The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Illustrated by Tales, Sketches, and AnecdotesGoodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
History
The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Illustrated by Tales, Sketches, and Anecdotes
Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography
"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; so that, as poor Richard says, 'A life of leisure
and a life of laziness are two things.' Do you imagine that sloth will
afford you more comfort than labor? No; for, as poor Richard says,
'Troubles spring from idleness, and grievous toils from needless ease:
many without labor 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 spinner
has a large shift; and now I have a sheep and a cow, every body bids
me good-morrow;' all which is well said by poor Richard.
"But with our industry, we must likewise be steady, and 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 one 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 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, as the Almanac says, 'In the affairs of the world, men are saved
not by faith, but by the want of it; 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 smallest 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
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,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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