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And moreover, "Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them." Here you are all got together to this sale of fineries and nick-nacks. 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 awhile:" 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, " It is foolish to lay out money in a purchase of repentance;" and yet this folly is practised every day, at auctions, for want of minding the almanack. Many a one, for the sake of finery on the back, have gone with a hungry belly and half starved their families; "Silks and satins, scarlets and velvets, put out the kitchen fire," as poor Richard says. 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!-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 "It is day, and will never be night," that a little to be spent out of so much, is not worth minding: but, "Always taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom," as poor Richard says; and then, 66 When the well is 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," as poor Richard says; and, indeed, so does he that lends to such people, when he goes to get it again. Poor Dick farther advises, and says,

And again, saucy."

66

"Fond pride of dress is sure a very curse;

"Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse."

Pride is as loud a beggar as Want, and a great deal more When you have bought one fine thing, you must buy ten more, that your appearance may be all of a piece: but poor Dick says, It is easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow it." And it is as truly folly for the poor to ape the rich, as for the frog to swell, in order to equal the ox.

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"Vessels large may venture more,

"But little boats should keep near shore."

It is, however, a folly soon punished; for, as poor Richard says, "Pride that dines on vanity, sups on contempt:-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 risqued, so

much is suffered? It cannot promote health, nor ease pain; it makes no increase of merit in the person, it creates envy, it hastens misfortune.

But what madness must it be to run in debt for these superfluities! We are offered, by the terms of this sale, 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, "the second vice is lying, the first is running in debt," as poor Richard says; 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. "It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright."-What would you think of that prince, or of that government, who should issue an edict forbidding you to dress like a gentleman or gentlewoman, on pain of imprisonment or servitude? Would not you say that you were free, have a right to dress as you please, and that such an edict would be a 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 by selling 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, as poor Richard says, "Creditors have better memories than debtors; creditors are a superstitious 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 to his shoulders. Those have a short Lent, who owe money to be paid at Easter." At present, perhaps you may think yourselves in thriving circumstances, and that you can bear a little extravagance without injury; but,

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"For age and want save while you may,
"No morning sun lasts a whole day."

Gain may be temporary and uncertain; but ever, while you live, expence is constant and certain; and " It is easier to build two chimnies, than to keep one in fuel," as poor Richard says: so, to bed supperless, than rise in debt.

"Rather go

"Get what you can, and what you get-hold,
"'Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into gold."

And when you have got the philosopher's stone, sure you will no longer complain of bad times, or the difficulty of paying taxes.

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IV. 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 be all blasted

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without the blessing of Heaven; and therefore ask that blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those who 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," as poor Richard says, and searce in that: for it is true, "We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct." However, remember this, "They that will not be counselled, cannot be helped; and farther, that "If you will not hear Reason, she will surely rap your knuckles," as poor Richard says.

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 auction opened, and they began to buy extravagantly. I found the good man had thoroughly studied my almanacks, and digested all I had dropped on those topics during the course of twenty-five years. The frequent mention he made of ine, 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 that 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,

RICHARD SAUNDERS.

THE SECRET OF BEING ALWAYS EASY.

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AN Italian bishop struggled through great difficulties, without repining, and met with much opposition in the discharge of his episcopal function, without betraying the least impatience. An intimate friend of his, who highly admired those virtues which he thought it impossible to imitate, one day, asked the prelate if he could communicate the secret of being always easy. Yes," replied the old man, "I can teach you my secret, and with great facility: it consists in nothing more than in making a right use of my eyes." His friend begged him to explain himself. "Most willingly," returned the bishop: "in whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven, and remember that my principal business is to get there; I then look down upon the earth, and call to mind how small a space I shall occupy in it, when I come to be interred. I then look abroad into the world, and observe what multitudes there are who, in all respects, are more unhappy than myself. Thus I learn where true happiness is placed, where all our cares must end, and how very little reason I have to repine or to complain.

THE DISTRESSED OFFICER.

A Fragment.

HE in dresntleman yet poverty contracted

E was in a military dress, and his figure, his face, and

his countenance, and a succession of blushes which flushed into his cheek while he traversed the Coffee-room, and to which deep sighs where the harbingers, shewed that his heart suffered

He, at last, leaned upon the bar, and whispered the mistress of the Coffee-room, a good natured creature, and she instantly curtsied with a degree of respect, that induced me to believe I had mistaken the index of the officer's mind--that instead of standing in need of a favour, notwithstanding his appearance, he had been conferring an obligation.

On quitting the bar and taking his seat, the mistress of the Coffeeroom ordered a pot of coffee and toast to the table where he sat-his eyes sparkled at the sight, and the toast was devoured with a degree of avidity, that indicated, not so much a wholesome appetite, as the keenness of actual want-he eat with every mark of real hunger.

The first plate of toast being dispatched, the mistress of the coffeeroom ordered a second to be placed before him-but she gave her or ders privately, and the waiter laid it on the table with a look the most pitiable. The officer seized the toast-the waiter wiped his eyes with his napkin; and the mistress of the coffee-room, drawing up her breath sighed it out again in a tone so soft, so tender, and so sweet, as harmonized every nerve of those who heard it into that delightful unison of pity, that is only felt when the finger of charity touches the sympathe

tic chords of the heart.

The officer having finished his breakfast and taking leave of his hostess at the bar, an impulse, which certainly was not curiosity, induced. me to inquire after his name and situation. Of these particulars the woman was ignorant-she had never seen him before-she knew no thing of him but this-he had ordered a breakfast at the bar, and assured her he would call and pay her for it at some future day.

Till the day arrived when he should be able to pay, she desired he might constantly call and breakfast at her house on credit-and he is welcome, said she to me, though that day should be the day of judgment-and when the day of judgment arrives, said I, you will hear of this matter-you have done that which will stand in account and gain you credit in the book of fate-if your sins are even multitudinous your charity has covered them.

officer

But let us see if something more cannot be done for this poor lend him, said I, these few guineas, should he call here to-morrow, as if coming from yourself-the next day he received the cash.

I never heard more of my money for six years; at the end of that time the mistress of the coffee-room told me, that Ensign

now

a lieutenant-colonel, had returned from abroad-had repaid her the sum borrowed, and given her a ring, worth one hundred pounds by way of

interest

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CONTENTS

OF

VOL. I.

A

Page

..256

ADVENTURES of a Bashful Man....Variety ........Four Russian Sailors.......Universal Mag. ......267 .Socivizca (a Robber)......London Mag.......... 14

Alexander Selkirk....

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.......111

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...Franklin
...Anon.
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..do.

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...Anon.

...do.

Monthly Mirror......329

....Master Lennox ......318

76

..352

.352

.244

..346

.297...345

....255

..381

.........134

...288

....351

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....Looker-on ..... ..163

B

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