arts, are likely to be influenced by the form of their government, and the ftate of their manners. Voltaire, in his difcourfe pronounced at his reception into the French academy, gives feveral reafons why the poets of that country have not fucceeded in defcribing rural fcenes and employments. The principal one is, the ideas of meannefs, and poverty and wretchednefs, which the French are accustomed to affociate with the profeffion of husbandry. The fame thing is alluded to by the Abbé de Lille, in the preliminary difcourfe prefixed to his tranflation of the Georgics. "A tranflation," fays he, "of this poem, if it had “been undertaken by an author of genius, would "have been better calculated than any other work, "for adding to the riches of our language. A ver"fion of the Æneid itfelf, however well executed, "would, in this respect, be of lefs utility; inafmuch "as the genius of our tongue accommodates itself "more easily to the defcription of heroic atchieve"ments, than to the details of natural phenomena, "and of the operations of husbandry. To force it "to exprefs these with suitable dignity, would have "been a real conqueft over that falfe delicacy, "which it has contracted from our unfortunate pre"judices."

How different must have been the emotions with which this divine performance of Virgil was read by an antient Roman, while he recollected that period in the history of his country, when dictators were called from the plough to the defence of the ftate, and after having led monarchs in triumph, returned again to the fame happy and independent occupation.

A state

387 A ftate of manners to which a Roman author of a later age looked back with fuch enthufiafm, that he afcribes, by a bold poetical figure, the flourishing ftate of agriculture under the republic, to the grateful returns which the earth then måde to the illuftrious hands by which fhe was cultivated. "Gaudente "terra vomere laureato, et triumphali aratore *,'

SECTION III.

Of the Influence of Affociation on our active Principles, and on our moral Judgments.

IN order to illuftrate a little farther, the influence of

IN

the Affociation of Ideas on the human mind, I fhall add a few remarks on fome of its effects on our active and moral principles. In ftating these remarks, I fhall endeavour to avoid, as much as poffible, every occafion of controverfy, by confining myself to fuch general views of the fubject, as do not prefuppofe any particular enumeration of our original principles of action, or any particular system concerning the nature of the moral faculty. If my health and leisure enable me to carry my plans into execution, I propofe, in the fequel of this work, to refume thefe inquiries, and to examine the various opinions to which they have given rife,

The manner in which the affociation of ideas operates in producing new principles of action, has been explained very diftinctly by different writers. What

*PLIN. Nat. Hift. xviii. 4.

Cc 2

ever

ever conduces to the gratification of any natural ap. petite, or of any natural defire, is itfelf defired on account of the end to which it is fubfervient; and by being thus habitually affociated in our apprehenfion with agreeable objects, it frequently comes, in process of time, to be regarded as valuable in itself, inde. pendently of its utility. It is thus that wealth be comes, with many, an ultimate object of purfuit ; although, at first, it is undoubtedly valued, merely on account of its fubferviency to the attainment of other objects. In like manner, men are led to defire dress, equipage, retinue, furniture, on account of the estimation in which they are fuppofed to be held by the public. Such defires are called by Dr. Hutche fon * fecondary defires; and their origin is explained by him in the way which I have mentioned. "Since we are capable," fays he, " of reflection, memory, "obfervation, and reasoning about the diftant tend"encies of objects and actions, and not confined to things prefent, there muft arife, in confequence of our original defires, fecondary defires of every thing imagined useful to gratify any of the primary "defires; and that with ftrength proportioned to the "feveral original defires, and imagined usefulness or "neceffity of the advantageous object." "Thus," he continues," as foon as we come to apprehend the "ufe of wealth or power to gratify any of our origi "nal defires, we must also defire them; and hence "arifes the univerfality of these defires of wealth and

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power, fince they are the means of gratifying all

See his Effay on the Nature and Conduct of the Paffions,

❝ other

"other defires." The only thing that appears to me exceptionable in the foregoing paffage is, that the author claffes the defire of power with that of wealth; whereas I apprehend it to be clear, (for reafons which I shall state in another part of this work,) that the former is a primary defire, and the latter a fecondary

one.

Our moral judgments, too, may be modified, and even perverted, to a certain degree, in confequence of the operation of the fame principle. In the fame manner in which a person who is regarded as a model of taste may introduce, by his example, an abfurd or fantastical drefs; fo a man of fplendid virtues may attract some esteem alfo to his imperfections; and, if placed in a confpicuous fituation, may render his vices and follies objects of general imitation among the multitude.

"In the reign of Charles II." fays Mr. Smith*, "a degree of licentioufnefs was deemed the charac"teristic of a liberal education. It was connected,

according to the notions of thofe times, with gene"rofity, fincerity, magnanimity, loyalty; and proved "that the person who acted in this manner, was a "gentleman, and not a puritan. Severity of man

ners, and regularity of conduct, on the other hand, "were altogether unfashionable, and were connected, "in the imagination of that age, with cant, cunning, hypocrify, and low manners. To fuperficial minds, "the vices of the great feem at all times agreeable. They connect them, not only with the fplendor of

"afcribe to their fuperiors; with the fpirit of free"dom and independency; with frankness, generofity, "humanity, and politenefs. The virtues of the in"ferior ranks of people, on the contrary, their par "fimonious frugality, their painful industry, and rigid "adherence to rules, feem to them mean and difagreeable. They connect them both with the mean"nefs of the ftation to which thefe qualities commonly belong, and with many great vices which they fuppofe ufually accompany them; fuch as "an abject, cowardly, ill-natured, lying, pilfering "difpofition."

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The theory which, in the foregoing paffages from Hutchefon and Smith, is employed fo juftly and philofophically to explain the origin of our fecondary defires, and to account for fome perverfions of our moral judgments, has been thought fufficient, by fome later writers, to account for the origin of all our active principles without exception. The firft of these attempts to extend fo very far the application of the doctrine of Affociation was made by the Reverend Mr. Gay, in a differtation "concerning the fun"damental Principle of Virtue," which is prefixed by Dr. Law to his tranflation of Archbishop King's Elay" on the Origin of Evil." In this differtation, the author endeavours to fhew, "that our approba "tion of morality, and all affections whatsoever, are finally refolvable into reafon, pointing out private happiness, and are converfant only about things ap"prehended to be means tending to this end; and "that wherever this end is not perceived, they are to "be accounted for from the affociation of ideas, and

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