Self-love is no such ill principle, if it were but well and truly
directed; for it is impossible that any man should love himself to any
purpose, who withdraws his assistance from his friends or the public.
Every government is to be considered as a body politic; and every man
who lives in it as a member of that body. Now, to carry on the allegory,
no member can thrive better than when they all jointly unite in their
endeavours to assist and improve the whole. If the hand was to refuse
its assistance in procuring food for the mouth, they must both starve
and perish together. And when those, who are parties concerned in the
same community, deny such assistance to each other, as the preservation
of that community necessarily requires, their self-interestedness, in
that case, is ill-directed, and will have a quite contrary effect from
what they intended. How many people are so senseless as to think it hard
that there should be any taxes in the nation; whereas, were there to be
none indeed, those very people would be undone immediately. That little
property they have would be presently plundered by foreign or domestic
enemies; and then they would be glad to contribute their quota, even
without an act of parliament. The charges of supporting a government are
necessary things, and easily supplied by a due and well proportioned
contribution. But, in a narrower and more confined view, to be ready to
assist our friends upon all occasions, is not only good, as it is an act
of humanity, but highly discreet, as it strengthens our interest, and
gives us an opportunity of lightening the burden of life.