BOOK III PART III
particular enquiry.
As some qualities acquire their merit from
their being immediately agreeable to others,
without any tendency to public interest; so
some are denominated virtuous from their be-
ing immediately agreeable to the person him-
self, who possesses them. Each of the pas-
sions and operations of the mind has a partic-
ular feeling, which must be either agreeable or
disagreeable. The first is virtuous, the second
vicious. This particular feeling constitutes the
very nature of the passion; and therefore needs
not be accounted for.
But however directly the distinction of vice
and virtue may seem to flow from the imme-
diate pleasure or uneasiness, which particular
qualities cause to ourselves or others; it is easy
to observe, that it has also a considerable de-