andamanmustbe，insomemeasure，acquaintedwiththephilosophyofvision，beforehecanbethoroughlyconvinced，howlittlethosedistantobjectswouldappeartotheeye，iftheimagination，fromaknowledgeoftheirrealmagnitudes，didnotswellanddilatethem。
Inthesamemanner，totheselfishandoriginalpassionsofhumannature，thelossorgainofaverysmallinterestofourown，appearstobeofvastlymoreimportance，excitesamuchmorepassionatejoyorsorrow，amuchmoreardentdesireoraversion，thanthegreatestconcernofanotherwithwhomwehavenoparticularconnexion。Hisinterests，aslongastheyaresurveyedfromthisstation，canneverbeputintothebalancewithourown，canneverrestrainusfromdoing。whatevermaytendtopromoteourown，howruinoussoevertohim。Beforewecanmakeanypropercomparisonofthoseoppositeinterests，wemustchangeourposition。Wemustviewthem，neitherfromourownplacenoryetfromhis，neitherwithourowneyesnoryetwithhis，butfromtheplaceandwiththeeyesofathirdperson，whohasnoparticularconnexionwitheither，andwhojudgeswithimpartialitybetweenus。Here，too，habitandexperiencehavetaughtustodothissoeasilyandsoreadily，thatwearescarcesensiblethatwedoit；anditrequires，inthiscasetoo，somedegreeofreflection，andevenofphilosophy，toconvinceus，howlittleinterestweshouldtakeinthegreatestconcernsofourneighbour，howlittleweshouldbeaffectedbywhateverrelatestohim，ifthesenseofproprietyandjusticedidnotcorrecttheotherwisenaturalinequalityofoursentiments。
LetussupposethatthegreatempireofChina，withallitsmyriadsofinhabitants，wassuddenlyswallowedupbyanearthquake，andletusconsiderhowamanofhumanityinEurope，whohadnosortofconnexionwiththatpartoftheworld，wouldbeaffecteduponreceivingintelligenceofthisdreadfulcalamity。Hewould，Iimagine，firstofall，expressverystronglyhissorrowforthemisfortuneofthatunhappypeople，hewouldmakemanymelancholyreflectionsupontheprecariousnessofhumanlife，andthevanityofallthelaboursofman，whichcouldthusbeannihilatedinamoment。Hewouldtoo，perhaps，ifhewasamanofspeculation，enterintomanyreasoningsconcerningtheeffectswhichthisdisastermightproduceuponthecommerceofEurope，andthetradeandbusinessoftheworldingeneral。Andwhenallthisfinephilosophywasover，whenallthesehumanesentimentshadbeenoncefairlyexpressed，hewouldpursuehisbusinessorhispleasure，takehisreposeorhisdiversion，withthesameeaseandtranquillity，asifnosuchaccidenthadhappened。Themostfrivolousdisasterwhichcouldbefalhimselfwouldoccasionamorerealdisturbance。Ifhewastolosehislittlefingerto-morrow，hewouldnotsleepto-night；but，providedheneversawthem，hewillsnorewiththemostprofoundsecurityovertheruinofahundredmillionsofhisbrethren，andthedestructionofthatimmensemultitudeseemsplainlyanobjectlessinterestingtohim，thanthispaltrymisfortuneofhisown。
Toprevent，therefore，thispaltrymisfortunetohimself，wouldamanofhumanitybewillingtosacrificethelivesofahundredmillionsofhisbrethren，providedhehadneverseenthem？Humannaturestartleswithhorroratthethought，andtheworld，initsgreatestdepravityandcorruption，neverproducedsuchavillainascouldbecapableofentertainingit。Butwhatmakesthisdifference？Whenourpassivefeelingsarealmostalwayssosordidandsoselfish，howcomesitthatouractiveprinciplesshouldoftenbesogenerousandsonoble？Whenwearealwayssomuchmoredeeplyaffectedbywhateverconcernsourselves，thanbywhateverconcernsothermen；whatisitwhichpromptsthegenerous，uponalloccasions，andthemeanuponmany，tosacrificetheirownintereststothegreaterinterestsofothers？
Itisnotthesoftpowerofhumanity，itisnotthatfeeblesparkofbenevolencewhichNaturehaslightedupinthehumanheart，thatisthuscapableofcounteractingthestrongestimpulsesofself-love。Itisastrongerpower，amoreforciblemotive，whichexertsitselfuponsuchoccasions。Itisreason，principle，conscience，theinhabitantofthebreast，themanwithin，thegreatjudgeandarbiterofourconduct。Itishewho，wheneverweareabouttoactsoastoaffectthehappinessofothers，callstous，withavoicecapableofastonishingthemostpresumptuousofourpassions，thatwearebutoneofthemultitude，innorespectbetterthananyotherinit；andthatwhenwepreferourselvessoshamefullyandsoblindlytoothers，webecometheproperobjectsofresentment，abhorrence，andexecration。Itisfromhimonlythatwelearnthereallittlenessofourselves，andofwhateverrelatestoourselves，andthenaturalmisrepresentationsofself-lovecanbecorrectedonlybytheeyeofthisimpartialspectator。Itishewhoshowsustheproprietyofgenerosityandthedeformityofinjustice；theproprietyofresigningthegreatestinterestsofourown，fortheyetgreaterinterestsofothers，andthedeformityofdoingthesmallestinjurytoanother，inordertoobtainthegreatestbenefittoourselves。Itisnottheloveofourneighbour，itisnottheloveofmankind，whichuponmanyoccasionspromptsustothepracticeofthosedivinevirtues。Itisastrongerlove，amorepowerfulaffection，whichgenerallytakesplaceuponsuchoccasions；theloveofwhatishonourableandnoble，ofthegrandeur，anddignity，andsuperiorityofourowncharacters。
......购买会员看全站小说，或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载，搜索"The Tinker’s Wedding",免费读到尾