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which love gives rise are far more self-denying, and involve a much greater sacrifice of personal interest and comfort, than mere justice or benevolence ever induce.
"The exertions of the affections of love and friendship," says a judicious philosopher, "are directed to promoting the interest or comfort of the objects of our regard; preserving, defending or advancing their reputation, treating their feelings with peculiar tenderness, and their failings with peculiar indulgence, receiving their opinions with peculiar favour, and anxiously endeavouring to improve their intellectual and moral condition. In exercising simple love and friendship, we rejoice in the advantage and happiness of the objects, though they should be accomplished by others and be separate from our own."* [1]
Another and yet more eloquent philosopher observes, in replying to some objections against love, "If true love be selfishness, it must be allowed at least to be a selfishness which, for the sake of others, can often prefer penury to wealth; which can hang for many sleepless nights, unwearied, and unconscious of any personal fear, over the bed of contagion; which can enter the dungeon, a voluntary prisoner, without the power even of giving any other comfort than that of the mere presence of an object beloved; or fling itself before the dagger which would pierce another breast, and rejoice in receiving the stroke. It is the selfishness which thinks not of itself—the selfishness of all that is generous and heroic in man."†[2]
If testimonies like these, from high authorities in the intellectual empire, be admitted and undenied, why
