39 Quotes by Henry Home, Lord Kames

Whoever appears to have much cunning has in reality very little; being deficient in the essential article, which is, to hide cunning.

Great wants proceed from great wealth; but they are undutiful children, for they sink wealth down to poverty.

We part more easily with what we possess, than with our expectations of what we wish for; because expectation always goes beyond enjoyment.

An agreeable figure and winning manner, which inspire affection without love, are always new. Beauty loses its relish, the graces never, after the longest acquaintance, they are no less agreeable than at first.

Even dress is apt to inflame a man’s opinion of himself.

Every man, however little, makes a figure in his own eyes.

Parsimony is enough to make the master of the golden mines as poor as he that has nothing; for a man may be brought to a morsel of bread by parsimony as well as profusion.

Luxury may possibly contribute to give bread to the poor; but if there were no luxury, there would be no poor.

No man ever did a designed injury to another, but at the same time he did a greater to himself.