eter: Be ND TX, ae 
of his conduct, fcarcely ever fail to influence confiderably our 
judgment with refpec to both ; by leading us to form a good 
or a bad opinion of the prudence with which the action was 
performed, and by animating our fenfe of the merit or deme- 
rit of his defign. Thefe facts, however, do not furnifh any 
objeGtions which are peculiarly applicable to Mr Smiru’s. 
theory ; for whatever hypothefis we may adopt with refpect 
to the origin of our moral perceptions, all men muft acknow- 
ledge, that in fo far as the profperous or the unprofperous. event 
of an action depends on fortune: or on accident, it ought nei- 
ther to increafe nor to diminifh our moral’ approbation or dif- 
approbation of the agent. And accordingly it Has, in all ages 
of the world, been the complaint of moralifts, that the a@ual 
fentiments of mankind {fhould fo often be in oppofition to this 
equitable and indifputable maxim. In examining, therefore, 
this irregularity of our moral fentiments, Mr SmirH is to be- 
confidered, not as obviating an objeétion peculiar to his own. 
Accountiof 
Dr Smith, 
fyftem, but as-removing a difficulty which is equally conne@ted’ - 
with every theory on the fubject which has ever been propofed. 
So far as-I know, he is the firit philofopher who kas been fully 
aware of the importance of the difficulty, and he has indeed 
treated it with great ability and fuccefs. The explanation. 
which he gives of it is not warped in the leaft by any pecu- 
liarity in his own fcheme ; and, I muft own, it appears to me 
to be the moft folid and valuable improvement he has made 
in this branch of fcience. It is impoffible to give any abftract 
of it in a {ketch of this kind; and therefore I. muft content 
myfelf with remarking, that it confifts of three parts. The 
firft explains: the caufes of this irregularity of fentiment; the 
fecond, the extent of its influence; and the third, the im- 
portant purpofes to which it is fubfervient. His remarks. on. 
the laft of thefe heads are more particularly ingenious and 
pleafing ; as their object is to thew. in oppofition to what we 
thould. be difpofed at firft to apprehend, that when nature im- 
is planted 
