--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let's live with that small pittance which…" description: "\"Let's live with that small pittance which we have; Who covets more is evermore a slave.\" — Robert Herrick" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/robert-herrick-3088_contentment_let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-whic_1010800.png" --- # Let's live with that small pittance which we have; Who… ![“Let's live with that small pittance which we have; Who covets more is evermore a slave.” quote by Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/robert-herrick-3088_contentment_let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-whic_1010800.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/robert-herrick-3088_contentment_let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-whic_1010800.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/robert-herrick-3088_contentment_let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-whic_1010800.png) > “Let's live with that small pittance which we have; Who covets more is evermore a slave.” [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desiring modest means prevents greed and keeps one free from servitude. **In simple terms:** Living simply avoids becoming a slave to desire. Key Takeaway Embrace modesty to maintain freedom. Themes simplicity freedom contentment Mood calm thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - financial planning - minimalist lifestyle - personal values Key Concepts materialism self‑control Questions to Reflect On - What does “small pittance” mean to you? - How can you balance desire and freedom? A Different Perspective Societal pressure often pushes toward excess. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Covets Evermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/covets-evermore-2193549/) [Evermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evermore/) [Evermore Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evermore-slave-2193548/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Live Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-small/) [Pittance Covets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pittance-covets-2193550/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) ## Related quotes > [Who covets more is evermore a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/who-covets-more-is-evermore-a-slave/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Things are evermore sincere; / Candor here, and lustre there / Delighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/things-are-evermore-sincere-candor-here-and-lustre-there-delighting/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [“Most of us, most of our lives, are asked to live small. Most of us quit trying very young to live the bigness we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janisse-ray/most-of-us-most-of-our-lives-are-asked-to-live-small-most-of-us-quit/) [Janisse Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janisse-ray/) > [If you live in a small space, you should do the things that make it feel luxurious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-procter/if-you-live-in-a-small-space-you-should-do-the-things-that-make-it/) [Emily Procter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-procter/) > [“Don’t live small. You deserve better than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-l-michael/don-t-live-small-you-deserve-better-than-that/) [A.L. Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-l-michael/) > [How you pray will determine what kind of life you live. If you only pray small, ordinary, get by prayers, then youll live a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel/how-you-pray-will-determine-what-kind-of-life-you-live-if-you-only/) [Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel/) > [Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/cross-country-skiing-is-great-if-you-live-in-a-small-country/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I kept saying that I'd never live in L.A., and I didn't think I would. But that's where the work is, and I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cusack/i-kept-saying-that-i-d-never-live-in-l-a-and-i-didn-t-think-i-would/) [John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cusack/) > [“I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/i-do-not-understand-how-anyone-can-live-without-one-small-place-of/) [Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings/) > [“Cross-country skiing is fine as long as you live in a small country.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/cross-country-skiing-is-fine-as-long-as-you-live-in-a-small-country/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I want people who live in small towns to know I hear them, I see them and I know what it's like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-kahan/i-want-people-who-live-in-small-towns-to-know-i-hear-them-i-see-them/) [Noah Kahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-kahan/) > [Where I live, everything is very small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/where-i-live-everything-is-very-small/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Pessimism, cynicism and fear will only lead to a very small life. Don’t live small.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-abramson/pessimism-cynicism-and-fear-will-only-lead-to-a-very-small-life-don-t/) [Neil Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-abramson/) > [...Individualistic material progress and the desire to gain prestige by coming out on top have taken over from the sense of fellowship, compassion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/individualistic-material-progress-and-the-desire-to-gain-prestige-by/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [I live in a very small house, but my windows look out on a very large world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/i-live-in-a-very-small-house-but-my-windows-look-out-on-a-very-large/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## More by Robert Herrick > [Love is maintain'd by wealth: when all is spent, Adversity then breeds the discontent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/love-is-maintain-d-by-wealth-when-all-is-spent-adversity-then-breeds/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [It takes great wit and interest and energy to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is a great activity. One must be open and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/it-takes-great-wit-and-interest-and-energy-to-be-happy-the-pursuit-of/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Whatever comes, let's be content withal; Among God's blessings there is not one small.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/whatever-comes-let-s-be-content-withal-among-god-s-blessings-there-is/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [When a daffadill I see, Hanging down his head towards me, Guess I may, what I must be: First, I shall decline my head;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/when-a-daffadill-i-see-hanging-down-his-head-towards-me-guess-i-may/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [In ways to greatness think on this, That slippery all ambition is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/in-ways-to-greatness-think-on-this-that-slippery-all-ambition-is/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [“Have ye beheld (with much delight) A red rose peeping through a white? Or else a cherry (double graced) Within a lily? Centre placed?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/have-ye-beheld-with-much-delight-a-red-rose-peeping-through-a-white/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Necessity makes dastards valiant men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/necessity-makes-dastards-valiant-men/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Buying, possessing, accumulating--this is not worldliness. But doing this in the love of it, with no love of God paramount--doing it so that thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/buying-possessing-accumulating-this-is-not-worldliness-but-doing-this/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Tears are the noble language of eyes, and when true love of words is destitute. The eye by tears speak, while the tongue is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/tears-are-the-noble-language-of-eyes-and-when-true-love-of-words-is/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Bid me to live, and I will live Thy Protestant to be: Or bid me love, and I will give A loving heart to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/bid-me-to-live-and-i-will-live-thy-protestant-to-be-or-bid-me-love/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [That age is best which is the first When youth and blood are warmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/that-age-is-best-which-is-the-first-when-youth-and-blood-are-warmer/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Show me thy feet, show me thy legs, thy thighs Show me those fleshy principalities; Show me that hill where smiling love doth sit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/show-me-thy-feet-show-me-thy-legs-thy-thighs-show-me-those-fleshy/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Hast thou attempted greatnesse? Then go on; Back-turning slackens resolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/hast-thou-attempted-greatnesse-then-go-on-back-turning-slackens/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [Attempt the end and never stand to doubt; Nothing's so hard, but search will find it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/attempt-the-end-and-never-stand-to-doubt-nothing-s-so-hard-but-search/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) > [The readiness of doing doth expresse No other but the doer's willingnesse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/the-readiness-of-doing-doth-expresse-no-other-but-the-doer-s/) [Robert Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) [Explore all 140 Robert Herrick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/) ## More Contentment quotes > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I may not have everything I want in life but I have all I will ever need to make my life complete, my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-not-have-everything-i-want-in-life-but-i-have-all-i-will-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you can find as much happiness at the bottom of the ladder of success as you can at the top, then you understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-krause/if-you-can-find-as-much-happiness-at-the-bottom-of-the-ladder-of/) [Tom Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-krause/) > [There are two sorts of content; one is connected with exertion, the other with habits of indolence. The first is a virtue; the other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/there-are-two-sorts-of-content-one-is-connected-with-exertion-the/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [“When we perform at our highest level of potential, we are content. Because we have given I best in what we enjoy doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/when-we-perform-at-our-highest-level-of-potential-we-are-content/) [Ellen J. Barrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-barrier/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor to be seen: my crown is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-crown-is-in-my-heart-not-on-my-head-not-decked-with-diamonds-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Most of us are not content with our lot because we want a lot more](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/most-of-us-are-not-content-with-our-lot-because-we-want-a-lot-more/) [Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/) > [Pleasure simply brings more craving, but the problem is that we try to get contentment through pleasure. True contentment can only come through service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/pleasure-simply-brings-more-craving-but-the-problem-is-that-we-try-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Every human always wants more. We're never satisfied. True happiness doesn't come until we're fully satisfied with what we have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-human-always-wants-more-we-re-never-satisfied-true-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I was so nearly happy. There remained only a tiny something, something unexplained and inexplicable that buzzed in my ear when the lights were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-rooney/i-was-so-nearly-happy-there-remained-only-a-tiny-something-something/) [Jennie Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennie-rooney/) > [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [Stop complaining and start accepting, everything happens for a reason, you may not notice the importance of the things that you have now, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hemantsmarty/stop-complaining-and-start-accepting-everything-happens-for-a-reason/) [Hemantsmarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hemantsmarty/) > [True intimacy is the experience of real acceptance and authentic vulnerability without feeling the need to apologize or fear rejection. The freedom to just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-blake-michiels/true-intimacy-is-the-experience-of-real-acceptance-and-authentic/) [Jordan Blake Michiels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-blake-michiels/) [Browse all 1,355 Contentment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Let's live with that small pittance which we have; Who covets more is evermore a slave.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Herrick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-which-we-have-who-covets-more-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contentment" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-which-we-have-who-covets-more-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/robert-herrick-3088_contentment_let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-whic_1010800.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/robert-herrick-3088_contentment_let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-whic_1010800.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f34/robert-herrick-3088_contentment_let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-whic_1010800.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Let's live with that small pittance which we have; Who covets more is evermore a slave.” — Robert Herrick", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Robert Herrick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-herrick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Let's live with that small pittance...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-which-we-have-who-covets-more-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-herrick/let-s-live-with-that-small-pittance-which-we-have-who-covets-more-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```