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not be ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? Are you then your own master? be ashamed to catch yourself idle, as poor Dick says.

When there is so much to be done for yourself, your family, your country, and your gracious king, be up by peep of day;"let not the sun look down, and say,

Inglorious here he lies,!""

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 into the cable and light strokes fell great oaks," as poor Richard says in his Almanack, the year I cannot just now remember.

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Methinks 1 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; so that, as poor Richsays, "A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things."

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Do you imagine that sloth will afford you more comfort than labour? No; for, as poor Richard says, "Troubles spring from idleness, and grievous toil from needless ease: Many without labour would live by their own wits only but they break for want of stock :” Whereas industry gives comfort, and plenty, and respect. "Fly pleasures, and they'll follow you; the diligent

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spinner has a large shift; and, now I have a sheep and a cow, every body bids me good-morrow; all which is well Richard.

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But, with our industry, we must likewise be steady, settled, and careful, and oversee our own affairs with our bwn eyes, and never 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.'

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Trusting too much to others care is the ruin of many: for, as the Almanack says, " In the affairs of the world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want ofit ;” but a man's own care is profitable; for, saith poor Dick, "Learning is to the studious, and riches to the careful, as well as power to the bold, and heaven to the virtuous."

And further, "If you would have a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself." And again, he adviseth to circumspection and care, even in the smal lest matters; because, sometimes, “A little neglect may breed great mischief; adding, "For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was

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lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost ;" being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for want of care about a horse-shoe nail.

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," as poor Richard says; and,

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Many estates are spent in the getting ;

Since women forsook spinning and knitting,

And men for punch, forsook hewing and splitting."

"If you would be wealthy, (says he, in another Almahack,) think of saving, as well as of getting: The Indians have not made Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than her incomes."

Away, then, with your expensive follies, and you will not have much cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable families; for, as poor Dick says, "Women and wine, game and deceit,

Make the wealth small, and the want great."

And further, "What maintains one vice would bring up two children." You may think, perhaps, that 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 what poor Richard says, "Many a little makes a meikle ;" and further, "Beware of little expences; a small leak will sink great ship ;" and again, "Who dainties love, shall beg. gars prove; and moreover,

"Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them.”

'Here you are all got together at this sale of fineries

and

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 penny-worth 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 penny-worths."

Again, poor Richard says, "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. "Wise men (as poor Dick says.) learn by others harms, fools scarcely by their own." Many a one, for the sake of finery on the back, have gone with a hungry belly, and half starved their families.

"Silk and satins, scarlet and velvets, (as poor Richard says) put out the kitchen fire." These are not the necessaries of life, they can scarcely be called the con veniencies; and yet, only because they look pretty, how miany want to have them? The artificial wants of mankind thus become more numerous than the natural; and, Dick says, For one poor person, there are a , hundred indigent.".

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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 high

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er 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: "A child and a fool (as poor Richard says) imagine twenty shillings and twenty years can never be spent ; but always taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom;" then, as poor Dick says, "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 further advises, and says,

"Fond pride of dress is sure a very curse,

Ere tancy 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 the frog to swell, în order to equal the ox.

"Vesse's large may venture more,

But little boats should keep near shore.

'Tis, however, a folly soon punished; for, "Pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt," as poor Richard says. And in another place,

"Pride breakfasted with Plenty,

Dined with Poverty,

And supped with Infamy."

And, after all, of what use is this pride of appearance,

for

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