Poor Richard 1733

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V ''THE SA YINGS OF POOR RICHARD '
THE
Prefaces, Proverbs, and Poems

OF •
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
ORIGINALL Y PRINTED IN
Poor R/chard's Almanacs fqr 1733-
COLLECTED AND EDITED
BY
PAUL LEICESTER FORD
^^0
NEJV YORK AND LONDON
G. P, PUTNAM'S SONS
Ubc 'ffinfcftcrbocRer ^ress
1890
TO
LINDSAY SWIFT
Ube "Rnfcfterbocftcr t^vces, mew jOorft FEI/LOW-WORKER in the vineyards of
Electrotyped,Printed, and Boundby FRANKLINIAN LITERATURE
G. P. Putnam's Sons
THIS VOLUME IS
g r a t e f u l l y and AFFECTIONATELY
DKDICATEJD
Poor Richard, 17^?.
A N
Almanack
ForliheYear of Chrift
' 7 3
Being tho Firft after LEAP TEAR.
yir^makes Juat'the^Creaihtt Yean
By the Account oi the Eanem GresAs 7241
gr Lalin ChtTCh, when O ®|^r ^9^2
^ *h« Compotation of 5742
Bythff Hffman Chrmkgv
By thfi KabMes^.
Wherein is contained^
TT^ L;^tions, Eclipfcs, Judgment of
!!l". Wanetj Motlom&
mutual Afptaj, Sun and Moon'i Rifing and Set-
^gtK ofD»y«, Time of HighWJter,
fain, Conrto, and obrervableBmi.
l" ittedtothe Latitude of FortyDeerces.
»Pd aMerman oîveH^ WeO. RomLtmbK,
Error, rerveall tho ad-
^L1 ' ®**" to •»«"*•
SAUUJ)ERS.Vha^.
. PHILADELPHIA!
Pnw«d fold by B. FRJNKLlir. at <h« Nw-
. Prinling. Office ticarthe Marltet
AVr, This A t MANAcjc-fts'-d to contain bar -aA Pages, and
now hjs 36 « yet the Price i» very littlg a«Waoc*d.
Poor R Ic HAD improved :

BEING AN
ALMANACK
A KD
-E INTRODUCTION.
O F T H E
Motions of the SUN"and MOOHj
the true
Places and Aspects of the Pi.anbis J
AS one haudles the little brown pamphlets,
so tattered, smoked, and soiled, which
constitute so large a proportion of American
rising and SETTING of (he SE/J^^5 colonial literature, it needs but small imagina
R.nng, Setting a„d Southing
T,r ^
Moon, tion to carry one back into the low-ceiled
kitchen, with its gi-eat broad fire-place, around
r D R the
which the whole family nightly gathered,—
Bissextile Y E A
174 8. seated on settles whose high backs but ill shut
off the cold drafts that entered at doors, win
dows, and the chinks in the logs or clab-boards,
—their only light the fitfiil flame of the great
no!oEicalObrenrJnn!^%^rt'^ Tables, chr^ fore- and back-logs, eked out perhaps by a pine-
knot, or in more pretentious households by a
_toye «U the KoaTH.axc Co* &iafj! tallow-dip, suspended in its iron holder by a
hook in the mantel,—the mother and daughters
knitting, spinning, or skeining, with an eye on
the youngsters ; the sons making or mending
=^=5====^ y ^ÂNJC T TV, their farming tools, or cleaningtheir rifles and
traps; while the grave and probably rheu-
irntro&uction trntrobuctlon
matic sire studies the last printed sermon or fresh almanac was hung. How eagerly must
theological tractate, newspaper, or political all have read it for the first time ! How impor
squib, " Death-bed Confession,** or '%ast Dying tant were its weather predictions and statistical
Speech," but most probably the weather pre matter ! How amusing its jokes and anecdotes,
dictions contained in the most valued of all which, served up anew year after year, were
publications—the Almanac,—and no doubt cogi greeted by no chestnut bell, and never became
tates and worries over the impending ruin 'old or stale. But if the humor was perennial,
which the unfeeling philomath's prediction of not so the almanac ! Slowly as the season ad
snow-blast" in July seems to entail upon vanced it lost its first Jrouthful freshness,.be
him. . came brown and thumbed, then ragged, till
Few if any now living can appreciate how when the trees commenced to shed their leaves
large a space this little pamphlet of a dozen the almanac proved itself no bad imitator, and
leaves filled only one hundred years ago, and its successor found no rival to contest its right
this importance increases as we trace it back to to the hook.
its first appearance in this country. To the If we examine an almanac of the last century,
present generation it is merely a coverfor soap, we are struck with the paucity of reading mat
patent medicine, or other quackery advertis ter which sufficed to cause it to be read to pieces.
ing, but in ourcolonial period it was the vdde A title-page, which generally served as a table
fnecutn of every household—a calendar, diary, of contents, and was often ornamented with
meteorological bureau, jest-, recipe-, and indeed some frightful wood-cut, was usually followed
sometimes school-book ; for, with the exception by an Address to the Courteous Reader."
ofthe.Bible, it was often the year's sole read Then came the calendar, each month occupy
ing matter in many families, and a poor and ing a page, including, among other useful facts,
shiftless one it was indeed, which, as the new a weather prediction for each day or so, and
year approached, had not the necessary sum, there was no hedging either. " High Wind,"
ranging from a penny to sixpence, to be ex "NorthwestWind," Raw and Chilly," 'Î^rost,*'
changed for the annual issue. In every well- and Snow-blast" are set down at random by
ordered kitchen a nail was driven in the chim tlie philomaths with as much confidence and
ney-breast, on which, as the old yearwaned, a certainty as if they were reporting yesterday's
_
•ffntroOuctfon UntroDuction
•weather, instead of predicting for six months While others dwell on mean affairs,
later. If the calendar failed to fill the page, the Their Kings, their councils, and their Wars,
Philaster roves among the stars.
inatter was eked out by filling in the spaces at
the top or bottom with rhymes to the month In melancholy silence he
^cy chanced to be with, or with short anec Travels alone and cannot see
An equal for his company.
dotes, mostly of a comic nature. If any pages
"Were left over from the calendar, they were He tells us when the sun will rise
filled with extracts from books, by information Points out fair days, or clouded skies
No matter if he sometimes lies.
concerning the courts, the post-roads, facts in
history, or all combined. An annual Almanac to frame
We should hardly think the compiling of And publish with pretended name
Is all his labour, all his aim.
such a work would entitle one to a high place
in the world ofliterature, but in the good old
days of yore," a different value was set on Thus nature waiting at his call,
these productions, and s'o we find such time- His book, in vogue with g^reatand small,
honorednames as Chauncy, Sewall, Danforth, Is sought, admir'd, and read by all.
Mather, and Dudley figuring on the title-page How happy thus on earth to stay
as the compiler, or, as they were then almost The planets keeping him in pay—
invariably styled, as the philomath," or lover And when't is time to post away
of learning. To their readers, who still be Old Saturn will the bait prepare,
lieved in witchcraft, governing stars, and horo And hook him up from toil and care
scopes, the composition of an almanac savored To make new calculations there.
of magic, sorcery, if not illicit communion with But if the almanac and its compiler were of
departed spirits, and the authors were there great importance to the public, they were
fore to them most awe-inspiring beings; and equally so to the printer. Enjoying such a
probably the guild was not above addingto this popularity, the sales of the little pamphletwere
belief, asisshadowed in a poem of Philip almost the only certain financial venture of the
neau, written in the last century when the art" year, and lucky was the printer who had se
was first beginning to show signs ofdecay : cured the copy of a well-known and esteemed
ITntroDuctfon ITntrobiiction
philomath. To-day the bulk of these seem to loved king, George II." and of our Lord 1728,"
diflFer little in accuracy or interest, but in the the 3'outhful firm of " B. Franklin and H.
times when these were bought and read there Meredith" set up the New Printing Office
were fashions and fads in almanacs, and while near the Market." However small and humble
some flourished and brought money to both the new venture opened, it had to have an al
compiler and printer, others dragged along for manac, and so the annual copy was engaged
a few years and finally disappeared. from Thomas Godfrey, a Philadelphia scientist
Perhaps nothing better illustrates the place of no mean note in those days, and contem
once held in American literature by these porary inventor with Hadley of the quadrant.
ephemera than the annals of American print For three years they published this with ap-
ing. A collection of the first issues of the early • par^t satisfaction to all concerned, when a
American presses established in the various bh-making woman, in the person of Mrs.
towns would, with hardly an exception, con ifrey, enacted the Discordia, and introduced
sist of these little waifs. When, over two hun ie fatal apple. Franklin had rented the upper
dred and fifty years ago, Stephen Daye set up . p^ ofhis shop to the Godfreys, boarding with
the first printing-office in this country, the first them, and being of the weaker sex, Mrs. God
volume he printed was-the almanac of Wil frey naturally planned a match between the
liam Peirce, Mariner." When William Brad seemingly prosperous young printer and a
ford, after great Charge and Trouble,*' had marnageable relation. She made " opportuni
brought the great Art and Mystery of Print ties of bringing us often together, till a serious
ing'* into the city of Philadelphia, Samuel courtship on my part ensu'd, the girl being in
Atkin's Kalendarium Pennsilvaniense " was herself very deserving. The old folks encour
the first issue of his press. When the year's aged me bycontinual invitations tosupper, and
product of the three Philadelphia presses num by leaving us alone together, till at length it
bered but thirteen books, seven were almanacs, was lime to explain." The prudent printer,
and the two of the six issues of the New York who in his almanac afterwards advised one to
presses for this same year were of this character. ne er take a wife till thou hast a house (and a
Such was the status of the almanac when, fire) to put her in," "let her know that I [he]
in the first year of the reign of our well-be expected as much money with their daughter
m.
ITntro&uctfon ITntroDuctfon
reinainiug debt for the liardly pass for a man of sufi&cient years and
house, which I believe was not then learning to be one of the philomathic brother
hundred pounds. She brought me hood, he borrowed as a pen-name that of " RiGb-^
d they had no such sum to spare ; I said ^rd Saunders,'* the original of which bel^ged
to an English Chyrurgeon of the eighteenth
nffi might mortgage their house in the loan- century, who for many years compiled a popu
t they did not approve after
. .some days, was,
. and, there- lar almanac entitled The Apollo Anglicanus,'*
ore, I was forbidden the house, and the daugh which attained such a reputation that it was
ter shut up. . . . Mrs. Godfrey brought me still published as late as 1781, though now quite
afterward some more favorable accounts of forgot for its better-known western imitator.
theirdisposition, and would have drawn me on I^rom another eighteenth-century Bnglish al
again ; but I declared absolutely my resolution manac entitled " Poor Robin,'' was probably de
to have nothing more to do with that family. rived the title of ''Poor Richard," which so
This was resented by the Godfreys ; We differed, popular fancy; and under these borrowed
and they removed." • ' plumes the almanac appeared.
Neither the loss of his lady-love nontenants The yeq-rly issue -âs usually published as
seem seriously to have iuconvenierTci^d the early as ^^tober of the preceding year, but the
philosophic young printer, but one result of first intimation the city of brotherly love had
this courtship involved graver consequei^ to of theêw venture was, from the causesalready
him. The Godfreys not merely ceased toBei his mentioned, derived from the columns of The
tenants, but the philomath carried his yearly ^^'^^fisylvanid Gazette of December 19, 1732,
calculations to Andrew Bradford, Franklin's and Was as follows :
rival in the printing business, and near the
end of the year 1732 the latter found himselfin " Just Published, for 1733 :
the lurch for the copy forhis annual issue. poOR RICHARD : An AI^MANACK containing the
With the natural adaptability of the bom Eclipses, Planets ^Motions and Aspects,
Yankee, Franklin met this difficulty by com^ wate^ô' Sun and Moon's rising- and setting, High-
piling his own almanac. Knowing, however, 01 ixis JiTiena jvir. y zmn jueeas, ivioon nu
that the name of Franklin, printer,could aaing.' Batchelor's
Short Visits,Folly,
KingsParson's Wine
and Bears, and
New Baker's
Fashions,
lO ITntroDuction irntrot)uction
Game for Kisses, Katherine's I,ove, Different Senti ward in using it for the next issue. In his
ments, Signs of a Tempest, Death a Fisherman. Con-
^gal Debate, Men and Melons, H. the Prodigal. paper as early as November 8, 1733, the public
Breakfast in Bed, Oyster Iâwsuit, &c. By RICHARD eye was informed, with nearly a whole column,
SAUNpKRS, Philomat. Printed and sold by B, Frank-
Im, Price 35. 6rf. per Dozen. Of whom also may be had as below:
Sheet Almanacks 0X25. 6d.*'
Just published for I73^^.
It was not the custom of the time to advertise POOR RICHARD : An AI^MANACK containing the
to any extent. Most publishers of almanacs Lunations, l^clipses, Planets Motions and Aspects,
Weather, Sun and Moon's Rising and Setting, High-
thought they had done enough for their own water, &c. Besides many Pleasant and Witty Verses,
Tests and Notable Sayings. Thanks to the Publick for
and the public's benefit when they had his last Year's Encouragement. Of His Wife's good
announced through the press that " On Mon Humour. Of His Prediction concerning the Day, Hour,
and Minute of Titan Leeds's Death. Mr. Iêeds's Char
day next will be published, Leeds' Almanack acter. Remarks upon the Almanack published for 1734
for " or "Now selling by the printer Jer- in Leeds's Name. Gelding Time. Good Women, Stars
andAng ' " —. _ - . — .
man's Almanack for It is easy to believe
theil that this advertisement was of a nature to Bggs. Robin bit. How to perswade. lawyer's Will,
Attract notice, and make the public buy the Master. Crowing Hen. S
^ the Tapster. The Teacher. Heirs
1 the
new aliânac. Indeed it is the only explana SS tvtTc Wit. The Dutch Maxim. Verses
Saunders, in Answer to the December
tion I h^ve found for the almost instantaneous Short Dialogue between a I<awyer
Richard Saunders Philom.
large sale it met with. And sell it did—only a Ftiiiamphta, Printed and sold by B. Franklin, Price
trifle over two weeks after its first publication, 6d per Doz.
To all, whom it may concern to know R. S.
and in spite of the prejudicial fact that A few Low-Ckurchj nor Tory^ nor
of the first that were printed had the-Months of Coxcomb, norformal old Prig
September and October transposed," Franklin talking norsilently qlceint,
sinner, nor pragmatical Saint,
announced in The Pennsylvania Gazette of.Jan norpinn'don a Sleeve,
uary 4, 1733, that on " Saturday next will be To <^ny Thing can I believe.
Rubbish, I do what lean,
published for 1733 : The Second Edition of Poor lean In. IfI err—I'm a fallible man.
Richard''; and but a week later through the AndpV^^^ a/f ifnotcrack'dout of Time,
Anv^^nf^ notflatter a Crime.
same medium he advertised the publication of And'^l!i3^''^yPriendslwou'dscom to expose,
Scandal, tho' cast on my Foes.
a ''Third Impression." Having discovered the For im^ti'' onwhatever PreUnce,
efficacy of advertising, Franklin was not back- Breeding and Sense.
J P^son I hate, tho' his Conduct I blame.
12 ITntro&uctfon IFntroDuctfon 13
I can censure a Vtce, without stabbing a Name. m tion was " altogether false and untrue," and
To amend—not Reproach—is the Bent of my Mind,
A Reproofis halflost, when ill Nature is joined. that he was one of Baal's false prophets."
Where Merit appears, tho' in Rags, I respect it. This was just what Franklin expected, and he
And plead Virtue's Cause, shou'd the whole World reject it. W.
Cool Reason I bow to, wheresoever 7 is found, used his opportunity to the utmost. With wit
And rejoice when sound learning with Favour is crown'd.
To no Party a Slave, in no squabbles I join. and humor he fanned the flame of controversy,
Nor damn the Opinion, that differsfrom 7nine. to which his rivals replied with bad language
Evil tongues I contemn, no Blasphemies I sing ;
I dote on my Country and ain Liege to 7ny King. and adjectives. He made every reader of Leeds
Tho' length ofDays I desire, yet with my last Breath, and Jerman hear of and wish to see Poor Rich
J'm in hopes to betray no 7nea7i dreadi7igs ofDeath :
And as to the Path, after Death to be trod, ard, and, once seen, it was a very clod-pate who
I rely on the Will ofa M^RCIFUI/ GOD.
R. Saunders. could not discriminate between texts, one of
'^ which has been translated into a dozen lan
Another cause for the large sale of the early flmi: guages, while the other has barely survived
on the shelves of the antiquary.
issues was without question due to the con
troversies with his brother philomaths, which
IP But if this unusual advertising created a large
Franklin originated by his jocose remarks upon II sale of the early issues, its continuous success
them in the prefaces of Poor Richard. With was due to a third cause. In his Autobiography
delicious humor and satire, Mr. Saunders in
III
mi
Franklin tells us that^* observing it was gener
different issues gravely predicts the death of ally read, scarce any neighborhood in the prov
one of his nvals, Titan Leeds, and the recon ince being without it, I consider'd it as a proper
ciliation of a second, John Jerman, to the vehicle for conveying instruction among the
Catholic Church. Neither of these gentlemen, common people, who bought scarcely any other
though able to predict weather twelve months books ; I therefore filled all the little spaces
in advance, could draw from the stars Frank between the remarkable days in the calendar
lin's purpose, and so they fell into his trap, and with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as in
in the prefaces to their respective issues they culcated industry and frugality as the means of
replied to him with anger and strong words. procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtu^
Leeds called him a Fool and a Lyarand a it being more difficult for a man in .want to act
conceited scribbler,*' which Jerman echoed in always honestly, as, to use here one of these
no minor key by stating that Franklin's predic- proverbs, it is hard for a7t empty sack to stand
14 ITntroDuctlon •ffntroDuction 15
uprighV^ It is these proverbs which made the wisdom of many ages and nations.*' Any
Poor Richard the popular almanac of the one familiar with Bacon, Rochefoucauld, and
period. The religious schisms, the privations Rabelais, as well as others, will recognize old
of emigration, and the hard and dreary colonial friends in some of these sayings, while a study
life had tinged our forefathers with a serious of the collections of Proverbs, made in the
ness that produced practically no humor, and early part of the last century by Ray and
the wise and witty sayings of Poor Richard Palmer, will reveal the probable soiirce from
stand out as almost the sole production of this which Poor Richard pilfered. Yet with but
kind in our colonial period. Certainly, though few exceptions these maxims and aphorisms
written for the common people, they are the had been filtered through Franklin's brain, and
only ones worth reading to-day, and it is not were tinged with that mother wit which so
strange that what, in a garbled and abbreviated strongly and individually marks so much that
form, has achieved such a reputation, that to he said and wrote.
day it is as well known in Europe as in America, But for these exceptions. Poor Richard was
and which is still constantly reprinted, should like all his contemporaries. Here was the same
in the colorless life of our frontier settlements comparatively poor printing, the same great
have enjoyed a popularity sufficient to keep the economy of paper, not merely in margins, but in
presses busy printing the ten thousand copies printing on every available blank which, oc
annually needed to supply the readers, who curred. Here are anecdotes and poems so
extended as far north as Rhode Island, and coarse that only a knowledge of eighteenth-
to the southward as far as the Carolinas. In century literature can save one from marvelling
deed it is, so far as I am aware, the first literary that the sheets containing them could gain
production of this country which to any extent admission into a decent household. But to the
broke through the colony boundaries which at age that read Swift, Richardson, and Smollett,
that time so thoroughly localized thought and 't was no shame to read Poor Richard, and his
people. coarseness at least was tinctured with genuine
It is hardly necessary to state that Franklin wit, and not merely coarse for coarseness sake.
did not originate all the ** payings of Poor Here are the same dry though then important
Richard.*' He himself tells us that they were facts and tables concerning the sessions of the
i6 •ffntrobuctton flntroDuctfon 17
different courts, post-roads, mails, and friends but one or two pieces as from other pens, and
meetings. Here are the occasional ** Tables of suspect that they must most of them be referred
Interest at Six per Cent,'* ''Table of Coins,'* to one which had so little poetic feeling that it
Historical Chronology,** Act of Parliament,'* could write of it as a trade " to be "leamt."
''Method of Inoculating for the Small Pox," Such was the almanac which made Richard
''Receipt for making Dauphiny Soup, which in Saunders, yclept Poor Richard, a distinct indi
Turkey is call Touble,'* and other matter of vidual to our colonial ancestors and gainedhim
such "gone-nothingness** as not to be worth a reputation possessed by few even of our then
reprinting. And here are the doggerel rhymes governors and leading men. In 1746, by the
which are bad enough to merit notice. death of that " Ornament and Head of our Pro
In his Autobiography, Franklin tells us that fession, Mr. Jacob Taylor, who for upwards of
by the saving ridicule of his father he " escaped forty years (with some few Intermissions only)
being a poet and most probably a bad one.** supply'd the good people of this and the neigh
Certainly the poems of Poor Richard support boring Colonies with the most accurate Calcu
the truth of the latter part of this statement, if lations that havehitherto appear'din America
not the former. It is true that Mr. Saunders
(and who indeed was said to have assisted in the
tells us in one of his prefaces that " I need not preparation of Poor Richard), the most serious
rival of this latter was removed. This made an
tell thee that many of them [the verses] are of
my own Making. If thou hast any Judgement
i opening Franklin was too shrewd not to seize,
% and he announced that "since my Friend
in Poetry, thou wilt easily discern the Work
man from the Bungler. I know as well as thee, M. Taylor is no more, whose Ephemerides so long
that I am no Poet born and it is a Trade I never and agreeably serv'd and entertained these
leamt, nor indeed could learn. If I make Provinces, I have taken the liberty to imitate
Verses, 't is in Spight—Of Nature and my Stars his well-known Method, ofgiving two pages to
I write.—Why then should I give my Readers •'% each Month,'* and accordingly the title-page of
bad Lines of my own, good Ones of other the issue for 1748, was not only termed " Poor
Peoples are so plentiful? ** Perhaps then Poor Richard Improved" (under which title it was
Richard should not be made responsible for all subsequently printed), but announced to the
these poems, but I have been able to identify public that " This Almanack us'd to contain but
i8 Kntvobnctlon •ffntroDuction 19
24 Pages, and now has 36 ; yetthe Price is very enabled them to make greater impression. The
little advanced." The almanac throve under if^ piece, being universally approved, was copied
new form, and such was the edition printed of in all the newspapers of the Continent; re
the issue for 1750, that Franklin sent a copy to printed in Britain on a broadside, to be stuck up
his ''Honored Mother,*' as early as October in houses; two translations were made of it
i6th of the preceding year, with the statement in French, and great numbers bought by the
that "we print them early, because we sen^ clergy and gentry, to distribute gratis among
them to many places far distant.'' By Frank their poor parishioners and tenants."
lin's accounts we know that in the last fourteen (it is this preface which has given the name
years in which he was connected with the ot Poor Richard currency in alien races and a
almanac, the total sales were 141,257 copies, quotable quality to this day. It has been
amounting in the colonial currency to the sum printed and reprinted again and again. In
of ^^2213. o. 8. every size, from a pot duodecimo" up to im
For twenty-five years Franklin compiled an<l perial folio'* ; in thousands for the plow-boy,
printed this almanac, (though it was continue^ and in limited and privately printed editions at
till near the end of the last century), and in th'fe
the expense of noblemen ; for the ''penny-
last issue edited by him, being for the year 1758, horrible" hawker, and for the bibliomaniac;
he contributed a preface to which almost the
for the '' Society forPreserving Property against
entire knowledge of Poor Richard by the worl^ Republicans and Levellers," and for the " Asso
is due. It was in effect a skimming of the ciation for Improving the Condition of the
cream from the twenty-four previous issues,, Poor " ; and under the titles of " Father Abra
being a selection of aphorisims, rhymes, and! ham's Speech," "The Way to Wealth," and
jokes run into a continuous piece, which was "La Science du Bonhomme Richard," it has
described by Franklin as follows: ''These proved itself one of the most popular American
proverbs. . . I assembled and form'd into a con^ writings. Seventy editions of it have been
nected discourse prefix'd to the Almanack of printed in ]^nglish, fifty-six in French, eleven
1757 [sic] as the harangue of a wise old man to
in German, and nine in Italian. It has been
the people attending an auction. The bringing translated into Spanish, Danish, Swedish,
all these scattered counsels thus into a focus. Welsh, Polish, Gaelic, Russian, Bohemian,
1
20 ITntroDuctfon Untrobuction 21
Dutch, Catalan, Chinese, Modern Greek, and m

the editor believes that Poor Richardhas higher
Phonetic writing. It has been printed at least claims to public notice than for this reason. To
four hundred times, and is to-day as popular as collect and edit these pieces, so as for the first
ever. time to give them to the public in a form and
But for this re-hash, the rarity of the original dress that will permit of reading, has been
issues would have caused Richard Saunders and to him a labor of love. Beyond the monthly
his almanacs to be quite unknown. The few- calendars he has pruned as little as the nature
remaining copies of the original publications of this reprint and the space at his command
are bibliographical rarities which are eagerly- would allow of. Little which he believes
sought for and command prices which are pro Franklin wrote has been omitted, and so
hibitive to the ordinary reader. Of the two perhaps some of the volume^may seem of but
hundred thousand copies which a low estimate slight interest. If so, merely considerthem as
gives as the number printed while Franklin foils to the other parts, and blame not the Poor
wrote the almanac, but a mere fraction are left Rich^d who wrote:
us. After a search extending over several
years, the editor can represent the entire num " Badcommentators spoU the best ofbooks,
SoGod sendsmeat (theysay) the Devil Cooks
ber known to him with two units, and an
examination of these would entail visits to New but,
York, Philadelphia, and Washington—a task Paui, I/e;icester Ford.
hitherto undertaken by no editor of Franklin. Brooklyn, n. y.,
Yet these originals do not deserve the fate •Dec. i6 1889.
that has been awarded to so much of our colo^
nial literature. No publication which had a
great popularity at any period of the world's
history deserves entire forgetfulness. if only
classed with the archaeology of literature, they
should still be read and remembered, so that we
may better appreciate the thoughts, feelings,
and interests of our by-gone generations. But
II
f
POOR RICHARD FOR 1733.
PREFACE.
COURTBO0S Reader,
1 might in this place attempt to gain thy
favour by declaring that I write Almanacks
with no other view than that of the publick
good, but in this I should not be sincere; and
men are now a-days too wise to be deceiv'd by
pretences, how specious soever. The plain
truthof the matter is, I am excessive poor, and
my wife, good woman, is, I tell her, excessive
proud; shecannot bear, shesays, tositspinning
in her shift oftow, while I donothing but gaze
at the stars ; and has threatned more than once
to burn all my books and rattling-traps, (as she
calls tny instruments,) if I do not make some
profitable useofthemfor the good ofmyfamily.
The printer has oflFer'd me some considerable
23
24 Ipoor IRfcbart) for 1733 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1733 25
sHare of the profits, and I have thus began to| ây consider himself not only as purchasing an
comply with my dame's desire. H useful utensil, but as performing an act of
Indeed, this motive would have had force!? charity to his poor
eflough to have made me publish an Almanac|| Friend and servant,
many years since, had it not been overpowered|i R. SAUNDERS.*
by my regard for my good friend and fello^l;! Saturn diseased with age, and left for dead;
student, Mr. Titan Leeds^ whose interest I wa8| Chang'd all his gold to be involv'd in lead.
71 Jove, Juno leaves, and loves to take his range ;
extreamly unwilling to hurt. But this obstacl||; From whom man leams to love, and loves to change.
(I am far from speaking it with pleasure,) wfl S is disarmed, and to $ gone,
soon to be removed, since inexorable death, wh<i||i .Where Vulcan's anvil must be struck upon.
was never known to respect merit, has alreadj§ That }) Iûna's hom'd, it cannot well be said,
prepared the mortal dart, the fatal sister ha?]! Since I ne'er heard that she was married.
already extended her destroying shears, and| * Titan Iêeds, in his ** American Almanack " for l7^4.
thus replies :
that ingenious man must soon be taken froi^S Reader, Perhaps it may be expected that I
somethmg concerning an Almanack printed
us. He dies, by my calculation, made at his|i| Said to be w?it by Poor Ricfiard or
Richara Saunders, who for want oi other matter wa«s
request, on Oct. 17, 1733, 3 ho., 29 m., P.M., pleased to tell his Readers, that he had^l^âtedl^
the very instant of the <5 of G and 5. By hi^lt thence predicts my Death to be the
17th of October, 1733- At 22 min. past 3 a-Clock in the A^
own calculation he will survive till the 26th d temoon, and that these Provinces may not expect to see
any more of his Ueds) Perforaances, and thU
the same month. This small difference betwi precise Predicter, who predicts to a Minute, proposes to
us we have disputed whenever we have metf Writingof Almanacks ; but notwi&stand^
these nine years past; but at length he is in isIpH Prediction, I have by the Mercy of God
clinable to agree with my judgment. WhicB ihe the Year 1734. and to publish
T?aIgnorance
another grossofFalsehood
this presumptuous
in his said Author
Almanl
of us is most exact, a little time will now deter
mine. As, therefore, these Provinces may nofi lhe26fir
tne :20in oJ^?u^^ ^}yo^Calculatio7i,I
f the smd Afonth. shallsut-inve
io ac until
longer expect to see any of his performance V"®" u&uipi. jvnowieage oi ine Aimigntv
after this year, I think myself free to take u; bv th?
SXfJK1«.
himself a Fool and a I.yar. And
ofGod I have lived to survive this conceited
the task, and request a share of publick enco Sfxr rlf Minute whereon he has predicted
agement, which I am the more apt to hope f< îJ?5Jacks ^ sevensupplyed
Afrno^? V ' for three Y&fs bymypast,
Country with
to general
perhaps I may live to write when his
on this account, that the buyer of my AlmanaciE
^rtefid^ 7\tan Leeds.r>ead.
OctoberThus much from your annual
i8, 1733, 3. ho. 33min,
26 pooc IRfcbart) for 1733 iPoor IRfcbarO for 1733 27
JANUARY. He's gone, and forgot nothing but to say farewell to

bis creditors.
More nice than wise.
Old batchelor would have a wife that's wise, I<ove well,Whip êll.
Fair, rich, and young, a maiden for his bed ;
Not proud, nor churlish, but of faultless size,
A country houswife in the city bred.
He's a nice fool, and long in vain hath staid ; 1 for kisses play'd,
e would keep stakes, I was content,
He should beêak her, there 's none ready made.
1 won, she would be paid,
IS made me ask her what she meant :
Never spare the parson's wine, nor the baker's pud
Quothshe, since you are in this wrangling vein
ding. Here take your kisses, g^ve me mine again.
Visits should be short, like a winter's day,
lycst you 're too troublesome, hasten away. I<et my respected friend J. G.
A house without woman and firelight, is like a body Accept this humble verse of me,
without soul or sprite. Viz : Ingenious, learned, envy'd youth,
Kings and bears often worry their keepers.
^ onasthou 'st began ;
Jên thyenemies take pride,
FEBRUARY.
That thou 'rt their countryman.
N. N. of B s county, pray don't be angary with poof
Hunger never saw bad bread.
jElichard.
]âch age of men new fashions doth invent; APRII/.

Things which are old, young men do not esteem :
What pleas'd our fathers, doth not us content; Kind ^therine to her husband kiss'd these words,
What flourished then, we out of fashion deem : If ft. dearly I love thee ! "
And that's the reason, as I understand, (quoth Will) the world no such affords. x-"
Why Prodigus did sell his father's land.
^ For ne'erheard
true I durst his warrant
I ofwoman good be
or :ill, ^
Iîght purse, heavy heart. But always loved best, her own sweet WiU.
He's a fool that makes his doctor his heir. Great talkers, UtUe doers.
Ne'er take a wife till thou hast a house (and a fire) to
put her in. ^ ® never does good till
28 ©oor IRfcbart) for 1733 Ipoor TRicbarD tor 1733 29
Relation without friendship, friendship without power, The proof of gold is fire ; the proof of woman, gold ;
power without will, will without effect, effect without the proof of man, a woman.*
profit, and profit without virtue, are not worth a After feasts made, the maker scratches his head.
f « 4:
MAY.
JULY.
Mirth pleaseth some, to others 't is offence, " Kv'nwhile the reaper fills his greedy hands,
Some commend plain conceit, some profound sense ; And binds the golden sheafs in brittle bands,
Some wish a witty jest, some dislike that. Oft have I seen a sudden storm arise
And most would have themselves'they know not what. From all the warring winds that sweep the skies :
Then he that would please all, and himself too, And oft whole sheets descend of slucy rain,
Takes more in hand than he is like to do. Suck'd by the spungy clouds from off the main ;
The lofty skies at once come pouring down.
The favour of the great is no inheritance. The promis'd crop and golden labors drown."
Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them.
Many estates are spent in the getting,
Beware of the young- doctor and the old barber. Since womenfor tea forsook spinning and knitting.
He has chang'd his one ey'd horse for a blind one. Hethat lieth down with dogs, shallrise up with fleas.
The poor have little, beggars none ; the rich too much, . A fat kitchen, a lean will.
enough, not one. Distrust and caution arethe parents ofsecurity.
âtto live, and not live to eat. Tongue double, brings trouble.
JUNE.
AUGUST.
" Observe the daily circle of the sun,
And the short year of each revolving moon : " The year, andtwelve
earthbright signs
in sev'ral Apollo
climes guides
divides.
By them thou shalt foresee the following day, Fivegirdles bind the skies, the torrid zone
Nor shall a starry night thy hopes betray. Glows with the passing and repassing sun.
When first the moon appears, if then she shrouds Far on the right and left, th' extrcams of heav'n,
Hersilver crescent, tip'd with sable clouds.
Conclude she bodes a tempest on the main,
To frosts, andsnows, andbitter blasts are giv'n.
And brews for fields impetuous floods of rain."
^wixt the midst andthese, the gods assign'd
Two habitable seatsforhumane kind."
After three days men grow weary of a wench, a gêst, Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.
and weather rainy. He that drinks fast, pays slow.
To leng^then thy life, lessen thy meals. Great famine when wolves eat wolves.
30 IPoor 1Rfcbar5 for 1733 ©oor IRfcbarD for 1733 31
A good wife lost, is God's gifl lost. The old man has gfiven all to his son.
A taught horse, and a woman to teach, and te: O fool! to undress thy self before thou art going to
bed.
practising- what they preach.
Cheese and salt meat should be sparingly eat.
He is ill clothed that is bare of virtue.
Doors and walls are fools paper.
SEPTEMBER. Anoint a villain and he '11 stab you, stab him, and he '11
anoint you.
Death is a fisherman, the world we see
His fish-pond is, and we the fishes be ; Keep your mouth wet, feet dry.
His net some general sickness; howe'er he He has lost his boots, but sav'd his spurs.
Is not so kind as other fishers be ;
For if they take one of the smaller fry.
NOVEMBER.
They throw him in again, he shall not die :
But death is sure to kill all he can get. My neighbour H ^y by his pleasing tongue,
And all is fish with him that comes to net. Hath won a girl that's rich, wise, fair, and young;
The match (he saith) is halfconcluded, he
Men and melons are hard to know. Indeed is wondrouswilling; but not she.
And reason good, for he has run thro' all
He's the best physician that knows the worthlessn^j Almost the story of the prodigal •
of the most medicines. Yetswears he never withthe hogsdiddine:
Beware of meat twice boil'd, and an old foe reconcil»^ That's true, fornone wouldtrust him with their swine.
A fine genius in his own country, is like gold in
mine- ~ Where bread is wanting, all's to be sold.
There is no little enemy. Thereis neitherhonour nor gain got in dealing with
The heart of the fool is in his mouth, but the moutkS; a vil-lain.
of the wise man is in his heart. Thefool hath made a vow, I guess.
Never to let the fire have peace.
OCTOBER.
Snowy winter, a plentiful harvest.
Time was my spouse and I could not agree,
Striving about superiority : Nothing more like a fool, than a drunken man.
The text which saith that man and wife are one,
Was the chief argument we stood upon : DECEMBER.
She held, they both one woman should become ;
I held they should be man, and both but one. Shethat will eat her breakfast in her bed.
Thus we contended daily, but the strife And spend the mom in dressing of her head,
Could not be ended, till both were one wife. And sit at dinner like a maiden bride.
32 Ipoor IRfcbarO for 1733
And talk of nothing all day but of pride ;
God in his mercy may do much to save her.
But what a case is he in that shall have her.
God works wonders now and then ;

Behold ! a lawyer, an honest man.
He that lives carnally, won't live eternally.
Innocence is its own defence. POOR RICHARD FOR 1734.
Time eateth all things, could old poets say.
The times are chang'd, our times drink all away.
Never mind it, she '1 be sober after the holidays.
PREFACE.
THE BENEFIT OF GOING TO LAW.
Dedicated to tlie Countess of K—t and H-n-r-d-n. Courteous R:eADE:R.

Your kiud and charitable assistance last
Two beggars travelling along,
One blind, the other lame.
year, iupurchasing solarge an impression ofmy
Pick'd up an oyster on the way. Almanacks, has made my circumstances much
To which they both laid claim : more easy in the world, and requires my grate
The matter rose so high, that they ful acknowledgement. My wife has been en
Resolv'd to go to law.
As often richer fools have done.
abled to geta pot of herown, and is no longer
Who quarrel for a straw. obliged to borrow one from a neighbour; nor
A lawyer took it straight in hand, have we ever since been without something of
Who knew his business was our own to put in it. She has also got a pair
To mind nor one nor t'other side.
But make the best o' th' cause,
of shoes, two new shifts, and a new warm pet
As always in the law's the case ; ticoat ; and for my partI have bought a second
So he his judgment gave. hand coat, so good that I am not now ashamed
And lawyer-like he thus resolv'd
What each of them should have ;
to go to town or be seen there. These things
•Blind plaintif, lame defendant, share
have rendered her temper so much more pa-
The fHendly laws impartial care, cifick than it us»d to be, that I may say, I have
A shell for him, a shell for thee, slept more and more quietly within this last
The middle is the lawyer'sfee. year, than in the three foregoing years put to-
34 poor 1R(cbar5 for 1734 ®oor IRfcbard for 1734 35
getlier. Accept my hearty thanks therefor, which particular dispositions the stars can by
and my sincere wishes for your health and no means discover or foreshow. There is, how
prosperity. ever, (and I cannot speak it without sorrow,)
In the preface to my last Almanack, I foretold there is the strongest probability that my dear
the death of my dear old friend and fellow-stu friend is no more ; for there appears in his
dent, the learned and ingenious Mr. Titan name, as I am assured, an Almanack for the
Iveeds, which was to be the 17th of October, year 1734, in which I am treated in a very gross
1733, 3 h., 29 m., P.M., at the very instant of the and unhandsome manner, in which I am called
of O and 5 . By his own calculation, he was a false predicter, an ignorant, a conceited scrib
to survive till the 26th of the same month, and bler, a fool, and a lyar. Mr. Leeds was too well
expire in the time of the eclipse, near 11 o'clock, bred to use any man so indecently and so scur-
A.M. At which of these times he died, or rilously, and moreover his esteem and affection
whether he be really yet dead, I cannot at this for me was extraordinary: so that it is to be
present writing positively assure my readers ; feared that pamphlet may be only a contrivance
for as much as a disorder in my own family de of somebody or other, who hopes, perhaps, to
manded my presence, and would not permit me, sell two or three years' Almanacks still, by the
as I had intended, to be with him in his last sole force and virtue of Mr. Iveeds' name. But,
moments, to receive his last embrace, to close certainly, to put words into the mouth of a gen
his eyes, and do the duty of a friend in perform tleman and a man of letters against his friend,
ing the last offices to the departed. Therefore which the meanest and most scandalous of the
it is that I cannot positively affirm whether he people might be ashamed to utter even in a
be dead or not; for the stars only show to the drunken quarrel, is an unpardonable injury to
skilful what will happen in the natural and his memory, and an imposition upon the pub-
universal chain of causes and effects; but 't is lick.
well known, that the events which would oth Mr. Iêeds was not only profoundly skilful in
erwise certainly happen, at certain times, in the the useful science he professed, but he was a
course of nature, are sometimes set aside or man of exemplary sobriety, a most sincere
postponed, for wise and good reasons, by the friend, and an exact performer of his word.
immediate particular disposition of Providence; These valuable qualifications, with many others,
36 ®oor IRicbarD for 1734 Ipoor TRicbarC) tor 1734 37
so much endeared him to me, that although it Good women, sure, arc angels on the earth :
Of those good angels we have had a dearth ;
should be so, that, contrary to all probability, And therefore all you men that have good wives.
contrary to my prediction and his own, he Respect their virtues equal with your lives.
might possibly be yet alive, yet my loss of
JANUARY.
honour, as a prognosticator, cannot afford me
From a cross neighbour, and a sullen wife,
so much mortification as his life, health, and A pointless needle, and a broken knife ;
safety, would give me joy and satisfaction. From suretyship, and from an empty purse,
I am, A smoaky chimney, and jolting horse ;
Courteous and kind reader. From a dull razor, and an aking head ;
From a bad conscience, and a buggy bed,
Your poor friend and servant, A blow upon the elbow and the knee ;
R. SAUNDJ^RS.* From each of these, good —d, deliver me.
October 1733.
You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns
s Nor enjoy a fair wife without danger of horns.
Here I sit naked, like some fairy elf;
Without justice courage is weak.
My seat a pumkin ; T grudge no man's pelf,
Though I've no bread nor cheese upon my shelf. Many dishes, many diseases.
I '11 tell thee, gratis, when it safe is Many medicines, few cures.
To purge, to bleed, or cut thy cattle, or—thy self. Where carcasses are, eagles will gather.
And where good laws are, much people flock thither.
Good women are like stars in darkest night. Would you live with ease, do what you ought, and not
Their virtuous actions shining as a light ^ what you please.
To guide their ignorant sex, which oft times fall, Better slip with foot than tongue.
And falling oft, turn diabolical.
as he himself says, she has got a Pot of her own and not
* In "The American Almanack" for 1735, Mr. Iêeds longer obliged to borrow one from a neighbour, she has
once more replied to Poor Richard's joking in these got also two new Shifts, a pair of new ôes and a new
words: " Corteous and Kind Reader. My Almanack •ârm Petticoat; and for his own part he had bought a
being in its usual Method, needs no Kxplanation ; but second-hand Coat so good that he is not ashamed to go
perhaps it may be expected by some that I shall say to Town, or to be seen there, (Parturiant Montes !) But
something concerning Poor Richard^ or otherwise Rich if Falshpod and Inginuity be so rewarded. What may he
ard Saunders's Almanack, which I suppose was printed expect if ever he be in a capacity to publish that that is
in the Year 1733, for the ensuing Year 1734, whereirf he either Just or according to Art? Therefore I shall say
useth me with such good Manners, I can hardly find little more about it than, as a Friend, to advise he will
what to say to him, without it is to advise him not to be never take upon him to praedict or ascribe any Persons
Death, till he has learned to do it better than he did
too proud because by his Prcedicting my Death, and his before."
writing an Almanack (I suppose at his Wifes Request)
38 poor IRfcbacD for 1734 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1734 39
FEBRUARY. APRIL.
"What death is, dost thou ask me ? When Fortune fell asleep, and Hate did blind her.
Till dead I do not know. Art, Fortune lost, and Ignorance did find her.
Come to me when thou hear'st I'm dead ; Since when, dull Ignorance with Fortune's store,
Then what't is I shall show. Hath been inrich'd, and Art hath still been poor.
To die's to cease to be, it seems ; Poets say Fortune's blind, and cannot see,
So learned Seneca did think ; But certainly they must deceived be ;
But we've philosophers of modem date, Îse could it not most commonly fall out,
Who say't is death to cease to drink. That fools should have, and wise men go without.
All things are easy to industry,

Hot things, sharp things, sweet things, cold things, All things difficult to sloth.
all rot the teeth,
If you ride a horse, sit close and tight.
And make them look like old thmgs. If you ride a man, sit easy and light.
Blame-aU and praise-all are two block heads. A new truth is a truth, an old error is an error,
Be temperate in wine, in eating, girls, and sloth, or Tho' Clodpate won't allow either.
the gout willseize youand plague you both. Don't think to hunt two hares with one dog.
MARCH.
Fools multiply folly.
Beauty and folly are old companions.
Some of our sparks to I^ndon town do go.
Fashions to see, and learn the world to know ; Hope of gain lessens pain.
Who at return have nought but these to show.
New wig above, and new disease below.
Thus the jack-ass, a traveller once would be. Wedlock, as old men note, hath likened been,
And roamed abroad new fashions for to see, Unto a public crowd or common rout ;
But home returned, fashions he had none, Where those that are without would fain get in,
Only his main and tail were larger grown. And those that are within, would fain get out.
Grief often treads upon the heels of pleasure,
What pains our justice takes his faults to hide, Marry'd in haste, we oft repent at leisure ;
With half that pains sure he might cure 'em quite. Some by experience find these words missplaced,
In success be moderate. Marry'd at leisure, they repent in haste.
Take this remark from Richard, poor and lame, Wbere there 's marriage without love, there will be
Whate'er's begun in anger, ends in shame. love without marriage.
What one relishes, nourishes. Iâwyers, preachers, and tomtit's eggs, there are more
of them hatched than come to perfection.
Noman e'er was-glorious, whowasnot laborious.
40 ©oor IRfcbarO for 1734 ®oov IRicbaiD for 1734 41
Be neither silly nor cunning, but wise. Do good to thy friend to keep him, to thy enemy to
Neither a fortress nor a «d will holdout gain him.
long after they begin to parley. A good man is seldom uneasy, an ill one never easie.
"Who pleasure gives, shall joy receive. Teach your child to hold his tongue, he '11leam fast
Be not sick too late, nor well too soon. enough to speak.
Don't value a man for the quality he is of, but for the
JUNE.
qualities he possesses.
When Robin now three days had married been, Bucephalus, the horse of Alexander, hath as lasting
And all his friends and neighbours gave him joy, fame as his master.
This question of his wife he asked then.
Why till her marriage day she proved so coy ?
Indeed said he, 't was well thou didst not yield,
For doubtless then my purpose was to leave thee : Some envious (speaking in their own renown,)
O, sir, I once before was so beguiPd, Say that my book was not exactly done :
And was resolved the next should not deceive me. They wrong me ; yet, like feasts, I'd have my books
Rather be pleasing to the guests than cooks.
All things are cheap to the saving, dear to the wasteful. Ill thrives that hapless family that shows
Would you persuade, speak of interest, not of reason. A cock that's silent, and a hen that crows :
I know not which lives more unnatural lives,
Some men grow mad by studying much to know.
Obeyuig husbands, or commanding wives.
But who grows mad by studying good to grow.
Happy's the woing that's not long a doing. Sam's religion is like a Cheder cheese, 't is made of the
Jack I<ittle sow'd little, and little he '11 reap. milk of one-and-twenty parishes.
Grief for a dead wife, and a troublesome guest,con
JULY. tinues to the threshold, and there is at rest.
A lawyer being sick, and extream iU, But I mean such wives as are none of the best.
Was moved by his friends to make his will, As charms are nonsense, nonsense is a charm.
Which soon he did, gave all the wealth he had.
To frantic persons, lunatick and mad. He that cannot obey, cannot command.
And to his friends this reason did reveal, An innocent plowman is more worthy than a vicious
(That they might see with equity he'd deal,) prince.
From madmen's hands I did my wealth receive,
Therefore that wealth to madmen's hands I leave. SEPTEMBER.
-1 the smith hath lately sworn and said.

There have been as great souls unknown to fame as That no diseaseshall make him keep his bed ;
any of the most famous. His reason is, I now begin to smell it,
42 Ipoor mcbnvb for 1734 poor IRicbarD for 1734 43
He wants more rum, and must be forc'd to sell it. Necessity has no law; I know some attorneys of the
Nor less meant J h, when that vow he made, same.
Than to grive o'er his cousening- tapster's trade ; Onions can make ev'n heirs and widows weep.
Who, check'd for short and frothy measure, swore As sore places meet most rubs, proud folks meet most
He never would from thenceforth fill pot more.
affronts.
NOVEMBER.
He that is rich need not live sparingly, and he that can
Dorothy would with John be married ;
live sparingly need not be rich.
Dorothy's wise, I trow :
If you would be revenged of your enemy, govern your But John by no means Dorothy will wed ;
self. John's the wiser of the two.
A wicked hero will turn his back: to an innocent Those are my verses which Tom reads ; '
coward. That is very well known.
Iâws like to cobwebs, catch small flies, But in reading he makes them nonsense.
Great ones break through before your eyes. Then they are his own.
An egg to-day is better than a hen to morrow. The thrifty maxim of the wary Dutch, is to save all the
Drink water, put the money in your pocket, and leave money they can touch.
the dry-bellyach in the punch-bowl. He that waits upon fortune, is never sure ofa dinner.
Strange, that he who lives by shifts, can seldom shift A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an
himself.
ignorant one.
OCTOBER. Marry your son when you will, but your daughter
Altho' thy teacher act not as he preaches, , when you can.
Yet ne'ertheless, if good, do what he teaches ; Avarice and happiness never saw each other, how
Good counsel, failing men may give, for why. then should they become acquainted.
He that's aground knows where the shoal doth lie.
My old friend Berryman o£\, when alive, DECEMBER.
Taught others thrift, himself could never thrive : .
Thus like the whetstone, many men are wont By Mrs. Bridget Saunders, my Dutchess, in answer to the December
verses of last year.
To sharpen others while themselves are blunt.
He that for the sake of drink neglects his trade,
And spends each night in taverns till't is late.
The magistrate should obey the laws, the people should And rises when the sun is four hours high,
obey the magistrate.
And ne'er regards his starving family,
When't is fair, be sure take your g^reat coat with you. Godin his mercy may do much to save him,
He does not possess wealth, it possesses him. But, woe to the poor wife, whose lot it is to have hiin.
44 ipoor IRtcbarO for 1734 poor IRicbarD tor 1734 45
Famine, plague, war, and an unnumbered tlirong of sows, and each sow had 100 pigs. Question,
gTiilt-avenging ills, to man belongs. How many sow-pigs were there *among them ?
Is 't not enough plagues, wars, and famine, rise to Note, the answer to this question won't be
lash our crimes, but must our wives be wise ? accepted without the solution.
He that knows nothing of it, may by chance be a
prophet, while the wisest that is may happen to miss.
Felix quern faciunt aliena pericula cauium.
If you would have guests merry with cheer, be so your
self, or so at least appear. To such a height th' expeuce of Courts is gone,
That poor men are redress'd till they 're undone.
Reader, farewell I all happiness attend thee ;
William, your cause is good, give me my fee, and I '11
May each new-year better and richer find thee. defend it.
OF THE ECI.IPSES, 1734-

. But, alas ! William is cast, the verdict goes
There will be but two : The first, April 22, against him. Give me another fee, and I 'H
min. after 5 in tlie morning ; the second, Octo move the court in arrest of judgement. Then
ber 15, 36 min. past i in tlie afternoon. Both sentence is confirmed. T' other fee and I *11
of the Sun ; and both, like Mrs. s's Modesty, bring a writ of error. But judgement is again
and old neighbour Scrape-airs money, invisible. confirmed, and Will condemned to pay costs.
Or like a certain storekeeper late of county, What shall we do now, Master, says William,
not to be seen in these parts. Why, since it can't be helpt, there's no more
Since the Bclipses take up so little space, ^ to be said ; pay the knave his money, and I 'm
have room to comply with the new fashion, and satisfied.
propose a mathematical question to the sons of
art, -which, perhaps, is not more diJOScult to Of disposition they 're most sweet.
Their clients always kindly gfreet;
solve, nor of less use when solved, than some
And tho' at bar they rip old sores.
of those that have been proposed by the ingen And brawl and scold like drunken w ♦ * ♦ *
ious M^ G——^y. Their angers in a moment pass
It is this : Away at night over a glass ;
A certain rich man had 100 orchards, in each Nay, often laugh at the occasion,
Of their premeditated passion.
orchid was 100 apple-trees, under each apple- O may you prosper as you treat us,
tree was 100 hogsties, in each hogstie was 100 Until the d 1 sign your quietus.
Ipooc IRlcbarD for 1735 47
like some men at their wives. I had resolved

to keep the peace on my own part, and affront
none of them ; and I shall persist in that reso
lution. But having received much abuse from
Titan Iêeds deceased, (Titan Leeds when living
would not have used me so :) I say, having re
ceived much abuse from the ghost of Titan
POOR RICHARD FOR 1735. Leeds, who pretends to be still living, and to
write Almanacks in spight of me and my pre
dictions, I cannot help saying, that tho' I take
it patiently, I take it very unkindly. And
PRBFACB.
whatever he may pretend, 't. is undoubtedly
true that he is really defunct and dead. First,
CouRTKous Reader,
because the stars are seldom disappointed,
This is the third time of my appearing in never but in the case of wise men, sapiens
print, hitherto very much to my own satisfac dominabitur astris, and they foreshadowed his
tion, and I have reason to hope, to the satis death at the time I predicted it. Secondly,
faction of the publick also ; for the public is 't was requisite and necessary he should die
generous, and has been very charitable and good punctually at that time for the honor of astrol
to me. I should be ungrateful then, if I did ogy, the art professed both by him and his
not take every opportunity of expressing my father before him. Thirdly, 't is plain to every
gratitude ; for in^ratum si di:x:eris omnia div one that reads his two last Almanacks, (for
erts. ' I therefore return the publick my most 1734 and '35,) that they are not written with
humble and hearty thanks. that life his performances use to be written
Whatever may be the musick of the spheres, with ; the wit is low and flat; the little hints
how great soever the harmony of the stars, 't is dull and spiritless ; nothing smart in them but
certain there is no harmony among the star- Hudibras's verses against astrology at the heads
gazers ; but they are perpetually growling and of the months in the last, which no astrologer
snarling at one another like strange curs, or but a dead one would have inserted, and no man
46
48 ©oor IRicbarD tor 1735 tfoov IRicbarD for 1735 49
living would or could write such stuff as the defer, if it does not speedily leam to treat its
rest. But lastly, I shall convince him from his living friends with better manners.
own words that he is dead ; {ex ore suo coîdein- I am.
nattcs est,) for in his preface to his Almanack Courteous reader,
for I734> says: ''Saunders adds another Your obliged friend and servant,
gross falsehood in his Almanack, viz., that by R. SAUNDERS.
my own calculation, I shall survive until the October 10, 1734.
26th of the said month, October, 1733, which is
as untrue as the former.'' Now if it be as
Iveeds says, untrue and a gross falsehood, that Sold by the Printer hereof^
he survived till the 26th of October, 1733, then Large Quarto Bibi.es of good print, Small
it is certainly true that he died before that time ; Bibles, Testaments, Psalters, Primers, Account
and if he died before that time, he is dead now Books, demi-royal and small Paper, Ink, Ink-
to all intents and purposes, any thing he may powder, Dutch Quills, Wafers, New Version of
say to the contrary notwithstanding. And at Psalms, Barclay's Apology, Beavan's Primitive
what time before the 26th is it so likely he Christianity, Vade Mecuni^ Aristotle's Works,
should die, as at the time by me predicted, viz., with several other diverting and entertaining
the 17th of October aforesaid? But if some Histories. Also, all sorts of Blanks in the most
people will walk and be troublesome after Authentick Forms, and correctly printed.
death, it may perhaps be borne with a little, JANUARY.
because it cannot well be avoided, unless one
The two or three necessaries.
would be at the pains and expence of laying Two or three frolicks abroad in sweet May,
them in the Red Sea ; however, they should Two or three civil tilings said by the way,
not presume too much upon the liberty allowed Two or three languishes, two or three sighs,
them. I know confinement must needs be Two or three bless vte's and let me die's /
mighty irksome to the free spirit of an astron Two.or three squeezes, and two or three tow-zes,
With two or three hundred pound spent at their houses,
omer, and I am too compassionate to proceed Can never fail cuckolding two or three spouses.
suddenly to extremities with it; nevertheless,
Bad commentators spoil the best of books,
tho' I resolve with reluctance, I shall not long So God sends meat, (they say,) the devil cooks.
3
so iPooc TRfcbarO for 1735 Ipoor IRicbarD tor 1735 51
Approve not of him who commends all you say. He that goes far to marry, will either deceive or be
By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the deceived.
cable.
Eyes and priests bear no jests.
Iûll of courtesie, full of craft.
APRIL.
Iôok before, or you '11 find yourself behind.
William, because his wife was something ill,
FEBRUARY. Uncertain in her health, indifi*erent still.
Among the vain pretenders of the town, He tum'd her out of doors without reply :
Hibham of late is wondrous noted grown ; I ask'd if he that act could justify.
Hibham scarce reads, and is not worth a groat. In sickness and in health, says he, I am bound
Yet with some high-flown words and a fine coat, To keep her ; when she's worse or better found,
He struts, and taltcs of books, and of estate. I '11 take her in again ; and now you '11 see.
And learned J s he calls his intimate. She '11 quickly either mend or end, says he.
The mob admire ! thus mighty impudence.
The family of fools is ancient.
Supplies the want of learning, wealth, and sense.
Necessity never made a good bargain.
A little house well fill'd, a little field well till'd, and a If pride leads the van, beggary brings up the rear.
little wife weU will'd, are great riches. There's many witty men whose brains can't fill their
Old maids lead apes there, where the old batchelors are belUes.
tum'd to apes. Weighty questions ask for deliberate answers.
Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.
MARCH. There's nought so silly, sure, as vanity,

There's many men forget their proper station. Itself its chiefest end does still destroy ;
And still are meddling with the administration To be commended still its brains are racking.
Of government; that's wrong and this is right. But who will give it what it's always taking ?
And such a law is out of reason quite ; Thou 'rt fair't is true ; and witty, too, I know it;
Thus, spending too much thought on state affairs, And well bred, Sally, for thy manners show it;
The business is neglected, which is theirs. But whilst thou mak'st self-praise thy only care,
So some fond traveller gazing at the stars. Thou 'rt neither witty, nor well bred, nor fair.
Slips in next ditch, and gets a dirty a
Be slow in chusing a friend, slower in changing.
Dyrro Ijmn y ddoeth e fydd. Old Hob was lately married in the night,
The poor man must walk to get meat for his stomach, What needed day, his fair young wife was light.
the rich man to get a stomach to his meat. Pain wastes the body ; pleasures the understanding.
52 Ipoot IRicbacO for 1735 IPoor IRfcbarD for 1735 53
The cunning man steals a horse, the wise man lets Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.
him alone.
Poverty wants some things, luxury many things,
When 6 and $ in conjunction lie, avarice all things.
Then, maids, whate'er is ask'd of you, deny. A lie stands on one leg, truth on two.
JUNE.
What's given shines, what's receiv'd is rusty.
When will the miser's chest be full enough ? Sloth and silence are a fool's virtues.
When will he cease his bags to cram and stuflf?
All day he labours, and all night contrives, AUGUST.
Providing as if he 'd an hundred lives. Sam had the worst wife that a man could have,
While endless care cuts short the common span ; Proud, lazy sot, could neither get nor save ;
So have I seen with dropsy swol'n, a man. Eternal scold she was, and what is worse,
Drink and drink more, and still unsatisfied, 77ie d / burn ihee^ was her common curse.
I>rink till drink drown'd him, yet he thirsty dy'd. Forbear, quoth Sam, that fruitless curse, so common.
He '11not hurt me, who 've married his kins-woman.
A ship under sail and a big-bellied woman, are the
handsomest two things that can be seen common.
There 's small revenge in words, but words may be
Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee. greatly revenged.
The king's cheese is half wasted in parings ; but no Great wits jump, says the poet, and hit his head against
matter, 't is made of the peoples milk. the post.
Nothing but money, is sweeter than honey. A man is never so ridiculous by those qualities that
are his own, as by those that he affects to have.
JXTLY.
Deny self for self's sake.
On Louis the XIV. of France.
I/3uis ('t is true, I own to you) SEPTEMBER.

Paid learned men for writing. Blindare the sons of men, few of the kind,
And valiant men for fighting ; ^ôw their chief interest, or knowing, mind ;
Himselfcould neither write nor fight, Most, far from following what they know is best,
Nor make his people happy ; Tnfle in earnest, but mind that in j est.
Yet fools will prate, and call him great So Hal, the fiddle tunes harmoniously,
Shame on their noddles sappy. While all is discord in's CEconomy.
Of learned fools, I have seen ten times ten' ^pfunlearned Tim, moderate fare and abstinence much prizes in
T.Hse men, I have seen a hundred, -V. • publick, but" in private gormandizes.
Ipoor IRlcbatO for 1735 lôor 1R(cbar& for 1735 55
54
If what most men admire, they would despise.
Ever since follies have pleased, fools have been able to
'T would look as if mankind were growing wise.
divert.
The sun never repents of the good he does, nor does he
It is better to take many injuries, than to give one.
ever demand a recompence.
Opportunity is the great bawd.
An old young man will be a young old man.
OCTOBER.
DECEMBER.
Iîttle halfwits are wondrous pert, we find.
*T is not the face with a delightful air,
Scoffing" and jeering on whole womankind,
A rosy cheek, and lovely flowing hair;
All false, all whores, all this, and that, and f other.
Nor sparkling eyes to best advantage set.
Not one exception left, ev'n for their mother.
Nor all the members rang'd in alphabet,
But men of wisdom and experience know.
Sweet in proportion as the lovely dies,
That there's no greater happiness below.
Which brings th' etherial bow before our eyes,
Than a good wife affords ; and such there's many,
That can with wisdom approbation find,
Ifor every man has one the best of any.
I/ike pious morals and an honest mind.
By virttie's living laws from every vice refin'd.
;Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy,
wealthy, and wise. Are you angry that others disappoint you? remember
To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, you cannot depend upon yourself.
to inferiors nobleness. One mend-fault is worth two find-faults, but one find-
Here comes the orator, with his flood of words, and fault is better than two make-faults.
his drop of reason. Reader, l wish thee health, wealth, happiness, and
iJiay kind heaven thy year's industry bless.
NOVEMBER.
The lying habit is in some so strong. THE :eci,ipses.

To truth they know not how to bend their tongûe ;
And tho» sometimes their ends truth best would answer. I shall not say much of the signification of
Yet lies come uppermost, do what they can, sir,
Mendacio delights in telling news. the Eclipses this year, for in truth they do not
And that it may be such, himself doth use signifie much ; only I may observe by the way,
To make it; but he now no longer need ; that the first eclipse of the Moon being cele
Iêt him tell truth, it will be news indeed. brated in lîbra or the Ballance, foreshews a
failure of justice, where people judge in their
Sal laughs at everything you say. Why ? Because she own cases. But in the following year, 1736,
has fine teeth.
56 ©oor TRicbarD for 1735 ©oor IRfcbarO for 1735 57
there will be six Eclipses, four of the Sun, Roundwent Evanus, till he came where stood
and two of the Moon, which two Eclipses of St.Michael with the Devil under's foot;
the Moon will be both total, and portend great
And groping round, heseized old Satan's head.
This be our saint, he cries : Amen, the father said.
revolutions in Europe, particularly in Germany, But when they open'd poor Evanus' eyes,
and some great and surprising events relating Alack ! he sunk with shame and with surprize.
to these northern colonies, of which I-purpose
to speak at large in my next. Says ^ to 6 Brother, when shall I see
Penn's people scraping acquaintance with thee ?
THE COURTS.
Says $ , only 2^ knows ; but this I can tell.
They neglect me for Hermes, they love him too well.
when Popery in Britain sway'd, I 've read, O, if that be the case, says t, , ne'er fear.
The lawyers fear'd they should be d "S* * » 'd when dead. Ifthey 'retender ofHermes^ and holding himsodear
Because they had no saint to hand their prayers, They 'U solicit thyhelp e'er I've finish'd myround,
And in Heaven's court take care of their affairs. Usmg ^ Hermes' foes to deter or confound.
Therefore consulting, Kvanus they sent
To Rome with a huge purse, on this intent,
That to the holy Father making known
Their woful case, he might appoint them one.
Being arriv'd, he offered his complaint
In language smooth, and humbly beg^s a saint;
For why, says he, when others on Heaven would call,
Physicians, seamen, scholars, tradesmen, all
Have their own saints, we lawyers none at all.
The pope was puzzled, never puzzled worse,
For with pleas'd eyes he saw the proffered purse.
But ne'er in all his knowledge or his reading,
He'd met with one good man that practis'd pleading ;
Who then should be the saint? he could not tell.
At length the thing was thus concluded well.
Within our city, says his holiness,
There is one church fill'd with the images
Ofall the saints, with whom the wall's surrounded.
Blindfold ^vanus, lead him three times round it.
Then let him feel, (but give me first the purse ;)
And take the first he finds, for better or worse.
Ipoor IRicbarD tor 1736 59
there is really such a man as I am, whatever

they may say to the contrary. And the world
may be satisfied likewise, for if there was
no such man as I am, how is it possible I
should appear pubickly to hundreds of people,
POOR RICHARD FOR 1736. as I have done for several years past, in print ?
I need not, indeed, have taken any notice of so
idle a report, if it had not been for the sake of
preface. my printer, to whom my enemies are pleased
to ascribe my productions ; and who it seems is
Loving Readers, as imwillingly to father my offspring as I am to
Your kind acceptance of my former labours lose the credit of it. Therefore, to clear him
has encouraged me to continue writing, the' entirely, as well as to vindicate my own honour,
the general approbation you have been so good I make this publick and serious declaration,
as to favour me with, has excited the envy of which I desire may be believed, to wit: That
some, and drawn upon methe malice of others. what I have written heretofore, and do 7iow
These ill-willers of mine, despited at the great "Write, neither was, nor is W7îtten by aiiy other
reputation I gain'd by exactly predicting fnaji or men, perso7i or persotts, whatsoever,
another man's death, have endeavoured to de ^hose who are not satisfied with this, must
prive me of it all atonce in the most effectual needs be very unreasonable.
• manner, by reporting that I myself was never My performance for this year follows ; it
alive. They say, in short, thaithere is no such submits itself, kind reader, to thy censure, but
a man as I am; and have spread this notion liopes (for) thy candor, to forgive its faults. It
so thoroughly in the country, that I have been devotes itself entirely to thy service, and will
frequently told it to my face by those that don serve thee faithfully. And if it has the good
know me. This is not civil treatment, to en fortune to please its master, 't is gratification
deavour to deprive me of my very being, an enough for the labour of
reduce me to a non-entity in the opinion of the poor
publick. But so long as I know myself to wal R. SAUNDE)RS.
about, eat, drink and sleep, I am satisfied tha
58.
6o Ipooc IRicbarO for 1736 Ipooc IRicbarO for 1736 6i
Presumptuous man ! the reason would'st thou find He that has neither fools nor beggars among his kin
Whyformedso weak,"so little, and so blind ? dred, is the son of thunder-gust.
First, if thou canst, the harder reason gfuess, Diligence is the mother of good luck.
Why formed no weaker, blinder, and no less?
Ask of thy mother earth, why oaks are made Do not do that which you would not have known.
Taller or stronger than the weeds they shade ?
Or ask ofyonder argent fields above,
Whate'er's desired, knowledge, fame, or pelf,
Why Jove's sattelites are less than Jove ? Not one will change his neighbour with himself;
The leam'd are happy nature to explore,
JANUARY.
The fool is happy that he knows no more.
Some have leam't many tricks of sly evasion. The rich are happy in the plenty given ;
Instead of truth they use equivocation, The poor contents him with the care of heaven.
And eke it out with mental reservation. Thus does some comfort ev'ry state attend.
Which, to good men, is an abomination. And pride's bestowed on all, a common friend.
Our smith of late most wonderfully swore,
That whilst he breathed he would drink no more. Never praise your cider or horse.
But since, I know his meaning, for I think. Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.
He meant he would not breathe whilst he did drink. 'T is easy to see, hard to foresee.
He is no clown that drives the plow, but he that doth In a discreet man's mouth a publick thing is private.
clownish things. APRIL.
Ifyou know how to spend less than you get, you have By nought is man from beast distinguished,
the philosopher's-stone. More than by knowledge in his learned head,
The good pay-master is lord of another man's purse. Then youth improve thy time, but cautious see
Fish and visitors smell in three days. That what thou learnest somehow useful be ;
âch day improving, Solon waxed old ;
FEBRUARY.
For time he knew was better far than gold :
Sam's wife provok'd him once ; he broke her crown. 'I Fortune might give him gold which would decay,
But fortune cannot give him—yesterday.
The surgeon's bill amounted to five pounds ;
This blow (she brags) has cost my husband dear. Iêt thy maid-servant be faithful, strong, and homely.
He 'U ne'er strike more, Sam chanc'd to overhear. Keepflax from fire, youth from gaming.
Therefore, before his wife the bill he pays.
And to the surgeon in her hearing says : Bargaining has neither friends nor relations.
Doctor, you charge five pound, here e'en take ten. Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.
My wife may chance to want your help again. There's more old drunkards, than old doctors.
62 ' poor TRicbarO foe 1736 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1736 63
In drunken frolicks, which will all confound,

Iâlus who loves to hear himself discourse, Neglects his farm, forgets to till his ground ;
Keeps talking still as if he frantick were, Hisstock growsless that might be kept with ease;
And tho' himself might no .where hear a worse, In nought but guts and debts he finds increase ;
Yet he no other but himself will hear. In town reels as if he'd shove down each wall,
• Stop not his mouth, if he be troublesome, Yet walls must stand, poor soul, or he must fall.
But stop his ears, and then the man is dumb.
None preaches better than the ant, and she says
Here comes Courage ! that seized the lion absent, and nothing.
- ran away from the present mouse.
The absent are never without fault, nor the present
He that takes a wife takes care. without excuse.
Nor eye in a letter, nor hand in a purse, nor ear in the Gifts burst rocks.
secret of another.
If wind blows on you through a hole.
He that buys by the penny, maintains not only him Make your will and take care of your soul.
self, but other people.
The rotten apple spoils his companion.
JUNE.
Things that are bitter, bitterer than gall, AUGUST.
Physicians say are always physical: The tongue was once a servant of the heart.
Now women's tongues if into powder beaten, And what it gave she freely did impart;
May in a potion or a pill be eaten, But, now hypocrisy is grown so strong.
And as there's nought more bitter, I do muse, The heart's become a servant to the tongue.
That women's tongues in physick they ne'er use. Virtue we praise, but practice not her good,
Myself and others who lead restless lives. (Athenian-like) we act not what we know,
Would spare that bitter member of our wives. As many men do talk of Robin Hood,
Who never did shoot arrow in his bow.
He that can have patience can have what he will.
Now I have a sheep and a cow, every body bids me Don't throw stones at your neighbors', if your own
good-morrow. windows are glass.
God helps them that help themselves. 'Hie excellency of hogs is—fatness, of men—virtue.
Why does the blind man's wife paint herself?
Good wives and good plantations are made by good
JULY. husbands.
Who can charge Kbrio with a thirst for wealth ? He that sells upon trust, loses many friends, and
See, he consumes his money, time, and health always wants money.
64 iPoot IRicbacd for 1736 Ipoor IRicbard for 1736 65
SEPTEMBER.
NOVEMBER.
Briscap, thou »st little judgement in thy head When you are sick, wliat you like best is to
More than to dress thee, drink and go to bed •
Yet thou Shalt have the wall and the way lead be chosen for a medicine in the first place ;
Since logick wills that simple things preceed ' what experience tells you is best, to be chosen
Walkingand meetingone not long ago, in the second place ; what reason (i. e. Theory,)
I ask'd who't was, he said, he did not know says is best, is to be chosen in the last place.
I said, I know thee ; so said he, I you ;
But he that knows himself I never knew. But if you can get Dr. Incli?ta£io?i, Dr. £^:x:peH-
encci and Dr. Reason to hold a consultation
levers, travellers, and poets, v^l give money to be together, they will give you the best advice
lieard.
that can be taken.
He that speaks much, is much mistaken.
God heals and the doctor takes the fee.
Creditors have better memories than debtors.
If you desire many things, many things will seem but
Forewarn'd, forearm'd.
a few.
Mary's mouth costs her nothing-, for she never opens
OCTOBER.
it but at others ea^pence.
WhyTnsical Will once fancy'd he Tâs ill,
The Doctor call'd, who thus examin'd ivtll • Receive before you write, but write before you pay.
How is yourappetite ? o, as to that I saw few die of hunger, of eating—100,000.
I eat quite heartily, you see I'm fat; DECEMBER.
Howisyour sleep anights9 'T is sound and good ;
I eat, drink, sleep, as well as e'er I cou'd. 0 nearer the earth in winter than in summer,
Will, says the doctor, clapping on his hat 15046 miles, (his lownes and short appearance
I 'U give you something shall remove all that. making winter cold, (® nearer in her Perigôn
Three things are men most likely to be cheated in, a than Apogem, 69512 : ^ nearer 49868 miles :
horse, a wig, and a wife. if nearer 38613 miles : S nearer 80608 miles :
$ nearer 6209 miles.: ^ nearer 181427 miles.
ELe that lives well is learned enough.
yet $ is never distant from the © a whole
Poverty, poetry, and new titles of honour, make men sign, nor of two. You '11 never find a O ?,
ridiculous.
a n G ? .
He that scatters thorns, let him not go barefoot.
There's none deceived but he that trusts.
•âids of America, who gave you bad teeth ?
Answer. Hot soupings and frozen apples.
66 ®oot "Kicbarft for 1736 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1736 67
Marry your daughter and eat fresh fish betimes. without being a Conjurer, a man may easily
He that would live in peace and at ease, foretel that such commodities will receive
Must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.
damage.
Adieu.
2. About the middle of the year, great number
In my laslyear's Almanacky I mentio7ied thai of vessels fully laden, will be taken out of the
the visible Eclipses ofthis year, portended ports aforesaid, by a power with which we are
some great and surprising events relating to not now at war, and whose forces shall not be
these Northern Coiônibs, ofwhich I proposed descried or seen, either coming or going. But
this year to speak at large. But as those events in the end this may not be disadvantageous to
are not to happen immediately this year, Ichuse those places.
rather, upon second thought, to defer farther 3. However, not long after, a visible Army of
mention of them, till the publication of my Al 20,000 Musketeers will laud, some in Virginia
manack for that year in which they are to and Maryland, and some in the lower counties
happen. However, that the reader may not be on both sides of Delaware, who will over-run
entirely disappointed, here follow, for his pres the country, and sorely annoy the inhabitants :
ent amusement, a few But the air in this climate will agree with them
ENIGMATICAI, PROPHECIES, so ill towards winter, that they will die in the
Which they that do not understand, cannot well beginning of cold weather like rotten sheep,
explain, and by Christmas the inhabitants will get the
better of them.
t. Before the middle of this year, a wind at N.
Bast will arise, during which the water of the Note,—In my next Almanack these Enig
sea and rivers will be in such a manner raised,
matical Prophecies will be explaificd.
that grestt part of the towns of Boston, New For gratitude there's none exceed 'em,
port, New-York, jPhiladelphia, the low lands (Their clients know this when they bleed 'em,)
of Maryland and Virginia] and the town of Since they who give most for their laws,
Have most returned, and carry th' Cause.
Charleston in South Carolina will be under All know, except an arrant Torv,
water, Happy will it be for the sugar and salt, That Right and Wrong's meer Ceremony,
standing in the cellars of those places, if there It is enough that the law jargon,
be tight roofs and ceilings overhead; othei^vdse Gives the best bidder the best bargain.
Ipoor TRicbarD for 1737 69
As to the weather, if I was to fall into the

method my brother J n sometimes uses, and
tell you. Snow here, or hi New-Eîgland,—Rain
here, or in South Carolina,—Cold to the north
ward,— JVar77i to the southward, and the like,
whatever errors I might commit, I should be
something more secure of not being detected in
POOR RICHARD FOR 1737. them : But I consider it will be of no service
to any body to know what weather it is looo
miles off, and therefore I always set down posi
tively what weather my reader will have, be he
PREFACE.
where he will at the time. We modestly desire
Courteous and kind Reader, only the favourable allowance of a day or two
This is the fifth time I have appeared in before, and a day or two after the precise day
publick, chalking out the future year for my against which the weather is set;—and if it does
honest countrymen, and foretelling what shall, not come to pass accordingly, let the fault be
and what may, and what may not come to pass ; laid upon the printer, who, 't is very like, may
in which I have the pleasure to find that I have have transposed or misplac'd it, perhaps for the
given general satisfaction. Indeed, among the conveniency of putting in his holidays : and
multitude ofour astrological predictions, 't is no since, in spight of all I can say, people will give
wonder if some few fail; for, without any de him great part of the credit of making my Al
fect in the art itself, 't is well known that a manacks, 't is but reasonable he should take
small error, a single wrong figure overseen in a some share of the blame.
calculation, may occasion great mistakes: But, I must not here omit to thank the publick
however, we Almanack-makers may miss it in for the gracious and kind encouragement they
other things, I believe it will generally be al have hitherto given me :—But if the generous
lowed that we always hit the day of the month, purchaser of my labours could see how often
and that I suppose is esteemed one of the most his Ft*pence helps to light up the comfortable
useful things in an Almanack. fire, line the pot, fill the cup and make glad the
68
70 ©oor TRtcbarb for 1737 ©oor IRfcbarb (or 1737 71
heart of a poor man, and an honest good old Consider then, when you are tempted to buy any un
woman, he would not think his money ill laid necessary household stuff, or any superfluous thing,
whether you will be willing to pay interest^ and interest
out, though the Almanack of his friend and upon interest for it as long as you live, and more if it
servant, grows worse by using.
R. SAUNDBRS, Yety in buying goodsi 7 is best to pay ready money^ because^
were one half blank paper. He that sells upon credit, expects to lose 5 per cent, by
bad debts ; therefore he charges on all he sells upon
HINTS TO THOSE THAT WOULD BE RICH. credit, an advance that shall make up that deficiency.
Those who pay for what they buy upon credit, pay
The use of money is all the advantage there is in hav their share of this advance.
ing money.
He that pays ready money, escapes, or may escape,
For a year you may have use of loojC^ if you are a that charge.
man of known prudence and honesty.
A penny saved is two pence clear. A pi?i a-day is a groat
He that spends a ôat a-day idly, spends idly above a-year. Save and have.
a year, which is the price of using loo^. Every little makes a mickle.
He that wastes idly a groat's worth of his time per day ^
one day with another, wastes the privilege of using loo;^ JANUARY.
each day. God offer'd to the Jews salvation.
He that idly loses 55. worth oftime, loses 55., and might And 'twas refus'd by half the nation :
as prudently throw 5^. into the river. Thus (tho' 't is life's great preservation),
He that loses 55. not only loses that sum, but all the Many oppose innoculation.
other advantage that might be made by turning it in We 're told by one of the black robe.
dealing, which, by the time a young man becomes old, The devil innoculated Job :
amounts to a comfortable bag of money. Suppose't is true, what he does tell;
Pray, neighbours, dtd notJob do well f
Again, He that sells upon credit, asks a price for what
he sells equivalent to the principal and interest of his The master-piece of man, is to live to the purpose.
money for the time he is like to be kept out of it;—
therefore, He that steals the old man's supper do's him no wrong.
He that buys upon credit pays interest for what he
FEBRUARY.
buys,
And he that pays ready money, might let that money The Thracianysxioixty entering into life,
. out to use ; so that Both parents mourn for, both receive with grief,
He that possesses any thing he has bought, pays -The Thracian infant snatched by Death away,
interest for the use of it. Both parents to the grave with joy convey.
72 Ipooc 1Rtcbar6 for 1737 Ipoor TRicbarO for 1737 73
Tliis Greece and Rome you with derisioa view, He alone may be true in whom none will confide,
This is tneer Thracian ig^norance to you ; And the nymph maybe chaste that has never been try'd.
But if you weigh the custom you despise,
This Thracian ignorance may teach the wise. He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that
composes books. .
A countryman between two lawyers, is like a fish Poor JDick eats like a well man, and drinks like a sick.
between two cats.
After crosses and losses, men grrow humbler and wiser,
"He that can take rest is greater than he that can take lyove, cough, and a smoke, can't well be hid.
cities.
MAY.
The miser's cheese is wholesomest.
Rich Gripe does all his thoughts and cunning bend,
MARCH. T' increase that wealth he wants the soul to spend.
Doi^ a widow past her prime, Poor Shi/ler does his whole contrivance set,
aier spouselong dead, her wailing doubles ; To spend that wealth he wants the sense to get.
Her real griefs increase by time ; How happy would appear to each his fate,
What might abate, improves her troubles. Had Gripe his humour, or he Gripers estate ?
Those pangs her prudent hopes supprest, Kindfate andfortune, blend 'em ifyou can,
Impatient now she cannot smother. And of two wretches make one happy man.
How should the helpless woman rest ?
Well done is better than well said.
One *s gone ;—nor can she get another.
Fine linnen, girls and gold so bright.
I^ve and I/Ordship hate companions. Chuse not to take by candle light.
The nearest way to come at glory, is to do that for He that can travel well a-foot, keeps a good horse.
conscience which we do for glory. There are no ugly loves, nor handsome prisons.
There is much money given to be laught at, though No better relation than a prudent and faithful friend.
the purchasers don't know it; witness A's fine horse,
JUNE.
and B's fine house.
Boy, bring a bowl of china here,
APRIL. Fill it with water cool and clear ;
Decanter with Jamaica ripe.
A nymph and a swain to Apollo once prayed,
The swain had been jilted, the nymph been betray'd ; And spoon of silver, clean and bright.
They came for to try ifhig oracle knew, Sugar twice-fin'd in pieces cut,
^»er a nymph that was chaste, or a swain that was true. Klnife, sieve, and glass in order put,
Apollo stood mute, and had like t' have been pos'd, rBring forth the fragrant fruit, and then
At length he thus sagely the question disclos'd ; We 're happy till the clock strikes ten.
74 ©oot IRfcbacO for t737 Ipoor IRfcbarD for 1737 75
A traveller should have a hog's nose, deer's legs, and SEPTEMBER.

an ass's back.
To-morrow you '11 reform, you always cry ;
At the working man's house hunger looks in, but In what far country does this morrow lie,
dares not enter. That't is so mighty long ere it arrive ?
A good lawyer, a bad neighbour. Beyond the Indies does this morrow live ?
'T is so far-fetched, this morrow, that I fear
JULY. 'T will be both very old, and very dear. '
Impudentyar^, who now lives by his shifts. To-morrow I '11 reform, the fool does say ;
Borrowing of driblets, boldly begging gifts. To-day itself's too late the wise did yesterday.
For'twenty shillings lent him t'other day,
(By one who ne'er expected he would pay.) Iêt the letter stay for the post, and not the post for
On his friend's paper fain a note wou'd write ; the letter.
His friend, as needless, did refuse it quite ; Three good meals a day is bad living.
Paper was scarce, and't was too hard, it's true,
To part with cash, and lose his paper too. 'T is better leave for an enemy at one's death, than
beg ofa friend in one's life.
Certainlie these things ag^ree, the priest, the lawyer,
and death, all three ; To whom thy secret thou dost tell,
Death takes both the weak and the strong, To him thy freedom thou dost sell.
The lawyer takes from both right and wrong.
And the priest from the living and dead has his fee. OCTOBER.
The worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise. On T. T. who destroyed his Landlord's fine wood.
AUGUST. Indulgent nature to each kind bestows,

On his death bed poor Iûbin lies ; A secret instinct to discern its foes :
His spouse is in despair ; The goose, a silly bird, avoids the fox ;
"With frequent sobs, and mutual cries Iâmbs fly from wolves ; and sailors steer from rocks ;
They both express their care. A rogue the gallows, as his fate, foresees.
A diflF 'rent cause, says parson Sly^ And bears the like antipathy to trees.
The same effect may give.
Poor Lubin fears that he shall die ; Ifyou'd have a servant that you like, serve yourself.
His wife—that he may live. He that pursues two hares at once, does not catch one
Don't misinform your doctor nor your lawyer. and lets t' other go.
never saw an oft-transplanted tree. Ifyou want a neat wife, chuse her on a Saturday.
Nor yet an oft-removed family.
That throve so well as those that settled be. If you have time, don't wait for time.
!
i
76 ®oor TRfcbaca for 1737 Ipoor TRfcbarD for 1737 77
NOVEMBER.
In my last I published some Enigmatical
You say you 'U spend five hundred pound, Prophecies^ which I did not expect any one
The world and men to know,
And take a tour all lûrope round, would take for serious predictions. The ex
Improving- as you go. planation I promised follows, viz:
Dear Sam,\n. search of other's sense, 1. The water of the sea and rivers is raised in
Discover not your own ; vapours by the sun, is form'd into clouds in the
But wisely double the expence,
That you may pass unknown.
air, and thence descends in rain. Now when there
is rain overhead (which frequently happens when
Tell a miser he's rich, and a woman she's old, you '11 the wind is at N.B.) the cities and places on the
get no money of one, nor kindness of t' other. earth below, are certainly imder water.
Don't go to the doctor with every distemper, nor to the 2. The power with which we were not then at
lawyer with every quarrel, nor to the pot for every war, but which, it was said, would take many
thirst.
full laden vessels out of our ports before the end
DECEMBER.
of the year, is the Wind, whose forces also are
Women are books, and men the readers be. not descried either coming orgoing.
Who sometimes in those books erratas see ; 3. The army which it was said would land in
Yet oft the reader's raptured with each line. Virgiftia, Maryland, and the lower counties on
Fair print and paper, fraught with sense divine ;
Tho' some, neglectful, seldom care to read,
Delaware, were not Mnskcteers, with guns on
And faithful wives no more than bibles heed. their shoulders as some expected ; but their
Are women books? says Hodge, then would mine were namesakes, in pronunciation, tho' truly spelt
An Almanack, to change her every year. Moschitos, arm'd only with a sharp sting. Bvery
The creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers one knows they are fish before they fly, being
of set days and times. bred in the water ; and therefore may properly
The noblest question in the world is, good may I be said to land before they become generally
doinitf troublesome.
Nec sibi, sed toto, genitum se credere mundo.*
A WONDERFUL PROPHECY.
Nothing so popular as goodness.
Januaryt Jjjj, ivJttch consists entirely oj" odd^ffures.
* To believe himself bom, not for himself, but for the iC'er of this odd odd year one month has roll'd,
whole world.—IÛCAN, " Pharsalia." What wonders, reader, shall the world behold I
78 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1737
Four kings with mighty force shall Albion's isle

Infest with wars and tumults for a-while;
Then some shall unexpected treasures gain,
While some mourn o'er an empty purse in vain :
And many a Christian's heart shall ake for fear,
When they the dreadful sound of trump shall hear.
Dead bones shall then be tumbled up and down,
In every city and in every town.
PRKFACB BY MISTRESS SAUNDERS.
Dâr Readers,
My good man set out last week for Potow-
mack, to visit an old stargazer of his acquaint
ance, and to see about a little place for us to
settle and end our days on. He left a copy of
îs Almanack seaPd up, and bid me send it to
the press. I suspectedsomething, and therefor,
as soon as he was gone, I opened it, to see if lie
had not been flinging some of his old skitts at
ttie. Just as I thought, so it was. And truly
(for want of something else to say, I suppose,)
hehad put intohispreface, that hiswife Bridget
was this, and that, and t* other. What a pease-
cods! cannot I have a little fault or two,but all
the country must see it in print! They have
already been told, at one time that I am proud,
another time that I am loud, and that I have
79
8o ©oor IRfcbarD for 1738 ©oor IR(cbart) for 1738 8i
got a new petticoat, and abundance of that kind The truth is, I do not find they do you any
of stuflf; and now forsooth ! all the world must good.
know, that poor Dick's wife has lately taken a When there is one you are apt in observing
fancy to drink a little tea now and then. A it to expose yourselves too much and too long
mighty matter truly, to make a song of! 'T is to the night air, whereby great numbers of you
true I had a little tea of a present from the catch cold. Which was the case last year, to
Printer last year ; and what, must a-body throw my very great concern. However, if you will
it away ? In short, I thought the preface was promise to take more care of yourselves, you
not worth a-printing, and so I fairly scratched it shall have a fine one to stare at the year after
all out, and I believe you '11 like our Almanack next.
never the worse for it. JANUARY.
Upon looking over the months, I see he has Dick's wife was sick, and pos'd the doctors' skill,
Who differ'd how to cure th' inveterate ill.
put in abundance of foul weather this year ; Purging the one prescribed. No, quoth another.
and therefor I have scattered here and there, That will do neither good nor harm, my brother.
where I could find room, some fair, pleasant, Bleeding 's the only way ; 't was quick reply'd,
sunshiny, &c., for the good women to dry their That's certain death ; but e'en let Dick decide.
I 'se no great skill,'' quo' Richard, by the Rood^
clothes in. If it does not come to pass accord
But I think bleeding's like to do most good.*'
ing to my desire, I have shown my goodwill,
however; and I hope they '11 take it in good part. There are three faithful friends—an old wife, an old
dog, and ready money.
I had a design to make some other correc
tions ; and particularly to change some of the Great talkers should be crop'd, for they have no need
of ears.
verses that I don't very well like ; but I have
If you would have your shoes last, put no nails in 'em.
just now unluckily broke my spectacles ; which
Who has deceiv'd thee so oft as thyself?
obliges me to give it you as it is, and conclude
Your loving friend, FEBRUARY.
BRIDGET SAUNDERS. In Christendom we all are Christians now.

And thus I answer, if you ask me how ;
You will excuse me, dear readers, that I Where with Christ's rules our lives will not comply,
We bend it like a rule of lead, say I;
aflFord you no eclipses of the moon this year. Making it thus comply with what we be,
6
82 ®oor IRfcbara fot 1738 ffi>oor TRlcbacD for 173S 83
And only thus our lives with th' rule agree. Here lies the only difference now.
But from our fathers we've the name perchance, Some shot off late, some soon ;
So as our king is called the king of France. Your sires i' th' morning left the plow.
And ours i' th' afternoon.
Is there anything men take more pains about than to Caesar did not merit the triumphal car more than he
make themselves unhappy ? that conquers himself.
Nothing bringrs more pain than too much pleasure ; Hast thou viûe ?—acquire also the graces and beau
nothing more bondage than too much liberty, (or lib ties of virtue.
ertinism). Buy what thou hast no need of, and e'er long thou
Read much, but not too many books. Shalt sell thy necessaries.
If thou hast wit and learning, add to it wisdom and
modesty.
Jack's wife was born in Wiltshire, brought up MAY.
A Frugal Thought.
in Cumberlandy led much of her life in Bed
In an acre of land are 43>56o square feet.
fordshire, sent her husband into Huntington- In IOC acres are 4,356,000 square feet ;
shire in order to send him into Buckingham Twenty pounds will buy 100acres of the proprietor.
shire, But he took courage in Hartfordshire, In £10 are 4,800 pence ; by which divide the
and carried her into Staffordshire, or else he Number of feet in 100 acres ; and you will find
That one penny will buy 907 square feet; or
might have lived and died in Shrewsbury. A lot of 30 feet Scivi'ss^—Save your pence.
He that would have a short Iênt, let him borrow You may be more happy than princes, if you will be
money to be repaid at Easter. more virtuous.
Write with the learned, pronounce with the vulgar. If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead
-gXypleasures, and they '11follow you.
and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do
things worth the writing.
Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to pur
APRIL.
chase power.
JUNE.
The Old Gentry.
Epitaph on a talkative Old Maid.
That ill from Adam first begun.
Since none but IVhiston doubts, Beneath this silent stone is laid,
And that his son, and his son's son A noisy, antiquated maid.
"Wereploughmen, clowns and louts ; Who, from her cradle talk'd till death,
And ne'er before was out of breath.
84 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1738 Ipoor 1Rfcbat& for 1738 85
Wliitlier she's gone we cannot tell; If you do what you should not, you must hear what
For if she talks not, she's in ! you would not.
If she 's in , she's there unblest
Defer not thy well doing; be not like St. George, who
Because she hates a place of rest.
is always a-horseback, and never rides on.
Iêt thy vices die before thee. Wish not so much to live long, as to live well.
Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut
SEPTEMBER.
afterwards.
These lines may be read backward or forward.
The ancients tell us what is best; but we must leam
of the modems what is fittest.
Joy, Mirth, Triumph, I do defie :
Destroy me death fain would I die :
JULY. Forlorn am I, love is exil'd,
One month a lawyer, thou the next will be Scorn smiles thereat; hope is beguil'd.
A grave physician, and the third a priest: Men banish'd bliss, in woe must dwell.
Chuse quickly one profession of the three, Then joy, mirth, triumph, all farewell.
Marry'd to her thou yet may'st court the rest.
Resolve at once ; deliberate no more ; AS we must account for every idle word, so we must for
Iêap in, and stand not shiv'ring" on the shore. every idle silence.
On any one amiss thou can'st not fall; I have never seen the Philosopher's stone that tumslead
Thou 'It end in nothing-, if thou»grasps at all. into gold, but I have known the pursuit of it turn a man's
gold into lead.
Since I cannot govern my own tongue tho' within my
own teeth, how can I hope to govern the tongues of Never intreat a servant to dwell with thee.
others ? OCTOBER.
'T is less discredit to abridge petty charges, than to A doubtful meaning.
ôpp to petty gettings. The female kind is counted ill:
Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away . And is indeed : the contrary ;—
an hour. No man can find : that hurt they will:
AUGUST. But every where : shew charity :
"While faster than his costive brain indites, To nobody ; malicious still;
Philo's quick hand in flowing nonsense writes. In word or deed : believe you me.
His case appears to me like honest Teague^s^
SL Time is an herb that cures all diseases.
>vh.en he wâs run away with by his legs.
Phcebus, give Philo o'er himselfcommand ; Reading makes a full man—meditation a profound
Quicken his senses, or restrain his hand ; man—discourse a clear man.
I^t him be kept from paper, pen and ink ; If any man flatters me, I '11 flatter him again, though
So he may cease to write and leam to tliink. Jie were my best friend.
86 ipoor 1Ricbar& foe 1738
NOVEMBER.
A monster in a course of vice grown old,

I^ves to his gaping- heir his iU gain'd gold ;
The preacher fee'd, strait are his virtues shown ;
And render'd lasting by the sculptur'd stone.
If on the stone or sermon we rely,
Pity a worth like his, should ever die !
If credit to his real life we give,
Pity a wretch like him, should ever live. POOR RICHARD FOR 1739.
"Wish a miser long life, and you wish him no good.
None but the well-bred man knows how to confess a
fault, or acknowledge himself in an error. PREFACE.
Drive thy business ;-let not that drive thee.
There is much difference between imitating a good Kind Reader,
man, and counterfeiting him. Encouraged by thy former generosity, I
DECEMBER.
once more present thee with an almanack,
The wise man says, it is a wise man's part which is the 7th of my publication. While
To keep his tongue closeprisoner in his heart. thou art putting pence in my pocket, and fur
Ifhe then be a foolwhosethought denies nishing my cottage with necessaries, Poor Dick
There is a God, how desperatelyunwise, is not unmindful to do something for thy bene
Howmuch morefool is he, whose language shall
Proclaim in public, there 's no God at all : fit. The stars-are watched as narrowly as o\diBess
What then are they,nay fools in whatdegree, watched her daughter that thou may*st be ac
Whose actions shaU maintain 'tl-Such fools are we. quainted with their motions, and told a tale of
Winkat smallfaults—remember thouhastgreat ones, their influences and effects, which may do thee
^t to pleasethyself, but dress to please others. more good than a dream of last year's snow.
Searchothers for their virtues,thyself for thy vices. Ignorant men wonder how we astrologers
Never sparethe parson'swine, nor baker's pudding. foretell the weather so exactly unless we deal
Bach yearonevicious habitrooted out. with the old black devil. Alas ! *t is as easy
Intimeîght make the worst man goJ)d throughout. as . For instance ; The stargazer
Ready for OLD RAGS may be had ofthe printer peeps at the heavens thro* a long glass : He
hereof; bywhom ts made and sold very good sees perhaps Taurus or the great bull, in a
LAMPSLA CK,
88 ©oor IRIcbarD for 1730 poor 1Ricbar5 for 1739 89
mighty chase, stamping on the floor of his Besides the usual things expected in an alma
house, swinging his tail about, stretching out nack, I hope the professed teachers of mankind
his neck, and opening wide his mouth. 'T is will excuse my scattering here and there some
natural from these appearances to judge that instructive hints in matters of morality and re
this furious bull is puffing, blowing and roar ligion.—And be not thou disturbed, O grave
ing. Distance being considered and time al and sober reader, if among the many serious
lowed for all this to come down,—there you sentences of my book, thou findest me trifling
have wind and thunder.—He spies perhaps now and then and talking idly.—In all the
Virgo (or the virgin) she turns her head round dishes I have hitherto cooked for thee, there
as it were to seeif anybody.observed her ; then is solid meat enough for thy money. There are
crouching down gently, with her hands on her scraps from the table of wisdom, that will if
knees, she looks wistfully for a while right for weU digested yield strong nourishment to th}'
ward.* He judges rightly what she 's about; mind. But squeamish stomachs cannot eat
andhaving calculated the distance and allow'd without pickles ; which 't is true are good for
time for its falling, finds that next spring we nothing else, but they provoke an appetite.
shall have a fine April shower. What can be The vain youth that reads my almanack for
more natur^ and easy than this?—I might in the sake of an idle joke, will perhaps meet
stance the like in. many other particulars ; but with a serious reflection, that he may ever
^ may be sufficient to prevent our being after be the better for.
taken for conjurors.—O, the wonderful knowl Some people observing the great yearly de
edge to be found in the stars!-Even the small mand for my almanack, imagine I must by this
est things are written there, if you had butskill time have become rich, and consequently ought
to read. When my brother/—erected a to call myself Poor Dick no longer. But, the
scheme to know which was best for his sick case is this, when I first begun to publish, the
horse, to sup a nevj-laid egg, or a little broth, printer made a fair agreement with me for my
he found that the stars gave their verdict for copies, by virtue of which he runs away with
broth, and the horse having sup'd his broth ; thegreatest part of the profits. However, much
Now, what do you think became good may't do him ;—I do not grudge it him ;
of that horse P—You shall know in my next. he is a man I have a great regard for, and wish
go Ipoor IRicbarb fo.t 1730 poor IRfcbarO for 1739 91
his profit ten times greater than it is. For I am, MARCH.
dear reader, his, as well as thy Thus with kind words, squire Kdward cheer'd his friend;
Affectionate friend, Dear Dick / thou on my friendship maj'^'st depend ;
I know thy fortune is but very scant;
R. SAUNDHRS.
But, be assur'd, I '11 ne'er see Dick in want.
Dick's soon conlin'd,—his friend no doubt would free
Very good LAMPBLACK, made and sold by him :
the printer hereof. His word he kept,—in want he ne'er would see him.
He that pays for work before it's done, has but a pen
JANUARY.
nyworth for two pence.
Giles JoU^ as sleeping in his cart he lay, Historians relate, not so much what is done, as what
Some pilfering villains stole his team away ; they would have believed.
Giles wakes and cries,—What's here ? a dickens, what ?
O malster! break that cheating peck ; 't is plain.
'VSThy, how now ?—Âm I Giles ? or am I not ?
If lie, I've lost six g-eldings, to my smart; Whene'er you use it you 're a knave in Grain.
If not, odds buddikins, I've found a cart. APRIL.
When death puts out our flame, the snuff will tell For's country Codnis suffer'd by the sword.
If we are wax, or tallow by the smell. And, by his death, his country's fame restor'd ;
Caesar into his mother's bosom bare
At a great penny worth, pause a while. Fire, sword, and all the ills of civil war:
ASto his v^QyJohn minds St. Paul, he's one that hath Codrus confirm'd his country's wholesome laws ;
a wife, and is as if he'd none. CcBsar in blood still justified his cause ;
Kingrs and bears often worry their keepers. Yet following kings ne'er 'dopted Codrus' name,
But Ossar, still, and emperor 's the same.
FEBRUARY.
Doll learning propria qticBmaribus without book,
I/jrd if our days befew^ why do we spend, I/ike nomen crescentisgenitivo doth look.
And lavish them to such an evil end ?
Or why if they be evil^ do we wrong Grace thou thy house, and let not that gfrace thee.
Ourselves and thee, in wishing them so long ? Thou cans't not joke an enemy into a friend, but thou
Our days decrease, our evils still renew, may'^st a friend into an enemy.
We make them ill, thou kindly mak'st ^yes and Priests,—Bear no tests.
If thou would'st live long, live well ; for folly and MAY.
^ckedness shorten life. Think bright Florella, when you see,
Trust thyself, and another shall not betray thee. The constant changes of the year,
92 iPoor "IRtcbatD for 1739 Ipoor IRlcbact) for 1739 93
That nothing is from ruin free, Two wives I had, but, ah ! that joy is past!
The gayest things must disappear. Who breath'd upon those fatal boughs their last.
Think of your beauties in their bloom. The best in all the row, without dispute.
The spring of sprightly youth improve ; Says IVill—Wouldmine but bear such precious fruit!
For cruel age, alas, will come. When next you prune your orchard, save for me
And then't will be too late to love. (I have a spouse) one cyon of that tree.
He that falls in love with himself, will have no rivals.
A modern wit is one of David's fools.
Iêt thy child's first lesson be obedience, and the sec
ond will be what thou wilt. No resolution of repenting hereafter, can be sincere.
Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never PoUio who values nothing that's within,
be disappointed. Buys books as men hunt beavers—for their skin.
Rather go to bed supperless than run in debt for a Honour thy father and mother, i. e. Iîve so as to be an
breakfSast. honour to them tho' they are dead.
JUNE.
On his late deafness.
Deaf, giddy, helpless, left alone. Ships sailing down Delaware bay this moiitli,
To all my friends a burthen gôwn, shall hear at ten leagues distance, a confused
No more I hear a great church bell. rattling noise, like a shower of hail upon a cake
Than if it rung out for my knell:
At thunder now no more I start,
of ice. Don't be frighted good passengers ! the
Than at the whispering of sailors can inform you, that it is nothing but
Nay what's incredible, alack ! lower county teeth in the ague. In a southerly
I hardly hear my BridgeVs clack. wind you may hear it in Philadelphia.
Iêt thy discontents be secrets. Witness G. L. M. cum multis aliis.
A man of knowledge like a rich soil, feeds
If not a world of corn, a world of weeds. If thou injurest conscience, it will have its revenge on
An infeUible remedy for toothache, viz.—Wash the root thee.
of an aching tooth, in Elder vinegar, and let it dry half Hear no ill of a friend, nor speak any of an enemy.
an hour in the sun; after which it will never ache more. Pay what you owe, and you '11 know what is your own.
JXTLY. Be not niggardly of what costs thee nothing, as cour
tesy, counsel, and countenance.
Says George to William—Neighbour, have a care.
Touch not that tree—'t is sacred to despair ; Thirst after desert—not reward.
94 ©oot 1Rfcbac& for 1739 Ipoor IR(cbart) for 1730 95
SEPTEMBER. He says't is to preserve his health,

The sun now clear, serene the fjolden skies, But means by it his store.
Where'er you go, fast the shadowflies; I^t Freeman but the world invite
A cloud succeeds; the sunshine now is o'er, To dine on good chaoxgratisy
The fleetingphantom fled, is seen no more ; Then he will gorge like half-starved wight
With your bright day, its progress too does end : And cram his niinqttam salts.
See here, vain man ! the picture of thy friend.
Nor is a duty beneficial because it is commanded, but
Beware of him that is slowto anger: He is angry for it is commanded because it is beneficial.
something, and will not be pleased for nothing. A . . . they say has wit; for what ?
No longer virtuous, no longer free, is a maxim as true For writing? No,—for writing not.
with regard to a private person as a commonwealth. George came to the crown without striking a blow.
Wênman andwoman die, as poetssung. Ah!—quoth the Pretender, would I could do so.
His heart's thelastpart moves,—her last,the tongue.
DECEMBER.
OCTOBER. In travel, pilgfrims oft do ask to know
What legions of fables and whimsical tales What miles they've gone, and what they have to go ;
Pass current for gospel where priestcraft prevails I The way is tedious, and their limbs opprest.
Our ancestors were thus most strangely deceiv'd. And their desire is to be at rest.
What stones and nonsense for truth they believ'd. In life's more tedious journey, man delays
But we their wise sons, who these fables reject, T' enquire out the number of his days ;
^v'n truth now-a-days,are too apt to suspcct; He cares, not he, how slow his hours spend.
Ifrom beUevirig too much, the right faith we let fall; The journey's better than the journey's end.
So now we believe,—.'troth,—nothing at all.
Proclaim not all thou knowest, all thou owest, all thou O I/azy bones ! Dost thou think God would have given
thee arms and legs, if he had not design'd thou should'st
hast, nor all thou can'st.
use them.
Iêt our fathers and grandfathers be valued for ikeir
goodness, ourselves for our own. On the Zaa/.—Nigh neighbour to the squire, poor Sam
complain'd
Industry need not wish. Of frequent wrongs, but no amends he gain'd.
Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, but it is for âch day his gates thrown down ; his fences broke.
bidden because it is hurtful. And injur'd still the more, the more he spoke ;
At last, resolv'd his potent foe to awe,
NOVEMBER. A suit against him he began in law ;
Pinchall, possessing heaps of wealth, Nine happy terms thro' all the forms he run,
I/ives miserably poor; Obtain'd his cause—^had costs—and was undone.
96 poor IRfcbarO for 1739 Ipoor IRlcbarC) for 1730 97
A cure for poetry.—Seven wealthy towns contend for your barnacles, and carefully observe every
Homer dead,
Thro' which the living Homer beg'd his bread. scruple of what I 'm going to tell you.
Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are Of the GOI.DEN NUMBER.
really and truly of no great use ; a right heart exceeds
all. The Golden number, non est i?ive7ttus, I can
not find it this year by any calculation I have
A TRTO PR0G3Sr0STlCATI01sr FOR I739.
made. I must content myself with a number
Courteous R:eADER, of copper. No matter, go on.
Having considered the infinite abuses arising
from the false prognostications published among Of the ECWPSKS this year.
you, made under the shadow of a pot of drink, There are so many invisible eclipses this
or, so, I have here calculated one of the most year, that I fear, not unjustly, our pockets will
sure and unerring that ever was seen in black suffer inanition, be full empty, and our feeling
and white, as hereafter you '11 find. For doubt at a loss.—During the first visible eclipse Saturn
less it is a heinous, foul and crying sin, to is retrograde : For which reason the crabs will
deceive the poor gaping world, greedy of the go sidelong, and the ropemakers backward.
knowledge of futurity as we Americans all are. The belly will wag before, and the shall
Take notice by the by, that having been at a sit down first. Merctiry will have his share in
great deal of pains in the calculation, if you these affairs, and so confound the speech of the
don't believe every syllable, jot and tittle of it, people, that when a Pennsylvafiian would say
you do me a great deal of wrong; for which PAisrXHEiR he shall say painter.—When a New
either here or elsewhere, you may chance to be Yorker thinks to say This he shall say Diss,
claw'd ofif with a vengeance.—A good cowskin, and the people in New England and Cape JMay
crabtree, or bull's pizzle may be plentifully be will not be able to say cow for their lives, but
stow'd on youjT outward man. You may snuff will be forc'd to say KEOW by a certain involun
up your noses as much as you please, 't is all tary twist in the root of their tongues. No
one for that. Connecticut man, nor 3farylander will be able
Well, however, come, smite your noses my to open his mouth this year, but SIR shall be
little children ; pull out yoiu* best eyes, on wi' the .first or last syllable he pronounces, and
98 ©oor IRicbarD for 1739 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1739 99
sometimes both.—Brutes shall speak in many Of the :fruits of the earth.

places, and there will be above seven and twenty I find that this will be a plentiful year of all
irregular verbs made this year, if Grammar banner of good things, to those who have
don't interpose.—But who can help these mis enough; but the orange trees in G^-eentand
fortunes.
'îll go near to fare the worse for the cold.—
to oats, they *11 be a great help to horses. I
Of ihe DISEJASES this year. ^^re say there won't be much more bacon than
Swine. Meracry somewhat threatens our pars
This year the stone-blind shall see but very
ley beds, yet parsley will be to be had for
little i the deaf shall hear but poorly ; and the
money. Hemp will grow faster than the chil-
dtimb sha'n't speak very plain. And it *smuch, ên of this age, and some will find there's too
if my Dame Bridget talks at all this year. much on 't. As for corn, fruit, cyder and
Whole flocks, herds, and droves of sheep, swine
^niips, there never was such plenty as will be
and oxen, cocks and hens, ducks and drakes, iiow ; if poor folks may have their wish.
geese and ganders shall go to pot; but the
mortality will not be altogether so great among Of the CONDITION ofsome countries.
cats, dogs and horses. As to old age't will be I FORHSKK an universal droughth this year
incurable this year, because of the years past. thro' all the northern colonies. Hence there
And towards the fall some people will be seiz'd will be dry rice in CarolinUy dry tobacco in
with an unaccountable inclination to roast and Virginia and Maryland^ dry bread in Pennsyt-
eat their own ears : Should this be calPd mad vania and New York; and in New England
ness, Doctors? I think not. But the worst dry fish and dry doctrine. Dry throats will be
disease of all will be a certain most horrid, every where ; but then how pleasant it will be
dreadful, malignant, catching, perverse and to drink cool cyder 1 tho' some will tell you
odious malady, almost epidemical, insomuch nothing is more contrary to thirst.—I believe it,
that many shall run mad upon it; I quake for and indeed, contraria^ contrariis curantur,
very fear when I think on 't; for I assure you
R. SAUNDBRS.
very few will escape this disease; which is
called by the learned Albrofnazar Lacko^mony-
Ipoor TRfcbarD for 1740
guises ; of which indeed I should have taken

little or no notice, if you had not at the same
time accused me as a false predictor ; an asper
sion that the more affects me, as my whole
livelyhood depends on a contrary character.
But to put this matter beyond dispute, I shall
POOR RICHARD FOR [740. acquaint the world with a fact, as strange and
surprising as it is true ; being as follows, viz.—
On the 4th instant, towards midnight as I sat
PREFACE. in my little study writing this Preface, I fell fast
asleep; and continued in that condition for
Courteous Reader, some time, without dreaming any thing, to my
Youmayremember that in my first Alman- knowledge. On awaking, I found lying before
ack published for theyear 1733,1 predicted the me the following, viz.—
death ofmy dear friend. Titan Leeds, Philomat,
to happen that yearonthe 17th day of October, Dear Friend Saunders,
3 n. 29 m. p. M. The goodman, it seems, died My respect for you continues even in this
accordmgly. ButW. B. and A. B. have con- separate state, and I am grieved to see the asper-
tmued to publish Almanacks in his name ever sions thrown on you by the malevole7ice of
since ; asserting for someyears that he was still avaricious publishers of Almanacks, who envy
living; At length when the truth could no your success.—They say your prediction of my
longer be concealed from the world, they con death in 1733 was false, and they pretend that I
fess his death in their Almanack for 1739, but remained alive many years after. But I do
pretend that he diednot till last year, and that hereby certify, that I did actually die at that
before his departure he had furnished them time, precisely at the hour you mentioned, with
with calculations for 7 years to come.—Ah my a variation only of ^ min, 53 sec, which must be
friends, these are poor shifts and thin'dis- allowed to be no great matter in such cases,—
And I dofurther declare that Ifurnished them
Yorr^hiuilpW^®^ Bradford, printers in New with 710 calculations of the planets motions, &c.
100
I02 Ipoot TRicbarD tor 1740 Ipoor IRfcbarD for 1740 103
seven years after my death, as they are pleased old jFrie7id W. B t shall be sober 9 hours,
to give out : so that the stuffthey publish as an to the asto7iishme7it of all his 7ieighbours :—
Almanack in my name is no more 7ni7ie thaî A7id about the sa77ie ti77te TV. B. a7id A. B. zvill
V is yours. publish a7tother Al7na7tack in 77ty 7ia77te^ in
You zvill wonder perhaps, how this paper spight of truth and common se7tse.
comes 7vritte7t on your table. You must know As I ca7i see 77tuch clearer i7itofuturity, si7ice
that no separate spirits are U7ider any co7Pjine- ^ ôt f-ee from the dark priso7i offiesh, i7i
ment till after the final settlement of all ac which I was co7iti7mally 7710tested and ahnost
counts. In the meanti^ne we wander where we blinded zvith fogs arising fro77i tiff, a7td the
please, visit our old friends, observe their ac smoke of bur7it dra77is ; I shall i7i kind7iess to
tions, enter sometimes into their imagmations, you, freque7itly give you i7iformatio7i of things
andgive them hints waking orsleeping that may to co77ie, for the i7nprove77ie7it of your Ahna-
be of advantage to them. Finding you asleep, 7iack : bei7ig. Dear Dick, Your Affectionate
I entered your left nostril, ascended into your Friend,
brain, found out where the ends of those nerves T. LEEDS.
were fastened that move your right hand and For my own part I am convinced that the
fingers, by the help of which I am now writi7ig above letter is genuine. If the reader doubts of
unknown to you ; but whe^t you open yotcr eyes it, let him carefully observe the three sig7is ;
you will see that the hand writtefi is mine, tho^ and if they do not actually come to pass, believe
wrote with yours. as he pleases.
The people of this infidel age, perhaps, will I am his humble Friend,
hardly believe this story. But you may give R. SA und:^rs.
them these three signs by which they shall be
convinced of the truth of it.—Abotct the middle
OF ]eci,IPSEJS FOR I740.
of June next, f . f n, Philof7tat, shall be
openly reconciled to the Churcli of Rome, and There will be six Eclipses this year, &c. &c.
give all his goods and chattels to the chappel, &c. Some of these Kclipses foreshowgreat grief
being peTêTded by a certain country school and many tears among the soft sex this year;
master.—On the ^th (^Septemberfollowing my whether for the breaking of their crockery ware.
I04 fiôor IRicbarD tor 1740 ipooc TRlcbatD for 1740 los
the loss of their loves, or in repentance for their Yet not so safe, but Mr. Surplice views
sins, I shall not say : tho' I must own I think frolic, and demands his pilfer'd dues.
there will be a great deal of the latter in the No, quoth the man, good Doctor, I '11 non suit y',
A plain default, I found you off your duty ?
case.—War we shall hear but too much of (for More carefully the holy book survey :
all Christians have not yet learn'd to love 07ie Your rule is, you should watch as well as pray.
another), and, I doubt, of some ineffectual Happy that Nation,-fortunate that age, whosehistory
treaties of peace. I pray Heav'n defend these is not diverting.
Colonies from every enemy ; and give them What is a Butterfly ?—at best he's but a catterpillar
bread enough, peace enough, money enough, drest.—The gaudy Fop's his picture just.
and plenty of good cyder. None are deceived, but they that confide.
JANUARY.
When Pharoah's sins provok'd th' Almighty's hand,
My sickly spouse, with many a sigh To pour his wrath upon the guilty land ;
Once told me,—Dicky^ I shall die : A ten fold plague the great avenger shed,
I griev'd, but recollected strait, The King offended, and the nation bled.
'T was bootless to contend with fate : Hads't thou, unaided, Feria, but been sent.
So resignation to Heaven's will Vial elect, for PharoaJVs punishment.
Prepar'd me for succeeding ill; Thro' what a various curse the wretch had run.
was well it did ; for on my life, He more than Heaven's ten plagûes had felt in one.
'T was Heav'n's will to spare my wife.
An open foe may prove a curse ;
To bear other people's afflictions, every one has But a pretended friend is worse.
courage and enough to spare. A Wolf eats sheep but now and then.
No wondeir Tom gprows fat, th' unwieldy sinner, makes Ten Thousands are devour'd by men.
his whole life but one continual dinner. Man's tongue is soft, and bone doth lack ;
An empty bag cannot stand upright. Yet a stroke therewith may break a man's back.
FEBRUARY.
While the good priest with eyes devoutly dos'd, Says Roger to his wife, my dear;
Ivcfl on the book the marriage fee expos'd, The strangest piece of news I hear 1
The new made bridegroom his occasion spies, . A law, »t is said, will quickly pass
And pleas'd, repockets up the shining priae; To purge the matrimonial class;
io6 lE>oot 1R(cbar6 (or t740 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1740 107
Cuckolds, if any such we have here, The Man who with undaunted toils,
Must to a man be thro:wTi i' the river. Sails unknown seas to unknown soils,
She smiling cry'd,—Mydear, you seem With various wonders feasts his sight:
SurprizM I Pray han'tyou leam'd to swim ? What stranger wonders does he write ?
Many a meal is lost for want of meat. Fear not death ; for the sooner we die, the longer shall
To all apparent beauties blind we be immortal.
:âch blemish strikes an envious mind. JULY.
The poor have little,—beggars none ; The monarch of long regal line.
The rich too much—enough not one. Was rais'd from dust as frail as mine :
Can he pour health into his veins.
2VIAY. Or cool the fever's restless pains ?—
A carrier every night and morn Can he (worn down in nature's course)
Would see his horses eat their com : New-brace his feeble nerves with force ?
This sunk the hostler's vails, 't is true, Can he (how vain is mortal pow'r !)
But then his horses had their due. Stretch life beyond the destin'd hour ?
Were we so cautious in all cases,
Smallgain wouldrise from greater places. Those who in quarrels interpose,
Must often wipe a bloody nose.
Thereare lazymindsas wellas lazy bodies. ' Promises may get thee friends, but non-performance
Tncks and trechery are the practice of foolsthat have will turn them into enemies.
not wit enough to be honest.
In other men we faults can spy,
Who says Jack is not generous?—^he is always fond And blame the mote that dims their eye ;
of giving, and cares not for receiving, ^what ?—why, Each little speck and blemish find ;
advice, To our own stronger errors blind.
JUNE.
How weak, how vain is human pride I The man of pure and simple heart
Dares man upon himself confide ?
Thro' life disdains a double part,
The wretch whogloriesin his gain He never needs the screen
Amasses heaps on heaps in vain.
His inward bosom to disguise.
Canthose(whentortur'd by disease) In vain malicious tongues assail.
Che6r our sick heart, or purchase ease ? I#et envy snarl, let slander rail,
Can thoseprolong onegaspof breath, From virtue's shield (secure from wound)
Or calm the troubled hour of death ? Their blunted venom'd shafts rebound.
io8 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1740 poor IRicbart) for 1740 109
When you speak to a man, look on his eyes ; when he He makes a foe, who makes a jest.
speaks to thee, look on his mouth.
Can g^rave aud formal pass for wise
Jane, why those tears?—why droops your head ? When men the solemn owl despise?
Is then your other husband dead ? Some are justly laught at for keeping their money
Or, doth a worse disgrace betide ? foolishly, others for spending it idly : He is the great
Hath no one since his death apply'd ? est fool that lays it out in a purchase of repentance.
Observe all men ; thyself most.
NOVEMBER.
SEPTEMBER. Old Socrates was obstinately good,

We frequently misplace esteem Virtuous by force, by inclination lewd.
By judging men by what they seem. When secret movements drew his soul aside.
With partial eyes we 're apt to see, He quell'd his lust, and stemmUi the swelling tide ;
The man of noble pedigree. Sustain'd by reason still, unmov'd he stood.
To birth, wealth, power, we should allow And steady bore agrainst th' opposing flood.
He durst correct what nature form'd amiss,
Precedence, and our lowest bow :
In that is due distinction shown ; And forc'd unwilling virtue to be his.
Esteem is Virtue^s right alone. Who knows a fool, must know his brother;
For one will recommend another.
Thou hadst better eat salt with the philosophers of
Greece, than sugar with the courtiers of Italy. Avoid dishonest gain : no price,
Can recompence the pangs of vice.
Seek Virtue, and of that possest.
To Providence resigli the rest. When befriended, remember it:
When you befriend,—forget it.
Marry above thy niatch, and thou 'It get a master.
Great souls with generous pity melt;
Fear to do ill, ^d you need fear nought else. Which coward tyfants never felt.
DECEMBER.
What's beauty ?—Call ye that your own, O blessed season I lov'd by saints and sinners,
A flow'r that fades as soon as blown ! For long devotions, or for longer dinners ;
Those eyes of so divine a ray, More grrateful still to those who deal in books,
What are they ? Mould'ring, mortal clay, Now not with readers, but with pastry cooks:
Those features cast in heav'nly mould. lyeam'd works, despis'd by those to merit blind.
Shall, like my coarser earth, grow old ; By these well weigh'd, their certain value find.
Iîke common grass, the fairest flow'r Bless'd lot of paper, falsely called waste.
Must feel the hoary season's power. To bear those cates which authors seldom taste.
no Ipoor IRicbarD tor 1740
l^mploy thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure.

A flatterer never seems absurd :
The flatter'd always takes his word.
X<end money to an enemy, and thou 'It gain him ; to a
friend, and thou 'It lose him.
Neither praise nor dispraise, till seven Christmasses be
over.
I know you lawyers can, with ease. [PREFACE OMITTED.]

Twist words and meanings as you please ;
That language, by your skill made pliant, JANUARY.
Will bend to favour every client; Your homely face, Flippanta, you disguise
That't is the fee directs the sense With patches, numerous as Argus' eyes :
To make out either side's pretence : I own that patching 's requisite for you :
When you peruse the clearest case. For more we 're pleas'd, if less your face we view :
You see it with a double face, Yet I advise, if my advice you'd ask.
For scepticism *s your profession ; Wear btU one patch : but be that patch a mask.
You hold there's doubt in all expression.
Hence is the Bar with fees supplied.
Enjoy the present hour, be mindful of the past;
And neither fear nor wish the approaches of the last,
Hence eloquence takes either side.
Your hand would have but paltry gleaning. lycarn of the skilful: He that teaches himself, hath £
Could every man express his meaning. fool for his master.
Who dares presume to pen a deed, FEBRUARY.
Unless you previously are fee'd ? The cringing train of pow'r survey ;
*T is drawn, and, io augment the cost^ What creatures are so low as they !
In dull prolixity engrost : With what obsequiousness they bend !
And now we 're well secur'd by law, To what vile actions condescend !
Till the next brotherfind a fiazt/. Their rise is in their meanness built,
And flattery is their smallest gûilt.
Best is the tongue that feels the rein ;
He that talks much, talks in vain ;
We from the wordy torrent fly :
Who listens to the chattering Pye ?
112 ©oor 1Rfcbar& for t74l poor mfcbarft for I74t 113
Think Cato sees thee.

No wood without bark. Fair decency, celestial maid,
Descend from Heav'n to beauty's aid :
MARCH. Tho' beauty may beget desire,
l^nrag'd was Buckram, when his wife he beat, 'T is thou must fan the lover's fire :
That she'd so oflen, lousy knave repeat. ' For beauty, like supreme dominion.
At length he seized and drag'd her to the well, Is but supported by opinion :
I '11 cool thy tong-ue, or I '11 thy courage quell. If decency bring no supplies.
Ducking, thy case, poor Buckram, little mends ; Opinion falls and beauty dies.
She liad her lesson at her fingers' ends.
SowS'd over head, her arms she raises high ; Turn Turk, Tim, and renounce thy faith in words as
And cracking nails the want of tongue supply. well as actions : Is it worse to follow Mahomet than the
Devil?
Monkeys, warm with envious spite, Don't overload gratitude; if you do, she '11kick.
Their most obliging friends will bite :
Be always ashamed to catch thyself idle.
And fond to copy human ways.
Practice new mischiefs all their days. JUNE.
Joke went out and brought home his fellow, and they When painful Colin in his grave was laid.
two began a quarrel. His mournful wife this lamentation made :
I 've lost, alas I (poor wretch, what must I do ?)
The best of friends, and best of husbands too.
Rash, mortals, e'er you take a wife. Thus of all joy and happiness bereft:
Contrive your pile to last for life : And with the charge of ten poor children left;
On sense and worth your passion found. A greater grief no woman sure can know.
By decency cemented round ; Who (with ten children)—who will have me now?
Iêt prudence with good-nature strive,
To keep esteem and love alive ; Where yet was ever found the mother,
Then, come old age whene'er it will, Who'd change her booby for another?
Your friendship shall continue still. At 20 years of age the will reig^ns; at 30 the wit; at 40
the judgement.
I^t thy discontents be thy secrets ;—if the world knows
them't will despise thee and increase them. Christianity commands us to pass by injuries ; policy,
to let them pass by us.
E'er you remark another's sin,
Bid your own conscience look within. JULY.
Anger and folly walk cheek by jole ; repeptance treads Nature expects mankind should share
on both their heels. The duties of the publick care.
8
114 ff»ooc IRfcbarb for 1741 poor tRfcbarl) for 1741 115
• Who's born for sloth ? To some we find And when in all his glory drest.
The plough-share's annual toil assigned; Owes to the loom his royal vest;
Some at the sounding anvil glow; Do not the mason's toil and care
Some the swifl gliding shuttle throw ; Protect him from th' inclement air?
Some, studious of the wind and tide, Does not the cutler's art supply
From pole to pole our commerce gruide, The ornament that guards his thigh ?
I<ying rides upon debt's back.
Bess brags she 's a beauty, and can prove the same :
They who have nothing to be troubled at, will be As how ? Why thus, sir, 't is her puppy's name.
troubled at nothing.
Up, sluggard, and waste notlife; in the grave will be
Wife, from thy spouse each blemish hide, sleeping enough.
More than from all the world beside :
Well done, is twice done.
I^t Decency be all thy pride.
Clearly spoken, Mr. Fogg ! You explain English by
AUGUST. Greek.
Some (taught by industry) impart

With hands and feet the works of art;
While some, of genius more refined, All these in duty, to the throne
With head and tongues assist mankind ; Their common obligations own.
Kach aiming at one common end 'T is he (his own and people's cause)
Proves to the whole a needful friend. Protects their properties and laws :
Thus, bom each other's useful aid, Thus they their honest toil employ.
By turns are obligations paid. And with content the fruits enjoy,
In every rank, or great or small,
Nick's passions g^row fat and hearty : his understand 'T is Industry supports us all.
ing looks consumptive !
If evils come not, then our fears are vain ; Formio bewails his sins with the same heart.
And if they do, fear but augments the pain. As friends do friends when they 're about to part.
If you would keep your secret from an enemy, tell it Believe it, Formio will not entertain
not to a fiiend. One cheerful thought till they do meet again.
Rob not for burnt oflferings. Honours change manners.
SEPTEMBER. NOVEMBER.
The Monarch, when his table 's spread. Syl. dreamt that bury'd in his fellow day.
To th' farmer is oblig'd for bread ; Close by a common beggar's side he lay :
ii6 ©oor 1Ricbar& for I74t Ipoor IRtcbarO for 1741 117
And, as so mean a neighbour shock'd his pride, COURTS.

Thus, like a corpse ofconsequence, he cry'd; He that by injury is griev'd,
Scoundrel, begone ; and henceforth touch me not: And goes to law to be relieved,
More manners leam ; and, at a distance, rot. Is sillier than a sottish chouse,
How ! scoundrel*! in a hautier tone cry'd he ; Who, when a thief has robb'd his house.
Proud Itmip of dirt, I scorn thy words and thee : Applies himself to cunning men
Here all are equal; now t^ case is mine ; To help him to his goods again :
This is my rotting place, and that is thine. When, all he can expect to gain.
Is but to squander more in vain.
Jack eating rotten cheese, did say, For lawyers, lest the Bear defendant,
Iîke Samson I my thousands slay : And plaintiff Dog should make au end on't.
I vow, quoth Roger, so you do, Do stave and tail with writs of error.
And with the self-same weapon too. Reverse ofjudgment and demurrer.
There are no fools so troublesome as those that have To let them breathe a-while, and then,
wit. Cry whoop, and set them on again ;
Quarrels never could last long. Until, with subtil cobweb cheats.
If on one side only lay the wrong. In which, when once they are embrangl'd,
The more they stir the more they 'retangl'd
DKCEMBER.
For while their purses can dispute,
There's no end of th' immortal suit.
On a Bee, stifled in honey.
From flower to flower, with eager pains,

See the poor busy lab'rer fly !
When all that from her toil she gains.
Is, in the sweets she hoards, to die.
'T is thus, would man the truth believe.
With life's soft sweets, each favorite joy:
If we taste wisely, they relieve ;
But if we plunge too deep, destroy.
Iêt no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no

ambition corrupt thee, no example sway thee, no persua
sion move thee, to do any thing which thou k nowest to
be evil; so shalt thou always live jollily; for a good con
science is a continual Christmas. Adieu.
Ipoor IRicbarb for 174^ 119
deceased, was raised, and mad6 to abuse his old

friend. Both authors and printers were angry.
Hard names, and many were bestowed on me.
They denied nie to be the author of my ozvn
works ; declared there never was any such per
son ; asserted that I was dead sixty years ago ;
prognosticated my death to happen within a
POOR RICHARD FOR 1742. twelvemonth ; with many other malicious in
consistencies, the effects of blind passion, envy
at my success, and a vain hope of depriving me,
dear reader, of thy wonted countenance and
PREFACE). favor. Who knows him ? they cry ; where does
he live ? But what is that to them ? If I de
Courteous Reader, light in a private life, have they any right to
This is the ninth year of my endeavours to drag me out of my retirement? T have good
serve thee in the capacity of a calendar-writer. reasons for concealing the place of my abode.
The encouragement I have met with must be It is time for an old man, as I am, to think of
ascribed in a great measure to your charity, ex preparing for his great remove. The perpetual
cited by the open, honest declaration I made teasing of both neighbours and strangers to cal
of my poverty at my first appearance. This my culate nativities, give judgement on schemes,
brother Philomaths could,-without being conju and erect figures, discover thieves, detect horse-
rors, discover ; and Poor Richard's success has stealers, describe the route of runaways and
produced ye a Poor Willy and a Poor Robin; strayed cattle ; the crowd of visitors with a
and no doubt a PoorJohny&.c,y will follow, and thousand trifling questions. Will my ship re
we shall all be, in namCy what some folks say turn safe ? Will my mare win the race ? Will
we are already in facty a parcel of pooralmanac- her next colt be a pacer ? When will my wife
makers, Duringthe course of these nine years, * die ? Who shall be my husband ? a7id HO W
what buffetings have I not sustained ! The LONG first? When is the best time to cut
fraternityhavebeen all in arms. Honest Titan^ hairy trim cockSy or sow salad? these and the
118
I20 poor TRfcbarD for 1742 ©oor IRlcbarO for 1742
like impertinences I have now neither taste nor tainly no Protestant. I could heartily wish
leisure for. I have had enough of them. All your religion were as good as your verses.
that these angry folks can say will never pro RICHARD SAUNDKRS.*
voke me to tell them where I live ; I would eat
JANUARY.
my nails first.
My last adversary is J, J Philomaty who Foot, Horse and Waggons, now cross Rivers, dry.
And Ships unmov'd, the boistrous Winds defy,
declares andprotests (in his preface, 1741) that In frozen Climes ; when all conceal'd from Sight,
thefalse prophecy put m my Almanac, concern The pleasing Objects that to Verse invite ;
ing him, the year before, is altogether false and The Hills, the Dales, and the delightful Woods,
untrue, and thatI am one ofBaaV sfalseprophets. The Howry Plains, and Silver-streaming Floods,
By Snow disguis'd, in bright Confusion lie,
This false, false prophecy he speaks of related And with one dazling Waste fatigue the Eye.
to his reconciliation with the Church of Rome ;
Strange I that a Man who has wit enough to write a
which notwithstanding his declaring and pro Satjrr ; should have folly enough to publish it.
testing, is, I fear, too true. Two things in his He that hath a Trade, hath an Estate.
elegiac verses confirm me in this suspicion. In the preface of "The American Almanack" for
He calls the first of November All-Hallows 1743 John Jerman wrote :
*• To the RKADKRS, Here is presented to your View
Day. Reader, does it in the least savour of the and Service an Almanack for the Year 1^3 according to
pure language of friends? But the plainest my yearly Method, so I hope it needs no Explanation. I
have put down the Judgment of the Weather as usual,
thing is his adoration of saints, which he con and as I find the Aspects and Positions of the Planets to
simifie ; but no Man can be infallible therein, by reason
fesses to be his practice in these words, page 4, of the many contrary Causes happening at or near the
same Time, and the inconstancy of the Summer Showers
and Gusts, being veiy often great Rain Hail and Thun
When any trouble did me befall, der in one Place, and none at all in another Place within
a few Miles distance. However, I think mine comes as
To my dear Mary then I would call." near the Matter as any other if not nearer.
" The Reader m^ expect a Reply from me to R
S-—-rs alias B ns facetious Way of proving me
Did he think the whole world so stupid as not no Protestant. I do hereby protest, that for that and such
kind of Usage the Printer of that witty Performance
to take notice of this ? So ignorant as not to shall not have the Benefit of my Almanack for this Year.
know that all Catholics pay the highest regard To avoid further Contention, and judging it unnecessary
to offer any Proofs to those of my Acquaintance that I
to the Virgin Mary? Ah, fidend fohn, we am not a Papist, I shall with these few Iînes conclude,
must allow you to be a poet, but you are cer- ReacSrs what I think more agreeable to my
JOHN JERMAN."
122 Ipoor iRfcbarD for 1742 Ipooc IRicbacD tor 1742 123
Have you somewhat to do to-raorrow ; do it to-day. APRIL.
FEBRUARY. The Winter spent,feels the Poet's Fire,

The Sun advances, and the Fogs retire :
James ne'er will be prefer'd ; he cannot bow
And cringe beneath a supercilious Brow ;
The genial Spring unbinds the frozen Earth,
Dawns on the trees, and gives the Prim-rose Birth.
He cannot fawn, his stubborn Soul recoils
At Baseness, for his Blood too highly boils.
I«oos'd from their Friendly Harbours, once again,
A Courtier must be supple, full of Guile,
Our floating Forts assemble on the Main ;
The Voice of War the gallant Soldier wakes ;
Must leam to praise, to flatter, to revile
And weeping Cloe parting Kisses takes.
The Good, the Bad ; an ^nemy, a Friend ;
To give false hopes, and on false Hopes depend.
Ben beats his Pate, and fancys wit will come ;
No workman without tools, But he may knock, there's nobody at home.
Nor lawyer without Fools, The good Spinner hath a large Shift.
Can live by their Rules. Tom, vain's your Pains ; They all will fail:
The painful Preacher, like a candle bright. Ne'er was good Arrow made of a Sow's Tail.
Consumes himself in giving others lyight.
MAY.
Speak and speed : the close mouth catches no flies.
What knowing Judgment, or what piercing Eye,
Can MAN'S mysterious Maze of Falsehood try ?
As honest Hodge the Farmer sow'd his Field, Intriguing MAN, of a suspicious Mind,
Chear'd with the Hope of future Gain't would yield, MAN only knows the Cunning of his Kind ;
Two upstart Jacks in Office, proud and vain. With equal Wit can counter-work his Foes,
Come riding by, and thus insult the Swain : And Art with Art, and Fraud with Fraud oppose.
You drudge and sweaty and labour here, Old Boy, Then heed ye FAIR, e'er you their Cunning prove.
But we the Fruit ofyour hard Toil enjoy. And think of Treach'ry, while they talk of Love.
Belike you may, quoth Hodge, and but your Due,
For, Gentlemen, 't is H^MP I'm sowing now.* Empty Freebooters, cover'd with Scorn :
They went out for Health, & came ragged and torn,
Visit your Aunt, but not every Day ; and call at your As the Ram went for Wool, and was sent back shorn.
Brother's, but not every night. Ill Customs & bad Advice are seldom forgotten.
Bis dat, qui cito dat.» He that sows thorns, should not go barefoot.
Money and good Manners make the Gentleman.
JUNE.
1/ate Children, early Orphans.
Sometimes a Man speaks Truth without Design,
He who gives promptly, gives twice as much. As late it happen'd with a Friend of mine.
124 Ipoor TRicbarD for 1742 poor IRicbart) fdr 1742 125
Two reverend Preachers talking-, one declar'd, Thou :^nemy, thou Friend, to Joy, to Grief,
That to preach twice each Sunday was full hard. Thou bring'st me all, and bring'st me no Relief,
Toyou, perJiaps (says t' other), Jbr I suppose. Thou bitter, sweet, thou pleasing, teazing Thing,
That all Men don't with the same Ease compose : Thou Bee, that with thy Honey wears a Sting ;
But I, desiring still my Flock to profit, Some Respite, prithee do, yet do not give,
Freach twice each Sufiday, and make nothing of it. I cannot with thee, nor without thee, live.
Reniego de grillos, aunque Jean d'aro.* He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce
Men meet, mountains never. overtake his business at night.
When Knaves fall out, honest Men get their goods : He that speaks ill of the ISIare, will buy her.
When Priests dispute, we come at the Truth.
You may drive a gift without a gimblet.
JULY. "Efiit few Suppers, and you '11need few Medecines.
Man only from himself can suffer Wrong; o
SEPTEMBER.
His Reason fails as his Desires grow strong :
Hence, wanting Ballast, and too full of Sail, The Reverse.
He lies expos'd to every rising Gale.
Studious of Ease, and fond of humble Things,
From Youth to Age, for Happiness he's bound ;
Below the Smiles, below the Frowns of Kings :
He splits on Rocks, or runs his Bark aground ;
Thanks to my Stars, I prize the Sweets of lyife,
Or, wide oflyand, a desart Ocean views.
And, to the last, the flying Port pursues. " No sleepless Nights I count, no Days of Strife.
I rest, I wake, I drink, I sometimes love,
Kate would have Thomas, no one blame her can : I read, I write, I settle, or I rove ;
Tom won't have Klate, and who can blame the Man ? Content to live, content to die unknown,
I<ord of myself, accountable to none.
A large train makes a light Purse.
. Death takes no bribes. You will be careful, if you are wise ; How you touch
One good Husband is worth two good Wives ; for the men's Religion, or Credit, or Eyes.
scarcer things are the more they 're valued.
After Fish,
AUGUST. Milk do not wish.
The Busy-Man's Picture, Heb Ddnw heb ddim, a Dnw, a digou.*

BCJSINISSS, thou Plagrne and Pleasure of my I/ife, They who have nothing to trouble tlie'm, will be
Thou charming Mistress, thou vexatious Wife ; troubled at nothing.
» âcecrate fetters, notwithstanding Jean d'Arc. ♦ Without God without ougrht. Cod and eiiougli.
127
126 poor IRfcbarD for 1742 Ipooc IRtcbacD fo*t 1742
OCTOBER. DECEMBER.
On him true HAPPINEJSS shall wait
Who shunning" noisy Pomp and State Among the Divines there has been much Debate.
Those little Blessings of the Great Concerning theWorld inits ancient ^
Consults the Golden Mean.
Some say -twasoncegood, but now'f ;
In prosp'rous Galeswith Care he steers, Some say't is refonn'd of the Faults itonce had
Nor adverse Winds, dejected, fears, I say -tisthe best World, this that we now live in,
In ev'ry Turn of Fortune bears Either to lend, or to spend, or to •
A Face and Mind serene.
But to borrow, to beg, or to get aMan s^,
It is the worst World that everwasknown.
Agamst Diseases here, the strongest Fence,
Is the defensive Virtue, Abstinence. Here comes Glib-Tongue : who can out-flatter aDedi
cation ; and lie, like ten Epitaphs.
Fientdechien &marc d'argent,
Seronttout uh au jour dujug-ement.* ** Hope and aRed-Rag, are BaiU for Men an ac
Ifthou dost ai, the joy fades, not the pains ; With the oldAlmanack and the oldYear,
If weU, the pamdoth fade, thejoyremains. l<eave thyold Vices, tho' ever sodear.
NOVEMBER.
Ceha's rich Side-board seldom sees the I<ight,
aean is her Kitchen, andherSpits are bright;
Her Knives and Spoons, all rang'd in evenRows, that the Remedy, /usiice. « The
No Hands molest, norFingers discompose :
Acunous Jack, hungup to please the Hye,
Forever still, whose Flyers never fly : in a melancholy Posture, all in
«
ForCeha unsully'd
dresses shining
nothing, butonherself.
the Shelf;
To err ishuman, to repent divine ; to persist devilish. my Suit; but he was stark naked.
^ Money, Friendship
kesfalse Money makesshow : so.
Man
RXJI<ES OF HEALTH AND I,ONG WFE, AND TO
preserve from mawgnant fevers,
Industry pays Debts, Despair encreases them. and SICKNESS IN GENERAI..
morning fair.
Such doe is, &common astheair. Eat and drink sucli an Exact Quantity as the
Constitution ofthyBody allows of, in reference
Are fi?
all ooneat the dayof'narks
judgement. to the Services of the Mind.
128 poor TRfcbard foe 1742 Ipoor IRtcbarO for 1742 129
To FIND OUT A FIT MEASURE OF MEAT

much as those that work hard, their Digestion
not to eat so
AND DRINK.
being not so good.
If thou eatest so much as makes thee unfit for
eâct Quantity and Quality being found Study, or other Business, thou exceedest the
out, is to bekept to constantly <iê Measure.
asfr^ ® f Whatever, as well If thou art dull and heavy after Meat, it's a
sign thou hast exceeded the due Measure ; for
vLfh avoided. êat and Drink ought to refresh the Body, and
Qnantit^. ^ âke it chearful, and notto dull and oppress it.
for^h1.r contraryforComplexions;
for that which ,s too much a flegmatick If thou findest these ill Symptoms, consider
whether too much Meat, or too much Drink
T^' 'L'' ®"®"ent for a Cholerick. occasions it, orboth, and abate by little and lit
as to be (as nauch
tle, till thou findest theinconveniency removed.
"T proportionate to Keep out ofthe Sight ofFeasts and Banquets
caj^se theStomach digests it. as much as may be; for 't is more difficult to
refrain good Cheer, when it »s present, than
Stomach from the Desire of it when it is away ; the like
the du/w
due Nourishment of the Body sufficeth you may observe inthe Objects of all the other
Senses. . - . ,.
eain®?!?^^"" of some things may be If a Man casually exceeds, let him
next Meal, and all may bewell again, provided
sStirth:^rhS^°"^^^^- it be not too often done ; asif he exceed at Din
MJiL? out an exact ner, let him refrain a Supper, &c.
Atemperate Diet frees from Diseases; such
Necessity ends. are seldom ill, but if they are surprised with
Body and a ® ® liealthy Sickness, theybear it better, and recover sooner;
aUo ;iS acquainted for most Distempers have their Original from
in the first f ^ ^^^ôur Repletion.
jection to Reason ® Appetite into Sub- Usenow and then a little Exercise a quarter
9
I30 ©oor mcbnvb for 1742
of an Hourbefore Meals, as to swing a Weight,
or swingyour Arms about with a small Weight
in eachHand ; to leap, or the like, forthat stirs
the Muscles of the Breast.
A temperate Diet arms the Body against all
external Accidents ; so that they are not so eas
ily [hurt] by Heat, Cold or Labour; if they at
any time should be prejudiced, they are more
easily cured, eitherof Wounds, Dislocations or POOR RICHARD FOR i743-
Bruises.
But when malignant Fevers are rife in the
Country or City where thou dwelst, *t is advise-
able to eat and drink more freely, by Way of preface.
Prevention ; for those are Diseases that are not
caused by Repletion, and seldom attack Full- Fbjendly Reader,
feeders. BECAUSE I would have every Man make
A sober Diet makes a Man die without Pain ; Advantage of the Blessings of Pro^dence, and
it maintains the Senses inVigour ; it mitigates few are acquainted with the Method of^making
the Violence of the Passions and Affections. Wine of the Grapes which grow wild in our
It preserves the Memory, it helps the Under Woods, I do here present them with a few easy
standing, it allays the heat of Iûst; it brings a Directions, drawn from some Years Experience
Man to a Consideration of his latter End ; it which if they will follow, they may f^«h
makes the Body a fitTabernacle for the Lord to themselves with a wholesome sprightly Claret,
dwell in; which makes us happy in this World, which wUl keep for severalYeare.
and eternally happy in the World to come, ferior tothat which passeth for French Claret.
through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Begin to gather Grapes from the loth of Sep.
and having clear'd them of Spider webs, and
dead Leaves, put them into alarge Molasses or
131
132 Ipoor TRlcbart) for 1743 ©oor TRicbarD for 1743 133
Kum-Hogshead; after having washed it weU, Stems and all, the Cask must at least, hold 20
Md knock'd one Head out, fix itupon the other Gallons, for they will yielda Gallon per Bushel.
Head, on aStand, or Blocks in the Cellar, ifyou Your Juice or Must* thus drawn from the Vat,
ave any, if not, in the warmest Part of the proceed to the second Ferment.
House, about 2 Feet from the Ground; as the You must reserve in Jugs or Bottles, i Gallon
Grapes smk, put up more, for 3or 4 Days ; af- or 5 Quarts of the Must to every 20 Gallons you
ter which, get into the Hogshead bare-leg'd, Have to work; which you will use according to
and tread them down until the Juice works up the following Directions.
about your Legs, which will be iu less than half Place your Cask, which must be chock full,
anHow; then getout, and turn theBottom ones "with the Bung up, and open twice every Day,
up, and tread them again, aQuarter ofan Hour; Morning and Night; feed your Cask with the
this will be sufficient to get out the good Juice; reserved Must; twoSpoonfuls at a time willsuf
more pressing wou'd burst the unripe Fruit, and fice, cleaning the Bung aêr you feed it, with
pveit an illTaste. This done, cover the Hogs your Finger oraSpoon, ofthe Grape-Stones and
head close with athick Blanket, and ifyou have other Filth which the Ferment will throw up ;
^ Cellar, and the Weather proves Cold, with you must continue feeding it thus until Chvist-
two. *
ûas^ when you maybung it up, and it will be
In this Manner you must let it take its first fit for Use, or to be rack'd into clean Casks
erment, for 4or5Days it will work furiously; or Bottles, by February.
when the Ferment abates, which you will know
by ite making less Noise, make a Spile-hole N. B. Gather the Grapes after the Dewis oflF,
TOthin SIX Inches of the Bottom, and twice aDay and in all dry Seasons. Let not the Children
draw some in a Glass. When it looks as clear . come at the Must, it will scour them severely.
as Rock-vâter, draw it oflf into a clean, rather If you make Wine for Sale, or to go beyond
of P''°P°'ôning it tothe Contents Sea, onequarter Part mustbe distill'd, and the
Brandy put into the three Quarters remaining.
Hogshead holds twenty Bushels of is,Grapes,
if the
One Bushel of Grapes, heap Measure, as you
* Must is a Namefor the Juice of the Wine before it ts
fermented^ afterwards H is called ivine.
1E>oor 1Rlct)ar5 for 1743 poor TRtcbarJ) for 1743 135
gather them from the Vine, will make at least a MARCH.

Gôn of Wine, ifgood, five Quarts. bad Health, bad Conscience, & Parties dull Strife
Those Directions are not design'd for those ôm an insolent Friend, & a termagant Wife,
•w o Me skill'd in making Wine, but for those ôm the Kindredof such (onone Sideor t' other)
most wisely delight in plaguing each other;
Sttir^ Acquaintance with ôm the "Wretch who can cant, while he Mischief
designs,
ôm old rotten Mills, bank'd Meadows & Mines ;
JANTTARY. ^rom Curses like these if kind Heav'n defends me,
On the Florida War. I '11 nevercomplain ofthe Fortuneit sendsme.
Gjorgiav Augustine the General goes ; prosperous fortunes he modest and wise,
ôm Augusttne to Georgia comes our Foes • "^hegreatestmayfall, and thelowest mayrise:
. Hariyiro^ Charleston to 5/. SimonTÎ^ ' ^^t insolent People thatfall in disgrace,
^re wretchedand no bodypities their Case.
pfrth frZ
Forth from St. SimonsCI^<^rieston back he flies.
then theSpaniards creeo •
Say, Children, Is nofthis your Play, Bo lêp f l*e sage entend §L demi mot.*
Sorrow is dry.
aults, orresolution enough tomend them I

A Parrot is for Prating priz'd.
"e subject to But prattling Women are despis'd ;
invisible. ^ should agree about things She who attacks another's Honour
FEBRUARY. Draws every living Thing upon her.
Deniocritus, dear Droll, revisit Barth • Think, Madam, when you stretch your I/ungs,
That all your Neighbors too have Tongues ;
One Slander fifty will beget;
The World with Interest pays the Debt.
Hurt, can Ilaugh ?and honest, need Ici^. The World is full of fools and faint hearts ; and yet
every one has courage enough to bear the misfortunes*
Mark with what insolence and pride 9^d wisdom enough to manage the Affairs of his neigh
bour.
Asif no toadwas toadbeside. Beware, beware I he '11cheat 'ithout scruple, who can
''nthout fear.
he°w:XT " those most, that * The wise understand half a word.
136 ©oot "RicbatD (or 1743 ©ooc IRicbacO tor t743 137
MAY.
JULY.
The Snoâre gone, and genial Spring once more
New clothes the Meads with Grass, the Trees with Friend Coland I, both full of whim,
leaves ; To shun each other oft' agree ;
And the proud Rivers that disdain'd a Shore For I'm not Beau enough for him ;
Within theirBanks now rolltheirlessen'd Waves. And he's too much a Beau for me.
Nature seems allrenew'd, youthful andgay. Then let us from each other fly
Ev'n tunadoth her monthly toss supply; And Arm in-arm no more appear;
BiU Ye^ and Hours that whirl our Time away That I may ne'er offend your Eye ;
Describe ourState, and tell us we must die. • That you may ne'er offend my Ear.
The D -1 wipes his B ch with poor Folks Pride. Borgen macht sorgen.*
Content and Riches seldom meet together. I<et all Men know thee, but no man know thee thor
Riches take thou, contentment I hadrather. oughly: Men freely ford that see the shallows.
Sp^k with ~ntempt ofnone, from slave to king, 'T is easy to frame a good bold resolution ;
The meanest Bee hath, and will use, asting. But hard is the Task that concerns execution.
JUNE. Cold & cunning come from the north :

Every Man for himself, &c. but cunning sans wisdom is nothing worth.
Consultation,
What was thebest Method ofFortification : AUGUST.
Agrave skilful Mason dedar'd his Opinion On buying' a BIBLE.
'T is but a Folly to rejoice, or boast,

the Dominion. How small a Price thy well bought Purchase cost,
Yet he d ratheradvise todefend it with Oak Until thy Death, thou shalt not fully know
fannermuch wiser than both these together, Whether it was a Pennyworth or no ;
Ciy d. Try whatyouflease, but nothing's like Leather. And, at that time, believe me't will appear
Extreamly cheap, or else extreamly dear.
wS^
hich w."?,?'
we should maintam, but not portion3daughters
off. *T is vain to repine,
Aachwyno heb achos; gwneler achos iddo * Tho' a learned Divine
Will die at nine.
TW
Than flordships
^5U-8°tten
andwill do usbymore
scepters good.and Blood.
Rapine A noddo duw, ry noddir.f
f Borrowing makes sorrowing.

compW '^thout cause, give him cause to t Should read A noddo Duw, imy nodder—i,e., Assurance
hath he doubly sure^ who by his God is kept secure.
139
138 poor IRtebarD tor 1743 Ipoor TRicbarD tor 1743
Ahsimple Man ! when a boy two precious jewels were Came you from Court ? forin yourMien
griven thee,Time and good Advice; onethou hast lost, A self-important air is seen.
and the other thrown away.
NOVEMBER.
No sunno i b{in
Na wnaid i ^n."^ AyearofWonders nowbehold!
Britons despising Gallic Gold I
SEPTEMBER. A Year that stops the Spanish Plunders .
Good Death, said a Woman, for oncebe so kind A Year that they must be Refunders I
Totakeme, andleave mydear Husband behind, AYear that setsourTroops a marching !
Butwhen Death appeared with a sourGrimace, A Yearsecures our ShipsfromSearching
TheWoman was dash'd at histhin hatchet Face ; A Year that Charity's extended!
So shemade hima Courts'y, andmodestly sed, AYear that Whigand Tory's blended!
If you comefor my Husband,he lies there in Bed. Amazing Year! that we 're defended!
Dick toldhis spouse, he durst bebold toswear Hear what Jack Spaniard says,
Vpmte'er^heprayedfor,Heav'n would thwart herpraVr: Con todo el Munda Guerra
Indeed! says Nell, 7 iswhat I 'mpleas'd to hear; Y Paz con Ingalatierra.*
Fornow I'llprayforyourlong life, my dear. Ifyou'd have it done. Go : If not, send.
The sleeping Fox catches no poultry. Up ! up !
Many a long dispute among Divines may be thus
OCTOBER. abridg'd, It isso : It isnot so, It isso ; It isnot so.
AMusketo just starv'd, in a sorryCondiUon, DECEMBER.
Pretended tobea most skilful Musician ; Inclement Winter rages O'er the âins
Hecomes to a Bee-hive, andtherehewould stay
To teach theBees Children tosing Sol lafa. Incrusts the Earthandbinds the Floods in Cha .
'ê Bees told him plainly the Way oftheir Nation, Is the Globe mov'd? or doesour Country ro ,
Was breedmg upYouth in some honest Vocation ; In nearer Iâtitudeto th' artic Pole?
The Fate of Lapland and its Cold v/e
A i thent)eanng
And Iâbour,
curse their theyfor
Parents should
beingnotbefed,
high bred. Yetwantthe Fur,the Sledge andharness d Deer:
To punish Guilt, do angry Stars combine
of saving, more than of Conjunct orOpposite, Quarrile orTnne ?
pttmg: The Indies have not made Spain rich, because
her Outgoes equal her Incomes. lExperience keeps a dear school, yet Fools wiU learn in
Tugend bestehet wen alles vergehet.f no other.
Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum.f
* He who would when he could •
4. ♦ With all the world atwar, êre ispeace inEngland,
t virtue remains, whenwould ? is lost.
all else t Happyis he that takes caution fromothers.
141
I40 Ipoor IRlcbart) for 1743 poor IRtcbart) for 1743
How many ob^rve Christ's Cirth-day 1How few his AFarmer once made aComplaint to aJ^dge.
Precepts! OI. 't is easier to keep Holidays than Com MyBull, if it please you, Sir, '
mandments.
Belike to one of your goodWorship s *
Once ona Time it by Chance came topass, Has slain him out-right in a mortal Battle .
Tlml a Man andhisSon were leading- an Ass. I'm sorry at heartbecause of the
Cnes a Passenger, Neighbour, you 'reshrewdly putto% And want to know how must be
Toleadan Ass empty, and trudgeit on foot. Why, you must give me your
Nay, quoth the old Fellow, if Folk do so mind us
I '11 e'en climb the Ass, and Boy mountbehindus :
fSl sir, imM',
But astheyjogg'd ontheywere laugh'tandhisse'd,
ât, two booby Iûbbers on one sonyBeast!
Thpissuch a Figure asnever was known ;
'T isa Sign thatthe Ass is none ofyour own.
Then down gets the Boy, and walks by the Side,
anothercries. What, youoldFool mustyouride?
When you see the poor Child that's weakly andyoung
Forc'd thro' thick and thin totrudge it along,
Then down gets the Father, and up gets the Son ;
If this cannot pleasethem we ne'er shall have done.
They hadnotgone far, but a Woman cries out,
Oyou young graceless Imp, you '11 behang'd, nodoubt I
Must you ndeanAss, andyour Father that's grey
J enfoot it,and pick out thebest of his Way ?
So now toplease allthey butone Trick lack,
And thatwas tocarry theAss a pick pack :
But when that was try'd, it appear'dsuch aJest,
Ivaughter by half than the rest.
ôod liking gain,
Shows a deal Good Nature, butlabours invain.
dissuaded irora.
Law WM
^w w chargeable.
^"end, who Idesired him reply'd
don't care, to consider, for theI
the other,
said his Friend,
y go to law, I am sure you don't consider.
Ipooc IRlcbarO for 1744 143
giving his Readers gratis in his Almanack for

1743 an Eclipse ofthe Year 1744. to ê before
hand with me : His Words are, " The first Day
"of April next Year 1744, there will be a
"GREAT ECLIPSE of the Suu; it begins
POOR RICHARD FOR 1744. - ,A "about an Hour before Sunset. It being inthe
* "Sign Aries, the House ofMars, and in the 7th,
"shows Heat, Difference and Animosities be-
"tween Persons of the highest Rank and
PREFACE. " Quality," &c. I am very glad, for the Sake
of * * * se Persons of Rank and Quality, ttat
Courteous Reader, thereis ** mannerof Truth in this Prediction :
This is the Twelfth Yearthat I have in this They may, ***** please, live in Love and
Way laboTired for the Benefit Whom? Peace And i ***** his Readers (they are
-of the Pnblick, if you '11 be so good- but few, indeed, and so the Matter's the less)
natured, as to believe it; if not, e'en take the not to give themselves any Trouble about ob
naked Truth, 't was for the Benefit of my own serving this imaginary Great Eclipse; for they
dear self; not forgetting in the mean time, our may stare till they 're blind without seeing the
gracious Consort and Dutchess the peaceful, least Sign of it. I might, on this Occasion,
qmet, silent Lady Bridget. But whether my return Mr. / « the Name ofBaaVs false
Labours have been of any Service to the Pub- Prophet he gave me some Ye^s ago in his
lick or not, the Publick I must acknowledge Wrath, on Account ofmy Predicting his Recon
has been of Service to me ; I have lived Com- ciliation with the Church of Jôme, {tho" he
o a yby itsBenevolent Encouragement; and seems now to have given up that Point) but I
Xhope I shall always bear agrateful Sense ofits think such Language ******* old Men ^nd
continued Favour. Scholars unbecoming ; and ^ * the
My Adversary/. . „ y „ judged Atfffir with the Buyers of his Almanack aswell
ma e an tteiapt to out-shine mebypretending as he can, who perhaps will not take it very
to penetrate a Year deeper x-aXa Futurity; and kindly, that he has done what in him lay (by
142
144 Ipoor 1R(cbar& for 1744 ©oor IRicbarO for 1744 ^
sending them out togaze at an invisible Eclipse Blest, whocan unconcernedly find
on the first of April) to make April Fools of Hours,Daysand Yearsslidesoftaway,
them all. His old thread-bare Excuse which he In Health of Body, Peace of Mind,
Quiet by Day,
repeats Year after Year about the Weather,
^'That no Man can be infallible therein, by Sound Sleepby Niffht; Studyand Ease
Reason of themany contrary Causes happen- • Togethermixt; SweetRecreation ;
''ing at or near the same time, and the Un- And Innocence which most does please
With Meditation.
constancy ofthe Summer Showers and Gusts,"
&c. will hardly serve him in the Affair of Thus let me live, unseen, unknown,
Echpses; and I know not where he '11 get Thus unlamented let me die,
Steal from the World, and not a Stone
another. Tell where I He.
I have made no Alteration in my usual JANUARY.
Method, except adding the Rising and Setting
of the Planets, and the I,unar Conjunctions. Biblis does SoUtude admire,
A wond'rous Lover of the Dark ;
Those who are so disposed, may thereby very EachNight putsouther Chamber Fire,
r^dily leam to know the Planets, and dis And just keeps in a single Spark;
tinguish them from each other. »Tillfour she keeps herselfalive,
Warm'd by her Piety, no doubt:
I am, dear Reader, Then, tir'dwith kneeling, justat five,
Thy obliged Friend, She sighs and lets thatSparkgo out.
R. SAUNDERS.
He that drinks his Cyder alone, let him catch his
THE COUNTRY MAN. Horse alone. . , ,„
Happy the ManwhoseWish and Care •Who is strong? He that can conquer his bad Habi .
Afew paternal Acres bound, Who isrich ? He thatrejoices inhis Portion.
Content tobreathe hisnative Air,
FEBRUARY.
In his own Ground.
Our youthful Preacher see. intent on Fame ;
H^dswith Milk, whose Fields with Bread, Warm togain Souls ?-No, 't istogam a Name.
ôse Flocks supply him with Attire, Behold hisHands display'd, hisBody rais d,
Whose Trees inSummer yield him Shade. Withwhata Zeal he labours tobe praisd.
In Winter Fire. Touch'd witheach Weakness which hedoes arraign.
147
146 ®oor TRicbarD for 1744 ]pooc IRicbacD for 1744
With Vanity hetalks against theVain ; Industry, Perseverance. & Frugality, make Fortune
With Ostentation does toMeekness guide ; yield.
Proudof his Periods form'd to strike at Pride. MAY.
He thathas notgota Wife) isnotyeta compleat Man. Irus tho' wanting-Goldand Iânds,
I,iveschearful,easy,and content;
Corons, unbless'd, withtwenty Hands
MARCH.
Without Repentance none toHeav'n can go, Bmploy'd to count hisyearly Rent.
Yetwhat Repentanceis fewseem to know: Sages in Wisdom 1tellme which
'T is not to cryout Mercy, or to sit Ofthese you think possesses more !
And droop, ortoconfess thatthou hastfail'd ; One with his Poverty is rich,
'T is to bewaa the Sins thou didst commit Andone with aUhis Wealth is poor.
Andnot committhose Sinsthou hast bewail'd. I -11 warrant ye, goes before Rashness; Who 'd-a-tho't
He thatbewails, and-o-otforsakes them too, comes sneaking after.
Confesses rather what he means to do.
Prayers andProvender hinder noJourney.
What you would seem tobe, bereally. JUNE.
Ifyou'd lose a troublesome Visitor, lend him money.
W6rc^ make noFriends ; spoonful of honey will
OfaU theCauses which conspire toblind
Man's erring Judgment, and nisguida the Mind,
catch more flies thanGallon ofVinegar. matthTwfak with strongest Biass rules.
IsPride, thatnever-failing Vice ofFools.
aprh.. Whatever Nature has inWorth ^
With what a perfect World-revolving Power She gives in large Recruits ofneedful Pnde,
Were first the unwieldy Planets launch'dalong For as inBodies, thus iaSouls we Cad
Th'illimitable Void 1 Thus to remain
^^d the Flux ofmany thousand Years,
What wants in Blood &SpinU, swell dwith Wind.
That ofthasswept the busy Race ofMen, Hear Reason, orshe-11 make you feel her.
aU theirlabour'd Monuments away: Give me yesterdays Bread, this Day's Flesh, and last
matchless, in their Course ; Year's Cyder.
To Night and Day, with thedelightful Round JULY.
OfSe^ns, faithful, noteccentric once :
Sopois'd, andperfect is the vastMachine ! AU-conq'ring Heat, oh intermit thy Wrath 1
And on my throbbing Temples potent thus
Make hasteslowly. Beam not so hard 1 Incess^t still yoôw.
And still another fervent Flood succeed ,
sup^rk^ pour'd on the Head profuse. Invain I sigh.
148 poor IRtcbarD for 1744 Ipoor TRtcbarO for 1744 ^49
And restlessturn, and look around for night; Afull Belly is the Mother ofall :^vil.
Night is far off; and hotter Hours approach.
Who can endure I The same man cannot be both Friend and Flatterer.
God heals, and the Doctor takes the Fees. Hewho multipUes Riches multipUes Cares.
Sloth (like Rust) consumes faster than I<abourwears : Anoldmanin a House is a good Sign.
the used Key is always bright. OCTOBER.
I/ight Gains heavy Purses. Be Niggards ofAdznce onnoPretence ;

For the worst Avariceis . .
Yet't isnotall, your Counsel's free and true ,
AUGUST.
Wouldmen but follow what the Sex advise, m MS mL Mischiefthan -ice ôods do.
Allthingswould prosper, aU the World growwise. Menmust be taught as if you .
'T wasby Rebecca's AidXhoX.Jacobwon And Things unknown propos'd as Things fo g ,
His Father's Blessingfrom an elder Son. Without Good Breeding Truth is ^
Abusive Nabal ow'd his forfeit I,ife That only makes superior Sense bclov d.
Tothe wise Conduct ofa prudentWife.
AtHester^s Suit, the persecuting Sword Those who are fear'd, arehated.
Was sheath'd, and Israel\W6. to bless the I^rd. TheThings which hurt, instruct.
Keep thou from the Opportunity, and God will keep The Eye of a Master, will do more Work than his
Hand.
thee from the Sin.
Asoft Tongue may strike hard.
Wherethere's no I,aw, there's no Bread. NOVEMBER.
As Pride increases. Fortune declines.
SEPTEMBER.
All Other Goods byFortune's Hand aregiv'n,
A WIP^ is the peculiargift of Heav'n. _1t^ oaks ahundred Winters old
Fortune'sFavours, neverat a Stay, Tust as they now expire,
îke empty Shadows, pass, and glide away ; Turn Touchwood, doated. êy and old.
one sohdComfort, our eternalWife, And at each Spark takeFire.
Abundantly supplies usallourI,ife :
This Blessing lasts (ifthose thattrysay true) Ifyou 'dbe beloVd. make yourselfamiable.
AS longas Heartcanwish—and longer too.
Atrue Friend isthebest Possession.
Drive thy Business, or it wiU drive thee. Fear God, and your Enemies wUl fear you.
ISO ©ooc TRicbart) for 1744
DECEMBER.
This World's anInn,allTraveUers arewe ;
And this World's Goodsth' Accommodations be.
Our I,ife is nothing: but a Winter's Day ;
Some onlybreaktheir Fast, andsoaway.
Others stay Dinner, and depart full fed.
Thedeepest Age but sups andgoes to bed.
He's most in Debt thatlingers outthe Day;
Who dies betimes hasless andless topay.
:epitaph on a Scolding wife by her Husband. Here POOR RIC-HARD FOR 174^
my poor Bridget's Corps doth lie, she is at rest,-and
SO 3,111 I,
COURTS.
tov-ling Beggars, (I 've forgot their name) preface.
On Oister found to which theybothlaidClaim,
Warm theDispute I Atlength toI,aw they'dgo, Courteous reader,
As richer Fools for Trifles often do. Forthe Benefit ofthePublick, and my own
The ûse two Petty foggers undertake.
Resolving right or wrong some Gain to make. Profit, I have performed this my thirteenth
They jangle tUl theCourt this Judgment gave, annual Labour, which I hope will be as accept-
Determinmg what everyone should have.
Blind Plaintiffs lame Defendant, share
ThefriendlyLaw'simpartial Care:
^^Th^Ling and setting of the Planets, and
A Shellfor him, a Shellfor thee; their Conjunctions with the Moon, I have con
The Middle's Bench andLawyer's Fee, tinued ; whereby those who are
^th those heavenly Bodies, may so°n lea«to
distinguish them from the fixed Stars,,by. ob
serving the following directions. ..
All those glittering Stars, (except five) wh ch
we see in the Firmament of Heaven, are caUed
fixed Stars, because they keep tbe Sê Dis
tance from one another, and
they rise and set at the same pomt of the Hon
151
152 ©oor IRicbarD for 1745 f)Oor IRicbar^ tor 1745 ^53
zon, and appearlike so many lucidPoints fixed that beautiful Star till the Time of its setting.
to the celestial Firmament. The other five have Again, on the i8th Day of the same Month you
a particular and different motion, for which will find rise 918, which shews that Saturn
^Reason they have not always the same Distance rises 18 Minutes after 9 at Night.
from oneanother; andtherefore they havebeen Or the Planets may be known by obseîng
called wandering Stars or Planets, viz. Satuf^t' them atthe time of their Conjunctions with the
Jupiter Mars Venus $,andMercury Moon viz, against the 14 Day ofJanuary are
$, and these may be distmguished from the SrSiese characters d 5 r,. which shews
fixed Stars bytheir nottwinkling. Thebright there will be a Conjunction of the M°on
est of the five is VenuSy which appears the Saiurn on that Day. If you look out about 5
biggest; and when this glorious Star appears, o'clock in the Morning, you will see Saturn
and goes before theSun, it is called Phosphorus, êriSar the Moon. The likeistobe obs^ved
orthe Morning Star, andHesperus, ortheEven at any other time by the nsing and setting of
ing-Star, when it follows the Sun. Jupiter Planets and their Conjunctions with the
appears almost as big as VenuSy but not so moon ; by which method they may be distmctly
bright. 3fars may be easily known from the known from the fixed Stars.
rest of the Planets, because it appears red like 1Tve nothing further to add at P'eseut, but
a hot Iron or burning Coal, and twinkles a lit tnir hearty Wishes for your Welfare, both tem
tle. Saturny in Appearance, is less than Mars,
and of a pale colour. Mercury is so near the past Favours, being
Dear Reader,
Sun that it is seldom seen.
Thyobliged Friend,
Against the 6thDay ofJanuary you may see R. SAUNDERS.
^ rise lo 35, which signifies the Planet Mars
rises 35 Minutes after 10 o'Clock at Night, when
thatPlanet may be seen toappear inthe Bast.
Also against the loth Day ofJanuary you will Go measure iârth, we ^ ^ planets stray,
find $ sets 7 13, which shows Venus sets 13
Minutes after 7o'Clock at Night. If you look
towards the West that Evening, you may see
154 ©oor •Rfcbart) for 1745 poor IRtcbarD tor 1745 i55
MARCH.
Or tread the mazy Round his FoUow'rs trod,
And, quitting Sense, called imitation God, Fame but from Death a Villian's Name can save,
As pastern Priests in giddy circles run As Justice tears hisBody from the Grave ;
And turn their Heads to imitate the Sun, When whatt'oblivion betterwere resign'd
Go'teach J^temal Wisdomhow to rule,— Is luring onhigh to poison half Mankmd.
Then drop into thyself, and be a Fool. AllFameis foreign but of true Desert^
Plays round theHead, butcomes nottotheHeart.
JANUARY. One self-approving //owr whole Years outweighs
I giveand I devise (oldûdio said, Ofstupid Starers andof loud Huzza's.
And sigh'd) " My I^ds and Tenements to Ned
Your money, Sir ? Mymoney, Sir 1what, all ? Vanity backbites more thanMalice.
"Why —if I must—(then wept) I give it Paul" He'sa Fool thatcannot conceal his Wisdom.
The Mannor, Sir? " The Mannor I hold, he cry'd ;
" Not that — I cannot part with that" and dy'd. Greatspenders are badlenders.
All blood is alike ancient.
Beware of little ^xpences, a grnnil leak will sink a
great ship. APRIL.
Wars bring scars. •T is notforMortals always tobeblest:

A light purse is a heavy curse. But him theleast thedull andpamful Hours
Of Life oppress, whom sober Sense conducte.
As often as we do good, we sacrifice. And VIRTUE, thro' this Iâbynnth we tread.
Help, Hands; For I have no I,ands.
vftSid Se^se are one ;and trust me. he
•Who has notVirtue, isnot truly wise.
FEBRUARY.
SelfLovebut serves the virtuous Mind to wake, YOU may talk too much on the best of subjects.
Asthe small Pebblestirs the peaceful I.ake ; AMan without ceremony has need of great merit in
The Centremov»d, a Circle strait succeeds, its place.
Another still,and still another spreads, Nogainswithout pains.
Priend, Parent, Neighbour, first it will embrace,
HmCountry next, and next all human Race ; MAY.
Wide andmore wide, th» o'erflowings of the Mind

Takeevery Creature in of every Kind. Virtue, (for mere Good-Natuhe. is aFool)
la Sense and Spirit, with Humanity ,
It '8 common for Men to give pretended Reasons in 'tI sêttaes anW, and its Frown confounds
stead of one real one. 'Tisev'n vindictive, but inVengeance just.
156 ipoot IRicbatO for 1745 Ipoor IRicbarO for 1745 157
AUGUST.
Knaves fain would laugh at it; some gêat ones dare;
But at his Heart, the most undaunted Son Has God, thou fool! work'd solely for thy Good,
Of Fortune dreads its name and awful charms. Thy Joy, thy Pastime, thy Attire, thy Food ?
Who for thy Table feeds the wanton Fawn,
Had I revenged wrong, I had not worn my skirtsso long. For him as kindly spread the flow'ry Iâwn.
Graft good fruit all, or graft not at all. Is it for thee the Iârk descends and sings ?
Joy tones his Voice, Joy elevates his Wing-s.
JUNE. Is it for thee the Mock bird pours his Throat ?
Unhappy Italy i whose alter'd State I/>ves of his own, and Raptures, swell the note.
Has felt the worst Severity of Fate ;
Not that Barbarian Band her Fasces broke Many complain of their Memory, few of their Judge
And bow'd her haughty neck beneath her yoke ; ment.
Nor that her Palaces to ârth are thrown,
One Man may be more cunning than another, but not
Her Cities desart, and her Fields unsown ;
more cunning than every body else.
But that her ancient spirit is decay'd.
That sacred Wisdom from her Bounds is fled, SEPTEMBER.
That there the Source of Science flows no more,
Whense its rich Streams supply'd the world before. The bounding steed you pompously bestride,
Shares with his I<ord the Pleasure p.nd the Pride.
Idleness is the greatest Prodigality. Is thine alone the seed that strows the Plain ?
Old young and old long. The Birds of Heav'n shall vindicate their Grain.
Thine the full Harvest of the golden Year ?
punch coal, cut candle, and set brand on end, is nei
Part pays, and justly, the deserving Steer.
ther good house-wife, nor good house-wife's friend. The Hog that plows not, nor obeys thy Call,
JULY. lyives on the labours of this Iôrd of all.
Hot from the Field, in<iulgenot yet your Iîmbs
In wish'd Repose, nor court the fanning Gale,
To God we owe fear and love ; to our neighbours jus
Nor taste the Spring. Oh ! by the sacred Tears tice and character; to our selves prudence and sobriety.
of Widows, Orphans, Mothers, Sisters, Sires, Fools make feasts and wise men eat them.
Forbear! . . . no other Pestilence has®driven
Such myriads o'er th' irremedeable Deap. Iîght heel'd mothers make leaden-heel'd daughters.
He who buys had need have loo Eyes, but one 's
enough for him that sells the Stuff. For Forms of Government let Fools contest,
There are no fools so troublesome as those that have Whate'er is best administer'd is best;
For Modes of Faith let graceless Zealots fight
wit.
158 poor mcbnvb for 1745 Itôor 1Ricbat& for 1745 159
His can't be wrongr, whose I,ife is in the right: COURTS.

AUmust be false, that thwart this one ^rczt ^nd,
And all of God, that bless Mankind, or Mend. The Christian Doctrine teaches to believe
Its every Christian's Duty, to forgive
The good or iU hap of a good or iU life, is the good or Co\ild we forgive as fast as Men offend
~ ill choice of a good or ill wife. The I/AWS slow Progresses would quickly end
'T is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them. . Revenge of past Offences is the Cause
"VThy peaceful Minds consented to have I/aws,
NOVEMBER. Yet Plaintiffs and Defendants much mistake
Fair Summer 's gone, and Nature's Charms decay. Their Cure, and their Diseases lasting make ;
See gloomy Clouds obscure the cheerful Day ! For to be reconcil'd, and to comply
Now liung with Pearls the dropping Trees appear, Would prove their cheap and shortest Remedy.
Their faded Honours scatter'd here and there.
Behold the Groves that shine with silver Frost
Their Beauty wither'd, and their Verdure lost,
Sharp Boreas blows, and Nature feels Decay
• Time conquers all and we must Time obey.
êry Man has assurance enough to boast of his hon
esty—few of their Understanding.
Interest which blinds some People, enlightens others.
DECEMBER.
These Blessings, Reader, may Heav'n grant to thee ;

A faithful Friend, equal in Iôve's degree ;
Iând fruitful, never conscious of the Curse,
A liberal Heart and never-failing Purse ;
A smiling Conscience, a contented mind ;
A temp'rate knowledge with true Wisdomjoin'd ;
A life as long as fair, and when expir'd,
A kindly Death, unfear'd as undesir'd.
An Ounceof wit that is bought Is worth a pound that
is taught.
He that resolves to mend hereafter, resolves not to
mend now.
®oor TRicbarD for 1746 i6i
Nor blindly follow Superstitious Love,

Which cheats deluded Mankind o'er aud o'er.
Not over righteous, quite beyond the Rule,
Conscience perplext by every canting Tool.
Nor yet when Folly hides the dubious I/ine,
"When Good and Bad the blended Colours join ;
Rush indiscreetly down the dangerous Steep,
-POOR RICHARD FOR 1746. And plunge uncertain in the darksome Deep.
Cautious, if right; if wrong resolv'd to part
The Inmate Snake that folds about the Heart.
Observe the Mean, the Motive, and the End,
Mending our selves, or striving still to mend.
PREFACE. Our Souls sincere, our Purpose fair and free.
Without Vain Glory or Hypocrisy :
Who is Poor Richard f People ofl enquire, Thankful if well; if ill, we kiss the Rod ;
Where lives ? What is he ?—never yet the nigher. Resign with Hope, and put our Trust in God.
Somewhat to ease your Curiositie,
Take these slig^ht Sketches of my Dame and me. JANUARY.
Thanks to kind Readers and a careful Wife, Nothing exceeds in Ridicule, no doubt
With plenty blessed, I lead an easy Iîfe ; A Fool in Fashion, but a Fool that's out;
My business Writing ; less to drain the Mead, His Passion for Absurdity 's so strong
Or crown the barren Hill with useful Shade ; He cannot bear a Rival in the Wrong.
In the smooth Glebe to see the Plowshare worn. Tho' wrong the Mode, comply ; more sense is shewn
And fill the Granary with needful Com. In wearing others Follies than your own.
Press nectarous Cyder from my loaded Trees, If what is out of Fashion most you prize
Print the sweet Butter, turn the Drying Cheese Methinks you should endeavour to be wise.
Some Books we read, tho' few there are that hit
The happy Point where Wisdom joins with Wit; When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.
That set feir Virtue naked to our View,
And teach us what is decent^ what is true. He that whines for Glass without G
The Friend sincere, and honest Man, with Joy Take away 1ând that's he.
Treating- or treated oft our Time employ.
Our Table next, Meals temperate ; and our Door FEBRUARY.
Op'ning spontaneous to the bashful Poor. Man's rich with little, were his Judgement true,
Free from the bitter Rage of Party Zeal, Nature is frugal, and her wants are few ;
All those we love who seek the publick Weal. Those few Wants answer'd bring sincere Delights,
II
160
i62 poot TRicbarO for 1746 IPoot 1Rtcbac& foe 1746 163
But Fools creat themselves new Ajêtites. Women & Wine

Fancyand Pride seek Things at VastKxpence, Game & Deceit
Which relish not to Reason nor to Sense Make the Wealth small
I<ike Cats in Air-pumps, to subsist we strive And the Wants great
On Joys to thin to keep the Soul alive. All Mankind are beholden to him that is kind to the
Good.
A good Wife & Health, is a Man's best Wealth.
A quarrelsome Man has no good Neighbours. Pleasures are few, and fewer we enjoy ;
Pleasure like Quicksilver, is bright and coy ;
MARCH. We try to grasp it with our utmost skill,
O sacred Solitude I divine Retreat 1 Still it eludes us, and it glitters still.
Choice of the Prudent I Knvy of the Great I Ifseiz'd at last, compute your mighty Gains
Bythy pureStream, or in thy waving Shade, What is it but rank Poison in your Veins.
We court fair Wisdom, that celestial Maid:
The genuine Oflfepring of her lov'd :Embrace A Plowman on hislêgs is higher than a Gentleman on
(Strangerson Earth) are Innocenceand Peace. * his Knees.
There blest with Health, with Busmess unperplext, Virtue and Happiness are Mother and Daughter.
This I,ife we relish, and insure the next. The generous Mind least regards Money and yet most
feels the Want of it.
Wide will wear, but narrow will tear.
For one poor Man there are an hundred indigent.
Silks and sattins put out the kitchen fire.
JUNE.
Vice knowsshe's ugly, so puts on her Mask.
What's Man's Reward for all his Care and Toil?
APRIL. But One ; a female Friends endearing Smile :
^ra resembles ^tna crown'd with snows, A tender Smile, our Sorrows only Balm,
Without shefreezes, andv/ithin sheglows ; And in Iîfe's Tempest the sad Sailors calm.
îce e'erthe Sun descends, with Zeal inspir'd How have I seen a gentle Nymph draw nigh,
Fram thevain Converse oftheV/orld retir'd. Peace in her Air, Persuasion in her Eye ;
She reads thePsalms and Chapters oftheDay, Victorious Tenderness, it all o'ercame.
Husbands look'd mild, and Savages grew tame.
Z? -—some IcudNovel, newRomance, or Play,
Thusgloomy Zara, with a solemn Grace
Deceives Mankind, and hides behind Face. Dost thou love Iîfe ? Then do not squander Time ; for
that's the Stuff Iîfe is made of.
es«8t Thing in the World for a Man to decleve Good Sense is a Thing all need, few have, and none
think they want.
164 Ipoor TRfcbart) tor 1746 Ipoor TRlcbarD for 1746 165
JULY. Wealth is a Cheat, believe not what it says;

Who taught the rapid Winds to flyso fast, Greatly it promises, but never pays.
Or shakes the Centre with his Western Blast? Misers may starUe, but they shall be told.
Whofrom the Skies can a wliole Delugepour ? That Wealth is Bankrupt, and insolvent Gold.
Who-Strikes thro' Nature, with the solemn Roar
Of dreadful Thunder^ points it where to fall
The.most exquisite Folly is made of Wisdom spun
too fine.
And in fierceIîghtning wraps the flying Ball ?
Not he who trembles at the darted Fires, A life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things.
Falls at the Sound, and in the Flash expires. OCTOBER.
What's proper is becoming: See the Blacksmith with Some ladies are too beauteous to be wed.
his white Silk Apfon ! For where's the Man that's worthy of their Bed?
If no Disease reduce her Pride before,
The Tongueis ever turning to the aching tooth. Lavinia will be ravisht at three score.
Want of Care does us more damage than Want of Then she submits to venture in the Dark,
Knowledge. And nothing, now, is wanting but her spark.
/
AUGUST.
Mad Kings and mad Bulls are not to be held by treaties
Can Gold colour Ptission, or make Reason shine. and packthread.
Can we dig Peace or Wisdom from the mine ?
Changing Countries or Beds, cures neither a bad
Wisdom to Gold prefer, for 't is much less
To make oxxrfortune, than our Happiness. Manager, nor a Fever.
That Happinesswhich Great Onesoften see, NOVEMBER.
WithRageand Wonder, in a low Degree,
Themselves unblest. The Poorare only poor There are, who, tossing on the Bed of Vice,
But what are they who droop amid their Store ? For Flattery's Opiate give the highest price ;
Yet from the saving Hand of Friendship turn,
Take Courage Mortal; Death can't banish thee out of Her Med'cines dread, her generous offers Spurns.
the Universe. Deserted Greatness ! who but pities thee ?
The Sting of a Reproach is the Truth ofit. By Crowds encompass'd, thou no Friend canst see
Or should kind Truth invade thy tender Bar
Do me the favour to deny me at once.
We pity still, for thou no Truth can bear.
SEPTEMBER.
A true great Man will neither trample on a Worm nor
Can Wealth give Happiness? look round and see? sneak to an Kmperor.
WhatgayDistr^s! Whatsplendid Misery 1
Whatever Fortune lavishly can pour Ni ffyddra Haw dyn er gwneithr daldd ei htin.*
The Mind annihilates, and calls for more. * Our hand has no stain if it work to our gain.
41^
166 ipooc TRicbarJ) for 1746
DECEMBER.
"Wliat's Female Beauty, but an Air divine,

Thro' whicli the Mind's all gentle Graces shine ?
They, like the Sun, irradiates all between ;
The Body charms, because the Soul is seen
Hence Men are often Captives to a Face,
They know not why, of no peculiar Grace.
Some Forms tho' bright, no mortal Man can bear;
Some none resist, tho' not exceeding fair.
POOR RICHARD FOR 1747-
Tim and his Handsaw are good in their Place,
Tho' not fit for preaching or shaving a face.
Half Hospitality opens his Door and shuts up his PREFACE.
Countenance.
COTJH.TS. Courteous reader,

From ârth to Heav'n when Justice fled This is the 15th Time I have entertain'd
The lâws decided in her Stead
For Heav'n to Earth should she return
thee with my annual Productions; I hope to
lawyers might beg, andl,aw books bum. thy profit aswell as mine. Forbesides the as
tronomical Calculations, and other Things usu
ally contain'd in Almanacks, which have their
daily Use indeed while the Year continues, but
then become of no Value, I have constantly
interspers'd moral Sentences, prudent Maxims,
and zvise Sayings, many of them containing
much good Sense in veryfew Words, and there
fore apttoleave strong and lasting Impressions
on theMemory ofyoung Persons, whereby they
may receive Benefit as long as they live, when
both Almanack and Almanac-maker have been
long thrown by and forgotten. If I now and
167
169
i68 Ipoor IRtobarD for 1747 Tpoor "KicbarD for 1747
then insert a Joke or two, that seem to have few Intermissions only)supply'd the good peo
little in them, my Apology is, that such may ple of this and the neighboring Colonies with
have their Use, since perhaps for their Sake the most compleat Ephemeris and most accu
light airy Minds peruse the rest, and so are rate Calculations that havehithertoappear'd m
struck by somewhat of more Weight and Mo America. he was an ingenious Mathe
ment The Verses on the Heads of the Months matician, as well as an expert and skilful As
are also design'd to have the same Tendency. tronomer, and moreover, no mean Philosopher,
I neednottell thee that manyof them are of my but what is more than all, Hewas a pious and
own Making. If thou hast any Judgement in HONEST Man. Requiescat in pace.
Poetry, thou wilt easily discern the Workman I am thy poor Friend, to serve thee,
from the Bungler. I know as well as thee, that R. SAUNDERS.
I am no Poet bom, and it is a Trade I never
learnt, nor indeed could leam. If I make JANUARY.
Verses't is in Spight—Of Nature and myStars, To show the Strength, and Infamy of Pride,
I write. Why then should I give my Readers Byall't is follow'd and by all deny'd.
What Members are there, which at once pursue
bad Lines ofmy own, when good Ones of other Praise, and Glory to contemn it too ?
Peoples are so plenty ? 'T is methinks a poor Topraise himself Vincenna knows a Shame,
i^xcuse for the bad Entertainment of Guests Andthereforelays a Strategem for Fame ;
that the Food we set before them, tho' coarse Makes his Approach in Modesty's Disguise,
andordinary, is of one^s own raisings off ones Towin Applause, andtakes it bySurprise.
own Plantation, &c when there is Plenty of
what is ten times better, to be had in the Mar Strive to be the greateststrive
Man to
inbeyour Country and
tho best and yo„
ket. On the contrary, I assure ye, my Friends, nmy succeed; He may well win the race thot ran y
that I have procur'd thebest I could forye, and himself.
muchgoodmay 7 doye. FEBRtTAKV.
I cannot omit this Opportunity of making

honourable Mentionof the late deceased Orna see Wealth and l^Wr / Say, what ^ be more great?
Nothing butMerit ina low Estate.
ment and Head of our Profession, Mr. Jacob ToVirtue's humblest Sonlet noneprefer.
Taylor, who for upwards of40 Years (with some Vice, tho' a Croesus or a Conquerer
I70 ©oor IRicbarD tor 1747 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1747 171
ShaU Men,like Figures,pass for high, or base MAY.

Slight, or important, only by their Place ? Girls, mark my Words; and know, for Men of Sense,
Titlesare Marksof honest Men, and Wise ; Your strongest Charms are native Innocence.
The Fool, or Knave that wearsa Title,lies. Shun all deceiving Arts ; the Heart that's gain'd
By Craft alone, can ne'er be long retained.
'T is a strange Forest that has no rotten Wood in 't. Arts on the Mind, like paint upon the Face,
Anda strange Kindredthat all are good in 't. Fright him, thats worth your Iôve, from your Embrace
None know the unfortunate, and the fortunate do not In simple Manners all the Secret lies
know themselves. Be kind and virtuous, you '11 be blest and wise.
Courage would fight, but Discretion won't let him.

MARCH.
Celestial Patience 1 How dost thou defeat Delicate Dick ! whispered the Proclamation.
The Foesproud Menace, and eludehis Hate ? Comelious ought to be Tacitus.
While Passion takeshisPart,betrays ourPeace ;
ToDeath and Torture swells eachslightDisgrace ; JUNE.
Bynot opposing, Thou dust 111 destroy, O, form'd Heav'n's Dictates nobly to rehearse,
Andwearthy conquer'd Sorrows into Joy. Preacher divine ! accept the grateful Verse.
There's a time to Wink as well as to see. Thou hast the Power, the harden'd Heart to warm.
To grieve, to raise, to terrify, to charm;
Honest Tom I you may trust him with a house full of To fix the Soul on God, to teach the Mind
untold MUstones.
To know the Dignity of Human Blind ;
There is no Man so bad but he secretlyrespects the By stricter Rules well-govem'd Iîfeto scan.
Good. And practise o'er the Angel in the Man.
APRIL. Pride and the Gout are seldom cur'd throughout.
Religious Forcedivineis best displayed.
In a Desertion of all human Aid ; We are not so sensible of the greatest Health as of the
Tosuccour in ]extreams is herDelight, least Sickness.
Andcheerthe HeartwhenTerror strikesthe Sight A good Example is the best Sermon.
We, disbeUeving ourown Senses, gaze
Andwonder whata Mortals Heart can raise. JULY.
TosmUe in Anguish, triumph in his Grief,
And comfort those who come to bringRelief. Men drop so fast, ere Iîfe'smid Stage we tread.
Few know so many Friends alive as dead
Malice shown than Matter:
Yet, as immortal, in our uphill Chace,
on the Writerfalls the Satyr. We press coy Fortune with slacken'd Pace.
172 Ipooc TRicbatJ) for 1747 ©oot IRtcbaci) for 1747 173
Our ardent labours for the Toy we seek, What is Serving God? 'T is doing Good to Man.
Join Night to Day, and Sunday to the Week What maintains one Vice would bring up two children.
Between Satiety and fierce Desire.
Manyhave been ruin'd by buying goodpennyworths.
A Father a Treasure; a Brother 's a Comfort; a OCTOBER.
Friend is both.
One to destroy, is Murder by the I,aw,
Despair ruins some, Presumption many. And Gibbers keep the uplifted Hand in Awe
To murder Thousands, takes a specious Name
A quiet Conscience sleeps in Thunder, but Rest and War'sglorious Art, and gives immortal Fame.
Guilt live far asunder.
O great Alliance ! O divine Renown I
With Death and Pestilence to share the Crown !
When Men extol a wild Destroyer's Name
A decent Competence we fully taste ; Earth's Builder and Preserver they blaspheme.
It strikes our Sense^ and gives a constant Feast:
More, we perceive by Dint of Thought alone ; Better is a little with content than much with conten
The Rich must labour to possess their own. tion.
To feel their great Abundance; and request A Slip of the Foot you may soon recover.
Their humble Friends to help them to be blest; But a Slip of the Tongue you may never get over.
To see their Treasures, hear their Glory told, What signifies your Patience, if you can't find it when
And aid the wretched Impotence of Gold. you want it.
NOVEMBER.
He that won't be counsell'd, can't be help'd.
Crafl must be at charge for clothes, but Truth ra-n go I envy none their Pageantry and Show;
naked.
I envy none the Gilding of their Woe.
Give me, indulgent Heav'n, with Mind serene
Write Injuries in Dust, Benefits in Marble. And guiltless Heart, to range the Sylvan Scene.
No splendid Poverty, no smiling Care,
SEPTEMBER.
No well-bred Hate, or servile Grandeur there.
But some, good Souls, and touch'd with Warmth divine, There pleasing Objects useful Thought suggest.
Give Gold a Price and teach its Beams to Shine The Sense is ravish'd and the Soul is blest;
All hoarded. Treasures they repute a Iôad On every Thorn delightful Wisdom grows.
Nor think their Wealth their own till well bestowed. In every Rill a sweet Instruction flows.
Grand Reservoirs of public Happiness,
Thro secret Streams diffusively they bless ; Time enough always proves little enough.
And while their Bounties glide conceal'd from "View, It is wise not to seek a Secret and Honest not to re
Relieve our Wants, and spare our Blushes too. veal it.
174 Ipoor IRfcbarD tor 1747
A Mob's a Monster; Heads enough but no Brains.
The Devil sweetens Poison with Honey.
DECEMBER.
OldAge willcome, Disease maycomebefore,
Fifteen is full as mortal as Threescore,
ThyFortuneand thy Charms maysoondecay;
Butp-ant these Fugitives prolong their Stay
Theirbasistotters,their Foundation shakes,
I,ffethat supportsthem, in a Momentbreaks: POOR RICHARD FOR 1748.
Then wroughtinto the Soul,let Virtue shine.
The Ground eternal, as the work divine.
He that cannot bear with other PeoplesPassions, can
not govern his own. PRKFACE).
He that by the Plough would thrive, himself must Kind Rbadkr,
either hold or drive.
The favourable Reception my annual
Labours have met with from the Publick these
15 Years past, has engaged me in Gratitude to
endeavour some Improvement of my Almanack.
And since my Friend Taylor is no more whose
Ephemerides so long and so agreeably served
and entertained these Provinces, I have taken
the liberty to imitate his well-known Method,
and have given two Pages for each Month ;
which affords me Room for several valuable
Additions, as will best appear on Inspection
and Comparison with former Almanacks. Yet
I have not so far followed his Method, as not to
continue my own where I thought it preferable;
and thus my Book is increased to a Size beyond
his, and contains much more Matter.
175
176 Ipooc iRfcbatO for 1748 poor IR(cbart) for 1748 177
Hatl Night serene / ihro^ Thee wherever we tur7t thither, and wintered there 1741-2, when he
Our wondering Eyes, Heaven's Lampsprofuselybum ; was in search of the North-West Passage to
And Stars unnumberedall the Skyadorn. the South-Sea, gives an account of it to that
But lo I—what *sthat I seeQ,ppear f
It seemsfar offa pointedfla7ne; Society, from which I have extracted these
From Earthwards:ô theshiningMeteor l Particulars, viz.
r came :
How STvift^ it clir^bs th* etherial Space / The Hares, Rabbits, Foxes, and Partridges,
And nowit traverseseachSphere, in September and the beginning of October^
And seems some knowing Mind,familiar to theplace. change their Colour to a snowy White, and con
Dame, hand my Glass, the longest, strait prepare ;-
' Tis he—H is TAYIÔR'S Soul that travels there. tinue white till the following Spring.
O stay / thou happy Spirit, stay, The Lakes and standing Waters, which are
Andleadme onthro'all theunbeaVn IVilds ofDay: not above 10 or 12 Feet deep, are frozen to the
Where Planets in pure Streams ofEther driven.
Swim thro' the blue expanse ofHeav'n. Ground in Winter, and the Fishes therein all
Therelet me, thy Companion, stray perish. Yet in Rivers near the Sea, and Lakes
From Orb to Orb, and now behold of a greater depth than 10 or 12 Feet, Fishes
Unnumbered Suns,all Seasof molten Gold, are caught all the Wmter, by cutting holes
And traceeach Comet's wandering Way.
thro' the Ice, and therein putting Lines and
Souse down into Prose again, my Muse; for Hooks. As soon as the Fish are brought into
Poetry is no more thy element, than Air is of the open Air, they instantly freeze stiff.
the Flying-Fish ; whose Flights, like thine, are Beef, Pork, Mutton, and Venison, kilPd in
therefore always short and heavy.— the beginning of the Winter, are preserved by
We complain sometimes of hard Winters in the Frost for 6 or 7 Months, entirely free from
this Country ; but our Winters will appear as Putrefaction. Likewise Geese, Partridges, and
Summers, when compared with those that some other Fowls, kilPd at the same Time, and kept
of our Countrymen undergo in the most North- with their Feathers on and Guts in, are pre
em British Colony on this Continent, whichis served bythe Frost, and provegood Bating. All
that upon Churchill River, in Hudson's Bay, kinds of Fish are preservedin the same Manner.
lyat. 58d. 56m. Long, from London 94d. 50m. In large Lakes and Rivers, the Ice is some
^êst. Captain ]\îddletony a member of the times broken by imprisoned Vapours ; and the
Royal Societyy who had made many Voyages Rocks, Trees, Joists, and Rafters of our Build-
178 Ipoor TRfcbart) for 1748 Ipoor TRicbarD tor 1748 179
ings, are burst with a Noise not less terrible notwithstanding this, in 4 or 5 Hours After
than the firing of many Guns together. The the Fire is out, the inside of the Walls and
Rocks which are split by the Frost, are heaved Bed-places will be 2 or 3 Inches thick with
up in great Heaps, leaving large Cavities be Ice, which is every Morning cut away with a
hind. If Beer or Water be left even in Copper Hatchet. Three or Four Times a Day, Iron
Pots by the Bed-side, the Pots will be split Shot, of 24 Pounds Weight, are made red hot,
before Morning. Bottles of strong Beer, Brandy, and hung up in the Windows of their Apart
strong Brine, Spirits of Wine, set out in the ments, to moderate the Air that comes in at the
open Air for 3 or 4 Hours, freeze to solid Ice. Crevices ; yet this with a Fire kept burning the
The Frost is never out of the Ground, how deep greatest Part of 24 Hours, will not prevent Beer,
is not certain ; but on digging 10 or 12 Feet Wine, Ink, etc. from Freezing.
down in the two Summer Months, it has been For their Winter Dress, a Man makes use of
found hard frozen. three Pair of Socks, of coarse Blanketting, or
All the water they use for Cooking, Brewing, Duffeld, for the Feet, with a Pair of Deerskin
&c. is melted Snow and Ice ; no Spring is yet Shoes over them ; two pair of thick English
found free from freezing, tho' dug ever so deep stockings, and a pair of Cloth Stockings upon
down.—Âll Waters inland, are frozen fast by them ; Breeches lined with Flannel; two or
the Beginning of October^ and continue so to three English Jackets, and a Fur, or Leather
the Middle oi May. Gown over them ; a large Beaver Cac, double,
The Walls of the Houses are of Stone, two to come over the Face and Shoulders, and a
Feet thick ; the windows very small, with thick Cloth of Blanketting imder the Chin ; with
wooden Shutters, which are close shut 18 Hours Yarn Gloves, and a large pair of Beaver Mit-
every Day in Winter. In the cellars they put tins, hanging down from the Shoulders before,
their Wines, Brandies, &c. Four large Fires to put the Hands in, reaching up as far as the
are made every Day, in greats Stoves to Warm i^lbows. Yet notwithstanding this warm Cloth
the Rooms. As soon as the Wood is burnt ing, those that stir abroad when any Wind
down to a Coal, the Tops of the -Chimnies are blows from the Northward, are dreadfully
close stopped, with an Iron Cover; this keeps frozen; some have their Hands, Arms, and
the Heat in but almost stifles the People. And Face blistered and froze in a dreadful Manner,
i8o l&oor IRicbarD tor 1748 Ipoor TRicbarb for X748 181
•the Skin coming off soon after they enter a blows a little at N-West, and criest, 'Tis ex-^
warm House, and some lose their Toes. And trrrrrreant cohohold! ' Tis terrrrrrible cohold !
keeping House or lying-in for the cure of these what dost thou think of removing to that de
Disorders, brings on the Scurvey, which many lightful Coimtry ! Or dost thou not rather
die of, and few are free from ; nothing prevent choose to stay in Pennsylvania, thanking God
ing it but Exercise and Stirring Abroad. thatiy<? has caused thy Lines tofall hi pleasant
The Fogs and Mists, brought by northerly places.
Winds in Winter, appear visible to the naked ^ I am.
Bye to be Icicles innumerable, as small as fine Thy Friend to Serve thee,
Hairs and pointed as sharp as Needles. These R. SAUNDBRS.
Icicles lodge in their Clothes, and if their Faces
JANUARY.
and Hands are uncovered, presently raise Blis
ters as white as a Iînen Cloth, and as hard as Luke^ on his dying Bed, embraced his Wife,
Horn. Yet if they immediately turn their Back And begged one Favour : Swear, my dearest I<ife,
Swear, if you love me, never more to wed,
to the Weather, and can bear a hand out of the Nor take a second Husband to your Bed.
Mitten and with it rub the blistered Part for a Anne dropt a Tear. You know, my dear, says she,
small Time, they sometimes bring the Skin to Your least Desires have still been Iâws to me ;
But from this Oath, I beg you'd me excuse ;
its former State; if not they make the best of For I'm already promised to J—n H—s.
their way to a Fire, bathe the part in hot Water,
and thereby dissipate the Humours raised by Robbers must exalted be.
the frozen Air ; otherwise the Skin wou'd be off Small ones on the Gallow-Tree,
in a short Time, with much hot, serous, watry While greater ones ascend to Thrones,
But what is that to thee or me ?
Matter, coming from under along with the
Skin ; and this happens to some almost every I/)st time is never found again.
time they go Abroad, for 5 or 6 Months in the
Winter, so extreme cold is the Air, when the FEBRUARY.
Wind blows anything strong. Thus Don't after foreign Food and Clothing roam,
far Captain Middleton, And now, my tender But leam to eat and wear what's rais'd at Home.
Kind Nature suits each Clime with what it wants,
Reader, thou that shudderest when the wind Sufficient to subsist th' Inhabitants.
182 poor TRfcbarD tor 1748 poor llîcbart) for 1748 183
Observing this, we less impair our Health,

And by this Rule we more increase our Wealth ; Read much ; the Mind, which never can be still,
Our Minds a gêat Advantage also gain, If not intent on Good, is prone to 111.
And more sedate and uncorrupt remain. And where bright Thoughts, or Reas'nings justyou find.
Repose them careful in your inmost Mind.
To lead a virtuous Iîfe, my Friends,
To deck his Chloe's bosom thus the Swain
And get to Heaven in Season, With pleasing toil surveys th' enammel'd Plain,
You 've just so much more Need of Faith, With Care selects each fragrant flow'r he meets,
As you have less of Reason.
And forms one Garland of thier mingled sweets.
MARCH.
The Sun, whose unexhausted I,ight Sell-cheap kept Shop on Goodwin Sands, and yet had
Does Iîfe and Heat to lEarth convey; Store of Custom.
The Moon, who. Regent of the Night,
lyiberality is not giving much, but gfiving wisely.
Shines with delegated Ray ;
The Stars, which constant seem to Sight, Finikin Dick, curs'd with nice Taste, Ne'er meets
And Stars that regularly stray : with good Dinner, half starved at a Feast.
All these God's plastick Will from Nothing brought,
Assign'd thier stations, and thier Courses taught.
JUNE.
The Heathens when they dy'd, went to Bed without a Of all the Charms the Female Sex desire,
Candle.
That Xrovers doat on, and that friends admire,
Knaves & Nettles are alcin ; stroak 'em kindly, yet Those most deserve your Wish that longest last.
they '11 sting. Not like the Bloom of Beauty, quickly past;
APRIL. VIRTUE the Chief: This Men and Angels prize.
On Education aU our I,ives depend; Above the finest Shape and brightest Eyes,
And few to that, too few, with Care attend : By this alone, untainted Joys we find,
Soon as Mamma permits her darling Joy As large and as immortal as the Mind.
To quit her Knee, and trusts at School her Boy,
O. touch him not, whate'er he does is right. Alas ! that Heroes ever were made !
His Spirit's tender, tho' his Parts are bright. The Plague, and the Hero, are both of a Trade 1
Thus all the Bad he can, he leanfs at School, Yet the Plague spares our Goods, which the Hero does
Doeswhat he will, and grows a lusty Fool. not;
So the Plague take such Heroes, and let thier Fame
IVife wi^ Fools consists in Drinking ; With the wise rot
Thinking.
Bilen thut felten gut. Q. P. D. .
184 ©oor "KicbarD for 1748 Ipoor IRfcbarb for 1748 185
JULY.
Cordials and Medicin's gratis to dispense,
Whengreat Augustus ruled the World and Rome, A beauteous Instrument of Providence;
TheCloth he wore wasspunand wove at Home, Plaisters, andSalves, and Sores, to understand.
His BMPRESS ply'd the Distaffand the I<oom. The Surgeon's Art befitsa tender Hand,
Old England's I,aws the proudest Beauty name, To friendless pain unhop'd-for Ease to give,
When single. Spinster, and whenmarried.Dame, And bid the Hungry eat, and Sickly live.
For Housewifery is Woman's noblest Fame. Two faults of one a Fool will make ; he half repairs,
The Wisest household Cares to Women yield, that owns does forsake.
Alarge, an usefuland a grateful Field,
Harry Smatter,has a Mouth for everyMatter.
ToFriend, lawyer, Docter, tellplainyourwhole Case; When you 'regood toothers, you arebest toyourself.
Northink on Bad Matters to put a good Face:
How can theyadvise, if they seebut a Part? OCTOBER.
'T is very ill driving black Hogs in the dark. And thus if we may credit Fame's Report,
The best and fairest in the Gallic Court,
AUGUST. An Hour sometimes in Hospitals employ.
To make the cleanly Kitchen send up Food, Togive the dying Wretch a glimpse ofJoy;
Not costlyvain, but plentifully Good. T' attend the Crouds that hopeless Pangs endure,
To bid the Cellar's fountain never fail, Andsoothethe Anguish which they caniwt cure ;
To clothethe Bare, and givethe EmptyFood ;
Ofsparkling Cyder, or of well-brew'd Ale ; As bright asGuardian Angels, andasgood.
To buy, to pay, to blame, or to approve.
Within, without, below-stairs, or above; Half Wits talk much but say little.
To shine in every Comer like the Sun,
Still working every where, or looking on. IfJack'sinlove, he's no Judge ofJill's Beauty.
. Mostfools think they are only ignorant,
Suspicion may be no fault, but showing it may be
a great one. NOVEMBER.
He that's secure is not safe. Norbe the Husband idle, tho' hisIf .
Thesecond Vice is I^jring; the firstisrunningin Debt. Yields plenteous Crops without his lab nng ,
Tho' his collected Rent his Bags supply,
TheMuses love the Morning. Or honest, careful Slaves scarce need his Eye.
I^t him whom Choice allures, orFortunes jnel ,
SBPTEUBER. To live amidst his own extended Fields, ^
One glorious Scene of Action still behind, Diffuse those Blessings which from Heav n h
The Fair that Ukes it is secureto find; Incopious Streams to bless the World around.
i86 lôor IRicbacd for 1748
Pardoning- the Bad, is injuring the Good.
He is not well bred, that cannot bear Ill-Breeding in
others.
DECEMBER.
Open to all his hospitable door,

His Tenants Patron, Parent to the Poor :
In Friendships dear, discording Neighbours bind. POOR RICHARD FOR 1749.
Aid the distress'd, and humanize Mankind:
Wipe off the sorrowing Tear from Virtue's Byes,
Bid Honesty oppress'd, again arise :
Protect the Widow, give the Aged Rest, « [PREFACE OMITTED.]
And blessing live, and die for ever blest.
In Christmas feasting pray take care ; JANUARY.

Iêt not your table be a Snare ; Advice to Youtlu
But with the Poor God's Bounty share. First, Iêt the Fear of Him who form'd thy Frame,
Adieu, my Friends, till the next year. Whose Hand sustain'd thee e'er thou hadst a Name,
Who brought thee into Birth, with Pow'r of Thought
Receptive of immortal Good, be wrought
Deep in thy Soul. His, not thy own, thou art;
To him resign the Empire of thy Heart.
His Will, thy Iâw ; His Service, thy Employ;
His Frown, thy Dread, his Smile be all thy Joy.
Wealth and Content are not always Bed-fellows.
Wise Men leam by others harms; Fools by their own.
FEBRUARY.
Wak'd by the Call of Mom, on early Knee,

Ere the World thrust between thy God and thee,
Ivet thy pure Oraisons, ascending, gain
His Ear, and Succour of his Grace obtain.
In Wants, in Toils, in Perils of the Day,
And strong Temptations that beset thy Way.
Thy best Resolves then in his Strength renew
To walk in Virtue's Paths, and Vice eschew.
187
i88 Ipooc TRlcbarD for 1749 Ipoor TRtcbarD for 1749 189
The end of Passion is the beginning of Repentance. But if neglected, unrestrain'd too long,
Words may shew a man's Wit, but Actions his Mean Prevailing in their Growth, by Habit Strong,
ing. They 've wrapp'd the Mind, have fix'd the stubborn
Bent,
MARCH.
And Force of Custom to wild Nature lent;
To Him intrust thy Slumbers, and prepare Who then would set the crooked Tree aright.
The fragrant Incense of thy Ev'ning Prayer. As soon may wash the tawny Indian white.
But first tread back the Day, with Search severe,
And Conscience, chiding or applauding, hear. If Passion drives, let Reason hold the Reins.
Review each Step; Where, acting, did I err f Neither trust, nor contend, nor lay wagers, nor lend ;
Omitting, where f Guilt either Way infer. And you '11 have peace to your Lives end.
I<abourthis Point, and while thy Frailties last,
Still let each following Day correct the last. Drink does not drown Care, but waters it, and makes
it grow faster.
'T is a well spent penny that saves a groat.
Many Foxes grow grey, but few grow good. Who dainties love, shall Beggars prove.
Presumption first blinds a Man, then sets him a run JUNE.
ning,
Industrys bounteous Hand may bring,
AFRIL. But wanting/rw^-a/ Care, 't will soon take wing.
I,iFE is a shelvy Sea, the Passage fear. Small thy Supplies, and scanty in their Source,
And not without a skilful Pilot steer. 'Twixt Av'rice and Profusion steer thy Course.
Distrust thy Youth, experienc'd Age implore. AvWice is deaf to Want's Heart-bursting Groan,
And borrow all the Wisdom of Threescore. ôfusioti makes the Beggar's Rags thy own :
But chiefa Father's, Mother's Voice revere; CloseFraud and Wrong from griping Av'rice grow,
'T is Love that chides, 't is Love that coimsels here. From rash Profusion desp'rate Acts and Woe.
Thrice happy is the Youth, whose pliant Mind A Man has no more Goods than he gets Good by.
To all a Parent's Culture is resign'd.
Welcome, Mischief, ifthou comest alone.
A cold April, The Bam will fill.
Diflerent Sects like different clocks, may be all near
Content makes poor men rich; Biscontentmakes rich the matter, 'tho they don't quite agree.
Men poor.
Toomuch plenty makes Mouthdainty. JOLY.
Honour the softer Sex; with courteous Style,
And Gentleness ofManners, win their Smile;
O,well begun. Virtue's great Work pursue. Nor shun their virtuous Converse; but when Age
Passionsat first we may with Ease subdue; And Circumstance consent, thy Faith engage
igo ipoor TRfcbarO for 1749 Ipoor TRfcbarS) for 1749 igj
Tosome discreet, well-natur'd, chearful Fair, Declaiming against Pride, is not always a Sign of
Onenot toostatelyforthe Household Care, Humility.
One fonn'din Person andin Mind to please, Neglect kills Injuries, Revenge increases them.
To season I,ife, and all its Labours ease.
OCTOBER.
Ifyour head is wax, don't walk in the Sun. In Converse be reserv'd, yet not morose,
In Season grave, in Season, too, jocose.
Pretty & Witty will wound if they hit ye.
Shun Party-Wranglings, mix not in Debate
Havingbeen pooris no shame,but being ashamedof With Bigots in Religion or the State.
it, is. No Arms to Scandal or Detraction lend,
Abhor to wound, be fervent to defend.
AUGUST.
Aspiring stQl to know, a Babbler scorn,
Gaming,the Viceof Knaves and Fools, detest, But watch where Wisdom opes her golden Horn.
Minerof Time, of Substanceand of Rest;
Which, in the Winning or the Losing Part, 9 Men in lo are suicides.
Undoing or undone, will wring the Heart; Doing an Injury puts you below your Enemy; Reven
Undone, self-curs'd, thy Madness thou wilt rue; gingonemakesyoubut evenwith him; Forgiving it sets
Undoing, Curse of others will pursue you above him.
Thy hated Head. A Parent's, Household's Tear, NOVEMBER.
A Neighbour's Groan, and Heav'n's displeasure fear. In quest of Gain be just: A Conscienceclear
Is Lucre, more than Thousands in a Year;
'T is a laudable Ambition, that aims at being better
Treasure no Moth can touch, no Rust consume ;
than his Neighbours.
Safefromthe Knave, the Robber, and the Tomb.
The wise Man draws more Advantage from his £ne- UnrighteousGain is the curs'd Seedof Woe,
mies, than the Fool from his Friends. Predestin'd to be reap'd by them who sow;
A dreadful Harvest! when th' avenging Day
SEPTEMBER. Shall like a Tempest, sweep the Unjust away.
Wouldst thou extract the purest Sweet of Life,
Be nor Ally nor Principal in Strife. Mostof the Learning in use, is of no great Use.
AMediatorthere, thy Balsambring. Great Good-nature, without Prudence, is a great Mis
Andlenify the Wound,and draw the Sting ; fortune.
On Hate let Kindnessher warm Ambers throw. Keep Conscience clear, Then never fear.
Andmouldinto a Friend the melting Foe.
The weakest Foeboastssomerevenging Pow'r; DECEMBER.
The weakest Friend some serviceable Hour.
Butnot from Wrong alonethy Handrestrain.
All would live long, but none would be old. TheAppetite ofGold demands the Rein.
192 Ipoor IRicbarD tor 1749 Ipoor 1Ricbar& for 1749 193
What Nature asks, what Decency requires, PRECEPT II.

Be this the Bound that limits thy Desires :
What can be done, with Care perform to Day,
This, and the gen'rous godlike Pow'r to feed
Dangers unthought-of will attend Delay;
The Hungry, and to warm the I,oins oiNeed:
Your distant Prospects all precarious are,
To dry Misfortune's Tear, and scatter wide
And Fortune is as fickle as she's fair.
Thy Blessings, like the Nile's o'erflowing Tide.
PRECEPT III.
A man in a Passion rides a mad Horse. Nor trivial Iôss, nor trivial Gain despise ;
Reader farewel, all Happiness attend thee ; May each Molehills, if often heap'd, to Mountains rise :
New-Year, better and richer find thee. Weigh every small Expence, and nothing waste.
Farthings long sav'd, amount to Pounds at last.
13 ^
HOW TO GET RICHES.
The Art of getting Riches consists very much in

Thrift. All Men are not equally qualified for getting
Money, but it is in the Power of every one alike to
practise this Virtue.
He that would be beforehand in the World, must be
beforehand with his Business : It is not only ill Manage
ment, but discovers a slothful Disposition, to do that in
the Afternoon, which should have been done in the
Morning.
Useful Attainments in your Minority will procure
Riches in Maturity, of which Writing and Accounts are
not the meanest.
Iêaming, whether Speculative or Practical, is, in
Popular or Mixt Governments, the Natural Source of
Wealth and Honour.
PRECEPT I.
In Things ofmoment, on thy selfdepend,

Nor trust too far thy Servant or thy Friend :
Withprivate Views, thy Friend may promisefair.
AndServantsvery seldomprove sincere.
Ipoor TRicbarJ) for 1750 195
Muses Hill, which never can the Summit reach,

and soon comestumbling down again.
This, Kind Reader, is my seventeenth Labour
of the kind. Thro' thy continued Good-will,
th^y have procur'd me, if no Bays, at least
Pence; and the latter is perhaps thebetter of
the two ; since 't is not improbable, thata Man
POOR RICHARD FOR lyjo. may receive more solid Satisfaction from /^fl-
ding, while he isliving, than from Praise, after
Inmy last, afew Faults escap'd; some belong
preface. to the Author, but most to the Printer: Let
each take his Share of the Blame, confess, and
To TH® Reader : amend for the future. In the second Page of
The Hope of acquiring lasting Fame, is, August, I mention'd 120 as the next perfect
with many Authors, a most powerful Motive to number to 28; it was wrong, 120 being no
Writing. Some, tho' few, have succeeded; and perfect number ; thenext to28 I find 49 •
others, tho' perhaps fewer, may succeed^ here The first is 6; let the curious Reader, fond
after, and be as well known to Posterity by mathematical Questions, find the fourth. In
their Works, as the Antients are to us. We the 2d Page of March, in some Copies, the
Philomaths, asambitious of Fame asany other Earth's Circumference was said to nigh
Writers whatever, after all our painful Watch- 4000, instead of 24000 Miles, the gurc 2^
ings, and laborious Calculations, have the omitted at the Beginiug. This '
constant Mortification to see our Works thrown er's Fault; who being also somewhat nigg y
by at the End of the Year, and treated as mere of his Vowels, as well as profuse of his Con
waste Paper. Our only Calculation is, that sonants, put in one Place, among e '
short-lived as they are, they outlive those of mad, instLd of made, and in another wrapp d
most of our Cotemporaries. inst4d of warp'd; to the utter demol^hing
Yet, condemned to renew the Sisyphean Toil, of all Sense in those Lines, leaving
we every Year heave another heavy Mass upthe
194
Ipoor TRicbarJ) for 1750 197
196 Ipoor TRicbacO for 1750
For every Soul finds Reason to be Proud,
standing but the Rhime. These, and some Tho' hiss'd and hooted by the pointing Croud.
others, of a Hke kind, let the Readers forgive, There are three Things extreamly hard. Steel, a Dia
or rebuke him for, as to their Wisdom and mond and to know one's self.
Goodness shall seem meet: For in such Cases Hunger is the best Pickle.
the Loss and Damage is chiefly to the Reader, He is a Governor that governs his Passions, and he a
who, if he does not take my Sense at first Servant that serves them.
Reading, 't is odds he never gets it; for ten to FEBRUARY.
one he does not read my Works a second Time. Wesmile at Florists, we despise their Joy,
Printers indeed should be very carefuj how And think their Hearts enamour'd of a Toy;
they omit a Figiire or a Letter: For by such Butare those wiser, whom we most admire,
Survey with Envy, and pursuewith Fire ?
means sometimes a terrible Alteration is made "What's he, whofights for Wealth, or Fame,or Power?
in the Sense. I have heard, that once, in a Another/7o«b, doating on a Flower,
new Edition of the Common Prayer, the follow Ashort-liv'dFlower, and which has often sprung.
ing Sentence, We shall all he changed in a From sordid Arts,as Flori&s out ofDung.
Moment in the Twinkling of an Eye ; by the A Cypher and Humility make the other Figures &
Omission of a single Letter, became We shall Virtues of tenfold Value.
all be hanged in a Moment, &c. to the no small J If it werenot for the Belly, the Backmight wear Gold.
Surprize of the first Congregation it was read to. MARCH.
May this Year prove a Happy One to Thee and What'sthebentBrow, or Neck in Thought reclin'd ?
Thine, is the hearty wish of. Kind Reader, The Body'sWisdom,to conceal the Mind.
A Man ofSense can Artifice disdain.
Thy obliged Friend, AsMenofWealth mayventure to go plain ;
R. SAUNDERS. And he this Truth eternal ne'er forgot,
Solemnity's a Coverfor a Sot;
JANUAXY. 1 find the Fool, when I behold the Screen :
For't is the Wise Man's Interest to be seen.
So weak are human Kind by Nature made,
Or to such Weakness by their Vice betray'd, Wouldst thou confound thine Enemy, begood thy self.
Almighty Vanity I to thee they owe Pride is as loud a Beggar as Want, and a great deal
Their Zest of Pleasure, and their Balm of Woe. 'Qore saucy.
Thou, like the Sun, all Colours dost contain, Pay what you owe, andwhatyou 'reworth you'll know.
Varying like Rays of Wght on Drops of Rain ;
igS poor IRicbacd for 1750 Ipoor "KfcbarO for 1750 199
Aspasta^s Shape indeed but then her Air,

When e'er by seeming Chance, Jôp throws his Eye 'T would ask a Conj 'rer to find Beauty there.
On Mirrors flashing with his Finery, Without a But, Hortensia she commends,
With how sublime a Transport leaps his Heart; The first of Women, and the best of Friends ;
Pity such Friends sincere should ever part. Owns her in Person, Wit, Fame, Virtue, tfright;
So have I seen on some bright Summer's Day, But how comes this to pass ? She dy'd last Night.
A spotted Calf, sleek, frolicksome and gay;
Sound, &c. sound Doctrine, may pass through a Ram's
Gaze from the Bank, and much delighted seem.
Horn, and a Pieacher, without straightening the one, or
Fond of the pretty Fellow in the Stream.
amending the other.
Sorrow is good for nothing but Sin. Clean your Finger, before you point at my Spots.
Many a Man thinks he is buying Pleasure, when he is -1 ' '
JULY.
really selling himself a Slave to it.
Oil Time.
Graft good Fruit all, Or graft not at all. See Time launch'd forth, in solemn Form proceed.
MAY. And Man on Man advance, and Deed on Deed !
Content let all your Virtues lie unknown,
No Pause, no Rest in all the World appears,
If there's no Tongue to praise them, but your own, Ev'n live long Patriarchs waste their 1000 Years.
Of Boasting more than of a Bomb afraid. Some Periods void of Science and of Fame,
Merit should be as modest as a Maid. Scarce e'er exist, or leave behind a Name;
Fame is a Bubble the Reserv'd enjoy, Meer slugg^h Rounds, to let Succession climb,
Who strive to grasp it, as they touch, destroy ; Obscure, and idle Expletives of Time.
'T is the World's Debt to Deeds of high Degree ; He that spills the Rum loses that only ; He that drinks
But if you pay yourself, the World is free. it, often loses both that and himself.
'Tis hard (but glorious) to be poor and honest: An That Ignorance makes devout, if right the Notion,
empty Sack can hardly stand upright; but if it does, 't is Troth, Rufus, thou 'rt a Man of great Devotion.
a stout one I
He that can bear a Reproof, and mend by it, if he is
Others behold each nobler Genius thrive.
not wise, is in a fair way of being so.
And in their generous lyQbours long survive ;
Beatus esse sine Virtute nemo potest.* By Iêaming gfrac'd, extend a distant Iîght;
JUNE. Thus circling Science has her Day and Night.
JRise, rise, ye dear Cotemporaries, rise ;
Daphnis, says Clio, has a charming Bye ;
On whom devolve these Seasons and these Skies I
What Pity't is her Shoulder is awry ?
Assert the Portion destin'd to your Share,
* No one can be happy without virtue. And make the Honour of the Times your Care.
200 poor TRfcbarD for 1750 ©oor IR(cbari) for 1750 20I
Those that have much Business must have much Tho' Modestyis a Virtue, Bashfulnessis a Vice.
Pardon. Hide not your Talents, they for Use were made,
Discontented Minds, and Fevers of the Body are not ^^^t's a Sun-Dial in the Shade ?
to be cured by changing Beds or Businesses. NOVEMBER.
Wttle Strokes, Fell great Oaks. Happy, thrice happy he ! whose conscious Heart,
Enquires his Purpose, and discerns his Part;
SEPTEMBER.
Who nms with Heed, th' involuntary Race,
still be yourdarlingStudyNature'sI,aws; Nor lets his hours reproach him as they pass;
Andto its Fountain trace up everyCause. Weighs how they steal away, how sure, how fast,
Explore, for'^such it is, this high Abode, And as he weighs them, apprehends the last.
And tread the Paths which Boyleand Newton trod. Or vacant, or engag'd, our Minutes fly ;
1,0,Earth smiles wide, and radiant Heav'n looks down, We may be negligent, but we must die.
All fair, all gay, and urgent to be known 1
Attend, and here are sown Delights immense, What signifies knowing the Names, if you know not
For every Intellect, and eveiy Sense. the Natures of Things.
Tim was so learned, that he could name a Horse in
You may be too cunning for One, but not for All. ''ine I,anguages. So ignorant, that he boughta Cow to
ride on.
Genius without Education is like Silver in the Mine.
Many would live by their Wits, but break for want of The Golden Ageneverwasthe present Age.
stock. DECEMBER.
Poor Plain dealing I dead without Issue. Andthousupreme ofBeings and ofThings!
Who breath'st all Life, and giv'st Duration Wings;
OCTOBER. Intense, O let me for thy Glory bum.
With Adoration think, with Rapture gaze. Nor fruitless view my Days and Nights return;
And hear all Nature chant her Maker's Praise Give me with Wonder at thy Works to glow;
With Reason stor'd, by Iôve of Knowledge fir'd, Tog;rasp thy Vision, and thy Truthsto know;
By Dread awaken'd, and by I^ve inspir'd, To reach at lengrth thy everlastingShore,
Can We, the Product ofanother's Hand, And live and sing 'till Time shall be no more.
Nor whence, nor how, nor why we are, dema: 'Tisa Shame thatyour FamUy isanHonour toyou!
And, not at all, or not aright employ'd, You oughtto bean Honour to your Family.
Behold a I,ength of Years, and all a Void? Glass, China, and Reputation, are easUy crack'd, and
Oever well mended.
You can bear your own Faults, and why not a Fault in Adieu, my Task's ended.
your Wife.
202 Ipoor IRicbacD for 1750
OF COURTS.
If any Rogûe vexatious Suits advance

Against you for your known Inheritance :
• Knterby Violence your fruitful Grounds,
Or take the sacred Iând-mark from your Bounds,
Or if your Debtors do not keep their Day,
Deny their Hands, and then refuse to pay :
You must with Patience all the Terms attend.
Among the common Causes that depend.
Till yours is call'd ; - - - And that long look'd-forDay,
Is still encumber'd with some new Delay :
POOR RICHARD FOR 17^1,
Your Proofs and Deeds all on the Table spread.
Some ofthe B ch perhaps are sick a-bed ;
That J ge steps out to light his Pipe, while this
O'er night was boozy, and goes out to p - - ss. PRBFACB.
Some Witness miss'd ; some Iâwyer not in Town,
So many Rubs appear, the Time is gone. COURTKOUS RKADBR,
For Hearing, and the tedious Suit goes on. Astrology is one of the most ancient Sci
Then rather let two Neighbours end your Cause,
And split the Difference ; tho* you lose one Half; ences, had in high Bsteem of old, by the Wise
Than spend the Whole, entangled in the Iâws, and Great. Formerly, no Prince could make
While merry Iâwyers sly, at both Sides laugh. War or Peace, nor any General fight a Battle, in
short, no important Aflfair was undertaken with
out first consulting an u4strolog'er,-wh.o examined
the Aspects and Configurations of the heavenly
Bodies, and mark'd the lucky Hour. Now the
noble Art (more Shame to the Age we live in !)
is dwindled into Contempt; the Great neglect
us, J^mpires make Leagues, and Parliaments
Laws, without advising with us ; and scarce any
other Use is made of our learned Labours, than
to find the best Time of cutting Corns, or geld
ing Pigs. This Mischief we owe in a great
203
204 ©oor TRfcbarO foe 1751 Ipooc IR(cbart) for 1751 205
Measure to ourselves: The Ignorant Herd of " viz. The Northern Lights since 1715 ; the six
Mankind, had they not been encouraged to it by- " Comets at the Protestant Reformation in four
some of us, would never have dared to depreci "Years, 1530, 1531, I533>< IS34, compared with
ate our sacred Dictates; but Urania has been "the seven Comets already seen in these last
betray'd by her own Sons ; those whom she had "eleven Years 1737, I739, i742, i743, I744, 1746,
favoured with the greatest Skill in her divine " and 1748. From the great Annular
Art, the most eminent Astronomers among the "Bclipse of the Sun,yw/jj/14, 1748, whose Cen-
Modems, the Newtons, Halleys, and Whistons, "ter passed through all the four Monarchies,
have wantonly contemned and abus*d her, con " from Scotland to the East Indies. From
trary to the I/ight of their own Conscience's, Of "the Occultation of the Pleiades by the Moon
these, only the last nam'd, Whiston, has liv'dto " each periodical Month, after the Eclipse last
repent, and speak his Mind honestly. In his "July, for above three Years, visible to the
former Works he had treatedJudiciary Astrol " whole Poman Empire; as there was a like
ogy as a Chimera, and -asserted, That not only "Occultation of the Hyades from A, 590, to A.
the fixed Stars, but the Planets (Sun and Moon " 595) for six Years foretold by Isaiah.
excepted) were at so immense a Distance, as to " From the Transit of Mercury over the Sun,
be incapable of any Influence on this Barth, " April 25, 1753, which will be visible thro' that
and consequently nothing could be foretold " Empire. From the Comet of A. D, 1456,
from their Positions, but now in the Memoirs " 153I) 1607, and 1682, which will appear again
of his Iîfe, published 1749, in the 82d Year of "about 1757 ending, or 1758 beginning, and
his Age, he foretels, Page 607, the sudden De "will also be visible thro* that Empire.
struction of the Turkish [Empire, and of the " From the Transit of Venus.owerthe Sun, May
House of Austria^ German Bmperors, &c. and 26, 1761, which will be visible over the same
Popes of Rome; the Restoration of the Jews^ " Empire : And lastly, from the annular Eclipse
and Commencement of the Millennium; all by "of the Sun, March, 11, 1764, which will be
Year 1766 ; and this not only from Scripture "visible over the same Empire. From
Prophecies; but (take his own Words) these Astronomical Signs, he foretels those
"From the remarkable astronomical Signals great Events, That within 16 Years from this
that are to alarm Mankind of what is coming, Time, "the Millennium or 1000 Years Reign of
2o6 Ipoor TRfcbarD for 1751 Ipoor 1Ricbar5 for 1751 207
" Christ shall begin, there shall be a new Heav- Some Worth it argues, a Friend's Worth to know ;
Virtue to own the Virtue of a Foe.
ens^ and a new Earth ; there shall be no more
Prosperity discovers Vice, Adversity Virtue.
" an Infidel in Chriêndom, Page 398, nor a
" Gaming-Table at Tunbridge ! When FEBRUARY.
these Predictions are accomplished, what glori

Affect not that vain Iêvity of Thought,
ous Proofs they will be of the Truth of our Art ? Which sets Religion, Virtue, all at nought.
And if they happen to fail, there is no For true Religion like the Sun's blest Beam,
doubt that so profound an Astronomer as Mr. Darts thro' the conscious Mind a heav'nly Gleam,
Whiston^ will be able to see other Signs in the Irradiates all the Soul, no Care allows.
Calms the best Heart, and smooths the easy Brows.
Heavens, foreshowing that the Conversion of Yet think it not enough what's right to know.
Infidels was to be postponed, and fhe Millen" But let your Practice that right Knowledge show.
adjoum'd. After these great Things To Christians bad rude Itidians we prefer ;
can any Man doubt our being capable of pre 'T is better not to know, than knowing err.
dicting a little Rain or Sun-shine ? Reader, Many a Man would have been worse, if his instate had
Farewell, and make the best Use of your Years been better.
and your Almanacks, for you see, that accord We may give Advice, but we cannot give Conduct.
ing to Whiston^ you may have at most, but
MARCH.
sixteen more of them.
Patowmackyjuly 1750. - - R. SAUNDBRS. Some sweet Kmploy for leisure Minutes chuse.
And let your very Pleasures have their Use.
JANUARY. But if you read, your Books with Prudence chuse.
Or Time mis-spent is worse than what you lose.
Who rise to Glory^ must by Virtue rise,
Be fully e'er you speak your Subject known.
'T is in the Mind qX\ genuine Greatness lies :
And let e'en then some Diffidence be shown.
On that eternal Base, on that alone,
Keep something silent, and we think you wise,
The World's iJ^steem you build, and more—^your own.
But when we see the Bottom, we despise.
For what avails Birth, Beauty, Fortune's Store,
The Plume of Title, and the Pride of Pow'r,
If, deaf to Virtue, deaf to Honour's Call, He that is conscious of a stink in his Breeches, is jeal
To Tyrant Vicea wretched Slave you fall ? ous of every Wrinkle in another's Nose.
I^ve and Tooth-ach have many Cures, but none infal
Pray don't bum my House to roast your Bggs. lible, except Possession and Dispossession.
2o8 Ipoor 1Rfcbat& for 1751 ©oor 1Ricbar& foe 1751 2og
APRIL. Blood stuffd in Guts is British Christian's Food,

O barb'rous Waggoners, your Wrath asswage, And France robs Marshes of the croaking Brood ;
Why vent you on the generous Steed your Rage ? But he had sure a Palate cover'd o'er
Does not his Service earn you daily Bread ? • With Brass or Steel, that on the rocky Shore,
Your Wives, your Children by his Iâbour fed ? First broke the oozy Oister's pearly Coat,
If, as the Samian taught, the Soul revives, And risk'd the living Morsel down his Throat.
And, shifting Seats, in other Bodies lives.
Severe shall be the brutal Carter's Change, 'T is easier to suppress the first Desire, than to satisfy
Doom'd in a Thill-horse o'er rough Roads to range ; all that follow it.
And while transform'd the groaning Iôad he draws, Don't judge of Men's Wealth or Piety, by their Sunday
Some Horse tum'd Carter shall avenge the Cause. Appearances.
There are lazy Minds as well as lazy Bodies.

Friendshipincreases by visiting Friends, but by visit
ing seldom.
Most People return small Favours, acknowledge mid
dling ones, and repay great ones with Ingratitude. JULY.
Viceluring, in the Way of Virtue lies,
God suffers this ; but tempts not; tho' He tries.
With ceaseless Streams a well-plac'd Treasure flows, Go wrong, go right, 't is your own Action still;
When spent increases, and by lessening grows. He leaves you to your Choice, of Good, or 111.
Sarepta's Widow, hoping no Supply, Then chuse the Good ! the 111 submisly bear I
Thought, on her little Store, to eat and die : The Man of Virtue is above Despair.
Soon as she welcom'd her prophetic Guest, Safe on this Maxim with the Writer rest.
The Cruse flow'd liberal, and the Com increas'd, That all that happens, happens for the best.
Th' Almighty Pow'x unfailing Plenty sent,
The Oil unwasted, and the Meal unspent. If your Riches are yours, why don't you take them
with you to the t'other World ?
Fond Pride of Dress is sure an empty Curse ;
^'re Fancy you consult, consult your Purse. What more valuable than Gold? Diamond. Than
Diamonds ? Virtue.
Youth is pert and positive. Age modest and doubting:
So iEars of Com when young and light, stand bold up To-day is Yesterday's Pupil.
right, but hang their Heads when weighty, full, and
AUGUST.
ripe.
Ye Party Zealots, thus it fares with you.
JUNE. When Party Rage too warmly you pursue ;
What will not LuxWy taste ? jârth. Sea, and Air, Both Sides club Nonsense and impetuous Pride
Are daily ransack'd for the Bill of Fare. And /vj/Zy joins whom Sentiments divide
Vol I—14
• ...
2IO Ipoor TRicbarO for 1751 TPoor 1Rtcbat& for 1751 an
You vent your Spleen as Monkeys when they pass, Great Estates may venture more; Iîttle Boats must
Scratch at the mimic Monkey in the Glass, keep near Shore.
While both are one; and henceforth be it known, Nice Eaters seldom meet with a good Dinner.
Fools of both Sides shall stand as Fools alone.
NOVEMBER.
If worldly Goods cannot save me from Death, they
ought not to hinder me of eternal Iîfe.- She longs to wake, and wishes to get free.
'T is great Confidence in a Friend to tell him your To launch from Earth into Eternity,
For while the boundless Theme extends our Thought,
Faults, greater totellî|nîs. Ten thousand thousand rolling Years are nought.
SEPTEMBER. O endless thought! divine Etîiy /
Ah 1 what is I<ife ? With Ills encompass'd round, Th' immortal Soul shares but a Part of thee;
Amidst our Hopes, Fate strikes the sudden Wound ; For thou wert present when our X,ife began.
To-day the Statesman of new Honour dreams, When the warm Dust shot up in breathing Man.
To-morrow Death destroys his airy Schemes.
Is mouldy Treasure in thy Chest confin'd ; Not to oversee Workmen, is to leave them your Purse
Think, all that Treasure thou must leave behind ; open.
Thy Heir with Smiles shall view thy blazon'd Hearse, The Wise and Bi:ave dares own that he was wrong.
And all thy Hoards, with lavish Hand disperse. Cunning proceeds from Want of Capacity.
Talking against Religion is unchaining a Tyger ; The
Beast let loose may worry his Deliverer. DECEMBER.
Ambition often spends foolishly what Avarice had Ere the Foundations of the World were laid.
wickedly collected. Ere kindling Light th' Almighty Word obey'd.
OCTOBER.
Thou wert; and when the subterraneous Flame,
Shall burst its Prison, and devour this Frame,
Should certain Fate th' impending Blow delay, From angry Heav'n when the keen Iîghtning flies,
Thy Mirth will sicken, and thy Bloom decay; When fervent Heat dissolves the melting Skies,
Then feeble Age will all thy Nerves disarm.
Thou still Shalt be ; still as thou wert before.
No more thy Blood its narrow Channels warm ; And know no Change when Time shall be no more.
Who then would wish to stretch this narrow Span,
To sufTer Iîfe beyond the Date of Man ?
The Proud hate Pride—in others.
The virtuous Soul pursues a nobler Aim,
And lyife regards but as a fleeting Dream. Who judges best of a Man, his Enemies or himself?
Drunkenness, that worst of Evils, makes some men
Fillgarlic was in the Accusative Case, and bespoke a Fools, some Beasts, some Devils.
Iâwyer in the Vocative, who could not understand him
till he made use of the Dative. 'X is not a Holiday that's not kept holy.
©oor IRlcbarO for 1752 213
^êre Sand^ or Stony Wilds once starv'd the Year,

ûghs the green I<awn, and nods the golden Bar.
^"îte shine the fleecy Race, which Fate shall doom,
The Feast of Iîfe, the Treasure of the Iôom.
For want of a Nail the Shoe is lost; for want of a Shoe
Horse is lost ; for want of a Horse the Rider is lost.
POOR RICHARD FOR 17J2. MARCH.
^ât tho' no Arch of Triumph is assigned

ô laurel'd Pride, whose Sword has thinn'd Mankind;
l^ho' no vast Wall extends from Coast to Coast,
[PREFACE OMITTED.] ô Pyramid aspires sublimely lost.
I«o! stately Streets, lo ! ample Squares invite
JANUARY. salutary Gale that breathes Delight.
lyO ! Structures mark the hospitable Strand,
On Publick Spirit,
Where Charity extends her tender Hand ;
Where never Science beam'd a iHendly Ray,
Where one vast Blank neglected Nature lay; The busy Man has few idle Visitors ; to the boiling Pot
From Publick Spirit there, by Arts employ'd, the Flies come not.
Creation, varying, glads the chearless Void. Calamity and Prosperity are the Touchstones of In
By Arts, which Safety, Treasure and Delight, tegrity.
On Iând, on Wave, in wondrous Works unite I
Myriads made happy, Publick Spirit bless ;
Parent of Trade, Wealth, Iîberty and Peace. Where the sick Stranger joys to find a Home,
Where casual 111, maim'd Iâbour, freely come ;
Observe old Vellum; he praises former times, as if Those worn with Age, Infirmity or Care,
he'd a mind to sell 'em.
Find Rest, Relief, and Health returning fair.
Kings have long Arms, but misfortune longer: I<et There too the Walls of rising Schools ascend.
none think themselves out of her Reach. For Publick Spirit still is Learning's Friend,
Where Science, Virtue, sown with liberal Hand,
FEBRUARY. In future Patriots shall inspire the Xfand.
Unlike where Tyranny, the Rod maintains
O'er turfless, leafless and uncultur'd Plains, The Prodigal generally does more Injustice than the
Hê Herbs of Food and Physic, Plenty showers. Covetous.
Gives Fruits to blush, and colours various Flowers. Generous Minds are all of kin.
212
isliA..;:
214 poor TRfcbacD for 1752 ipoor IRicbatD foe 1752 215
' Unsought shall here the teeming Quarries own

And when too populous at length confess'd, ' The various Species of mechanic Stone ?
From confluent Strangers refug'd and redress'd : 'From Structure This, from Sculpture That confine?
When War so long withdraws his barb'rous Train, ' Shall Rocks forbid the latent Gem to shine ?
That Peace o'erstocks us with the Sons of Men :
So long Health breathes thro' the pure ambient Air, Bis dat qui cito dat: He gives twice that gives soon ;
.That Want must prey on those Disease would spare; i. e. he will soon be called upon to grive again.
Then will be all genWotis Godless seen. A Temper to bear much, will have much to bear.
Then most diffus'd she shines, and most benign. Pride dines upon Vanity, sups on Contempt.
'T is more noble to forgive,and more manly to despise, AUGUST.
than to revenge an Injury.
' Shall Mines obedient aid no Artist's Care,
A Brother may not be a Friend, but a Friend will ' Nor give the martial Sword and peaceful Share ?
always be a Brother. 'Ah ! shall they never precious Ore unfold.
Meanness is the Parent of Insolence. ' To smile in Silver, or to flame in Gold?
' Shall here the vegetable World alone,
JUNE.
' For Joys, for various Virtues rest unknown ?
Her ^ye far piercing, round extends its Beams, 'While Food and Physic, Plants and Herbs supply,
To Erie's Banks, or smooth Ohio's Streams, ' Here must they shoot alone to bloom and die ?
It fixes where kind Rays till then have smil'd,
(Vain Smile 1) on some luxuriant houseless Wild ; Great Merit is coy, as well as great Pride.
How many Sons of Want might here enjoy An undutiful Daughter, will prove an unmanageable
What Nature gives for Age but to destroy ? Wife.
' Blush, blush, O Stin (she cries) here vainly found
Old Boys have their Playthings as well as young Ones ;
' To rise, to set, to roll the Seasons round I
the Difference is only in the Price.
Mankind are very odd Creatures : One Half censure
what they practise, the other half practise what they SEPTEMBER.
censure ; the rest always say and do as they ought. ' Shall Fruits, which none, but brutal l^yes survey
Severityis often Clemency ; Clemency Severity. ' Untouch'd grow ripe, untasted drop away ?
'Shall here th' irrational, the salvage Kind
JULY. ' Iôrd it o'er Stores by Heav'n for Man design'd,
' Shall Heav'n distilin Dews, descend in Rain, ' And trample what mild Suns benig^nly raise,
' From iârth gush Fountains, Rivers flowin vain ? ' While Man must lose the Use, and Heav'n the Praise ?
' There shall the watry Livesin Myriadsstray, ' Shall it then be ? ' •(Indignant here she rose.
' And be, to be alone each other's Prey ? Indignant, yet humane, her Bosom glows.)
2i6 Ipoor IRicbard for 1752 poor TRicbarD for 1752 217
The too obliging: Temper is evermore disobliirfnff DECEMBER.

itself.
' Here live enjojring I<ife, see Plenty, Peace ;
Hold your Council before Dinner; the full Belly hates ' Their Iânds encreasing as their Sons increase !
Thinking as well as Acting. *As Nature yet is found in leafy Glades
' To intermix the Walks with Iîghts and Shades ;
OCTOBER.
' Or as with Good and 111, in chequer'd Strife,
' No ! By each honour'd Grecian Roman Name, *Various the Goddess colours human Iîfe ;
' By Men for Virtue Deified by Fame, ' So in this fertile Clime ifyet are seen
' Who peopled Xânds, who model'd infant State, ' Moors, Marshes, Clifis, by Turns to intervene :
' And then bad J^mpire be maturely great,
' By These I swear (be witness iEarth and Skies I) Success has ruin'd many a Man.
' Fair Order here shall from Confusion rise, Great Pride and Meanness sure are near ally'd; Or
' ' Rapt I a future Colony survey I their Partitions do their Bounds divide.
' Come then, ye Sons of Mis'ry ! come away I
The Brave and the Wise can both pity and excuse
when Cowards and Fools shew no Mercy.
Ceremony is not Civility; nor Civility Ceremony.
If man cotdd have Half his Wishes, he would double
his Troubles.
NOVEMBER.
' I^t Those, whose Sorrows from Neglect are known,
' (Here taught compelled empowered) Neglect attone I
' I/et Those enjoy (who never merit Woes)
' ^ Youth th' industrious Wish, in Age Repose I
/ Allotted Acres (no reluctant Soil)
' Shall prompt their Industry, and pay their Toil.
' I/et Families, long Strangers to Delight,
*Whom wayward Fate dispersed, by Me unite ;
It is ill Jesting with the Joiner's Tools, worse with the
Doctor's.
Children and Princes will quarrel for Trifles.
Praise to the undeserving, is severe Satyr.
ma:.
Ipoor TRlcbart) tor 1753 219
Matters I confine the Usefulness of my Kphe-

meris to the Northern Colonies, yet in that
important Matter of the Weather, which is of
such general Concern, I would have it more
extensively useful, and therefore take in both
Hemispheres, and all the Latitudes from Hud
POOR RICHARD FOR 1753. son's Bay to Cape Horn.
You will find this Almanack in my former
Method, only conformable to the New-Stile
PRBFACK.
established by the Act of Parliament, which
Courteous Rbader, I gave you in my last at length; the new Act
This is the twentieth Time of my address since made for Amendment of that first Act,
ing thee in' this Manner, and I have reason not affecting us in the least, being intended
to flatter myself my Labours have not been only to regulate some Corporation matters iu
imacceptable to the Publick. I am particularly i England, being unprovided for. I have only
pleas'd to understand that my Predictions of added a Column in the second Page of each
the Weather give such general Satisfaction ; and • Month, containing the Days of the Old Stile
indeed such Care is taken in the Calculations, opposite to their corresponding Days in the
on which those Predictions are founded, that I New, which may in many Cases, be of Use ;
could almost Venture to say, there 's not a and so conclude, (believing you will excuse
single One of them, promising Snow, Rain, a short Preface, when it is to make Room for
Hail, Heat, Frost, Fogs, Wind, or Thunder, something better).
but what comes to pass punctually and pre Thy Friend and Servant,
cisely on the very Day, in some Place or other R. saund:^rs.
on this little diminutive Globe of Ours ; (and hymn to the crea±or, from psalm crv.
when you consider the vast Distance of the
AWAKIK, my Soul! with Joy thy God adore ;
Stars from which we take Aim, you must allow Declare his Greatness ; celebrate his Pow'r;
it no small Degree of Exactness to hit any Part Who, cloth'd with Honour, and with Glory crowu'd
of it). I say on this Globe ; for though in other Shinesforth, and cheers his Universe around,
218
220 Ipoot IRfcbacD foe 1753 Ipoor TRicbarD for 1753 221
Who with a radient Veil of heavenly I/ight He bids the living Fountains burst the Ground,
Himself conceals from all created Sight. And bounteous spread their Silver Streams around :
Who rais'd the spacious Firmament on hig-h, Down from the Hills they draw thier shining Train,
And spread the azure Curtain of the Sky. Diffusing Health and Bounty o'er the Plain.
Whose awful Throne Heav'n's starry Arch sustains, There the fair Flocks allay the Summer's Rage,
Whose Presence not Heav'n's vast Kxpanse retains. And panting Savages their Flame asswage,
Whose Ways unsearchable no Eye can find, On their sweet winding Banks th' aerial Race
The Clouds his Chariot, and his Wings the Wind. In artless Numbers warble forth his Praise,
Whom Hosts of mighty Angels own their I<ord, Or chant the harmless Raptures of their Loves,
And flaming Seraphim fulfil his Word. And cheer the Plains, and wake the vocal Groves.
Whose Pow'r of old the solid :Earth did found, Forth from his Treasures in the Skies he pours
Self-pois'd, self-center'd, and with Strength gîrt round; His precious Blessings in refreshing Show'rs,
From her appointed Sphere forbid to fly, Each dying Plant with Joy new lyife receives.
Or rush unbalenced thro' the trackless Sky. And thankful Nature smiles, and Earth revives.
To reas'ning Man the sov'reign Rule assign'd, The fruitful Fields with Verdure he bespreads.
His Delegate o'er each inferior Kind; The Table of the Race that haunts the Meads,
Too soon to fall from that distinguish'd Place, And bids each Forest, and each flow'ry Plain
His Honours stain'd with Guilt and foul Disgrace. Send forth their native Physic for the Swain,
He saw the Pride of Earth's aspiring Iôrd, Thus doth the various Bounty of the Earth
And in his Fury gave the dreadful Word : Support each Species crowding into Birth.
Straight o'er her peopled Plains his Floods were pour'd. In purple Streams she bids her Vintage flow.
And o'er her Mountains the proud Billows roar'd. And Olives on her Hills luxuriant grow.
Athwart the Face of Earth the Deluge sweeps, One with its generous Juice to cheer the Heart,
And whelms the impious Nations in the Deeps. And one illustrious Beauty to impart;
Again God spake and at his pow'rful Call And Bread ofall Heav'n's precious gifts the chief
The raging Floods asswage, the Waters fall. From desolating Want the sure Relief.
The Tempests hear his Voice, and straight obey, Which with new Iîfe the feeble Iîmbs inspires.
And at his Thunder's Roar they hast6 away: And all the Man with Health and Courage fires.
From off the lofty Mountains they subside. The Cloud-topt Hills with waving Woods are crown'd,
And gently thro' the winding Valleys glide. Which wide extend thier sacred Shades around,
Till in the spacious Caverns of the Deep There Iêbanon's proud Cedars nod their Heads ;
They sink together, and in Silence sleep. There Bashan's lofty Oaks extend thier Shades :
There he hath stretched abroad thier liquid Plains, The pointed Firs rise tow'ring to the Clouds,
And there Omnipotence their Rage restrains. And lyife and warbling Numbers fill the Woods.
That Earth no more her Ruins may deplore. Nor gentle Shades alone, nor verdant Plains,
And gfuilty Mortals dread thier Wrath no more. Nor fair enamell'd Meads, nor flow'ry Iâwns,
222 ©oor IRfcbarZ) for 1753 ®oot 1Ricbat& foe 1753 223
But e'n rude Rocks and dreary Desarts yield Philosophy as well as Foppery often changes Fashion.
Retreats for the wild Wand'rers of the Field.
The Pow'r with Iîfe and Sense all Nature fills, FEBRUARY.
Jâch Hlement with varied Being- swells, Before him fly the Horrors of the Night;
Race after Race arising- view the I/ight, He looks upon the World—and all is lyight. •
Then silent pass away, and sink in Night. Then the lone Wand'rers of the dreary Waste
The Gift of Iîfe thus boundlessly bestowed, Affrighted to their Holes return in Haste,
Proclaims th* exhaustless Hand, the Hand of God. To Man give up the World, his native Reign,
Nor less thy Glory in th' etherial Spheres, Who then resumes his Pow'r, and rules the Plain.
Nor less thy ruling Providence appears. How various are thy Works, Creator wise I
There from on high the gentle Moon by Night How to the Sight Beauties on Beauties rise !
In solemn Silence sheds her Silver I/ight,
And thence the glorious Sun pours forth his Beams. Setting too Good an Example is a kind of Slander sel
Thence copious spreads around his quick'ning Streams dom forgiven ;'t is Scandalum Magnatum.
Each various Orb enjoys the golden Day, A great Talker may be no Fool, but he is one that
And Worlds of lyife hang on his chearful Ray. relies on him.
Thus I/ight and Darkness their fix'd Course maintain.
And still the kind Viccisitudes remain : MARCH.
For when pale Night her sable Curtain spreads. Where Goodness worthy of a God bestows
And wraps all Nature in her awful Shades, His Gifts on all, and without Bounds o'erflows ;
Soft Slumbers genUy seal each mortal Eye, Where Wisdom bright appears, and Pow'r divine,
Stretch'd at their Kase the weary Iâb'rers lie. And where Infinitude itself doth shine ;
The restless Soul 'midst Iîfe's vain Tumults tost. "Where Excellence invisible 's exprest.
Forgets her Woes and ev'ry Care is lost, And in his glorious Works the God appears confest.
With Iîfe thy Hand hath stocked this Earthly Plain
JANUARY.
Nor less the spacious Empire of the Main.
Then from their Dens the rav'nous Monsters creep.
Whilst in their Folds the harmless Bestial sleeps. When Reason preaches, if you don't hear her she '11
The furious I/ion roams in quest of Prey, box your Ears.
To gorge his Hunger till the Dawn of Day ; It is not leisure that is not used.
His hideous Roar with Terror shakes the Wood,
As from his Maker's Hand he asks his Food.
Again the Sun his Morning Beams displays.
And fires the eastern Mountain with his Rays. There the tall Ships the rolling Billows sweep,
And bound triumphant o'er the unfathom'd Deep.
'T is against some Mens Principle to pay Interest, and There gn*eat Iêviathan in regal Pride,
seems against others Interest to pay the Principal. The scaly Nations crouding by his Side,
224 Ipooc IRfcbatO for 1753 Ipoot 1Rfcbar5 foe 1753 225
Iâr in the deep Recesses of the Main Many have quarrel'd about Religion, that never prac
0*er Nature's Wastes extends his boundless Reigpa. tised it.
Round the dark Bottoms of the Mountains roves. Sudden Pow'r is apt to be insolent, Sudden Liberty
The hoary Deep swells dreadful as he moves. sau^; that behaves best which has gôwn gradually.
He that best understands the World, least likes it.
The Good-will of the Govern'd will be starved, if not
fed by the good Deeds of the Governors. JULY.
Paintings and Fightings are best seen at a distance. His Works with Reverence own his pow'rful Hand,
And humble Nature waits his dread Command,
MAY. He looks upon the Karth—her Pillars shake,
Now views the awful Throne of antient Night, And from her Centre her Foundations quake.
Then mounts exulting to the Realms of Height: The Hills he touches—Clouds of Smoke arise.
Now launches to the Deep, now stems the Shore, And sulph'rous Streams mount heavy to the Skies.
An Ocean scarce contains the wild Uproar. Whilst Iîfe informs this Frame, that I<ife shall be
Whate'er of I<ife replenishes the Flood, (O First and Greatest !) sacred all to Thee.
Or walks the Karth, or warbles thro' the Wood,
Anger is never without a Reason, but seldom with a
In Nature's various Wants to thee complains.
good One.
The Hand, which gave the Iîfe, the lyife sustains.
He that is of Opinion Money will do every Thing
may well be suspected of doing every Thing for Money.
If you would reap Praise you must sow the Seeds,
gentle Words and useful Deeds. An ill Wound, but not an ill Name, may be healed.
Ignorance leads Men into a party, and Shame keeps AUGUST.'*'
them from getting out again.
Haste makes Waste. When out of Favour, none know thee ; when in, thou
dost not know thyself.
JUNE. A lean Award is better than a fat Judgement.
To each th' appointed Sustenance bestows. God,Parents, and Instructors, can never be requited.
To each the noxious and the healthful shows.
SEPTEMBER.
Thou spread'st thy Bounty—^meagre Famine flies :
Thou hid'st thy Face—^their vital Vigour dies. When Nature sinks, when Death's dark Shades arise.
Thy powerful Word again restores their Breath ; And this World's Glories vanish from these Kyes;
Renew'd Creation triumphs over Death. Then may the Thought of Thee be ever near.
Th' Almighty o'er his Works casts down his Bye, To calm the Tumult, and compose the Fear.
And views their various Excellence with Joy.; ♦August poetry wanting in copy.
226 Ipoor 1Ricbar& for 1753 Ipoor IRfcbarO tor 1753 227
In all my Woes thy Favour my Defence ; Serving God is doing good to Man, but praying is
Safe in thy Mercy, not my Innocence, thought an easier Service, and therefore more generaUy
And through what future Scenes thy Hand may guide chosen.
My wondering Soul, and thro' what States untry'd. Nothing humbler than Ambition, when it is about to
climb.
He that builds before he counts the Cost, acts foolishly j
and he that counts before he builds, finds that he did not DECEMBER.
count wisely. Perfection on Perfection tow'ring high,

Patience in Market, is worth Pounds in a year. Glory on Glory rais'd, and Joy on Joy,
Danger is Sauce for Prayers. Kach Pow'r improving in the bright'ning Mind,
To humbleVirtues, lofty Knowledge join'd;
OCTOBER.
Be this my highest Aim, howe'er I soar,
Beforethy Footstool prostrate to adore,
What distant Seats soe'ver I may explore. Mybrightest Crownbefore thy Feet to lay.
When frail Mortality shall be no more ; My Pride to serve, my Glory to obey.
If aught of meek or contrite in thy Sight
Shall fit me for the Realms of Bliss and I/ight, The discontented Man finds no easy Chair.
Be this the Bliss of all my future Days, "ûe and a Trade, are a Child's best Portion.
To view thy Glories, and to sing thy Praise. Gifts much expected, are paid, not given.
When the dread Hour, ordain'd of old, shall come.
Which brings on stubborn Guilt its righteous Doom.
HOW TO secure; HOUSES, &C. FROM I.IGHTNING.
If you have no Honey in your Pot, have some in your
Mouth.
It has pleased God in his Goodness to Man
A Pair of good Ears will drain dry an himdred kind, at length to discover to them the Means
Tongues. of securing their Habitations and other Build
ings from Mischief bythunder and I/ightning.
NOVEMBER.
TheMethodis this : Provide a small Iron Rod
When Storms of Fire on Sinnerg shall be pour'd,
And all th' Obdurate in thy Wrath devoured ;
(it may be ofthe Rod-iron used by the Nîlors)
May I then hope to find a lowly Place but of such a length, that one E)nd being three
To stand the meanest of th' etherial Race ; or four Feet in the moist Ground, the other
Swift at thy Word to wing the liquid Sky, may be six or eight Feet above the highest Part
An^ on thy humblest Messages to fly.
Howe'er thy blissful Sight may raise my Soul,
of the Building. To the upper end of th^ Rod
While vast ]^temitie's long Ages roll. fasten abouta Foot of Brass Wire, the size of a
228 poor IRicbarD for 1753
common Knitting-needle, sharpened to a fine

Point; the. Rod may be secured to the House
by a few small Staples. If the House or Bam,
be long, there may be a Rod and Point at each
Bnd, and a middling Wire along the Ridge
from one to the other. A house thus furnished
will not be damaged by Ughtning, it being at
tracted by the Points, and passing thro* the POOR RICHARD FOR 1754.
Metal into the Ground without hurting any
thing. Vessels also, having a sharp pointed
Rod fix'd on the Top of their Masts, with a preface;.
Wire from the Foot of the Rod reaching down,
round one of the Shrouds, to the Water, will Kind Reader,
not be hurt by I/ightning. I have now served you three Apprentice
ships, yet, old as I am, I have no Inclination to
quit your Service, but should be glad to be able to
continue in it three times three Apprenticeships
longer.
The first Astrologers, I think, were honest
Husbandmen; and so it seems are the last;
for my brethren Jerman and Moore, and myself,
the only remaining Almanack makers of this
Country, are all of that Class: Tho' in inter
mediate Times our Art has been cultivated in
great Cities, and even in the Courts of Princes ;
Witness History from the Bays of King NBBU-
CHADNBZZAR I. of Babylon, to those of
Queen JAMBS I. of England. But you
will ask perhaps, how I prove that the first
229
230 Ipoor IRfcbarD tor 1754 Ipoor IRlcbarb for 1754 231
Astrologers were Countrymen? I own this truer, as plainly appears by the following Sign
is a Matter beyond the Memory of History, for Scorpio, or the Scorpion, with the Sting in his
Astrology was before Letters; but I prove it Tail, which certainly denotes the Paying of
from the Book of the Heavens, from the Names Costs. Then follows Sagittary, the Archer,
of the twelve Signs, which were mostly given to show the season of Hunting; for now the
to remark some Circumstance relative to rural Leaves being off the Trees and Bushes, the
Aifairs, in the several successive Months of the Game might be more easily seen and struck
Year, and by that Means to supply the Want with their Arrows. The Goat accompanys
of Almanacks. - - Thus, as the Year of the the short Days and long Nights of Winter, to
Ancients began most naturally with the Spring, show the Season of Mirth, Feasting and Jollity ;
Aries and Taurus, that is, the Ram and the Bull, for what can Capricorn mean, but Dancing or
represented the successive Addition to their Cutting of Capers ? At length comes Aqua
Flocks of Sheep and Eline, by their Produce in rius, or the Water-bearer, to show the Season
that Season, Lambs and Calves. Gemini of Snows, Rains and Floods ; and lastly Pisces,
were originally the Kids, but called the Twins, or the two Shads, to denote the approaching
as Goats more commonly bring forth two than Return of those Fish up the Rivers : Make
one : These followed the Calves. Cancer, your Wears, hawl your Seins; Catch 'em and
the Crab came next, when that Kind of Fish pickle 'em, my Friends; they are excellent Rel-
were in Season. Then follow'd Leo, the ishers of old Cyder. But if you can't get
Lion, and Virgo, the Wench, to mark the Sum Shad, Mackerell may do better.
mer Months, and Dog-Days, when those Crea I know, gentle Readers, that many of you
tures were most mischievous. In Autumn always expect a Preface and think yourselves
comes first Libra, the Ballance, to point out the slighted if that's omitted. So here you have it,
Time for selling the Summer's Produce; or and much good may't do ye. As little as it is to
rather, a Time of Leisure for holding Courts of the Purpose, there are many less so, now-a-days.
Justice in which they might plague themselves I have left out, you see, all the usual
and Neighbours ; I know some suppose this Sign Stuff about the Importunity of Friends, and
to signify the equal Poise, at that Time of Day the like, or I might have made it much bigger.
and Night; but the other Signification is the You think, however, that 'tis big enough for
-.--t -'i :
233 ©oor 1Ricbar6 (ot 1754 poor IRfcbarO for 1754 233
Conscience, for any Matter of Good that's in it; Cut the Wings of your Hens and Hopes, lest they lead
you a weary Dance after them.
- - - I think so too, if it fills the Page, which is
the Needful, at present, from
Your loving Friend to serve. Thou SUN, Creation's pure resplendent Eye ;
And all ye solar Orbs that deck the Sky,
R. SAUNDBRS.
Round whose vast System, peopled Planets move.
Ye central Suns of numerous Earths above.
JANUARY.
Praise the dread Pow'r, whose Goodness ye proclaim,
Hail, infinite CREATOR I with thy Praise And let your warbling Spheres attune his Name.
The Muse began, with thee shall end my I,ays, Thou Moon, who with thy Rays of silver lyight,
These are thy Works, blest Architect divine ! Dost gild the shapeless Gloom of awful Night;
This Karth, and all this beauteous Offspring thine
Thy Breath first bid inactive Matter move. In Rivers and bad Governments, the lightest Things
And strait with Iîfe the genial Atoms strove swim at top.
Producing Animal, and Plant, and Flow'r,
The Cat in Gloves catches no Mice.
Concurrent proof of Wisdom and of Pow'r.
The first Degree of Folly, is to conceit one's self wise ;
the second to profess it; the third to despise Counsel. And you satillary Orbs on high.
Take heed of the Vinegar of sweet Wine, and the Who kindly Beams to distant Worlds supply,
Anger of Good-nature. Hymn your Creator's Praise, whose Skill divine
Impower'd your Mass to roll, your Globes to shine.
FEBRUARY.
Ye Comets I that in long Ellipses stray,
Thy potent Word infus'd the solar Iîght, "WholeAges finishing your annual Way ;
And spread the Curtain ofrefreshing Night ; Thou Darkness 1 Nature's emblematic Tomb,
With splendid Orbs enriched the Void profound, Yield him your Reverence of impressive Gloom,
In silentPraise And thou dread Space profound,
Ranged the bright Worlds, and roll'd their Courses round. Thro' all thy waste interminable Bound.
O sing his Praises then I How justly due.
Created Kinds, the Strains of Praise from You ? If you'd know the Value of Money, go and borrow
How grateful the deserv'd Returns of I<ove I some.
Praise him thou Karth, ye Worlds that roll above,
]âch Pow'r, whole Nature, all his Works, conspire* Thejaorse thinks one thing, and he that saddles him
In Songs of Praise, an Universal Choir. another.
The Bell calls others to Church, but itself never minds I^ve your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your
the Sermon. Hedge.
234 ©ooc IRicbarO for 1754 Ipoor IRlcbacD for 1754 235
Praise him, ye Plants ! with all your sweet Supplies ;

Winds I who in troubled Air your Voices raise, Ye od'rous Herbs, in g^teful Incense rise.
Sweet with loud Accents in your Maker's Praise ; Insects! that creep on jârth, or spread the Wing,
And you, soft Breezes, that perfume the Spring, In Troops your tributary Homage bring.
Bear him a Tribute on your gentle Wing-.- The learned Fool writes his Nonsense in better lan
Spread it, ye pealing Thunders, round the Sky, guage than the unlearned; but still't is Nonsense.
Wide as your Vollies roll, or I»ightnings fly.
A Child thinks 20 Shilling^ and 20 Years can scarce
Ye Meteors ! your Creator's Praises show :
ever be spent.
The spangled Dew, the Cloud-reflected Bow, AUGUST.
When Prosperity was well mounted, she let go the Fowlsof the upper Air! and Brutes supine 1
Bridle, and soon came tumbling out of the Saddle. And Fish 1 that swim the Floods, or Ocean Brine.
Some make Conscience of wearing a Hat in the Ye Seraphims, bright flames 1 ye Angel Choirs !
Church, who make none of robbing the Altar. Tothe lov'd Theme tune all your sounding I^yres.
Saints ! thron'd in Bliss, who once convers'd below,
JUNE. In noblest Strains your loftiest Praise bestow.
And moist'ning Show'r,—^ye Frosts Ihis Praise proclaim; Man 1 Image of thy Maker's moral Pow'r,
The pendant Icicle's clear native Gem : tot, labour'd Work of Heav'n's creating Hour ;
Hoar Mists congeal'd, that dress the Meadow pale : Don'tthink so much of your'own Cunning, as to for
Blue Vapour, whitening Snows, and pearly Hail. get other Men's : A Cunning Man is overmatched by a
Praise him, ye Seasons I Spring with youthful Face, cunning Man and a Half.
And Summer blooming with maturer Grace ;
Ripe Autumn clad in Vines, with Harvests crown'd. Willows are weak, but they bind the Faggot.
And Winter old—^his solemn Praise resound. You may give a Man an Office, but you cannot give
him Discretion.
In the Afiairs of this World Men are saved, not by SEPTEMBER.
Faith, but by the Want of it.
O shall his Goodness, his Indulgence mbve
Friendship cannot live with Ceremony, nor without No warm Returns, nor swell the Breath of I<ove ?
Civility. Priest of the mute Creation, He demands
Praise little, dispraise less. Thier Offeringsfrom thy consecrated Hands,
Deputed I,ord ; from thy dead Slumber part;
JULY. I^t Nature wake, awake the Pow'rs of Art,
The Flow'ry Tribes, in all their bright Array, And with exerted Force attune hisPraise,'
Thief lovely Forms and dazzling Hues display. In Notes may emulate caelestial Iâys.
Ye fruitful Branches I white with vernal Bloom, lyCt Music her divinest Succours bring.
In rich Oblations breathe your fresh Perfume. Thebreathing Flute, the Violswarbling String,
236 Ipoor TRlcbarD for 1754 poor IRicbacO for 1754 237
He that doth what he should not, shall feel what he For Age and Want save while you may;
would not. No morning Sun lasts a whole Day.
To be intimate with a foolish I^riend, is like going to DECEMBER.
Bed to a Razor.
Would I from Vice, from Ivuxury remove.
I<ittle Rogues easily become great Ones.
Conversing with the Themes of heav'nly Iôve.
These shall my Hours of Virtuous I<ife amuse.
Cheer its dull Glooms, and brighter Hopes infuse;
And dulcit Voice Ye Concerts louder g^row ! Pleas'd the lov'd Visit frequent to renew.
I^t the shrill Trump, the deep'ning Organ blow. While certain Bliss my rais'd Desires pursue,
While with the Notes, the tremulating Ground, To meditate my Maker, and my Iâys
And echoing Roofs, strike awful Rapture round. Tune to his Pow'r who gave me Breath to praise.
Praise him each Creature, Plenitude and Space ;
Inanimate, and Things ofliving Race. Iêaming to the Studious; Riches to the Careful ;
From the terrestrial to the Starry Pole, Power to the Bold; Heaven to the Virtuous.
Praise him his Works, and thou my prostrate Soul! Now glad the Poor with Christmas Cheer;
' Thank God you 're able so to end the Year.
You may sometimes be much in the wrong, in owning
your being in the right.
Friends are the true Scepters of Princes.
Where Sense is wanting, everything is wanting.
NOVEMBER.
Thus while in vain the wretched human Brood,

Pursue on Dearth a false, imagin'd Good ;
That Good, which Creatures never can bestow.
With him still only found from whom they flow;
While Gold or Iûst, with a deceitful Bribe,
Tempt to sure Woes the easy list'ning Tribe ;
While Faction leads th' unsteady Herd aside,
And Vanity perverts the Son of Pride ;
Many Princes sin with David, but few repent with

him.
He that hath no Hl-Fortime will be troubled with
good.
®oor IRicbarD for 1755 239
the Equinoctial, in order to settle a Dispute

between the English and French Philosophers
concerning the Shape of the Earth, others
being at the same Time sent for the same Pur
pose to Laplandy under the Polar Circle.
The Mountains in that Country are so lofty, that
the highest we have, being compared to them,
POOR RICHARD FOR 17^^. are mere Mole-hills. This Extract relates
chiefly to the Country among those Mountains.
The Method of this Almanack is the same I
have observed for some Years past; only in the
PREFACE.
third Column the names of some of the principal
Courteous Reader, fixed Stars are put down against those Days on
It is a common saying, that One Half of which they come to the Meridian at nine a
the Worlddoes notknow how the otherHalflives. Clock in the Evening, whereby those unac
To add somewhat to your knowledge in that quainted, may learn to know them. I am,
Particular, I gave you in a former Almanack, Your obliged Friend and Servant,
an Account of the manner ofliving at Hudson^s- R. SAUNDERS.
Baj/y and the Effects produced by the excessive
THE HAPPY MAN.
Cold of that Climate, which seemed so strange to
some ofyou, thatit was taken for a Romance, tho' Sure Peace is his : A solid Life^ estranged
To Disappointment andfallacious Hope,
really authentick. In this, I shall give you Rich in Content. Thomson.
some idea of a Country under the Torrid Zone, Happy the man, who free from noisy Sports,
which for the Variety of its Weather (where one And all the Pomp and Pageantry of Courts :
would naturally expect the greatest Uniformity) Far from the venal World can live secure.
is extreamly remarkable. The Account is ex Bemoral, honest, virtuous tho' but poor.
tracted from the Journal of Monsieur Bouguer^ Who walking- still by Equity's just Rules,
Detesting sordid knaves, and flattering Fools :
one of the French Academicians, sent by their Regarding neither Fortune, Pow'r, nor State
King to measure a Degree of Latitude under Nor ever wishing to be vainly great.
238
240 Ipoot IRicbatZ) for 1755 ®oor 1Ricbat5 fot t755 24 r
Without Malevolence and Spleen can live, Parsons andfesuits could confute,
And what his neighbour wants, with Joy would give; Talk Infidels and Quakers mute,
A Foe to Pride, no Passion's guilty Friend, To every Heretick a foe;
Obeying Nature, faithful to her :End ; Was he an honest man ? So, so.
Severe in Manners, as in Truth severe, JANUARY.
Just to himself, and to his Friends sincere;
The Farmer.
His temper even, and his steady Mind
Refin'd by Friendship, and by Books refined. O happy he ! happiest of mortal men !
Some low roof'd Cottage holds the happy Swain, Who far remov'd from Slavery, as from Pride,
Unknown to Iûx'ry, or her servile Train ; Fears no Man's Frown, nor cringing waits to catch
He studying Nature grows serenely wise, The gracious nothing of a great Man's Nod ;
I/ike Socrates he lives, or like him dies. Where the lac'd Beggar bustles for a Bride,
He asks no Glory gain'd by hostile Arms, The Purchase of his Honour ; where Deceit,
Nor sighs for Grandeur with her pointed Charms. And Fraud, and Circumvention, drestin Smiles.
With calm IndiflPrence views the shifting Scene,
A Man without a Wife, is but halfa Man.
Thro* all magnanimous, resign'd, serene.
On Hope sustained he treads Iîfe's devious Road, Speak little, do much.
And knows no Fear, except the Fear of God. He that would travel much, should eat little.
Would Heav'n indulgent grant my fond Desire,
Thus would I live, and thus should Iîfe expire. FEBRUARY.
Hold shameful Commerce, and beneath the Mask

EPITAPH ON A WORTHY CLERGYMAN. Of Friendship and Sincerity, betray.
Sitll like his Master^ known hy breaking Bread, Him, nor the stately Mansion's gilded Pride,
The Good he entertained, the needyfed ; Rich with whate'er the imitative Arts,
OfHumour easy, and ojf Life unblam^d, Painting or Sculpture, yield to charm the Kye ;
The Friend delighted^ while the Priest reclaimed, Nor shining Heaps of massy Plate, enwrought
The Friend, the Father, and the Husbandgone, With curious, costly Workmanship, allure.
The Priest still lives in this recording Stone ; Tempted nor with the Pride nor Pomp of Power,
Wherepiotis Eyes may read his Praises o'er, When the Wine enters, out goes the Truth.
And learn each Grace his Pulpit taught before. Ifyou would be loved, love and be loveable.
EPITAPH ON ANOTHER CL-ERGYMAN. MARCH.
Here lies, who need not here be nam^d. Nor Pageants of Ambition, nor the Mines
For TTieologic Knowledgefam'd/ Of grasping Av'rice, nor the poison'd Sweets
IVho all the Bible had by rote, Ofpamper'd I<uxury. he plants his Foot
With all the Comments Calvin wrote ^ With Firmness on his old paternal Fields
16 '
242 poor Wcbar6 for 1755 Ipoor IRicbarD for 1755 243
And stands unshaken. There sweet Prospects rise JUNE.

Of Meadows smiling in their flow'ry Pride, Where purple Violets hang their bashfiil Heads,
Green Hills and Dales, and Cottages embower'd, Where yellow Cowslips, and the blushing Pink,
The Scenes of Innocence, and calm Delight. Their mingled Sweets, and lovely Hues combine.
Here, shelter'd from the North, his ripening Fruits
Ask and have, is sometimes dear buying. Display their sweet Temptations from the Wall,
The hasty Bitch brings forth blind Puppies. Or from the gay Espalier; while below.
His various Ksculence, from glowing Beds,
Give the Fair Promise of delicious Feasts.
There the wild Melody ofwarbling Birds,
And cool refreshing Groves, and murmuring Springs, Necessity has no Iâw ; Why? Because 't is not to be
had without Money.
Invite to sacred Thought, and lift the Mind
From low Pursuits, to meditate the God I There was never a good knife made of bad Steel.
The Wolf sheds his Coat once a Year, his Disposition
RTJRAI. LIFE IN AN HIGHER CLASS.
never.
But sing, O Muse I the Swain, the happy Swain, JULY.
Whom Taste and Nature leading o'er his Iîelds, There from his forming Hand n^w Scenes arise.
The fair Creation of his Fancy's :Eye.
Where there is Hunger, Iâw is not regarded; and I^! bosom'd in the solemn shady Grove,
where Iâw is not regarded, there will be Hunger.
Whose rev'rend Branches wave on yonder Hill,
Two dry Sticks will bum a g:reen One. He views the Moss-grown Temple's ruin'd Tower,
Cover'd with creeping Ivy's cluster'd lyCaves,
MAY.
The Mansion seeming of some rural God,
Conduct to every rural Beauty. See I Whom Nature's Chorister's, in untaught Hymns
Before his Footsteps winds the waving Walk,
Here gently rising, there descending flow Who is wise ? He that leams from every One.
Thro' the tall Grove, or near the Water's Brink, Who is powerful ? He that governs his Passions.
Where Flow*rs besprinkled paint the shelving Bank Who is rich ? He that is content.
And weeping Willows bend to kiss the Stream. Who is that ? Nobody.
Now wand'ring o'er the Iâwn he ro-ês, and now AUGUST.
Beneath the Hawthorn's secret Shade reclines ; Of wild yet sweetest Harmony, adore.
From the bold Brow of that aspiring Steep,
The honest Man takes Pains, and then enjoys Pleas Where hang the nibbling Flocks, and view below.
ures ; the knave takes Pleasure, and then suffers Pains. Their downward Shadows in the glassy Wave,
Think of three Things, whence you came, where you What pleasing Iândscapes spread before his %e.
are going, and to whom you must account. Ofscatter'd Villages,and winding Streams,
244 ©oor IRIcbarO fot 1755 ©ooc IRtcbarO for 1755 245
And meadows green, and Woods, and distant Spires, NOVEMBER.
Seeming, above the blue Horizon's Bound, In Meditation deep When, hark I the Sound
A full Belly brings forth every :Evil. Of Distant Water steals upon his Bar ;
The Day is short, the Work gfreat, the Workman lazy, And sudden opens to his pausing Bye
the Wages high, the Master urgeth ; Up, then, and be The rapid rough Cascade, from the rude Rock
doing. Down dashing in a Stream of lucid Foam :
Then glides away, meand'ring o'er the Iâwn,
The doors of Wisdom are never shut.
A liquid Surface ; shining seen afar.
SEPTEMBER. At Intervals, beneath the shadowy Trees ;
To prop the Canopy of Heaven. Now lost
Diligence overcomes Difficulties, Sloth makes them.
Amidst a blooming Wilderness of Shrubs,
The golden Orange, Arbute ever green, Neglect mending a small Fault, and 'twill soon be a
The early blooming Almond, feathery Pine, great One.
Fair Opulus,* to Spring, to Autumn dear, Bad Gains are truly Iôsses.
And the sweet Shades of varying Verdure, caught.
DECEMBER.
Much Virtue in Herbs, little in Men. Till lost and bury'd in the distant Grove.
The Master's Eye will do more Work than both his Wrapt into sacred Musing, he reclines
Hands. Beneath the Covert of embow'ring Shades ;
When you taste Honey, remember Gall. And, painting to his Mind the bustling Scenes
Of Pride and bold Ambition, pities Kings.
OCTOBER.
From soft Acacia^s gently waving Branch, A long Iîfemay not be good enough, but a good I,ife
Heedless he wanders; while the grateful Scents is long enough.
Of Sweet-briar, Roses, Honeysuckles wild. Beat War with your Vices, at Peace with your Neigh
Regale the Smell; and to th' enchanted Bye bours, and let every New-Year find you a better Man.
Mezareon's purple Laurustinus' white.
And pale Iâbumum's pendent Flow'rs display
Their diflf'rent Beauties. O 'er the smooth shorn Grass
His lingering Footsteps leisurely proceed.
Being ignorant is not so much a Shame, as being un«
willing to learn.
God gives all Things to Industry.
An hundred Thieves cannot strip one naked Man,
especially if his Skin's oflf.
* The Gelder Rose.
©oor IRicbarD tor 1756 247
Thrifty tending to impress the Benefits aris

ing from Honesty, SobHety, Industry and Fru-
gality; which if those hast duly observed, it is
highly probable thou art wiser and richer many
fold more than the Pence my Iâbours have cost
thee. Howbeit, I shall not therefore raise my
Price because thou art better able to pay ; but
being thankful for past Favours, shall endeavor
POOR RICHARD FOR 17^6. to make my little Book more worthy thy Re
gard, by adding ten those Recipes which were
intended to Cure the Mind, some valuable
prefacb. Ones regarding the Health of the Body. They
are recommended by the skilful, and by suc
Courte;ous Reader, cessful Practice. I wish a Blessing may attend
I suppose my Almanack may be worth the the Use of them, and to thee all Happiness,
Money thou hadst paid for it, hadst thou no other being
Advantage from it, than to find the Day of the Thy obliged Friend,
Months the remarkable Days^ the Changes of R. SAUNDERS.
the MooUy the Sun and Moons Rising and Set
tings and to foreknow the Tides and the JANUARY.
Weather; these, with other Astronomical Curi ASTRONOMY, hail, Science heavenly born !
osities, I have yearly and constantly prepared Thy Schemes, the Iîfe assist, the Mind adom.
for thy Use and Entertainment, during now To changing Seasons givedetermin'd Space,
And fix to Hours and Years their measur'd Race
near two Revolutions of the Planet Jupiter. The point'ng Dial, on whose figur'd Plane,
But I hope this is not all the Advantage thou Of Times still Flight we Noticesobtain ;
hast reaped; for with a View to the Improve The Pendulum, dividing lesser Parts,
ment of thy Mind and thy Estate, I have Their Rise acquire from thy inventive Arts.
constantly interspers'd in every little Vacancy, A Change of Fortune hurts a wise Man no more than
Moral Hints, Wise Sayings, and Maxims of a Change of the Moon.
246
248 poor 1Ricbar& for 1756 poor TR(cbar6 for 1756 249
FEBRUARY. But that sort of Wit, which employs itself insolently

in Criticizing and Censuring the Words and Sentiments
Th' acute Geographer^ th' Historian sage of others in Conversation, is absolute Folly; for it an
By thy Discov'ries clear the doubtful Page swers none of the Ends of Conversation. He who uses
From marked i^clipses, Longitude perceive, it neither improves others,is improved himself, or pleases
Can settle Distances^ and -^ra's give. any one.
From his known Shore the Seaman distant far,
Steers safely guided by thy Polar Star;
Nor errs, when Clouds and Storms obscure its Ray,
His Compass marks him as exact a Way. Fram'd on imaginary Poles to move.
With lyines and different Circles mark'd above.
Does Mischief, Misconduct, and Warning displease ye; The pleasured Sense, by this Machine can tell.
Think there's a Providence *t ^yillmake ye easy. In what Position various Nations dwell:
Mine is better than Ours. Round the wide Orb's exterior Surface spread;
How side-ways some the solid Convex tread:
MARCH.
While a more sever'd Race of busy Pow'rs
Project, with strange Reverse, their Feet to ours.
When frequent Travels had th' instructive Chart
Supply'd the Prize of Philosophic Art I Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few;
Two curious mimic Globes, to Crown the Plan, Friend to one ; enemy to none.
Were form'd; by his Crrator's Image, Man. Vain-glory flowereth, but beareth no Fruit.
The Firsts with Heav'ns bright Constellation vast,
Rang'd on the Surface, with th' garth's Climes the last As I spent some Weeks last Winter, in visiting my old
Copy of this by human Race possest Acquaintance in Jerseys, great Complaints I heard for
Which lyands indent, and spacious Seas invest. Want of money, and that leaveto make more Paper BiUs
could not be obtained. Friends and Countrymen, my Ad
• lyove your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults. viceon this Head shall cost you nothing, and if you will
He that has a Trade has an OflSce of Profit and Honour. not be angry with me for giving it, 1 promise you not to
be offended if you do not take it.
The Wit of Conversation consists more in finding it in You spend yearly at least twohundred thousandpounds,
others, than shewing a great deal yourself. He who it is said, in European, East-Indian and West-Indian
goes out of your Company pleased with his own Face- commodities. Supposing one half of this expense to be
tionsness and Ingenuity, will the sooner come into it in things absolutely necessary, the other half may be
again. Most men had rather please than admire you, called superfluities, or, at best, conveniences, which,
and seek less to be instructed and divertedy than approved however, you might live without for one little year, and
and applaudedy and it is certainly the most delicate Sort not suffer exceedingly. Now to save this half, observe
of Pleasure, to please another. these few directions;
250 Ipoor WcbarO for 1756 Ipooc WcbatO for 1756 251
1. When you incline to have new clothes, look first The swarming Flies their reptile Tribes divide,
well over the old ones, and see if you cannot shift with And cling Antipodal on every side.
them another year, either by scouring, mending, or even Hence pleasant Problems may the mind discern
patching if necessary. Remember, a patch on your Of ev'ry Soil their Iêngth of Days to leam ;
coat, and money in your pocket, is better an<fmore Can tell when round, to each fix'd Place, shall come
creditable, than a writ on your back, and no money to Faint Dawn, Meridian Iîght, or Midnight Gloom.
take it off.
2. When you incline to buy China ware, Chinees, Iâws too gentle are seldom obeyed ; too severe, seldom
India silks, or any other of their flimsy, slight manufac executed.
tures, I would not be so hard with you, as to insist on Trouble springs from Idleness ; Toil from Base.
your absolutely resolving against it; all I advise is, to put I/)ve and be loved.
it oJf{as you do your repentance) till another year, and
this, in some respects, may prevent an occasion for JUNE.
repentance. These gift^ to astronomic Art we owe.
3. If you are now a drinker of punch, wine or tea, Its Use extensive, yet its Growth by slow.
twice a day, for the ensuing year drink them but once a If back we look on ancient Sages Schemes,
day. If you now drink them but once a day, do it but They seem ridiculous as Childrens Dreams ;
every other day. If you now do it but once a week, How shall the Church, that boasts unerring Truth,
reduce the practice to once a fortnight. And, if you do Blush as the Raillery of each modern Youth.
not exceed in quantity as you lessen the times, half your When told lier Pope, of Heresy arraign'd
expense in these articles will be saved. The Sage, who garth's Rotation once niaintain'd?
4. When you incline to drink rum, fill the glass haiy'
with water. A wise Man will desire no more than what he may get
Thus at the year's end, there will be a hundred thou-^ justly, use soberly, distribute chearfuUy and leave con
sandpounds more money in your country. tentedly.
If.paper money in ever so great a quantity could be The diligent Spinner has a large Shift.
made, no man could get any of it without giving some
thing for it. But all he saves in this way, will be his own JULY.
for nothing, and his country actually so much richer. Vain Epicurus, and his frantic Class,
Then the merchant's old and doubtful debts may be Misdeem'd our Globea plane quadrangle Mass ;
honestly paid off, and trading become surer thereafter,
if not so extensive.
A fine romantic Terras, spread in Slate,
On central Pillars that support its Weight
I<ike Indian Sophs, who this terrestrial Mould
Affirm, four sturdy iElephants uphold.
So on the Apple's smooth suspended Ball, The Sun, new every mom, flat, small of Size,
(Ifgreater we may represent by small) Just what it measures to the naked ilês.
252 poor TRfcbarD for 1756 Ipoor IRfcbarD for 1756 253
A false Friend and a Shadow attend only while the Long from the World conceal'd, in Error lost.
Sun shines. Whose rich Recovery latest Times shall boast.
To-morrow every Fault is to be amended ; but that To Then Tycho rose, who with incessant Pains,
morrow never comes. In their due Ranks replac'd the stony Trains
His Iâbours by a fresh Industry mov'd,
It is observable that God has often called Men to Helvelius, Flamstead, Halley, since improv'd.
Places of Dig^nity and Honour, when they have been
busy in the honest i^mployment of their Vocation. Iâziness travels so slowly that Poverty soon overtakes
Sau/ was seeking his Father's Asses, and £>aind keeping- him.
his Father's Sheep, when called to the kingdom. The Sampson with his strong Body, had a weak Head, or
Shepherds were feeding their Flocks, when they had he would not have laid it in a Harlot's lap.
their glorious Revelation. GodcaUed the four Apostles
from their Fishery, and Matthew from the Receipt of OCTOBER.
Custom ; Amos from among the Horsemen of Tekoah
Moses from keeping Sheep, Gideon from the The Lyncean Galileo then aspires
Threshing Floor, etc. God never encourages Idleness Thro' the rais'd Tube to mark the Stellar fires I
anddespises notPersons in the meanest Êmployments! The GallaxyvAth. clustering Iîghts overspread,
The new-nam'd Stars in bright Orions Head,
The varying Phases circling Planets show
The Solar Spots, his Fame was first to know.
As pos'd the Stagyrite's dark School appears, OfJoves Attendants, Orbs till then unknown,
Perplex'd with Tales devis'd of Chrystal Sp/t^res Himself the big discovery claims alone.
Strange solid Orbs, and Circles oddly fram'd
Who with Philosophy their Reveries nam'd. When a Friend deals with a Friend, I,et the bargain be
How long did Ptolmy's dark Riddle spread clear and well penn'd. That they may continue Friends
With Doubts deep puzzling each scholastic Head to the End.
Till, like the Theban wise in story fam'd, He that never eats too much, will never be lazy.
CoPENicus that Sphynxian Monster sham'd.
NOVEMBER.
Plough deep while Sluggard sleep ;
And you shall have Com to sell and to keep. Qassini next, and Huygens, like renown'd.
The moons and wondrous Jîng of Saturn found
He that sows Thorns should never go barefoot. Sagacious Kepler, still advancing saw
The elliptic motion. Natures plainest I^w,
SEPTEMBER.
That Universal acts thro' every Part.
He the true Planetary system taught. This laid the Basis of Newtonian Art.
Which theleam'd Samian first from :Egypt brought; Newton I vast mind 1whose piercing Pow'rs apply'd
254 poor IRicbarO for 1756 ®oor IRicbarD for 1756 255
The secret Cause of Motion first descry'd ; Sjaying and Doing have quarrel'd and parted.
Found Gravitation was the primal Spring Tell me my Faults, and mend your own.
That wheel'd the Planets round their central King.
Well, my friend, thou art just entering the last Month
To be proud of Knowledge, is to be blind with Iîght; of another year. If thou art a Man of Business, and of
To be proud of Virtue, ^s to poison yourself with the prudent Care, be like thou wilt now settle thy accounts,
Antidote. to satisfy thyself whether thou has gain'd or lost in the
Year past, and how much ofeither, the better to regfulate
Get what you can, and what you get, hold ; thy future Industry or thy common Expenses. This is
Tis the Stone that will turn all your lyead into Gold. commendable—^But it is not all.—^Wilt thou not examine
also thy moral Accompts, and see what improvements
There is really a great Difference in Things sometimes thou hast made in the Conduct of I<ife, what Vice sub
where there seems to be but little Distinction in dued, what Virtue acquired ; how much better^ and how
Names. The Man of Honour is an internal, the Person much wiser, as well as how much richer thou art grown ?
of Honour an external, the one a real, the other a fic What shall it profit a Man, if he gahi the whole World,
titious, Charactor. A Person of Honour may be a profane but lose his own Soul. Without some Care in this Matter,
Iîbertine, penurious, proud, may insult his inferiors, tho' thou may'st come to coimt thy thousands, thou wilt
and defiraud his Creditors; but it is impossible for a possibly still appear poorin the :ês of the Discerning,
Man of Honour to be guilty of any of these. The Person even here^ and be really so for ever hereafter.
of Honour may flatter for Court Favours, or cringe for
Popularity; he may be for or against his Country's
Good, as it suits his private Views. But the Man of
Honour c^n do none of these.
DECEMBER.
Mysterious Impulse 1that more clear to know,

l^ceeds the finite Reach of Art below.
Forbear, bold mortal! 't is an impious Aim
Own God immediate acting thro' the frame.
Tis He, unsearchable, in all resides ;
He the First Cause their Operations guides
Fear on his awful Privacy to press
But, honouring Him, thy Ignorance confess.
An honest Man will receive neither Money nor Praise
that IS not his due.
lôor Wcbarb for 1^57 257
to me to be in any way serviceable iu commu

nicating useful Hints to the Publick ; and I
shall be obliged to others for affording me the
Opportunity of enjoying that Pleasure more
frequently, by sending me from time to time
POOR RICHARD FOR 17^7. such of their own Observations, as may be ad
vantageous if published in the Almanack,
I am thy obliged Friend,
RICHARD SAUNDBRS.
PRKFACK.
How to make a STRIKING SUNDIAL, by
Courteous Reader, which not only a Man's o^ Family, but all his
As no temporal Concern is of more Impor Neighbours for ten Miles round, may know
tance to us than Health, and that depends so what a Clock it is, when the Sun shines, with
much on the Air we every Moment breathe, the out seeing the Dial.
Choice of a good wholesome Situation to fix a Chuse an open Place in your Yard or Garden,
Dwelling in, is a very serious Affair to every* on which the Sun may shine all Day without
Countryman about to begin the World, and well any Impediment from Trees or Buildings. On
worth his Consideration, especially as not only the Ground mark out your Hour Lines, as for a
the Comfort of Living, but even the Necessaries horizontal Dial, according to Art, taking Room
of Ivife, depend in a great Measure upon it; enough for the Guns. On the Line for One
since a Iâmily frequently sick can rarely if ever o'clock, place one Gun ; on the Two o'Clock
thrive. - - - - The following Extracts there Line two Guns, and so of the rest. The Guns
fore from a late Medical Writer, Dr. Pringle, on must all be charged with Powder, but Ball is
that Subject, will, I hope, be acceptable and unnecessary. Your Gnomon or Style must
useful to some of my Readers. have twelve burning Glasses annex't to it, and
I hear that some have already, to their great be so placed that the Sun shining through the
Advantage, put in Practice the Use of Oxen Glasses, one after the other, shall cause the
recommended in my last. 'T is a Pleasure Focus or burning Spot to fall on the Hour Line
256 Vol I—17
Ipoor IRicbarD for 1757 Ipooc IRicbarD for 1757 259
of One, for Example, at One a Clock, and there jAmrARY.
kindle a Train of Gunpowder that shall fire CONVERSATION HINTS.
one Gun. At Two a Clock, a Focus shall fall Good Sense and Iêarning may Esteem obtain.
on the Hour lyine of Two, and kindle another Humor and Wit a Iâugli, if rightly ta'en ;
Fair Virtue Admiration may impart;
Train that shall discharge two Guns succes
But't is GOOD-NATURE only wins the Heart;
sively : and so of the rest. It moulds the Body to an easy Grace,
Note, There must be 78 Guns in all. Thirty- And brightens every Feature of the Face ;
two Pounders will be best for this Use ; but 18 It smooths th' unpolished Tongue with Eloquence,
And adds Persuasion to the finest Sense.
Pounders may do, and will cost less, as well as
use less Powder, for nine Pounds of Powder will He that would rise at Court, must begin by creeping.
do for one Charge of each eighteen Pounder, Many a Man's own Tongue gives Evidence against his
whereas the Thirty-two Pounders would require Understanding.
for each Gun 16 Pounds. Nothing dries sooner than a Tear.
Note also, That the chief Expense will be the FEBRUARY.
Powder, for the Cannon once bought, will, with Would you both please, and be instructed too,
Care, last 100 Years. The pride of shewing forth yourself subdue.
Note moreover, that there will be a great Sa Hear every Man upon his fav'rite Theme,
ving of Powder in Cloudy Days. And ever be more knowing than you seem.
The lowest Genius will afford some Iîght,
Kind Reader, Methinks I hear thee say, That Or give a Hint that had escaped your Sight.
is indeed a good Thing to know how the Time Doubt, till he thinks you on Conviction yield,
passes, but this Kind of Dial, notwithstanding And with fit Questions let each Pause be fill'd.
the mentioned Savings, would be very Expen And the most knowing will with Pleasure grant,
You 're rather much reserv'd than ignorant.
sive ; and the Cost greater than the Advantage,
Thou art wise, my Friend, to be so considerate 'T is easier to build two Chimneys than maintain one
in Fuel.
beforehand ; some Fools would not have found
Anger warms the Invention, but overheats the Oven.
out so much, till they had made the Dial and
try'd it. - - - - Iêt all such leam that many a RULES OF LAW FIT TO BE OBSERVED IN PURCHASING.
private and many a publick Project, are like From an old Book.
this Striking Dial, great Cost for little Profit. First, see the Iând which thou intend'st to buy
Within the Sellers title clear doth lie.
26o Ipoor IRfcbarD for 1757 IPoor IRicbarC) for 1757 261
And that no Woman to it doth lay claim known Regard their Friends have for them, Jesters take
By Dowry, Jointure, or some other Name. more Freedom with Friends than they would dare to do
That it may cumber. Know if bound or free with others, little thinking how much deeper we are
The Tenure stand, and that from each Feoffee wounded by an Affront from one we love. But the
It be released : That the Seller be so old strictest Intimacy can never warrant Freedoms of this
That he may lawful sell, thou lawful hold. Sort; and it is indeed preposterous to think they should ;
Have special Care that it notmortg-ag'd lie, unless we can suppose Injuries are less :îls when they
Nor be entailed on Posterity. are done to us by Friends, than when they come from
Then ifit stand in Statute bound or no : other Hands.
Be well advised what Quit Rent out must go ; MARCH.
What Custom, Service hath been done of old, The Rays of Wit gild wheresoe'er they strike.
By those who formerly the same did hold, But are not therefore fit for all alike
And if a wedded Woman put to Sale, They charm the lively, but the grave offend
Deal not with her, unless she bring her Male. And raise a Foe as often as a Friend;
For she doth under Covert-Baron go, Iîke the resistless Beams of blazing Iîght,
Altho' sometimes some also trafilck so. That cheer the strong, and pain the weekly Sight
Thy Bargain being made, and all this done. If a bright Fancy therefore be your Share
Have special Care to make thy Charter run I,et Judgment watch it with a Guardian's care.
To thee, thine Heirs, ]^xecutors, Assigns,
For that beyond thy I<ife securely binds. It is Ill-Manners to silence a Fool, and Cruelty to let
These Things foreknown and done, you may prevent him go on.
Those Things rash Buyers many times repent. Scarlet, Silk and Velvet have put out the Kitchen Fire.
And yet, when as you have done all you can
APRIL.
If you'd be sure, deal with an honest Man.
'T is like a Torrent, apt to overflow,
Very good Rules, these, and sweetly sung. If they are Unless by constant Government kept low;
leamt by heart, and repeated often to keep them in And ne'er inefficacious passes by,
Memory, they may happen to save the Purchaser more But overturns or gladdens all that's nigh.
Pence than the Price of my Almanack. In Imitation of Or else, like Trees, when suffer'd wild to shoot.
this old Writer, I have thoughts of turning Coke's Insti That put forth much, but all unripen'd Fruit;
It turns to Affection and Grimace,
tutes, and all our Province Iâws into Metre, hoping
As like to Wit as Gravity to Grace.
thereby to engage some of our young Lawyers and old
Justices to read a little. He that would catch Fish, must venture his Bait.
It is generally agreed to be FoUy, to hazard the loss of
Men take more pains to mask than mend.
a Friend, rather than to lose a Jest. But few consider how
easily a Friend may be thus lost. Depending on the One To-day is worth two To-morrows.
262 poor IRfcbact) for 1757 poor IRicbarJ) for 1757 263
Mistaken, we think all such Wounds of course

Reflection cures ; - - alas I it makes them worse.
How hard soe'er it be to bridle Wit,
Iîke Scratches they with double Anguish seize.
Yet Mem'ry oft no less requires the Bit:
Rankle with Time, and fester by Degrees.
How many, hurried by its Force away,
For ever in the Iând of Gossips stay 1
Usurp the Province of the Nurse, to lull, Butsarcastical Jests on a Man's Person or his Manners,
"Without her Privileg-e for being- dull I tho' hard to bear, are perhaps more easily borne than
Tales upon Tales they raise, ten Stories high, those that touch his Religion. Men are generally warm
in what regards their religious Tenets, either from a
Without Regard to Use or Symmetry.
Tenderness of Conscience, or a high Sense of theit own
Judgements. People of plain Parts and honest Disposi
The way to be safe, is never to be secure. tions, look on Salvation as too serious a Thing to be
Dally not with other Folks Women or Money. jested with; and Men of speculative .Religion, who
Work as ifyou were to live loo years, Pray as if you profess from the Conviction rather of their Heads than
were to die To-morrow. Hearts, are not a bit less vehement than the real Devo
tees. He who says a slight or a severe Thing of their
JUNE. Faith, seems to them to have thereby undervalued their
Understanding, and will consequently incur their Aver
A Story should, to please, at least seem true, sion, which no Man of common Sense would hazard, for
Be apropos, well told, concise, and new ; a lively l^xpression ; much less a person of good Breed
And whensoe'er it deviates from these Rules, ing, who should make it his chief Aim to be well with all.
The Wise will sleep, and leave Applause to Fools.
But others, more intolerable yet. lyike some grave Matron of a noble Iîne,
The Waggeries that they 've said, or heard, repeat With awful Beauty does Religion shine.
Heavy by Mem'ry made, and what's the worst, Just Sense should teach us to revere the Dame
At second-hand as often as at first. Nor, by imprudent Jests, to spot her Fame.
In commonIîfe you '11 own this Reas'ning right,
Pride breakfasted with Plenty, dined with Poverty, That none but Fools in gross Abuse delight:
supped with Infamy. Then useit here - - - nor think the Caution vain,
Retirement does not always secure Virtue; I<ot was To be polite. Men need not be profane.
upjright in the City; wicked in the Mountain.
JULY.
:^xcess of Wit may oftentimes beguile : But above all Things, raillery decline.
Jests are not always pardon'd by a Smile. Nature butfew does for thatTalk desi^ ;
Men may disguise their Malice at the Heart, 'T is in the ablestHand a dangerous Tool,
And seem at iâse tho' pain'd with inward Smart. Butnever failsto wound the meddling Fool;
264 ®oor 1Rtcbar6 for 1757 Ipooc 1Rfcbar& for 1757 265
For all must grant it needs no common Art

To keep Men patient while we make them smart.
From Iây-Approach with Zeal defend,
Not Wit alone, nor Humour's self, will do.
Iêst their own Paradise should end.
Without Good-nature, and much Prudence too. The Press from her fecundous Womb
Brought forth the Arts of Greece and Rome;
Idleness is the Dead Sea, that swallows all Virtues : Be
Her offspring, skill'd in lyOgic War,
active in Business, that Temptation may miss her Aim ;
Truth's Banner wav'd in open Air ;
The Bird that sits, is easily shot.
The Monster Superstition fled,
Shame and the Dry-belly-ach were Diseases of the last And hi^ in Shades her Gorgon Head ;
Ag-e, this seems to be cured of them. And awless Pow'r, the long kept Field,
AUGUST.
By Reason quell'd, was forc'd to yield.
Of all the Qualities that help to raise This Nurse of Arts, and Freedom's Fence,
In Men, the Universal Voice of Praise, To chain, is Treason against Sense :
Whether in Pleasure or in Use they end, And lyiberty, thy thousand Tongues
There's none that can with MODESTY contend. None silence who design no Wrongs ;
Yet't is but little that its Form be caught. For those who use the Gag's Restraint,
Unless its Origin be first in Thought; First Rob, before they stop Complaint.
Else rebel Nature will reveal the Cheat,
And the whole Work of Art at once defeat. SEPTEMBER.
Hold forth upon yourself on no Pretence,

Tho' the Mastiffbe gentle, yet bite him not by the I<ip. Unless invited, or in Self-Defence ;
Great Alms giving, lessen no Man's living. The Praise you take, altho' it be your Due,
The Royal Crown cures not the Head-ach. Will be suspected if it come from you,
If to seem modest, you some faults confess.
ON THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The World suspect yet more, and never less:
While free from Force the Press remains. For each Man, by Experience taught, can tell
Virtue and Freedom chear our Plains, How strong a Flatterer does within him dwell.
And Iêarning Iârgesses bestows. Act uprightly and despise Calumny; Dirt may stick to
And keeps unlicens'd open House. 1 Mud Wall, but not to polish'd Marble.
We to the Nation's publick Mart
Our Works ofWit, and Schemes of Art, OCTOBER.
And philosophic Goods, this Way,
No part of Conduct asks for Skill more nice,
Iîke Water carriage, cheap convey.
Tho' none more common, than to gfive Advice;
This Tree which Ejaowledge so affords.
Misers themselves, in this will not be saving,
Inquisitors with flaming Swords Unless their Knowledge makes it worth the having.
266 Ipoor "IRfcbarb for 1757 poor IRicbarO for 1757 267
And Where's the Wonder, when we will intrude, contentment ! Parent of DeHght,
An useless Gift, it meets Ingratitude ? So much a stranger to our Sight.
Shun then, unask'd, this arduous Task to try; Say, Goddess, in what happy Place
But, if consulted, use Sincerity. Mortals behold thy blooming Face ;
Thy gracious Auspices impart.
The Borrower is a Slave to the Iênder ; the Security to And for thy Temple chuse my Heart.
both. They whom thou deignest to inspire.
Thy Science leam, to bound Desire ;
Singularity in the right, hath ruined many ; Ha'ppy By happy Alcliymy of Mind
those who are convinced of the general Opinion. They turn to Pleasure all they find.
Unmov'd when the rude Tempest blows,
NOVEMBER. Without an Opiate they repose ;
Be rarely warm in Censure or in Praise ; And, covered by your Shield, defy
Few Men deserve our Passion either ways : The whizzing Shafts that round them fly ;
For halfthe Worldbut floats 'twixt Goodand 111, Nor, meddling with the Gods Affairs,
As Chance disposes Objects, these the Will; Concern themselves with distant Cares ;
'T is but a see-saw Game, where Virtue now But place their Bliss in mental Rest,
Mounts above Vice, and then sinks down as low. And feast upon the Good possest.
Besides, the Wise still hold it for a Rule,
To trust that Judgment most, that seems most cool. DECEMBER.
Proportion your Charity to the strength of your Estate, Would you be well received where'er you go,
or God will Proportion your J^state to the Weakness of Remember each Man vanquish'd is a Foe :
your Charity.
Resist not therefore to your utmost Might,
But let the Weakest think he's sometimes right:
The Tongue offends, and the Ears get the Cuffing. He, for each Triumph you shall thus decline,
Shall give ten Opportunities to shine ;
Some antient Philosophers have said, that Happiness He sees, since once you owned him to excel.
depends more on the inward Disposition ofMind than on That't is his Interest you should reason well.
outward Circumstances; and that he who cannot be
happyin any State, can be so in no State. Tobe happy, Sleep without Supping, and you '11 rise without owing
they tell us we must be content. Right. But they do not
for it.
teach us how we may become content. Poor Richard
shall give you a short good Rule for that. To be content
lookbackwardon thosewho possess less than yourself, When other Sins grow old by Time,
not forward on those who possess more. Ifthis does not Then Avarice is in its prime.
make you content, you don't deserve to be happy. Yet feed the Poor at Christmas time.
Ipoor WcbarD tor 1758 269
peated, with, as Poor Richard says, at the End

on 't; this gave me some Satisfaction, as it
showed not only that my Instructions were re
garded, but discovered likewise some Respect
for my Authority ; and I own that to encourage
POOR RICHARD FOR 17^8. 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 grati
PRBFACB.
fied by an Incident I am going to relate to you.
Courteous Readejr, I stopt my Horse lately where a great Number
I have heard that nothing gives an Author of people were collected at a Vendue of Mer
so great Pleasure, as to find his Works respect chant Goods. The Hour of Sale not being
fully quoted by other learned Authors. This come, they were conversing on the Badness of
pleasure I have seldom enjoyed, for tho' I have the Times, and one of the Company calPd to a
been, if I may say it without Vanity, an eminent plain clean old Man, with white Iôcks, Pray
Author of Almanacks annually now a full quar Father what think yotc of the Times?
ter of a Century, my Brother Authors in the Won't these heavy Taxes quite ruiii the Cou7t^
same Way, for what Reason I know not, have try f How shall we be ever able topay them ?
ever been very sparing in their Applauses ; and What would you advise us to ? Father
no other Author has taken the least notice of Abraham stood up, and reply*d, If you 'd have
me, so that did not my Writings produce ,me my Advice, I 'H give it you in short, for a
some solid Puddhig^ the great Deficiency of Word to the Wise is ejiough, and many Words
Praise would have quite discouraged me. won't fill a Bushel, as Poor Richard says.
I concluded at length, that the People were They join'd in desiring him to speak his Mind,
the best Judges of my Merit; for they buy and gathering round him, he proceeded as fol
my Works; and besides, in my Rambles, lows ;
where I am not personally known, I have fre ** Friends, says he, and Neighbours, the Taxes
quently heard one or other of my Adages re- are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by
268
270 ©oor IRfcbarD for 1758 lC>oor Hlfcbarb for 175S 271
the Government were the only Ones we had to Poor Richard says. If Time be of all Things
pay, we might more easily discharge them ; but the most precious, wasting of Time must be,
we have many others, and much more grievous as Poor Richard says, the greatest Prodigality,
to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by since, as he elsewhere tells us. Lost Time is
our Idleness^ three times as much by our PridSy never found again ; and what we call Time-
and four times as much by our Folly, and from enough, always proves little enough, Xet us
these Taxes the Commissioners cannot ease or then be up and doing, and doing to the Purpose ;
deliver us by allowing an Abatement. How so by Diligence shall we do more with less Per
ever let us hearken to good Advice, and some plexity. Sloth makes all things difficult, but
thing may be done for us ; God helps ihem that Industryall Things easy, as PoorRichardssiys;
help themselves, as Poor Richard says in his and He that riseth late, must trot all Day, and
Almanac of 1733. shall scarce overtake his Business at night
It would be thought a hard Government that While Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty
should tax its People one tenth Part of their soon overtakes him, as we read in Poor Rich
Time, to be employed in its Service. But Idle- ard, who adds, Drive thy Business, let not that
ness taxes many of us much more, if we reckon dHve thee ; and Early toBed, and earlyto rise,
all that is spent in absolute Sloth, or doing of makes a Ma7t healthy, wealthy, and wise.
nothing, with that which is spent in idle Em So what signifies wishingand hopingfor bet
ployments or Amusements, that amount to ter times. We may make these Times better
nothing. Sloth, by bringing on Diseases abso if we bestir ourselves. Indtisiry need not wish
lutely shortens Iîfe. Sloth, like Rust, con as PoorRichard says, and He that lives upon
sumesfaster than Labour wears, zvhile the used Hope will die fasting. There are no Gains,
Key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. without Pains ; then Help Hands, for I have
But dost thou love Life, then do not squa^tder no Lands, or if I have, they are smartly taxed.
Time, for that ^s the Stuff Life is made of, as And as Poor Richard likewise observes, He that
Poor Richard says.—How much more than is hath a Trade hath an Estate, and He that hath
necessary do we spend in Sleep ! forgetting that a Calling hath an Office of Profit and Honour ;
The Sleeping Fox catches no Poultry, and that but then the Trade must be worked at, and the
there will be sleeping enough in the Grave, as Callingfollowed, or neither the nor
272 ©oor TRtebarD for 1758 ©ooc IRicbarb for 1758 273
the Office, will enable us to pay our Taxes.—If you are weak-handed, but stick to it steadily,
we are industrious we shall never starve ; for as and you will see great Effects, for constant
Poor Richard says, At the working Afa?i^s Dropping wears away Stones, and by Diligence
House Hunger looks in, but dares not enter and Patie7ice, the Mouse ate in two the Cable ;
Nor will the Bailiff or the Constable enter, for and little Strokesfell great Oaks, as Poor Rich
Industry pays Debts while Despair encreaseth ard says in his Almanack, the Year I cannot
them, says Poor Richard, ^What though you just now remember.
have found no Treasure, nor has any rich Rela Methinks I hear some of you say, Must a
tion left you a Iêgacy, Diligence is the Mother Man afford himself no Leisure?—I will tell
of Good-luck, as Poor Richard says, and God thee My Frier^d, what Poor Richard says, Em
gives all thhigs to Industry. Then plough deep, ploy thy Time well if thou meaiiest to gain
while Sluggards sleep, andyou shall have Corn Leisure ; and, si7ice thou art not sure of a Min
to sell and to keep, says Poor Dick, Work ute, throw not away an Hour, Iêisure is Time
while it it is called To-day, for you know not for doing something useful; this Leisure the
how much you may be hindered To-morrow, diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man
which makes Poor Richard say. One To-dayis never ; so that, as Poor Richard says, a Life of
worth two To-morrows; and farther. Haveyou Leisure and a Life ofLaziness are two Things,
somewhat to do To-morrow, do it to To-day, If Do you imagine that Sloth will afford you more
you were a Servant would you not be ashamed Comfort than Labour ? No, for as Poor Rich
that a good Master should catch you idle ? Are ard says, Trouble springs from Idleness, and
you then your own Master, be ashamed to catch grievous Toilfrom needless Ease, Many with
yourself idle, as Poor Dick says. When there out Labour, would live by their wits only, but
is so much to be done for yourself, your Family, they breakfor want of stock. Whereas Indus
your Country, and your gracious King, be up try gives Comfort, and Plenty and Respect:
by Peep of Day; Let not the Sun look down Fly Pleasures and they HIfollow you. The dili
and say. Inglorious here he lies. Handle your gent Spinner has a large Shift; and now I have
Tools without Mittens ; remember that the Cat a Sheep and a Cow, every Body bids me Good
in Gloves catches noMice, as PoorRichard says. morrow, all which is well said by Poor Richard,
'T is true there is muchto be done, and perhaps But with our Industry, we must likewise be
i8
274 Ipoot IRlcbart) for 1758 Tpoor IRtcbart) for 1758 275
steady^ settled^ and careful, and oversee our own cumspection and Care, even in the smallest
Affairs with our own Eyes, and not trust too Matters, because sometimes a little Neglect
much to others ; for, as Poor Richard says, may breedgreat Mischief, 2L^'d\Vi.%, for luant of
a Nail, the Shoe was lost; for want of a Shoe
I-never saw an ofl removed Tree^ the Horse was lost; and for want of a Horse
Nor yet an ofl removed Family^
That throve so well as those that settled be.
the Rider was lost, being overtaken and slain
by the Enemy, all for want of Care about a
And again, Three Removes is as bad as a Fire / Horse-shoe Nail.
and again, Keep thy Shop, and thy Shop will So much for Industry, my Friends, and Atten
keep thee; and again, If you would have your tion to one's own Business ; but to these we
Business do7ie, go ; ifnot, send. And again. must add Frugality, if we would make our In
dustry more certainly successful. A man may,
He that by the Plough must thrive^
Himself must either hold or drive.
if he knows not how to save as he gets, Keep
his Nose all his Life to the Grindstone, and die
And again. The Eye of a Master will do more not worth Groat at last. A fat Kitchen
Work than both his Hands; and again, Want makes a lean Will, as PoorRichard says ; and
of Care does us more Damage than Want of
Knowledge; and again, Not to oversee Work Many Estates are spent in the Getting,
men, is to leave them your Purse open. Trust Since Women for Tea forsook Spinningand Kniting
ing too much to others Care is the Ruin of
AndMenfor Punchforsook Hewing andSplitting. '
many; for, as the Almanack says, In the Af
fairs of this World, Men are saved, not by Ifyou would be wealthy, says he, in another Al
Faith, but by the Wa7tt ofit; but a Man's own manack, think ofSaving, as well asofGetting :
Care is profitable ; for, saith Poor Dick, Learn The Indies have not madeSpain rich, because
ing is to the Studious, and Riches to the Care her Outgoes are greater than her Incomes.
ful, as well as Power to the Bold, and Heaven Away then with your expensive Follies, you
to the Virtuous, And, farther. If you would will not have so much cause to complain of
have a faithful Servant, and one that you like, hard Times, heavy Taxes, and chargeable
serve yourself, And again, he adviseth to Cir- Families ; for as Poor Dick says,
Ipoor TRicbarD tor 1758 277
276 Ipooc iRlcbarD for 1758
JVomen and IVine^ Game and Deceit^ by buying good Pennyworths. Again Poor
Make the Wealth small and the Wants great.
Richard says, »Tis foolish to lay out Money in
And farther, What maintains one Vice would a Purchase of Repentance ; aud yet thisFolly
bring up two Children. You may think per is practised every Day at Vendues, for want
haps that a little Tea or a little Punch now and of minding the Almanack. Wise Men, as Poor
then. Diet a little more costly, Clothes a little Dick says,learn byothers Harvis, Fools scarcely
finer, and a little Entertainment now and tbeu, by their oivn ; but Felix gueurfadtint aliena
can be no great Matter; but remember what Pericula cautum. Many a one, for the Sake
Poor Richard says, Ma^ty a Little makes a of Finery on the Back, have gone with a hun
3Iickle; and farther, Beware of little Ex- gry Belly, and half starVed their FamiHes;
pences ; a small Leak will sink a great Ship ; Silks and Sattins, Scarlet and Velvets, as Poor
and again. Who Dainties love shall Beggars Richard says, put out the Kitchen Fire.
prove; and moreover, Fools 7nake Feasts and These are not the Necessaries of Life; they
wise Men eat them. can scarcely be called the Conveniences, and
Here you are all got together at this Vendue yet only because they look pretty how many
of Fineries and Knicknacks, You call them wa7it to have theiji. The artificial Wants of
Goods, but if you do not take Care, they will Mankind thus become more numerous than the
prove Fvils to some of you. You expect they natural; and as Poor Dick says, For Ofie poor
will be sold cheap, and perhaps they may for Person there are an hundred indigent. By
less than they cost; but if you have no Occasion these, and other Kxtravagancies, the Genteel
for them, they must be dear to you. Remember are reduced to Poverty, and forced to borrow
what Poor Richard says, Buy what thou hast of those whom they formerly despised, but who
no Need of, and ere long thou shall sell thy through Industry and Frugality have main
JVecessaries. And again. At a great Penny tained their Standing; in which case it appears
worth pause a while: He means, that perhaps plainly, thataPloughman on his Legs ishigher
the Cheapness is apparent only, and not real; or than a Gentleman on his Knees, as Poor Rich
the Bargain, by straitning thee in thy Business, ard says. Perhaps theyhave had a small
may do thee more Harm than Good. For in tate leftthem, which they knew not theGetting
another Place he says. Many have been ruined of^_they think His Day and will never be
278 poor TRfcbarD for 1758 Ipoor IRlcbarD for 1758 279
Night; that a little to be spent out of ^<7 imich^ 'T is however a Folly soon punished ; for Pride
is not worth minding; {a Child a7id a Fool, as that dines on Vanity sups on Contempt,as Poor
Poor Richard says, imagine Tweiity Shillings Richard says. And in another Place, Pride
and Twenty Years can never be spent) but, breakfasted with Plenty, dined with Poverty,
always takiîg out of the Meat-tub, and never and supped with Infamy. And after all, of
putti7tg in, soon comes to the Bottom; then, as what Use is this Pride of Appearance, for which
Poor nick says, When the Well 's dry, they so much is risked, so much is suffered 1 It can
know the Worth of Water. But this they might not promote Health, or ease Pain ; it makes no
have known before, if they had taken his Ad Increase of Merit in the Person, creates Bnvy,
vice ; If you would %now the Value of Money, it hastens Misfortune.
go and try to borrow some ; for he that goes a
borrowing goes a sorrowi?ig; and indeed so What is a Butterfly f At best
doeshe that lends to suchPeople, when he goes He *s but a Caterpillar drest.
The gaudy Fop *s his Picturejust.
toget it i7i again,—Poor Z>ick farther advises,
and says, as Poor Richard says.
Jônd Pride of Dress, ts sure a very Curse; But what Madness must it be to run in Debt
B'er Fancyyou consult, C07isult your Purse. for these Superfluities ! We are offered hy the
Terms of this Vendue, Months Credit;
And again. Pride is as loud a Beggar as Want,
and that perhaps has induced some of us to
and a great deal more saucy. When you have attend it, because we cannot spare the ready
bought one fine Thing you must buy ten more, Money, and hope now to be fine without it.
that your appearance may be all of a Piece ; but
But, ah, think what you do when you run in
Poor JDtck says, ' P is easier to suppress thefirst Debt; You give to another Power over your
Desire, than to satisfy all that follow it. And Liberty. If you cannot pay at the Time, you
't is as truly Folly for the Poor to ape the Rich, îll be ashamed to see your Creditor; you will
as for the Frog to swell, in order to equal be in Fear when you speak to him; you will
the Ox.
make poor pitiful sneaking Excuses, and by
Great Estates may venture more. Degrees come to lose your Veracity, and sink
But little Boats shotild keep near Shore. into base downright lying; for as Poor Richard
28o Ipoor mcbavb for .1758 ®oor IRicbarD for 1758 281
says, pe second Vice is Lying, thefirst is nm- before you are prepared to satisfy it. Or if you
ning in Debt, And again, to the same Purpose, bear your Debt in Mind, the Term which at
Lying rides upon Debt's Back, Whereas a first seemed so long, will, as it lessens, appear
freeborn Englishman ought not to be ashamed extreamly short. Time will seem to have
or afraid to see or speak to any Man living. added Wings to his Heels as well as Shoulders.
But Poverty often deprives a Man of all Spirit Those have a sho7^t Lent, saith Poor Richard,
and Virtue; ' T is hardfor a7t empty Bag to who owe Money to be paid at Easter, Then,
stand upright, as Poor Richard truly says. since as he says. The Borrower is a Slave to the
What would you think of that Prince, or that Lender, and the Debtor is the Creditor, dis
Government, who should issue an Indict forbid dain the Chain, preserve your Freedom ; and
ding you to dress like a Gentleman, or a Gentle maintain your Independency; Be industrious
woman, on Pain of Imprisonmentor Servitude! B.n6,free; frugal andfree. At present, per
Would you not say, that you are free, have a haps, you may think yourself in thriving Cir
Right to dress as you please, and that such an cumstances, and that you can bear a little
^dict would be a Breach of your Privileges, Extravagance without Injury; but,
and such a Government tyrannical.' And yet For Age and Want save while you may ;
you are about to put yourself under that Tyr- No Morning Sun lasts a whole Day,
rany when you run in Debt for such Dress!
Your Creditor has Authority at his Pleasure to as Poor Richard says.—Gain may be tempo
deprive you of your Iîberty, byconfining you rary and uncertain, but ever while you live
in Goal for I/ife, orto sell you for a Servant, if Experience is constant and certain ; and H is
you should not be able to pay him I When easier to build two Chimnies than to keep one
you have got your Bargain, you may, perhaps, in Fuel, as Poor Richard says. So rathergo to
think little of Payment! but Creditors, Poor Bed supperless than rise in Debt,
Richard, tells us, have better Memories than Get what you can, and what you get hold.
Debtors; and in another Place says. Creditors »Tis the stone that will turn allyour Lead into Gold,
are a superstitious Sect, great Observers of set
Days and Times. The Day comes round be as Poor Richard says. And when you have
fore you are aware, and the Demand is made got the Philosopher's Stone, sure you will no
282 Ipoor IRfcbarD for 1758 Ipoor IRicbarD tor 1758 283
longer complain of the bad Times, or the Diffi

and digested all I had dropt on those Topicks
culty of paying Taxes.
during the Course of Five-and-Twenty Years.
This Doctrine, my Friends, is Reason and
The frequent mention he made of me must have
Wisdom; but after all, do not depend too
tired any one else, but my Vanity was wonder
much on your own Industry^ and Frugality^
fully delighted with it, though I was conscious
and Prudence^ though excellent Things; for that not a tenth Part of this Wisdom wâs my
they may all be blasted without the Blessing of own which he ascribed to me, but rather the
Heaven ; and therefore ask that Blessing hum Gleanings I had made of the Sense of all Ages
bly, and be not uncharitable to those that at
and Nations. However, I resolved to be the
present seem to want it, but comfort dud help better for the Bcho of it; and though I had at
them. Remember Job suffered and was after
first determined to buy Stuff for a new Coat, I
wards prosperous.
went away resolved to wear my old one a little
And now to conclude, Experience keeps a longer. Reader, if thou wilt do the same, thy
dear School, btit Fools will learn in no other^ Profit will be as great as mine.
and scarce in that; for it is true, we may give I am, as ever.
Advice^ but we cannot give Conduct^ as Poor Thine to serve thee,
Richard says : However, remember this, T'hey RICHARD SAUNDBRS.
that won't be comiselled, canH be helped^ as July 7, 1757.
Poor Richard says : and farther, X\i2Xifyou will JANUARY.
not hear Reasony she HI surely wrap your On Ambition.
Knuckles, I know, young Friend, Ambition fills your Mind,

And in Iîfe's Voyage is th' impelling Wind ;
Thus the old Gentleman ended his Harangue. But at the Helm let sober Reason stand
The People heard it, and approved the Doctrine, And steer the Bark with Heav'n-directed Hand :
and immediately practised the contrary, just as So shall you safe Ambitions Gale receive.
if it had been a common Sermon ; for the* Ven- And ride securely, tho' the Billows heave ;
So shall you shun the giddy Hero's Fate,
due opened, and they began to buy extrava And by her Influence be both good and great.
gantly, notwithstanding all his Cautions, and
One Nestor is worth two Ajaxes.
their own Fear of Taxes.—I found the good
When you 're an Anvil, hold you still;
Man had thoroughly studied my Almanacks, When you 're a Hammer, strike your fill.
284 ©oor IRfcbart) for 1758 poor IRfcbarD for 1758 2S5
FEBRUARY. Searches to find the Friend's delightful Face,

She bids you first, in I<ife*s soft Vernal Hours, The Friend at last demands the second place,
With active Industry wake Natures Powers ; And yet beware ; for most desire a Friend
With rising- Years, still rising- Arts display, From meaner Motives, not for Virtue's ^nd.
With new-bom Graces mark each new-bom Day, There are, who with fond Favour's fickle Gale
'T is now the Time young Passion to command Now sudden swell, and now contract their Sail.
While yet the pliant Stem obeys the Hand ;
Guide now the Courser with a steady rein Silence is not always a Sign of Wisdom, but Babbling
B'er yet he bounds o'er Pleasures flow'ry Plane ; is ever a Folly.
In Passion's Strife, no Medium you can have ; Great Modesty often hides great Merit.
You mle a Master, or submit a Slave. You may delay, but Time will not.
When Elnaves betray each other, one can scarce be
blamed or the other pitied.
He that carries a small Crime easily, will carry it on This Week devour, the next with sickening :i^ye
when it comes to be an Ox.
Avoid, and cast the sully*d Plaything by;
There are, who tossing in the Bedof Vice,
MARCH. For Flattery's Opiategivethe highest Price;
For whom these Toils, you may perhaps enquire ; Yet from the saving Hand of Friendship turn.
First for yourselff next Nature will inspire.
Her Medicines dread,her generous Offers spurn.
Deserted Greatness ! who but pities thee ?
The filial Thought, fond Wish, and Kindred Tear
By crowds encompass'd, thou no friend canst see :
Which makes the Parent and the Sister dear :
To these, in closest Bands of Iôve, ally'd, Virtue may always make a Face handsome, but Vice
Their Joy and Grief you live, their Shame or Pride ; will certain make it ugly.
Hence timely learn to make their Bliss your own.
And scom to think or act for alone.
Prodigality of Time producesPoverty of Mind as well
as of Instate.
Happy Tom Cmmp ne'er sees his own Hump. JUNE.
Fools need Advice most, but wise Men only are the Or should kind Truth invade thy gentle
better for it. Wepity still; forthou no Truth canst hear.'
Ne'er grudg'd thy Wealth to swell an useless State,
Yet, frugal, deems th' :Expence of Friends too great;
Hence bravely strive upon your own to raise For Friends ne'er mixing in ambitions Strife,
Their Honour, Grandeur, Dignity £^ndPraise. For Friends, the richest Furniture of Iîfe I
But wider far, beyond the narrow Bound Be yours, my son, a nobler, higher Aim
Of Family, A.mbition searches round : Your Pride to burn with Friendship's sacred Flame;
Ipoor IRicbart) for 1758 2S7
286 Ipoor 1Rfcbar& for 1758
Content is the Philosopher's Stone, that turns all it SEPTEMBER.
touches into Gold. Her Country all beneath one ambient Sky
He that's content hath enough. Whosoe'er beholds yon radiant Orb on high.
He that complains has too much. To whom one Sun impartial gives the Day,
To whom the Silver Moon her milder Ray,
Pride gets into the Coach,' and Shame mounts behind.
Whom the same Water, Earth, and Air sustain.
JULY. O'er whom one Parent-King extends his Reign
By Virtue kindled, by like Manners fed. Are her compatriots all, by her belov'd.
By mutual Wishes, mutual Favours spread, In Nature near, tho' far by Space remov'd ;
Increas'd with Years, by candid Truth refin'd On common Earth, no Foreigner she knows ;
Pour all its boundless Ardours thro' your mind No Foe can find, or none but Virtue's Foes :
By yours the care a chosen Band to gain ;
The Honey is sweet, but the Bee has a Sting,
With them to Glory's radiant Summit strain.
Aiding and aided each, while all contend In a corrupt Age, the putting the Wotld in order would
Who best, who bravest, shall assist his Friend. breed Confusion ; then e'en mind your own Business.
The first Mistake in public Business, is the going into it. OCTOBER.
Half the Truth is often a great Iîe. Ready she stands her cheerful Aid to lend;
The Way to see by Faith is to shut the Kye of Reason. To Want and Woe an undemanded Friend.
Nor thus advances others Bliss alone;
The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put
But in the Way to theirs, still finds her own.
out your Candle.
Their's is her own. What, should your Taper light
AUGUST.
Ten Thousand, bums it to yourself less bright ?
Thus still should private Friendships spread around. " Men are ungrateful." Be tliey so that dare !
Till in their joint Embrace the Publick's found. Is that the Giver's or Receiver's Care ?
The common Friend!—Then all her Good explore;
l^xplor'd, pursue with each unbiass'd Power To serve the Publick faithfully, and at the same time
But chief the greatest should her I,aws revere, please it entirely is impracticable.
Ennobling Honours, which she bids them wear Proud Modem Iêaming despises the antient; School
Ambition fills with Charity the Mind, men are now laught at by school-boj^.
And pants to be the Friend of all Mankind.
NOVEMBER.
A full Belly makes a dull Brain.
The Muses starve in a Cook's Shop. Oh 1 blind to Joys, that from true Bounty flow;
To think those e'er repent whose Hearts bestow 1
Spare and have is better than spend and crave. Man to his Maker thus best Homage pays,
Good-Will, like the Wind, fioweth where it listeth. Thus peaceful walks thro' Virtues pleasing Ways
288 Ipooc IRtcbarD for 1758 Iknlcfterbocfter IRuggets.
Her gentle Image on the Soul imprest,
Bids each tempestuous Passion leave the Breast Nugget—"A diminutive mass of precious metal."
Hence with her livid Self-devouring Snakes
Pale Bnvy flies ; her quiver Slander breaks :
Thus falls (dire Scourge of a distracted Age 1) " Little gemsof hookmBking,"—Commercial Gazette^ Cin
The Knave-led, one ey'd Monster, Party Rage. cinnati.
" For many a long day nothing has been thought out or
Men often mistake themselves, seldom forget them worked out so sure to prove entirely pleasing to cultured
selves. book-lovers." - Bookmaker,
The idle Man is the Devil's Hireling, whose I,ivery is I—Gesta Romanorum. Tales of the old
Rags, whose Diet and Wages are Famine and Diseases.
monks. Edited by C. Swan . $i oo
DECBIVCBBR.
Thislittle gem is a collection of stories composed by the
Ambition jostles with her Friends no more ; monks of old, who were in the custom of relating them to
Nor thirsts Revenge to drink a Brothers Gore; each other after meals for their mutual amusement and infor
Fiery Remorse no stinging Scorpions rears : mation."— Williams^ Literary Monthly,
O'er trembling Guilt no falling Sword appears. Nuggets indeed, and charming ones, are these rescued
Hence Conscience, void of Blame, her Front erects. from themine of old Latin, which would certainly have been
Hence just Ambition boundless Splendors crown lost to many busy readers who can only takewhatcomes to
And hence she calls i^temity her own. them without delving for hidden treasures."
Rob not God, nor the Poor, lest thou ruin thyself- II—Headlong Hall and Nightmare Abbey.
The Kagle snatcht a Coal from the Altar, but it fired By Thomas Love Peacock . . ^ $i oo
her Nest.
"It must have been the court librarian of Kintr Obemn
With bounteous cheer
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III-Gulliver's Travels. By Jonathan Swift.
Areprint of the early complete edition. Very fully
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" Messrs. Putnam have done a substantial service to all
readers of English classics by reprinting in two dainty and
artistically bound volumes those biting satires of Jonathan
Swift,' Gulliver's Travels.' "
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'ffcnfcêc&ocfiec
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Two vols. Selected from "The Sketch Book," Lord Chesterfield. Witha critical essay by C.
"Traveller," "Wolferfs Roost," " Bracebridge A. Sainte-Beuve $i 00
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The tales, pathetic and thrilling as they are in themselves,
things, and the maker of this book hasput the pick ofthem
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which profusely illustrate the volumes. . . . We confess our
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Christian Union.
ready
Such books as these will find their popularity confined to
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C. Hall. A fac-simile of the original edition. book-lovers."-TO/ W^riter, Boston.
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others . . . . . . • $150 able type, illustrated with spirit, and just such a booklet as,
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IV fltnfcfterbocfter muggets 1ftnic?ierboc?ier •ffluggets
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Nugget—" A diminutive mass of precious metal'

27 VOI^. NOW RKADV

For full list see end of this volume

Prefaces, Proverbs, and Poems

Poor R/chard's Almanacs fqr 1733-

COLLECTED AND EDITED

PAUL LEICESTER FORD

NEJV YORK AND LONDON

Poor R Ic HAD improved :

Dutch, Catalan, Chinese, Modern Greek, and m

POOR RICHARD FOR 1733.

JANUARY. He's gone, and forgot nothing but to say farewell to

]^ach age of men new fashions doth invent; APRII/.

God works wonders now and then ;

Dedicated to tlie Countess of K—t and H-n-r-d-n. Courteous R:eADE:R.

All things are easy to industry,

-1 the smith hath lately sworn and said.

OF THE ECI.IPSES, 1734-

like some men at their wives. I had resolved

MARCH. There's nought so silly, sure, as vanity,

I/3uis ('t is true, I own to you) SEPTEMBER.

The lying habit is in some so strong. THE :eci,ipses.

there is really such a man as I am, whatever

In drunken frolicks, which will all confound,

Things that are bitter, bitterer than gall, AUGUST.

As to the weather, if I was to fall into the

A traveller should have a hog's nose, deer's legs, and SEPTEMBER.

AUGUST. Indulgent nature to each kind bestows,

Four kings with mighty force shall Albion's isle

POOR RICHARD FOR 1738.

PRKFACB BY MISTRESS SAUNDERS.

BRIDGET SAUNDERS. In Christendom we all are Christians now.

A monster in a course of vice grown old,

On his late deafness.

SEPTEMBER. He says't is to preserve his health,

sometimes both.—Brutes shall speak in many Of the :fruits of the earth.

guises ; of which indeed I should have taken

SEPTEMBER. Old Socrates was obstinately good,

l^mploy thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure.

I know you lawyers can, with ease. [PREFACE OMITTED.]

Think Cato sees thee.

Some (taught by industry) impart

And, as so mean a neighbour shock'd his pride, COURTS.

From flower to flower, with eager pains,

I^et no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no

deceased, was raised, and mad6 to abuse his old

Have you somewhat to do to-raorrow ; do it to-day. APRIL.

FEBRUARY. The Winter spent,feels the Poet's Fire,

The Busy-Man's Picture, Heb Ddnw heb ddim, a Dnw, a digou.*

To FIND OUT A FIT MEASURE OF MEAT

gather them from the Vine, will make at least a MARCH.

aults, orresolution enough tomend them I

JUNE. Cold & cunning come from the north :

Agrave skilful Mason dedar'd his Opinion On buying' a BIBLE.

'T is but a Folly to rejoice, or boast,

f Borrowing makes sorrowing.

giving his Readers gratis in his Almanack for

I/ight Gains heavy Purses. Be Niggards ofAdznce onnoPretence ;

Wars bring scars. •T is notforMortals always tobeblest:

Wide andmore wide, th» o'erflowings of the Mind

His can't be wrongr, whose I,ife is in the right: COURTS.

These Blessings, Reader, may Heav'n grant to thee ;

Nor blindly follow Superstitious Love,