Chap.VII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 129 



of honour altogether, or having it in a fmall degree, mufl; be com- 

 pelled to do what is right by ftripes, the punilhment of Haves, not by 

 difgrace, thegreateft punifhment of freemen. While, therefore, what 

 is right, and truly praifeworthy, in life and manners, continues to be 

 honourable in a State, that State will continue to be free and pro- 

 fperous ; but, on the contrary, if what is bad becornes honourable, 

 or even things in themfelves indifferent, fuch as Wealth, but which, 

 by the ufe that is made of it, is truly faid to be the root of all evil, 

 that State wV\ foon ceafe to be free and happy. To abftain, there- 

 fore, from Money, in an age of Wealth and Luxury, is the higheft 

 compliment which Horace thought he could beftow upon one of his 

 friends; of whom he fays, that he was 



abftinens 



Ducentis adfe ctaiBa pecuniae *. 



Nor do I think that Livy has any where praifed his countrymen 

 more, than where he has faid, " That, in no country, Poverty con- 

 tinued fo long honourable f." — But to return to our fubjedl. 



To this Vanity is commonly joined Envy ; for the vain are almoft 

 all invidious. This is one of the worft paflions belonging to human 

 Nature, and yet it arifrs from a Senfe of what is Beautiful and 

 Praifeworthy in Character, and the Delire of being more efleemed 

 and refpe(Sted than others, upon that account. 



From the Senfe of the Beautiful arifes a Perception that appears al- 

 together oppofite, namely, the Perception of the Ridiculous:]; ; for the 

 Ridiculous is that which is Deformed : But philofophers know that 

 Vol. II. R there 



• Ad Lollium. — Lib. 4. Ode 9. 



t Iviv. in Proacmio. 



% See what I have faid upon this fubjcft, Vol. 3. p. 298. of Origin and Progrefs 



of Language. 



