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diff --git a/43855-0.txt b/43855-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..717410a --- /dev/null +++ b/43855-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,477 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43855 *** + +THE + +_WAY TO WEALTH._ + + + + +FRONTISPIECE. + + +[Illustration: 'If you would have my advice, I will give it you in +short; "for a word to the wise is enough." + +Published by W. Darton, Junr. Octr. 1, 1805.] + + + + +_FRANKLIN'S_ WAY TO WEALTH; + +OR, + +"Poor Richard Improved." + +[Illustration: Published by W. Darton, Junr. Octr. 1, 1805.] + + LONDON: + + PRINTED BY AND FOR W. AND T. DARTON, + No. 58, Holborn-Hill. + + 1810. + + +TO PARENTS, GOVERNESSES, AND SCHOOL MASTERS. + +_Just Published_, + +A GRAMMATICAL CATECHISM for the use of Schools, upon the plan of +Lindley Murray. + +"This manual is particularly adapted to the purposes of examination and +catechetical instruction, and will be found of the utmost service in +weekly grammatical enquiries." + + +_This Day is Published, Price 5s. 12mo. bound_, + +THE PAGAN MYTHOLOGY of ancient Greece and Rome versified, accompanied +with Philosophical Elucidations of the probable latent meaning of some +of the Fables of the Ancients, on a theory entirely new. By R. ATKINS. +Illustrated by twenty-two Cuts on Wood. + +"This little work is intended as an easy Introduction to the Mythology +of ancient Greece and Rome, and is particularly adapted to the use +of Schools, being divested of the obscene allegories introduced +by the ancients in their usual figurative style. It is certainly +better calculated to convey a general idea of the subject, than any +attempt of the kind which has yet fallen under our observation. The +Poetical Illustrations are simple, and well calculated to the purpose +of becoming a vehicle of instruction to juvenile minds, and the +elucidations of the fables are plausible and ingenious." + + _Repository, June, 1809._ + + Sold by W. and T. Darton, + 58, Holborn Hill. + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +_Dr. Franklin, wishing to collect into one piece all the sayings +upon the following subjects, which he had dropped in the course of +publishing the Almanacks called "Poor Richard," introduces Father +Abraham for this purpose. Hence it is, that Poor Richard is so often +quoted, and that, in the present title, he is said to be improved. +Notwithstanding the stroke of humour in the concluding paragraph of +this address, Poor Richard (Saunders) and Father Abraham have proved, +in America, that they are no common preachers. And shall we, brother +Englishmen, refuse good sense and saving knowledge, because it comes +from the other side of the water?_ + + + + +_The following may be had of the Proprietors, + +W. & T. DARTON_, + + +And of most Booksellers in the United Kingdom. + + Virtue and Innocence, a Poem 1 0 + + The Economy of Human Life 1 0 + + Old Friends in a New Dress, or Selections + from Esop's Fables, in Verse, + 2 parts, plates 2 0 + + Little Jack Horner, in Verse, plain 1s. + coloured 1 6 + + Portraits of Curious Characters in London, + &c. with Biographical and Interesting + Anecdotes 1 6 + + Watt's Catechism and Prayers, in 1 vol. + half bound 1 0 + + Wonders of the Horse, recorded in Anecdotes, + Prose and Verse, by Joseph + Taylor 2 6 + + Tales of the Robin & other Small Birds, + in Verse, by Joseph Taylor 2 6 + + Instructive Conversation Cards, consisting + of 32 Biographical Sketches of + Eminent British Characters 1 6 + + Ditto, containing a Description of the + most distinguished Places in England 1 6 + + *** Just published, The Mice & their + Pic Nic; a good Moral Tale, price + with neat coloured plates 1 0 + + + + +THE + +WAY TO WEALTH. + + +COURTEOUS READER, + +I HAVE heard that nothing gives an author so great pleasure, as to +find his works respectfully quoted by others. Judge, then, how much I +must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate to you. I +stopped my horse, lately, where a great number of people were collected +at an auction of merchants' goods. The hour of the sale not being +come, they were conversing on the badness of the times; and one of the +company called to a plain, clean, old man, with white locks, 'Pray, +Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Will not those heavy taxes +quite ruin the country! How shall we be ever able to pay them? What +would you advise us to?'----Father Abraham stood up, and replied, 'If +you would have my advice, I will give it you in short; "for a word to +the wise is enough," as Poor Richard says.' They joined in desiring him +to speak his mind, and, gathering round him, he proceeded as follows: + +'Friends,' says he, '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 our idleness, +three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; +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," as +Poor Richard says. + +I. 'It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people +one-tenth part of their time to be employed in its service: but +idleness taxes many of us much more; sloth, by bringing on diseases, +absolutely shortens life. + +[Illustration: Published by W. Darton, Junr. Octr. 1, 1805.] + +"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.--How much more than is necessary do we spend +in sleep! forgetting that, "the sleeping fox catches no poultry, and +that there will be sleeping enough in the grave," as Poor Richard says. + +[Illustration] + +"If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be" as +Poor Richard says, "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 up and be 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; +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. + +[Illustration: The Sun shone yesterday, and I would not work, to-day it +rains and I cannot work.] + +'So what signifies wishing and hoping for better times? We may make +these times better, if we bestir ourselves. "Industry need not wish, +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. "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 trade must be worked at, and the calling +well followed, 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 working man's house hunger looks in, but dares not enter." Nor will +the bailiff or the constable enter, for "industry pays debts, while +despair increaseth them." What, though you have found no treasure, +nor has any rich relation left you a legacy. "Diligence is the mother +of good luck, and God gives all things to industry. Then plow 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-morrow, which you +can do 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, when there is so much to be done for +yourself, your family, your country, and your king. Handle your tools +without mittens: remember, that "The cat in gloves 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 mouse ate in two the cable; and little strokes fell great +oaks." + +[Illustration] + +'Methinks I hear some of you say, "Must a man afford himself no +leisure?" I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, "Employ +thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure; and, since thou art 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; 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 shift; and now I have a sheep and a cow, every body +bids me good-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 removes are 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 plow would thrive, + Himself must either hold or drive." + +'And again, "The eye of the 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." + +[Illustration: Published by W. Darton, Junr. Octr. 1, 1805.] + +[Illustration: Published by W. Darton, Junr. Octr. 1, 1805.] + +'Trusting 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 may breed great 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 want +of a little care about a horse-shoe nail. + + +III. 'So much for industry, my friends, and attention to one's own +business; but to these we must add frugality, if we would make our +industry more 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. A fat kitchen makes a lean will;" and, + + "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, think of saving, as well as of getting. The +Indies have not made Spain rich, because her out-goes are greater than +her incomes." + +[Illustration: Published by W. Darton, Junr. Octr. 1, 1805.] + +[Illustration] + + * * * * * + +'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, + + "Women and wine, game and deceit, + Make the wealth small, and the want great." + +And farther, "What maintains one vice, would bring 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 +entertainment now and then, can be no great matter; but remember, "Many +a little makes a mickle." Beware of little expences; "A small leak +will sink a great ship," as Poor Richard says; and again, "Who dainties +love shall beggars prove;" and moreover, "Fools make feasts, and wise +men eat them." Here you are all got together to this sale of fineries +and nick-nacks. You call them goods; 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, may do thee more +harm than good. 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 of minding the Almanack. Many a one, for the +sake of finery on the back, have gone 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 many want to have them?--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, that "A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on +his knees," as Poor Richard says. Perhaps they have had a small estate +left them, which they knew not the getting of; they think "it is day, +and will never be night:" that a little to be spent out of so much is +not worth minding; but "Always taking out of the meal-tub, and never +putting in, soon comes to the bottom," as Poor Richard says; and then, +"When the well is 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," as Poor Richard says; and, indeed, so +does he that lends to such people, when he goes to get it in again. +Poor Dick farther advises, and says, + + "Fond pride of dress is sure a very curse, + Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse." + +[Illustration: Published by W. Darton, Junr. Octr. 1, 1805.] + +'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; but Poor Dick says, "It is +easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow +it." And it is as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich, as for the +frog to swell, in order to equal the ox. + + "Vessels large may venture more, + But little boats should keep near shore." + +It is, however, a folly soon punished: for, as Poor Richard says, +"Pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt;--Pride breakfasted with +Plenty, dined with Poverty and supped with Infamy." And, after all, +of what use is this pride of appearance, for which so much is risked, +so much is suffered? It cannot promote health, nor ease pain; it +makes no increase of merit in the person, it creates envy, it hastens +misfortune. + +'But what madness it must be to run in debt for these superfluities? We +are offered, by the terms of this sale, 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, "The second vice +is lying, the first is running in debt," as Poor Richard says; and +again, to the same purpose, "Lying rides upon Debt's back:" whereas a +free-born Englishman ought not to be ashamed nor afraid to see or speak +to any man living. But poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and +virtue. "It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright."--What would you +think of that prince, or of that government, who should issue an edict +forbidding you to dress like a gentleman or 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 gaol for life, or by selling 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; but, as Poor +Richard says, "Creditors have better memories than debtors; 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 seemed so long, will, as it lessens, appear +extremely short: "Time will seem to have added wings to his heels as +well as his shoulders. Those have a short Lent, who owe money to be +paid at Easter." At present, perhaps, you may think yourselves 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." + +Gain may be temporary and uncertain; but ever, while you live, expense +is constant and certain; and "It is easier to build two chimneys, than +to keep one in fuel," as Poor Richard says: so, "Rather go to bed +supper-less, than rise in debt," + + Get what you can, and what you get hold, + 'Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into gold. + +And when you have got the Philosopher's stone, sure you will no longer +complain of bad times, or the difficulty of paying taxes. + +IV. 'This doctrine, my friends, is reason and wisdom; but, after all, +do not depend too much upon your own industry, and frugality, and +prudence, 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, Job suffered, and was afterwards prosperous. + +[Illustration] + +'And now to conclude, "Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will +learn in no other," as Poor Richard says, and scarce in that; for it +is true, "We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct." However, +remember this, "They that will not be counselled cannot be helped;" +and farther, that "If you will not hear Reason, she will surely rap +your knuckles," as Poor Richard says.' + + * * * * * + +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 auction opened, and they began +to buy extravagantly.--I found the good man had thoroughly studied my +Almanacks, and digested all I had dropt on those topics during the +course of twenty-five 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 the gleanings that I 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. + + +[Illustration: FINIS.] + + W. and T. Darton, Printers, Holborn-Hill, London. + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Only the most obvious and clear punctuation errors repaired. The +opening single quotes end pages later. + +Page 9, "grevious" changed to "grievous" (much more grievous) + +Page 11, "waisting" changed to "wasting" (wasting time must be) + +Page 12, "mak" changed to "make" (We may make) + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Franklin's Way to Wealth, by Benjamin Franklin + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 43855 *** |