Give us the luxuries of life, and we will dispense with its necessaries.

Give us the luxuries of life, and we will dispense with its necessaries.

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.

One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.

One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.

Luxury is the first, second and third cause of the ruin of republics. It is the vampire which soothes us read more

Luxury is the first, second and third cause of the ruin of republics. It is the vampire which soothes us into a fatal slumber while it sucks the lifeblood of our veins.

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.

The greatest luxury of riches is, that they enable you to escape so much good advice.

The greatest luxury of riches is, that they enable you to escape so much good advice.

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.

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."