Rapine, avarice, expense This is idolatry; and these we adore: Plain living and high thinking are no more: The homely beauty of the good old cause Is gone; our peace, our fearful innocence, And pure religion breathing household laws.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote criticizes greed and excess as modern idols, lamenting the loss of simple living and noble ideals.
- In plain terms
- We worship money and waste instead of living simply and thinking deeply.
- What can you take from it?
- Reject materialism to restore simplicity and moral clarity.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What do we worship today?
- Is simplicity possible now?
Another view
It assumes a golden past that may not have existed.
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