An essay on the history of civil society / [Adam Ferguson].

  • Adam Ferguson
Date:
1789
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the history of civil society / [Adam Ferguson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    380/438 page 370
    370 HISTORY OF the habits of fenfuality, debauchery, prodigality, vanity, and arrogance, with which the polfeflion of high fortune is fometimes attended; or we apprehend a certain meafure of what is neceffary to human life, beyond which all enjoyments are fuppofed to be exceflive and vicious. When, on the contrary, luxury is made an article of national luftre and felicity, we only think of it as an inno- cent confequence of the unequal diftribution of wealth, and as a method by which different ranks are rendered mutually dependent, and mutually ufefuh The poor are made to practife arts, and the rich to reward them. The public itfelf is made a gainer by what deems to wafte its (lock, and it receives a perpetual increafe of wealth, from the influence of thofe growing appetites, and delicate tafles, which feem to menace con- fumption and ruin. It is certain, that we mud either, together with the commercial arts, fuffer their fruits to be enjoyed, and even, in fome meafure, admired ; or , like the Spartans, prohibit the art itfelf, while we are afraid of its confequences, or while we think that the conveniencies it brings exceed what nature requires. But we may propofe to flop the advancement of arts at any ftage of their progrefs, and Hill incur the cenfure of luxury from thofe who have not advanced do far. The houfe-builder and the carpenter at Sparta were limited to the ufe of the axe and the faw; but a Spartan cottage might have palled for a palace in Thrace : and if the difpute were to turn on the knowledge of what is phyfically neceffary to
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