PHILOSOPHY, MENTAL. 
nature. To these we may add the oppo- 
sition between the otFensiveness, dangers, 
and corruption of populous cities, and the 
health, tranquillity, and innocence, which 
the actual view or the mental contempla- 
tion of rural scenes introduces ; and the 
pleasures of sociality and affection, which 
have many connections with them; and 
those pleasures which the opinions and en- 
comiums of others respecting natural beau- 
ties produce in us, in this, as in other cases, 
by means of the contagiousness observable 
in mental, as well as in bodily dispositions. 
It is also to be remarked, that green, which 
is the most agreeable to the organ of sight, 
is the most general colour of the vegetable 
kingdom, that is of external nature ; but at 
the same time with so many varieties, that it 
loses little or none of its effect in producing 
pleasure, which it would do if it were all 
of the same tint. Those persons who have 
already formed high ideas of the power, 
knowledge, and goodness of the author of 
nature, with suitable affections, generally 
feel the exalted pleasures of devotion upon 
every view and contemplation of his works, 
either in an explicit and distinct manner, 
or in a more secret and implicit one : hence 
part of the general indeterminate pleasures 
here considered, is deducible from the 
pleasures of theopathy. 
74. The above may be considered as the 
principal sources of the beauties of nature 
to mankind in general. Inquisitive and 
philosophical persons have some others, 
arising from their peculiar knowledge and 
study of natural history, astronomy, and 
philosophy in general : for the profusion ,of 
beauties, uses, fitnesses, elegance in minute 
things, and magnificence in great ones, 
exceed all bounds of imagination ; and 
new scenes, and those of unbounded ex- 
tent, separately considered, ever present 
themselves to view, the more any one 
studies and contemplates the works of God. 
Upon the whole the reader may see that 
there are sufficient sources for all those 
pleasures of imagination which the beaulies 
of nature excite in different persons; and 
that the differences which are, in this re- 
spect, found in different persons, are suffi- 
ciently analogous to the differences of their 
situations in life, and of the consequent 
associations formed in them. Those -who 
are closely attentive to wdiat passes within 
them, may also, when contemplating the 
beaiiti( s of nature, frequently discern the 
reliots of many of the particular pleasures 
here enumerated, while tliey recur in a 
separate state, and before they coalesce 
with the general indeterminate aggregate, 
and this verifies the account here given. 
It is also a confirmation of it, that an atten- 
tive person may observe great differences 
in the kind and degree of the relish which 
he has for the beauties of nature in different 
periods of his life; especially as the kind 
and degree will be found to agree in the 
main with the foregoing account. To the 
same purpose it may be observed, that these 
pleasures do not cloy very soon, but are of 
a lasting nature when compared with the 
sensible ones ; since this follows naturally 
from the great variety of their sources, and 
the evanescent nature of their constituent 
parts. 
k. Of the Pleasures and Pains of Ambi- 
tion, 
75. The opinions of others concerning 
us, when expressed by corresponding words 
or actions, are principal sources of happi- 
ness or misgry. The pleasures of this kind 
are usually referred to the head of honour, 
the pains to that of shame. We are here 
to inquire by what associations it is bianight 
about, that men are solicitous to have cer- 
tain particulars com erning themselves made 
known to the circle of their friends and 
acquaintance, or to the world in general ; 
and certain others concealed from them : 
and also, why all indications that these 
kinds of particulars are made knowm, so as 
to produce approbation, esteem, praise, &c, 
or dislike, censure, contempt, &c. occasion 
such exquisite pleasures as those of honour 
and shame. ^ — These particulars may be 
classed under four heads : external advan- 
tages or disadvantages ; bodily perfections 
and imperfections ; intellectual accomplish- 
ments and defects; moral ones, that is, vir- 
tue or vice. We shall, as before, select 
the analysis of one of these classes of the 
feelings of ambition. 
76. The intellectual accomplishments and 
defects which occasion the feelinss of am- 
bition, are, sagacity, memory, invention, 
wit, and learning ; and their opposites, folly, 
dulness, and ignorance. Now, it is evident, 
that independent of the intrinsic value of 
the former class, and disadvantage of the 
other, the circumstance of their being made 
known to others, respectively produces 
certain privileges and pleasures, or subjects 
to inconveniencies and pains. It follows, 
therefore, that every discovery of this kind 
to others, also every mark or associate of 
suph discovery, will, by association, raisg 
