| But to make the matter still more certain, I alter the object; and instead of vice and virtue, make the trial upon beauty and deformity, riches and poverty, power and servitude. |
| Each of these objects runs the circle of the passions in the same manner, by a change of their relations: And in whatever order we proceed, whether through pride, love, hatred, humility, or through humility, hatred, love, pride, the experiment is not in the least diversifyed. |
| Esteem and contempt, indeed, arise on some occasions instead of love and hatred; but these are at the bottom the same passions, only diversifyed by some causes, which we shall explain afterwards. |
| Fifth Experiment. |
| To give greater authority to these experiments, let us change the situation of affairs as much as possible, and place the passions and objects in all the different positions, of which they are susceptible. |
| Let us suppose, beside the relations above-mentioned, that the person, along with whom I make all these experiments, is closely connected with me either by blood or friendship. |
| He is, we shall suppose, my son or brother, or is united to me by a long and familiar acquaintance. |
| Let us next suppose, that the cause of the passion acquires a double relation of impressions and ideas to this person; and let us see what the effects are of all these complicated attractions and relations. |
| Before we consider what they are in fact, let us determine what they ought to be, conformable to my hypothesis. |
| It is plain, that, according as the impression is either pleasant or uneasy, the passion of love or hatred must arise towards the person, who is thus connected to the cause of the impression by these double relations, which I have all along required. |
| The virtue of a brother must make me love him; as his vice or infamy must excite the contrary passion. |
| But to judge only from the situation of affairs, I should not expect, that the affections would rest there, and never transfuse themselves into any other impression. |
| As there is here a person, who by means of a double relation is the object of my passion, the very same reasoning leads me to think the passion will be carryed farther. |
| The person has a relation of ideas to myself, according to the supposition; the passion, of which he is the object, by being either agreeable or uneasy, has a relation of impressions to pride or humility. |
| It is evident, then, that one of these passions must arise from the love or hatred. |
| This is the reasoning I form in conformity to my hypothesis; and am pleased to find upon trial that every thing answers exactly to my expectation. |
| The virtue or vice of a son or brother not only excites love or hatred, but by a new transition, from similar causes, gives rise to pride or humility. |
| Nothing causes greater vanity than any shining quality in our relations; as nothing mortifies us more than their vice or infamy. |
| This exact conformity of experience to our reasoning is a convincing proof of the solidity of that hypothesis, upon which we reason. |
| Sixth Experiment. |
| This evidence will be still augmented, if we reverse the experiment, and preserving still the same relations, begin only with a different passion. |