Summary Characters, or Morals of this century
J. de LaBruyer
Characters, or Manners of the present century
In the preface to his “Character”, the author acknowledges that the purpose of the book is an attempt to draw attention to the shortcomings of society “made from nature”, with the aim of correcting them.
In each of the 16 eyes he expresses his “characters” in strict sequence, where he writes the following: “Everything has been said for a long time.” Convince others of the infallibility of their tastes is extremely difficult, most often a collection of “blissfulnesses”.
Most of all, mediocrity in “poetry, music, painting and oratorical art” is unbearable.
So far, there are no great works written collectively.
More often people are guided by “not taste, and predilection”.
Do not miss the opportunity to express a praiseworthy opinion about the merits of the manuscript, and do not build it only on
Author should calmly take “spiteful criticism”, and even more so do not delete the criticized places. “The newspaper’s high style is a chatter about politics.”
In vain, the writer wants to gain admired praise for his work. Fools admire. Smart approve with restraint.
High style reveals this or that truth, provided that the theme is sustained in a noble tone.
“Criticism is sometimes not so much a science as a craft demanding more endurance than a mind.”
“It is ungrateful to create a big name, life is coming to an end, and the work is barely begun.”
External simplicity is a wonderful dress for outstanding people.
It’s good to be a man, “about which no one asks, is he noble?”
In every act of man, the character is affected.
False greatness is arrogant, but it recognizes its own weakness and shows itself slightly.
The opinion of a man about women rarely coincides with the opinion of women.
Women should be examined, “not paying attention to their
There is no spectacle more beautiful, “than a beautiful face, and there is no music sweeter than the sound of a beloved voice.”
Female perfidy is useful for “curing men of jealousy.”
If two women, your friends, quarreled, “you have to choose between them, or lose both.”
Women know how to love more than men, “but men are more capable of friendship.”
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The heart inflames suddenly, friendship takes time.
We love those who are doing good, and we hate those whom we offend.
“There is no excess more beautiful than an excess of gratitude.”
“There is nothing colorless than the character of a colorless man.”
A wise person does not become intrusive.
To be enthusiastic about yourself and your mind is unhappiness.
Talent of the interlocutor differs “not the one who speaks himself, but the one with whom others readily speak.”
“Do not reject praise – you will be seen as rude.”
“A father-in-law does not like his son-in-law, his father-in-law loves his daughter-in-law, his mother-in-law loves his son-in-law, his mother-in-law does not like his daughter-in-law: everything in the world is balanced.” “It is easier and more useful to adjust to someone else’s disposition than to adjust someone else’s temper to one’s own.”
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Friends mutually reinforce each other’s views and forgive each other minor shortcomings.
Do not give advice in a secular society, only hurt yourself.
“Dogmatic tone is always a consequence of profound ignorance.”
“Do not try to expose the rich fool to mockery – all the ridicule on his side.”
The wealth of other people is acquired at the cost of rest, health, honor, conscience – do not envy them.
In any case, you can get rich by pretending to be honest.
The one who was fortunate in the game, “does not want to know his peers and only clings to the nobles.”
Not surprisingly, there are many gambling houses, it’s amazing how many people who give these homes a livelihood. “A decent person is unforgivable to play, to risk a big loss – too dangerous boyishness.”
“The decay of people of judicial and military rank is that they balance their expenses not with incomes, but with their position.”
Capital society is divided into circles “like small states: they have their own laws, customs, jargon, but the age of these circles is not long – on the strength of two years.”
The vanity of the capital’s inhabitants is more like the vulgarity of commoners.
“You have found a faithful friend, if, having risen, he did not get acquainted with you.”
It is easier to occupy a high and difficult position than to keep it. “Making promises at court is as dangerous as it is difficult to not give them.”
Insolence is a property of character, a congenital defect.
“Two paths lead to a high position: a trodden straight road and a detour around, which is much shorter”.
Do not wait for sincerity, justice, help and perseverance from a person who came to the court with the secret intention of rising. “The new minister has a lot of friends and relatives overnight.” “Court life is a serious, cold and intense game.” And her most fortunate wins.
“A slave depends only on his master, an ambitious person – from all who are able to help his eminence.”
“A good wit is a bad person.” From cunning to cheating – one step, it is necessary to add to the trickery of lies, and it turns out cheating.
Grandees recognize the perfection only for themselves, but the only thing that they do not take away is a large estate and a long line of ancestors. “They do not want to learn anything – not only government, but also the management of their home.”
The doorman, the valet, the footman judge themselves by the nobility and wealth of those they serve.
Participate in a dubious venture is dangerous, it is even more dangerous to be at the same time with a nobleman. He will get out at your expense.
Bravery is a special attitude of the mind and heart, which is transmitted from ancestors to descendants.
Do not rely on the nobles, they rarely take the opportunity to do us good. “They are guided only by the dictates of the senses, yielding to the first impression.”
“It’s best to keep silent about the powerful of this world.” To speak well-almost always means flattering, talking badly-dangerously, while they are alive, and meanly, when they are dead. ”
The most reasonable thing is to reconcile with the way of government under which you were born.
The subjects of the despot have no homeland. The thought of it is superseded by self-interest, ambition, servility.
“A minister or an ambassador is a chameleon, he hides his true nature and puts on the necessary mask at the given moment, all his plans, moral rules, political tricks serve one task – not to deceive himself and deceive others.”
The favorite is always alone, he has no attachments, no friends.
“Everything flourishes in a country where no one makes a distinction between the interests of the state and the sovereign.”
In one respect, people are constant: they are evil, evil, indifferent to virtue.
“Stoicism is an empty game of the mind, an invention.” The person actually gets out of himself, despairs, shrinks. “The Dodgers tend to think that everyone else is like them, they do not deceive themselves, but they themselves do not deceive others for a long time.”
“Stamp paper is a shame of humanity: it is invented to remind people that they made promises, and to convict them when they deny it.”
“Life is what people most want to preserve and least of all protect.”
There is no such flaw or physical imperfection that children would not notice, it is worth discovering them, how they take precedence over adults and cease to be reckoned with.
“People live too short to learn from their own mistakes.”
“Prejudice brings down the greatest man to the level of the most limited commoner.”
Health and wealth, saving a person from a bitter experience, make him indifferent; People, themselves depressed by sorrows, are much more compassionate toward their neighbor.
“A man of a mediocre mind is as if cut out from one piece: he is always serious, he does not know how to joke.”
High office makes great people even greater, insignificant – even more insignificant.
“An old man in love is one of the greatest ugliness in nature.”
“Finding a vain person who considers himself to be happy is as difficult as finding a humble person who would consider himself too unhappy.”
“Manners of gestures, speeches and behavior are often the result of idleness or indifference, a great sense and serious business returns to man his natural appearance.”
“The great surprises us, the insignificant repels, and the habit” reconciles them with both.
“” The title of the comedian was considered shameful among the Romans and honorable among the Greeks. What is the position of the actors in our country? We look at them like the Romans, but treat them like Greeks.
“” Languages are just the key that opens access to science, but contempt for them casts a shadow on it.
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“A person whose mind and abilities are recognized by all does not seem ugly, even if he is ugly – nobody sees his ugliness.” “A narcissist is someone in whom fools see an abyss of virtues, this is something between a fool and a brat, there is something from both of them.”
“Gentleness is one of the signs of limitation.”
The more our neighbors are like us, the more we like them.
“A flattery is equally of low opinion about himself and about others.”
“Freedom is not idleness, but an opportunity to freely dispose of one’s time and choose one’s occupation.” Who does not know how to properly use his time, the first one complains about his lack.
The lover of rarities is expensive not that good or fine, but then,
“A woman who has become fashionable is like that unnamed blue flower that grows in the fields, dies the ears, destroys the harvest and takes the place of useful grains.”
“A sensible person wears what a tailor advises him, despising fashion is as unreasonable as too to follow it.”
“Even the beautiful ceases to be beautiful when it is inappropriate.”
“For marriage from parishioners they take more than for christenings, and christenings are more expensive than confession, thus, from the sacraments a tax is imposed which, as it were, determines their relative dignity.”
“Torture is an amazing invention that safely destroys an innocent person if he is weak in health and saves the criminal if he is strong and enduring.”
“To orders made dying in wills, people are treated like the words of oracles: everyone understands and interprets them in their own way, according to their own desires and benefits.”
“People never trusted doctors, and always used their services.” Until people die, doctors will be sneered with ridicule and money.
Charlatans deceive those who want to be deceived.
“Christian preaching has now turned into a play,” no one thinks about the meaning of the word of God, “for preaching was first and foremost fun, a game of chance where some compete and others bet.”
“Speakers are in one respect similar to the military: they take a greater risk than people of other professions, but they quickly rise.” How great is the advantage of a living word before a written one.
Enjoying health, people doubt the existence of God, just as they do not see sin in proximity to a special kind of light morals; It is worthwhile for them to fall ill, as they throw a concubine and begin to believe in the creator.
“The inability to prove that there is no God convinces me that he is.”
“If there is no need for anything, art, science, invention, mechanics will disappear.”
Finishes the book LaBruyer with the words: “If the reader does not approve these” Characters, “I will be surprised, if approved, I will still be surprised.”
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