believeitdoes，thosesuddenchangesoffortuneseldomcontributemuchtohappiness。Heishappiestwhoadvancesmoregraduallytogreatness，whomthepublicdestinestoeverystepofhisprefermentlongbeforehearrivesatit，inwhom，uponthataccount，whenitcomes，itcanexcitenoextravagantjoy，andwithregardtowhomitcannotreasonablycreateeitheranyjealousyinthoseheovertakes，oranyenvyinthoseheleavesbehind。
Mankind，however，morereadilysympathizewiththosesmallerjoyswhichflowfromlessimportantcauses。Itisdecenttobehumbleamidstgreatprosperity；butwecanscarceexpresstoomuchsatisfactioninallthelittleoccurrencesofcommonlife，inthecompanywithwhichwespenttheeveninglastnight，intheentertainmentthatwassetbeforeus，inwhatwassaidandwhatwasdone，inallthelittleincidentsofthepresentconversation，andinallthosefrivolousnothingswhichfillupthevoidofhumanlife。Nothingismoregracefulthanhabitualcheerfulness，whichisalwaysfoundeduponapeculiarrelishforallthelittlepleasureswhichcommonoccurrencesafford。Wereadilysympathizewithit:itinspiresuswiththesamejoy，andmakeseverytrifleturnuptousinthesameagreeableaspectinwhichitpresentsitselftothepersonendowedwiththishappydisposition。Henceitisthatyouth，theseasonofgaiety，soeasilyengagesouraffections。Thatpropensitytojoywhichseemseventoanimatethebloom，andtosparklefromtheeyesofyouthandbeauty，thoughinapersonofthesamesex，exalts，eventheaged，toamorejoyousmoodthanordinary。Theyforget，foratime，theirinfirmities，andabandonthemselvestothoseagreeableideasandemotionstowhichtheyhavelongbeenstrangers，butwhich，whenthepresenceofsomuchhappinessrecallsthemtotheirbreast，taketheirplacethere，likeoldacquaintance，fromwhomtheyaresorrytohaveeverbeenparted，andwhomtheyembracemoreheartilyuponaccountofthislongseparation。
Itisquiteotherwisewithgrief。Smallvexationsexcitenosympathy，butdeepafflictioncallsforththegreatest。Themanwhoismadeuneasybyeverylittledisagreeableincident，whoishurtifeitherthecookorthebutlerhavefailedintheleastarticleoftheirduty，whofeelseverydefectinthehighestceremonialofpoliteness，whetheritbeshewntohimselfortoanyotherperson，whotakesitamissthathisintimatefrienddidnotbidhimgood-morrowwhentheymetintheforenoon，andthathisbrotherhummedatuneallthetimehehimselfwastellingastory；whoisputoutofhumourbythebadnessoftheweatherwheninthecountry，bythebadnessoftheroadswhenuponajourney，andbythewantofcompany，anddulnessofallpublicdiversionswhenintown；suchaperson，Isay，thoughheshouldhavesomereason，willseldommeetwithmuchsympathy。Joyisapleasantemotion，andwegladlyabandonourselvestoitupontheslightestoccasion。Wereadily，therefore，sympathizewithitinothers，wheneverwearenotprejudicedbyenvy。Butgriefispainful，andthemind，evenwhenitisourownmisfortune，naturallyresistsandrecoilsfromit。Wewouldendeavoureithernottoconceiveitatall，ortoshakeitoffassoonaswehaveconceivedit。Ouraversiontogriefwillnot，indeed，alwayshinderusfromconceivingitinourowncaseuponverytriflingoccasions，butitconstantlypreventsusfromsympathizingwithitinotherswhenexcitedbythelikefrivolouscauses:foroursympatheticpassionsarealwayslessirresistiblethanouroriginalones。Thereis，besides，amaliceinmankind，whichnotonlypreventsallsympathywithlittleuneasinesses，butrenderstheminsomemeasurediverting。Hencethedelightwhichwealltakeinraillery，andinthesmallvexationwhichweobserveinourcompanion，whenheispushed，andurged，andteaseduponallsides。Menofthemostordinarygood-breedingdissemblethepainwhichanylittleincidentmaygivethem；andthosewhoaremorethoroughlyformedtosociety，turn，oftheirownaccord，allsuchincidentsintoraillery，astheyknowtheircompanionswilldoforthem。Thehabitwhichaman，wholivesintheworld，hasacquiredofconsideringhoweverythingthatconcernshimselfwillappeartoothers，makesthosefrivolouscalamitiesturnupinthesameridiculouslighttohim，inwhichheknowstheywillcertainlybeconsideredbythem。
Oursympathy，onthecontrary，withdeepdistress，isverystrongandverysincere。Itisunnecessarytogiveaninstance。
Weweepevenatthefeignedrepresentationofatragedy。Ifyoulabour，therefore，underanysignalcalamity，ifbysomeextraordinarymisfortuneyouarefallenintopoverty，intodiseases，intodisgraceanddisappointment；eventhoughyourownfaultmayhavebeen，inpart，theoccasion，yetyoumaygenerallydependuponthesincerestsympathyofallyourfriends，and，asfarasinterestandhonourwillpermit，upontheirkindestassistancetoo。Butifyourmisfortuneisnotofthisdreadfulkind，ifyouhaveonlybeenalittlebaulkedinyourambition，ifyouhaveonlybeenjiltedbyyourmistress，orareonlyhen-peckedbyyourwife，layyouraccountwiththerailleryofallyouracquaintance。
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