Thoughtheircharactersareingeneralmuchlesscorrect，andtheirmeritmuchinferiortothatofthemanofrealandmodestvirtue；yettheirexcessivepresumption，foundedupontheirownexcessiveself-admiration，dazzlesthemultitude，andoftenimposesevenuponthosewhoaremuchsuperiortothemultitude。
Thefrequent，andoftenwonderful，successofthemostignorantquacksandimposters，bothcivilandreligious，sufficientlydemonstratehoweasilythemultitudeareimposeduponbythemostextravagantandgroundlesspretensions。Butwhenthosepretensionsaresupportedbyaveryhighdegreeofrealandsolidmerit，whentheyaredisplayedwithallthesplendourwhichostentationcanbestowuponthem，whentheyaresupportedbyhighrankandgreatpower，whentheyhaveoftenbeensuccessfullyexerted，andare，uponthataccount，attendedbytheloudacclamationsofthemultitude；eventhemanofsoberjudgmentoftenabandonshimselftothegeneraladmiration。Theverynoiseofthosefoolishacclamationsoftencontributestoconfoundhisunderstanding，andwhileheseesthosegreatmenonlyatacertaindistance，heisoftendisposedtoworshipthemwithasincereadmiration，superioreventothatwithwhichtheyappeartoworshipthemselves。Whenthereisnoenvyinthecase，wealltakepleasureinadmiring，andare，uponthataccount，naturallydisposed，inourownfancies，torendercompleteandperfectineveryrespectthecharacterswhich，inmanyrespects，aresoveryworthyofadmiration。Theexcessiveself-admirationofthosegreatmeniswellunderstood，perhaps，andevenseenthrough，withsomedegreeofderision，bythosewisemenwhoaremuchintheirfamiliarity，andwhosecretlysmileatthoseloftypretensions，which，bypeopleatadistance，areoftenregardedwithreverence，andalmostwithadoration。Such，however，havebeen，inallages，thegreaterpartofthosemenwhohaveprocuredtothemselvesthemostnoisyfame，themostextensivereputation；afameandreputation，too，whichhaveoftendescendedtotheremotestposterity。
Greatsuccessintheworld，greatauthorityoverthesentimentsandopinionsofmankind，haveveryseldombeenacquiredwithoutsomedegreeofthisexcessiveself-admiration。
Themostsplendidcharacters，themenwhohaveperformedthemostillustriousactions，whohavebroughtaboutthegreatestrevolutions，bothinthesituationsandopinionsofmankind；themostsuccessfulwarriors，thegreateststatesmenandlegislators，theeloquentfoundersandleadersofthemostnumerousandmostsuccessfulsectsandparties；havemanyofthembeen，notmoredistinguishedfortheirverygreatmerit，thanforadegreeofpresumptionandself-admirationaltogetherdisproportionedeventothatverygreatmerit。Thispresumptionwas，perhaps，necessary，notonlytopromptthemtoundertakingswhichamoresobermindwouldneverhavethoughtof，buttocommandthesubmissionandobedienceoftheirfollowerstosupporttheminsuchundertakings。Whencrownedwithsuccess，accordingly，thispresumptionhasoftenbetrayedthemintoavanitythatapproachedalmosttoinsanityandfolly。AlexandertheGreatappears，notonlytohavewishedthatotherpeopleshouldthinkhimaGod，buttohavebeenatleastverywelldisposedtofancyhimselfsuch。
Uponhisdeath-bed，themostungodlikeofallsituations，herequestedofhisfriendsthat，totherespectablelistofDeities，intowhichhimselfhadlongbeforebeeninserted，hisoldmotherOlympiamightlikewisehavethehonourofbeingadded。