It is impossible to overdo luxury

It is impossible to overdo luxury

Like sending them ruffles, when wanting a shirt.

Like sending them ruffles, when wanting a shirt.

Falsely luxurious, will not man awake?

Falsely luxurious, will not man awake?

It was luxuries like air conditioning that brought down the Roman Empire. With air conditioning their windows were shut, they read more

It was luxuries like air conditioning that brought down the Roman Empire. With air conditioning their windows were shut, they couldn't hear the barbarians coming.

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.

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.

Blest hour! It was a luxury--to be!

Blest hour! It was a luxury--to be!

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.

Fell luxury! more perilous to youth
Than storms or quicksands, poverty of chains.

Fell luxury! more perilous to youth
Than storms or quicksands, poverty of chains.