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V.

CHAP. "the Eneid itself, however well executed, would, in this respect, PART II. " be of lefs utility; inasmuch as the genius of our tongue ac

"commodates itself more easily to the defcription of heroic "atchievements, than to the details of natural phenomena, "and of the operations of husbandry. To force it to exprefs "these with suitable dignity, would have been a real conquest over that false delicacy, which it has contracted from our un"fortunate prejudices."

How different must have been the emotions with which that divine performance of Virgil was read by an antient Roman, while he recollected that period in the hiftory of his country, when dictators were called from the plough to the defence of the ftate, and after having led monarchs in triumph, returned again to the fame happy and independent occupation. A ftate of manners to which a Roman author of a later age looked back with such enthusiasm, that he ascribes, by a bold poetical figure, the flourishing state of agriculture under the republic, to the grateful returns which the earth then made to the illuftrious hands by which she was cultivated. "Gaudente terra vomere "laureato, et triumphali aratore *."

PLIN. Nat. Hift. xviii. 4..

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CHA P.
V.

PART II.

SECTION III.

Of the Influence of Affociation on our active Principles, and on our moral Judgments.

IN

N order to illuftrate a little farther, the influence of the Affociation of Ideas on the human mind, I fhall add a few remarks on fome of its effects on our active and moral principles. In ftating these remarks, I shall endeavour to avoid, as much as poffible, every occafion of controverfy, by confining myself to fuch general views of the fubject, as do not prefuppofe any particular enumeration of our original principles of action, or any particular fyftem concerning the nature of the moral faculty. If health and leisure enable me to carry my plans into execution, I propofe, in the fequel of this work, to resume these inquiries, and to examine the various opinions to which they have given rise.

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THE manner in which the affociation of ideas operates in producing new principles of action, has been explained very diftinctly by different writers. Whatever conduces to the gratification of any natural appetite, or of any natural defire, is itself defired on account of the end to which it is fubfervient; and by being thus habitually affociated in our apprehenfion with agreeable objects, it frequently comes, in process of time, to be regarded as valuable in itself, independently of its utility. It is thus that wealth

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V.

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CHAP. wealth becomes, with many, an ultimate object of purfuit; alPART II. though, at firft, it is undoubtedly valued, merely on account of its fubferviency to the attainment of other objects. In like manner, men are led to defire drefs, equipage, retinue, furniture, on account of the estimation in which they are fuppofed to be held by the public. Such defires are called by Dr. Hutchefon* fecondary defires; and their origin is explained by him in the way which I have mentioned. "Since we are capable," fays he, "of reflection, memory, obfervation, and reasoning about "the diftant tendencies of objects and actions, and not confined "to things prefent, there must arise, in confequence of our

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original defires, fecondary defires of every thing imagined "useful to gratify any of the primary defires; and that with "ftrength proportioned to the feveral original defires, and

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imagined usefulness or neceffity of the advantageous object.” "Thus," he continues, " as foon as we come to apprehend "the ufe of wealth or power to gratify any of our original defires, we must also defire them; and hence arifes the uni"verfality of these defires of wealth and power, fince they are "the means of gratifying all other defires." The only thing that appears to me exceptionable in the foregoing paffage is, that the author claffes the defire of power with that of wealth; whereas I apprehend it to be clear, (for reasons which I fhall ftate in another part of this work,) that the former is a primary defire, and the latter a fecondary one.

OUR moral judgments, too, may be modified, and even perverted, to a certain degree, in confequence of the operation of

* See his Effay on the Nature and Conduct of the Passions,

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the fame principle. In the fame manner in which a perfon who is regarded as a model of taste may introduce, by his example, an abfurd or fantastical drefs; fo a man of fplendid virtues may attract fome efteem alfo to his imperfections; and, if placed in a confpicuous fituation, may render his vices and follies objects of general imitation among the multitude.

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"In the reign of Charles II." fays Mr. Smith *, a degree "of licentioufnefs was deemed the characteristic of a liberal "education. It was connected, according to the notions of "thofe times, with generofity, fincerity, magnanimity, loyalty;"and proved that the person who acted in this manner, was

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a gentleman, and not a puritan. Severity of manners, "and regularity of conduct, on the other hand, were alto"gether unfashionable, and were connected, in the imagina"tion of that age, with cant, cunning, hypocrify, and low manners. To fuperficial minds, the vices of the great feem at all times agreeable. They connect them, not only with. "the fplendor of fortune, but with many fuperior virtues"which they afcribe to their superiors; with the spirit of free“dom and independency; with frankness, generosity, humanity, and politenefs. The virtues of the inferior ranks of people, on the contrary, their parfimonious frugality, their painful induftry, and rigid adherence to rules, feem to them mean and disagreeable. They connect them both with the "meanness of the ftation to which these qualities commonly "belong, and with many great vices which they suppose

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* Theory of Moral Sentiments.

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V.

CHAP. « ufually accompany them; fuch as an abject, cowardly, illPART II. "natured, lying, pilfering difpofition."

THE theory which, in the foregoing paffages from Hutchefon and Smith, is employed fo juftly and philofophically to explain the origin of our fecondary defires, and to account for fome perverfions of our moral judgments, has been thought fufficient, by fome later writers, to account for the origin of all our active principles without exception. The firft of these attempts to extend fo very far the application of the doctrine of Affociation was made by the Reverend Mr. Gay, in a differtation " "cerning the fundamental Principle of Virtue," which is prefixed by Dr. Law to his tranflation of Archbishop King's Effay

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on the Origin of Evil." In this differtation, the author endeavours to fhew, "that our approbation of morality, and all "affections whatsoever, are finally refolvable into reafon, point❝ing out private happiness, and are converfant only about "things apprehended to be means tending to this end; and "that wherever this end is not perceived, they are to be ac"counted for from the affociation of ideas, and may properly "be called habits." The fame principles have been fince pushed to a much greater length by Dr. Hartley, whose system (as he himself informs us) took rife from his accidentally hearing it mentioned as an opinion of Mr. Gay, "that the affoci"ation of ideas was fufficient to account for all our intellectual pleasures and pains *.

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* Mr. Hume too, who in my opinion has carried this principle of the Affociation of Ideas a great deal too far, has compared the univerfality of its appli

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