BOOK II PART I
any other passion he ought to attribute to it.
The passions are often varyed by very incon-
siderable principles; and these do not always
play with a perfect regularity, especially on the
first trial. But as custom and practice have
brought to light all these principles, and have
settled the just value of every thing; this must
certainly contribute to the easy production of
the passions, and guide us, by means of gen-
eral established maxims, in the proportions we
ought to observe in preferring one object to an-
other. This remark may, perhaps, serve to obvi-
ate difficulties, that mayarise concerning some
causes, which I shall hereafter ascribe to partic-
ular passions, and which may be esteemed too
refined to operate so universally and certainly,
as they are found to do.
I shall close this subject with a reflection de-