Heisguiltyofvanitywhodesirespraiseforwhatindeedverywelldeservesit，butwhatheperfectlyknowsdoesnotbelongtohim。Theemptycoxcombwhogiveshimselfairsofimportancewhichhehasnotitleto，thesillyliarwhoassumesthemeritofadventureswhichneverhappened，thefoolishplagiarywhogiveshimselfoutfortheauthorofwhathehasnopretensionsto，areproperlyaccusedofthispassion。Hetooissaidtobeguiltyofvanitywhoisnotcontentedwiththesilentsentimentsofesteemandapprobation，whoseemstobefonderoftheirnoisyexpressionsandacclamationsthanofthesentimentsthemselves，whoisneversatisfiedbutwhenhisownpraisesareringinginhisears，andwhosolicitswiththemostanxiousimportunityallexternalmarksofrespect，isfondoftitles，ofcompliments，ofbeingvisited，ofbeingattended，ofbeingtakennoticeofinpublicplaceswiththeappearanceofdeferenceandattention。
Thisfrivolouspassionisaltogetherdifferentfromeitherofthetwoformer，andisthepassionofthelowestandtheleastofmankind，astheyareofthenoblestandthegreatest。
Butthoughthesethreepassions，thedesireofrenderingourselvestheproperobjectsofhonourandesteem；orofbecomingwhatishonourableandestimable；thedesireofacquiringhonourandesteembyreallydeservingthosesentiments；andthefrivolousdesireofpraiseatanyrate，arewidelydifferent；
thoughthetwoformerarealwaysapprovedof，whilethelatterneverfailstobedespised；thereis，however，acertainremoteaffinityamongthem，which，exaggeratedbythehumorousanddivertingeloquenceofthislivelyauthor，hasenabledhimtoimposeuponhisreaders。Thereisanaffinitybetweenvanityandtheloveoftrueglory，asboththesepassionsaimatacquiringesteemandapprobation。Buttheyaredifferentinthis，thattheoneisajust，reasonable，andequitablepassion，whiletheotherisunjust，absurd，andridiculous。Themanwhodesiresesteemforwhatisreallyestimable，desiresnothingbutwhatheisjustlyentitledto，andwhatcannotberefusedhimwithoutsomesortofinjury。He，onthecontrary，whodesiresituponanyotherterms，demandswhathehasnojustclaimto。Thefirstiseasilysatisfied，isnotapttobejealousorsuspiciousthatwedonotesteemhimenough，andisseldomsolicitousaboutreceivingmanyexternalmarksofourregard。Theother，onthecontrary，isnevertobesatisfied，isfullofjealousyandsuspicionthatwedonotesteemhimsomuchashedesires，becausehehassomesecretconsciousnessthathedesiresmorethanhedeserves。Theleastneglectofceremony，heconsidersasamortalaffront，andasanexpressionofthemostdeterminedcontempt。Heisrestlessandimpatient，andperpetuallyafraidthatwehavelostallrespectforhim，andisuponthisaccountalwaysanxioustoobtainnewexpressionsofesteem，andcannotbekeptintemperbutbycontinualattentionandadulation。
Thereisanaffinitytoobetweenthedesireofbecomingwhatishonourableandestimable，andthedesireofhonourandesteem，betweentheloveofvirtueandtheloveoftrueglory。Theyresembleoneanothernotonlyinthisrespect，thatbothaimatreallybeingwhatishonourableandnoble，buteveninthatrespectinwhichtheloveoftruegloryresembleswhatisproperlycalledvanity，somereferencetothesentimentsofothers。Themanofthegreatestmagnanimity，whodesiresvirtueforitsownsake，andismostindifferentaboutwhatactuallyaretheopinionsofmankindwithregardtohim，isstill，however，delightedwiththethoughtsofwhattheyshouldbe，withtheconsciousnessthatthoughhemayneitherbehonourednorapplauded，heisstilltheproperobjectofhonourandapplause，andthatifmankindwerecoolandcandidandconsistentwiththemselves，andproperlyinformedofthemotivesandcircumstancesofhisconduct，theywouldnotfailtohonourandapplaudhim。Thoughhedespisestheopinionswhichareactuallyentertainedofhim，hehasthehighestvalueforthosewhichoughttobeentertainedofhim。Thathemightthinkhimselfworthyofthosehonourablesentiments，and，whateverwastheideawhichothermenmightconceiveofhischaracter，thatwhenheshouldputhimselfintheirsituation，andconsider，notwhatwas，butwhatoughttobetheiropinion，heshouldalwayshavethehighestideaofithimself，wasthegreatandexaltedmotiveofhisconduct。Asevenintheloveofvirtue，therefore，thereisstillsomereference，thoughnottowhatis，yettowhatinreasonandproprietyoughttobe，theopinionofothers，thereiseveninthisrespectsomeaffinitybetweenit，andtheloveoftrueglory。Thereis，however，atthesametime，averygreatdifferencebetweenthem。Themanwhoactssolelyfromaregardtowhatisrightandfittobedone，fromaregardtowhatistheproperobjectofesteemandapprobation，thoughthesesentimentsshouldneverbebestoweduponhim，actsfromthemostsublimeandgodlikemotivewhichhumannatureisevencapableofconceiving。