Volume II Part 1 (1/2)

Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself

Volume II

by Benjamin Franklin

THE WAY TO WEALTH,

_As dearly shown in the practice of an old Pennsylvania Almanac, entitled, ”Poor Richard Improved”_

COURTEOUS READER,

I have heard that nothing gives an author so great pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by others Judge, then, howto relate to you I stopped reat nuoods The hour of the sale not being co on the badness of the times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man, hite locks, ”Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Will not these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to?” Father Abrahaive it you in short; for _A word to the wise is enough_, as Poor Richard says” They joined in desiring hi round him, he proceeded as follows:

”Friends,” said he, ”the taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the governht e therievous to some of us We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and from these taxes the co an abate may be done for us: _God helps them that help theht a hard government that should tax its people one tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service; but idleness taxeson diseases, absolutely shortens life _Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears; while the used key is always bright_, as Poor Richard says _But dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of_, as Poor Richard says Howthat _The sleeping fox catches no poultry_, and that _There will be sleeping enough in the grave_, as Poor Richard says

”_If ti tiality_; since, as he elsewhere tells us, _Lost tih, always proves little enough_ Let us, then, up and be doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence shall we do s difficult, but industry all easy_; and _He that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night_; while _Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him_ _Drive thy business, let not that drive thee_; and _Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise_, as Poor Richard says

”So what signifies wishi+ng and hoping for better times? We may make these times better if we bestir ourselves _Industry need not wish, and he that lives upon hopes 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 _He that hath a trade hath an estate; and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honour_, as Poor Richard says; but then the tradefollowed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, _At the workinger looks in, but dares not enter_ Nor will the bailiff or the constable enter; for _Industry pays debts, while despair increaseth theh you have found no treasure, nor has any rich relation left you a legacy? _Diligence is the s to industry Then plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep_ Work while it is called to-day, for you know not how much you may be hindered to-morrow _One to-day is worth two to-morrows_, as Poor Richard says; and farther, _Never leave that till to-morrohich you can do to-day_ If you were a servant, would you not be ashaood master should catch you idle? Are you, then, your own master? Be ashamed to catch yourself idle when there is so much to be done for yourself, your family, and your country

Handle your tools without loves catches no mice_, as Poor Richard says It is true there is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed; but stick to it steadily, and you will see great effects; for _Constant dropping wears away stones_; and _By diligence and patience the reat oaks_

”Methinks I hear some of you say, 'Must a man afford himself no leisure?' I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says: _Eain leisure; and, since thou art not sure of asoent man will obtain, but the lazy man never; for _A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things 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 will follow you The diligent spinner has a large shi+ft; and now I have a sheep and a cow, everybody bids ood-morrow_

”II But with our industry we must likewise be steady, settled, and careful, and oversee our own affairs with our own eyes, and not trust too much to others; for, as Poor Richard says,

_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 reain, _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, Hiain, _The eye of a ain, _Want of care does us ain, _Not to oversee work too much to others' care is the ruin of many; _for 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, _If you would have a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself A little neglect reat mischief; for want of a nail 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 the want of a little care about a horseshoe nail_

”III So much for industry, my friends, and attention to one's own business; but to these we ality, if ould make our industry more certainly successful A ets, keep his nose all his life to the grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last _A fat kitchen makes a lean will_; and

_Many estates are spent in the getting, Since wo, And _

_If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as of getting The Indies have not reater than her incomes_

”Away, then, with your expensive follies, and you will not then have so eable fa up two children_ You may think, perhaps, that a little tea, or a little punch now and then, diet a little more costly, clothes a little finer, and a little entertainreat matter; but remember, _Many a little makes a mickle_ Beware of little expenses; _A sreat shi+p_, as Poor Richard says; and again, _Who dainties love, shall beggars prove_; and moreover, _Fools ot together at this sale of fineries and knickknacks

You call theoods_; but, if you do not take care, they will prove _evils_ to some of you You expect they will be sold cheap, and perhaps they may for less than they cost; but, if you have no occasion for them, they must be dear to you Remember what Poor Richard says: _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 is apparent only, and not real; or the bargain, by straitening thee in thy business, ood For in another place he says, _Many have been ruined by buying good pennyworths_

Again, _It is foolish to lay out money in a purchase of repentance_; and yet this folly is practised every day at auctions, for want ofthe Alone with a hungry belly, and half starved their families _Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets, put out the kitchen fire_, as Poor Richard says

”These are not the necessaries of life; they can scarcely be called the conveniences; and yet, only because they look pretty, how ances, the genteel are reduced to poverty, and forced to borrow of those whoality, have ; in which case it appears plainly that _A ploughentleman on his knees_, as Poor Richard says Perhaps they have had a s of; they think _It is day, and will never be night_; that a little to be spent out of soout of thein, soon comes to the bottom_, as Poor Richard says; and then, _When the well is dry, they know the worth of water_