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Quote by William Shenstone

“Reserve is no more essentially connected with understanding than a church organ with devotion, or wine with good-nature.”

Quote by William Shenstone

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Work

Essays on Men and Manners

This book is a compilation of thoughtful essays that delve into the character traits and societal norms of men, offering insights into the expectations and behaviors of their era. more

Author

William Shenstone

William Shenstone was an English poet, born on November 18, 1714, and died on February 11, 1763. His poetry is known for its fresh and natural style and its depiction of rural life. more

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“There would not be any absolute necessity for reserve if the world were honest; yet even then it would prove expedient. For, in order to attain any degree of deference, it seems necessary that people should imagine you have more accomplishments than you discover.”

People Ifs World Should Seems Order Imagine Honest Prove Degrees Absolutes Accomplishment Reserves Deference

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“When self-interest inclines a man to print, he should consider that the purchaser expects a pennyworth for his penny, and has reason to asperse his honesty if he finds himself deceived.”

Ifs Men Should Book Self Reason Interest Honesty Print Deceived Self Interest Pennies Incline Purchasers

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“May I always have a heart superior, with economy suitable, to my fortune.”

Heart May Economy Fortune Superiors Contentment Suitable

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“Critics must excuse me if I compare them to certain animals called asses, who, by gnawing vines, originally taught the great advantage of pruning them.”

Ifs Certain Animal Taught Advantage Critics Excuse Ass Compare Vines Excuse Me Pruning

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“A rich dress adds but little to the beauty of a person. It may possibly create a deference, but that is rather an enemy to love.”

May Littles Persons Enemy Rich Dresses Add Deference

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“Men of quality never appear more amiable than when their dress is plain. Their birth, rank, title and its appendages are at best indivious and as they do not need the assistance of dress, so, by their disclaiming the advantage of it, they make their superiority sit more easy.”

Men Needs Easy Quality Birth Advantage Dresses Titles Superiority Assistance Amiable

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“Those who are incapable of shining out by dress would do well to consider that the contrast between them and their clothes turns out much to their disadvantage.”

Wells Turns Clothes Dresses Shining Contrast Incapable Disadvantages Shining Out

Author:William Shenstone

“Fashion is a great restraint upon your persons of taste and fancy; who would otherwise in the most trifling instances be able to distinguish themselves from the vulgar.”

Persons Able Fashion Taste Instance Fancy Restraint Vulgar Trifling

Book:The works in verse and prose, of William Shenstone, esq: in two volumes

Source: The works in verse and prose, of William Shenstone, esq: in two volumes

“Fools are very often united in the strictest intimacies, as the lighter kinds of woods are the most closely glued together.”

Kind Together United Fool Woods Intimacy Lighters

Book:Essays on Men and Manners

Source: Essays on Men and Manners

“A wound in the friendship of young persons, as in the bark of young trees, may be so grown over as to leave no scar. The case is very different in regard to old persons and old timber. The reason of this may be accountable from the decline of the social passions, and the prevalence of spleen, suspicion, and rancor towards the latter part of life.”

Source: Essays on men and manners. A description of the Leasowes, the seat of the late William Shenstone, esq., by R. Dodsley. Verses to Mr. Shenstone