Benjamin Franklin - The sayings of poor Richard; the prefaces, proverbs, and poems of Benjamin Franklin, originally printed in Poor Richards Almanacs for 1733-1758

PoorRichardsAlmanac The Wit and Wisdom of BenjaminFranklin Seven Treasures Publications PublishedbySeven Treasures Publications SevenTreasuresPublications@gmail.com Fax 413-653-8797 Printed in the United States of America ISBN 9781440491122 Copyright 2008 by Seven TreasuresPublications All rights reserved
There are no gains without pains. At the working manshouse hunger looks in but dares not enter. Industry pays debtswhile despair increases them. Diligence is the motherof good luck. God gives all things toindustry. Ploughdeep while sluggards sleep and you shall have corn to sell and to keep.

Workwhile it is called today for you know not how much you may be hinderedtomorrow. One today is worth twotomorrows. Have you something to dotomorrow? Do it today. If you were a servantwould you not be ashamed that a good master should catch you idle? Then if youare your own master be ashamed to catch yourself idle. Trouble springs fromidleness and grievous toil from needless ease. Industry gives comfortand plenty and respect.

Keep thy shop and thyshop will keep thee. If you would have yourbusiness done, go; if not, send. Want of care does usmore damage than want of knowledge. Not to oversee workmenis to leave them your purse open. Ifyou would have a faithful servant and one that you like serve yourself. Ifyou would be wealthy think of saving as well as getting: TheIndies have not made Spain rich because her outgoes are greater than herincomes.

Womenand wine, game and deceit make the wealth smalland the wants great. Manyestates are spent in the getting, Sincewomen for tea forsook spinning and knitting, And men for punch forsookhewing and splitting. What maintains one vicewould bring up two children. Fools make feasts andwise men eat them. Who dainties love shallbeggars prove. 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 more entertainment now and then can be no greatmatter but remember what Poor Richard says Many a little makes a mickle; bewareof little expense for a small leak will sink a great ship.

Buy what thou has no needof and ere long thou shall sell thy necessaries. Silks and satins,scarlet and velvets have put out the kitchen fire. A child and a foolimagine twenty shillings and twenty years can never be spent. Tobe humble to superiors is duty, toequals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness. Aftercrosses and losses Men grow humbler andwiser. The proud hate pride inothers.

Pride dines on Vanity,sups on Contempt. Pridebreakfasted with Plenty Dinedwith poverty Supped with Infamy. Blame-all and Praise-allare two blockheads. Experience keeps a dearschool, but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that. It is ill-manners tosilence a fool and cruelty to let him go on. The wise man draws moreadvantage from his enemies than the fool from his friends.

A learned blockhead is agreater blockhead than an ignorant one. The learned fool writeshis nonsense in better languages than the unlearned; but still it is nonsense. Whenbefriended, remember it; When you befriend,forget it. He that lives upon hopewill die fasting. He that has a trade hasan estate. Thenoblest question in the world is What good may I do init? Sellnot virtue to purchase wealth nor liberty to purchasepower.

Nothingbrings more pain than too much pleasure; nothing more bondagethan too much liberty. Wink at small faults; rememberthou hast great ones. Eachyear one vicious habit rooted out, In time might make theworst man good throughout. Hearno ill of a friend, nor speak any of anenemy. Manya man thinks he is buying pleasure when he is reallyselling himself a slave to it. Havingbeen poor is no shame; but being ashamed of itis.

Tis hard but gloriousto be poor and honest. Meanness is the parentof insolence. Thebusy man has few idle visitors; to the boiling pot theflies come not. Ifyou would reap praise you must sow the seeds, Gentle words and usefuldeeds. Angeris never without a reason but seldom with a goodone. Virtue and a trade are achilds best portion.

Loveyour neighbor Yet dont pull down yourhedge. Hethat does what he should not shall feel what he wouldnot. Thehonest man takes pains and then enjoys pleasures; The knave takespleasures and then suffers pains. What you would seem tobe, be really. Necessity never made agood bargain. The heart of a fool isin his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.

Tricks and treachery arethe practice of fools that have not wit enough to be honest. Drinkdoes not drown care, but waters it, and makesit grow fast. Three good meals a dayis bad living. Herecomes the orator! With his flood of wordsand his drop of reason. He that speaks much ismuch mistaken. Proclaimnot all thou knoweth, all thou owest, all thou hast, nor all thou canst.

Words may show a manswit but actions his meaning. A great talker may be nofool but he is one that relies on him. He that lies down withdogs shall rise up with fleas. Allthings are easy to industry, All things are difficultto sloth. Takethis remark from Richard poor and lame, Whatever is begun inanger ends in shame. Be slow in choosing afriend, slower in changing.

Thesun never repents of the good he does, nor does he ever demandrecompense. Ifwhat most men admire they would despise, It would look as ifmankind were growing wise. Hethat would live in peace and ease Must not speak all heknows nor judge all he sees. Thinkof three things: Whenceyou came, Whereyou are going, And to whom you mustaccount. Being ignorant is not somuch a shame as being unwilling to learn. Be civil to all serviceable to many familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none.

Loveyour enemies for they tell you yourfaults. Be always ashamed tocatch thyself idle. Fear to do evil and youneed fear nothing else. Goodsense and learning may esteem obtain, Humorand wit a laugh, if rightly taken; Fairvirtue admiration may impart; Buttis good-nature only wins the heart. Itmoulds the body to an easy grace, Andbrightens every feature of the face; Itsmooths the unpolished tongue with eloquence, And adds persuasion tothe finest sense. Whois strong? He that can conquer hisbad habits.

Whois rich? He that rejoices in hisportion. Wish not so much to livelong as to live well. Forage and want save while you may; No morning sun lasts awhole day. Ifyou would not be forgotten Assoon as you are dead and rotten, Eitherwrite things worth reading Or do things worthwriting. Youthis pert and positive, Agemodest and doubting; Soears of corn when young and bright, standbold upright, But hang their headswhen weighty, full and ripe. Kingshave long arms, but Misfortune longer, Let none thinkthemselves out of her reach.

Ahsimple man! Whena boy two precious jewels were given thee, Timeand good advice, Onethou has lost and the other thrownaway. Lendmoney to an enemy and you will gain him, to a friend and you willlose him. Bewareof little expenses, a small leak will sink agreat ship. Whenprosperity was well mounted, shelet go the bridle, and soon came tumblingout of the saddle. Thereare three faithful friends An old wife, an old dog,and ready money. Bargaining has neitherfriends nor relations.

Hethat is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected ofdoing everything for money. Wealth is not his thathas it, but his that enjoys it. Many have quarreledabout religion that never practiced it. Marry above thy matchand you will get a master. Whenthere is marriage without love, there will be lovewithout marriage. Keepyour eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.

Youcan bear your own faults and why not a fault inyour wife? Finelinen, girls and gold so bright choose not to take bycandle-light. Theway to be safe is never to be secure. Dally not with otherfolks women or money. Visitsshould be short, like a winters day, Lest you are too troublesomehasten away. Hunger never saw badbread. Bewareof meat twice boiled And of an old foereconciled.