Poor Richard's Almanack and Other Writings

Benjamin Franklin, Bob Blaisdell

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9780486484495
• eBook ISBN: 9780486320595
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: North American Literary Collections
• Index: Literature

A fascinating compilation of weather forecasts, recipes, jokes, and aphorisms, Poor Richard's Almanack debuted in 1732. This new edition presents hundreds of Franklin's maxims, along with selections from the Letters, Autobiography, and Franklin's Way to Wealth. An ideal resource for writers, public speakers, and students, this practical, charming little book will delight all readers with its folk wisdom.

Poor Richard’s Preface, 1758, a.k.a. “The Way to Wealth” or “Father Abraham’s Speech”

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 be ever 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; God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says, in his Almanack of 1733.

….

So what signifies wishing 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 God gives all Things to Industry. Then plough deep, while Sluggards sleep, and you shall have Corn to sell and to keep, says Poor Dick. 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 Dick 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 Shift; 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,

I never 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 again, Keep thy Shop, and 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 a Master will do more Work than both his Hands; and again, Want of Care does us more Damage than Want of Knowledge; 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, as the Almanack says, 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, saith Poor Dick, Learning is to the Studious, and Riches to the Careful, as well as Power to the Bold, and Heaven to the Virtuous. And farther, If you would have a faithful Servant, and one that you like, serve yourself. And again, he adviseth to Circumspection and Care, even in the smallest Matters, because sometimes a little Neglect may breed great Mischief; adding, For want of a Nail the Shoe was lost; 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 for want of Care about a Horse-shoe Nail.

So much for Industry, my Friends, and Attention to one’s own Business; but to these we must add Frugality, if we would make our Industry more certainly successful. A Man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets, keep his Nose all his Life to the Grindstone, and die not worth a Groat at last. A fat Kitchen makes a lean Will, as Poor Richard says; and,

Many Estates are spent in the Getting,

Since Women for Tea forsook Spinning and Knitting,

And Men for Punch forsook Hewing and Splitting.

If you would be wealthy, says he, in another Almanack, think of Saving as well as of Getting: The Indies have not made Spain rich, because her Outgoes are greater than her Incomes. Away then with your expensive Follies, and you will not have so much Cause to complain of hard Times, heavy Taxes, and chargeable Families; for, as Poor Dick says,

Women and Wine, Game and Deceit,

Make the Wealth small, and the Wants great.

And farther, What maintains one Vice, would bring up two Children. You may think perhaps, That a little Tea, or a little Punch now and then, Diet a little more costly, Clothes a little finer, and a little Entertainment now and then, can be no great Matter; but remember what Poor Richard says, Many a Little makes a Mickle; and farther, Beware of little Expences; a small Leak will sink a great Ship; 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 Vendue of Fineries and Knicknacks. 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 le...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Copyright-page
• Contents
• Introduction
• From his Autobiography [“My Almanack”]
• From his Autobiography [“a reasonable creature”]
• From his Autobiography [“strong beer”]
• A Query [“How shall we judge of the goodness of a writing?”]
• Printer’s Errors [“this Omission of the letter (n) in that Word, gave us as much Entertainment as any Part of your Paper”]
• From his Autobiography [“He that would thrive, Must ask his Wife”]
• An Apology for Printers [“all who are angry with me on the Account of printing things they don’t like”]
• Alice Addertongue [“If to scandalize be really a Crime”]
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1733 [“my Regard for my good Friend and Fellow-Student, Mr. Titan Leeds”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1733
• From his Autobiography [“some Inconsistency in our common Mode of Teaching Languages”]
• From his Autobiography [“Arriving at moral Perfection”]
• From his Autobiography [“This Modesty in a Sect is perhaps a singular Instance in the History of Mankind”]
• Poor Richard’s Preface for 1734 [“I foretold the Death of my dear old Friend … Mr. Titan Leeds”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1734
• Poetry for January 1734 [“good L—d, deliver me”]
• Poetry for June 1734 [“Why till her marriage day she proved so coy”]
• Poetry for October 1734 [“Altho’ thy teacher act not as he preaches”]
• Poetry for December 1734 [“He that for sake of Drink neglects his Trade”]
• Poetry: The Benefit of Going to Law
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1735
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1735
• A Man of Sense [Dialogue between Socrates and Crito]
• Reply to a Piece of Advice [“A Man does not act contrary to his Interest by Marrying”]
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1736
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1736
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1737
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1737
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1738
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1738
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1739
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1739
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1740
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1740
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1741
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1742
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1742
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1743
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1744
• Poetry: Epitaph on a Scolding Wife by her Husband
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1745
• Letter to a Young Friend [“you should prefer old Women to young ones”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1746
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1747
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1747
• The Speech of Miss Polly Baker [“Can it be a Crime (in the Nature of Things I mean) to add to the Number of the King’s Subjects?”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1748
• Advice to a Young Tradesman, Written by an Old One [“Remember that time is Money”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1749
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1750
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1750
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1751
• Homily [“Money lost may be found”]
• Rattle-Snakes for Felons [“Rattle-Snakes seem the most suitable Returns for the Human Serpents sent by our Mother Country”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1752
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1753
• Letter to Peter Collinson [“Whenever we attempt to mend the scheme of Providence”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1754
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1755
• From His Autobiography [“When Men are employ’d”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1756
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1757
• Homily [“To be content”]
• Poor Richard’s Preface, 1758 [a.k.a. “The Way to Wealth” or “Father Abraham’s Speech”]
• Poor Richard’s Sayings for 1758
• Letter to John Baskerville [“the Prejudice some have entertained against Your Work”]
• Letter to David Hume [Lightning Rods and Maypoles]
• Pax quaeitur Bello [“Peace through War”]
• The Stamp-Act [“a red hot Iron in his Hand”]
• New Fables
• From his Autobiography [“living one’s Life over again”]
• From his Autobiography [“rambling Digressions”]
• From his Autobiography [“There are Croakers in every Country”]
• Letter to Anna Mordaunt Shipley [“what sort of Husbands would be fittest”]
• Letter to Georgiana (“Kitty”) Shipley [“Alas! poor Mungo!”]
• Rules for Reducing a Great Empire to a Small One, Presented to a Late Minister, When He Entered upon His Administration
• Conversation of a Company of Ephemerae; With the Soliloquy of One Advanced in Age
• Letter to Madame Brillon [“The Whistle”]
• Dialogue between Franklin and the Gout
• The Handsome and Deformed Leg
• Letter to Richard Price [“Advantages of the Press”]
• Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America
• An Economical Project
• A Petition of the Left Hand: To Those Who Have the Superintendency of Education
• Letter to George Whatley [“But what signifies our Wishing?”]
• Letter to his sister Jane Mecom [“the bad Spelling … is generally the best”]
• From His Autobiography [“Human Felicity”]
• An Account of the Highest Court of Judicature in Pennsylvania, Viz. the Court of the Press
• Letter to John Alleyne [“Early Marriage”]
• Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim on Algerine Piracy and the Slave Trade
• References