quently in apparent truth, over all the sects which have ever appeared upon the earth.
Let us unfold, therefore, the motives and the rules of this essential point of the law: the motives, by establishing the equity of the precept through the very pretexts which seem to oppose it; the rules, by laying open the illusions under which every one justifies to himself their infractions; that is to say, the injustice of our hatreds, and the falsity of our reconciliations.
Part I. — The three principles which usually bind men to each other, and by which are formed all human unions and friendships, are fancy, cupidity, and vanity. Fancy — We follow a certain propensity of nature, which, being the cause of our finding, in some persons, a greater similarity to our own inclinations, perhaps also greater allowances for our faults, binds us to them, and occasions us to find, in their society, a comfort which becomes weariness in that of the rest of men. Cupidity — We seek out useful friends; from the moment that they are necessary to our pleasure or to our fortune, they become worthy of our friendship. Interest is a grand charm to the majority of hearts; the titles which render us powerful, are quickly transmuted into qualities which render us apparently amiable, and friends are never wanting when we can pay the friendship of those who love us. Lastly, Vanity — Friends who do us honour are always dear to us. It would seem that, in loving them, we enter, as it were, into partnership with them in that distinction which they enjoy in the world; we seek to deck ourselves, as I may say, with their reputation; and, being unable to reach their merit, we pride ourselves in their society, in order to have it supposed that, at least, there is not much between us, and that like loves like.
These are the three great ties of human society. Religion and charity unite almost nobody; and from thence it is, that, from the moment men offend our fancy, that they are unfavourable to our interests, or that they wound our reputation and our vanity, the human and brittle ties which united us to them are broken asunder; our heart withdraws from them, and no longer finds in itself, with respect to them, but animosity and bitterness. And behold the three most general sources of those hatreds which men nourish against each other; which change all the sweets of society into endless inveteracies; which impoison all the delight of conversations, and all the innocency of mutual intercourse; and which, attacking religion in the heart, nevertheless present themselves to us under appearances of equity which justify them in our eyes and strengthen us in them.
I say, from the moment that men offend our fancy; and this is the first pretext, and the first source of our withdrawing from, and of our hatreds against, our brethren. You say, that you cannot accord with such a person; that every thing in him offends and displeases you; that it is an antipathy which you cannot conquer; that all his manners seem fashioned to irritate you; that to see him
