happiness and fatisfaction derived to fociety from his intercourse and good offices. To his parents, we are apt to fay, he endears himself by his pious attachment and duteous care, ftill more than by the connections of nature. His children never feel his authority, but when employed for their advantage. With him, the ties of love are confolidated by beneficence and friendfhip. The ties of friendship approach, in a fond obfervance of each obliging office, to thofe of love and inclination. His domeftics and dependents have in him a fure refource; and no longer dread the power of fortune, but fo far as the exercises it over him. From him the hungry receive food, the naked clothing, the ignorant and flothful skill and industry. Like the fun, an inferior minister of Providence, he cheers, invigorates, and fuftains the furrounding world.

If confined to private life, the fphere of his activity is narrower; but his influence is all benign and gentle. If exalted into a higher ftation, mankind and pofterity reap the fruit of his labours.

As thefe topics of praife never fail to be employed, and with fuccefs, where we would infpire esteem for any one; may it not thence be concluded, that the UTILITY, refulting from the focial virtues, forms, at leaft, a part of their merit, and is one fource of that approbation and regard fo univerfally paid to them?

When we recommend even an animal or a plant as ufeful and beneficial, we give it an applaufe and recommendation fuited to its nature; as, on the other hand, reflection on the baneful influence of any of these inferior beings always infpires us with the fentiment of averfion. The eye is pleased with the profpect of corn-fields and loaded vineyards; horfes grazing, and flocks pafturing: But flies the view of

briars and brambles, affording shelter to wolves and ferpents.

A machine, a piece of furniture, a veftment, a house well contrived for use and conveniency, is fo far beautiful, and is contemplated with pleasure and approbation. An experienced eye is here fenfible to many excellencies, which escape perfons ignorant and uninftructed.

Can any thing stronger be faid in praise of a profesfion, fuch as merchandize or manufacture, than to observe the advantages which it procures to fociety? And is not a monk and inquifitor enraged when we treat his order as useless or pernicious to mankind?

The hiftorian exults in difplaying the benefit arifing from his labours. The writer of romance alleviates or denies the bad confequences afcribed to his manner of compofition.

In general, what praise is implied in the fimple epithet Ufeful! What reproach in the contrary!

Your Gods, fays Cicero *, in oppofition to the Epicureans, cannot justly claim any worship or adoration, with whatever imaginary perfections you may suppose them endowed. They are totally useless and inactive. Even the Egyptians, whom you so much ridicule, never confecrated any animal but on account of its utility.

The sceptics affert †, though abfurdly, that the origin of all religious worship was derived from the utility of inanimate objects, as the fun and moon, to the support and well-being of mankind. This is also the common reafon affigned by hiftorians for the deification of eminent heroes and legiflators ‡.

*De Nat. Deor. lib. i.

Sext. Emp. adverfus Math. lib. viii.
Diod. Sic. paffim.

Το

To plant a tree, to cultivate a field, to beget children; meritorious acts, according to the religion of Zoroafter.

In all determinations of morality, this circumftance of public utility is ever principally in view; and wherever difputes arife, either in philofophy or common life, concerning the bounds of duty, the queftion cannot, by any means, be decided with greater certainty, than by ascertaining, on any fide, the true interests of mankind. If any falfe opinion, embraced from appearances, has been found to prevail; as foon as farther experience and founder reasoning have given us juster notions of human affairs, we retract our first fentiment, and adjust anew the boundaries of moral good and evil.

Giving alms to common beggars is naturally praifed; because it seems to carry relief to the distressed and indigent: But when we obferve the encouragement thence arifing to idleness and debauchery, we regard that fpecies of charity rather as a weakness than a virtue.

Tyrannicide, or the affaffination of ufurpers and oppreffive princes, was highly extolled in ancient times; because it both freed mankind from many of these monsters, and feemed to keep the others in awe, whom. the fword or poniard could not reach. But hiftory and experience having fince convinced us, that this practice increases the jealoufy and cruelty of princes, a Timoleon and a Brutus, though treated with indulgence on account of the prejudices of their times, are now confidered as very improper models for imitation.

Liberality in princes is regarded as a mark of beneficence: But when it occurs, that the homely bread

of

of the honeft and induftrious is often thereby converted into delicious cates for the idle and the prodigal, we foon retract our heedlefs praises. The regrets of a prince, for having loft a day, were noble and generous: But had he intended to have spent it in acts of generofity to his greedy courtiers, it was better loft than mifemployed after that manner.

Luxury, or a refinement on the pleasures and conveniences of life, had long been fuppofed the fource of every corruption in government, and the immediate cause of faction, fedition, civil wars, and the total lofs of liberty. It was, therefore, univerfally regarded as a vice, and was an object of declamation to all fatirifts and fevere moralifts. Those who prove, or attempt to prove, that fuch refinements rather tend to the increase of industry, civility, and arts, regulate anew our Moral as well as Political fentiments, and represent, as laudable and innocent, what had formerly been regarded as pernicious and blameable.

Upon the whole, then, it seems undeniable, that nothing can bestow more merit on any human creature than the fentiment of benevolence in an eminent degree; and that a part, at leaft, of its merit arifes from its tendency to promote the interefts of our fpecies, and bestow happiness on human fociety. We carry our view into the falutary confequences of fuch a character and difpofition; and whatever has fo benign an influence, and forwards fo defirable an end, is beheld with complacency and pleafure. The focial virtues are never regarded without their beneficial tendencies, nor viewed as barren and unfruitful. The happiness of mankind, the order of fociety, the harmony of families, the mutual fupport of friends, are

always

always confidered as the refult of their gentle dominion over the breasts of men.

How confiderable a part of their merit we ought to afcribe to their utility, will better appear from future disquisitions*, as well as the reason why this circumstance has fuch a command over our esteem and appro bation t.

THA

SECTION III.

Of Juftice,

PART I.

HAT Juftice is useful to fociety, and confequent. ly, that part of its merit, at least, must arise from that confideration, it would be a fuperfluous undertaking to prove. That public utility is the fole origin of justice, and that reflections on the beneficial confequences of this virtue are the fole foundation of its merit; this propofition, being more curious and important, will better deferve our examination and inquiry.

Let us fuppofe, that nature has bestowed on the human race fuch profufe abundance of all external conveniencies, that, without any uncertainty in the event, without any care or industry on our part, every individual finds himself fully provided with whatever his most voracious appetites can want, or luxurious jinagination wish or defire. His natural beauty, we ↑ Sect. 5th.

Sect. 3d and 4th.

fhall