A Residence in France During the Years 1792, 1793, 1794 and 1795, Part II., 1793

A Residence in France During the Years 1792, 1793, 1794 and 1795, Part II., 1793 - Described in a Series of Letters from an English Lady: with General and Incidental Remarks on the French Character and Manners

Vanity, I believe, my dear brother, is not so innoxious a quality as we are desirous of supposing. As it is the most general of all human failings, so is it regarded with the most indulgence: a latent consciousness averts the censure of the weak; and the wise, who flatter themselves with being exempt from it, plead in its favour, by ranking it as a foible too light for serious condemnation, or too inoffensive for punishment. Yet, if vanity be not an actual vice, it is certainly a potential oneit often leads us to seek reputation rather than virtue, to substitute appearances for realities, and to prefer the eulogiums of the world to the approbation of our own minds. When it takes possession of an uninformed or an ill-constituted mind, it becomes the source of a thousand errors, and a thousand absurdities. Hence, youth seeks a preeminence in vice, and age in folly; hence, many boast of errors they would not commit, or claim distinction by investing themselves with an imputation of excess in some popular absurdityduels are courted by the daring, and vaunted by the cowardhe who trembles at the idea of death and a future state when alone, proclaims himself an atheist or a free-thinker in publicthe water-drinker, who suffers the penitence of a week for a supernumerary glass, recounts the wonders of his intemperanceand he who does not mount the gentlest animal without trepidation, plumes himself on breaking down horses, and his perils in the chace. In short, whatever order of mankind we contemplate, we shall perceive that the portion of vanity allotted us by nature, when it is not corrected by a sound judgement, and rendered subservient to useful purposes, is sure either to degrade or mislead us. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 11993
Author: Biggs, Charlotte
Release Date: Apr 1, 2004
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Gifford, John, 1758-1818