the applause and admiration which he is about to deserve by the heroic magnani|mity of his behaviour. To feel that he is capable of so noble and generous an effort, to feel that in this dreadful situation he can still act as he would desire to act, ani|mates and transports him with joy, and enables him to support that triumphant gaiety which seems to exult in the vic|tory that he thus gains over his misfor|tunes.
On the contrary, he always appears, in some measure, mean and despicable, who is sunk in sorrow and dejection upon ac|count of any calamity of his own. We cannot bring ourselves to feel for him what he feels for himself, and what, per|haps, we should feel for ourselves if in his situation: we, therefore, despise him; un|justly, perhaps, if any sentiment could be regarded as unjust, to which we are by na|ture irresistibly determined. The weakness of sorrow never appears in any respect agree|able, except when it arises from what we feel for others more than from what we feel for ourselves. A son, upon the death of an indulgent and respectable father, may give way to it without much blame. His sor|row
