Heisguiltyofvanitywhodesirespraiseforwhatindeedverywelldeservesit,butwhatheperfectlyknowsdoesnotbelongtohim。Theemptycoxcombwhogiveshimselfairsofimportancewhichhehasnotitleto,thesillyliarwhoassumesthemeritofadventureswhichneverhappened,thefoolishplagiarywhogiveshimselfoutfortheauthorofwhathehasnopretensionsto,areproperlyaccusedofthispassion。Hetooissaidtobeguiltyofvanitywhoisnotcontentedwiththesilentsentimentsofesteemandapprobation,whoseemstobefonderoftheirnoisyexpressionsandacclamationsthanofthesentimentsthemselves,whoisneversatisfiedbutwhenhisownpraisesareringinginhisears,andwhosolicitswiththemostanxiousimportunityallexternalmarksofrespect,isfondoftitles,ofcompliments,ofbeingvisited,ofbeingattended,ofbeingtakennoticeofinpublicplaceswiththeappearanceofdeferenceandattention。
Thisfrivolouspassionisaltogetherdifferentfromeitherofthetwoformer,andisthepassionofthelowestandtheleastofmankind,astheyareofthenoblestandthegreatest。
Butthoughthesethreepassions,thedesireofrenderingourselvestheproperobjectsofhonourandesteem;orofbecomingwhatishonourableandestimable;thedesireofacquiringhonourandesteembyreallydeservingthosesentiments;andthefrivolousdesireofpraiseatanyrate,arewidelydifferent;
thoughthetwoformerarealwaysapprovedof,whilethelatterneverfailstobedespised;thereis,however,acertainremoteaffinityamongthem,which,exaggeratedbythehumorousanddivertingeloquenceofthislivelyauthor,hasenabledhimtoimposeuponhisreaders。Thereisanaffinitybetweenvanityandtheloveoftrueglory,asboththesepassionsaimatacquiringesteemandapprobation。Buttheyaredifferentinthis,thattheoneisajust,reasonable,andequitablepassion,whiletheotherisunjust,absurd,andridiculous。Themanwhodesiresesteemforwhatisreallyestimable,desiresnothingbutwhatheisjustlyentitledto,andwhatcannotberefusedhimwithoutsomesortofinjury。He,onthecontrary,whodesiresituponanyotherterms,demandswhathehasnojustclaimto。Thefirstiseasilysatisfied,isnotapttobejealousorsuspiciousthatwedonotesteemhimenough,andisseldomsolicitousaboutreceivingmanyexternalmarksofourregard。Theother,onthecontrary,isnevertobesatisfied,isfullofjealousyandsuspicionthatwedonotesteemhimsomuchashedesires,becausehehassomesecretconsciousnessthathedesiresmorethanhedeserves。Theleastneglectofceremony,heconsidersasamortalaffront,andasanexpressionofthemostdeterminedcontempt。Heisrestlessandimpatient,andperpetuallyafraidthatwehavelostallrespectforhim,andisuponthisaccountalwaysanxioustoobtainnewexpressionsofesteem,andcannotbekeptintemperbutbycontinualattentionandadulation。
Thereisanaffinitytoobetweenthedesireofbecomingwhatishonourableandestimable,andthedesireofhonourandesteem,betweentheloveofvirtueandtheloveoftrueglory。Theyresembleoneanothernotonlyinthisrespect,thatbothaimatreallybeingwhatishonourableandnoble,buteveninthatrespectinwhichtheloveoftruegloryresembleswhatisproperlycalledvanity,somereferencetothesentimentsofothers。Themanofthegreatestmagnanimity,whodesiresvirtueforitsownsake,andismostindifferentaboutwhatactuallyaretheopinionsofmankindwithregardtohim,isstill,however,delightedwiththethoughtsofwhattheyshouldbe,withtheconsciousnessthatthoughhemayneitherbehonourednorapplauded,heisstilltheproperobjectofhonourandapplause,andthatifmankindwerecoolandcandidandconsistentwiththemselves,andproperlyinformedofthemotivesandcircumstancesofhisconduct,theywouldnotfailtohonourandapplaudhim。Thoughhedespisestheopinionswhichareactuallyentertainedofhim,hehasthehighestvalueforthosewhichoughttobeentertainedofhim。Thathemightthinkhimselfworthyofthosehonourablesentiments,and,whateverwastheideawhichothermenmightconceiveofhischaracter,thatwhenheshouldputhimselfintheirsituation,andconsider,notwhatwas,butwhatoughttobetheiropinion,heshouldalwayshavethehighestideaofithimself,wasthegreatandexaltedmotiveofhisconduct。Asevenintheloveofvirtue,therefore,thereisstillsomereference,thoughnottowhatis,yettowhatinreasonandproprietyoughttobe,theopinionofothers,thereiseveninthisrespectsomeaffinitybetweenit,andtheloveoftrueglory。Thereis,however,atthesametime,averygreatdifferencebetweenthem。Themanwhoactssolelyfromaregardtowhatisrightandfittobedone,fromaregardtowhatistheproperobjectofesteemandapprobation,thoughthesesentimentsshouldneverbebestoweduponhim,actsfromthemostsublimeandgodlikemotivewhichhumannatureisevencapableofconceiving。
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