Regency Culture and Society: 9 Maxims for Life by a Lady

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Its time for the final 9 pearls of a wisdom from A Lady (1813).   If you are catching up, we presented the first 10 Maxims here from A Treatise on Politeness, etc (1813) followed by the next 11 here. And another 1o here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

92 We are never as ridiculous by the qualities we really have as by the affectation of those we have not it will be more for our advantage to show ourselves for what we are than to strive to seem what we are not

93 Whatever cause we may assign for grieving it is generally either interest or vanity that occasions it 1 94 When what we call a great man suffers his mind to sink under misfortune he shews that his ambition but not his mind is great and that the superiority of heroes consists most commonly in their vanity 95 Although the friendships of the world scarcely deserve the name of friendship we may nevertheless use them as a common traffic carried on in an uncertain bottom which frequently disappoints us 96 The love of our neighbour is the most politic as well as the wisest sentiment it

is as necessary in civil society for the peace of life as in Christianity for our eternal happiness 97 It is a species of happiness to know to what degree we ought to allow ourselves to be unhappy and nothing contributes so much to the happiness of life as to know things as they are but this knowledge can only be acquired by frequent reflection on what passes in the world 98 We may gain instruction from the faults of others as well as from their excellencies the example of imperfection may conduce almost as much to teach us to arrive at perfection as the example of perfection and ingenuity 99 That devotion which is not founded on Christian humility and universal charity is

alse it is too often only the pride of dis content which endeavours by despising the world to avenge itself for the slights and disappointments it has experienced 100 There is too often merit without success but there is seldom success without some merit

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