Luxury and dissipation, soft and gentle as their approaches are,
and silently as they throw their silken chains about read more

Luxury and dissipation, soft and gentle as their approaches are,
and silently as they throw their silken chains about the heart,
enslave it more than the most active and turbulent vices.

To treat a poor wretch with a bottle of Burgundy, and fill his
snuff-box, is like giving a pair read more

To treat a poor wretch with a bottle of Burgundy, and fill his
snuff-box, is like giving a pair of laced ruffles to a man that
has never a shirt on his back.

Luxury ruins republics; poverty, monarchies.

Luxury ruins republics; poverty, monarchies.

Then there is that glorious Epicurean paradox, uttered by my
friend, the Historian in one of his flashing moments: read more

Then there is that glorious Epicurean paradox, uttered by my
friend, the Historian in one of his flashing moments: "Give us
the luxuries of life, and we will dispense with its necessaries."

War destroys men, but luxury destroys mankind; at once corrupts the body and the mind.

War destroys men, but luxury destroys mankind; at once corrupts the body and the mind.

Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - read more

Utility is when you have one telephone, luxury is when you have two, opulence is when you have three - and paradise is when you have none.

Sofas 'twas half a sin to sit upon,
So costly were they; carpets, every stitch
Of workmanship read more

Sofas 'twas half a sin to sit upon,
So costly were they; carpets, every stitch
Of workmanship so rare, they make you wish
You could glide o'er them like a golden fish.

Living in the lap of luxury isn't bad, except that you never know when luxury is going to stand up

Living in the lap of luxury isn't bad, except that you never know when luxury is going to stand up

One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.

One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.