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oppofition to it. We cannot in this cafe be displeased to see that motive prevail, which we think ought to prevail, though the perfon himself is fo weak as to think otherwife. As his conduct, however, is the effect of weaknefs, not principle, we are far from bestowing upon it any thing that approaches to compleat approbation. A bigotted Roman Catholick, who, during the maffacre of St. Bartholomew, had been fo overcome by compaffion, as to fave fome unhappy proteftants, whom he thought it his duty to destroy, would not seem to be entitled to that high applaufe which we should have bestowed upon him, had he exerted the fame generofity which compleat selfapprobation. We might be pleased with the humanity of his temper, but we should still regard him with a fort of pity which is altogether inconfiftent with the admiration that is due to perfect virtue. It is the fame cafe with all the other paffions. We do not diflike to see them exert themselves properly, even when a falfe notion of duty would direct the person to reftrain them. A very devout Quaker, who upon being ftruck upon one cheek, instead of turning up the other, fhould fo far forget his literal interpretation of our Saviour's precept, as to beftow fome good difcipline upon the brute that infulted him, would not be difagreeable to us. We should laugh and be diverted with his fpirit, and rather like him the better for it. But we should by no means regard him with that refpect and esteem which would seem due to

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one who, upon a like occafion, had acted properly from a juft fenfe of what was proper to be done. No action can properly be called virtuous, which is not accompanied with the fentiment of felf-approbation.

PART

PART IV.

Of the EFFECT of UTILITY upon the fentiment of approbation.

Of the beauty which the appearance of UTILITY beftows upon all the productions of art, and of the extenfive influence of this species of beauty.

TH

HAT utility is one of the principal fources of beauty has been obferved by every body, who has confidered with any attention what conftitutes the nature of beauty. The conveniency of a house gives pleafure to the fpectator as well as its regularity, and he is as much hurt when he obferves the contrary defect, as when he fees the correfpondent windows of different forms, or the door not placed exactly in the middle of the building. That the fitness of any fyftem or machine to produce the end for which it was intended, beftows a certain propriety and beauty upon the whole, and renders the very thought

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Part IV thought and contemplation of it agreeable, is fo very obvious that nobody has overlooked it...

The caufe too, why utility pleases, has of late been affigned by an ingenious and agreeable philofopher, who joins the greatest depth of thought to the greateft elegance of expreffion, and poffeffes the fingular and happy talent of treating the abftrufeft fubjects not only with the most perfect perfpicuity, but with the most lively eloquence. The utility of any object, according to him, pleases the mafter by perpetually fuggefting to him the pleasure or conveniency which it is fitted to promote. Every time he looks at it, he is put in mind of this pleasure; and the object in this manner becomes a fource of perpetual fatisfaction and enjoyment. The fpectator enters by fympathy into the fentiments of the mafter, and neceffarily views the object under the fame agreeable afpect. When we vifit the palaces of the great, we cannot help conceiving the fatisfaction we fhould enjoy if we ourselves were the mafters, and were poffeffed of fo much artful and ingeniously contrived accommodation. A fimilar account is given why the appearance of inconveniency should render any object difagreeable both to the owner and to the fpectator.

But that this fitnels, this happy contrivance of any production of art, fhould often be more valued, than the very end for which it was intended; and that the exact adjustment of the means for attaining any conve

niency or pleasure, fhould frequently be more regarded, than that very conveniency or pleafure, in the attainment of which their whole. merit would seem to confift, has not, so far as I know, been yet taken notice of by any body. That this however is very frequently the cafe, may be obferved in a thousand inftances, both in the moft frivolous and in the most important concerns of human life.

When a perfon comes into his chamber, and finds the chairs all standing in the middle of the room, he is angry with his fervant, and rather than fee them continue in that diforder, perhaps takes the trouble himself to fet them all in their places with their backs to the wall. The whole propriety of this new fituation arifes from its fuperior conveniency in leaving the floor free and difengaged. To attain this conveniency he voluntarily puts himself to more trouble than all he could have fuffered from the want of it; fince nothing was more eafy, than to have fet himfelf down upon one of them, which is probably what he does when his labour is over. What he wanted therefore, it seems, was not fo much this conveniency, as that arrangement of things which promotes it. Yet it is this conveniency which ultimately recommends that arrangement, and bestows the whole of its propriety and beauty.

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A watch, in the fame manner, that falls behind above two minutes in a day, is defpiled by one curious in watches. He fells it perhaps for a couple of guineas,

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chafes