The third object is here related to the first, as well as to the second; so that the imagination goes and comes along all of them with the greatest facility.
SECT.

V OF OUR ESTEEM FOR THE RICH AND POWERFUL Nothing has a greater tendency to give us an esteem for any person, than his power and riches; or a contempt, than his poverty and meanness: And as esteem and contempt are to be considered as species of love and hatred, it will be proper in this place to explain these phaenomena.
Here it happens most fortunately, that the greatest difficulty is not to discover a principle capable of producing such an effect, but to choose the chief and predominant among several, that present themselves.

The satisfaction we take in the riches of others, and the esteem we have for the possessors may be ascribed to three different causes.

FIRST, To the objects they possess; such as houses, gardens, equipages; which, being agreeable in themselves, necessarily produce a sentiment of pleasure in every one; that either considers or surveys them.

SECONDLY, To the expectation of advantage from the rich and powerful by our sharing their possessions.