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?
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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.
"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.
"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.
'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."
'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."
'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."
'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."
'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.
'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.
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)
