“Human nature is accused of much more selfishness than it really has; a thousand kindly emotions break in upon and redeem our daily and interested life.”

Heath's book of Beauty, 1833 (1832)

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Letitia Elizabeth Landon785

English poet and novelist 1802–1838

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Context: Man is naturally more disposed to beneficent than selfish actions. This we learn even from the history of savages. The domestic virtues have something in them so inviting and genial, and the public virtues of the citizen something so grand and inspiring, that even he who is barely uncorrupted, is seldom able to resist their charm.