prosaic view of the subject like the present. "O Luxury, thou curst by
heaven's decree," sounds very grand; but I have not the least idea what
it means. The pictures drawn in the poem of simple rural pleasures, and
of gaudy city delights, are very pleasing; and the moral drawn from it
all, viz., that nations sunk in luxury are hastening to decay, may be
true enough; but what strikes one most is that, if Goldsmith thought that
England was hastening to decay when he wrote, what would he think if he
were alive now.

Well then, if the pleasures of luxury bring nothing but pain and trouble
in the pursuit of them, to what end do they lead?

"Behold what blessings wealth to life can lend,
And see what comfort it affords our end.
In the worst inn's worst room, with mat half hung,
The floors of plaister, and the walls of dung;
On once a flock-bed, but repaired with straw,
With tape-ty'd curtains never meant to draw;
The George and Garter dangling from that bed,
Where tawdry yellow strove with dirty red;--
Great Villers lies--alas, how changed from him,
That life of pleasure and that soul of whim.
Gallant and gay in Clieveden's proud alcove,
The bower of wanton Shrewsbury and love;
No wit to flatter, left of all his store;
No fool to laugh at, which he valued more;
There victor of his health, of fortune, friends,
And fame; this lord of useless thousands ends."

If these be the effects of luxuries, why is it that we continue to strive
to increase them with all our might? I have already insisted that I am
not speaking of such things as are beneficial to body and soul, but such
as are detrimental. But it will be said, you are spending money, and to
gratify your longings labourers of different sorts have been employed,
and the wealth of the world is thereby increased. But we must consider
the loss to the man who is indulging himself, and therefore the loss to
the community; and further, that his money might have gone in producing
something necessary, and not noxious, something in its turn reproductive.
In Boswell's _Life of Johnson_ is this passage, "Johnson as usual
defended luxury. You cannot spend money in luxury without doing good to
the poor. Nay, you do more good to them by spending it in luxury; you
make them exert industry, whereas by giving it you keep them idle. I own
indeed there may be more virtue in giving it immediately in charity, than
in spending it in luxu