per. When the prefervation of an individual is inconfiftent with the safety of a multitude, nothing can be more juft than that the many should be preferred to the one. Yet this punishment, how neceffary foever, always appears to be exceffively fevere. The natural atrocity of the crime seems to be fo little, and the punishment fo great, that it is with great difficulty that our heart can reconcile itself to it. Though fuch careleffness appears very blamable, yet the thought of this crime does not naturally excite any fuch refentment, as would prompt us to take fuch dreadful revenge. A man of humanity muft recollect himself, must make an effort, and exert his whole firmnefs and refolution, before he can bring himself either to inflict it, or to go along with it when it is inflicted by others. It is not, however, in this manner, that he looks upon the just punishment of an ungrateful murderer or parricide. His heart, in this case, applauds with ardour, and even with transport, the just retaliation which feems due to fuch deteftable crimes, and which, if, by any accident, they should Q 2 happen

happen to escape, he would be highly enraged and disappointed. The very differ ent fentiments with which the spectator views thofe different punishments, is a proof that his approbation of the one is far from being founded upon the same principles with that of the other. He looks upon the centinel as an unfortunate victim, who, indeed, muft, and ought to be, devoted to the fafety of numbers, but whom ftill, in his heart, he would be glad to fave; and he is only forry that the interest of the many fhould oppofe it. But if the murderer fhould escape from punishment, it would excite his highest indignation, and he would call upon God to avenge, in another world, that crime which the injuftice of mankind had neglected to chaftife upon earth.

For it well deferves to be taken notice of, that we are fo far from imagining that injuftice ought to be punished in this life, merely on account of the order of society, which cannot otherwise be maintained, that Nature teaches us to hope, and religion,

pofe, authorifes us to expect, that it

will be punished, even in a life to come... Our sense of its ill defert pursues it, if I may fay fo, even beyond the grave, though the example of its punishment there cannot ferve to deter the rest of mankind, who fee it not, who know it not, from being guilty of the like practices here. The justice of God, however, we think, ftill requires, that he should hereafter avenge the injuries of the widow and the fatherlefs, who are here so often infulted with impunity. In every religion and in every fuperftition that the world has ever beheld, accordingly, there has been a Tartarus as well as an Elyfium; a place provided for the punishment of the wicked, as well as one for the reward of the juft.

e 3

SECTION III.

Of the Influence of Fortune upon the Sentiments of Mankind, with regard to the Merit or Demerit of Actions.

WH

INTRODUCTION.

HATEVER praife or blame can be due to any action, muft belong either, firft, to the intention or affection of the heart, from which it proceeds; or, fecondly, to the external action or movement of the body, which this affection gives occafion to; or, laftly, to the good or bad confequences, which actually, and in fact, proceed from it. These three different things constitute the whole nature and circumftances of the action, and must be the foundation of whatever quality can be long to it.

That

That the two laft of these three circumftances cannot be the foundation of any praise or blame, is abundantly evident; nor has the contrary ever been afferted by any body. The external action or movement of the body is often the fame in the moft innocent and in the moft blameable actions. He who shoots a bird, and he who fhoots a man, both of them perform the fame external movement: each of them draws the trigger of a gun. confequences which actually, and in fact, happen to proceed from any action, are, if poffible, still more indifferent either to praise or blame, than even the external movement of the body. As they depend, not upon the agent, but upon fortune, they cannot be the proper foundation for any fentiment, of which his character and conduct are the objects.

The

The only confequences for which he can be answerable, or by which he can deserve either approbation or disapprobation of any kind, are those which were fomeway or Q4

other