But，thoughhemaybeobligedtohisfriendsfortheirgoodopinion，hewouldthinkhimselfguiltyofthegreatestbasenessifhedidnotimmediatelyundeceivethem。Itgiveshimlittlepleasuretolookuponhimselfinthelightinwhichotherpeopleactuallylookuponhim，whenheisconsciousthat，iftheyknewthetruth，theywouldlookuponhiminaverydifferentlight。Aweakman，however，isoftenmuchdelightedwithviewinghimselfinthisfalseanddelusivelight。Heassumesthemeritofeverylaudableactionthatisascribedtohim，andpretendstothatofmanywhichnobodyeverthoughtofascribingtohim。Hepretendstohavedonewhatheneverdid，tohavewrittenwhatanotherwrote，tohaveinventedwhatanotherdiscovered；andisledintoallthemiserablevicesofplagiarismandcommonlying。Butthoughnomanofmiddlinggoodsensecanderivemuchpleasurefromtheimputationofalaudableactionwhichheneverperformed，yetawisemanmaysuffergreatpainfromtheseriousimputationofacrimewhichhenevercommitted。Nature，inthiscase，hasrenderedthepain，notonlymorepungentthantheoppositeandcorrespondentpleasure，butshehasrendereditsoinamuchgreaterthantheordinarydegree。Adenialridsamanatonceofthefoolishandridiculouspleasure；butitwillnotalwaysridhimofthepain。Whenherefusesthemeritwhichisascribedtohim，nobodydoubtshisveracity。Itmaybedoubtedwhenhedeniesthecrimewhichheisaccusedof。Heisatonceenragedatthefalsehoodoftheimputation，andmortifiedtofindthatanycreditshouldbegiventoit。Hefeelsthathischaracterisnotsufficienttoprotecthim。Hefeelsthathisbrethren，farfromlookinguponhiminthatlightinwhichheanxiouslydesirestobeviewedbythem，thinkhimcapableofbeingguiltyofwhatheisaccusedof。Heknowsperfectlythathehasnotbeenguilty。Heknowsperfectlywhathehasdone；but，perhaps，scarceanymancanknowperfectlywhathehimselfiscapableofdoing。Whatthepeculiarconstitutionofhisownmindmayormaynotadmitof，is，perhaps，moreorlessamatterofdoubttoeveryman。Thetrustandgoodopinionofhisfriendsandneighbours，tendsmorethananythingtorelievehimfromthismostdisagreeabledoubt；theirdistrustandunfavourableopiniontoincreaseit。Hemaythinkhimselfveryconfidentthattheirunfavourablejudgmentiswrong:
butthisconfidencecanseldombesogreatastohinderthatjudgmentfrommakingsomeimpressionuponhim；andthegreaterhissensibility，thegreaterhisdelicacy，thegreaterhisworthinshort，thisimpressionislikelytobethegreater。
Theagreementordisagreementbothofthesentimentsandjudgmentsofotherpeoplewithourown，is，inallcases，itmustbeobserved，ofmoreorlessimportancetous，exactlyinproportionasweourselvesaremoreorlessuncertainabouttheproprietyofourownsentiments，abouttheaccuracyofourownjudgments。
Amanofsensibilitymaysometimesfeelgreatuneasinesslestheshouldhaveyieldedtoomucheventowhatmaybecalledanhonourablepassion；tohisjustindignation，perhaps，attheinjurywhichmayhavebeendoneeithertohimselfortohisfriend。Heisanxiouslyafraidlest，meaningonlytoactwithspirit，andtodojustice，hemay，fromthetoogreatvehemenceofhisemotion，havedonearealinjurytosomeotherperson；
who，thoughnotinnocent，maynothavebeenaltogethersoguiltyasheatfirstapprehended。Theopinionofotherpeoplebecomes，inthiscase，oftheutmostimportancetohim。Theirapprobationisthemosthealingbalsam；theirdisapprobation，thebitterestandmosttormentingpoisonthatcanbepouredintohisuneasymind。Whenheisperfectlysatisfiedwitheverypartofhisownconduct，thejudgmentofotherpeopleisoftenoflessimportancetohim。