CHAP. II. Of the origin of Ambition, and of the diftinction of Ranks. T is because mankind are difpofed to fympathize more entirely with our joy than with our forrow, that we make parade of our riches, and conceal our poverty. Nothing is fo mortifying as to be obliged to expose our diftrefs to the view of the public, and to feel, that though our fituation is open to the eyes of all mankind, no mortal conceives for us the half of what we fuffer. Nay, it is chiefly from this regard to the fentiments of mankind, that we purfue riches and avoid poverty. For to what purpose is all the toil and bustle of this world? what is the end of avarice and ambition, of the purfuit of wealth, of power, and preheminence? Is it to fupply the neceffities of nature? The wages of the meanest labourer can fupply them. We fee fee that they afford him food and clothing, the comfort of a houfe, and of a family. If we examine his ceconomy with rigour, we should find that he spends a great part of them upon conveniences, which may be regarded as fuperfluities, and that, upon extraordinary occafions, he can give something even to vanity and diftinction. What then is the cause of our averfion to his fituation, and why should those who have been educated in the higher ranks of life, regard it as worfe than death, to be reduced to live, even without labour, upon the fame fimple fare with him, to dwell under the fame lowly roof, and to be clothed in the fame humble attire? Do they imagine that their ftomach is better, or their fleep founder, in a palace than in a cottage ? The contrary has been so often obferved, and, indeed, is fo very obvious, though it had never been obferved, that there is nobody ignorant of it. From whence, then, arifes that emulation which runs through all the different ranks of men, and what are the advantages which we propofe by that great purpose of human life which we call bettering our condition? To be obferved, to be attended to, to be taken notice of with fympathy, complacency, and approbation, are all the advantages which we can propose to derive from it. It is the vanity, not the ease, or the pleasure, which interefts us. But vanity is always founded upon the belief of our being the object of attention and approbation. The rich man glories in his riches, because he feels that they naturally draw upon him the atention of the world, and that mankind are difpofed to go along with him in all those agreeable emotions with which the advantages of his fituation fo readily infpire him. At the thought of this, his heart feems to fwell and dilate itself within him, and he is fonder of his wealth, upon this account, than for all the other advantages it procures him. The poor man, on the contrary, is afhamed of his poverty. He feels that it either places him out of the fight of mankind, or, that if they take any notice of him, they have, however, fcarce any fellow-feeling with the misery and distress which he fuffers. He is mortified upon both ac counts; counts; for though to be overlooked, and to be disapproved of, are things entirely different, yet as obfcurity covers us from the daylight of honour and approbation, to feel that we are taken no notice of, neceffarily damps the most agreeable hope, and disappoints the moft ardent defire, of human nature. The poor man goes out and comes in unheeded, and when in the midft of a crowd is in the fame obfcurity as if fhut up in his own hovel. Those humble cares and painful attentions which occupy those in his fituation, afford no amusement to the diffipated and the gay. They turn away their eyes from him, or if the extremity of his distress forces them to look at him, it is only to fpurn fo disagreeable an object from among them. The fortunate and the proud wonder at the infolence of human wretchedness, that it fhould dare to prefent itself before them, and with the loathsome aspect of its mifery presume to disturb the ferenity of their happiness. The man of rank and diftinction, on the contrary, is obferved by all the world. Every body body is eager to look at him, and to conceive, at least by fympathy, that joy and exultation with which his circumstances naturally inspire him. His actions are the objects of the public care. Scarce a word, fcarce a gefture, can fall from him that is altogether neglected. In a great affembly he is the perfon upon whom all direct their eyes; it is upon him that their paffions feem all to wait with expectation, in order to receive that movement and direction which he fhall imprefs upon them; and if his behaviour is not altogether abfurd, he has, every moment, an opportunity of interefting mankind, and of rendering himself the object of the observation and fellow-feeling of every body about him. It is this, which, notwithstanding the restraint it impofes, notwithstanding the lofs of liberty with which it is attended, renders greatness the object of envy, and compenfates, in the opinion of mankind, all that toil, all that anxiety, all those mortifications which muft be undergone in the pursuit of it; and what is of yet more confequence, all that |