148 THE BEE, OR Jan. 26. 



afhamed to fee your creditor : you will be in fear when you 

 /peak to him ; you will make poor, pitiful, fneaking excufes, 

 and by degrees come to lofe your veracity, and fink into 

 bafe downright lying ; for, as poor Richard fays» "• The fe- 

 cond vice is lying; the firll is running in debt." And again, 

 to the fame purpofe, " Lying rides ,upon debt's back ; 

 whereas, a free-born Englilhman ought not to be aihamed 

 nor afraid to fee or fpeak to any man living. But poverty 

 often deprives a man of all fpirit and virtue : " It is hard 

 for an empty bag to (land upright," as poor Richard truly 

 fays. What would you think of that prince, or that go- 

 vernment, who would iffue an edidt, forbidding you to drefs 

 like a gentleman or gentlewoman, on pain of imprifonment 

 or fcrvitude ? Would you not fay, that you were free, have 

 a right to drefs as you pleafe, and that fuch an edift would 

 be a breach of your privileges, and fuch government tyranni- 

 cal ? And yet you are about to put yourfelf under that 

 tyranny when you run in debt for fuch drefs I Your credi- 

 tor has authority, at his pleafure, to deprive you of your li- 

 berty, by confining you in goal for life, or by felling you for 

 a fervant, if you (hould not be able to pay him. When you 

 have got your bargain, you may, perhaps, think little of pay- 

 ment : but " Creditors (poor Kichard tells us) have better 

 memories than debtors ;" and in another place he fays, " Cre- 

 ditors are a fuperftitious fed, great obfervers of fet days and 

 times." The day comes round before you are aware, and the 

 demand is made before you are prepared to fatisfy it. Or if 

 you bear your debt in mind, the term which at firll feemed fo 

 long, will, as It leflens, appear extremely fhort. Time will 

 feem to have added wings to his heels as well as his flioulders. 

 *' Thofe have a fhort Lent (faith poor Richard), who owe 

 money to be paid at Eafter." Then fince, as he fays, " The 

 borrower is a flave to the lender, and the debtor to the cre- 

 ditor ;" difdain the chain, preferve your freedom, and main- 

 tain your independency : be induftrious and free ; be frugal 

 and free. At prefent, perhaps, you may think yourfelves in 

 thriving circumftances, and that you can bear a little extra- 

 vagance without injury ; but 



" For age and want fave while you may, 



No morning fun lafls a whole day," 

 as poor Richard fays. Gain may be temporaiy and uncer- 

 tain J but ever, while you live, expence is conftant and cer- 



