BOOK II PART II
of the people, passing from her who was in-
termediate, and placed in an equal relation to
both, would always leave them, and denomi-
nate her by what was more considerable and
of greater moment. On the same principle is
founded that common custom of making wives
bear the name of their husbands, rather than
husbands that of their wives; as also the cere-
mony of giving the precedency to those, whom
we honour and respect. We might find many
other instances to confirm this principle, were
it not already sufficiently evident.
Now since the fancy finds the same facil-
ity in passing from the lesser to the greater,
as from remote to contiguous, why does not
this easy transition of ideas assist the transi-
tion of passions in the former case, as well as
in the latter? The virtues of a friend or brother