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1737
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1992-12-02
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_Poor Richard_
1737
_Courteous and kind Reader,_
This is the fifth Time I have appear'd in Publick, chalking out
the future Year for my honest Countrymen, and foretelling what shall,
and what may, and what may not come to pass; in which I have the
Pleasure to find that I have given general Satisfaction. Indeed,
among the Multitude of our astrological Predictions, 'tis no wonder
if some few fail; for, without any Defect in the Art itself, 'tis
well known that a small Error, a single wrong Figure overseen in a
Calculation, may occasion great Mistakes: But however we
Almanack-makers may _miss it_ in other Things, I believe it will be
generally allow'd _That we always hit the Day of the Month_, and that
I suppose is esteem'd one of the most useful Things in an Almanack.
As to the Weather, if I were to fall into the Method my Brother
_J ----- n _ sometimes uses, and tell you, _Snow here or in New
England, -- Rain here or in South-Carolina, -- Cold to the Northward,
-- Warm to the Southward_, and the like, whatever Errors I might
commit, I should be something more secure of not being detected in
them: But I consider, it will be of no Service to any body to know
what Weather it is 1000 miles off, and therefore I always set down
positively what Weather my Reader will have, be he where he will at
the time. We modestly desire only the favourable Allowance of _a day
or two before_ and _a day or two after_ the precise Day against which
the Weather is set; and if it does not come to pass accordingly, let
the Fault be laid upon the Printer, who, 'tis very like, may have
transpos'd or misplac'd it, perhaps for the Conveniency of putting in
his Holidays: And since, in spight of all I can say, People will give
him great part of the Credit of making my Almanacks, 'tis but
reasonable he should take some share of the Blame.
I must not omit here to thank the Publick for the gracious and
kind Encouragement they have hitherto given me: But if the generous
Purchaser of my Labours could see how often his _Fi'-pence_ helps to
light up the comfortable Fire, line the Pot, fill the Cup and make
glad the Heart of a poor Man and an honest good old Woman, he would
not think his Money ill laid out, tho' the Almanack of his were one
half blank Paper.
_Friend and Servant R. SAUNDERS_
______
HINTS for those that would be Rich.
The Use of Money is all the Advantage there is in having Money.
For 6 _l._ a Year, you may have the Use of 100 _l._ if you are
a Man of known Prudence and Honesty.
He that spends a Groat a day idly, spends idly above 6 _l._ a
year, which is the Price of using 100 _l._
He that wastes idly a Groat's worth of his Time per Day, one
Day with another, wastes the Privilege of using 100 _l._ each Day.
He that idly loses 5 _s._ worth of time, loses 5 _s._ & might
as prudently throw 5 _s._ in the River.
He that loses 5 _s._ not only loses that Sum, but all the
Advantage that might be made by turning it in Dealing, which by the
time that a young Man becomes old, amounts to a comfortable Bag of
Mony.
_Again_, He that sells upon Credit, asks a Price for what he
sells, equivalent to the Principal and Interest of his Money for the
Time he is like to be kept out of it: therefore
He that buys upon Credit, pays Interest for what he buys.
And he that pays ready Money, might let that Money out to Use:
so that
He that possesses any Thing he has bought, pays Interest for
the Use of it.
_Consider then_, when you are tempted to buy any unnecessary
Housholdstuff, or any superfluous thing, whether you will be willing
to pay _Interest, _and Interest upon Interest_ for it as long as you
live; and more if it grows worse by using.
_Yet, in buying Goods, 'tis best to pay ready Money, because,_
He that sells upon Credit, expects to lose 5 _per Cent._ by bad
Debts; therefore he charges, on all he sells upon Credit, an Advance
that shall make up that Deficiency.
Those who pay for what they buy upon Credit, pay their Share of
this Advance.
He that pays ready Money, escapes or may escape that Charge.
_A Penny sav'd is Twopence clear, A Pin a day is a Groat a
Year. Save & have. Every little makes a mickle._
______
The greatest monarch on the proudest throne, is oblig'd to sit
upon his own arse.
The Master-piece of Man, is to live to the purpose.
He that steals the old man's supper, do's him no wrong.
A countryman between 2 Lawyers, is like a fish between two
cats.
He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities.
The misers cheese is wholesomest.
Felix quem, _&c._
Love & lordship hate companions.
The nearest way to come at glory, is to do that for conscience
which we do for glory.
There is much money given to be laught at, though the
purchasers don't know it; witness _A's_ fine horse, & _B's_ fine
house.
He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that composes
books.
_Poor Dick_, eats like a well man, and drinks like a sick.
After crosses and losses men grow humbler & wiser.
Love, Cough, & a Smoke, can't well be hid.
Well done is better than well said.
Fine linnen, girls and gold so bright,
Chuse not to take by candle-light.
He that can travel well afoot, keeps a good horse.
There are no ugly Loves, nor handsome Prisons.
No better relation than a prudent & faithful Friend.
A Traveller should have a hog's nose, deer's legs, and an ass's
back.
At the working man's house hunger looks in but dares not enter.
A good Lawyer a bad Neighbour.
Certainlie these things agree,
The Priest, the Lawyer, & Death all three:
Death takes both the weak and the strong.
The lawyer takes from both right and wrong,
And the priest from living and dead has his Fee.
The worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise.
Don't misinform your Doctor nor your Lawyer.
I never saw an oft-transplanted tree,
Nor yet an oft-removed family,
That throve so well as those that settled be.
Let the Letter stay for the Post, and not the Post for the
Letter.
Three good meals a day is bad living.
Tis better leave for an enemy at one's death, than beg of a
friend in one's life.
To whom thy secret thou dost tell,
To him thy freedom thou dost sell.
If you'd have a Servant that you like, serve your self.
He that pursues two Hares at once, does not catch one and lets
t'other go.
If you want a neat wife, chuse her on a Saturday.
If you have time dont wait for time.
Tell a miser he's rich, and a woman she's old, you'll get no
money of one, nor kindness of t'other.
Don't go to the doctor with every distemper, nor to the lawyer
with every quarrel, nor to the pot for every thirst.
The Creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of set
days and times.
The noblest question in the world is _What Good may I do in
it?_
Nec sibi, sed toto, genitum se credere mundo.
Nothing so popular as GOODNESS.