When Robin now three days had married been,And all his friends and neighbours gave him joy,This question of his wife he asked then,Why till her marriage day she proved so coy?Indeed said he, 'twas well thou didst not yield,For doubtless then my purpose was to leave thee:O, sir, I once before was so beguil'd,And was resolved the next should not deceive me.
When Robin now three days had married been,And all his friends and neighbours gave him joy,This question of his wife he asked then,Why till her marriage day she proved so coy?Indeed said he, 'twas well thou didst not yield,For doubtless then my purpose was to leave thee:O, sir, I once before was so beguil'd,And was resolved the next should not deceive me.
Poetry for December, 1734
By Mrs. Bridget Saunders, my Dutchess in answer to the December verses of last year.
He that for the sake of drink neglects his trade,And spends each night in taverns till 'tis late,And rises when the sun is four hours high,And ne'er regards his starving family,God in his mercy may do much to save himBut, woe to the poor wife, whose lot is to have him.* * * *Time eateth all things, could old poets say.But times are chang'd, our timesdrinkall away* * * *Old Batchelor would have a wife that's wise,Fair, rich and young a maiden for his bed;Not proud, nor churlish, but of faultless sizeA country housewife in the city bred.He's a nice fool and long in vain hath staid;He should bespeak her, there's none ready made.
He that for the sake of drink neglects his trade,And spends each night in taverns till 'tis late,And rises when the sun is four hours high,And ne'er regards his starving family,God in his mercy may do much to save himBut, woe to the poor wife, whose lot is to have him.
* * * *
Time eateth all things, could old poets say.But times are chang'd, our timesdrinkall away
* * * *
Old Batchelor would have a wife that's wise,Fair, rich and young a maiden for his bed;Not proud, nor churlish, but of faultless sizeA country housewife in the city bred.He's a nice fool and long in vain hath staid;He should bespeak her, there's none ready made.
And this is Poor Richard's version of how Cupid and Campaspe played for kisses:
My love and I for kisses play'd,She would keep stakes, I was content,But when I won, she would be paid,This made me ask her what she meant:Quoth she, since you are in the wrangling veinHere take your kisses, give me mine again.
My love and I for kisses play'd,She would keep stakes, I was content,But when I won, she would be paid,This made me ask her what she meant:Quoth she, since you are in the wrangling veinHere take your kisses, give me mine again.
The first preface toPoor Richard's Almanacappeared in the issue for 1733. In 1758, the proverbs and sayings, scattered through the preceding issues of the publication, were assembled in theWay to WealthorFather Abraham's Speech. Even John Bach McMaster in hisbrief, though admirable, work on Franklin as a man of letters found that he could not abridge this renowned production; so we offer no apology for inserting it here in its entirety:
Courteous ReaderI have heard that nothing gives an Author so great Pleasure, as to find his Works respectfully quoted by other learned Authors. This Pleasure I have seldom enjoyed; for tho' I have been, if I may say it without Vanity, aneminent Authorof Almanacks annually now a full Quarter of a Century, my Brother Authors in the same Way, for what Reason I know not, have ever been very sparing in their Applauses, and no other Author has taken the least Notice of me, so that did not my Writings produce me some solidPudding, the great Deficiency ofPraisewould have quite discouraged me.I concluded at length, that the People were the best Judges of my Merit; for they buy my Works; and besides, in my Rambles, where I am not personally known, I have frequently heard one or other of my Adages repeated, with,as Poor Richard says, at the End on 't; this gave me some Satisfaction, as it showed not only that my Instructions were regarded, but discovered likewise some Respect for my Authority; and I own, that to encourage the Practice of remembering and repeating those wise Sentences, I have sometimesquoted myselfwith great Gravity.Judge, then how much I must have been gratified by an Incident I am going to relate to you. I stopt my Horse lately where a great Number of People were collected at a Vendue of Merchant Goods. The Hour of Sale not being come, they were conversing on the Badness of the Times and one of the Company call'd to a plain clean old Man, with white Locks, "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the Times? Won't these heavy Taxes quite ruin the Country? How shall we be ever able to pay them? What would you advise us to?" FatherAbrahamstood up, and reply'd, "If you'd have my Advice, I'll give it you in short, forA Word to the Wise is enough, andmany Words won't fill a Bushel, asPoor Richardsays." They join'd in desiring him to speak his Mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows;"Friends," says he, "and Neighbours, the Taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the Government were the only Ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by ourIdleness, three times as much by our Pride, and four times as much by ourFolly; and from these Taxes the Commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an Abatement. However let us hearken to good Advice, and something may be done for us;God helps them that help themselves, asPoor Richardsays, in his Almanack of 1733."It would be thought a hard Government that should tax its People one-tenth Part of theirTime, to be employed in its Service. ButIdlenesstaxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in absoluteSloth, or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle Employments or Amusements, that amount to nothing.Sloth, by bringing on Diseases, absolutely shortens Life.Sloth, like Rust, consumes faster than Labour wears; while the used Key is always brightasPoor Richardsays.But dost thou love Life, then do not squander Time, for that's the stuff Life is made of, asPoor Richardsays. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting thatThe sleeping Fox catches no Poultry, and thatThere will be sleeping enough in the Grave, asPoor Richardsays."If Time be of all Things the most precious, wasting Time must be, asPoor Richardsays,the greatest Prodigality; since, as he elsewhere tells us,Lost Time is never found again; and what we call Time enough, always proves little enough: Let us then be up and doing, and doing to the Purpose; so by Diligence shall we do more with less Perplexity.Sloth makes all Things difficult, but Industry all easy, asPoor Richardsays; andHe that riseth late must trot all Day, and shall scarce overtake his Business at Night; whileLaziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him, as we read inPoor Richard, who adds,Drive thy Business, let not that drive thee; andEarly to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy, and wise."So what signifieswishingandhopingfor better Times. Wemay make these Times better, if we bestir ourselves.Industry need not wish, asPoor Richardsays,and he that lives upon Hope will die fasting.There are no Gains without Pains; then Help Hands, for I have no Lands, or if I have, they are smartly taxed. And, asPoor Richardlikewise observes,He that hath a Trade hath an Estate; and he that hath a Calling, hath an Office of Profitand Honour; but then theTrademust be worked at, and theCallingwell followed, or neither theEstatenor theOfficewill enable us to pay our Taxes. If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, asPoor Richardsays,At the working Man's House Hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the Bailiff or the Constable enter, forIndustry pays Debts, while Despair encreaseth them, saysPoor Richard. What though you have found no Treasure, nor has any rich Relation left you a Legacy,Diligence is the Mother of GoodluckasPoor Richardsaysand God gives all Things to Industry.Then plough deep, while Sluggards sleep, and you shall have Corn to sell and to keep, saysPoor Dick. Work while it is called To-day, for you know not how much you may be hindered To-morrow, which makesPoor Richardsay,One to-day is worth two To-morrows, and farther,Have you somewhat to do To-morrow, do it To-day. If you were a Servant, would you not be ashamed that a good Master should catch you idle? Are you then your own Master,be ashamed to catch yourself idle, asPoor Dicksays. When there is so much to be done for yourself, your Family, your Country, and your gracious King, be up by Peep of Day;Let not the Sun look down and say, Inglorious here he lies. Handle your Tools without Mittens; remember thatThe Cat in Gloves catches no Mice, asPoor Richardsays. 'Tis true there is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed, but stick to it steadily; and you will see great Effects, forConstant Dropping wears away Stones, and byDiligence and Patience the Mouse ate in two the Cable; andLittle Strokes fell great Oaks, asPoor Richardsays in his Almanack, the Year I cannot just now remember."Methinks I hear some of you say,Must a Man afford himself no Leisure?I will tell thee, my friend, whatPoor Richardsays,Employ thy Time well, if thou meanest to gain Leisure; and, since thou are not sure of a Minute, throw not away an Hour.Leisure is Time for doing something useful; this Leisure the diligent Man will obtain, but the lazy Man never; so that, asPoor RichardsaysA Life of Leisure and a Life of Laziness are two Things. Do you imagine that Sloth will afford you more Comfort than Labour? No, for asPoor Richardsays,Trouble springs from Idleness, and grievous Toil from needless Ease. Many without Labour, would live by their Wits only, but they break for want of Stock.Whereas Industry gives Comfort, and Plenty, and Respect:Fly Pleasures, and they'll follow you.The diligent Spinner has a large Shift; and now I have a Sheep and a Cow, everybody bids me good Morrow; all which is well said byPoor Richard."But with our Industry, we must likewise besteady,settled, andcareful, and oversee our own Affairswith our own Eyes, and not trust too much to others; for, asPoor RichardsaysI never saw an oft-removed Tree,Nor yet an oft-removed Family,That throve so well as those that settled be.And again,Three Removes is as bad as a Fire; and again,Keep thy Shop, and thy Shop will keep thee; and again,If you would have your Business done, go; if not, send, and again,He that by the Plough would thrive,Himself must either hold or drive.And again,The Eye of a Master will do more Work than both his Hands; and again,Want of Care does us more Damage than Want of Knowledge; and again,Not to oversee Workmen, is to leave them your Purse open. Trusting too much to others' Care is the Ruin of many; for, as the Almanack says,In the Affairs of this World, Men are saved, not by Faith, but by the Want of it; but a Man's own Care is profitable; for, saithPoor Dick,Learning is to the Studious, andRiches to the Careful, as well asPower to the Bold, and Heaven to the Virtuous, And farther,If you would have a faithful Servant, and one that you like, serve yourself. And again, he adviseth to Circumspection and Care, even in the smallest Matters, because sometimesA little Neglect may breed great Mischief; adding,for want of aNail the Shoe was lost; for want of a Shoe the Horse was lost; and for want of a Horse the Rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the Enemy; all for want of Care about a Horse-shoe Nail."So much for Industry, my Friends, and Attention to one's own Business; but to these we must addFrugality, if we would make ourIndustrymore certainly successful. A Man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets,keep his Nose all his Life to the Grindstone, and die not worth a Groat at last. Afat Kitchen makes a lean Will, asPoor Richardsays; andMany Estates are spent in the Getting,Since Women for Tea forsook Spinning and Knitting,And Men for Punch forsook Hewing and Splitting.If you would be wealthy, says he, in another Almanack,think of Saving as well as of Getting: The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her Outgoes are greater than her Incomes."Away then with your expensive Follies, and you will not then have so much Cause to complain of hard Times, heavy Taxes, and chargeable Families; for, asPoor Dicksays,Women and Wine, Game and Deceit,Make the Wealth small and the Wants great.And farther,What maintains one Vice, would bring up two Children. You may think perhaps, that alittleTea, or alittlePunch now and then, Diet alittlemore costly, Clothes, alittlefiner, and alittleEntertainment now and then, can be nogreatMatter; but remember whatPoor Richardsays,Many a Little makes a Mickle; and farther,Beware of little Expences; A small Leak will sink a great Ship; and again,Who Dainties love, shall Beggars prove; and moreover,Fools make Feasts, and wise Men eat them."Here you are all got together at this Vendue ofFineriesandKnicknacks. You call themGoods; but if you do not take Care, they will proveEvilsto some of you. You expect they will be soldCheap, and perhaps they may for less than they cost; but if you have no Occasion for them, they must bedearto you. Remember whatPoor Richardsays;Buy what thou hast no Need of, and ere long thou shalt sell thy Necessaries. And again,At a great Pennyworth pause a while: He means, that perhaps the Cheapness isapparentonly, and notReal; or the bargain by straitening thee in thy Business, may do thee more Harm than Good. For in another Place he says,Many have been ruined by buying good Pennyworths.Again,Poor Richardsays,'tis foolish to lay out Money in a Purchase of Repentance; and yet this Folly is practised every Day at Vendues, for want of minding the Almanack.Wise Men, asPoor Dicksays,learn by others Harms, Fools scarcely by their own; butfelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum. Many a one, for the Sake of Finery on the Back, have gone with a hungry Belly, and half-starved their Families.Silks and Sattins, Scarlet and Velvets, asPoor Richardsays,put out the Kitchen Fire."These are not theNecessaries of Life; they can scarcely be called theConveniences; and yet only because they look pretty, how manywanttohavethem! TheartificialWants of Mankind thus become more numerous than theNatural; and, asPoor Dicksays,for one poor Person, there are an hundred indigent. By these, and other Extravagancies, the Genteel are reduced to poverty, and forced to borrow of those whom they formerly despised, but who through Industry and Frugality have maintained their Standing; in which Case it appears plainly, thatA Ploughman on his Legs is higher than a Gentleman on his Knees, asPoor Richardsays. Perhaps they have had a small Estate left them, which they knew not the Getting of; they think,'tis Day, and will never be Night; that a little to be spent out of so much, is not worth minding;a Child and a Fool, asPoor Richardsays,imagine Twenty shillings and Twenty Years can never be spentbut,always taking out of the Meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the Bottom; asPoor Dicksays,When the Well's dry, they know the Worth of Water. But this they might have known before, if they had taken his Advice;If you would know the Value of Money, go and try to borrow some; for, he that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing; and indeed so does he that lends to such People, when he goesto get it in again.Poor Dickfarther advises, and says,Fond Pride of Dress is sure a very Curse;E'er Fancy you consult, consult your Purse.And again,Pride is as loud a Beggar as Want, and a great deal more saucy. When you have bought one fine Thing, you must buy ten more, that your Appearance may be all of a Piece; butPoor Dicksays, 'Tis easier to suppress the first Desire, than to satisfy all that follow it. And 'tis as truly Folly for the Poor to ape the Rich, as for the Frog to swell, in order to equal the ox.Great Estates may venture more,But little Boats should keep near Shore.'Tis, however, a Folly soon punished; forPride that dines on Vanity, sups on Contempt, asPoor Richardsays. And in another Place,Pride breakfasted with Plenty, dined with Poverty, and supped with Infamy. And after all, of what Use is thisPride of Appearance, for which so much is risked so much is suffered? It cannot promote Health, or ease Pain; it makes no Increase of Merit in the Person, it creates Envy, it hastens Misfortune.What is a Butterfly? At bestHe's but a Caterpillar drestThe gaudy Fop's his Picture just,asPoor Richardsays."But what Madness must it be torun in Debtfor these Superfluities! We are offered, by the Terms of this Vendue,Six Months' Credit; and that perhaps has induced some of us to attend it, because we cannot spare the ready Money, and hope now to be fine without it. But, ah, think what you do when you run in Debt;you give to another Power over your Liberty. If you cannot pay at the Time, you will be ashamed to see your Creditor; you will be in Fear when you speak to him; you will make poor pitiful sneaking Excuses, and by Degrees come to lose your Veracity, and sink into base downright lying; for, asPoor RichardsaysThe second Vice is Lying, the first is running in Debt. And again, to the same Purpose,Lying rides upon Debt's Back. Whereas a free-bornEnglishmanought not tobe ashamed or afraid to see or speak to any Man living. But Poverty often deprives a Man of all Spirit and Virtue:'Tis hard for an empty Bag to stand upright, asPoor Richardtruly says."What would you think of that Prince, or that Government, who should issue an Edict forbidding you to dress like a Gentleman or a Gentlewoman, on Pain of Imprisonment or Servitude? Would you not say, that you were free, have a Right to dress as you please, and that such an Edict would be a Breach of your Privileges, and such a Government tyrannical? And yet you are about to put yourself under that Tyranny, when you run in Debt for such Dress! Your Creditor has Authority, at his Pleasure to deprive you of your Liberty, by confining you in Goal for Life, or to sell you for a Servant, if you should not be able to pay him! When you have got your Bargain, you may, perhaps, think little of Payment; butCreditors,Poor Richardtells us,have better Memories than Debtors;andin another Place says,Creditors are a superstitious Sect, great Observers of set Days and Times. The Day comes round before you are aware, and the Demand is made before you are prepared to satisfy it, Or if you bear your Debt in Mind, the Term which at first seemes so long, will, as it lessens, appear extreamly short.Timewill seem to have added Wings to his Heels as well as Shoulders.Those have a short Lent, saithPoor Richard,who owe Money to be paid at Easter. Then since, as he says,The Borrower is a Slave to the Lender, and the Debtor to the Creditor, disdain the Chain, preserve your Freedom; and maintain your Independency; Beindustriousandfree; befrugalandfree. At present, perhaps, you may think yourself in thriving Circumstances, and that you can bear a little Extravagance without Injury; but,For Age and Want, save while you may;No Morning Sun lasts a whole Day.asPoor Richardsays. Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, Expence is constant and certain; and'tis easier to build two Chimnies, than to keep one in Fuel, asPoor Richardsays. So,Rather go to Bed supperless than rise in Debt.Get what you can, and what you get hold;'Tis the Stone that will turn all your lead into Gold,asPoor Richardsays. And when you have got the Philosopher's Stone, sure you will no longer complain of bad Times, or the Difficulty of paying Taxes."This Doctrine, my Friends, isReasonandWisdom; but after all, do not depend too much upon your ownIndustry, andFrugality, andPrudence, though excellent Things, for they may all be blasted without the Blessing of Heaven; and therefore, ask that Blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them. Remember,Jobsuffered, and was afterwards prosperous."And now to conclude,Experience keeps a dear School, but Fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true,we may give Advice, but we cannot give Conduct, asPoor Richardsays: However, remember this,They that won't be counselled, can't be helped, asPoor Richardsays: and farther, That,if you will not hear Reason, she'll surely rap your Knuckles."Thus the old Gentleman ended his Harangue. The People heard it and approved the Doctrine, and immediately practised the contrary, just as if it had been a common Sermon; for the Vendue opened, and they began to buy extravagantly, notwithstanding, his Cautions and their own Fear of Taxes. I found the good Man had thoroughly studied my Almanacks, and digested all I had dropt on these Topicks during the Course of Five and twenty Years. The frequent Mention he made of me must have tired any one else, but my Vanity was wonderfully delighted with it, though I was conscious that not a tenth Part of the Wisdom was my own, which he ascribed to me, but rather theGleaningsI had made of the Sense of all Ages and Nations. However, I resolved to be the better for the Echo of it; and though I had at first determined to buy Stuff for a new Coat, I went away resolved to wear my old One a little longer.Reader, if thou wilt do the same, thy Profit will be as great as mine,I am, as ever, thine to serve thee,Richard Saunders.
Courteous Reader
I have heard that nothing gives an Author so great Pleasure, as to find his Works respectfully quoted by other learned Authors. This Pleasure I have seldom enjoyed; for tho' I have been, if I may say it without Vanity, aneminent Authorof Almanacks annually now a full Quarter of a Century, my Brother Authors in the same Way, for what Reason I know not, have ever been very sparing in their Applauses, and no other Author has taken the least Notice of me, so that did not my Writings produce me some solidPudding, the great Deficiency ofPraisewould have quite discouraged me.
I concluded at length, that the People were the best Judges of my Merit; for they buy my Works; and besides, in my Rambles, where I am not personally known, I have frequently heard one or other of my Adages repeated, with,as Poor Richard says, at the End on 't; this gave me some Satisfaction, as it showed not only that my Instructions were regarded, but discovered likewise some Respect for my Authority; and I own, that to encourage the Practice of remembering and repeating those wise Sentences, I have sometimesquoted myselfwith great Gravity.
Judge, then how much I must have been gratified by an Incident I am going to relate to you. I stopt my Horse lately where a great Number of People were collected at a Vendue of Merchant Goods. The Hour of Sale not being come, they were conversing on the Badness of the Times and one of the Company call'd to a plain clean old Man, with white Locks, "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the Times? Won't these heavy Taxes quite ruin the Country? How shall we be ever able to pay them? What would you advise us to?" FatherAbrahamstood up, and reply'd, "If you'd have my Advice, I'll give it you in short, forA Word to the Wise is enough, andmany Words won't fill a Bushel, asPoor Richardsays." They join'd in desiring him to speak his Mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows;
"Friends," says he, "and Neighbours, the Taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the Government were the only Ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by ourIdleness, three times as much by our Pride, and four times as much by ourFolly; and from these Taxes the Commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an Abatement. However let us hearken to good Advice, and something may be done for us;God helps them that help themselves, asPoor Richardsays, in his Almanack of 1733.
"It would be thought a hard Government that should tax its People one-tenth Part of theirTime, to be employed in its Service. ButIdlenesstaxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in absoluteSloth, or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle Employments or Amusements, that amount to nothing.Sloth, by bringing on Diseases, absolutely shortens Life.Sloth, like Rust, consumes faster than Labour wears; while the used Key is always brightasPoor Richardsays.But dost thou love Life, then do not squander Time, for that's the stuff Life is made of, asPoor Richardsays. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting thatThe sleeping Fox catches no Poultry, and thatThere will be sleeping enough in the Grave, asPoor Richardsays.
"If Time be of all Things the most precious, wasting Time must be, asPoor Richardsays,the greatest Prodigality; since, as he elsewhere tells us,Lost Time is never found again; and what we call Time enough, always proves little enough: Let us then be up and doing, and doing to the Purpose; so by Diligence shall we do more with less Perplexity.Sloth makes all Things difficult, but Industry all easy, asPoor Richardsays; andHe that riseth late must trot all Day, and shall scarce overtake his Business at Night; whileLaziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him, as we read inPoor Richard, who adds,Drive thy Business, let not that drive thee; andEarly to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
"So what signifieswishingandhopingfor better Times. Wemay make these Times better, if we bestir ourselves.Industry need not wish, asPoor Richardsays,and he that lives upon Hope will die fasting.There are no Gains without Pains; then Help Hands, for I have no Lands, or if I have, they are smartly taxed. And, asPoor Richardlikewise observes,He that hath a Trade hath an Estate; and he that hath a Calling, hath an Office of Profitand Honour; but then theTrademust be worked at, and theCallingwell followed, or neither theEstatenor theOfficewill enable us to pay our Taxes. If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, asPoor Richardsays,At the working Man's House Hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the Bailiff or the Constable enter, forIndustry pays Debts, while Despair encreaseth them, saysPoor Richard. What though you have found no Treasure, nor has any rich Relation left you a Legacy,Diligence is the Mother of GoodluckasPoor Richardsaysand God gives all Things to Industry.Then plough deep, while Sluggards sleep, and you shall have Corn to sell and to keep, saysPoor Dick. Work while it is called To-day, for you know not how much you may be hindered To-morrow, which makesPoor Richardsay,One to-day is worth two To-morrows, and farther,Have you somewhat to do To-morrow, do it To-day. If you were a Servant, would you not be ashamed that a good Master should catch you idle? Are you then your own Master,be ashamed to catch yourself idle, asPoor Dicksays. When there is so much to be done for yourself, your Family, your Country, and your gracious King, be up by Peep of Day;Let not the Sun look down and say, Inglorious here he lies. Handle your Tools without Mittens; remember thatThe Cat in Gloves catches no Mice, asPoor Richardsays. 'Tis true there is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed, but stick to it steadily; and you will see great Effects, forConstant Dropping wears away Stones, and byDiligence and Patience the Mouse ate in two the Cable; andLittle Strokes fell great Oaks, asPoor Richardsays in his Almanack, the Year I cannot just now remember.
"Methinks I hear some of you say,Must a Man afford himself no Leisure?I will tell thee, my friend, whatPoor Richardsays,Employ thy Time well, if thou meanest to gain Leisure; and, since thou are not sure of a Minute, throw not away an Hour.Leisure is Time for doing something useful; this Leisure the diligent Man will obtain, but the lazy Man never; so that, asPoor RichardsaysA Life of Leisure and a Life of Laziness are two Things. Do you imagine that Sloth will afford you more Comfort than Labour? No, for asPoor Richardsays,Trouble springs from Idleness, and grievous Toil from needless Ease. Many without Labour, would live by their Wits only, but they break for want of Stock.Whereas Industry gives Comfort, and Plenty, and Respect:Fly Pleasures, and they'll follow you.The diligent Spinner has a large Shift; and now I have a Sheep and a Cow, everybody bids me good Morrow; all which is well said byPoor Richard.
"But with our Industry, we must likewise besteady,settled, andcareful, and oversee our own Affairswith our own Eyes, and not trust too much to others; for, asPoor Richardsays
I never saw an oft-removed Tree,Nor yet an oft-removed Family,That throve so well as those that settled be.
I never saw an oft-removed Tree,Nor yet an oft-removed Family,That throve so well as those that settled be.
And again,Three Removes is as bad as a Fire; and again,Keep thy Shop, and thy Shop will keep thee; and again,If you would have your Business done, go; if not, send, and again,
He that by the Plough would thrive,Himself must either hold or drive.
He that by the Plough would thrive,Himself must either hold or drive.
And again,The Eye of a Master will do more Work than both his Hands; and again,Want of Care does us more Damage than Want of Knowledge; and again,Not to oversee Workmen, is to leave them your Purse open. Trusting too much to others' Care is the Ruin of many; for, as the Almanack says,In the Affairs of this World, Men are saved, not by Faith, but by the Want of it; but a Man's own Care is profitable; for, saithPoor Dick,Learning is to the Studious, andRiches to the Careful, as well asPower to the Bold, and Heaven to the Virtuous, And farther,If you would have a faithful Servant, and one that you like, serve yourself. And again, he adviseth to Circumspection and Care, even in the smallest Matters, because sometimesA little Neglect may breed great Mischief; adding,for want of aNail the Shoe was lost; for want of a Shoe the Horse was lost; and for want of a Horse the Rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the Enemy; all for want of Care about a Horse-shoe Nail.
"So much for Industry, my Friends, and Attention to one's own Business; but to these we must addFrugality, if we would make ourIndustrymore certainly successful. A Man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets,keep his Nose all his Life to the Grindstone, and die not worth a Groat at last. Afat Kitchen makes a lean Will, asPoor Richardsays; and
Many Estates are spent in the Getting,Since Women for Tea forsook Spinning and Knitting,And Men for Punch forsook Hewing and Splitting.
Many Estates are spent in the Getting,Since Women for Tea forsook Spinning and Knitting,And Men for Punch forsook Hewing and Splitting.
If you would be wealthy, says he, in another Almanack,think of Saving as well as of Getting: The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her Outgoes are greater than her Incomes.
"Away then with your expensive Follies, and you will not then have so much Cause to complain of hard Times, heavy Taxes, and chargeable Families; for, asPoor Dicksays,
Women and Wine, Game and Deceit,Make the Wealth small and the Wants great.
Women and Wine, Game and Deceit,Make the Wealth small and the Wants great.
And farther,What maintains one Vice, would bring up two Children. You may think perhaps, that alittleTea, or alittlePunch now and then, Diet alittlemore costly, Clothes, alittlefiner, and alittleEntertainment now and then, can be nogreatMatter; but remember whatPoor Richardsays,Many a Little makes a Mickle; and farther,Beware of little Expences; A small Leak will sink a great Ship; and again,Who Dainties love, shall Beggars prove; and moreover,Fools make Feasts, and wise Men eat them.
"Here you are all got together at this Vendue ofFineriesandKnicknacks. You call themGoods; but if you do not take Care, they will proveEvilsto some of you. You expect they will be soldCheap, and perhaps they may for less than they cost; but if you have no Occasion for them, they must bedearto you. Remember whatPoor Richardsays;Buy what thou hast no Need of, and ere long thou shalt sell thy Necessaries. And again,At a great Pennyworth pause a while: He means, that perhaps the Cheapness isapparentonly, and notReal; or the bargain by straitening thee in thy Business, may do thee more Harm than Good. For in another Place he says,Many have been ruined by buying good Pennyworths.Again,Poor Richardsays,'tis foolish to lay out Money in a Purchase of Repentance; and yet this Folly is practised every Day at Vendues, for want of minding the Almanack.Wise Men, asPoor Dicksays,learn by others Harms, Fools scarcely by their own; butfelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum. Many a one, for the Sake of Finery on the Back, have gone with a hungry Belly, and half-starved their Families.Silks and Sattins, Scarlet and Velvets, asPoor Richardsays,put out the Kitchen Fire.
"These are not theNecessaries of Life; they can scarcely be called theConveniences; and yet only because they look pretty, how manywanttohavethem! TheartificialWants of Mankind thus become more numerous than theNatural; and, asPoor Dicksays,for one poor Person, there are an hundred indigent. By these, and other Extravagancies, the Genteel are reduced to poverty, and forced to borrow of those whom they formerly despised, but who through Industry and Frugality have maintained their Standing; in which Case it appears plainly, thatA Ploughman on his Legs is higher than a Gentleman on his Knees, asPoor Richardsays. Perhaps they have had a small Estate left them, which they knew not the Getting of; they think,'tis Day, and will never be Night; that a little to be spent out of so much, is not worth minding;a Child and a Fool, asPoor Richardsays,imagine Twenty shillings and Twenty Years can never be spentbut,always taking out of the Meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the Bottom; asPoor Dicksays,When the Well's dry, they know the Worth of Water. But this they might have known before, if they had taken his Advice;If you would know the Value of Money, go and try to borrow some; for, he that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing; and indeed so does he that lends to such People, when he goesto get it in again.Poor Dickfarther advises, and says,
Fond Pride of Dress is sure a very Curse;E'er Fancy you consult, consult your Purse.
Fond Pride of Dress is sure a very Curse;E'er Fancy you consult, consult your Purse.
And again,Pride is as loud a Beggar as Want, and a great deal more saucy. When you have bought one fine Thing, you must buy ten more, that your Appearance may be all of a Piece; butPoor Dicksays, 'Tis easier to suppress the first Desire, than to satisfy all that follow it. And 'tis as truly Folly for the Poor to ape the Rich, as for the Frog to swell, in order to equal the ox.
Great Estates may venture more,But little Boats should keep near Shore.
Great Estates may venture more,But little Boats should keep near Shore.
'Tis, however, a Folly soon punished; forPride that dines on Vanity, sups on Contempt, asPoor Richardsays. And in another Place,Pride breakfasted with Plenty, dined with Poverty, and supped with Infamy. And after all, of what Use is thisPride of Appearance, for which so much is risked so much is suffered? It cannot promote Health, or ease Pain; it makes no Increase of Merit in the Person, it creates Envy, it hastens Misfortune.
What is a Butterfly? At bestHe's but a Caterpillar drestThe gaudy Fop's his Picture just,
What is a Butterfly? At bestHe's but a Caterpillar drestThe gaudy Fop's his Picture just,
asPoor Richardsays.
"But what Madness must it be torun in Debtfor these Superfluities! We are offered, by the Terms of this Vendue,Six Months' Credit; and that perhaps has induced some of us to attend it, because we cannot spare the ready Money, and hope now to be fine without it. But, ah, think what you do when you run in Debt;you give to another Power over your Liberty. If you cannot pay at the Time, you will be ashamed to see your Creditor; you will be in Fear when you speak to him; you will make poor pitiful sneaking Excuses, and by Degrees come to lose your Veracity, and sink into base downright lying; for, asPoor RichardsaysThe second Vice is Lying, the first is running in Debt. And again, to the same Purpose,Lying rides upon Debt's Back. Whereas a free-bornEnglishmanought not tobe ashamed or afraid to see or speak to any Man living. But Poverty often deprives a Man of all Spirit and Virtue:'Tis hard for an empty Bag to stand upright, asPoor Richardtruly says.
"What would you think of that Prince, or that Government, who should issue an Edict forbidding you to dress like a Gentleman or a Gentlewoman, on Pain of Imprisonment or Servitude? Would you not say, that you were free, have a Right to dress as you please, and that such an Edict would be a Breach of your Privileges, and such a Government tyrannical? And yet you are about to put yourself under that Tyranny, when you run in Debt for such Dress! Your Creditor has Authority, at his Pleasure to deprive you of your Liberty, by confining you in Goal for Life, or to sell you for a Servant, if you should not be able to pay him! When you have got your Bargain, you may, perhaps, think little of Payment; butCreditors,Poor Richardtells us,have better Memories than Debtors;andin another Place says,Creditors are a superstitious Sect, great Observers of set Days and Times. The Day comes round before you are aware, and the Demand is made before you are prepared to satisfy it, Or if you bear your Debt in Mind, the Term which at first seemes so long, will, as it lessens, appear extreamly short.Timewill seem to have added Wings to his Heels as well as Shoulders.Those have a short Lent, saithPoor Richard,who owe Money to be paid at Easter. Then since, as he says,The Borrower is a Slave to the Lender, and the Debtor to the Creditor, disdain the Chain, preserve your Freedom; and maintain your Independency; Beindustriousandfree; befrugalandfree. At present, perhaps, you may think yourself in thriving Circumstances, and that you can bear a little Extravagance without Injury; but,
For Age and Want, save while you may;No Morning Sun lasts a whole Day.
For Age and Want, save while you may;No Morning Sun lasts a whole Day.
asPoor Richardsays. Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, Expence is constant and certain; and'tis easier to build two Chimnies, than to keep one in Fuel, asPoor Richardsays. So,Rather go to Bed supperless than rise in Debt.
Get what you can, and what you get hold;'Tis the Stone that will turn all your lead into Gold,
Get what you can, and what you get hold;'Tis the Stone that will turn all your lead into Gold,
asPoor Richardsays. And when you have got the Philosopher's Stone, sure you will no longer complain of bad Times, or the Difficulty of paying Taxes.
"This Doctrine, my Friends, isReasonandWisdom; but after all, do not depend too much upon your ownIndustry, andFrugality, andPrudence, though excellent Things, for they may all be blasted without the Blessing of Heaven; and therefore, ask that Blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them. Remember,Jobsuffered, and was afterwards prosperous.
"And now to conclude,Experience keeps a dear School, but Fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true,we may give Advice, but we cannot give Conduct, asPoor Richardsays: However, remember this,They that won't be counselled, can't be helped, asPoor Richardsays: and farther, That,if you will not hear Reason, she'll surely rap your Knuckles."
Thus the old Gentleman ended his Harangue. The People heard it and approved the Doctrine, and immediately practised the contrary, just as if it had been a common Sermon; for the Vendue opened, and they began to buy extravagantly, notwithstanding, his Cautions and their own Fear of Taxes. I found the good Man had thoroughly studied my Almanacks, and digested all I had dropt on these Topicks during the Course of Five and twenty Years. The frequent Mention he made of me must have tired any one else, but my Vanity was wonderfully delighted with it, though I was conscious that not a tenth Part of the Wisdom was my own, which he ascribed to me, but rather theGleaningsI had made of the Sense of all Ages and Nations. However, I resolved to be the better for the Echo of it; and though I had at first determined to buy Stuff for a new Coat, I went away resolved to wear my old One a little longer.Reader, if thou wilt do the same, thy Profit will be as great as mine,I am, as ever, thine to serve thee,
Richard Saunders.
Imperfect as this chapter is, it is adequate enough, we hope, to make the reader feel that Sydney Smith was not altogether insensible to natural obligations when he told his daughter that he would disinherit her, if she did not admire everything written by Franklin.
Such was Benjamin Franklin, as mirrored for the most part in his own written and oral utterances. Whether his fame is measured by what he actually accomplished, or by the impression that he made upon his contemporaries, or by the influence that he still exercises over the human mind, he was a truly great man.[59]Not simply because he was one of the principal actors in a revolutionary movement destined to establish in the free air of the Western World on lasting foundations, and on a scale of moral and material grandeur, of which history furnishes few examples, a state, without king, noble or pontiff, and deriving its inspiration and energy solely from the will of the People; nor yet merely because his brilliant discoveries in the province of electricity conspicuously helped to convert one of the most elusive and defiant of all the forces of nature into an humble and useful drudge of modern industry and progress; nor yet merely because, in addition to many other productions, marked by the indefinable charm of unerring literary intuition, he wrote several which are read in every part of the globe where a printed page is read; nor even because of all these things combined. They are, of course, the main pillars upon which his splendid fame rests. But what imparts to Franklin his aspect of greatness, and endows him with his irresistible appeal to the interest and admiration of the whole human race is thestriking extent to which he was, in point of both precept and example, representative of human existence in all its more rational, more fruitful and more sympathetic manifestations. His vision was not that of the enthusiast; his was no Pentecostal tongue—cloven and aflame. He took little account of the higher spiritual forces which at times derange all the sober, prudent calculations of such a materialist as Poor Richard, and his message to mankind was blemished, as we have seen, by the excessive emphasis placed by it upon pecuniary thrift and the relations of pecuniary thrift to sound morals as well as physical comfort. But all the same, limited to the terrestrial horizon as he is, he must be reckoned one of the great leaders and teachers of humanity. He loved existence, shared it joyously and generously with his fellow-creatures, and vindicated its essential worth by bringing to bear upon everything connected with the conduct of life the maxims of a serene and almost infallible wisdom, and by responding with a mind as completely free from the prejudices and errors of his age as if he had lived a hundred years later, and with a heart as completely unconstrained by local considerations as if men were all of one blood and one country, to every suggestion that tended to make human beings happier, more intelligent and worthier in every respect of the universe which he found so delightful. It is this harmony with the world about him, this insight into what that world requires of everyone who seeks, to make his way in it, this enlightenment, this sympathy with human aspirations and needs everywhere, together with the rare strain of graphic and kindly instruction by which they were accompanied that cause the name of Franklin to be so often associated with those of the other great men whose fame is not the possession of a single class or land, but of all mankind. The result is that, when the faces of the few individuals, who are recognized by the entire world as having in the different ages of humanhistory rendered service to the entire world, are ranged in plastic repose above the shelves of some public library or along the walls of some other institution, founded for the promotion of human knowledge or well-being, the calm, meditative face of Franklin is rarely missing.
It is to be regretted that a character so admirable and amiable in all leading respects as his, so strongly fortified by the cardinal virtues of modesty, veracity, integrity and courage, and so sweetly flavored with all the finer charities of human benevolence and affection, should in some particulars have fallen short of proper standards of conduct. But it is only just to remember that the measure of his lapses from correct conduct is to be mainly found in humorous license, for which the best men of his own age, like Dr. Price and Charles Carroll of Carrollton, had only a laugh,[60]and in offences against sexual morality, which, except so far as they assumed in his youth the form of casual intercourse with low women, whose reputations were already too sorely injured to be further wounded, consisted altogether in the adoption by a singularly versatile nature of a foreign code of manners which imposed upon the members of the society, by which it was formed, the necessity of affecting the language of gallantry even when gallantry itself was not actually practised. There is at any rate no evidence to show that the long married life of Franklin, so full of domestic concord and tenderness, was ever sullied by the slightest violation of conjugal fidelity.
On the whole, therefore, it is not strange that, repelled as we are at times by some passing episode or revelationin his life or character, everyone who has lingered upon his career finds it hard to turn away from it except with something akin to the feelings of those friends who clung to him so fondly. He was so kind, so considerate, so affectionate, so eager to do good, both to individuals and whole communities, that we half forget the human conventions that his bountiful intellect and heart overflowed. Of him it can at least be said that, if he had some of a man's failings, he had all of a man's merits; and his biographer, in taking leave of him, may well, mindful of his eminent virtues as well as of his brilliant achievements and services, waive all defence of the few vulnerable features of his life and conduct by summing up the final balance of his deserts in the single word engraved upon the pedestal of one of his busts in Paris at the time of his death. That word was "Vir"—a Man, a very Man.
FOOTNOTES:[56]What Sir Walter Scott said of Jonathan Swift is as true of Franklin: "Swift executed his various and numerous works as a carpenter forms wedges, mallets, or other implements of his art, not with the purpose of distinguishing himself, by the workmanship bestowed on the tools themselves, but solely in order to render them fit for accomplishing a certain purpose, beyond which they were of no value in his eyes."[57]There is the following reference to Nanny in a letter from Franklin to Deborah, dated June 10, 1770, "Poor Nanny was drawn in to marry a worthless Fellow, who got all her Money, and then ran away and left her. So she is return'd to her old Service with Mrs. Stevenson, poorer than ever, but seems pretty patient, only looks dejected."[58]These conclusions about physical exercise had been previously expounded by Franklin to his son in a letter, dated Aug. 19, 1772, in which he expressed his concern at hearing that William was not well. In that connection they do not seem quite so pedantic. The writer thought that, when tested by the amount of corporeal warmth produced, there was, roughly speaking, more exercise in riding one mile on horseback than five in a coach, more in walking one mile on foot than five on horseback, and more in walking one mile up and down stairs than five on a level floor. He also had a good word to say for the use of the dumb-bell as a "compendious" form of exercise; stating that by the use of dumb-bells he had in forty swings quickened his pulse from sixty to one hundred beats in a minute, counted by a second watch. Warmth, he supposed, generally increased with a rapid pulse. Upon one occasion in France, when John Adams told him that he fancied that he did not exercise so much as he was wont, he replied: "Yes, I walk a league every day in my chamber. I walk quick, and for an hour, so that I go a league; I make a point of religion of it."[59]In the judgment of Matthew Arnold, Franklin was "a man who was the very incarnation of sanity and clear sense, a man the most considerable, it seems to me, whom America has yet produced."[60]In hisJeu d'esprit, commonly known asThe Choice of a Mistress, Franklin gave various reasons why an elderly mistress should be preferred to a younger one; and, in a letter to him on Aug. 12, 1777, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, after expressing the hope that he continued to enjoy his usual health and the flow of spirits, which contributed to make the jaunt to Canada so agreeable to his fellow-travellers, adds: "Mr. John Carroll, and Chase are both well; the latter is now at Congress, and has been so fully and constantly employed that I believe he has not had leisure to refute your reasons in favor of the old ladies."
[56]What Sir Walter Scott said of Jonathan Swift is as true of Franklin: "Swift executed his various and numerous works as a carpenter forms wedges, mallets, or other implements of his art, not with the purpose of distinguishing himself, by the workmanship bestowed on the tools themselves, but solely in order to render them fit for accomplishing a certain purpose, beyond which they were of no value in his eyes."
[56]What Sir Walter Scott said of Jonathan Swift is as true of Franklin: "Swift executed his various and numerous works as a carpenter forms wedges, mallets, or other implements of his art, not with the purpose of distinguishing himself, by the workmanship bestowed on the tools themselves, but solely in order to render them fit for accomplishing a certain purpose, beyond which they were of no value in his eyes."
[57]There is the following reference to Nanny in a letter from Franklin to Deborah, dated June 10, 1770, "Poor Nanny was drawn in to marry a worthless Fellow, who got all her Money, and then ran away and left her. So she is return'd to her old Service with Mrs. Stevenson, poorer than ever, but seems pretty patient, only looks dejected."
[57]There is the following reference to Nanny in a letter from Franklin to Deborah, dated June 10, 1770, "Poor Nanny was drawn in to marry a worthless Fellow, who got all her Money, and then ran away and left her. So she is return'd to her old Service with Mrs. Stevenson, poorer than ever, but seems pretty patient, only looks dejected."
[58]These conclusions about physical exercise had been previously expounded by Franklin to his son in a letter, dated Aug. 19, 1772, in which he expressed his concern at hearing that William was not well. In that connection they do not seem quite so pedantic. The writer thought that, when tested by the amount of corporeal warmth produced, there was, roughly speaking, more exercise in riding one mile on horseback than five in a coach, more in walking one mile on foot than five on horseback, and more in walking one mile up and down stairs than five on a level floor. He also had a good word to say for the use of the dumb-bell as a "compendious" form of exercise; stating that by the use of dumb-bells he had in forty swings quickened his pulse from sixty to one hundred beats in a minute, counted by a second watch. Warmth, he supposed, generally increased with a rapid pulse. Upon one occasion in France, when John Adams told him that he fancied that he did not exercise so much as he was wont, he replied: "Yes, I walk a league every day in my chamber. I walk quick, and for an hour, so that I go a league; I make a point of religion of it."
[58]These conclusions about physical exercise had been previously expounded by Franklin to his son in a letter, dated Aug. 19, 1772, in which he expressed his concern at hearing that William was not well. In that connection they do not seem quite so pedantic. The writer thought that, when tested by the amount of corporeal warmth produced, there was, roughly speaking, more exercise in riding one mile on horseback than five in a coach, more in walking one mile on foot than five on horseback, and more in walking one mile up and down stairs than five on a level floor. He also had a good word to say for the use of the dumb-bell as a "compendious" form of exercise; stating that by the use of dumb-bells he had in forty swings quickened his pulse from sixty to one hundred beats in a minute, counted by a second watch. Warmth, he supposed, generally increased with a rapid pulse. Upon one occasion in France, when John Adams told him that he fancied that he did not exercise so much as he was wont, he replied: "Yes, I walk a league every day in my chamber. I walk quick, and for an hour, so that I go a league; I make a point of religion of it."
[59]In the judgment of Matthew Arnold, Franklin was "a man who was the very incarnation of sanity and clear sense, a man the most considerable, it seems to me, whom America has yet produced."
[59]In the judgment of Matthew Arnold, Franklin was "a man who was the very incarnation of sanity and clear sense, a man the most considerable, it seems to me, whom America has yet produced."
[60]In hisJeu d'esprit, commonly known asThe Choice of a Mistress, Franklin gave various reasons why an elderly mistress should be preferred to a younger one; and, in a letter to him on Aug. 12, 1777, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, after expressing the hope that he continued to enjoy his usual health and the flow of spirits, which contributed to make the jaunt to Canada so agreeable to his fellow-travellers, adds: "Mr. John Carroll, and Chase are both well; the latter is now at Congress, and has been so fully and constantly employed that I believe he has not had leisure to refute your reasons in favor of the old ladies."
[60]In hisJeu d'esprit, commonly known asThe Choice of a Mistress, Franklin gave various reasons why an elderly mistress should be preferred to a younger one; and, in a letter to him on Aug. 12, 1777, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, after expressing the hope that he continued to enjoy his usual health and the flow of spirits, which contributed to make the jaunt to Canada so agreeable to his fellow-travellers, adds: "Mr. John Carroll, and Chase are both well; the latter is now at Congress, and has been so fully and constantly employed that I believe he has not had leisure to refute your reasons in favor of the old ladies."
Transcriber's note: The index below has been copied to Volume 1 (Gutenberg text36896). The links for volume 1 are linked in Volume 1 only. Please click on the text number above to go to Volume 1.