Chap.XV. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 199 



Thofe two pafllons, the one for fenfual pleafures, the other for 

 beauty, are generally accompanied with another paflion; I mean the 

 love of money, which fiirnifhes a man not only all the fenfual plea- 

 fures he can wiOi for, but every thing that can procure him praife 

 and admiration not only for the fplendour of his table, but for all 

 the finery of his drefs, of his houfe, of his equipage, and of every 

 thing that can attradl the admiration of men. 



That all thefe pafTions and purfuits proceed from the fenfe 

 which we have of the beautiful, I think is evident; for as to drefs, 

 equipage, buildings, &c. we perceive beauty in them, which makes 

 ais defire them. But of all the things I have mentioned, there is 

 nothing we defire fo much as admiration and praife, becaufe the fub- 

 jedt of it is the beauty, not of fuch things as I have mentioned, but 

 cf ourfelves ; and which, therefore, gives us the greatefl: pleafure. 

 Governing other men gives us alfo that pleafure in a high degree, 

 becaufe it makes us believe that we are much fupcrior to the men 

 we govern : And this is the foundation of the paflion of ambi- 

 tion, which, as I have obferved, has produced fuch great events in 

 human life. 



But as the civilifed life was abfolutely neceffary for man's makin"- 

 any progrefs in this life towards a recovery from his fallen flate, what 

 evil it produces muft be reckoned in fome degree neceflary and un- 

 avoidable, (at lead with refpe£t to fome men), when the imperfedl 

 ftate of our intelledl is confidered. At the fame tiine, I think, it 

 could not well be reconciled with the wifdom and goodncfs of God, 

 if all men in that ftate were neceflarily miferable. But tliat is not 

 the cafe: For fome men, by cultivating arts and fcicnces, may im- 

 prove their intellect fo much, as to prevent thofe errors, which men, 

 in the civil life, fall into, and which are the caufe cf all their mi- 

 fcry ; and, if to the improvement of their intelligence by arts and 



fciences 



