Therespectwhichwefeelforwisdomandvirtueis，nodoubt，differentfromthatwhichweconceiveforwealthandgreatness；
anditrequiresnoverynicediscernmenttodistinguishthedifference。But，notwithstandingthisdifference，thosesentimentsbearaveryconsiderableresemblancetooneanother。
Insomeparticularfeaturestheyare，nodoubt，different，but，inthegeneralairofthecountenance，theyseemtobesoverynearlythesame，thatinattentiveobserversareveryapttomistaketheonefortheother。
Inequaldegreesofmeritthereisscarceanymanwhodoesnotrespectmoretherichandthegreat，thanthepoorandthehumble。Withmostmenthepresumptionandvanityoftheformeraremuchmoreadmired，thantherealandsolidmeritofthelatter。Itisscarceagreeabletogoodmorals，oreventogoodlanguage，perhaps，tosay，thatmerewealthandgreatness，abstractedfrommeritandvirtue，deserveourrespect。Wemustacknowledge，however，thattheyalmostconstantlyobtainit；andthattheymay，therefore，beconsideredas，insomerespects，thenaturalobjectsofit。Thoseexaltedstationsmay，nodoubt，becompletelydegradedbyviceandfolly。Buttheviceandfollymustbeverygreat，beforetheycanoperatethiscompletedegradation。Theprofligacyofamanoffashionislookeduponwithmuchlesscontemptandaversion，thanthatofamanofmeanercondition。Inthelatter，asingletransgressionoftherulesoftemperanceandpropriety，iscommonlymoreresented，thantheconstantandavowedcontemptofthemeverisintheformer。
Inthemiddlingandinferiorstationsoflife，theroadtovirtueandthattofortune，tosuchfortune，atleast，asmeninsuchstationscanreasonablyexpecttoacquire，are，happilyinmostcases，verynearlythesame。Inallthemiddlingandinferiorprofessions，realandsolidprofessionalabilities，joinedtoprudent，just，firm，andtemperateconduct，canveryseldomfailofsuccess。Abilitieswillevensometimesprevailwheretheconductisbynomeanscorrect。Eitherhabitualimprudence，however，orinjustice，orweakness，orprofligacy，willalwaysclouD，andsometimesDepressaltogether，themostsplendidprofessionalabilities。Menintheinferiorandmiddlingstationsoflife，besides，canneverbegreatenoughtobeabovethelaw，whichmustgenerallyoverawethemintosomesortofrespectfor，atleast，themoreimportantrulesofjustice。Thesuccessofsuchpeople，too，almostalwaysdependsuponthefavourandgoodopinionoftheirneighboursandequals；andwithoutatolerablyregularconductthesecanveryseldombeobtained。Thegoodoldproverb，therefore，Thathonestyisthebestpolicy，holds，insuchsituations，almostalwaysperfectlytrue。Insuchsituations，therefore，wemaygenerallyexpectaconsiderabledegreeofvirtue；and，fortunatelyforthegoodmoralsofsociety，thesearethesituationsofbyfarthegreaterpartofmankind。