Benjamin Franklin Part 56

Indeed, I begin to think she has none, as I think of you. And since she is willing I should love you, as much as you are willing to be loved by me, let us join in wis.h.i.+ng the old lady a long life and a happy.

With her respectful compliments to you, to your good mother and sisters, present mine, though unknown; and believe me to be, dear girl, your affectionate friend and humble servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

P.S. Sally[49] says, "Papa, my love to Miss Katy."--If it was not quite unreasonable, I should desire you to write to me every post, whether you hear from me or not. As to your spelling, don't let those laughing girls put you out of conceit with it. It is the best in the world, for every letter of it stands for something.

TO MISS CATHERINE RAY

Philadelphia, Oct. 16, 1755.

DEAR KATY

Your Favour of the 28th of June came to hand but the 28th of September, just 3 Months after it was written. I had, two Weeks before, wrote you a long Chat, and sent it to the Care of your Brother Ward. I hear you are now in Boston, gay and lovely as usual. Let me give you some fatherly Advice. Kill no more Pigeons than you can eat--Be a good Girl and dont forget your Catechism.--Go constantly to Meeting--or church--till you get a good Husband,--then stay at home, & nurse the Children, and live like a Christian--Spend your spare Hours, in sober Whisk, Prayers, or learning to cypher--You must practise _addition_ to your Husband's Estate, by Industry and Frugality; _subtraction_ of all unnecessary Expenses; _Multiplication_ (I would gladly have taught you that myself, but you thought it was time enough, & wou'dn't learn) he will soon make you a Mistress of it. As to _Division_, I say with Brother Paul, _Let there be no Division among ye_. But as your good Sister Hubbard (my love to her) is well acquainted with _The Rule of Two_, I hope you will become an expert in the _Rule of Three_; that when I have again the pleasure of seeing you, I may find you like my Grape Vine, surrounded with Cl.u.s.ters, plump, juicy, blus.h.i.+ng, pretty little rogues, like their Mama. Adieu. The Bell rings, and I must go among the Grave ones, and talk Politicks.

Your affectionate Friend B. FRANKLIN.

P.S. The Plums came safe, and were so sweet from the Cause you mentioned, that I could scarce taste the Sugar.

TO MRS. JANE MECOM

Philadelphia, February 12, 1756.

DEAR SISTER,

I condole with you on the loss of our dear brother.[50] As our number grows less, let us love one another proportionably more.

I am just returned from my military expedition, and now my time is taken up in the a.s.sembly. Providence seems to require various duties of me. I know not what will be next; but I find, the more I seek for leisure and retirement from business, the more I am engaged in it. Benny, I understand, inclines to leave Antigua. He may be in the right. I have no objections. My love to brother and to your children. I am, dearest sister, your affectionate brother,

B. FRANKLIN.

TO MISS E. HUBBARD[51]

Philadelphia, February 23, 1756.

--I condole with you. We have lost a most dear and valuable relation.

But it is the will of G.o.d and nature, that these mortal bodies be laid aside, when the soul is to enter into real life. This is rather an embryo state, a preparation for living. A man is not completely born until he be dead. Why then should we grieve, that a new child is born among the immortals, a new member added to their happy society?

We are spirits. That bodies should be lent us, while they can afford us pleasure, a.s.sist us in acquiring knowledge, or in doing good to our fellow creatures, is a kind and benevolent act of G.o.d. When they become unfit for these purposes, and afford us pain instead of pleasure, instead of an aid become an inc.u.mbrance, and answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent, that a way is provided by which we may get rid of them. Death is that way. We ourselves, in some cases, prudently choose a partial death. A mangled painful limb, which cannot be restored, we willingly cut off.

He who plucks out a tooth, parts with it freely, since the pain goes with it; and he, who quits the whole body, parts at once with all pains and possibilities of pains and diseases which it was liable to, or capable of making him suffer.

Our friend and we were invited abroad on a party of pleasure, which is to last for ever. His chair was ready first, and he is gone before us.

We could not all conveniently start together; and why should you and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and know where to find him?

Adieu. B. FRANKLIN.

TO REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD

New York, July 2, 1756.

DEAR SIR:

I received your Favour of the 24th of February with great Pleasure, as it inform'd me of your Welfare, and express'd your continu'd Regard for me. I thank you for the Pamphlet you enclos'd to me. As we had just observ'd a Provincial Fast on the same Occasion, I thought it very seasonable to be publish'd in Pennsylvania, and accordingly reprinted it immediately.

You mention your frequent wish that you were a Chaplain to an American Army. I sometimes wish that you and I were jointly employ'd by the Crown, to settle a Colony on the Ohio. I imagine we could do it effectually, and without putting the Nation to much expence. But I fear we shall never be called upon for such a Service. What a glorious Thing it would be, to settle in that fine Country a large strong Body of Religious and Industrious People! What a Security to the other Colonies; and Advantage to Britain, by Increasing her People, Territory, Strength and Commerce. Might it not greatly facilitate the Introduction of pure Religion among the Heathen, if we could, by such a Colony, show them a better Sample of Christians than they commonly see in our Indian Traders, the most vicious and abandoned Wretches of our Nation?... Life, like a dramatic Piece, should not only be conducted with Regularity, but methinks it should finish handsomely. Being now in the last Act, I begin to cast about for something fit to end with. Or if mine be more properly compar'd to an Epigram, as some of its few Lines are but barely tolerable, I am very desirous of concluding with a bright Point. In such an Enterprise I could spend the Remainder of Life with Pleasure; and I firmly believe G.o.d would bless us with Success, if we undertook it with a sincere Regard to his Honour, the Service of our gracious King, and (which is the same thing) the Publick Good.

I thank you cordially for your generous Benefaction to the German School. They go on pretty well, and will do better, when Mr. Smith,[52]

who has at present the princ.i.p.al Care of them, shall learn to mind Party-writing and Party Politicks less, and his proper Business more; which I hope time will bring about.

I thank you for your good Wishes and Prayers, and am, with the greatest Esteem and Affection, Dear Sir

Your most obedient humble Servant

My best Respects to } B. FRANKLIN.

Mrs. Whitefield }

THE WAY TO WEALTH

Preface to _Poor Richard Improved_: 1758.[53]

COURTEOUS READER,

I 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.

I 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.

Judge 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 ever be 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;

"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; _G.o.d helps them that help themselves_, as _Poor Richard_ says, in his Almanack of 1733.

It 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 Amus.e.m.e.nts, 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 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_.

So what signifies _wis.h.i.+ng_ 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 or 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 G.o.d gives all Things to Industry_.

Then _plough deep, while Sluggards sleep, and you shall have Corn to sell and to keep_, says _Poor d.i.c.k_. 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 To-morrows_; 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 d.i.c.k_ 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.

Methinks 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 s.h.i.+ft_; and _now I have a Sheep and a Cow, every Body bids me Good morrow_; all which is well said by _Poor Richard_.

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,