JnAi-. IV. Moral Sense. 1 1 3 



A man cannot prevent past impressions often repassing through 

 his mind ; he will thus be driven to make a comparison between 

 the impressions of past hunger, vengeance satisiied, or danger 

 shunned at other men's cost, with the almost ever-present 

 'nstinct of sympathy, and with his early knowledge of what 

 others consider as praiseworthy or blameable. This knowledge 

 cannot be banished from his mind, and from instinctive sympathy 

 is esteemed of great moment. He will then feel as if he had 

 been baulked in following a present instinct or habit, and this 

 with all animals causes dissatisfaction, or even misery. 



The above case of the swallow affords an illustration, though 

 of a reversed nature, of a temporary though for the time strongly 

 persistent instinct conquering another instinct, which is usually 

 dominant over all others. At the proper season these birds 

 seem all day long to be impressed with the desire to migrate ; 

 their habits change ; they become restless, are noisy, and con- 

 gregate in flocks. Whilst the mother-bird is feeding, or brooding 

 over her nestlinKs, tlie maternal instinct is probably stronger 

 than the migratory ; but the instinct which is the more persis- 

 tent gains the victory, and at last, at a moment when her young 

 ones are not in sight, she takes flight and deserts them. Wht-n 

 arrived at the end of her long journey, and the migratory 

 instinct has ceased to act, what an agony of remorse the bird 

 would feel, if, from being endowed with great mental activity, 

 ^he coiild not prevent the image constantly passing through her 

 mind, of her young ones perishing in the bleak north from cold 

 and hunger. 



fined as hatred of another foi' some had done him an injury and had 

 excellence or success; and Bacon become his enemy. Nor is it pro- 

 insists (Essay ix.), "Of all other bable that the primitive conscience 

 " affections envy is the most im- would reproach a man for injuring 

 " port une and continual." Dogs aie his enemy : rather it would rc- 

 very apt to hate both strange men proach him, if he had not revenged 

 and strange dogs, especially if they himself. To do good in return for 

 live near at hand, but do not belong evil, to love your enemy, is a height 

 to the same family, tribe, or clan ; of morality to which it may be 

 this feeling would thus seem to be doubted whether the social instincts 

 innate, and is certainly a most per- would, by themselves, have ever led 

 iiitent one. It seems to be the us. It is necessary that these in- 

 complement and converse of the stincts, together with sympathy, 

 true social instinct. From what should have been highly cultivated 

 we hear of savages, it would appear and extended by the aid of reason, 

 that something of the same kind instruction, and the love or fear oi 

 holds good with them. If this be God, before any such golden rule 

 BO, it would be a small step in would ever be thought of and 

 «ny one to transfer such feelings to obeyed, 

 my meiD))er of the same tribe if he 



