafes a fubjedl of derifion. A bad eminence is always unftable; and, if we could fum up the numbers of thofe who have facrificed their virtue to their ambition, we fhould probably find that a great majority of them had egregioufly mifcarried in their calculation.
In the mean time, if we turn to the other fide of the eftimate, we fhall in the firfl place inevitably fufpedl that efteem muft lead to fome of the fruits of efteem. But, exclufively of this confir- deration, if there be offices for which vice of a certain fort is a neceflary qualification, there are alfo undoubtedly a multitude of offices which cannot be well difcharged but by a man of inte- grity. The patron, though he would perhaps willingly provide for his pander or his parafite at the expence of his country, will not be inclined to truft a man of accommodating principles with the fuperintendence of his fortune or the education of his child. With the exception of the two cafes that have been ftated, inter grity, as it is the firll qualification for difcharging a fundlion with propriety, will always occupy a foremofl place in the ro commendation of the client. The employer, whofe objedl is the real iatereft of himfelf, his friends or his country, will have a powerful motive inducing him to prefer the honeft candidate. Ability may be almoft equally requifite j but ability and virtue, if 374 OF THE TENDENCY ^5^9S l^ if we fhould choofe to fuppofe that there is no neceffary alliance ' " ' between them, will at leaft by no perfon be thought exclufive of each other. If a knave may in fome cafes obtain an employ- ment of truft and real importance, it is vehemently to be fuf- peded that this would not have happened, if an honeft man of equal ability had been at hand. Add to this that virtue is per- petually gaining ground upon us. The more it is tried, and the more it is known, the more will it be refpeited. It is to the man of real virtue, whofe charader is not brought into fufpicion by the equivocal nature of fome of his proceedings, whofe virtue confifts in benevolence, equanimity and juftice, that all will have recourfe, when they have the fuccefs of the affair in which they are concerned deeply at heart.
Source of the Nothing has tended more to bring honefty as an inilrument virturb this of fuccefs into general difrepute, than the fort of complaint that is frequently heard from fuch as are unfuccefsful. Thefe men will naturally have recourfe to the moft fpecious topic of felf confo- lation, and there is none that more obvioufly fuggefts itfelf than the fuppofition that they failed through their too much virtue. Thus the man of rugged temper who is perpetually infulting the foibles of others, the timid man who is incapable of embracing at once a perilous alternative, the fcrupulous man who knows not what to admit or rejed and is always undetermined upon his courfe of adlion, and a thoufand others, are forward to impute their mifcarriage to their integrity, though ftridly fpeaking it was in every one of thefe cafes to be afcribed to their vices.
^ There r«fpcft» OF VIRTUE. S7S There is another confideratlon which deferves to be t;iken?u?i^^tY-* CoiltcfTlOHt into account in this eftimate. There is a degree of virtue wliich would probably render me difinclined to fill many eminent fta- tions, to be a great lawyer, a great fenator, or a great minifter. The fundions of thefe fituations in the prefent ftate of man- kind are of fo equivocal a nature, that a man, whofe moral views are in the higheft degree fublime, will perhaps find in himfelf little forwardnefs to exercife them. He will perhaps conceive that in a private ftation, unincumbered with engage- ments, unwarped by the finifler motives that high office will not fail to prefent, he may render more lafling fervices to man- kind. But furely it is no very formidable objedtion to fay, that honefly will prevent a man from acquiring what he has no wifh to a,cquire.
A cafe of fomewhat a different nature has been fuggefled, and Cafe where convenient it has been afked, " Whether honefly be the beft road to fuccefs, vice bids fa^ for conceal- where the violation of it bids fair for perpetual concealment? '"«"'• Fortune has led me to the military profeffion, I lack advance- ment, but promotions in the army are cuftomarily made by pur- chafe. Thus circumflanced, I find by accident a fum of money, in fecreting which I am in little danger of detedion, and I apply this ilim to purchafe me a commiffion. Should I have more effedually promoted my worldly fuccefs by a more fcrupulous condudl?"
The anfwer to this queftion ought probably to be affirmative, chance of d« ttclion.
In ^2?'^^X; I^ t^e fi^^ft place we are to confider the chance of deteftlon. CHAP. IX. ^ * ^ ^ The dire£t tendency of the laws of the material univerfe is fuch, as to force the more confiderable and interefting a£bions of hu- man beings into publicity. No man can render himfelf invifible. The moft artful confpirator cannot fufficiently provide againft a thoufand petty circumftances, that will lead, if not to convidion, at leaft to prefumption againft him. Who is there that would wifh to have faftened upon him the fufpicion of a bafe and difm- genuous procedure? This feature in human affairs is fo remark- able, as to have furnifhed topics to the literary induftry of former centuries, and to have been interpreted God's revenge againft the unjuft. Suppofe that in this cafe I found the money dropped in a field. Will the owner have no fufpicion where he loft it? Will no human being have obferved that I was near the fpot at the queftionable period? The chances are certainly againft me, and a mere balance of chance would probably have been fuffi- cient to prove that honefty is the beft polic)^ The bare circum- ftance of my fuddenly poflefling a fum of money without vi- fible means of acquiring it, a circumftance to which the attention of my neighbours is always fufficiently alive, would caft an un- pleafant ftain upon my character. How often has the well con- trived train of the politician, triumphing in the infcrutability of his Mafdom, been baffled by the moft trivial accidents? Since therefore, '" the race is not to the fwift, nor the battle to the ftrong," the trueft wifdom is to ^di fo as to fear no detec- tion.
There There are other circumftances which tend to eftabhfli the COOK iv.
CHAP. IX.
Indolence.
fame propofition. The man, who depends upon his courage, his abiHty, or his amiable character for recommendation, will perpetually cultivate thefe. His conftancy will be unwearied; and, confcious of the integrity of his means, his fpirit will be in- trepid and eredt. The progrefs of this man, if his ardour be fufEciently great to infpire him with abiHty, and to render him quick fighted to the detedlion of his miftakes, will be incefiant. But the man who has employed foul means, will depend partly upon them, and cannot be fo fervent in the cultivation of the true. If he always efcape detedlion, he will always fear it, and apprehen- this will fully the clearnefs of his fpirit. Vice cannot compare with virtue in its tendency to individual happinefs. This is not the fubjed we are confidering in this place; but this will apply to our fubjed. Remorfe, uneafmefs and confufion of mind are calculated to prevent me from perceiving the true point of pro- jedion in my affairs, and detrad much from the probability of my rifmg to eminence in any profeflion.
Laflly, the man who has once yielded to a difhonefl tempta- and depravltj- tion, will yield to it again. He has loft the confiftency of cha- oflice?^""^ rader and difdain of vice, which were his firmeft fecurities. He that fays, " I will be difhoneft now, and difhoneft no more," for- gets fome of the moft obvious and charaderiftic features of the human mind. If he efcape fufpicion in the firft inftance, he will 378 OF THE TENDENCY OF VIRTUE.
TH AP ^ri ^^^^ difgrace himfelf more foully in the fecond: if the remorfe *^ " ^ and degradation of fpirit arifing from one bafe adlion could perifh, they would be fixed and invigorated by other bafe a<5tions growing out of the firft.
ERRATA.
VOL. I.
Page 131, line 15, — after "quantity of wrong," read " S'ld to invent a fpecles of cor- poral punlfhment or reftraint, ' P. 181, note, 1. lilt., — -for " of former times'* rcrt// " of the ancient model." P. 182, — read the fule note "from the unity of truth" as belonging to the top of the page. P. 182, 1. 3 from the bottom, — for "purfue" read " prefs."
, I. 2 from the bottom, — for " over whom he prefided" read " among whora he refided." ' FORMS OF GOVERNMENT." P. 260,. fide note, — read "juflice." P. 330, fide note, — for "Rapidity" rfaJ" rapidity." P. 362, I. 15, — for "exceptions" read "exception."
VOL. IL P. 403, fide note, — for " Difiike" read " diflike."
P. 427, fide note, — for "defire" read "dcfires."
P. 503, note, 1. ult., — for "volume" read "work."
P. 511, I. 5 from the bottom, — for " tranfaftion" read " tranfaftions" P. 564, note,— /or "Book IV, Chap. Vll" read " Book IV, Cliap. VI."
P. 645, fide note, — for "of libel:" read "of libel."
P. 673, fide note, — read " Rcafons by which they are vindicated."
P. 730, 1. 3 from the bottom, — for " domeftic" read " municipal."
P. 774, fide note, — fir "man:" read "man."
P. 791, fide note, — for "mean" read "means."
P. 807, fide note, — after " vice" read " generating.''
P. 808, fide note, — for " The" read " the" P. 811, fide note, — r^a;/ "and the misfortunes of-war."
P. 837, fide note, — read " or from vanity."
P. 852, 1. 10, — for "'be known" read " will be known. " P. 883, fide note,— /^r "conduft" read "Condud" DIRECTION TO THE BINDER. The volumes are to be divided at page 3 79 in fignature 3 C. The tables of contents to precede the refpedlve volumes.