Hope necessarily arises from the indul gence of love, but it is a faithful attendant of every other passion ; consequently, it sometimes becomes criminal. Hope is a compound of fear and desire. The per son under the influence of this companion of every situation in life fixes his affections or desires upon the attainment of some favourite object or pursuit, and his mind experiences the alternate pleasures and pains of fruition and disappointment, as the prospect of attainment or want of success predominates. Indeed, every individual may be said to exist from their infancy in hope ; and we all die in hope of future happiness, though the hopes of our lives have too often been directed to the very means of punishment, veiled under the specious appearance of probable felicity. Hope and expectation have the same ef fect upon the frame and features ; the heart palpitates, the countenance is en livened by a display of eagerness and search for something invisible.
Joy is the result of success in this ag gregate of self love, which is a passion, in some instances, too violent for the strength, and death or madness, and fainting, suc ceed, when it takes place before the mind has been prepared to receive it. The most extravagant and frantic actions dis tinguish those whose animal spirits are in full vigour, and under little control, when it takes sudden effect ; and it is, therefore, absolutely necessary to inform such persons gradually of the benefit or advantages they are about to experience. Unutterable pleasure dances in the fea tures of those less agitated : they skip and leap from place to place, laugh, re count rapidly prospects of future happi ness and intentions, and have been known to melt into tears. Such are the conse quences of immediate relief from impend ing danger, apprehended personally or for friends, and extrication from pecunia ry difficulties. Happiness is the tranquil attendant of joy, but never assumes the sway till all the turbulent emotions are subsided: then, indeed, the contempla tion of future good produces an ecstatic sensation, which gradually passes into gladness, contentment, and satisfaction, the repose and completion of joy.
Pride is one of the class of improper passions, when indulged as the result of some imaginary perfection ; but a con sciousness of superior worth, which ren ders the possesor too proud to act or say any thing derogatory to the honour of his rank and connections, is the only jus tifiable pride. The male orfemale, proud of birth, of riches, elegance of person, and those who are proud without any of the advantages enumerated, are equally ridiculous and contemptible ; such unfor tunate self-tormentors are jealous of eve ry occurrence, lest it should, in its con sequences, trench upon their own impor tance; they see and hear disrespect in every movement and every sound that is uttered, and, full of alarmed dignity, the features are contracted into a con temptuous threatening frown, the head is thrown backward, the steps are measur ed, the hand waved, and they stalk into retirement, where a thousand stinging malicious reflections accompany and make them miserable.
Vanity is a near relative of pride ; but this affection of the soul is generally, though not always, personal. They who are fortunate enough to possess superior attractions of body and features, cannot but be conscious of their claims to admi ration, which are willingly answered by the public, when humility and modesty attend them ; but vanity no sooner at tempts to point them out by the ridicu lous arts of dress, and disposition of countenance and limbs, than envy com mences her operations, and contrives to excite laughter instead of applause. Richness of the habit, affected smiles to spew a fine set of teeth, and a strutting mode of walking, are sure marks of vanity.
Modesty, the direct opposite of pride and vanity, is sometimes carried to ex cess. The natural and acquired advan tages we possess ought ever to give a tempered consequence to the front and mein. The really person often sinks into bashfulness, which is a most troublesome though not a vicious com panion. To shrink from view and con coal our attainments is unjust to our instructors ; besides, example is required in society. Modesty and bashfulness cm= casion apprehension and trembling, and deep blushes and hesitation in speech complete the confusion and errors com mitted.
We have hitherto treated on those pas sions which agitate the mind and body in various ways, without melting the soul into what is termed sorrow, and its nu :nerous ramifications. It is difficult to separate any of the sensations under this head from the affection of self•love, though it is beyond a doubt that much really disinterested sorrow is felt. Grief is the most violent emotion experienced by man, and the most difficult to con quer. An injury may be forgiven, an enemy converted into a friend, and re sentment subdued; but grief seizes upon the soul after the loss of a relative with irresistible power, and reason exerts her self in vain to shake it off. The moralist argues against its indulgence without effect, because the loss cannot be sup plied, and the mind is compelled to wan der in a desert, where it searches in vain for its departed friend. Grief sometimes affects the faculties even to derangement, and produces melancholy madness, which of all the varieties of insanity is the most hopeless. In cases of this nature the organs of life are obstructed, the heart oppressed, the lungs are inflated almost to bursting, deep sighs are essayed for relief, but in vain t a sudden obstruction recurs in the windpipe, and that part of the body seems more affected than any other. The unhappy sufferers wander, lost in misery, from place to place, wring their hands, and strike their feet forcibly on the ground ; raise their eyes, as if in silent ejaculation, and the muscles of their mouths are drawn down, giving the countenance the expression of dreadful agony. It is this state which is the most alarming for the safety of the senses ; when tears and lamentation succeed, im mediate relief is experienced, and time will produce settled sorrow.