William Penn. (1644–1718). Fruits of Solitude.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.
Of Being Easy in Living
135. ’T is a Happiness to be delivered from a Curious Mind, as well as from a Dainty Palate.
136. For it is not only a Troublesome but Slavish Thing to be Nice.
137. They narrow their own Freedom and Comforts, that make so much requisite to enjoy them.
138. To be Easy in Living, is much of the Pleasure of Life: But Difficult Tempers will always want it.
139. A Careless and Homely Breeding is therefore preferable to one Nice and Delicate.
140. And he that is taught to live upon a little, owes more to his Father’s Wisdom, than he that has a great deal left him, does to his Father’s Care.
141. Children can’t well be too hardly Bred: For besides that it fits them to bear the Roughest Providences, it is more Masculine, Active and Healthy.
142. Nay, ’t is certain, that Liberty of the Mind is mightily preserved by it: For so ’t is served, instead of being a Servant, indeed a Slave to sensual Delicacies.
143. As Nature is soon answered, so are such satisfied.
144. The Memory of the Ancients is hardly in any Thing more to be celebrated, than in a Strict and Useful Institution of Youth.
145. By Labor they prevented Luxury in their young People, till Wisdom and Philosophy had taught them to Resist and Despise it.
146. It must be therefore a gross Fault to strive so hard for the Pleasure of our Bodies, and be so insensible and careless of the Freedom of our Souls.