Vanity

I have neglected some classical literature. The Vanity of Human Wishes by Samuel Johnson was suggeted to me. I'd not read anything by him that I can recall; I needed to remedy that.

But some great lines: "How Nations sink, by darling Schemes oppres’d," sounds very timely. Or "When Statutes glean the Refuse of the Sword" In context I don't believe Johnson was right. He thought the poor were less likely targets, but as Sowell quoted a sixteenth century German bishop as saying "The poor are a gold mine." Those statutes Johnson mentions don't glean much from any one of the poor, but there are so many that the income is large.

War and consequences: "And mortgag’d States their Grandsires Wreaths regret From Age to Age in everlasting Debt"

And about beauty: "Ye Nymphs of rosy Lips and radiant Eyes, Whom Pleasure keeps too busy to be wise," ... "What Care, what Rules your heedless Charms shall save, Each Nymph your Rival, and each Youth your Slave? An envious Breast with certain Mischief glows, And Slaves, the Maxim tells, are always Foes."

And I see where Austin got the phrase "Pride and Prejudice."