Whyshouldwebemoreashamedtoweepthantolaughbeforecompany？Wemayoftenhaveasrealoccasiontodotheoneastodotheother。butwealwaysfeelthatthespectatorsaremorelikelytogoalongwithusintheagreeable，thaninthepainfulemotion。Itisalwaysmiserabletocomplain，evenwhenweareoppressedbythemostdreadfulcalamities。Butthetriumphofvictoryisnotalwaysungraceful。Prudence，indeed，wouldoftenadviseustobearourprosperitywithmoremoderation；becauseprudencewouldteachustoavoidthatenvywhichthisverytriumphis，morethananything，apttoexcite。
Howheartyaretheacclamationsofthemob，whoneverbearanyenvytotheirsuperiors，atatriumphorapublicentry？Andhowsedateandmoderateiscommonlytheirgriefatanexecution？
Oursorrowatafuneralgenerallyamountstonomorethananaffectedgravity。butourmirthatachristeningoramarriage，isalwaysfromtheheart，andwithoutanyaffectation。Uponthese，andallsuchjoyousoccasions，oursatisfaction，thoughnotsodurable，isoftenaslivelyasthatofthepersonsprincipallyconcerned。Wheneverwecordiallycongratulateourfriends，which，however，tothedisgraceofhumannature，wedobutseldom，theirjoyliterallybecomesourjoy。weare，forthemoment，ashappyastheyare:ourheartswellsandoverflowswithrealpleasure:joyandcomplacencysparklefromoureyes，andanimateeveryfeatureofourcountenance，andeverygestureofourbody。
But，onthecontrary，whenwecondolewithourfriendsintheirafflictions，howlittledowefeel，incomparisonofwhattheyfeel？Wesitdownbythem，welookatthem，andwhiletheyrelatetousthecircumstancesoftheirmisfortune，welistentothemwithgravityandattention。Butwhiletheirnarrationiseverymomentinterruptedbythosenaturalburstsofpassionwhichoftenseemalmosttochoaktheminthemidstofit；howfararethelanguidemotionsofourheartsfromkeepingtimetothetransportsoftheirs？Wemaybesensible，atthesametime，thattheirpassionisnatural，andnogreaterthanwhatweourselvesmightfeeluponthelikeoccasion。Wemayeveninwardlyreproachourselveswithourownwantofsensibility，andperhaps，onthataccount，workourselvesupintoanartificialsympathy，which，however，whenitisraised，isalwaystheslightestandmosttransitoryimaginable；andgenerally，assoonaswehavelefttheroom，vanishes，andisgoneforever。Nature，itseems，whensheloadeduswithourownsorrows，thoughtthattheywereenough，andthereforedidnotcommandustotakeanyfurthershareinthoseofothers，thanwhatwasnecessarytopromptustorelievethem。
Itisonaccountofthisdullsensibilitytotheafflictionsofothers，thatmagnanimityamidstgreatdistressappearsalwayssodivinelygraceful。Hisbehaviourisgenteelandagreeablewhocanmaintainhischeerfulnessamidstanumberoffrivolousdisasters。Butheappearstobemorethanmortalwhocansupportinthesamemannerthemostdreadfulcalamities。Wefeelwhatanimmenseeffortisrequisitetosilencethoseviolentemotionswhichnaturallyagitateanddistractthoseinhissituation。Weareamazedtofindthathecancommandhimselfsoentirely。Hisfirmness，atthesametime，perfectlycoincideswithourinsensibility。Hemakesnodemanduponusforthatmoreexquisitedegreeofsensibilitywhichwefind，andwhichwearemortifiedtofind，thatwedonotpossess。Thereisthemostperfectcorrespondencebetweenhissentimentsandours，andonthataccountthemostperfectproprietyinhisbehaviour。Itisaproprietytoo，which，fromourexperienceoftheusualweaknessofhumannature，wecouldnotreasonablyhaveexpectedheshouldbeabletomaintain。Wewonderwithsurpriseandastonishmentatthatstrengthofmindwhichiscapableofsonobleandgenerousaneffort。Thesentimentofcompletesympathyandapprobation，mixedandanimatedwithwonderandsurprise，constituteswhatisproperlycalledadmiration，ashasalreadybeenmorethanoncetakennoticeofCato，surroundedonallsidesbyhisenemies，unabletoresistthem，disdainingtosubmittothem，andreduced，bytheproudmaximsofthatage，tothenecessityofdestroyinghimself；yetnevershrinkingfromhismisfortunes，neversupplicatingwiththelamentablevoiceofwretchedness，thosemiserablesympathetictearswhichwearealwayssounwillingtogive；butonthecontrary，arminghimselfwithmanlyfortitude，andthemomentbeforeheexecuteshisfatalresolution，giving，withhisusualtranquillity，allnecessaryordersforthesafetyofhisfriends；appearstoSeneca，thatgreatpreacherofinsensibility，aspectaclewhicheventhegodsthemselvesmightbeholdwithpleasureandadmiration。
Wheneverwemeet，incommonlife，withanyexamplesofsuchheroicmagnanimity，wearealwaysextremelyaffected。Wearemoreapttoweepandshedtearsforsuchas，inthismanner，seemtofeelnothingforthem。andinselves，thanforthosewhogivewaytoalltheweaknessofsorrow:thisparticularcase，thesympatheticgriefofthespectatorappearstogobeyondtheoriginalpassioninthepersonprincipallyconcerned。ThefriendsofSocratesallweptwhenhedrankthelastpotion，whilehehimselfexpressedthegayestandmostcheerfultranquillity。Uponallsuchoccasionsthespectatormakesnoeffort，andhasnooccasiontomakeany，inordertoconquerhissympatheticsorrow。
Heisundernofearthatitwilltransporthimtoanythingthatisextravagantandimproper；heisratherpleasedwiththesensibilityofhisownheart，andgiveswaytoitwithcomplacenceandself-approbation。Hegladlyindulges，therefore，themostmelancholyviewswhichcannaturallyoccurtohim，concerningthecalamityofhisfriend，forwhom，perhaps，heneverfeltsoexquisitelybefore，thetenderandtearfulpassionoflove。Butitisquiteotherwisewiththepersonprincipallyconcerned。Heisobliged，asmuchaspossible，toturnawayhiseyesfromwhateveriseithernaturallyterribleordisagreeableinhissituation。Tooseriousanattentiontothosecircumstances，hefears，mightmakesoviolentanimpressionuponhim，thathecouldnolongerkeepwithintheboundsofmoderation，orrenderhimselftheobjectofthecompletesympathyandapprobationofthespectators。Hefixeshisthoughts，therefore，uponthoseonlywhichareagreeable，theapplauseandadmirationwhichheisabouttodeservebytheheroicmagnanimityofhisbehaviour。Tofeelthatheiscapableofsonobleandgenerousaneffort，tofeelthatinthisdreadfulsituationhecanstillactashewoulddesiretoact，animatesandtransportshimwithjoy，andenableshimtosupportthattriumphantgaietywhichseemstoexultinthevictoryhethusgainsoverhismisfortunes。
Onthecontrary，healwaysappears，insomemeasure，meananddespicable，whoissunkinsorrowanddejectionuponaccountofanycalamityofhisown。Wecannotbringourselvestofeelforhimwhathefeelsforhimself，andwhat，perhaps，weshouldfeelforourselvesifinhissituation:we，therefore，despisehim；
unjustly，perhaps，ifanysentimentcouldberegardedasunjust，towhichwearebynatureirresistiblydetermined。Theweaknessofsorrowneverappearsinanyrespectagreeable，exceptwhenitarisesfromwhatwefeelforothersmorethanfromwhatwefeelforourselves。Ason，uponthedeathofanindulgentandrespectablefather，maygivewaytoitwithoutmuchblame。Hissorrowischieflyfoundeduponasortofsympathywithhisdepartedparentandwereadilyenterintothishumaneemotion。
Butifheshouldindulgethesameweaknessuponaccountofanymisfortunewhichaffectedhimselfonly，hewouldnolongermeetwithanysuchindulgence。Ifheshouldbereducedtobeggaryandruin，ifheshouldbeexposedtothemostdreadfuldangers，ifheshouldevenbeledouttoapublicexecution，andthereshedonesingletearuponthescaffold，hewoulddisgracehimselfforeverintheopinionofallthegallantandgenerouspartofmankind。
Theircompassionforhim，however，wouldbeverystrong，andverysincere；butasitwouldstillfallshortofthisexcessiveweakness，theywouldhavenopardonforthemanwhocouldthusexposehimselfintheeyesoftheworld。Hisbehaviourwouldaffectthemwithshameratherthanwithsorrow；andthedishonourwhichhehadthusbroughtuponhimselfwouldappeartothemthemostlamentablecircumstanceinhismisfortune。HowdiditdisgracethememoryoftheintrepidDukeofBiron，whohadsooftenbraveddeathinthefield，thatheweptuponthescaffold，whenhebeheldthestatetowhichhewasfallen，andrememberedthefavourandthegloryfromwhichhisownrashnesshadsounfortunatelythrownhim！
OftheoriginofAmbition，andofthedistinctionofRanksItisbecausemankindaredisposedtosympathizemoreentirelywithourjoythanwithoursorrow，thatwemakeparadeofourriches，andconcealourpoverty。Nothingissomortifyingastobeobligedtoexposeourdistresstotheviewofthepublic，andtofeel，thatthoughoursituationisopentotheeyesofallmankind，nomortalconceivesforusthehalfofwhatwesuffer。Nay，itischieflyfromthisregardtothesentimentsofmankind，thatwepursuerichesandavoidpoverty。Fortowhatpurposeisallthetoilandbustleofthisworld？whatistheendofavariceandambition，ofthepursuitofwealth，ofpower，andpreheminence？Isittosupplythenecessitiesofnature？Thewagesofthemeanestlabourercansupplythem。Weseethattheyaffordhimfoodandclothing，thecomfortofahouse，andofafamily。Ifweexaminedhisoeconomywithrigour，weshouldfindthathespendsagreatpartofthemuponconveniencies，whichmayberegardedassuperfluities，andthat，uponextraordinaryoccasions，hecangivesomethingeventovanityanddistinction。
Whatthenisthecauseofouraversiontohissituation，andwhyshouldthosewhohavebeeneducatedinthehigherranksoflife，regarditasworsethandeath，tobereducedtolive，evenwithoutlabour，uponthesamesimplefarewithhim，todwellunderthesamelowlyroof，andtobeclothedinthesamehumble。
attire？Dotheyimaginethattheirstomachisbetter，ortheirsleepsounderinapalacethaninacottage？Thecontraryhasbeensooftenobserved，and，indeed，issoveryobvious，thoughithadneverbeenobserved，thatthereisnobodyignorantofit。
Fromwhence，then，arisesthatemulationwhichrunsthroughallthedifferentranksofmen，andwhataretheadvantageswhichweproposebythatgreatpurposeofhumanlifewhichwecallbetteringourcondition？Tobeobserved，tobeattendedto，tobetakennoticeofwithsympathy，complacency，andapprobation，arealltheadvantageswhichwecanproposetoderivefromit。Itisthevanity，nottheease，orthepleasure，whichinterestsus。
Butvanityisalwaysfoundeduponthebeliefofourbeingtheobjectofattentionandapprobation。Therichmangloriesinhisriches，becausehefeelsthattheynaturallydrawuponhimtheattentionoftheworld，andthatmankindaredisposedtogoalongwithhiminallthoseagreeableemotionswithwhichtheadvantagesofhissituationsoreadilyinspirehim。Atthethoughtofthis，hisheartseemstoswellanddilateitselfwithinhim，andheisfonderofhiswealth，uponthisaccount，thanforalltheotheradvantagesitprocureshim。Thepoorman，onthecontrary，isashamedofhispoverty。Hefeelsthatiteitherplaceshimoutofthesightofmankind，or，thatiftheytakeanynoticeofhim，theyhave，however，scarceanyfellow-feelingwiththemiseryanddistresswhichhesuffers。Heismortifieduponbothaccounts。forthoughtobeoverlooked，andtobedisapprovedof，arethingsentirelydifferent，yetasobscuritycoversusfromthedaylightofhonourandapprobation，tofeelthatwearetakennonoticeof，necessarilydampsthemostagreeablehope，anddisappointsthemostardentdesire，ofhumannature。Thepoormangoesoutandcomesinunheeded，andwheninthemidstofacrowdisinthesameobscurityasifshutupinhisownhovel。Thosehumblecaresandpainfulattentionswhichoccupythoseinhissituation，affordnoamusementtothedissipatedandthegay。Theyturnawaytheireyesfromhim，oriftheextremityofhisdistressforcesthemtolookathim，itisonlytospurnsodisagreeableanobjectfromamongthem。Thefortunateandtheproudwonderattheinsolenceofhumanwretchedness，thatitshoulddaretopresentitselfbeforethem，andwiththeloathsomeaspectofitsmiserypresumetodisturbtheserenityoftheirhappiness。
