Part 41 (1/2)
This is the third Time of my appearing in print, hitherto very much to my own Satisfaction, and, I have reason to hope, to the Satisfaction of the Publick also; for the Publick is generous, and has been very charitable and good to me. I should be ungrateful then, if I did not take every Opportunity of expressing my Grat.i.tude; for _ingratum si dixeris, omnia dixeris_: I therefore return the Publick my most humble and hearty Thanks.
Whatever may be the Musick of the Spheres, how great soever the Harmony of the Stars, 'tis certain there is no Harmony among the Stargazers; but they are perpetually growling and snarling at one another like strange Curs, or like some Men at their Wives: I had resolved to keep the Peace on my own part, and affront none of them; and I shall persist in that Resolution: But having receiv'd much Abuse from _t.i.tan Leeds_ deceas'd (_t.i.tan Leeds_ when living would not have us'd me so!) I say, having receiv'd much Abuse from the Ghost of _t.i.tan Leeds_, who pretends to be still living, and to write Almanacks in Spight of me and my Predictions, I cannot help saying, that tho' I take it patiently, I take it very unkindly. And whatever he may pretend, 'tis undoubtedly true that he is really defunct and dead. First because the Stars are seldom disappointed, never but in the Case of wise Men, _sapiens dominabitur astris_, and they foreshow'd his Death at the Time I predicted it.
Secondly, 'Twas requisite and necessary he should die punctually at that Time, for the Honour of Astrology, the Art professed both by him and his Father before him. Thirdly, 'Tis plain to every one that reads his last two Almanacks (for 1734 and 35) that they are not written with that _Life_ his Performances use to be written with; the Wit is low and flat, the little Hints dull and spiritless, nothing smart in them but _Hudibras's_ Verses against Astrology at the Heads of the Months in the last, which no Astrologer but a _dead one_ would have inserted, and no Man _living_ would or could write such Stuff as the rest. But lastly I convince him in his own Words, that he is dead (_ex ore suo condemnatus est_) for in his Preface to his Almanack for 1734, he says ”_Saunders adds another_ GROSS FALSHOOD _in his Almanack, viz. that by my own Calculation I shall survive until the 26th of the said Month October 1733, which is as untrue as the former_.” Now if it be, as Leeds says, _untrue_ and a _gross Falshood_ that he surviv'd till the 26th of October 1733, then it is certainly _true_ that he died _before_ that Time: And if he died before that Time, he is dead now, to all Intents and Purposes, any thing he may say to the contrary notwithstanding. And at what Time before the 26th is it so likely he should die, as at the Time by me predicted, _viz._ the 17th of October aforesaid? But if some People will walk and be troublesome after Death, it may perhaps be born with a little, because it cannot well be avoided unless one would be at the Pains and Expence of laying them in the _Red Sea_; however, they should not presume too much upon the Liberty allow'd them; I know Confinement must needs be mighty irksome to the free Spirit of an Astronomer, and I am too compa.s.sionate to proceed suddenly to Extremities with it; nevertheless, tho' I resolve with Reluctance, I shall not long defer, if it does not speedily learn to treat its living Friends with better Manners,
I am, _Courteous Reader, your obliged Friend and Servant_
Octob. 30. 1734 R. SAUNDERS.
HINTS FOR THOSE THAT WOULD BE RICH
[October, 1736--From _Poor Richard_, 1737]
The Use of Money is all the Advantage there is in having Money.
For 6 a Year you may have the Use of 100 if you are a Man of known Prudence and Honesty.
He that spends a Groat a day idly, spends idly above 6 a year, which is the Price of using 100.
He that wastes idly a Groat's worth of his Time per Day, one Day with another, wastes the Privilege of using 100 each Day.
He that idly loses 5s. worth of time, loses 5s. and might as prudently throw 5s. in the River.
He that loses 5s. not only loses that Sum, but all the Advantage that might be made by turning it in Dealing, which, by the time that a young Man becomes old, amounts to a comfortable Bag of Money.
_Again_, He that sells upon Credit, asks a Price for what he sells equivalent to the Princ.i.p.al and Interest of his Money for the Time he is like to be kept out of it: therefore He that buys upon Credit, pays Interest for what he buys. And he that pays ready Money, might let that Money out to Use; so that He that possesses any Thing he has bought, pays Interest for the Use of it.
_Consider then_ when you are tempted to buy any unnecessary Householdstuff, or any superfluous thing, whether you will be willing to pay _Interest, and Interest upon Interest_ for it as long as you live; and more if it grows worse by using.
_Yet, in buying goods, 'tis best to pay Ready Money, because_, He that sells upon Credit, expects to lose _5 per Cent_ by bad Debts; therefore he charges, on all he sells upon Credit, an Advance that shall make up for that Deficiency.
Those who pay for what they buy upon Credit, pay their Share of this Advance.
He that pays ready Money, escapes or may escape that Charge.
A Penny sav'd is Twopence clear, A Pin a Day is a Groat a Year.
TO JOSIAH FRANKLIN[28]
Philadelphia, April 13, 1738.
HONOURED FATHER,
I have your favours of the 21st of March, in which you both seem concerned lest I have imbibed some erroneous opinions. Doubtless I have my share; and when the natural weakness and imperfection of human understanding is considered, the unavoidable influence of education, custom, books, and company upon our ways of thinking, I imagine a man must have a good deal of vanity who believes, and a good deal of boldness who affirms, that all the doctrines he holds are true, and all he rejects are false. And perhaps the same may be justly said of every sect, church, and society of men, when they a.s.sume to themselves that infallibility, which they deny to the Pope and councils.
I think opinions should be judged of by their influences and effects; and, if a man holds none that tend to make him less virtuous or more vicious, it may be concluded he holds none that are dangerous; which I hope is the case with me.