BOOK III PART III
son capable of contributing to the happiness or
enjoyment of his fellow-creatures, whose sen-
timents, with regard to him, we naturally em-
brace. And this consideration will serve to jus-
tify my hypothesis in preferring the third prin-
ciple to the other two, and ascribing our es-
teem of the rich to a sympathy with the plea-
sure and advantage, which they themselves re-
ceive from their possessions. For as even the
other two principles cannot operate to a due ex-
tent, or account for all the phaenomena, with-
out having recourse to a sympathy of one kind
or other; it is much more natural to chuse that
sympathy, which is immediate and direct, than
that which is remote and indirect. To which we
may add, that where the riches or power are
very great, and render the person considerable
and important in the world, the esteem attend-
ing them, may, in part, be ascribed to another