An English Garner: Critical Essays & Literary Fragments Part 42

Away, then, with your expensive follies! and you will not have so much cause to complain of hard Times, heavy taxes, and chargeable families.

For, as _Poor d.i.c.k_ says,

_Women and Wine, Game and Deceit, Make the Wealth small, and the Wants great_.

And farther, _What maintains one vice, would bring up two children_.

You may think perhaps, that, a _little_ tea, or a _little_ punch, now and then; diet, a _little_ more costly; clothes, a _little_ finer; and a _little_ entertainment, now and then; can be no great matter. But remember what _Poor RICHARD_ says, _Many a Little makes a Mickle_; and farther, _Beware of little expenses! a small leak will sink a great s.h.i.+p_; and again, _Who dainties love; shall beggars prove!_ and moreover, _Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them_.

Here are you all got together at this Vendue of Fineries and knicknacks!

You call them Goods: but if you do not take care, they will prove Evils to some of you! You expect they will be sold cheap, and perhaps they may, for less than they cost; but if you have no occasion for them, they must be _dear_ to you! Remember what _Poor RICHARD_ says! _Buy what thou hast no need of, and, ere long, thou shalt sell thy necessaries!_ And again, _At a great pennyworth, pause a while!_ He means, that perhaps the cheapness is apparent only, and not real; or the bargain by straitening thee in thy business, may do thee more harm than good. For in another place, he says, _Many have been ruined by buying good pennyworths_.

Again, _Poor RICHARD_ says, _'Tis foolish, to lay out money in a purchase of Repentance_: and yet this folly is practised every day at Vendues, for want of minding the _Almanac_.

_Wise men_, as _Poor d.i.c.k_ says, _learn by others' harms; Fools, scarcely by their own_: but _Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum_. Many a one, for the sake of finery on the back, has gone with a hungry belly, and half starved their families. _Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets_, as _Poor RICHARD_ says, _put out the kitchen fire!_ These are not the necessaries of life; they can scarcely be called the conveniences: and yet only because they look pretty, how many _want_ to have them! The artificial wants of mankind thus become more numerous than the natural; and as _Poor d.i.c.k_ says, _For one poor person, there are a hundred_ indigent.

By these, and other extravagances, the genteel are reduced to poverty, and forced to borrow of those whom they formerly despised; but who, through Industry and Frugality, have maintained their standing. In which case, it appears plainly that _A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees_, as _Poor RICHARD_ says. Perhaps they have had a small estate left them, which they knew not the getting of. They think _'tis day! and will never be night!_; that _a little to be spent out of so much I is not worth minding_ (_A Child and a Fool_, as _Poor RICHARD_ says, _imagine Twenty s.h.i.+llings and Twenty Years can never be spent_): but _always taking out of the meal tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom_. Then, as _Poor d.i.c.k says_, _When the well's dry, they know the worth of water!_ but this they might have known before, if they had taken his advice. _If you would know the value of money; go, and try to borrow some!_ For, _he that goes a borrowing, goes a sorrowing!_ and indeed, so does he that lends to such people, _when he goes to get it in again!_

_Poor d.i.c.k_ further advises, and says

_Fond Pride of Dress is, sure, a very curse!

Ere Fancy you consult; consult your purse!_

And again, _Pride is as loud a, beggar as Want, and a great deal more saucy!_ When you have bought one fine thing, you must buy ten more, that your appearance may be all of a piece; but _Poor d.i.c.k_ says, _'Tis easier to suppress the First desire, than to satisfy All that follow it_. And 'tis as truly folly, for the poor to ape the rich; as for the frog to swell, in order to equal the ox.

_Great Estates may venture more; But little boats should keep near sh.o.r.e!_

'Tis, however, a folly soon punished! for Pride that _dines on Vanity, sups on Contempt_, as _Poor RICHARD_ says. And in another place. _Pride breakfasted with Plenty, dined with Poverty, and supped with Infamy_.

And, after all, of what use is this Pride of Appearance? for which so much is risked, so much is suffered! It cannot promote health or ease pain! It makes no increase of merit in the person! It creates envy! It hastens misfortune!

_What is a b.u.t.terfly? At best He's but a caterpillar drest!

The gaudy fop's his picture just_.

as _Poor RICHARD_ says.

But what madness must it be, to _run into debt_ for these superfluities?

We are offered, by the terms of this Vendue, Six Months' Credit; and that, perhaps, has induced some of us to attend it, because we cannot spare the ready money, and hope now to be fine without it. But, ah, think what you do, when you run in debt? _You give to another, power over your liberty!_ If you cannot pay at the time, you will be ashamed to see your creditor! You will be in fear, when you speak to him! You will make poor pitiful sneaking excuses! and, by degrees, come to lose your veracity, and sink into base downright lying! For, as _Poor RICHARD_ says, _The second vice is Lying, the first is Running into Debt_: and again, to the same purpose, _Lying rides upon Debt's back_. Whereas a free born Englishman ought not to be ashamed or afraid to see, or speak to any man living. But Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue. _'Tis hard for an Empty Bag to stand upright!_ as _Poor RICHARD_ truly says.

What would you think of that Prince, or the Government, who should issue an Edict forbidding you to dress like a Gentleman or Gentlewoman, on pain of imprisonment or servitude. Would you not say that "You are free! have a right to dress as you please! and that such an Edict would be a breach of your privileges! and such a Government, tyrannical!" And yet you are about to put yourself under that tyranny, when you run in debt for such dress! Your creditor has authority, at his pleasure, to deprive you of your liberty, by confining you in gaol for life! or to sell you for a servant, if you should not be able to pay him! When you have got your bargain; you may, perhaps, think little of payment, but _Creditors_ (_Poor RICHARD_ tells us) _have better memories than Debtors_; and, in another place, says, _Creditors are a superst.i.tious sect! great observers of set days and times_. The day comes round, before you are aware; and the demand is made, before you are prepared to satisfy it: or, if you bear your debt in mind, the term which, at first, seemed so long, will, as it lessens, appear extremely short. TIME will seem to have added wings to his heels, as well as shoulders. _Those have a short Lent_, saith _Poor RICHARD, who owe money to be paid at Easter_. Then since, as he says, _The Borrower is a slave to the Lender, and the Debtor to the Creditor_; disdain the chain! preserve your freedom! and maintain your independency!

Be industrious and free! be frugal and free! At present, perhaps, you may think yourself in thriving circ.u.mstances; and that you can bear a little extravagance without injury: but

_For Age and Want, save while you may!

No morning sun lasts a whole day,_

as _Poor RICHARD_ says.

Gain may be temporary and uncertain; but, ever while you live, Expense is constant and certain: and _'tis easier to build two chimneys than to keep one in fuel_, as _Poor RICHARD_ says. So _rather go to bed supperless, than rise in debt!_

_Get what you can! and what you get, hold!

'Tis the Stone that will turn all your lead into gold!_

as _Poor RICHARD_ says. And when you have got the Philosopher's Stone, sure, you will no longer complain of bad times, or the difficulty of paying taxes.

This doctrine, my friends! is Reason and Wisdom! But, after all, do not depend too much upon your own Industry, and Frugality, and Prudence; though excellent things! For they may all be blasted without the Blessing of Heaven: and, therefore, ask that Blessing humbly! and be not uncharitable to those that at present, seem to want it; but comfort and help them! Remember, JOB suffered, and was afterwards prosperous.

And now to conclude. _Experience keeps a dear school; but Fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that!_ for it is true, _We may give Advice, but we cannot give Conduct_, as _Poor RICHARD_ says. However, remember this! _They that won't be counselled, can't be helped!_ as _Poor RICHARD_ says: and farther, that, "_If you will not hear reason, she'll surely rap your knuckles!"_

Thus the old gentleman ended his harangue. The people heard it, and approved the doctrine; and immediately practised the contrary, just as if it had been a common sermon! For the Vendue opened, and they began to buy extravagantly; notwithstanding all his cautions, and their own fear of taxes.

I found the good man had thoroughly studied my _Almanacs_, and digested all I had dropped on those topics during the course of five and twenty years. The frequent mention he made of me, must have tired any one else; but my vanity was wonderfully delighted with it: though I was conscious that not a tenth part of the wisdom was my own, which he ascribed to me; but rather the gleanings I had made of the Sense of all Ages and Nations.

However, I resolved to be the better for the Echo of it; and though I had, at first, determined to buy stuff for a new coat; I went away resolved to wear my old one a little longer. Reader! if thou wilt do the same, thy profit will be as great as mine.

I am, as ever, Thine, to serve thee!

July 7, 1757.

RICHARD SAUNDERS.