Butweshouldbynomeansregardhimwiththatrespectandesteemwhichwouldseemduetoonewho，uponalikeoccasion，hadactedproperlyfromajustsenseofwhatwaspropertobedone。Noactioncanproperlybecalledvirtuous，whichisnotaccompaniedwiththesentimentofself-approbation。
SeeVoltaire。
VousygrillezsageetdoctePlaton，DivinHomere，eloquentCiceron，etc。
SeeThomson’sSeasons，Winter:
’Ah！littlethinkthegaylicentiousproud，etc。
SeealsoPascal。
SeeRobertson’sCharlesV。vol。ii，pp。14and15。firstedition。
OftheEffectofUtilityupontheSentimentofApprobationConsistingofOneSectionChap。I
OfthebeautywhichtheappearanceofUtilitybestowsuponalltheproductionsofart，andoftheextensiveinfluenceofthisspeciesofBeautyThatutilityisoneoftheprincipalsourcesofbeautyhasbeenobservedbyeverybody，whohasconsideredwithanyattentionwhatconstitutesthenatureofbeauty。Theconveniencyofahousegivespleasuretothespectatoraswellasitsregularity，andheisasmuchhurtwhenheobservesthecontrarydefect，aswhenheseesthecorrespondentwindowsofdifferentforms，orthedoornotplacedexactlyinthemiddleofthebuilding。Thatthefitnessofanysystemormachinetoproducetheendforwhichitwasintended，bestowsacertainproprietyandbeautyuponthewhole，andrenderstheverythoughtandcontemplationofitagreeable，issoveryobviousthatnobodyhasoverlookedit。
Thecausetoo，whyutilitypleases，hasoflatebeenassignedbyaningeniousandagreeablephilosopher，whojoinsthegreatestdepthofthoughttothegreatesteleganceofexpression，andpossessesthesingularandhappytalentoftreatingtheabstrusestsubjectsnotonlywiththemostperfectperspicuity，butwiththemostlivelyeloquence。Theutilityofanyobject，accordingtohim，pleasesthemasterbyperpetuallysuggestingtohimthepleasureorconveniencywhichitisfittedtopromote。
Everytimehelooksatit，heisputinmindofthispleasure；
andtheobjectinthismannerbecomesasourceofperpetualsatisfactionandenjoyment。Thespectatorentersbysympathyintothesentimentsofthemaster，andnecessarilyviewstheobjectunderthesameagreeableaspect。Whenwevisitthepalacesofthegreat，wecannothelpconceivingthesatisfactionweshouldenjoyifweourselveswerethemasters，andwerepossessedofsomuchartfulandingeniouslycontrivedaccommodation。Asimilaraccountisgivenwhytheappearanceofinconveniencyshouldrenderanyobjectdisagreeablebothtotheownerandtothespectator。
Butthatthisfitness，thishappycontrivanceofanyproductionofart，shouldoftenbemorevalued，thantheveryendforwhichitwasintended；andthattheexactadjustmentofthemeansforattaininganyconveniencyorpleasure，shouldfrequentlybemoreregarded，thanthatveryconveniencyorpleasure，intheattainmentofwhichtheirwholemeritwouldseemtoconsist，hasnot，sofarasIknow，beenyettakennoticeofbyanybody。Thatthishoweverisveryfrequentlythecase，maybeobservedinathousandinstances，bothinthemostfrivolousandinthemostimportantconcernsofhumanlife。
Whenapersoncomesintohischamber，andfindsthechairsallstandinginthemiddleoftheroom，heisangrywithhisservant，andratherthanseethemcontinueinthatdisorder，perhapstakesthetroublehimselftosetthemallintheirplaceswiththeirbackstothewall。Thewholeproprietyofthisnewsituationarisesfromitssuperiorconveniencyinleavingthefloorfreeanddisengaged。Toattainthisconveniencyhevoluntarilyputshimselftomoretroublethanallhecouldhavesufferedfromthewantofit；sincenothingwasmoreeasy，thantohavesethimselfdownupononeofthem，whichisprobablywhathedoeswhenhislabourisover。Whathew。antedtherefore，itseems，wasnotsomuchthisconveniency，asthatarrangementofthingswhichpromotesit。Yetitisthisconveniencywhichultimatelyrecommendsthatarrangement，andbestowsuponitthewholeofitsproprietyandbeauty。
Awatch，inthesamemanner，thatfallsbehindabovetwominutesinaday，isdespisedbyonecuriousinwatches。Hesellsitperhapsforacoupleofguineas，andpurchasesanotheratfifty，whichwillnotloseaboveaminuteinafortnight。Thesoleuseofwatcheshowever，istotelluswhato’clockitis，andtohinderusfrombreakinganyengagement，orsufferinganyotherinconveniencybyourignoranceinthatparticularpoint。
Butthepersonsonicewithregardtothismachine，willnotalwaysbefoundeithermorescrupulouslypunctualthanothermen，ormoreanxiouslyconcerneduponanyotheraccount，toknowpreciselywhattimeofdayitis。Whatinterestshimisnotsomuchtheattainmentofthispieceofknowledge，astheperfectionofthemachinewhichservestoattainit。
Howmanypeopleruinthemselvesbylayingoutmoneyontrinketsoffrivolousutility？Whatpleasestheseloversoftoysisnotsomuchtheutility，astheaptnessofthemachineswhicharefittedtopromoteit。Alltheirpocketsarestuffedwithlittleconveniencies。Theycontrivenewpockets，unknownintheclothesofotherpeople，inordertocarryagreaternumber。Theywalkaboutloadedwithamultitudeofbaubles，inweightandsometimesinvaluenotinferiortoanordinaryJew’s-box，someofwhichmaysometimesbeofsomelittleuse，butallofwhichmightatalltimesbeverywellspared，andofwhichthewholeutilityiscertainlynotworththefatigueofbearingtheburden。
Norisitonlywithregardtosuchfrivolousobjectsthatourconductisinfluencedbythisprinciple；itisoftenthesecretmotiveofthemostseriousandimportantpursuitsofbothprivateandpubliclife。
Thepoorman’sson，whomheaveninitsangerhasvisitedwithambition，whenhebeginstolookaroundhim，admirestheconditionoftherich。Hefindsthecottageofhisfathertoosmallforhisaccommodation，andfanciesheshouldbelodgedmoreathiseaseinapalace。Heisdispleasedwithbeingobligedtowalka-foot，ortoendurethefatigueofridingonhorseback。Heseeshissuperiorscarriedaboutinmachines，andimaginesthatinoneofthesehecouldtravelwithlessinconveniency。Hefeelshimselfnaturallyindolent，andwillingtoservehimselfwithhisownhandsaslittleaspossible；andjudges，thatanumerousretinueofservantswouldsavehimfromagreatdealoftrouble。
Hethinksifhehadattainedallthese，hewouldsitstillcontentedly，andbequiet，enjoyinghimselfinthethoughtofthehappinessandtranquillityofhissituation。Heisenchantedwiththedistantideaofthisfelicity。Itappearsinhisfancylikethelifeofsomesuperiorrankofbeings，and，inordertoarriveatit，hedevoteshimselfforevertothepursuitofwealthandgreatness。Toobtaintheconveniencieswhichtheseafford，hesubmitsinthefirstyear，nayinthefirstmonthofhisapplication，tomorefatigueofbodyandmoreuneasinessofmindthanhecouldhavesufferedthroughthewholeofhislifefromthewantofthem。Hestudiestodistinguishhimselfinsomelaboriousprofession。Withthemostunrelentingindustryhelaboursnightanddaytoacquiretalentssuperiortoallhiscompetitors。Heendeavoursnexttobringthosetalentsintopublicview，andwithequalassiduitysolicitseveryopportunityofemployment。Forthispurposehemakeshiscourttoallmankind；heservesthosewhomhehates，andisobsequioustothosewhomhedespises。Throughthewholeofhislifehepursuestheideaofacertainartificialandelegantreposewhichhemayneverarriveat，forwhichhesacrificesarealtranquillitythatisatalltimesinhispower，andwhich，ifintheextremityofoldageheshouldatlastattaintoit，hewillfindtobeinnorespectpreferabletothathumblesecurityandcontentmentwhichhehadabandonedforit。Itisthen，inthelastdregsoflife，hisbodywastedwithtoilanddiseases，hismindgalledandruffledbythememoryofathousandinjuriesanddisappointmentswhichheimagineshehasmetwithfromtheinjusticeofhisenemies，orfromtheperfidyandingratitudeofhisfriends，thathebeginsatlasttofindthatwealthandgreatnessaremeretrinketsoffrivolousutility，nomoreadaptedforprocuringeaseofbodyortranquillityofmindthanthetweezer-casesoftheloveroftoys；andlikethemtoo，moretroublesometothepersonwhocarriesthemaboutwithhimthanalltheadvantagestheycanaffordhimarecommodious。Thereisnootherrealdifferencebetweenthem，exceptthattheconvenienciesoftheonearesomewhatmoreobservablethanthoseoftheother。Thepalaces，thegardens，theequipage，theretinueofthegreat，areobjectsofwhichtheobviousconveniencystrikeseverybody。Theydonotrequirethattheirmastersshouldpointouttouswhereinconsiststheirutility。Ofourownaccordwereadilyenterintoit，andbysympathyenjoyandtherebyapplaudthesatisfactionwhichtheyarefittedtoaffordhim。Butthecuriosityofatooth-pick，ofanear-picker，ofamachineforcuttingthenails，orofanyothertrinketofthesamekind，isnotsoobvious。
Theirconveniencymayperhapsbeequallygreat，butitisnotsostriking，andwedonotsoreadilyenterintothesatisfactionofthemanwhopossessesthem。Theyarethereforelessreasonablesubjectsofvanitythanthemagnificenceofwealthandgreatness；
andinthisconsiststhesoleadvantageoftheselast。Theymoreeffectuallygratifythatloveofdistinctionsonaturaltoman。
Toonewhowastolivealoneinadesolateislanditmightbeamatterofdoubt，perhaps，whetherapalace，oracollectionofsuchsmallconvenienciesasarecommonlycontainedinatweezer-case，wouldcontributemosttohishappinessandenjoyment。Ifheistoliveinsociety，indeed，therecanbenocomparison，becauseinthis，asinallothercases，weconstantlypaymoreregardtothesentimentsofthespectator，thantothoseofthepersonprincipallyconcerned，andconsiderratherhowhissituationwillappeartootherpeople，thanhowitwillappeartohimself。Ifweexamine，however，whythespectatordistinguisheswithsuchadmirationtheconditionoftherichandthegreat，weshallfindthatitisnotsomuchuponaccountofthesuperioreaseorpleasurewhichtheyaresupposedtoenjoy，asofthenumberlessartificialandelegantcontrivancesforpromotingthiseaseorpleasure。Hedoesnotevenimaginethattheyarereallyhappierthanotherpeople:butheimaginesthattheypossessmoremeansofhappiness。Anditistheingeniousandartfuladjustmentofthosemeanstotheendforwhichtheywereintended，thatistheprincipalsourceofhisadmiration。Butinthelanguorofdiseaseandthewearinessofoldage，thepleasuresofthevainandemptydistinctionsofgreatnessdisappear。Toone，inthissituation，theyarenolongercapableofrecommendingthosetoilsomepursuitsinwhichtheyhadformerlyengagedhim。Inhishearthecursesambition，andvainlyregretstheeaseandtheindolenceofyouth，pleasureswhicharefledforever，andwhichhehasfoolishlysacrificedforwhat，whenhehasgotit，canaffordhimnorealsatisfaction。Inthismiserableaspectdoesgreatnessappeartoeverymanwhenreducedeitherbyspleenordiseasetoobservewithattentionhisownsituation，andtoconsiderwhatitisthatisreallywantingtohishappiness。
