But he overlooks the precise terms employed by Hobbes, who says: "The passion of laughter is nothing else but sudden glory, arising from a sudden conception of some eminency in ourselves, by comparison with the infirmity of others, or with _our own formerly_. For men laugh at _the follies of themselves past_, when they come suddenly to remembrance, _except they bring with them any present dishonor_." It is not therefore true, as Dr. Campbell says, that "with regard to others, he appears solely under the notion of inferiority, as the person triumphed over." He, on the contrary, appears as achieving a very glorious triumph, that, namely, over his own errors. This shows also the error of Addison's remarks, that "according to this account, when we hear a man laugh excessively, instead of saying that he is very merry, we ought to tell him that he is very proud."--A man may contemn the errors both of himself and others, without pride: and, indeed, in contemning the former, he proves himself to be far above that sentiment, and verifies Dr. Campbell's remark that no two characters more rarely meet in the same person, than that of a very risible man, and a very self-conceited supercilious man. It is curious to see a great man, like Hobbes, thus attacked by less ones, who do not even understand him. SECTION III. CAUSE OF THE PLEASURE RECEIVED FROM REPRESENTATIONS EXCITING PITY. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain this cause. According to the Abbé Du Bos,[19] in order to get rid of listlessness, the mind seeks for emotions; and the stronger these are the better. Hence, the passions which in themselves are the most distressing, are, for this purpose, preferable to the pleasant, because they most effectually relieve the mind from the less endurable languor which preys upon it during inaction. The sophistry of this explanation is evident. Pleasant passions, as Dr. Campbell has shown, ought in every respect to have the advantage, because, while they preserve the mind from this state of inaction, they convey a feeling which is agreeable. Nor is it true that the stronger the emotion is, so much the fitter for this purpose; for if we exceed a certain measure, instead of a sympathetic and delightful sorrow, we excite only horror and aversion. The most, therefore, that can be concluded from the Abbé's premises, is, that it is useful to excite passion of some kind or other, but not that the distressing ones are the fittest. According to Fontenelle,[20] theatrical representation has almost the effect of reality: but yet not altogether. We have still a certain idea of falsehood in the whole of what we see. We weep for the misfortunes of a hero to whom we are attached. In the same instant, we comfort ourselves by reflecting, that it is nothing but a fiction. The short answer to this is, that we are conscious of no such alternation as that here described.