nance, and further them in all honest actions; for by these means thou shalt so double the band of nature, as thou shalt find them so many advocates to plead an apology for thee behind thy back. But shake off those glow-worms, I mean parasites and sycophants, who will feed and fawn upon thee in the summer of prosperity; but, in the adverse storms, they will shelter thee no more than an ar bour in winter.

Beware of suretyship for thy best friends. He that payeth another man's debts, seeketh his own decay. But if thou canst not otherwise choose, rather lend thy money thyself upon good bonds, although thou borrow it; so shalt thou secure thyself and pleasure thy friend. Neither borrow money of a neighbour or a friend, but of a stranger; where, paying for it, thou shalt hear no more of it; other wise thou shalt eclipse thy credit, lose thy freedom, j and pay as dear as to another. But in borrowing of money, be precious of thy word; for he that hath care of keeping days of payment, is lord of an other man's purse.

VI.

Undertake no suit against a poor man with re ceiving much wrong; for, besides that thou makest him thy compeer, it is a base conquest to triumph where there is small resistance. Neither attempt law against any man before thou be fully resolved that thou hast right on thy side, and then spare not for either money or pains; for, a cause or two si

followed and obtained will free thee from suits great part of thy life.

VII

Be sure to keep some great man thy friend; but trouble him not for trifles. Compliment him often with many, yet small, gifts, and of little charge. And if thou hast cause to bestow any great gratuity, let it be something which may be daily in sight; otherwise, in this ambitious age, thou shalt remain like a hop without a pole, live in obscurity, and be made a foot-ball for every insulting companion to spurn at.

VIII.

Towards thy superiors, be humble, yet generous; with thine equals, familiar, yet respective. Towards thine inferiors show much humanity, and some familiarity; as to bow the body, stretch forth the hand, and to uncover the head, with such like popular compliments. The first prepares thy way to advancement: the second makes thee known for a man well-bred: the third gains a good report, which, once got, is easily kept; for right humanity takes such deep root in the minds of the multitude, as they are easilter gained by unprofitable courtesies than by churlish benefits. Yet I advise thee not to effect or neglect popularity too much. Seek not to be Essex: shun to be Raleigh.

IX.

Trust not any man with thy life, credit, or estate; for it is mere folly for a man to enthrall himself to a friend, as though, occasion being offered, he should not dare to become thy enemy.

X.

Be not scurrilous in conversation, nor satirical in thy jests; the one will make thee unwelcome to all company, the other pulls on quarrels, and gets the hatred of thy best friends; for suspicious jests (when any of them savour of truth) leave a bitterness in the minds of those which are touched. And, albeit I have already pointed at this inclusively, yet I think it necessary to leave it to thee as a special caution; because I have seen many so prone to quip and gird, as they would rather lose their friend than their jest. And, if perchance their boiling brain yield a quaint scoff, they will travail to be delivered of it as a woman with child. These nimble fancies are but the froth of wit.

to you.

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 I stopped my horse lately, where a great number of people were collected at an auction of merchants goods. The hour of 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 be ever 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 :*

* Dr. Franklin, wishing to collect into one piece all the sayings upon the following subjects, which he had dropped in the course of publishing the Almanack called

Friend,' says he, 'the taxes are indeed very heavy; 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 case 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.

1. 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 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 is 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 "there will be sleeping enough in the grave," as Poor Richard says.

"If time be of all things the most precious, wast ing time must be," as Poor Richard says, "the

Poor Richard, introduced Father Abraham for this purpose. Hence it is, that Poor Richard is so often quoted. Notwithstanding the stroke of humonr in the concluding paragraph of this address, Poor Richard [Saunders] and Father Abraham have proved in America, that they are no common preachers. And shall we, brother Englishmen, refuse good sense and saving knowledge, be cause it comes from the other side of the water?