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。
OftheEffectsofProsperityandAdversityupontheJudgmentofMankindwithregardtotheProprietyofAction；andwhyitismoreeasytoobtaintheirAprobationintheonestatethanintheotherChap。I
Thatthoughoursympathywithsorrowisgenerallyamorelivelysensationthanoursympathywithjoy，itcommonlyfallsmuchmoreshortoftheviolenceofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonprincipallyconcernedOursympathywithsorrow，thoughnotmorereal，hasbeenmoretakennoticeofthanoursympathywithjoy。Thewordsympathy，initsmostproperandprimitivesignification，denotesourfellow-feelingwiththesufferings，notthatwiththeenjoyments，ofothers。Alateingeniousandsubtilephilosopherthoughtitnecessarytoprove，byarguments，thatwehadarealsympathywithjoy，andthatcongratulationwasaprincipleofhumannature。Nobody，Ibelieve，everthoughtitnecessarytoprovethatcompassionwassuch。
Firstofall，oursympathywithsorrowis，insomesense，moreuniversalthanthatwithjoy。Thoughsorrowisexcessive，wemaystillhavesomefellow-feelingwithit。Whatwefeeldoesnot，indeed，inthiscase，amounttothatcompletesympathy，tothatperfectharmonyandcorrespondenceofsentimentswhichconstitutesapprobation。Wedonotweep，andexclaim，andlament，withthesufferer。Wearesensible，onthecontrary，ofhisweaknessandoftheextravaganceofhispassion，andyetoftenfeelaverysensibleconcernuponhisaccount。Butifwedonotentirelyenterinto，andgoalongwith，thejoyofanother，wehavenosortofregardorfellow-feelingforit。Themanwhoskipsanddancesaboutwiththatintemperateandsenselessjoywhichwecannotaccompanyhimin，istheobjectofourcontemptandindignation。
Painbesides，whetherofmindorbody，isamorepungentsensationthanpleasure，andoursympathywithpain，thoughitfallsgreatlyshortofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythesufferer，isgenerallyamorelivelyanddistinctperceptionthanoursympathywithpleasure，thoughthislastoftenapproachesmorenearly，asIshallshewimmediately，tothenaturalvivacityoftheoriginalpassion。
Overandaboveallthis，weoftenstruggletokeepdownoursympathywiththesorrowofothers。Wheneverwearenotundertheobservationofthesufferer，weendeavour，forourownsake，tosuppressitasmuchaswecan，andwearenotalwayssuccessful。
Theoppositionwhichwemaketoit，andthereluctancewithwhichweyieldtoit，necessarilyobligeustotakemoreparticularnoticeofit。Butweneverhaveoccasiontomakethisoppositiontooursympathywithjoy。Ifthereisanyenvyinthecase，weneverfeeltheleastpropensitytowardsit；andifthereisnone，wegivewaytoitwithoutanyreluctance。Onthecontrary，aswearealwaysashamedofourownenvy，weoftenpretend，andsometimesreallywishtosympathizewiththejoyofothers，whenbythatdisagreeablesentimentwearedisqualifiedfromdoingso。
Weareglad，wesayonaccountofourneighbour’sgoodfortune，wheninourhearts，perhaps，wearereallysorry。Weoftenfeelasympathywithsorrowwhenwewouldwishtoberidofit；andweoftenmissthatwithjoywhenwewouldbegladtohaveit。Theobviousobservation，therefore，whichitnaturallyfallsinourwaytomake，is，thatourpropensitytosympathizewithsorrowmustbeverystrong，andourinclinationtosympathizewithjoyveryweak。
Notwithstandingthisprejudice，however，Iwillventuretoaffirm，that，whenthereisnoenvyinthecase，ourpropensitytosympathizewithjoyismuchstrongerthanourpropensitytosympathizewithsorrow；andthatourfellow-feelingfortheagreeableemotionapproachesmuchmorenearlytothevivacityofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonsprincipallyconcerned，thanthatwhichweconceiveforthepainfulone。
Wehavesomeindulgenceforthatexcessivegriefwhichwecannotentirelygoalongwith。Weknowwhataprodigiouseffortisrequisitebeforethesufferercanbringdownhisemotions。tocompleteharmonyandconcordwiththoseofthespectator。Thoughhefails，therefore，weeasilypardonhim。Butwehavenosuchindulgencefortheintemperanceofjoy；becausewearenotconsciousthatanysuchvasteffortisrequisitetobringitdowntowhatwecanentirelyenterinto。Themanwho，underthegreatestcalamities，cancommandhissorrow，seemsworthyofthehighestadmiration；buthewho，inthefulnessofprosperity，caninthesamemannermasterhisjoy，seemshardlytodeserveanypraise。Wearesensiblethatthereisamuchwiderintervalintheonecasethanintheother，betweenwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonprincipallyconcerned，andwhatthespectatorcanentirelygoalongwith。
Whatcanheaddedtothehappinessofthemanwhoisinhealth，whoisoutofdebt，andhasaclearconscience？Tooneinthissituation，allaccessionsoffortunemayproperlybesaidtobesuperfluous；andifheismuchelevateduponaccountofthem，itmustbetheeffectofthemostfrivolouslevity。Thissituation，however，mayverywellbecalledthenaturalandordinarystateofmankind。Notwithstandingthepresentmiseryanddepravityoftheworld，sojustlylamented，thisreallyisthestateofthegreaterpartofmen。Thegreaterpartofmen，therefore，cannotfindanygreatdifficultyinelevatingthemselvestoallthejoywhichanyaccessiontothissituationcanwellexciteintheircompanion。
Butthoughlittlecanbeaddedtothisstate，muchmaybetakenfromit。Thoughbetweenthisconditionandthehighestpitchofhumanprosperity，theintervalisbutatrifle；betweenitandthelowestdepthofmiserythedistanceisimmenseandprodigious。Adversity，onthisaccount，necessarilydepressesthemindofthesufferermuchmorebelowitsnaturalstate，thanprosperitycanelevatehimaboveit。Thespectatortherefore，mustfinditmuchmoredifficulttosympathizeentirely，andkeepperfecttime，withhissorrow，thanthoroughlytoenterintohisjoy，andmustdepartmuchfurtherfromhisownnaturalandordinarytemperofmindintheonecasethanintheother。Itisonthisaccount，thatthoughoursympathywithsorrowisoftenamorepungentsensationthanoursympathywithjoy，italwaysfallsmuchmoreshortoftheviolenceofwhatisnaturallyfeltbythepersonprincipallyconcerned。
Itisagreeabletosympathizewith，joy；andwhereverenvydoesnotopposeit，ourheartabandonsitselfwithsatisfactiontothehighesttransportsofthatdelightfulsentiment。Butitispainfultogoalongwithgrief，andwealwaysenterintoitwithreluctance。*Whenweattendtotherepresentationofatragedy，westruggleagainstthatsympatheticsorrowwhichtheentertainmentinspiresaslongaswecan，andwegivewaytoitatlastonlywhenwecannolongeravoidit:weeventhenendeavourtocoverourconcernfromthecompany。Ifweshedanytears，wecarefullyconcealthem，andareafraid，lestthespectators，notenteringintothisexcessivetenderness，shouldregarditaseffeminacyandweakness。Thewretchwhosemisfortunescalluponourcompassionfeelswithwhatreluctancewearelikelytoenterintohissorrow，andthereforeproposeshisgrieftouswithfearandhesitation:heevensmothersthehalfofit，andisashamed，uponaccountofthishard-heartednessofmankind，togiveventtothefulnessofhisaffliction。Itisotherwisewiththemanwhoriotsinjoyandsuccess。Whereverenvydoesnotinterestusagainsthim，heexpectsourcompletestsympathy。Hedoesnotfear，therefore，toannouncehimselfwithshoutsofexultation，infullconfidencethatweareheartilydisposedtogoalongwithhim。