Essays and Letters

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John Sharpe, 1820 - Essays - 340 pages

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Page 74 - God helps them that help themselves,' as poor Richard says. " I. 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; sloth, by bringing on
Page 74 - 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,
Page 101 - filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children; and being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I met by the way in the bands of another boy, I voluntarily offered him all my money for
Page 103 - improvement of the mind or of his fortune, to mere corporeal sensations, and ruining his health in their pursuit, " Mistaken man," says I, " you are providing pain for yourself, instead of pleasure : you give too much for your whistle." If I see one fond of appearance, of fine clothes,
Page 19 - of the value of lace. . The importer may demand forty, and perhaps get thirty shillings for that which cost him but twenty. 12. Finally, there seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbours : this is
Page 81 - 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 that tyranny, when you run in
Page 113 - and you must be of my opinion. If they met so often to learn good things, they would certainly have learned some before this time. But they are still ignorant. You know our practice. If a white man, in travelling through our country, enters one of our cabins, we all treat him as I do you
Page 77 - 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 never saw an oft-removed tree, Nor yet
Page 107 - We are convinced, therefore, that you mean to do us good by your proposal; and we thank you heartily. But you, who are wise, must know that different nations have different conceptions of things ; and you will therefore not take it amiss, if
Page 19 - The second by commerce,which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle wrought by the hand of God in his favour, as a reward for his innocent life, and his virtuous industry. B. FRANKLIN.

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