Vanity is combated by the strength of the social and benevolent affections and intellectual powers.The former represent its excesses as hurtful, the latter as absurd.The same principles, therefore, which give strength to the effective desire of accumulation, diminish the sway of this passion.
Hence, in all societies, where the effective desire of accumulation is high, and instruments consequently at orders of slow return, or only kept at orders of quick return from the progress of improvement, vanity and luxury will prevail but little; while, in societies where the effective desire of accumulation is low, and instruments, not in consequence of superabundance of materials or recent improvements, but of the inability of the community to work up any but the best materials, are at orders of very quick return, such a state of things, indicating a weakness in the social and benevolent affections, and in the intellectual powers, is generally accompanied by great strength, and the general prevalence of vanity and luxury.
Savages, in general, are remarkable for the influence which vanity has over them, and for their propensity to give up any provision they may have made for the future, or to suffer severe privations, to have the means of decking their persons or habitations with something rare and costly, distinguishing them from others.Beads, bones, plumes of feathers, porcupine quills, gay colors, and all the rarities of their native abodes, are sought out, and wrought up by them with great labor.They besides cut their flesh, or tattoo their skin, the operation costs severe pain, and requires some skill, and the bearing the testimony of this outlay about with him is as real a gratification to the vanity of the savage as a diamond ring to that of an European.Their intercourse with civilized nations turns their desires towards fineries of European manufacture.Glass beads, trinkets of silver, or, if it be not to be had, of tin, fine cloths, showy cottons and silks then make up a large part of their expenditure.(103)All travellers speak of the vanity of the Chinese, and of their propensity to show.Their glittering gilding, variegated silks, and crispy cows' hair dyed red, with them the most splendid of ornaments, catch the eye of every stranger, and contrast strongly with the squalid poverty and misery that is the constant portion of a considerable part of the population, and occasionally invade the whole mass.One of the father Jesuits, in speaking of the necessity of his brethren's changing their habits and style of living, observes, that, "besides other reasons, they are obliged to conform to the general custom of the country; that even individuals of the common people, when they go to visit any one, dress themselves in silk, and have themselves carried in a chair.This does not pass with them for vanity, or affectation of grandeur, but for an evidence that they esteem the persons whom they visit, and that they themselves are above absolute want, and are not in a despicable condition." (104) This attention to a showy exterior seems to have led Mr.Ellis to form too high an estimate of the general opulence and comfort of the people."I have been much struck,"he says, "in all Chinese towns and villages with the number of persons apparently of the middling classes; from this I am inclined to infer a wide diffusion of the substantial comforts of life, and the consequent financial capacity of the country." (105)The Romans are still more conspicuous instances of the extravagance into which this passion betrays nations.Vanity reigned throughout their expenditure.The decorations of their persons and mansions were a show of the most costly luxuries.
Gemmas, marmor, ebur, Tyrrhena sigilla, tabellas Argentum, vestes Gaetulo murice tinctas."The head, the neck, the arms, the fingers, of a Roman lady were loaded with jewels.Pliny relates that the jewels which Lollia Paulina, the wife of Caligula, even after her repudiation, carried on her person when attired simply for paying visits, were worth forty millions of sesterces, upwards of two hundred thousand pounds sterling.According to the same author, women of the greatest simplicity and modesty durst no more go without diamonds than a consul without the marks of his dignity.The men, also, be tells us, more on their fingers a variety of the most expensive rings, rather loading than adorning them.It was common to have tables and other articles of ivory, or of the precious metals.The plate and tables of Hellogabalus were of pure gold.Examples of their excessive luxury in articles for the table have been already given, and many more might be added, were it necessary to repeat what has been often narrated.(106)The magnificence of the eastern Empire was perhaps even greater than that of Rome itself.It reflected something of the excessive splendor of the Babylonish and other Asiatic monarchies.Chrysostom thus describes the palaces of the nobles."The roofs made of wood were gilt.The doors, even the long folding doors, were of ivory.In all the chambers the walls were incrusted with marble.If they were only of common stone, it was covered with plates of gold.The beams and ceilings were gilt, and the apartments were inlaid with small stones, and often with precious stones.Over the floors were sometimes spread very rich carpets.Their taste for magnificence could bear nothing of the ordinary kind.In the rooms were great pillars of marble, with their chapiters gilt, and sometimes the whole pillars were gilt, statues by the most excellent artists, pictures and mosaic work.
