Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin Volume II Part 1

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, ent.i.tled, "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, 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 these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be 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," said 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: _G.o.d 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 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 trade must be worked at, and the calling 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 workingman'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 luck, and G.o.d gives all things 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-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, and your country.

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, everybody 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 expenses; _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 at this sale of fineries and knickknacks.

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 Almanac. 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 extravagances, 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 mealtub 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 d.i.c.k 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 d.i.c.k 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 sh.o.r.e._

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 must it 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 freeborn 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 your self under such 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 jail till you shall 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 superst.i.tious 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 circ.u.mstances, 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 supperless than rise in debt_.

"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 afterward 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 Almanacs, and digested all I had dropped on these 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.

ON TRUE HAPPINESS.

The desire of happiness in general is so natural to us, that all the world are in pursuit of it; all have this one end in view, though they take such different methods to attain it, and are so much divided in their notions of it.

Evil, as evil, can never be chosen; and, though evil is often the effect of our own choice, yet we never desire it, but under the appearance of an imaginary good.

Many things we indulge ourselves in may be considered by us as evils, and yet be desirable; but then they are only considered as evils in their effects and consequences, not as evils at present, and attended with immediate misery.

Reason represents things to us not only as they are at present, but as they are in their whole nature and tendency; pa.s.sion only regards them in the former light. When this governs us, we are regardless of the future, and are only affected with the present. It is impossible ever to enjoy ourselves rightly, if our conduct be not such as to preserve the harmony and order of our faculties, and the original frame and const.i.tution of our minds; all true happiness, as all that is truly beautiful, can only result from order.

While there is a conflict between the two principles of pa.s.sion and reason, we must be miserable in proportion to the struggle; and when the victory is gained, and reason so far subdued as seldom to trouble us with its remonstrances, the happiness we have then is not the happiness of our rational nature, but the happiness only of the inferior and sensual part of us, and, consequently, a very low and imperfect happiness to what the other would have afforded us.

If we reflect upon any one pa.s.sion and disposition of mind, abstract from virtue, we shall soon see the disconnexion between that and true, solid happiness. It is of the very essence, for instance, of envy to be uneasy and disquieted. Pride meets with provocations and disturbances upon almost every occasion. Covetousness is ever attended with solicitude and anxiety. Ambition has its disappointments to sour us, but never the good fortune to satisfy us; its appet.i.te grows the keener by indulgence, and all we can gratify it with at present serves but the more to inflame its insatiable desires.

The pa.s.sions, by being too much conversant with earthly objects, can never fix in us a proper composure and acquiescence of mind. Nothing but an indifference to the things of this world, an entire submission to the will of Providence here, and a well-grounded expectation of happiness hereafter, can give us a true, satisfactory enjoyment of ourselves.

Virtue is the best guard against the many unavoidable evils incident to us; nothing better alleviates the weight of the afflictions, or gives a truer relish of the blessings, of human life.

What is without us has not the least connexion with happiness, only so far as the preservation of our lives and health depends upon it. Health of body, though so far necessary that we cannot be perfectly happy without it, is not sufficient to make us happy of itself. Happiness springs immediately from the mind; health is but to be considered as a condition or circ.u.mstance, without which this happiness cannot be tasted pure and unabated.