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.' 23. 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."

CHAP. V.

Poor Richard, or the Way to Wealth.

CONTINUED.

1. Fru-ga"-li-ty, s. good management, sparing in expenses. 3. In'-dies, s. pl. the East Indies, the West Indies.

Spain, s. a large kingdom of Europe.

5. Di-et, s. victuals, nourishment.

Mic'-kle, a, much, great.

13. Va'"-ni-ty, s. folly.

Con-tempt, s. scorn, disdain, spite, hatred.

In'-fa-my, s. any thing contrary to virtue and honour.

14. Su-per-flu ́-i-ties, s. pl. more than is necessary, plenty beyond use or convenience.

15. Ve-ra"-ci-ty, s. truth, purity from falsehood.

17. E-dict, s. an order signed and sealed by a Prince, to serve as a law to his subjects. Ty-ran-ni-cal, a. cruel, severe.

18. Su-per-sti"-ti-ous, a. (pro. su-per-stish-us,) scrupulous beyond

need.

14. Coun ́-sel-led, pret. advised, instructed. 25. Ha-rangue', s. a public speech.

1. "So much for industry, my dear 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 know not how to save as he gets, 'keep his nose all his life to the grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last.' 2. 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.' 3. "If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as of getting. The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her out-goings are greater than her incomes.

4. "Away then with your expensive follies, and you will not have much cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and chargeable families; for

Women and wine, game and deceit,

Makes the wealth small, and the want great.'

5. “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 fine, and a little entertainment now and then, can be no great matter; but remember, many a little makes a mickle;' and farther, 'Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship;' and again 'Who dainties love, shall beggars prove;' and moreover, Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them.'

6. "Here you are all got together to this sale of fineries and nicknacks. 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.' 7. And again, 'At a great pennyworth pause awhile:' 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.' And, it is foolish to lay out money in a purchase of repentance; and yet this folly is practized every day at auctions, for want of minding the almanack. 8. 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 conveniencies; and yet, only because they look pretty, how many want to have them! 9. By these and other extravagan cies, 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. 10. Perhaps they have had a small estate left them, which they knew not the getting of; they think it is day, and it will never be night; that a little to be spent out of so much is not worth minding; but Always taking out of a 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.' 11. 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 to borrowing, goes to sorrowing,' as Poor Richard says; and, indeed, so does he that lends to such people, when he goes to get it again. Poor Dick farther advises and says,

Fond pride of dress is sure a very curse,

Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse.'

12. "And again, Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more saucy. When you have got 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.' as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich, frog to swell, in order to equal the ox.

Vessels large may venture more,

But little boats should keep near shore.'

And it is

as for the

13. "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 the 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.

14. "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. 15. 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. 16. But poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue.' 'It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.' What would you say of that government who should forbid you to dress like a gentleman or gentlewoman, on pain of imprisonment or servitude? 17. 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, or the like. 18. Your creditor has authority, at his pleasure, to deprive you of your liberty, by confining you in a gaol for life, or by selling you for a servant, if you should not be able to pay him.