StUDY XII. 4^ 



Independantly of the particular caufes of (hame, 

 which are unknown to me, I think I difcern one 

 in the two powers of which Man is conftituted. 

 The fenfe of love being, if I may fo exprefs my- 

 felf, the centre toward which all the phyfical fen- 

 fations converge, as thofe of perfumes, of mufic, 

 of agreeable colours, and forms, of the touch, of 

 delicate temperatures and favours; there refults 

 from thefc a very powerful oppofition to that other 

 intelledlual power, from which are derived the fen- 

 timents of divinity and immortality. Their con- 

 traft is fo much the more collifive, that the adl of 

 the firfl is in itfelf animal and blind, and that the 

 moral fentiment, which ufually accompanies love, 

 is more expanfive and more fublime. The lover, 

 accordingly, in order to render his miftrefs pro*- 

 pitious, never fails to make this take the lead, and 

 to employ every effort to amalgamate it with the 

 other fenfation. Thus, (hame arifes, in my opi- 

 nion, from the combat of thefe two powers; and 

 this is the reafon that children naturally have it 

 not, becaufe the fenfe of love is not yet unfolded 

 in them ; that young perfons have a great deal of 

 it, becaufe thofc two powers are afling in them 

 with all their energy ; and that moft old people 

 have none at all, becaufe they are pad the fenfe of 

 love, from a decay of Nature in them, or have loft 

 it's moral fentiment, from the corruption of So- 

 ciety ; or, which is a common cafe, from the effeâ: 



VOL. IV. E of 



