The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by read more

The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.

Pleasure the servant, Virtue looking on.

Pleasure the servant, Virtue looking on.

But pleasures are like poppies spread;
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed.
Or like the read more

But pleasures are like poppies spread;
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed.
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white--then melts forever.

In diving to the bottom of pleasure we bring up more gravel than pearls.

In diving to the bottom of pleasure we bring up more gravel than pearls.

Plato divinely calls pleasure the bait of evil, inasmuch as men
are caught by it as fish by a read more

Plato divinely calls pleasure the bait of evil, inasmuch as men
are caught by it as fish by a hook.
[Lat., Divine Plato escam malorum appeliat voluptatem, quod ea
videlicet homines capiantur, ut pisces hamo.]

Pleasures lie thickest where no pleasures seem;
There's not a leaf that falls upon the ground
but read more

Pleasures lie thickest where no pleasures seem;
There's not a leaf that falls upon the ground
but holds some joy of silence or of sound,
Some sprite begotten of a summer dream.

I live and reign since I have abandoned those pleasures which you
by your praises extol to the skies.
read more

I live and reign since I have abandoned those pleasures which you
by your praises extol to the skies.
[Lat., Vivo et regno, simul ista reliqui
Quae vos ad coelum effertis rumore secundo.]

Let the fictitious sources of pleasure be as near as possible to
the true.
[Lat., Ficta voluptatis causa read more

Let the fictitious sources of pleasure be as near as possible to
the true.
[Lat., Ficta voluptatis causa sint proxima veris.]

Despise pleasure; pleasure bought by pain in injurious.
[Lat., Sperne voluptates; nocet empta dolora voluptas.]

Despise pleasure; pleasure bought by pain in injurious.
[Lat., Sperne voluptates; nocet empta dolora voluptas.]