The Way to Wealth (1758)
Benjamin Franklin [n.b. how many proverbial
phrases]
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 re-
late
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 desir-
ing
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 griev-
ous
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 allow-
ing
an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and some-
thing
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 peo-
ple
one-tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service; but idle-
ness
taxes many of us much more; sloth, by bringing on diseases,
absolutely
shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes
faster than labor 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 lit-
tle 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
honor,
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 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 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 further, 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
labor, 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 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 in-
dustry
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
have
not made
comes.
"Away then with your expensive
follies, and you will not then have so
much
cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable fam-
ilies;”
for
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 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 knick-
knacks.
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 shall sell thy necessaries. And again,
At a great pennyworth
pause a while.
He means, that perhaps the cheap-
ness
is apparent only, and not real; or the bargain, by straitening thee in
thy
business, may do thee more harm than good. For in ano0aer 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 hun-
gry
belly and half-starved their families. Silks
and satins, scarlet and vel-
vets, 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 stand-
ing;
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 bor-
rowing 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 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 suf-
fered?
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 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 gen-
tlewoman,
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 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 gaol 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 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 your-
selves
in thriving circumstances, and that you can bear a little extrava-
gance
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.
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 pru-
dence,
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 further, 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 stud-
ied
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.
(cited from The Works of Benjamin Franklin, ed.
by Jared
Sparks.
Peterson,
1840, vol. 2, pp. 94—103; italics in original)