XXXV

ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND

my fituation enter with me into all its variouscircumftances, and are affecfted with them in thefame manner as I am myfelf. On the other hand,it is pleafant to the {peculator to obferve this cor-refpondence of his emotions with mine.

3. When the fpeflator of another man’s fitua-tion, upon bringing home to himfelf all its variouscircumftances, feels himfelf affected in the famemanner with the perfon principally concerned, heapproves of the affection or paffion of this perfonas juft and proper and fuitable to its object. Theexceptions which occur to this obfervation are, ac-cording to Mr. Smith, only apparent. “ A“ ftranger, for example, paffes by us in the ftreett£ with all the marks of the deepeft affliction ; and“ we are immediately told, that he has juft re-ceived the news of the death of his father. It is<£ impoftible that, in this cafe, we ftiould not<£ approve of his grief; yet it may often happen,without any defeCt of humanity on our part,ti that, fo far from entering into the violence of<£ his forrow, we ftiould fcarce conceive the firft“ movements of concern upon his account. We“ have learned, however, from experience, thatte fueh a misfortune naturally excites fucli a degree“ of forrow; and we know, that if we took timee£ to examine his fituation fully and in all its parts,<£ we ftiould, without doubt, moft fincerely“ fympathize with him. Itis upon the confcioufnefs