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Article ON DISCONTENT WITH OUR LOT IN LIFE. ← Page 3 of 3 Article ESSAY ON JUSTICE. Page 1 of 2 →
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On Discontent With Our Lot In Life.
his nod . Mistaken man ! thy former state was happiness , the error was your own . If the cares ( and those of the lesser kind ) incident to humanity were thine , so were the alternate joys which sweeten and enliven . it . —Then you ate the bread of peace , and might , by subduing a contemptible passion , have lived content and guiltless . —But you have chosen the other course . To avoid
subordination to one , who was bound by interest to render your burthen as light as possible , you have voluntarily enslaved yourself to a thousand nameless evils , arising from the passions of an ungovernable woman , whose wealth ( the fatal object of your wishes , and with your acquisition of which she will probably too justly upbraid you ) can only serve to make your misery more conspicuous to the world ! I am , Sir , Your occasional correspondent , S . J ..
Essay On Justice.
ESSAY ON JUSTICE .
WITH AN ENGRAVING . MANKIND in general are not sufficiently acquainted with the word justice : it is commonly believed to consist only in a performance of those duties to which the laws of society can oblige us . This , it is true , is sometimes the import of the word , and in this
sense justice is distinguished from equity ; but there is a justice still more extensive , and which can be shewn to embrace all the virtues united . Justice may be defined , that virtue which impels us to give to every person what is his due . In this extended sense of the word , it comprehends the practice of every virtue which reason prescribes or society should expect . Our duty to our Maker , to each other , and to ourselves , are full y answered if we g ive them what we owe them : thus justice , properly speaking , is the only virtue , and all the rest have their origin in it .
The qualities of candour , fortitude , charity , and generosity , for instance , are not in their own natures virtues , and if ever they deserve the title it is when justice impels and directs them . Without such a moderator , candour mi ght become indiscretion , fortitude obstinacy , charity imprudence , and generosity mistaken profusion . A disinterested action , if it be not conducted by justice , is at best indifferent in its natureand not unfrequentleven turns to vice .
, y The expences of society , of presents , of entertainments , and other helps to cheerfulness , are actions merely indifferent , when not repugnant to a better method of disposing of our superfluities ; but they pecome vicious when they obstruct or exhaust our abilities from a pipre virtuous disposition of our circumstances ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On Discontent With Our Lot In Life.
his nod . Mistaken man ! thy former state was happiness , the error was your own . If the cares ( and those of the lesser kind ) incident to humanity were thine , so were the alternate joys which sweeten and enliven . it . —Then you ate the bread of peace , and might , by subduing a contemptible passion , have lived content and guiltless . —But you have chosen the other course . To avoid
subordination to one , who was bound by interest to render your burthen as light as possible , you have voluntarily enslaved yourself to a thousand nameless evils , arising from the passions of an ungovernable woman , whose wealth ( the fatal object of your wishes , and with your acquisition of which she will probably too justly upbraid you ) can only serve to make your misery more conspicuous to the world ! I am , Sir , Your occasional correspondent , S . J ..
Essay On Justice.
ESSAY ON JUSTICE .
WITH AN ENGRAVING . MANKIND in general are not sufficiently acquainted with the word justice : it is commonly believed to consist only in a performance of those duties to which the laws of society can oblige us . This , it is true , is sometimes the import of the word , and in this
sense justice is distinguished from equity ; but there is a justice still more extensive , and which can be shewn to embrace all the virtues united . Justice may be defined , that virtue which impels us to give to every person what is his due . In this extended sense of the word , it comprehends the practice of every virtue which reason prescribes or society should expect . Our duty to our Maker , to each other , and to ourselves , are full y answered if we g ive them what we owe them : thus justice , properly speaking , is the only virtue , and all the rest have their origin in it .
The qualities of candour , fortitude , charity , and generosity , for instance , are not in their own natures virtues , and if ever they deserve the title it is when justice impels and directs them . Without such a moderator , candour mi ght become indiscretion , fortitude obstinacy , charity imprudence , and generosity mistaken profusion . A disinterested action , if it be not conducted by justice , is at best indifferent in its natureand not unfrequentleven turns to vice .
, y The expences of society , of presents , of entertainments , and other helps to cheerfulness , are actions merely indifferent , when not repugnant to a better method of disposing of our superfluities ; but they pecome vicious when they obstruct or exhaust our abilities from a pipre virtuous disposition of our circumstances ,