What are gold and jewels and precious utensils? Mere dross and

When William Godwin declared, “What are gold and jewels and precious utensils? Mere dross and dirt. The human face and the human heart, reciprocations of kindness and love, and all the nameless sympathies of our nature — these are the only objects worth being attached to,” he struck at the very heart of human folly. For men and women throughout the ages have been tempted by the glitter of gold, by the false majesty of jewels, by the pride of possessions. Yet Godwin, with the voice of a prophet, reminds us that these treasures are but dust compared to the eternal wealth of human affection and sympathy. What use is gold if the heart is cold? What power has jewels if love is absent?

The face and the heart are the true treasures of life, more radiant than diamonds, more enduring than silver. For when a man beholds the face of one who loves him, he beholds a mirror of his own worth. When he feels the warmth of kindness, he tastes a joy that no coin could purchase. Godwin, the philosopher of the Enlightenment, saw beyond the glittering surface of society into its moral marrow. He knew that civilizations fall when they exalt riches above virtue, but they endure when they honor compassion, sympathy, and the sacred bond between souls.

History itself bears witness. Consider the tale of Diogenes the Cynic, who cast away wealth and possessions to live in simplicity. When asked what riches he possessed, he replied that he was richer than the great kings, for he desired nothing beyond the company of men and the freedom of spirit. His life, though austere, burned with a brightness that no hoarded treasure could rival. Godwin’s words echo the same truth: wealth lies not in what can be locked in a chest, but in what can be shared between hearts.

Yet the temptation of riches has ever been strong. Kingdoms have been toppled, families betrayed, and lives wasted for the sake of gold that rusts, jewels that lose their luster, and utensils that break. But love, once kindled, grows brighter with age. A single act of kindness can outlast empires; a single moment of true sympathy can heal wounds deeper than swords. Godwin names these “nameless sympathies” because they transcend calculation—they are small gestures of humanity that bind us together in unseen but unbreakable chains.

The lesson, O children of the future, is to guard your heart against the lie of material glory. Do not measure your worth by the weight of your possessions, nor seek joy in the marketplace of vanity. Instead, devote yourself to the reciprocation of love: give freely, receive gratefully, and treasure above all the fellowship of others. This is the gold that never tarnishes, the jewel that never fades, the true wealth of human existence.

Practical action lies in this: each day, choose to value faces over coins, hearts over objects. Spend time with those you cherish; invest not in trinkets but in relationships. When tempted by envy of the wealthy, remind yourself that their treasures are “dross and dirt” unless joined with kindness. Speak words of encouragement, offer acts of sympathy, and remember that in the end, all material wealth returns to dust, but the bonds of love ripple outward into eternity.

Therefore, let Godwin’s words stand as both warning and invitation: do not enslave yourself to gold and jewels, for they will betray you. Instead, attach yourself to the inexhaustible wealth of humanity—the human face, the human heart, the unspoken yet enduring sympathies of love. For these alone are eternal, these alone are worthy, and in them lies the treasure of a life well lived.