Philosophershave，oflateyears，consideredchieflythetendencyofaffections，andhavegivenlittleattentiontotherelationwhichtheystandintothecausewhichexcitesthem。Incommonlife，however，whenwejudgeofanyperson’sconduct，andofthesentimentswhichdirectedit，weconstantlyconsiderthemunderboththeseaspects。Whenweblameinanothermantheexcessesoflove，ofgrief，ofresentment，wenotonlyconsidertheruinouseffectswhichtheytendtoproduce，butthelittleoccasionwhichwasgivenforthem。Themeritofhisfavourite，wesay，isnotsogreat，hismisfortuneisnotsodreadful，hisprovocationisnotsoextraordinary，astojustifysoviolentapassion。Weshouldhaveindulged，wesay；perhaps，haveapprovedoftheviolenceofhisemotion，hadthecausebeeninanyrespectproportionedtoit。
　　Whenwejudgeinthismannerofanyaffection，asproportionedordisproportionedtothecausewhichexcitesit，itisscarcepossiblethatweshouldmakeuseofanyotherruleorcanonbutthecorrespondentaffectioninourselves。If，uponbringingthecasehometoourownbreast，wefindthatthesentimentswhichitgivesoccasionto，coincideandtallywithourown，wenecessarilyapproveofthemasproportionedandsuitabletotheirobjects；ifotherwise，wenecessarilydisapproveofthem，asextravagantandoutofproportion。
　　Everyfacultyinonemanisthemeasurebywhichhejudgesofthelikefacultyinanother。Ijudgeofyoursightbymysight，ofyourearbymyear，ofyourreasonbymyreason，ofyourresentmentbymyresentment，ofyourlovebymylove。Ineitherhave，norcanhave，anyotherwayofjudgingaboutthem。
　　ThesamesubjectcontinuedWemayjudgeoftheproprietyorimproprietyofthesentimentsofanotherpersonbytheircorrespondenceordisagreementwithourown，upontwodifferentoccasions；either，first，whentheobjectswhichexcitethemareconsideredwithoutanypeculiarrelation，eithertoourselvesortothepersonwhosesentimentswejudgeof；or，secondly，whentheyareconsideredaspeculiarlyaffectingoneorotherofus。
　　1。Withregardtothoseobjectswhichareconsideredwithoutanypeculiarrelationeithertoourselvesortothepersonwhosesentimentswejudgeof；whereverhissentimentsentirelycorrespondwithourown，weascribetohimthequalitiesoftasteandgoodjudgment。Thebeautyofaplain，thegreatnessofamountain，theornamentsofabuilding，theexpressionofapicture，thecompositionofadiscourse，theconductofathirdperson，theproportionsofdifferentquantitiesandnumbers，thevariousappearanceswhichthegreatmachineoftheuniverseisperpetuallyexhibiting，withthesecretwheelsandspringswhichproductthem；allthegeneralsubjectsofscienceandtaste，arewhatweandourcompanionregardashavingnopeculiarrelationtoeitherofus。Webothlookatthemfromthesamepointofview，andwehavenooccasionforsympathy，orforthatimaginarychangeofsituationsfromwhichitarises，inordertoproduce，withregardtothese，themostperfectharmonyofsentimentsandaffections。If，notwithstanding，weareoftendifferentlyaffected，itariseseitherfromthedifferentdegreesofattention，whichourdifferenthabitsoflifeallowustogiveeasilytotheseveralpartsofthosecomplexobjects，orfromthedifferentdegreesofnaturalacutenessinthefacultyofthemindtowhichtheyareaddressed。
　　Whenthesentimentsofourcompanioncoincidewithourowninthingsofthiskind，whichareobviousandeasy，andinwhich，perhaps，weneverfoundasinglepersonwhodifferedfromus，thoughwe，nodoubt，mustapproveofthem，yetheseemstodeservenopraiseoradmirationonaccountofthem。Butwhentheynotonlycoincidewithourown，butleadanddirectourown；wheninformingthemheappearstohaveattendedtomanythingswhichwehadoverlooked，andtohaveadjustedthemtoallthevariouscircumstancesoftheirobjects；wenotonlyapproveofthem，butwonderandaresurprisedattheiruncommonandunexpectedacutenessandcomprehensiveness，andheappearstodeserveaveryhighdegreeofadmirationandapplause。Forapprobationheightenedbywonderandsurprise，constitutesthesentimentwhichisproperlycalledadmiration，andofwhichapplauseisthenaturalexpression。Thedecisionofthemanwhojudgesthatexquisitebeautyispreferabletothegrossestdeformity，orthattwicetwoareequaltofour，mustcertainlybeapprovedofbyalltheworld，butwillnot，surely，bemuchadmired。Itistheacuteanddelicatediscernmentofthemanoftaste，whodistinguishestheminute，andscarceperceptibledifferencesofbeautyanddeformity；itisthecomprehensiveaccuracyoftheexperiencedmathematician，whounravels，withease，themostintricateandperplexedproportions；itisthegreatleaderinscienceandtaste，themanwhodirectsandconductsourownsentiments，theextentandsuperiorjustnessofwhosetalentsastonishuswithwonderandsurprise，whoexcitesouradmiration，andseemstodeserveourapplause:anduponthisfoundationisgroundedthegreaterpartofthepraisewhichisbestoweduponwhatarecalledtheintellectualvirtues。
　　Theutilityofthosequalities，itmaybethought，iswhatfirstrecommendsthemtous；and，nodoubt，theconsiderationofthis，whenwecometoattendtoit，givesthemanewvalue。
　　Originally，however，weapproveofanotherman’sjudgment，notassomethinguseful，butasright，asaccurate，asagreeabletotruthandreality:anditisevidentweattributethosequalitiestoitfornootherreasonbutbecausewefindthatitagreeswithourown。Taste，inthesamemanner，isoriginallyapprovedof，notasuseful，butasjust，asdelicate，andaspreciselysuitedtoitsobject。Theideaoftheutilityofallqualitiesofthiskind，isplainlyanafter-thought，andnotwhatfirstrecommendsthemtoourapprobation。
　　2。Withregardtothoseobjects，whichaffectinaparticularmannereitherourselvesorthepersonwhosesentimentswejudgeof，itisatoncemoredifficulttopreservethisharmonyandcorrespondence，andatthesametime，vastlymoreimportant。Mycompaniondoesnotnaturallylookuponthemisfortunethathasbefallenme，ortheinjurythathasbeendoneme，fromthesamepointofviewinwhichIconsiderthem。Theyaffectmemuchmorenearly。Wedonotviewthemfromthesamestation，aswedoapicture，orapoem，orasystemofphilosophy，andare，therefore，apttobeverydifferentlyaffectedbythem。ButIcanmuchmoreeasilyoverlookthewantofthiscorrespondenceofsentimentswithregardtosuchindifferentobjectsasconcernneithermenormycompanion，thanwithregardtowhatinterestsmesomuchasthemisfortunethathasbefallenme，ortheinjurythathasbeendoneme。Thoughyoudespisethatpicture，orthatpoem，oreventhatsystemofphilosophy，whichIadmire，thereislittledangerofourquarrellinguponthataccount。Neitherofuscanreasonablybemuchinterestedaboutthem。Theyoughtallofthemtobemattersofgreatindifferencetousboth；sothat，thoughouropinionsmaybeopposite，ouraffectionsmaystillbeverynearlythesame。ButitisquiteotherwisewithregardtothoseobjectsbywhicheitheryouorIareparticularlyaffected。
　　Thoughyourjudgmentsinmattersofspeculation，thoughyoursentimentsinmattersoftaste，arequiteoppositetomine，Icaneasilyoverlookthisopposition；andifIhaveanydegreeoftemper，Imaystillfindsomeentertainmentinyourconversation，evenuponthoseverysubjects。Butifyouhaveeithernofellow-feelingforthemisfortunesIhavemetwith，ornonethatbearsanyproportiontothegriefwhichdistractsme；orifyouhaveeithernoindignationattheinjuriesIhavesuffered，ornonethatbearsanyproportiontotheresentmentwhichtransportsme，wecannolongerconverseuponthesesubjects。Webecomeintolerabletooneanother。Icanneithersupportyourcompany，noryoumine。Youareconfoundedatmyviolenceandpassion，andIamenragedatyourcoldinsensibilityandwantoffeeling。
　　Inallsuchcases，thattheremaybesomecorrespondenceofsentimentsbetweenthespectatorandthepersonprincipallyconcerned，thespectatormust，firstofall，endeavour，asmuchashecan，toputhimselfinthesituationoftheother，andtobringhometohimselfeverylittlecircumstanceofdistresswhichcanpossiblyoccurtothesufferer。Hemustadoptthewholecaseofhiscompanionwithallitsminutestincidents；andstrivetorenderasperfectaspossible，thatimaginarychangeofsituationuponwhichhissympathyisfounded。
　　Afterallthis，however，theemotionsofthespectatorwillstillbeveryapttofallshortoftheviolenceofwhatisfeltbythesufferer。Mankind，thoughnaturallysympathetic，neverconceive，forwhathasbefallenanother，thatdegreeofpassionwhichnaturallyanimatesthepersonprincipallyconcerned。Thatimaginarychangeofsituation，uponwhichtheirsympathyisfounded，isbutmomentary。Thethoughtoftheirownsafety，thethoughtthattheythemselvesarenotreallythesufferers，continuallyintrudesitselfuponthem；andthoughitdoesnothinderthemfromconceivingapassionsomewhatanalogoustowhatisfeltbythesufferer，hindersthemfromconceivinganythingthatapproachestothesamedegreeofviolence。Thepersonprincipallyconcernedissensibleofthis，andatthesametimepassionatelydesiresamorecompletesympathy。Helongsforthatreliefwhichnothingcanaffordhimbuttheentireconcordoftheaffectionsofthespectatorswithhisown。Toseetheemotionsoftheirhearts，ineveryrespect，beattimetohisown，intheviolentanddisagreeablepassions，constituteshissoleconsolation。Buthecanonlyhopetoobtainthisbyloweringhispassiontothatpitch，inwhichthespectatorsarecapableofgoingalongwithhim。Hemustflatten，ifImaybeallowedtosayso，thesharpnessofitsnaturaltone，inordertoreduceittoharmonyandconcordwiththeemotionsofthosewhoareabouthim。
　　Whattheyfeel，will，indeed，alwaysbe，insomerespects，differentfromwhathefeels，andcompassioncanneverbeexactlythesamewithoriginalsorrow；becausethesecretconsciousnessthatthechangeofsituations，fromwhichthesympatheticsentimentarises，isbutimaginary，notonlylowersitindegree，but，insomemeasure，variesitinkind，andgivesitaquitedifferentmodification。Thesetwosentiments，however，may，itisevident，havesuchacorrespondencewithoneanother，asissufficientfortheharmonyofsociety。Thoughtheywillneverbeunisons，theymaybeconcords，andthisisallthatiswantedorrequired。
　　Inordertoproducethisconcord，asnatureteachesthespectatorstoassumethecircumstancesofthepersonprincipallyconcerned，sosheteachesthislastinsomemeasuretoassumethoseofthespectators。Astheyarecontinuallyplacingthemselvesinhissituation，andthenceconceivingemotionssimilartowhathefeels；soheisasconstantlyplacinghimselfintheirs，andthenceconceivingsomedegreeofthatcoolnessabouthisownfortune，withwhichheissensiblethattheywillviewit。Astheyareconstantlyconsideringwhattheythemselveswouldfeel，iftheyactuallywerethesufferers，soheisasconstantlyledtoimagineinwhatmannerhewouldbeaffectedifhewasonlyoneofthespectatorsofhisownsituation。Astheirsympathymakesthemlookatit，insomemeasure，withhiseyes，sohissympathymakeshimlookatit，insomemeasure，withtheirs，especiallywhenintheirpresenceandactingundertheirobservation:andasthereflectedpassion，whichhethusconceives，ismuchweakerthantheoriginalone，itnecessarilyabatestheviolenceofwhathefeltbeforehecameintotheirpresence，beforehebegantorecollectinwhatmannertheywouldbeaffectedbyit，andtoviewhissituationinthiscandidandimpartiallight。
　　Themind，therefore，israrelysodisturbed，butthatthecompanyofafriendwillrestoreittosomedegreeoftranquillityandsedateness。Thebreastis，insomemeasure，calmedandcomposedthemomentwecomeintohispresence。Weareimmediatelyputinmindofthelightinwhichhewillviewoursituation，andwebegintoviewitourselvesinthesamelight；
　　fortheeffectofsympathyisinstantaneous。Weexpectlesssympathyfromacommonacquaintancethanfromafriend:wecannotopentotheformerallthoselittlecircumstanceswhichwecanunfoldtothelatter:weassume，therefore，moretranquillitybeforehim，andendeavourtofixourthoughtsuponthosegeneraloutlinesofoursituationwhichheiswillingtoconsider。Weexpectstilllesssympathyfromanassemblyofstrangers，andweassume，therefore，stillmoretranquillitybeforethem，andalwaysendeavourtobringdownourpassiontothatpitch，whichtheparticularcompanyweareinmaybeexpectedtogoalongwith。Noristhisonlyanassumedappearance:forifweareatallmastersofourselves，thepresenceofamereacquaintancewillreallycomposeus，stillmorethanthatofafriend；andthatofanassemblyofstrangersstillmorethanthatofanacquaintance。