An Essay to Do Good" influenced the mind of the modern philosopher Franklin, and helped to regulate the life of that great man, who, as he expresses himself, cherished life that he might benefit mankind.

"From the bosom of poverty and obscurity," he says, "in which I first breathed and spent my earliest years, I have raised myself to a state of opulence, and to some degree of celebrity in the world." Salutary as the perusal of that great man's life has been to youth, not less so was the influence of the early precepts that the father impressed upon the mind of the young Benjamin.

"At an early age," says he, "my father, from a circumstance apparently trifling to us, convinced his sons that nothing which was not strictly honest could be useful, and illustrated true greatness in honesty, justice, prudence, and good conduct of life; that without these all our efforts would be futile-a labour in vain that would end in disappointment."

Descartes, having doubted, and being vexed at his own waverings, deemed it necessary to frame for himself

THREE RULES OF LIFE.

"First.-As it is a long time ago that I was assailed by doubts concerning the opinions in which I had blindly acquiesced and adopted, I am determined to keep the laws and manners of my country-to follow the opinion of the moderate and sober, and avail myself of principles which regulate life and are accepted by every sensible man; for, having begun to suspect the opinions I had formerly adopted, and to examine their foundations, I thought it would be most prudent of me to follow for the time the example of enlightened men; and though it may happen that there may be found in Persia or in China as many enlightened men as with us, notwithstanding I thought it prudent

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THE THREE RULES OF LIFE.

to be governed by the opinions of men in whose society I am to live. Moreover, in order to ascertain what they prefer and approve, I determined to look more to their ACTIONS than WORDS, not only because I thought that men rarely say just what they feel, but more so because many are quite incapable of giving any account of their actions; because to distinguish the good from the bad and to acquiesce in it, is the result of two very different exertions of intellect, and we often find in men the one without the other. Of all the opinions generally received I always gave my preference to that which is more moderate, because it proves to be easier in practice, and in the most cases the best. I consider every extremity to be an error, because if, on following the middle way, I happen to blunder, it would always be a consolation to me, that I will find myself gone astray not so much from the right way on following that middle way, as when running to extremes. Placing myself in the middle, I resolved, however, for myself, the right of changing my opinion; not that I would be inclined to condemn the laws, which bind every one down to his promise and oblige him to fulfil his engagements; but as I never saw anything in the world unchangeable, I could not preclude myself the liberty of changing, especially as I cherished the hope that my opinions will always improve, not get deteriorated. It appears to me very unreasonable to abide by the old and worse opinion, only because I happened formerly to acquiesce in it, and to consider it my duty to act according to an opinion which ceased to be true, or which I could approve no more, only because I happened to have approved it formerly.

"Secondly.—I determined to prosecute my aim with perseverance, without hesitating and procrastination; those I have set my mind to for certain reasons, as well as those that I undertook for doubtful or no reasons at all, imitating the prudence of a man in a thick forest, when the last trace of a footpath has disappeared, who never goes to and fro, but proceeds all the time in one direction, which he took to for a very

THE THREE RULES OF LIFE.

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slight, perhaps for no motive at all, and then never leaves it; for thus, though he may not reach the place he wished to come at, he is nevertheless sure of extricating himself out of the mazes in which he was wandering. And as it is impossible to postpone everything in our life, therefore, being at a loss to know immediately what would be the best, I determined to prosecute my way to the goal which appears to be the best. Having no stronger motive for one thing rather than another, we must make nevertheless a choice and abide by it, not considering it as doubtful as far as the immediate practice is at issue, but as sure and certain; because the motive why we have preferred one thing among many others is indubitable. This rule of conduct has spared me a great many anxieties and painful wavering, that is commonly the plague of weak minds, who are prone to abandon a thing which they considered at first as beyond any doubt.

"Third rule. I laid it down as a rule never to be transgressed —to vanquish myself rather than to struggle with my destiny— to change my own will rather than the established order of the world. I endeavoured to impress upon my mind the conviction that we have solely unbounded mastery over our thoughts, so that if, after the greatest exertions we are unable of attaining our wishes, we must lay it down among impossibilities. It was in my opinion sufficient to check and avert my desires from things unattainable, and thus to forward my happiness. For our will naturally aspires to things acknowledged by our reason as possible to attain. If we are schooled to consider the external world as lying equally out of our power, the blighted hopes and frustrated wishes and claims will as little affect us as that we are not sovereigns of China or Mexico. So bending our will to necessity, we will not be sorry that our body is not so indestructible as the diamond, that we have got no wings as birds; we will suffer the pains of a disease with more patience, and when shut up in a prison, we will not sigh for liberty. I don't deny that to look at all things in such a light it requires

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THE THREE RULES OF LIFE.

a long practice and reiterated meditations. And this is, in my opinion, the source of that boasted equanimity of those philosophers, who, amidst the greatest sufferings of the body, under the pressure of poverty, professed themselves to be happy. For having constantly present in mind that nature has put certain limits to our powers, they were so strongly persuaded that everything, except their thoughts, is out of their power, that they wished for nothing more, and, by dint of meditation upon that truth, they were so schooled to keep down their will, that they were well entitled to consider themselves as the wealthiest, the most powerful, and happy. For man, not strengthened by such convictions, will never meet with such a happy destiny as to have all his longings and wishes accomplished."

Franklin, following the example of Descartes, from the books which he states were the companions of his boyhood, formed a guide for his own life-illustrating the words of his old master Seneca, who says that he who lays down precepts for the governing of our lives and the moderating our passions obligės human nature, not only in the present, but in all succeeding generations. "Poor Richard was the basis of the structure of worldly knowledge which Franklin erected for the glory of himself and the benefit of mankind, thus surpassing his master, who was the father of Precept; but the modern philosopher did more. He rendered a still greater benefit to posterity; he showed that the precepts were practicable, and changed the philosopher's dreams into practicable realities. He practised the precepts, and changed them into LIVING EXAMPLES, for the better guidance of mankind.

Immediately after publication, "Poor Richard" startled the thinking world, for Franklin had compressed into a short interesting story a volume of "Life's Maxims," showing at once great ingenuity and discrimination in devising the means for the improvement of the youthful mind. So much was Pamphilius and an old schoolfellow struck with it, when reading

LANDMARKS OF WISDOM.

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the "Life of Franklin," that they committed to memory the aphorisms contained in the story, and in the rugged paths of life these landmarks of wisdom came fresh to their memory, and by their means, in the midst of shoals, both steered safely on their onward course.

As such "truisms" should not only be read, but imprinted on the memory of youth, we take the liberty of borrowing fromPOOR RICHARD.

(Landmarks of Wisdom, from the Portfolio of Pamphilius.)

"Sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely shortens life. Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears; while the key often used is always bright," as Poor Richard says.

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander TIME, for that's the stuff LIFE is made of."

[What a volume of thought is compressed into these few words!]

How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting that "the sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will be sleeping enough in the grave." If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality; since "lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough always proves little enough." Let us, then, up and be doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity. "Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy," and, "he that riseth late must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; while laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes him." "Drive thy business, let not that drive thee;" and, "Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

[Yes; Seneca-sloth makes a LONG BEING with a SHORT LIFE! Do with time as the wise man does with the torrent-use it, for it soon passes away.]

What signify WISHING and HOPING for better times?