believeitdoes,thosesuddenchangesoffortuneseldomcontributemuchtohappiness。Heishappiestwhoadvancesmoregraduallytogreatness,whomthepublicdestinestoeverystepofhisprefermentlongbeforehearrivesatit,inwhom,uponthataccount,whenitcomes,itcanexcitenoextravagantjoy,andwithregardtowhomitcannotreasonablycreateeitheranyjealousyinthoseheovertakes,oranyenvyinthoseheleavesbehind。
Mankind,however,morereadilysympathizewiththosesmallerjoyswhichflowfromlessimportantcauses。Itisdecenttobehumbleamidstgreatprosperity;butwecanscarceexpresstoomuchsatisfactioninallthelittleoccurrencesofcommonlife,inthecompanywithwhichwespenttheeveninglastnight,intheentertainmentthatwassetbeforeus,inwhatwassaidandwhatwasdone,inallthelittleincidentsofthepresentconversation,andinallthosefrivolousnothingswhichfillupthevoidofhumanlife。Nothingismoregracefulthanhabitualcheerfulness,whichisalwaysfoundeduponapeculiarrelishforallthelittlepleasureswhichcommonoccurrencesafford。Wereadilysympathizewithit:itinspiresuswiththesamejoy,andmakeseverytrifleturnuptousinthesameagreeableaspectinwhichitpresentsitselftothepersonendowedwiththishappydisposition。Henceitisthatyouth,theseasonofgaiety,soeasilyengagesouraffections。Thatpropensitytojoywhichseemseventoanimatethebloom,andtosparklefromtheeyesofyouthandbeauty,thoughinapersonofthesamesex,exalts,eventheaged,toamorejoyousmoodthanordinary。Theyforget,foratime,theirinfirmities,andabandonthemselvestothoseagreeableideasandemotionstowhichtheyhavelongbeenstrangers,butwhich,whenthepresenceofsomuchhappinessrecallsthemtotheirbreast,taketheirplacethere,likeoldacquaintance,fromwhomtheyaresorrytohaveeverbeenparted,andwhomtheyembracemoreheartilyuponaccountofthislongseparation。
Itisquiteotherwisewithgrief。Smallvexationsexcitenosympathy,butdeepafflictioncallsforththegreatest。Themanwhoismadeuneasybyeverylittledisagreeableincident,whoishurtifeitherthecookorthebutlerhavefailedintheleastarticleoftheirduty,whofeelseverydefectinthehighestceremonialofpoliteness,whetheritbeshewntohimselfortoanyotherperson,whotakesitamissthathisintimatefrienddidnotbidhimgood-morrowwhentheymetintheforenoon,andthathisbrotherhummedatuneallthetimehehimselfwastellingastory;whoisputoutofhumourbythebadnessoftheweatherwheninthecountry,bythebadnessoftheroadswhenuponajourney,andbythewantofcompany,anddulnessofallpublicdiversionswhenintown;suchaperson,Isay,thoughheshouldhavesomereason,willseldommeetwithmuchsympathy。Joyisapleasantemotion,andwegladlyabandonourselvestoitupontheslightestoccasion。Wereadily,therefore,sympathizewithitinothers,wheneverwearenotprejudicedbyenvy。Butgriefispainful,andthemind,evenwhenitisourownmisfortune,naturallyresistsandrecoilsfromit。Wewouldendeavoureithernottoconceiveitatall,ortoshakeitoffassoonaswehaveconceivedit。Ouraversiontogriefwillnot,indeed,alwayshinderusfromconceivingitinourowncaseuponverytriflingoccasions,butitconstantlypreventsusfromsympathizingwithitinotherswhenexcitedbythelikefrivolouscauses:foroursympatheticpassionsarealwayslessirresistiblethanouroriginalones。Thereis,besides,amaliceinmankind,whichnotonlypreventsallsympathywithlittleuneasinesses,butrenderstheminsomemeasurediverting。Hencethedelightwhichwealltakeinraillery,andinthesmallvexationwhichweobserveinourcompanion,whenheispushed,andurged,andteaseduponallsides。Menofthemostordinarygood-breedingdissemblethepainwhichanylittleincidentmaygivethem;andthosewhoaremorethoroughlyformedtosociety,turn,oftheirownaccord,allsuchincidentsintoraillery,astheyknowtheircompanionswilldoforthem。Thehabitwhichaman,wholivesintheworld,hasacquiredofconsideringhoweverythingthatconcernshimselfwillappeartoothers,makesthosefrivolouscalamitiesturnupinthesameridiculouslighttohim,inwhichheknowstheywillcertainlybeconsideredbythem。
Oursympathy,onthecontrary,withdeepdistress,isverystrongandverysincere。Itisunnecessarytogiveaninstance。
Weweepevenatthefeignedrepresentationofatragedy。Ifyoulabour,therefore,underanysignalcalamity,ifbysomeextraordinarymisfortuneyouarefallenintopoverty,intodiseases,intodisgraceanddisappointment;eventhoughyourownfaultmayhavebeen,inpart,theoccasion,yetyoumaygenerallydependuponthesincerestsympathyofallyourfriends,and,asfarasinterestandhonourwillpermit,upontheirkindestassistancetoo。Butifyourmisfortuneisnotofthisdreadfulkind,ifyouhaveonlybeenalittlebaulkedinyourambition,ifyouhaveonlybeenjiltedbyyourmistress,orareonlyhen-peckedbyyourwife,layyouraccountwiththerailleryofallyouracquaintance。
OftheEffectsofProsperityandAdversityupontheJudgmentofMankindwithregardtotheProprietyofAction;andwhyitismoreeasytoobtaintheirAprobationintheonestatethanintheotherChap。I
Thatthoughoursympathywithsorrowisgenerallyamorelivelysensationthanoursympathywithjoy,itcommonlyfallsmuchmoreshortoftheviolenceofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonprincipallyconcernedOursympathywithsorrow,thoughnotmorereal,hasbeenmoretakennoticeofthanoursympathywithjoy。Thewordsympathy,initsmostproperandprimitivesignification,denotesourfellow-feelingwiththesufferings,notthatwiththeenjoyments,ofothers。Alateingeniousandsubtilephilosopherthoughtitnecessarytoprove,byarguments,thatwehadarealsympathywithjoy,andthatcongratulationwasaprincipleofhumannature。Nobody,Ibelieve,everthoughtitnecessarytoprovethatcompassionwassuch。
Firstofall,oursympathywithsorrowis,insomesense,moreuniversalthanthatwithjoy。Thoughsorrowisexcessive,wemaystillhavesomefellow-feelingwithit。Whatwefeeldoesnot,indeed,inthiscase,amounttothatcompletesympathy,tothatperfectharmonyandcorrespondenceofsentimentswhichconstitutesapprobation。Wedonotweep,andexclaim,andlament,withthesufferer。Wearesensible,onthecontrary,ofhisweaknessandoftheextravaganceofhispassion,andyetoftenfeelaverysensibleconcernuponhisaccount。Butifwedonotentirelyenterinto,andgoalongwith,thejoyofanother,wehavenosortofregardorfellow-feelingforit。Themanwhoskipsanddancesaboutwiththatintemperateandsenselessjoywhichwecannotaccompanyhimin,istheobjectofourcontemptandindignation。
Painbesides,whetherofmindorbody,isamorepungentsensationthanpleasure,andoursympathywithpain,thoughitfallsgreatlyshortofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythesufferer,isgenerallyamorelivelyanddistinctperceptionthanoursympathywithpleasure,thoughthislastoftenapproachesmorenearly,asIshallshewimmediately,tothenaturalvivacityoftheoriginalpassion。
Overandaboveallthis,weoftenstruggletokeepdownoursympathywiththesorrowofothers。Wheneverwearenotundertheobservationofthesufferer,weendeavour,forourownsake,tosuppressitasmuchaswecan,andwearenotalwayssuccessful。
Theoppositionwhichwemaketoit,andthereluctancewithwhichweyieldtoit,necessarilyobligeustotakemoreparticularnoticeofit。Butweneverhaveoccasiontomakethisoppositiontooursympathywithjoy。Ifthereisanyenvyinthecase,weneverfeeltheleastpropensitytowardsit;andifthereisnone,wegivewaytoitwithoutanyreluctance。Onthecontrary,aswearealwaysashamedofourownenvy,weoftenpretend,andsometimesreallywishtosympathizewiththejoyofothers,whenbythatdisagreeablesentimentwearedisqualifiedfromdoingso。
Weareglad,wesayonaccountofourneighbour’sgoodfortune,wheninourhearts,perhaps,wearereallysorry。Weoftenfeelasympathywithsorrowwhenwewouldwishtoberidofit;andweoftenmissthatwithjoywhenwewouldbegladtohaveit。Theobviousobservation,therefore,whichitnaturallyfallsinourwaytomake,is,thatourpropensitytosympathizewithsorrowmustbeverystrong,andourinclinationtosympathizewithjoyveryweak。
Notwithstandingthisprejudice,however,Iwillventuretoaffirm,that,whenthereisnoenvyinthecase,ourpropensitytosympathizewithjoyismuchstrongerthanourpropensitytosympathizewithsorrow;andthatourfellow-feelingfortheagreeableemotionapproachesmuchmorenearlytothevivacityofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonsprincipallyconcerned,thanthatwhichweconceiveforthepainfulone。
Wehavesomeindulgenceforthatexcessivegriefwhichwecannotentirelygoalongwith。Weknowwhataprodigiouseffortisrequisitebeforethesufferercanbringdownhisemotions。tocompleteharmonyandconcordwiththoseofthespectator。Thoughhefails,therefore,weeasilypardonhim。Butwehavenosuchindulgencefortheintemperanceofjoy;becausewearenotconsciousthatanysuchvasteffortisrequisitetobringitdowntowhatwecanentirelyenterinto。Themanwho,underthegreatestcalamities,cancommandhissorrow,seemsworthyofthehighestadmiration;buthewho,inthefulnessofprosperity,caninthesamemannermasterhisjoy,seemshardlytodeserveanypraise。Wearesensiblethatthereisamuchwiderintervalintheonecasethanintheother,betweenwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonprincipallyconcerned,andwhatthespectatorcanentirelygoalongwith。
Whatcanheaddedtothehappinessofthemanwhoisinhealth,whoisoutofdebt,andhasaclearconscience?Tooneinthissituation,allaccessionsoffortunemayproperlybesaidtobesuperfluous;andifheismuchelevateduponaccountofthem,itmustbetheeffectofthemostfrivolouslevity。Thissituation,however,mayverywellbecalledthenaturalandordinarystateofmankind。Notwithstandingthepresentmiseryanddepravityoftheworld,sojustlylamented,thisreallyisthestateofthegreaterpartofmen。Thegreaterpartofmen,therefore,cannotfindanygreatdifficultyinelevatingthemselvestoallthejoywhichanyaccessiontothissituationcanwellexciteintheircompanion。
Butthoughlittlecanbeaddedtothisstate,muchmaybetakenfromit。Thoughbetweenthisconditionandthehighestpitchofhumanprosperity,theintervalisbutatrifle;betweenitandthelowestdepthofmiserythedistanceisimmenseandprodigious。Adversity,onthisaccount,necessarilydepressesthemindofthesufferermuchmorebelowitsnaturalstate,thanprosperitycanelevatehimaboveit。Thespectatortherefore,mustfinditmuchmoredifficulttosympathizeentirely,andkeepperfecttime,withhissorrow,thanthoroughlytoenterintohisjoy,andmustdepartmuchfurtherfromhisownnaturalandordinarytemperofmindintheonecasethanintheother。Itisonthisaccount,thatthoughoursympathywithsorrowisoftenamorepungentsensationthanoursympathywithjoy,italwaysfallsmuchmoreshortoftheviolenceofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonprincipallyconcerned。
Itisagreeabletosympathizewith,joy;andwhereverenvydoesnotopposeit,ourheartabandonsitselfwithsatisfactiontothehighesttransportsofthatdelightfulsentiment。Butitispainfultogoalongwithgrief,andwealwaysenterintoitwithreluctance。*Whenweattendtotherepresentationofatragedy,westruggleagainstthatsympatheticsorrowwhichtheentertainmentinspiresaslongaswecan,andwegivewaytoitatlastonlywhenwecannolongeravoidit:weeventhenendeavourtocoverourconcernfromthecompany。Ifweshedanytears,wecarefullyconcealthem,andareafraid,lestthespectators,notenteringintothisexcessivetenderness,shouldregarditaseffeminacyandweakness。Thewretchwhosemisfortunescalluponourcompassionfeelswithwhatreluctancewearelikelytoenterintohissorrow,andthereforeproposeshisgrieftouswithfearandhesitation:heevensmothersthehalfofit,andisashamed,uponaccountofthishard-heartednessofmankind,togiveventtothefulnessofhisaffliction。Itisotherwisewiththemanwhoriotsinjoyandsuccess。Whereverenvydoesnotinterestusagainsthim,heexpectsourcompletestsympathy。Hedoesnotfear,therefore,toannouncehimselfwithshoutsofexultation,infullconfidencethatweareheartilydisposedtogoalongwithhim。