Quote by William Morris

Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but the very foundation of refinement; a sanded floor and whitewashed walls and the green trees, and flowery meads, and living waters outside; or a grimy palace amid the same with a regiment of housemaids always working to smear the dirt together so that it may be unnoticed; which, think you, is the most refined, the most fit for a gentleman of those two dwellings?

Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but th

Summary

This quote emphasizes that simplicity in life is not a source of misery, but rather the essence of refinement. It contrasts a modest living space with a luxurious palace. The simplicity of the former, with its natural surroundings and basic aesthetic, is seen as the epitome of refinement. In contrast, the opulence of the palace, meticulously maintained by countless housemaids, may hide its imperfections but lacks the elegance and innate sophistication of the simpler dwelling. The quote suggests that true refinement lies not in material wealth, but in embracing the beauty and tranquility of a simpler and more natural lifestyle.

Topics

By William Morris

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

The Browning love story? It is an ideal, all too rare, and y

The Browning love story? It is an ideal, all too rare, and yet I hardly think it strange. It would have been far stranger had the fates allowed those two brilliant passionate souls to beat themselves out in silence.

Love Silence Fate

But she knew that no matter what beauty lay behind, it must

But she knew that no matter what beauty lay behind, it must remain there. No one could go forward with a load of aching memories.

Margaret Mitchell

Beauty Past Memories Aching

It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the

It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.

Winston Churchill

In relation to God, we are like a thief who has burgled the

In relation to God, we are like a thief who has burgled the house of a kindly householder and been allowed to keep some of the gold. From the point of view of the lawful owner this gold is a gift; Form the point of view of the burglar it is a theft. He must go and give it back. It is the same with our existence. We have stolen a little of God's being to make it ours. God has made us a gift of it. But we have stolen it. We must return it.

In spite of all the refinements of civilization that conspir

In spite of all the refinements of civilization that conspired to make art - the dizzying perfection of the string quartet or the sprawling grandeur of Fragonard

When I get a little money I buy books and if any is left I b

When I get a little money I buy books and if any is left I buy food and clothes.

Desiderius Erasmus

I'm not a music lover in the sense that I look for something

I'm not a music lover in the sense that I look for something to have on. I've never had that attitude to music.

Harrison Birtwistle

The consequences of an act affect the probability of its occ

The consequences of an act affect the probability of its occurring again.

I have three daughters, so I can't be as tough as I want to

I have three daughters, so I can't be as tough as I want to be. When you have kids - especially daughters - they know how to work you. They're a lot smarter than we are, that's for sure. But I'll be more tough on their boyfriends.

Mathematics is the only science where one never knows what o

Mathematics is the only science where one never knows what one is talking about nor whether what is said is true

Bertrand Russell

The accidental prescriptions of authority, when time has pro

The accidental prescriptions of authority, when time has procured them veneration, are often confounded with the laws of nature, and those rules are supposed coeval with reason, of which the first rise cannot be discovered

Whether he is aware of it or not, every human being dwells i

Whether he is aware of it or not, every human being dwells in tradition and history. Human memory is this constant dwelling in tradition. It constitutes that fundamental human characteristic of historicity.