{"schema_version":1,"access":"public","rights":"Public-domain or compatibly licensed source editions; provenance is retained per record.","work":{"slug":"way-to-wealth","title":"The Way to Wealth","author":"Benjamin Franklin","tradition":"american","language":"en-18c","genre":"moral and economic essay","period":"1757","source_url":"https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-07-02-0146","original":{"text":"Courteous Reader,\n\nI have heard that nothing gives an Author so great Pleasure, as to find his Works respectfully quoted by other learned Authors. This Pleasure I have seldom enjoyed; for tho’ I have been, if I may say it without Vanity, an eminent Author of Almanacks annually now a full Quarter of a Century, my Brother Authors in the same Way, for what Reason I know not, have ever been very sparing in their Applauses; and no other Author has taken the least Notice of me, so that did not my Writings produce me some solid Pudding, the great Deficiency of Praise would have quite discouraged me.\n\nI concluded at length, that the People were the best Judges of my Merit; for they buy my Works; and besides, in my Rambles, where I am not personally known, I have frequently heard one or other of my Adages repeated, with, as Poor Richard says, at the End on’t; this gave me some Satisfaction, as it showed not only that my Instructions were regarded, but discovered likewise some Respect for my Authority; and I own, that to encourage the Practice of remembering and repeating those wise Sentences, I have sometimes quoted myself with great Gravity.\n\nJudge then how much I must have been gratified by an Incident I am going to relate to you. I stopt my Horse lately where a great Number of People were collected at a Vendue of Merchant Goods. The Hour of Sale not being come, they were conversing on the Badness of the Times, and one of the Company call’d to a plain clean old Man, with white Locks, Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the Times? Won’t these heavy Taxes quite ruin the Country? How shall we be ever able to pay them? What would you advise us to? ——Father Abraham stood up, and reply’d, If you’d have my Advice, I’ll give it you in short, for a Word to the Wise is enough, and many Words won’t fill a Bushel, as Poor Richard says. They join’d in desiring him to speak his Mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows;\n\n“Friends, says he, and Neighbours, 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 grievous 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 allowing an Abatement. However let us hearken to good Advice, and something may be done for us; God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says, in his Almanack of 1733.\n\nIt would be thought a hard Government that should tax its People one tenth Part of their Time, to be employed in its Service. But Idleness taxes many of us much more, if we reckon all that is spent in absolute Sloth, or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle Employments or Amusements, that amount to nothing. Sloth, by bringing on Diseases, absolutely shortens Life. Sloth, like Rust, consumes faster than Labour wears, while the used Key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But dost thou love Life, then do not squander Time, for that’s 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 little enough: Let us then be 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, as Poor Richard says; 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, as we read in Poor Richard, who adds, Drive thy Business, let not that drive thee; and Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy and wise.\n\nSo what signifies wishing and hoping for better Times. We may make these Times better if we bestir ourselves. Industry need not wish, as Poor Richard says, and He that lives upon Hope 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. And, as Poor Richard likewise observes, He that hath a Trade hath an Estate, and He that hath a Calling hath an Office of Profit and Honour; but then the Trade must be worked at, and the Calling well followed, or neither the Estate, nor the Office, will enable us to pay our Taxes. If we are industrious we shall never starve; for, as Poor Richard says, At the working Man’s House Hunger looks in, but dares not enter. Nor will the Bailiff nor the Constable enter, for Industry pays Debts, while Despair encreaseth them, says Poor Richard. What though you have found no Treasure, nor has any rich Relation left you a Legacy, Diligence is the Mother of Good luck, as Poor Richard says, and God gives all Things to Industry. Then plough deep, while Sluggards sleep, and you shall have Corn to sell and to keep, says Poor Dick. Work while it is called To-day, for you know not how much you may be hindered To-morrow, which makes Poor Richard say, One To-day is worth two Tomorrows; and farther, Have you somewhat to do To-morrow, do it 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, 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. ’Tis 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, as Poor Richard says in his Almanack, the Year I cannot just now remember.\n\nMethinks 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 Labour? No, for as Poor Richard says, Trouble springs from Idleness, and grievous Toil from needless Ease. Many without Labour, 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’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.\n\nBut 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,\n\nI never saw an oft removed Tree,\nNor yet an oft removed Family,\nThat throve so well as those that settled be.\n\nAnd again, Three Removes is 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,\n\nHe that by the Plough would thrive,\nHimself must either hold or drive.\n\nAnd 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, as the Almanack says, 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, 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 farther, 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.\n\nSo 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,\n\nMany Estates are spent in the Getting,\nSince Women for Tea forsook Spinning and Knitting,\nAnd Men for Punch forsook Hewing and Splitting.\n\nIf you would be wealthy, says he, in another Almanack, think of Saving as well as of Getting: The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her Outgoes are greater than her Incomes. Away then with your expensive Follies, and you will not have so much Cause to complain of hard Times, heavy Taxes, and chargeable Families; for, as Poor Dick says,\n\nWomen and Wine, Game and Deceit,\nMake the Wealth small, and the Wants great.\n\nAnd 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 finer, and a little Entertainment now and then, can be no great Matter; but remember what Poor Richard says, Many a Little makes a Mickle; and farther, Beware of little Expences; 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.\n\nHere you are all got together at this Vendue of Fineries and Knicknacks. 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 Pennyworth pause a while: He means, that perhaps the Cheapness is apparent only, and not real; or the Bargain, by straitning 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. Again, Poor Richard says, ’Tis foolish to lay out Money in a Purchase of Repentance; and yet this Folly is practised every Day at Vendues, for want of minding the Almanack. Wise Men, as Poor Dick says, learn by others Harms, Fools scarcely by their own; but, Felix quem faciunt aliena Pericula cautum. Many a one, for the Sake of Finery on the Back, have gone with a hungry Belly, and half starved their Families; Silks and Sattins, 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 Conveniencies, and yet only because they look pretty, how many want to have them. The artificial Wants of Mankind thus become more numerous than the natural; and, as Poor Dick says, For one poor Person, there are an hundred indigent. 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 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 ’tis 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’s 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; and indeed so does he that lends to such People, when he goes to get it in again. Poor Dick farther advises, and says,\n\nFond Pride of Dress, is sure a very Curse;\nE’er Fancy you consult, consult your Purse.\n\nAnd 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, ’Tis easier to suppress the first Desire, than to satisfy all that follow it. And ’tis as truly Folly for the Poor to ape the Rich, as for the Frog to swell, in order to equal the Ox.\n\nGreat Estates may venture more,\nBut little Boats should keep near Shore.\n\n’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 which so much is risked, so much is suffered? It cannot promote Health, or ease Pain; it makes no Increase of Merit in the Person, it creates Envy, it hastens Misfortune.\n\nWhat is a Butterfly? At best\nHe’s but a Caterpillar drest.\nThe gaudy Fop’s his Picture just,\n\nas Poor Richard says.\n\nBut what Madness must it be to run in Debt for these Superfluities! We are offered, by the Terms of this Vendue, 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, as Poor Richard says, The second Vice is Lying, the first is running in Debt. And again, to the same Purpose, Lying rides upon Debt’s Back. Whereas a freeborn Englishman ought not to be ashamed or afraid to see or speak to any Man living. But Poverty often deprives a Man of all Spirit and Virtue: ’Tis hard for an empty Bag to stand upright, as Poor Richard truly says. What would you think of that Prince, or that Government, who should issue an Edict forbidding you to dress like a Gentleman or a Gentlewoman, on Pain of Imprisonment or Servitude? Would you not say, that you are 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! Your Creditor has Authority at his Pleasure to deprive you of your Liberty, by confining you in Goal for Life, or to sell you for a Servant, if you should not be able to pay him! When you have got your Bargain, you may, perhaps, think little of Payment; but Creditors, Poor Richard tells us, have better Memories than Debtors; and in another Place says, 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 extreamly short. Time will seem to have added Wings to his Heels as well as Shoulders. Those have a short Lent, saith Poor Richard, who owe Money to be paid at Easter. Then since, as he says, The Borrower is a Slave to the Lender, and the Debtor to the Creditor, disdain the Chain, preserve your Freedom; and maintain your Independency: Be industrious and free; be frugal and free. At present, perhaps, you may think yourself in thriving Circumstances, and that you can bear a little Extravagance without Injury; but,\n\nFor Age and Want, save while you may;\nNo Morning Sun lasts a whole Day,\n\nas Poor Richard says. Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, Expence is constant and certain; and ’tis easier to build two Chimnies than to keep one in Fuel, as Poor Richard says. So rather go to Bed supperless than rise in Debt.\n\nGet what you can, and what you get hold;\n’Tis the Stone that will turn all your Lead into Gold,\n\nas Poor Richard says. And when you have got the Philosopher’s Stone, sure you will no longer complain of bad Times, or the Difficulty of paying Taxes.\n\nThis Doctrine, my Friends, is Reason and Wisdom; but after all, do not depend too much upon your own Industry, and Frugality, and Prudence, 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.\n\nAnd now to conclude, Experience keeps a dear School, but Fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true, we may give Advice, but we cannot give Conduct, as Poor Richard says: However, remember this, They that won’t be counselled, can’t be helped, as Poor Richard says: And farther, That if you will not hear Reason, she’ll surely rap your Knuckles.\n\nThus 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 Vendue opened, and they began to buy extravagantly, notwithstanding all his Cautions, and their own Fear of Taxes. I found the good Man had thoroughly studied my Almanacks, and digested all I had dropt on those Topicks during the Course of Five-and-twenty 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 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,\n\nRichard Saunders.\nJuly 7, 1757.","download_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/way-to-wealth/original.txt"},"translations":[{"id":"trn_way_to_wealth_mouseia","translator":"Mouseia","kind":"curated","note":"Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the authoritative historical English source for fidelity, modern clarity, rhetorical force, and structure.","text":"Courteous Reader,\n\nI have heard that nothing gives an author so much pleasure as finding his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors. This pleasure I have seldom enjoyed; for though I have been, if I may say so without vanity, an eminent author of almanacs annually for a full quarter of a century now, my brother authors in the same line, for what reason I do not know, have always been very sparing with their praise; and no other author has taken the least notice of me, so that if my writings did not produce some solid pudding for me, the great lack of praise would have quite discouraged me.\n\nAt last I concluded that the people were the best judges of my merit, for they buy my works; and besides, in my travels, where I am not personally known, I have frequently heard one or another of my sayings repeated, with, as Poor Richard says, at the end of it. This gave me some satisfaction, as it showed not only that my instructions were regarded, but also revealed some respect for my authority; and I confess that, to encourage the practice of remembering and repeating those wise sayings, I have sometimes quoted myself with great solemnity.\n\nJudge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to relate to you. I recently stopped my horse where a great number of people had gathered at an auction of merchants’ goods. As the hour of sale had not yet come, they were discussing how bad the times were, and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man with white locks, Pray, Father Abraham, what do you think of the times? Won’t these heavy taxes utterly ruin the country? How shall we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to do? ——Father Abraham stood up and replied, If you want my advice, I’ll give it to you briefly, for a word to the wise is enough, and many words won’t fill a bushel, as Poor Richard says. They joined in asking him to speak his mind, and, gathering around him, he proceeded as follows:\n\n“Friends, he said, and neighbors, the taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those imposed by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and some much more grievous to 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 relieve or deliver us by granting an abatement. Nevertheless, let us listen to good advice, and something may be done for us; God helps those who help themselves, as Poor Richard says in his Almanac of 1733.\n\nIt would be thought a harsh government that taxed its people one-tenth of their time, to be employed in its service. But idleness taxes many of us much more, if we count all the time spent in absolute sloth, or doing nothing, together with that spent in idle occupations or amusements that amount to nothing. Sloth, by bringing on diseases, positively shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the key in use is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But do you love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says. How much more time than necessary do we spend sleeping! We forget that The sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will be sleeping enough in the grave, as Poor Richard says. If time is the most precious of all things, wasting time must be, as Poor Richard says, the greatest extravagance, since, as he tells us elsewhere, Lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough always proves little enough. Let us then be up and doing, and doing to good purpose; thus, through diligence, we shall accomplish more with less perplexity. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry makes all things easy, as Poor Richard says; and He who rises late must trot all day and will scarcely overtake his business by night. Meanwhile, laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him, as we read in Poor Richard, who adds, Drive your business; do not let it drive you; and Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.\n\nSo what good is wishing and hoping for better times? We may make these times better if we bestir ourselves. Industry need not wish, as Poor Richard says, and He who lives upon hope will die fasting. There are no gains without pains; then put hands to work, for I have no lands, or if I have, they are heavily taxed. And, as Poor Richard likewise observes, He who has a trade has an estate, and He who has a calling has an office of profit and honor; but then the trade must be worked at, and the calling diligently followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. If we are industrious, we shall never starve; for, as Poor Richard says, 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 increases them, says Poor Richard. What though you have found no treasure, nor any rich relation left you a legacy? Diligence is the mother of good luck, as Poor Richard says, and God gives all things to industry. Then plow deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have grain to sell and to keep, says Poor Dick. Work while it is called Today, for you do not know how much you may be hindered tomorrow, which makes Poor Richard say, One today is worth two tomorrows; and further, Have you something to do tomorrow? Do it today. If you were a servant, would you not be ashamed if a good master caught you idle? Since you are 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 at the break of day; do not let 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 that there is much to be done, and perhaps your hands are weak, but stick to it steadily and you will see great effects, for constant dripping wears away stones, and by diligence and patience the mouse gnawed the cable in two; and little strokes fell great oaks, as Poor Richard says in his Almanac, though I cannot just now remember the year.\n\nI think I hear some of you say, Must a man allow himself no leisure? I will tell you, my friend, what Poor Richard says: Employ your time well if you mean to gain leisure; and, since you are not sure of a minute, do not throw away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful; the diligent man will obtain this leisure, but the lazy man never will; so that, as Poor Richard says, a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two different things. Do you imagine that sloth will give you more comfort than labor? No, for, as Poor Richard says, Trouble springs from idleness, and grievous toil from needless ease. Many would live without labor, by their WITS alone, but they go bankrupt for lack of capital. Industry, on the other hand, gives comfort, plenty, and respect: Flee pleasures, and they will follow you. The diligent spinner has a large shift; and now that I have a sheep and a cow, everybody bids me good morning; all of which is well said by Poor Richard.\n\nBut along with our industry, we must also 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,\n\nI never saw an often-moved tree,\nNor yet an often-moved family,\nThat thrived as well as those that settled be.\n\nAnd again, Three moves are as bad as a fire; and again, Keep your shop, and your shop will keep you; and again, If you would have your business done, go; if not, send. And again,\n\nHe who would thrive by the plow\nMust either hold or drive it himself.\n\nAnd again, The eye of a master will do more work than both his hands; and again, Lack of care does us more harm than lack of knowledge; and again, Not to oversee workmen is to leave your purse open to them. Trusting too much to the care of others is the ruin of many; for, as the Almanac says, In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the lack of it. But a man’s own care is profitable; for Poor Dick says, Learning belongs to the studious, and riches to the careful, just as power belongs to the bold, and heaven to the virtuous. And further, If you would have a faithful servant, and one you like, serve yourself. And again, he advises watchfulness 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 killed by the enemy—all for lack of care about a horseshoe nail.\n\nSo 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 certain to succeed. A man who does not know how to save as he earns may keep his nose to the grindstone all his life and die at last without a groat to his name. A fat kitchen makes a lean will, as Poor Richard says; and,\n\nMany estates are spent in the getting,\nSince women for tea forsook spinning and knitting,\nAnd men for punch forsook hewing and splitting.\n\nIf you would be wealthy, he says in another Almanac, think of saving as well as getting: The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her outgoings are greater than her income. Away, then, with your expensive follies, and you will not have so much cause to complain of hard times, heavy taxes, and costly families; for, as Poor Dick says,\n\nWomen and wine, gaming and deceit,\nMake wealth small and wants great.\n\nAnd further, What maintains one vice would raise two children. You may perhaps think that a little tea, or a little punch now and then, food 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 great deal; and further, Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship; and again, Those who love delicacies shall become beggars; and moreover, Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them.\n\nHere you have all gathered at this auction of finery and knickknacks. You call them goods, but if you do not take care, they will prove evils to some of you. You expect them to be sold cheaply, and perhaps they may sell for less than they cost; but if you have no need of them, they must be dear to you. Remember what Poor Richard says: Buy what you do not need, and before long you shall sell your necessities. And again, At a great bargain, pause awhile. He means that perhaps the cheapness is only apparent, not real; or that the bargain, by straitening you in your business, may do you more harm than good. For in another place he says, Many have been ruined by buying good bargains. Again, Poor Richard says, It is foolish to spend money purchasing repentance; and yet this folly is practiced every day at auctions, for want of minding the Almanac. Wise men, as Poor Dick says, learn by the harms of others; fools scarcely by their own; but, Happy is he whom the dangers of others make cautious. Many a person, for the sake of finery on the back, has gone with a hungry belly and half-starved his family; Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets, as Poor Richard says, put out the kitchen fire. These are not the necessities of life; they can scarcely be called conveniences, and yet, merely because they look pretty, how many people want to have them! The artificial wants of mankind thus become more numerous than the natural ones; and, as Poor Dick says, For every poor person, there are a hundred needy ones. By these and other extravagances, the genteel are reduced to poverty and forced to borrow from those whom they formerly despised, but who, through industry and frugality, have maintained their standing; in which case it plainly appears that a plowman on his feet is higher than a gentleman on his knees, as Poor Richard says. Perhaps they have been left a small estate, which they did nothing to earn; they think it is day and will never be night; that spending a little out of so much is not worth noticing; (a child and a fool, as Poor Richard says, imagine that twenty shillings and twenty years can never be spent) but always taking from the meal tub and never putting into it soon reaches the bottom. Then, as Poor Dick says, When the well is dry, they know the worth of water. But they might have known this before, if they had taken his advice: If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some; for he who goes borrowing goes sorrowing; and indeed, so does the person who lends to such people when he goes to collect it again. Poor Dick further advises and says,\n\nFond pride in dress is surely a great curse;\nBefore consulting fancy, consult your purse.\n\nAnd again, Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more insolent. When you have bought one fine thing, you must buy ten more so that your appearance may all be of a piece; but Poor Dick says, It is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all those that follow it. And it is just as truly folly for the poor to imitate the rich as for the frog to swell himself in order to equal the ox.\n\nGreat estates may venture more,\nBut little boats should keep near shore.\n\nIt is, 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, what use is this pride of appearance, for which so much is risked and so much suffered? It cannot promote health or ease pain; it adds no merit to the person; it creates envy; it hastens misfortune.\n\nWhat is a butterfly? At best\nHe’s but a caterpillar dressed.\nThe gaudy fop’s his picture exactly,\n\nas Poor Richard says.\n\nBut what madness it must be to run into debt for these superfluities! By the terms of this auction, we are offered six months’ credit; and perhaps that has induced some of us to attend it, because we cannot spare the ready money and now hope to be finely dressed without it. But, ah, consider what you do when you run into debt: You give another person power over your liberty. If you cannot pay at the appointed time, you will be ashamed to see your creditor; you will be afraid when you speak to him; you will make poor, pitiful, sneaking excuses, and gradually come to lose your truthfulness and sink into base, outright lying; for, as Poor Richard says, The second vice is lying; the first is running into debt. And again, to the same purpose, Lying rides upon debt’s back. Yet a freeborn Englishman ought not to be ashamed or afraid to see or speak to any man alive. But poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue: It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright, as Poor Richard truly says. What would you think of a prince, or a government, that issued an edict forbidding you to dress like a gentleman or gentlewoman, under penalty of imprisonment or servitude? Would you not say that you are free, that you have a right to dress as you please, and that such an edict would violate your privileges, and such a government would be tyrannical? And yet you are about to place yourself under that tyranny when you run into debt for such clothes! Your creditor has the authority, at his pleasure, to deprive you of your liberty by confining you in jail for life, or to sell you as a servant, if you should be unable to pay him! When you have secured your bargain, you may perhaps think little about payment; but creditors, Poor Richard tells us, have better memories than debtors; and in another place he says, Creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of appointed days and times. The day comes around before you are aware of it, and the demand is made before you are prepared to satisfy it. Or, if you keep your debt in mind, the term that at first seemed so long will, as it dwindles, appear extremely short. Time will seem to have added wings to his heels as well as his shoulders. Those have a short Lent, says Poor Richard, who owe money to be paid at Easter. Since, then, as he says, The borrower is a slave to the lender, and the debtor to the creditor, disdain the chain, preserve your freedom, and maintain your independence: Be industrious and free; be frugal and free. At present, perhaps, you may think yourself in prosperous circumstances, and believe you can bear a little extravagance without harm; but,\n\nFor age and want, save while you may;\nNo morning sun lasts a whole day,\n\nas Poor Richard says. Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but as long as you live, expense is constant and certain; and it is easier to build two chimneys than to keep one supplied with fuel, as Poor Richard says. So go to bed without supper rather than rise in debt.\n\nGet what you can, and hold what you get;\nIt is the stone that will turn all your lead into gold,\n\nas Poor Richard says. And when you have obtained the philosopher’s stone, surely you will no longer complain of bad times or the difficulty of paying taxes.\n\nThis doctrine, my friends, is reason and wisdom; but after all, do not depend too much upon your own industry, frugality, and prudence, excellent things though they are, for they may all be blighted without the blessing of Heaven; and therefore ask for that blessing humbly, and do not be uncharitable toward those who at present seem to lack it, but comfort and help them. Remember that Job suffered and was afterward prosperous.\n\nAnd now, to conclude, Experience keeps an expensive school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarcely even in that; for it is true, We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct, as Poor Richard says. Nevertheless, remember this: Those who will not be counseled cannot be helped, as Poor Richard says; and further, If you will not listen to reason, she will surely rap your knuckles.\n\nThus the old gentleman ended his speech. The people heard it and approved the doctrine, and immediately practiced the contrary, just as if it had been an ordinary sermon; for the auction opened, and they began buying extravagantly, despite all his cautions and their own fear of taxes. I found that the good man had thoroughly studied my Almanacs and digested everything I had dropped on those topics over the course of twenty-five years. His frequent mention of me would have tired anyone else, but my vanity was wonderfully delighted by it, though I was conscious that not a tenth part of the wisdom he attributed to me was my own, but rather gleanings I had gathered from the good sense of all ages and nations. Nevertheless, I resolved to become better for hearing its echo; and though I had at first determined to buy cloth for a new coat, I went away resolved to wear my old one a little longer. Reader, if you will do the same, your profit will be as great as mine. I am, as ever, yours to serve you,\n\nRichard Saunders.\nJuly 7, 1757.","download_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/way-to-wealth/translations/trn_way_to_wealth_mouseia.txt"},{"id":"trn_way_to_wealth_plain","translator":"Mouseia","kind":"plain","note":"Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the authoritative historical English source.","text":"Dear Reader,\n\nI have heard that nothing gives an author as much pleasure as finding his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors. I have seldom enjoyed this pleasure. Although I have been, if I may say so without vanity, a distinguished author of annual almanacs for a full quarter-century now, my fellow authors in the same line of work have, for reasons I do not know, always been very sparing with their praise. No other author has paid the least attention to me, so if my writings did not provide me with some solid income, the great lack of praise would have completely discouraged me.\n\nAt last I concluded that the people were the best judges of my merit, because they buy my works. Besides, during my travels in places where I am not personally known, I have often heard someone repeat one of my sayings and add, as Poor Richard says, at the end. This gave me some satisfaction, because it showed not only that people valued my instructions, but also that they had some respect for my authority. And I admit that, to encourage the practice of remembering and repeating those wise sayings, I have sometimes quoted myself very solemnly.\n\nThen judge how greatly I must have been pleased by an incident I am going to tell you about. Recently, I stopped my horse where a large number of people had gathered for an auction of merchants’ goods. Because the time for the sale had not yet arrived, they were talking about how bad the times were. One person in the group called out to a plain, clean old man with white hair, “Please, Father Abraham, what do you think of the times? Won’t these heavy taxes completely ruin the country? How will we ever be able to pay them? What would you advise us to do?”——Father Abraham stood up and replied, “If you want my advice, I will give it briefly, because a word to the wise is enough, and many words will not fill a bushel, as Poor Richard says.” They all urged him to speak his mind, and, gathering around him, he continued as follows:\n\n“Friends,” he said, “and neighbors, the taxes are indeed very heavy. If the taxes imposed by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we could pay them more easily. But we have many other taxes, and some of us find them much more burdensome. Our idleness taxes us twice as much, our pride three times as much, and our foolishness four times as much. The tax commissioners cannot ease or free us from these taxes by granting a reduction. Still, let us listen to good advice, and something may be done for us. God helps those who help themselves, as Poor Richard says in his Almanac of 1733.\n\nA government would be considered harsh if it taxed one-tenth of its people’s time and required them to use it in the government’s service. But idleness taxes many of us much more, if we count all the time spent in complete laziness or doing nothing, together with the time spent on useless activities or amusements that accomplish nothing. By causing disease, laziness actually shortens life. Laziness, like rust, consumes faster than work wears things out, while the key that is used is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But do you love life? Then do not waste time, because that is what life is made of, as Poor Richard says. How much more time than necessary do we spend sleeping! We forget that the sleeping fox catches no chickens, and that there will be enough sleeping in the grave, as Poor Richard says. If time is the most precious of all things, then wasting time must be, as Poor Richard says, the greatest wastefulness, since, as he tells us elsewhere, lost time is never found again, and what we call enough time always proves to be barely enough. Let us get up, then, and work, and work with a purpose. By diligence we will accomplish more with less difficulty. Laziness makes everything difficult, but hard work makes everything easy, as Poor Richard says. And the person who rises late must hurry all day and will barely catch up with his business by night. While laziness travels so slowly, poverty soon catches up with it, as we read in Poor Richard, who adds: Keep your business moving; do not let it drive you. And: Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.\n\nSo what good does it do to wish and hope for better times? We can make these times better if we get moving. Hard work does not need to wish, as Poor Richard says, and the person who lives on hope will die fasting. There are no gains without pains. So lend a hand, because I have no land—or, if I do, it is heavily taxed. And, as Poor Richard also observes, the person who has a trade has an estate, and the person who has an occupation has a position of profit and honor. But the trade must be practiced and the occupation diligently pursued, or neither the estate nor the position will enable us to pay our taxes. If we are hardworking, we will never starve, because, as Poor Richard says, hunger looks into the working person’s house but does not dare enter. Neither will the debt collector nor the constable enter, because hard work pays debts, while despair increases them, says Poor Richard. What does it matter if you have found no treasure, or if no rich relative has left you an inheritance? Diligence is the mother of good luck, as Poor Richard says, and God gives everything to hard work. Then plow deep while lazy people sleep, and you will have grain to sell and to keep, says Poor Dick. Work while it is called Today, because you do not know how much you may be delayed tomorrow. This leads Poor Richard to say: One today is worth two tomorrows. And further: Do you have something to do tomorrow? Do it today. If you were a servant, would you not be ashamed if a good master caught you idle? Since you are 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, get up at daybreak. Do not let the sun look down and say, “Here he lies without honor.” Handle your tools without mittens. Remember that the cat wearing gloves catches no mice, as Poor Richard says. It is true that much must be done, and perhaps you do not have many helping hands, but keep steadily at it and you will see great results. Constant dripping wears away stones; through diligence and patience, the mouse chewed the cable in two; and small blows bring down great oaks, as Poor Richard says in his Almanac, though I cannot remember the exact year just now.\n\nI think I hear some of you say, “Must a person allow himself no free time?” I will tell you, my friend, what Poor Richard says: Use your time well if you intend to gain free time; and because you are not sure of even a minute, do not throw away an hour. Free time is time for doing something useful. The diligent person will gain this free time, but the lazy person never will. So, as Poor Richard says, a life with free time and a life of laziness are two different things. Do you imagine that laziness will give you more comfort than work? No, because, as Poor Richard says, trouble springs from idleness, and painful labor from unnecessary ease. Many people would live without labor and depend on their WITS alone, but they fail for lack of resources. Hard work, however, provides comfort, plenty, and respect. Run away from pleasures, and they will follow you. The diligent spinner has plenty of cloth for a shift; and now that I have a sheep and a cow, everyone wishes me good morning. All of this is well said by Poor Richard.\n\nBut along with our hard work, we must also be steady, settled, and careful. We must watch over our own affairs with our own eyes and not trust others too much, because, as Poor Richard says,\n\nI never saw a frequently moved tree,\nNor yet a frequently moved family,\nThat prospered as well as those that stayed settled.\n\nAnd again: Moving three times is as bad as a fire. And again: Take care of your shop, and your shop will take care of you. And again: If you want your business done, go yourself; if not, send someone. And again,\n\nThe person who would prosper by the plow\nMust either hold it himself or drive the team.\n\nAnd again: The eye of a master will accomplish more work than both his hands. And again: Lack of care harms us more than lack of knowledge. And again: Failing to supervise workers is leaving your purse open to them. Trusting too much to the care of others ruins many people, because, as the Almanac says, in the affairs of this world, people are saved not by faith, but by the lack of it. But a person’s own care is profitable, because, says Poor Dick, learning belongs to the studious, riches to the careful, power to the bold, and heaven to the virtuous. And further: If you want a faithful servant, and one you like, serve yourself. Again, he advises watchfulness and care even in the smallest matters, because a little neglect may sometimes cause great harm. He adds: For lack of a nail, the horseshoe was lost; for lack of a horseshoe, the horse was lost; and for lack of a horse, the rider was lost, because the enemy caught and killed him—all because no one took care about a horseshoe nail.\n\nThat is enough about hard work, my friends, and attention to one’s own business. But we must add thrift to these if we want to make the success of our work more certain. If a person does not know how to save as he earns, he may work hard all his life and finally die without a penny. A rich kitchen makes a poor will, as Poor Richard says; and,\n\nMany fortunes are spent while being earned,\nSince women gave up spinning and knitting for tea,\nAnd men gave up chopping and splitting wood for punch.\n\nIf you want to be wealthy, he says in another Almanac, think about saving as well as earning. The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her expenses are greater than her income. So get rid of your expensive foolish habits, and you will not have as much reason to complain about hard times, heavy taxes, and costly families, because, as Poor Dick says,\n\nWomen and wine, gambling and deceit,\nMake wealth small and needs great.\n\nAnd further: What it costs to maintain one vice would raise two children. Perhaps you think that a little tea or a little punch now and then, slightly more expensive food, slightly finer clothes, and a little entertainment now and then cannot matter very much. But remember what Poor Richard says: Many small amounts make a large one. And further: Beware of small expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship. And again: Those who love delicacies will become beggars. And moreover: Fools make feasts, and wise people eat them.\n\nHere you have all gathered at this auction of fine things and trinkets. You call them goods, but if you are not careful, they will prove harmful to some of you. You expect them to be sold cheaply, and perhaps they may sell for less than they cost. But if you have no need for them, they must be expensive for you. Remember what Poor Richard says: Buy what you do not need, and before long you will have to sell the things you need. And again: When you see a great bargain, pause for a while. He means that perhaps the low price is only apparent, not real, or that the bargain may do you more harm than good by leaving you short of money in your business. For in another place he says: Many people have been ruined by buying good bargains. Again, Poor Richard says: It is foolish to spend money on a purchase you will regret. Yet this foolishness is practiced every day at auctions because people do not pay attention to the Almanac. Wise people, as Poor Dick says, learn from the harm suffered by others; fools barely learn from their own. But happy is the person whom other people’s dangers make cautious. Many people, for the sake of fine clothes on their backs, have gone with hungry stomachs and half-starved their families. Silks and satins, scarlet cloth and velvets, as Poor Richard says, put out the kitchen fire. These are not necessities of life. They can hardly even be called conveniences. Yet simply because they look pretty, how many people want to own them! In this way, humanity’s artificial wants become more numerous than its natural ones. And, as Poor Dick says, for every poor person there are a hundred needy people. Through these and other extravagances, fashionable people are reduced to poverty and forced to borrow from those they formerly despised, but who have maintained their position through hard work and thrift. In that case, it becomes clear that a plowman standing on his feet is higher than a gentleman on his knees, as Poor Richard says. Perhaps they inherited a small estate and did not know what it took to earn it. They think it is daytime and will never be night, and that spending a little out of so much is not worth worrying about. (A child and a fool, as Poor Richard says, imagine that twenty shillings and twenty years can never be used up.) But if you always take flour out of the bin and never put any in, you soon reach the bottom. Then, as Poor Dick says, when the well is dry, they know the value of water. But they might have known this beforehand if they had taken his advice: If you want to know the value of money, go and try to borrow some, because the person who goes borrowing goes sorrowing. And indeed, so does the person who lends to such people when he goes to collect the money again. Poor Dick further advises us and says,\n\nFoolish pride in clothing is certainly a curse;\nBefore consulting your taste, consult your purse.\n\nAnd again: Pride is as loud a beggar as need, and much more rude. When you have bought one fine thing, you must buy ten more so that your whole appearance will match. But Poor Dick says: It is easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all the desires that follow it. And it is just as foolish for poor people to imitate the rich as it is for the frog to swell itself up in an attempt to equal the ox.\n\nLarge fortunes may risk more,\nBut small boats should stay near shore.\n\nYet this foolishness is quickly punished, because pride that dines on vanity eats contempt for supper, as Poor Richard says. And in another place: Pride ate breakfast with plenty, dined with poverty, and had infamy for supper. And after all, what use is this pride in one’s appearance, for which so much is risked and so much is suffered? It cannot improve health or ease pain. It does not increase a person’s merit. It creates envy and hastens misfortune.\n\nWhat is a butterfly? At best\nHe is only a caterpillar dressed up.\nThe showy fool is his exact picture,\n\nas Poor Richard says.\n\nBut what madness it must be to go into debt for these unnecessary luxuries! Under the terms of this auction, we are offered six months of credit. Perhaps that has led some of us to attend, because we cannot spare the cash and now hope to become finely dressed without it. But, ah, think about what you do when you go into debt. You give another person power over your freedom. If you cannot pay on time, you will be ashamed to see your creditor. You will be afraid when you speak to him. You will make weak, pitiful, sneaking excuses and gradually lose your truthfulness and sink into shameful, outright lying. For, as Poor Richard says, the second vice is lying; the first is going into debt. And again, with the same meaning: Lying rides on debt’s back. Yet a freeborn Englishman should not be ashamed or afraid to see or speak to any living person. But poverty often deprives a person of all courage and virtue. It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright, as Poor Richard truly says. What would you think of a prince or government that issued an order forbidding you to dress like a gentleman or gentlewoman, under penalty of imprisonment or forced service? Would you not say that you are free, that you have a right to dress as you please, that such an order would violate your rights, and that such a government would be tyrannical? And yet you are about to place yourself under that tyranny when you go into debt for such clothing! Your creditor has the authority, whenever he chooses, to take away your freedom by confining you in jail for life, or to sell you into service if you cannot pay him! When you have obtained your bargain, perhaps you will give little thought to payment. But creditors, Poor Richard tells us, have better memories than debtors. And in another place he says: Creditors are a superstitious sect and carefully observe appointed days and times. The payment day comes around before you realize it, and the demand is made before you are ready to meet it. Or, if you keep your debt in mind, the term that at first seemed so long will seem extremely short as it grows shorter. Time will seem to have added wings to his heels as well as his shoulders. Those who owe money due at Easter have a short Lent, says Poor Richard. Then, since, as he says, the borrower is a slave to the lender and the debtor to the creditor, reject the chain, preserve your freedom, and maintain your independence. Be hardworking and free; be thrifty and free. At present, perhaps, you may think you are prospering and can afford a little extravagance without harm. But,\n\nFor old age and need, save while you can;\nNo morning sun lasts the whole day,\n\nas Poor Richard says. Income may be temporary and uncertain, but as long as you live, expenses are constant and certain. And it is easier to build two chimneys than to keep one supplied with fuel, as Poor Richard says. So go to bed without supper rather than wake up in debt.\n\nGet what you can, and hold on to what you get;\nThat is the stone that will turn all your lead into gold,\n\nas Poor Richard says. And when you have obtained the philosopher’s stone, surely you will no longer complain about bad times or the difficulty of paying taxes.\n\nThis teaching, my friends, is reasonable and wise. But after all, do not depend too much on your own hard work, thrift, and good judgment, excellent though they are, because they may all be destroyed without Heaven’s blessing. Therefore, humbly ask for that blessing, and do not be uncharitable toward those who now seem to lack it. Instead, comfort and help them. Remember that Job suffered and afterward became prosperous.\n\nAnd now, to conclude: Experience runs an expensive school, but fools will learn in no other, and barely even in that one. For it is true that we may give advice, but we cannot give people the discipline to follow it, as Poor Richard says. Still, remember this: Those who will not accept advice cannot be helped, as Poor Richard says. And further: If you will not listen to reason, she will certainly rap your knuckles.\n\nIn this way the old gentleman ended his speech. The people listened to it, approved of its teaching, and immediately did the opposite, just as if it had been an ordinary sermon. For the auction opened, and they began buying extravagantly despite all his warnings and their own fear of taxes. I found that the good man had thoroughly studied my Almanacs and absorbed everything I had written on those subjects over twenty-five years. His frequent mention of me would have tired anyone else, but it wonderfully delighted my vanity, though I knew that not even a tenth of the wisdom he credited to me was my own. Instead, it was mostly wisdom I had gathered from every age and nation. Still, I resolved to improve myself after hearing it repeated. Although I had first decided to buy cloth for a new coat, I left resolved to wear my old one a little longer. Reader, if you do the same, your profit will be as great as mine. I remain, as always, yours and ready to serve you,\n\nRichard Saunders.\nJuly 7, 1757.","download_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/way-to-wealth/translations/trn_way_to_wealth_plain.txt"}],"retex_markdown_url":"https://mouseia.org/api/works/way-to-wealth/retex.md"}}