1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



737 



ard says." They joined in desirin<^ liim (o ppcak 

 his mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded 

 as follows : 



'Friends,' says he, *tiie faxes are, indeed, very 

 heavy, and i!' those laid on by the government 

 Avere the only ones we luul to pay, we might 

 more easily discharge them ; but we have many 

 others, and much more grievous to some ol' us. 

 We are la.xed twice as much by our idleness, 

 three times as mucli by our pride, and lour litnes 

 as mucii by our tolly ; and from these faxes the 

 commissioners cannot ease or deliver us, by allow- 

 ing an abatement. However, let us hearken to 

 good advice, and something may be done lor us ; 

 " (Jod helps them that help themselves," as poor 

 Richard says. 



' It would be thought a hard government that 

 should tax its people one tenth pari ol' their lime, 

 to be employed in its service ; but idleness taxes 

 many ol'us much more; sloth, by bringing on dis- 

 eases, absohitely shortens lilc. " Sloth, like rust, 

 consumes faster than labor wears, while the used 

 key is always bright,'" as poor Richard says. "But 

 <lost thou love lile, then do not squander time, for 

 that is the stuff life is made of," as poor Richard 

 fiays. How much, more than is necessary do we 

 spend in sleep ! (brgettins, that " the sleeping fox 

 catches no poultry, and that there will be sleeping 

 enoucrh in the grave," as poor Richard says. 



'"[f lime be of all fhintrs 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 ajjain ; and 

 "what we call time enough always proves little 

 enough ;'" let us then np and be doing, and doing 

 to the purpose ; so by diligence shall we do more 

 ■with le.«s perplexity. " Sloth makes all things 

 <1ifficult, but industry all easy ; nnd he that riseth 

 late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake 

 his business at niuht ; while laziness travels so 

 <=lowly, that poverty soon overtakes him. Drive 

 thy business, let not that drive thee ; and early to 

 bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, 

 and wise," as poor Richard says. 



'So what signifies wishing and hopinir for bet- 

 ter times ? We may make these times better, if 

 we bestir ourselves. " Industry need not wish, 

 and he that lives upon hope will die fastinfr. There 

 are no gains without pains; then help hands, for I 

 have no lands." or, if I have, they are smarflv 

 taxed. "He that hath a trade, hath an estate; 

 and he that hath a callinir, hath an office of profit 

 and honor," as poor Richard says ; but then the 

 trade must be worked at, and the calling well fol- 

 lowed, or neither the estate nor the office will en- 

 able us to pay our faxes. If we are industrious, 

 we shall never .'Starve ; for, " at the working man's 

 house, hunger looks in, but dares not enter." Nor 

 will the bailiff or the constable enter, for " indus- 

 try pays debts, while despair increaseth them." 

 What liiough \oii have (ound no treasure, nor has 

 any rich relation left you a letracv, " dilifrence is 

 the mother of cood luck, and God Vives all ihintrs 

 to industry. Then plough deep, while sliifrfrards 

 sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and lo keep." 

 Work while it is called to-dny, (or you know not 

 how much you may be hindered to-morroAV. 

 "One to-day is worth two fo-mo-^^vs," as poor 

 Richard says : and farther. ". nve that till 



to-morrow, which you can do ." If you 



were a servant, would you not be u ned that a 

 Vol. VI.— 93 



good master should catch you idle? Are you 

 then your own muster? J3e ashamed to catch 

 yourself idle, when there is so much to be done 

 lor yourself, your liunily, your country, and your 

 king. Handle your tools without mittiue); remem- 

 ber, that "the cat in gloves catches no mice," as 

 poor Richard says. It is true, there is much to 

 be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed ; but 

 stick to it steadily, and you will see great efi'ects, 

 lor "constant dropping wears away stone* ; and 

 by diligence and patience the mouse ate in two the 

 cable ; and little strokes fell great oaks." 



' Methinks I hear some of you say, " must a 

 man afford iiimself no leisure?" I will tell thee, 

 my friend, what poor Richard says; "employ thy 

 time well if though meanest to gain leisure; and 

 since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not 

 away an hour.'' Leisure is time for doing some- 

 thing uselijl ; this leisure the diligent man will ob- 

 tain, but the lazy man never; lor "a life of leisure 

 and a life of laziness are two things. Many, 

 without labor, would live by their wits only, but 

 they break (or want of stock ;" whereas industry 

 gives comfort, and plenty, and respect. "Fly 

 pleasures, and they will follow you. The diligent 

 spinner has a large shift ; and now I have a sheep 

 and a cow, every one bids me jjood-morrrow." 



'II. But 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, 



"I nevRr saw an oft-removed tree. 



Nor yet an oft-removed family, 



That throve so well as those that settled be." 



And again, " three removes is as bad as a fire ;" 

 and aijain, " keep thy shop, atid 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 know- 

 ledge," 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, "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 faith- 

 ful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself. 

 A little neglect may breed great mischief; lor 

 want of a nail the shoe was lost, and 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 (or want ol a little care about a 

 horse-shoe nail. 



'III. So much for industry, my friends, and at- 

 tention to one's own business ; but to these we 

 must add frugality, if we would make our indus- 

 try more certainly successfid. A man may, if he 

 knows not how to save as he cets, " keep his nose 

 all his lif"e to the grindstone, and die not worth a 

 groat at last. A fat kitchen makes a lean will;" and 



" Many esfateff are spent in the ajettinc;. 



Since women for tea foi-sook spinning and knitting, 



And men for punch forsook hewin;^ and splitting." 



" If you would be wealthy, think of saving, as 

 well as of getting. The Indies have not made 

 Spain rich, because her outgoes are greater than 

 her incomes." 



