The Dangers of Hedonism

Windows into History

“Hummingbirds or a Dandy Trio” by caricaturist George Cruilshank (1819)

Snippets 67.  Memoirs of a Man of Fashion was published anonymously in three volumes in 1821. The books contain much useful information about the wealthy classes during the early years of the 19^th Century. The following anecdote is from the third volume, a cautionary tale that is still relevant today. Subtitled “The Dangers of Dissipation” (which means reckless spending), it serves as a warning about where a hedonistic lifestyle can lead…

Poor Harry Mortimer had outlived his health, his friends, and his respectability, ‘ere he was thirty-six. A fortune, squandered at an early age, had procured him luxuries, and surrounded him with false friends and envious companions. When the gold which attracted these carrion crows, who lived on his substance, was expended, they flew off like birds of prey to a richer victim — to a plumper repast…

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