denly commits, and as fuddenly repents of. During a fit of bitter remorse for having flain my favourite fervant in a violent paffion, without juft provocation, I accufe myself for having given way to paffion; and acknowledge that I could and ought to have restrained it. Here we find remorfe founded on a fyftem directly oppofite to that above laid down; a fystem that acknowledges no neceffary connection between an action and its motive; but, on the contrary, fuppofes that it is in a man's power to refift his paffion, and that he ought to refift it. What fhall be faid upon this point? Can a man be a neceffary agent, when he is confcious of the contrary, and is fenfible that he can act in contradiction to motives? This objection is ftrong in appearance; and would be invincible, were we not happily relieved of it by a doctrine laid down in Elements of Criticifm (a) concerning the irregular influence of paffion on our opinions and fentiments. Upon examination, it will be found, that the prefent cafe may be added to the many examples there given of that irregular influence.

(a) Chap. 2. part 5.

In a peevish fit, I take exception at fome flight word or gesture of my friend, which I interpret as if he doubted of my veracity. I am instantly in a flame: in vain he protests that he had no meaning, for impatience will not fuffer me to liften. I bid him draw, which he does with reluctance; and before he is well prepared, I give him a mortal wound. Bitter remorse and anguifh fucceed inftantly to rage. "What have I done? I have murdered

my innocent, my best friend; and yet "I was not mad-with that hand I did “the horrid deed; why did not I rather

turn it againft my own heart?" Here every impreffion of neceffity vanishes: my mind informs me that I was abfolutely free, and that I ought to have fmothered my paffion. I put an oppofite cafe. A brutal fellow treats me with great indignity, and proceeds even to a blow. My paffion rifes beyond the poffibility of restraint: I can fcarce forbear fo long as to bid him draw; and that moment I ftab him to the heart. I am forry for having been engaged with a ruffian; but have no contrition nor remorfe. In this cafe, I never once dream that I could have refifted the impulse of paffion :

paffion on the contrary, my thoughts and words are, 66 That flesh and blood. "could not bear the affront; and that I "must have been branded for a coward, "had I not done what I did." In reality, both actions were equally necessary. Whence then opinions and fentiments fo oppofite to each other? The irregular influence of paffion on our opinions and fentiments, will folve the question. All violent paffions are prone to their own gratification. A man who has done an action that he repents of and that affects him. with anguish, abhors himself, and is odious in his own eyes: he wishes to find himself guilty; and the thought that his guilt is beyond the poffibility of excuse, gratifies the paffion. In the first cafe accordingly, remorfe forces upon me a conviction that I might have restrained my paffion, and ought to have restrained it. I will not give way to any excufe; because in a severe fit of remorfe, it gives me pain to be excufed. In the other cafe, as there is no remorfe, things appear in their true light without difguife. To illustrate this reafoning, I obferve, that paffion warps my judgement of the actions of others,

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thers, as well as of my own. Many examples are given in the chapter above quoted: join to these the following. My fervant aiming at a partridge, happens to fhoot a favourite fpaniel croffing the way unfeen. Inflamed with anger, I ftorm at his rafhnefs, pronounce him guilty, and will liften to no excufe. When paffion fubfides, I become fenfible that the action was merely accidental, and that the man is abfolutely innocent. The nurse overlays my only child, the long-expected heir to a great estate. With difficulty I refrain from putting her to death: "The wretch "has murdered my infant: fhe ought to "be torn to pieces." When I turn calm, the matter appears to me in a very different light. The poor woman is inconfolable, and can scarce believe that she is innocent: fhe bitterly reproaches herself for want of care and concern. But, upon cool reflection, both she and I become sensible, that no perfon in found fleep has any felfcommand, and that we cannot be answerable for any action of which we are not confcious. Thus, upon the whole, we discover, that any impreffion we occafionally have of being able to act in contra

diction

diction to motives, is the refult of paffion, not of found judgement.

The reader will obferve, that this fection is copied from Effays on Morality and Natural Religion. The ground work is the fame the alterations are only in the superstructure; and the subject is abridged in order to adapt it to its prefent place. The preceding parts of the Sketch were published in the fecond edition of the Principles of Equity. But as law-books have little currency, the publishing the whole in one effay, will not, I hope, be thought improper.

I

APPENDIX.

Upon Chance and Contingency.

Hold it to be an intuitive propofition, That the Deity is the primary cause of all things; that with confummate wifdom he formed the great plan of govern ment, which he carries on by laws fuited to the different natures of animate and in

animate