Butthoughthetotalwantofsensibilitytopersonalinjury，topersonaldangeranddistress，would，insuchsituations，takeawaythewholemeritofself-command，thatsensibility，however，mayveryeasilybetooexquisite，anditfrequentlyisso。Whenthesenseofpropriety，whentheauthorityofthejudgewithinthebreast，cancontrolthisextremesensibility，thatauthoritymustnodoubtappearverynobleandverygreat。Buttheexertionofitmaybetoofatiguing；itmayhavetoomuchtodo。Theindividual，byagreateffort，maybehaveperfectlywell。Butthecontestbetweenthetwoprinciples，thewarfarewithinthebreast，maybetooviolenttobeatallconsistentwithinternaltranquillityandhappiness。ThewisemanwhomNaturehasendowedwiththistooexquisitesensibility，andwhosetoolivelyfeelingshavenotbeensufficientlybluntedandhardenedbyearlyeducationandproperexercise，willavoid，asmuchasdutyandproprietywillpermit，thesituationsforwhichheisnotperfectlyfitted。Themanwhosefeebleanddelicateconstitutionrendershimtoosensibletopain，tohardship，andtoeverysortofbodilydistress，shouldnotwantonlyembracetheprofessionofasoldier。Themanoftoomuchsensibilitytoinjury，shouldnotrashlyengageinthecontestsoffaction。Thoughthesenseofproprietyshouldbestrongenoughtocommandallthosesensibilities，thecomposureofthemindmustalwaysbedisturbedinthestruggle。Inthisdisorderthejudgmentcannotalwaysmaintainitsordinaryacutenessandprecision；andthoughhemayalwaysmeantoactproperly，hemayoftenactrashlyandimprudently，andinamannerwhichhehimselfwill，inthesucceedingpartofhislife，beforeverashamedof。Acertainintrepidity，acertainfirmnessofnervesandhardinessofconstitution，whethernaturaloracquired，areundoubtedlythebestpreparativesforallthegreatexertionsofself-command。
　　Thoughwarandfactionarecertainlythebestschoolsforformingeverymantothishardinessandfirmnessoftemper，thoughtheyarethebestremediesforcuringhimoftheoppositeweaknesses，yet，ifthedayoftrialshouldhappentocomebeforehehascompletelylearnedhislesson，beforetheremedyhashadtimetoproduceitspropereffect，theconsequencesmightnotbeagreeable。
　　Oursensibilitytothepleasures，totheamusementsandenjoymentsofhumanlife，mayoffend，inthesamemanner，eitherbyitsexcessorbyitsdefect。Ofthetwo，however，theexcessseemslessdisagreeablethanthedefect。Bothtothespectatorandtothepersonprincipallyconcerned，astrongpropensitytojoyiscertainlymorepleasingthanadullinsensibilitytotheobjectsofamusementanddiversion。Wearecharmedwiththegaietyofyouth，andevenwiththeplayfulnessofchildhood:butwesoongrowwearyoftheflatandtastelessgravitywhichtoofrequentlyaccompaniesoldage。Whenthispropensity，indeed，isnotrestrainedbythesenseofpropriety，whenitisunsuitabletothetimeortotheplace，totheageortothesituationoftheperson，when，toindulgeit，heneglectseitherhisinterestorhisduty；itisjustlyblamedasexcessive，andashurtfulbothtotheindividualandtothesociety。Inthegreaterpartofsuchcases，however，whatischieflytobefoundfaultwithis，notsomuchthestrengthofthepropensitytojoy，astheweaknessofthesenseofproprietyandduty。Ayoungmanwhohasnorelishforthediversionsandamusementsthatarenaturalandsuitabletohisage，whotalksofnothingbuthisbookorhisbusiness，isdislikedasformalandpedantic；andwegivehimnocreditforhisabstinenceevenfromimproperindulgences，towhichheseemstohavesolittleinclination。
　　Theprincipleofself-estimationmaybetoohigh，anditmaylikewisebetoolow。Itissoveryagreeabletothinkhighly，andsoverydisagreeabletothinkmeanlyofourselves，that，tothepersonhimself，itcannotwellbedoubted，butthatsomedegreeofexcessmustbemuchlessdisagreeablethananydegreeofdefect。Buttotheimpartialspectator，itmayperhapsbethought，thingsmustappearquitedifferently，andthattohim，thedefectmustalwaysbelessdisagreeablethantheexcess。Andinourcompanions，nodoubt，wemuchmorefrequentlycomplainofthelatterthanoftheformer。Whentheyassumeuponus，orsetthemselvesbeforeus，theirself-estimationmortifiesourown。
　　Ourownprideandvanitypromptustoaccusethemofprideandvanity，andweceasetobetheimpartialspectatorsoftheirconduct。Whenthesamecompanions，however，sufferanyothermantoassumeoverthemasuperioritywhichdoesnotbelongtohim，wenotonlyblamethem，butoftendespisethemasmean-spirited。
　　When，onthecontrary，amongotherpeople，theypushthemselvesalittlemoreforward，andscrambletoanelevationdisproportioned，aswethink，totheirmerit，thoughwemaynotperfectlyapproveoftheirconduct，weareoften，uponthewhole，divertedwithit；and，wherethereisnoenvyinthecase，wearealmostalwaysmuchlessdispleasedwiththem，thanweshouldhavebeen，hadtheysufferedthemselvestosinkbelowtheirproperstation。
　　Inestimatingourownmerit，injudgingofourowncharacterandconduct，therearetwodifferentstandardstowhichwenaturallycomparethem。Theoneistheideaofexactproprietyandperfection，sofarasweareeachofuscapableofcomprehendingthatidea。Theotheristhatdegreeofapproximationtothisideawhichiscommonlyattainedintheworld，andwhichthegreaterpartofourfriendsandcompanions，ofourrivalsandcompetitors，mayhaveactuallyarrivedat。WeveryseldomIamdisposedtothink，weneverattempttojudgeofourselveswithoutgivingmoreorlessattentiontoboththesedifferentstandards。Buttheattentionofdifferentmen，andevenofthesamemanatdifferenttimes，isoftenveryunequallydividedbetweenthem；andissometimesprincipallydirectedtowardstheone，andsometimestowardstheother。
　　Sofarasourattentionisdirectedtowardsthefirststandard，thewisestandbestofusall，can，inhisowncharacterandconduct，seenothingbutweaknessandimperfection；
　　candiscovernogroundforarroganceandpresumption，butagreatdealforhumility，regretandrepentance。Sofarasourattentionisdirectedtowardsthesecond，wemaybeaffectedeitherintheonewayorintheother，andfeelourselves，eitherreallyabove，orreallybelow，thestandardtowhichwecompareourselves。
　　Thewiseandvirtuousmandirectshisprincipalattentiontothefirststandard；theideaofexactproprietyandperfection。
　　Thereexistsinthemindofeveryman，anideaofthiskind，graduallyformedfromhisobservationsuponthecharacterandconductbothofhimselfandofotherpeople。Itistheslow，gradual，andprogressiveworkofthegreatdemigodwithinthebreast，thegreatjudgeandarbiterofconduct。Thisideaisineverymanmoreorlessaccuratelydrawn，itscolouringismoreorlessjust，itsoutlinesaremoreorlessexactlydesigned，accordingtothedelicacyandacutenessofthatsensibility，withwhichthoseobservationsweremade，andaccordingtothecareandattentionemployedinmakingthem。Inthewiseandvirtuousmantheyhavebeenmadewiththemostacuteanddelicatesensibility，andtheutmostcareandattentionhavebeenemployedinmakingthem。Everydaysomefeatureisimproved；everydaysomeblemishiscorrected。Hehasstudiedthisideamorethanotherpeople，hecomprehendsitmoredistinctly，hehasformedamuchmorecorrectimageofit，andismuchmoredeeplyenamouredofitsexquisiteanddivinebeauty。Heendeavoursaswellashecan，toassimilatehisowncharactertothisarchetypeofperfection。Butheimitatestheworkofadivineartist，whichcanneverbeequalled。Hefeelstheimperfectsuccessofallhisbestendeavours，andsees，withgriefandaffliction，inhowmanydifferentfeaturesthemortalcopyfallsshortoftheimmortaloriginal。Heremembers，withconcernandhumilation，howoften，fromwantofattention，fromwantofjudgment，fromwantoftemper，hehas，bothinwordsandactions，bothinconductandconversation，violatedtheexactrulesofperfectpropriety；andhassofardepartedfromthatmodel，accordingtowhichhewishedtofashionhisowncharacterandconduct。Whenhedirectshisattentiontowardsthesecondstandard，indeed，thatdegreeofexcellencewhichhisfriendsandacquaintanceshavecommonlyarrivedat，hemaybesensibleofhisownsuperiority。But，ashisprincipalattentionisalwaysdirectedtowardsthefirststandard，heisnecessarilymuchmorehumbledbytheonecomparison，thanheevercanbeelevatedbytheother。Heisneversoelatedastolookdownwithinsolenceevenuponthosewhoarereallybelowhim。Hefeelssowellhisownimperfection，heknowssowellthedifficultywithwhichheattainedhisowndistantapproximationtorectitude，thathecannotregardwithcontemptthestillgreaterimperfectionofotherpeople。Farfrominsultingovertheirinferiority，heviewsitwiththemostindulgentcommiseration，and，byhisadviceaswellasexample，isatalltimeswillingtopromotetheirfurtheradvancement。If，inanyparticularqualification，theyhappentobesuperiortohimforwhoissoperfectasnottohavemanysuperiorsinmanydifferentqualifications？，farfromenvyingtheirsuperiority，he，whoknowshowdifficultitistoexcel，esteemsandhonourstheirexcellence，andneverfailstobestowuponitthefullmeasureofapplausewhichitdeserves。Hiswholemind，inshort，isdeeplyimpressed，hiswholebehaviouranddeportmentaredistinctlystampedwiththecharacterofrealmodesty；withthatofaverymoderateestimationofhisownmerit，and，atthesametime，ofafullsenseofthemeritofotherpeople。
　　Inalltheliberalandingeniousarts，inpainting，inpoetry，inmusic，ineloquence，inphilosophy，thegreatartistfeelsalwaystherealimperfectionofhisownbestworks，andismoresensiblethananymanhowmuchtheyfallshortofthatidealperfectionofwhichhehasformedsomeconception，whichheimitatesaswellashecan，butwhichhedespairsofeverequalling。Itistheinferiorartistonly，whoiseverperfectlysatisfiedwithhisownperformances。Hehaslittleconceptionofthisidealperfection，aboutwhichhehaslittleemployedhisthoughts；anditischieflytotheworksofotherartists，of，perhaps，astilllowerorder，thathedeignstocomparehisownworks。Boileau，thegreatFrenchpoetinsomeofhisworks，perhapsnotinferiortothegreatestpoetofthesamekind，eitherancientormodern，usedtosay，thatnogreatmanwasevercompletelysatisfiedwithhisownworks。HisacquaintanceSanteuilawriterofLatinverses，andwho，onaccountofthatschoolboyaccomplishment，hadtheweaknesstofancyhimselfapoet，assuredhim，thathehimselfwasalwayscompletelysatisfiedwithhisown。Boileaureplied，with，perhaps，anarchambiguity，thathecertainlywastheonlygreatmanthateverwasso。Boileau，injudgingofhisownworks，comparedthemwiththestandardofidealperfection，which，inhisownparticularbranchofthepoeticart，hehad，Ipresume，meditatedasdeeply，andconceivedasdistinctly，asitispossibleformantoconceiveit。Santeuil，injudgingofhisownworks，comparedthem，I
　　suppose，chieflytothoseoftheotherLatinpoetsofhisowntime，tothegreaterpartofwhomhewascertainlyveryfarfrombeinginferior。Buttosupportandfinishoff，ifImaysayso，theconductandconversationofawholelifetosomeresemblanceofthisidealperfection，issurelymuchmoredifficultthantoworkuptoanequalresemblanceanyoftheproductionsofanyoftheingeniousarts。Theartistsitsdowntohisworkundisturbed，atleisure，inthefullpossessionandrecollectionofallhisskill，experience，andknowledge。Thewisemanmustsupporttheproprietyofhisownconductinhealthandinsickness，insuccessandindisappointment，inthehouroffatigueanddrowsyindolence，aswellasinthatofthemostawakenedattention。Themostsuddenandunexpectedassaultsofdifficultyanddistressmustneversurprisehim。Theinjusticeofotherpeoplemustneverprovokehimtoinjustice。Theviolenceoffactionmustneverconfoundhim。Allthehardshipsandhazardsofwarmustnevereitherdisheartenorappalhim。
　　Ofthepersonswho，inestimatingtheirownmerit，injudgingoftheirowncharacterandconduct，directbyfarthegreaterpartoftheirattentiontothesecondstandard，tothatordinarydegreeofexcellencewhichiscommonlyattainedbyotherpeople，therearesomewhoreallyandjustlyfeelthemselvesverymuchaboveit，andwho，byeveryintelligentandimpartialspectator，areacknowledgedtobeso。Theattentionofsuchpersons，however，beingalwaysprincipallydirected，nottothestandardofideal，buttothatofordinaryperfection，theyhavelittlesenseoftheirownweaknessesandimperfections；theyhavelittlemodesty；areoftenassuming，arrogant，andpresumptuous；greatadmirersofthemselves，andgreatcontemnersofotherpeople。