Regency Culture and Society: 10 Maxims for Conduct in Life (6)

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When we found A Treatise on Politeness, etc (1813) and decided to turn a few into Instagram Posts while sharing the others, we hoped you would enjoy (and many did!).  The next ten are below.  If you are catching up, we presented the first 10 Maxims here. And the next 11 here. And another 1o here, here and here.

An emperor sighed when he had passed a day without having done a good action it is not necessary to be an emperor to
have this feeling cultivate it with care and reckon every day lost in which you have done no good or generous action 53 Expect no more attention and confidence from your friends than you shew to them 54 Endeavour to live on what you have and never increase your expences relying on the favours of the great whoever does so embraces a voluntary slavery the great are like fire we must not go too near them 55 Consider the rose blooming and beautiful perfuming the air around but surrounded with thorns such is the happiness of this world no pleasure without pain 56 The less rest you give yourself in the establishment of your family the more you
will procure for them the less you indulge yourself in youth the more you will be able to indulge in old age 57 Whenever you are obliged to contract your expences you will quickly find your friends diminish in proportion 58 Any man may aspire to an employment but none can succeed that does not acquit himself with honour and honesty 59 Be nice in the choice of those on whom you confer favours for the men of the world in general value the giver less than the gift 60 Never consider any thing as a pleasure that is likely to be followed by repentance
If you have no honour to boast of but family and name your ancestors it may be said are a credit to you but you are none to them

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