Butthisdesireoftheapprobation，andthisaversiontothedisapprobationofhisbrethren，wouldnotalonehaverenderedhimfitforthatsocietyforwhichhewasmade。Nature，accordingly，hasendowedhim，notonlywithadesireofbeingapprovedof，butwithadesireofbeingwhatoughttobeapprovedof；orofbeingwhathehimselfapprovesofinothermen。Thefirstdesirecouldonlyhavemadehimwishtoappeartobefitforsociety。Thesecondwasnecessaryinordertorenderhimanxioustobereallyfit。Thefirstcouldonlyhavepromptedhimtotheaffectationofvirtue，andtotheconcealmentofvice。Thesecondwasnecessaryinordertoinspirehimwiththerealloveofvirtue，andwiththerealabhorrenceofvice。Ineverywell-formedmindthisseconddesireseemstobethestrongestofthetwo。Itisonlytheweakestandmostsuperficialofmankindwhocanbemuchdelightedwiththatpraisewhichtheythemselvesknowtobealtogetherunmerited。Aweakmanmaysometimesbepleasedwithit，butawisemanrejectsituponalloccasions。But，thoughawisemanfeelslittlepleasurefrompraisewhereheknowsthereisnopraise-worthiness，heoftenfeelsthehighestindoingwhatheknowstobepraise-worthy，thoughheknowsequallywellthatnopraiseisevertobebestoweduponit。Toobtaintheapprobationofmankind，wherenoapprobationisdue，canneverbeanobjectofanyimportancetohim。Toobtainthatapprobationwhereitisreallydue，maysometimesbeanobjectofnogreatimportancetohim。Buttobethatthingwhichdeservesapprobation，mustalwaysbeanobjectofthehighest。
Todesire，oreventoacceptofpraise，wherenopraiseisdue，canbetheeffectonlyofthemostcontemptiblevanity。Todesireitwhereitisreallydue，istodesirenomorethanthatamostessentialactofjusticeshouldbedonetous。Theloveofjustfame，oftrueglory，evenforitsownsake，andindependentofanyadvantagewhichhecanderivefromit，isnotunworthyevenofawiseman。Hesometimes，however，neglects，andevendespisesit；andheisnevermoreapttodosothanwhenhehasthemostperfectassuranceoftheperfectproprietyofeverypartofhisownconduct。Hisself-approbation，inthiscase，standsinneedofnoconfirmationfromtheapprobationofothermen。Itisalonesufficient，andheiscontentedwithit。Thisself-approbation，ifnottheonly，isatleasttheprincipalobject，aboutwhichhecanoroughttobeanxious。Theloveofit，istheloveofvirtue。
Astheloveandadmirationwhichwenaturallyconceiveforsomecharacters，disposeustowishtobecomeourselvestheproperobjectsofsuchagreeablesentiments；sothehatredandcontemptwhichweasnaturallyconceiveforothers，disposeus，perhapsstillmorestrongly，todreadtheverythoughtofresemblingtheminanyrespect。Neitherisit，inthiscase，too，somuchthethoughtofbeinghatedanddespisedthatweareafraidof，asthatofbeinghatefulanddespicable。Wedreadthethoughtofdoinganythingwhichcanrenderusthejustandproperobjectsofthehatredandcontemptofourfellow-creatures；eventhoughwehadthemostperfectsecuritythatthosesentimentswereneveractuallytobeexertedagainstus。Themanwhohasbrokethroughallthosemeasuresofconduct，whichcanalonerenderhimagreeabletomankind，thoughheshouldhavethemostperfectassurancethatwhathehaddonewasforevertobeconcealedfromeveryhumaneye，itisalltonopurpose。Whenhelooksbackuponit，andviewsitinthelightinwhichtheimpartialspectatorwouldviewit，hefindsthathecanenterintononeofthemotiveswhichinfluencedit。Heisabashedandconfoundedatthethoughtsofit，andnecessarilyfeelsaveryhighdegreeofthatshamewhichhewouldbeexposedto，ifhisactionsshouldevercometobegenerallyknown。Hisimagination，inthiscasetoo，anticipatesthecontemptandderisionfromwhichnothingsaveshimbuttheignoranceofthoseheliveswith。Hestillfeelsthatheisthenaturalobjectofthesesentiments，andstilltremblesatthethoughtofwhathewouldsuffer，iftheywereeveractuallyexertedagainsthim。Butifwhathehadbeenguiltyofwasnotmerelyoneofthoseimproprietieswhicharetheobjectsofsimpledisapprobation，butoneofthoseenormouscrimeswhichexcitedetestationandresentment，hecouldneverthinkofit，aslongashehadanysensibilityleft，withoutfeelingalltheagonyofhorrorandremorse；andthoughhecouldbeassuredthatnomanwasevertoknowit，andcouldevenbringhimselftobelievethattherewasnoGodtorevengeit，hewouldstillfeelenoughofboththesesentimentstoembitterthewholeofhislife:hewouldstillregardhimselfasthenaturalobjectofthehatredandindignationofallhisfellow-creatures；and，ifhisheartwasnotgrowncallousbythehabitofcrimes，hecouldnotthinkwithoutterrorandastonishmentevenofthemannerinwhichmankindwouldlookuponhim，ofwhatwouldbetheexpressionoftheircountenanceandoftheireyes，ifthedreadfultruthshouldevercometobeknown。Thesenaturalpangsofanaffrightedconsciencearethedaemons，theavengingfuries，which，inthislife，haunttheguilty，whichallowthemneitherquietnorrepose，whichoftendrivethemtodespairanddistraction，fromwhichnoassuranceofsecrecycanprotectthem，fromwhichnoprinciplesofirreligioncanentirelydeliverthem，andfromwhichnothingcanfreethembutthevilestandmostabjectofallstates，acompleteinsensibilitytohonourandinfamy，toviceandvirtue。Menofthemostdetestablecharacters，who，intheexecutionofthemostdreadfulcrimes，hadtakentheirmeasuressocoollyastoavoideventhesuspicionofguilt，havesometimesbeendriven，bythehorroroftheirsituation，todiscover，oftheirownaccord，whatnohumansagacitycouldeverhaveinvestigated。Byacknowledgingtheirguilt，bysubmittingthemselvestotheresentmentoftheiroffendedfellow-citizens，and，bythussatiatingthatvengeanceofwhichtheyweresensiblethattheyhadbecometheproperobjects，theyhoped，bytheirdeathtoreconcilethemselves，atleastintheirownimagination，tothenaturalsentimentsofmankind；tobeabletoconsiderthemselvesaslessworthyofhatredandresentment；toatone，insomemeasure，fortheircrimes，andbythusbecomingtheobjects，ratherofcompassionthanofhorror，ifpossibletodieinpeaceandwiththeforgivenessofalltheirfellow-creatures。Comparedtowhattheyfeltbeforethediscovery，eventhethoughtofthis，itseems，washappiness。
Insuchcases，thehorrorofblame-worthinessseems，eveninpersonswhocannotbesuspectedofanyextraordinarydelicacyorsensibilityofcharacter，completelytoconquerthedreadofblame。Inordertoallaythathorror，inordertopacify，insomedegree，theremorseoftheirownconsciences，theyvoluntarilysubmittedthemselvesbothtothereproachandtothepunishmentwhichtheyknewwereduetotheircrimes，butwhich，atthesametime，theymighteasilyhaveavoided。
Theyarethemostfrivolousandsuperficialofmankindonlywhocanbemuchdelightedwiththatpraisewhichtheythemselvesknowtobealtogetherunmerited。Unmeritedreproach，however，isfrequentlycapableofmortifyingveryseverelyevenmenofmorethanordinaryconstancy。Menofthemostordinaryconstancy，indeed，easilylearntodespisethosefoolishtaleswhicharesofrequentlycirculatedinsociety，andwhich，fromtheirownabsurdityandfalsehood，neverfailtodieawayinthecourseofafewweeks，orofafewdays。Butaninnocentman，thoughofmorethanordinaryconstancy，isoften，notonlyshocked，butmostseverelymortifiedbytheserious，thoughfalse，imputationofacrime；especiallywhenthatimputationhappensunfortunatelytobesupportedbysomecircumstanceswhichgiveitanairofprobability。Heishumbledtofindthatanybodyshouldthinksomeanlyofhischaracterastosupposehimcapableofbeingguiltyofit。Thoughperfectlyconsciousofhisowninnocence，theveryimputationseemsoften，eveninhisownimagination，tothrowashadowofdisgraceanddishonouruponhischaracter。Hisjustindignation，too，atsoverygrossaninjury，which，however，itmayfrequentlybeimproper，andsometimesevenimpossibletorevenge，isitselfaverypainfulsensation。Thereisnogreatertormentorofthehumanbreastthanviolentresentmentwhichcannotbegratified。Aninnocentman，broughttothescaffoldbythefalseimputationofaninfamousorodiouscrime，suffersthemostcruelmisfortunewhichitispossibleforinnocencetosuffer。Theagonyofhismindmay，inthiscase，frequentlybegreaterthanthatofthosewhosufferforthelikecrimes，ofwhichtheyhavebeenactuallyguilty。Profligatecriminals，suchascommonthievesandhighwaymen，havefrequentlylittlesenseofthebasenessoftheirownconduct，andconsequentlynoremorse。