Asallthosewhohadarrivedatthisstateofperfection，wereequallyhappy。soallthosewhofellinthesmallestdegreeshortofit，hownearlysoevertheymightapproachtoit，wereequallymiserable。Astheman，theysaid，whowasbutaninchbelowthesurfaceofthewater，couldnomorebreathethanhewhowasanhundredyardsbelowit；sothemanwhohadnotcompletelysubduedallhisprivate，partial，andselfishpassions，whohadanyotherearnestdesirebutthatfortheuniversalhappiness，whohadnotcompletelyemergedfromthatabyssofmiseryanddisorderintowhichhisanxietyforthegratificationofthoseprivate，partial，andselfishpassionshadinvolvedhim，couldnomorebreathethefreeairoflibertyandindependency，couldnomoreenjoythesecurityandhappinessofthewiseman，thanhewhowasmostremotefromthatsituation。Asalltheactionsofthewisemanwereperfect，andequallyperfect；soallthoseofthemanwhohadnotarrivedatthissupremewisdomwerefaulty，and，assomeStoicspretended，equallyfaulty。Asonetruth，theysaid，couldnotbemoretrue，noronefalsehoodmorefalsethananother；soanhonourableactioncouldnotbemorehonourable，norashamefulonemoreshamefulthananother。Asinshootingatamark，themanwhomisseditbyaninchhadequallymisseditwithhimwhohaddonesobyahundredyards；sothemanwho，inwhattousappearsthemostinsignificantaction，hadactedimproperlyandwithoutasufficientreason，wasequallyfaultywithhimwhohaddonesoin，whattousappears，themostimportant；themanwhohaskilledacock，forexample，improperlyandwithoutasufficientreason，withhimwhohadmurderedhisfather。
Ifthefirstofthosetwoparadoxesshouldappearsufficientlyviolent，thesecondisevidentlytooabsurdtodeserveanyseriousconsideration。Itis，indeed，soveryabsurdthatonecanscarcehelpsuspectingthatitmusthavebeeninsomemeasuremisunderstoodormisrepresented。Atanyrate，I
cannotallowmyselftobelievethatsuchmenasZenoorCleanthes，men，itissaid，ofthemostsimpleaswellasofthemostsublimeeloquence，couldbetheauthors，eitherofthese，orofthegreaterpartoftheotherStoicalparadoxes，whichareingeneralmereimpertinentquibbles，anddosolittlehonourtotheirsystemthatIshallgivenofurtheraccountofthem。IamdisposedtoimputethemrathertoChrysippus，thediscipleandfollower，indeed，ofZenoandCleanthes，butwho，fromallthathasbeendelivereddowntousconcerninghim，seemstohavebeenameredialecticalpedant，withouttasteoreleganceofanykind。
Hemayhavebeenthefirstwhoreducedtheirdoctrinesintoascholasticortechnicalsystemofartificialdefinitions，divisions，andsubdivisions；oneofthemosteffectualexpedients，perhaps，forextinguishingwhateverdegreeofgoodsensetheremaybeinanymoralormetaphysicaldoctrine。Suchamanmayveryeasilybesupposedtohaveunderstoodtooliterallysomeanimatedexpressionsofhismastersindescribingthehappinessofthemanofperfectvirtue，andtheunhappinessofwhoeverfellshortofthatcharacter。
TheStoicsingeneralseemtohaveadmittedthattheremightbeadegreeofproficiencyinthosewhohadnotadvancedtoperfectvirtueandhappiness。Theydistributedthoseproficientsintodifferentclasses，accordingtothedegreeoftheiradvancement；andtheycalledtheimperfectvirtueswhichtheysupposedthemcapableofexercising，notrectitudes，butproprieties，fitnesses，decentandbecomingactions，forwhichaplausibleorprobablereasoncouldbeassigned，whatCiceroexpressesbytheLatinwordofficia，andSeneca，Ithinkmoreexactly，bythatofconvenientia。Thedoctrineofthoseimperfect，butattainablevirtues，seemstohaveconstitutedwhatwemaycallthepracticalmoralityoftheStoics。ItisthesubjectofCicero’sOffices；andissaidtohavebeenthatofanotherbookwrittenbyMarcusBrutus，butwhichisnowlost。
TheplanandsystemwhichNaturehassketchedoutforourconduct，seemstobealtogetherdifferentfromthatoftheStoicalphilosophy。
ByNaturetheeventswhichimmediatelyaffectthatlittledepartmentinwhichweourselveshavesomelittlemanagementanddirection，whichimmediatelyaffectourselves，ourfriends，ourcountry，aretheeventswhichinterestusthemost，andwhichchieflyexciteourdesiresandaversions，ourhopesandfears，ourjoysandsorrows。Shouldthosepassionsbe，whattheyareveryapttobe，toovehement，Naturehasprovidedaproperremedyandcorrection。Therealoreventheimaginarypresenceoftheimpartialspectator，theauthorityofthemanwithinthebreast，isalwaysathandtooverawethemintothepropertoneandtemperofmoderation。
If，notwithstandingourmostfaithfulexertions，alltheeventswhichcanaffectthislittledepartment，shouldturnoutthemostunfortunateanddisastrous，Naturehasbynomeansleftuswithoutconsolation。Thatconsolationmaybedrawn，notonlyfromthecompleteapprobationofthemanwithinthebreast，but，ifpossible，fromastillnoblerandmoregenerousprinciple，fromafirmrelianceupon，andareverentialsubmissionto，thatbenevolentwisdomwhichdirectsalltheeventsofhumanlife，andwhich，wemaybeassured，wouldneverhavesufferedthosemisfortunestohappen，hadtheynotbeenindispensablynecessaryforthegoodofthewhole。
Naturehasnotprescribedtousthissublimecontemplationasthegreatbusinessandoccupationofourlives。Sheonlypointsitouttousastheconsolationofourmisfortunes。TheStoicalphilosophyprescribesitasthegreatbusinessandoccupationofourlives。Thatphilosophyteachesustointerestourselvesearnestlyandanxiouslyinnoevents，externaltothegoodorderofourownminds，totheproprietyofourownchoosingandrejecting，exceptinthosewhichconcernadepartmentwhereweneitherhavenoroughttohaveanysortofmanagementordirection，thedepartmentofthegreatSuperintendantoftheuniverse。Bytheperfectapathywhichitprescribestous，byendeavouring，notmerelytomoderate，buttoeradicateallourprivate，partial，andselfishaffections，bysufferingustofeelforwhatevercanbefallourselves，ourfriends，ourcountry，noteventhesympatheticandreducedpassionsoftheimpartialspectator，itendeavourstorenderusaltogetherindifferentandunconcernedinthesuccessormiscarriageofeverythingwhichNaturehasprescribedtousastheproperbusinessandoccupationofourlives。
Thereasoningsofphilosophy，itmaybesaid，thoughtheymayconfoundandperplextheunderstanding，canneverbreakdownthenecessaryconnectionwhichNaturehasestablishedbetweencausesandtheireffects。Thecauseswhichnaturallyexciteourdesiresandaversions，ourhopesandfears，ourjoysandsorrows，wouldnodoubt，notwithstandingallthereasoningsofStoicism，produceuponeachindividual，accordingtothedegreeofhisactualsensibility，theirproperandnecessaryeffects。Thejudgmentsofthemanwithinthebreast，however，mightbeagooddealaffectedbythosereasonings，andthatgreatinmatemightbetaughtbythemtoattempttooveraweallourprivate，partial，andselfishaffectionsintoamoreorlessperfecttranquillity。Todirectthejudgmentsofthisinmateisthegreatpurposeofallsystemsofmorality。ThattheStoicalphilosophyhadverygreatinfluenceuponthecharacterandconductofitsfollowers，cannotbedoubted；andthatthoughitmightsometimesincitethemtounnecessaryviolence，itsgeneraltendencywastoanimatethemtoactionsofthemostheroicmagnanimityandmostextensivebenevolence。
IV。Besidestheseancient，therearesomemodernsystems，accordingtowhichvirtueconsistsinpropriety；orinthesuitablenessoftheaffectionfromwhichweact，tothecauseorobjectwhichexcitesit。ThesystemofDrClark，whichplacesvirtueinactingaccordingtotherelationsofthings，inregulatingourconductaccordingtothefitnessorincongruitywhichtheremaybeintheapplicationofcertainactionstocertainthings，ortocertainrelations:thatofMrWoollaston，whichplacesitinactingaccordingtothetruthofthings，accordingtotheirpropernatureandessence，orintreatingthemaswhattheyreallyare，andnotaswhattheyarenot:thatofmyLordShaftesbury，whichplacesitinmaintainingaproperbalanceoftheaffections，andinallowingnopassiontogobeyonditspropersphere；areallofthemmoreorlessinaccuratedescriptionsofthesamefundamentalidea。
Noneofthosesystemseithergive，orevenpretendtogive，anypreciseordistinctmeasurebywhichthisfitnessorproprietyofaffectioncanbeascertainedorjudgedof。Thatpreciseanddistinctmeasurecanbefoundnowherebutinthesympatheticfeelingsoftheimpartialandwell-informedspectator。
Thedescriptionofvirtue，besides，whichiseithergiven，oratleastmeantandintendedtobegivenineachofthosesystems，forsomeofthemodernauthorsarenotveryfortunateintheirmannerofexpressingthemselves，isnodoubtquitejust，sofarasitgoes。Thereisnovirtuewithoutpropriety，andwhereverthereisproprietysomedegreeofapprobationisdue。Butstillthisdescriptionisimperfect。Forthoughproprietyisanessentialingredientineveryvirtuousaction，itisnotalwaysthesoleingredient。Beneficentactionshaveinthemanotherqualitybywhichtheyappearnotonlytodeserveapprobationbutrecompense。Noneofthosesystemsaccounteithereasilyorsufficientlyforthatsuperiordegreeofesteemwhichseemsduetosuchactions，orforthatdiversityofsentimentwhichtheynaturallyexcite。Neitheristhedescriptionofvicemorecomplete。For，inthesamemanner，thoughimproprietyisanecessaryingredientineveryviciousaction，itisnotalwaysthesoleingredient；andthereisoftenthehighestdegreeofabsurdityandimproprietyinveryharmlessandinsignificantactions。Deliberateactions，ofapernicioustendencytothosewelivewith，have，besidestheirimpropriety，apeculiarqualityoftheirownbywhichtheyappeartodeserve，notonlydisapprobation，butpunishment；andtobetheobjects，notofdislikemerely，butofresentmentandrevenge:andnoneofthosesystemseasilyandsufficientlyaccountforthatsuperiordegreeofdetestationwhichwefeelforsuchactions。
OfthoseSystemswhichmakeVirtueconsistinPrudenceThemostancientofthosesystemswhichmakevirtueconsistinprudence，andofwhichanyconsiderableremainshavecomedowntous，isthatofEpicurus，whoissaid，however，tohaveborrowedalltheleadingprinciplesofhisphilosophyfromsomeofthosewhohadgonebeforehim，particularlyfromAristippus；
thoughitisveryprobable，notwithstandingthisallegationofhisenemies，thatatleasthismannerofapplyingthoseprincipleswasaltogetherhisown。
AccordingtoEpicurus，(9*)bodilypleasureandpainwerethesoleultimateobjectsofnaturaldesireandaversion。Thattheywerealwaysthenaturalobjectsofthosepassions，hethoughtrequirednoproof。Pleasuremight，indeed，appearsometimestobeavoided；not，however，becauseitwaspleasure，butbecause，bytheenjoymentofit，weshouldeitherforfeitsomegreaterpleasure，orexposeourselvestosomepainthatwasmoretobeavoidedthanthispleasurewastobedesired。Pain，inthesamemanner，mightappearsometimestobeeligible；not，however，becauseitwaspain，butbecausebyenduringitwemighteitheravoidastillgreaterpain，oracquiresomepleasureofmuchmoreimportance。Thatbodilypainandpleasure，therefore，werealwaysthenaturalobjectsofdesireandaversion，was，hethought，abundantlyevident。Norwasitlessso，heimagined，thattheywerethesoleultimateobjectsofthosepassions。Whateverelsewaseitherdesiredoravoided，wasso，accordingtohim，uponaccountofitstendencytoproduceoneorotherofthosesensations。Thetendencytoprocurepleasurerenderedpowerandrichesdesirable，asthecontrarytendencytoproducepainmadepovertyandinsignificancytheobjectsofaversion。Honourandreputationwerevalued，becausetheesteemandloveofthosewelivewithwereofthegreatestconsequencebothtoprocurepleasureandtodefendusfrompain。Ignominyandbadfame，onthecontrary，weretobeavoided，becausethehatred，contemptandresentmentofthosewelivedwith，destroyedallsecurity，andnecessarilyexposedustothegreatestbodilyevils。
