Courteous reader, I have heard that nothing gives an author so great
pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by others. Judge,
then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am going to
relate to you. I stopped my horse lately where a great number of
people were collected at an auction of merchants' goods. The hour of
the sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the
times; and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man with
white locks: "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Will
not these heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be
able to pay them? What would you advise us to?" Father Abraham stood
up and replied, "If you would have my advice, I will give it you in
short; for 'A word to the wise is enough,' as Poor Richard says." They
joined in desiring him to speak his mind, and gathering round him, he
proceeded as follows:--
"Friends," said he, "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....
"Beware of little expenses: 'A small leak will sink a great ship,' as
Poor Richard says; and again, 'Who dainties love, shall beggars
prove;' and moreover, 'Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them.'
"Here you are all got together at this sale of fineries and
knick-knacks. 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 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.' Again, 'It is foolish to lay out
money in a purchase of repentance;' and yet this folly is practiced
every day at auctions, for want of minding the Almanack. 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 conveniences: and yet, only because they look pretty, how many
want to have them! By these and other extravagances 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 plowman 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, 'It is day, and will never be night;' that
a little to be spent out of so much is not worth minding; but 'Always
taking out of the 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.' 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,' as Poor Richard says; and indeed, so does he that lends
to such people, when he goes to get it in again. Poor Dick further
advises and says:--
'Fond pride of dress is sure a very curse;
Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse.'
And 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, 'It is
easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow
it.' And it is as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich, as for the
frog to swell in order to equal the ox.
'Vessels large may venture more,
But little boats should keep near shore.'
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 this 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.
"But what madness must it 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. 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. But poverty often deprives a man of all
spirit and virtue. 'It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.'
"What would you think of that prince or of 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 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 such 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 jail
till you shall be able to pay him. When you have got your bargain, you
may perhaps think little of payment; but as Poor Richard says,
'Creditors have better memories than debtors; 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
extremely short. Time will seem to have added wings to his heels as
well as his shoulders. 'Those have a short Lent who owe money to be
paid at Easter.' At present, perhaps, you may think yourselves in
thriving circumstances, and that you can bear a little extravagance
without injury, but--
'For age and want save while you may;
No morning sun lasts a whole day.'
Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, expense
is constant and certain; and 'It is easier to build two chimneys than
to keep one in fuel,' as Poor Richard says; so, 'Rather go to bed
supperless than rise in debt.'
'Get what you can, and what you get hold;
'Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into gold.'
And when you have got the Philosopher's Stone, sure you will no longer
complain of bad times or the difficulty of paying taxes.
"This 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.
"And now, to conclude, 'Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will
learn in no other,' as Poor Richard says, and scarce in that; for it
is true, 'We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.' However,
remember this: 'They that will not be counseled, cannot be helped;'
and further, that 'If you will not hear Reason, she will surely rap
your knuckles,' as Poor Richard says."
Thus the old gentleman ended his harangue. The people heard it and
approved the doctrine; and immediately practiced the contrary, just as
if it had been a common sermon; for the auction opened and they began
to buy extravagantly. I found the good man had thoroughly studied my
Almanacks, and digested all I had dropped on these topics during the
course of twenty-five 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 had ascribed to me, but rather the gleanings that 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,