BOOK III PART III
my sympathy gives equal force to his decision:
And even his sentiments of his own merit make
me consider him in the same light, in which he
regards himself.
This principle of sympathy is of so power-
ful and insinuating a nature, that it enters into
most of our sentiments and passions, and of-
ten takes place under the appearance of its con-
trary. For it is remarkable, that when a person
opposes me in any thing, which I am strongly
bent upon, and rouzes up my passion by con-
tradiction, I have always a degree of sympa-
thy with him, nor does my commotion proceed
from any other origin. We may here observe
an evident conflict or rencounter of opposite
principles and passions. On the one side there
is that passion or sentiment, which is natural
to me; and it is observable, that the stronger