BOOK III PART III
also, by the force of imagination, enter into the
uneasiness, which the delivery of it would give
the speaker. The uneasiness is not real; but as
such a composition of words has a natural ten-
dency to produce it, this is sufficient to affect
the mind with a painful sentiment, and render
the discourse harsh and disagreeable. It is a
similar case, where any real quality is, by acci-
dental circumstances, rendered impotent, and
is deprived of its natural influence on society.
Upon these principles we may easily remove
any contradiction, which may appear to be be-
twixt the extensive sympathy, on which our
sentiments of virtue depend, and that limited
generosity which I have frequently observed to
be natural to men, and which justice and prop-
erty suppose, according to the precedent rea-
soning. My sympathy with another may give