Numb. 57. Tuesday, OEtober 2, 1750.

Non intelligunt homines quam magnum veftigal fit parfimonia.

Tun.

The world has not yet learned the riches of fn;gality.

To the RAMBLER.

S I R,

IAM always pleased when I see literature made usesul, and scholars descending from that elevation, which, as it raises them above common lise, must likewise hinder them from beholding the ways of men otherwise than in a cloud of bustle and consusion. Having lived a lise of businefs, and remarked how seldom any occurrences emerge for which great qualities are required, I have learned the necessity of regarding little things, and though I do not pretend to give laws to the legislators of mankind, or to limit the range of thofe powerful minds that carry light and heat through all the regions of knowledge, yet I have long thought, that the greatest part of thofe who lofe themselves in studies, by which I have not found that they grow much wiser, might, with more advantage both to the publick and themselves, apply their understandings to domestick arts, and store their minds with axioms of humble prudence, and private economy.

Your lare paper on frugality was very elegant and pleasing, but, in my opinion, not sufficiently adapted to common readers, who pay little regard

to to the mufick of periods, the artifice of connection, or the arrangement of the flowers of rhetorick; but require a sew plain and cogent instructions, which may fink into the mind by their own weight.

Frugality is so necessary to the happiness of the world, so beneficial in its various forms to every rank of men, from the highest of human potentates, to the lowest labourer or artificer; and the miseries which the neglect of it produces are so numerous and so grievous, that it ought to be recommended with every variation of address, and adapted to every class of understanding.

Whether thofe who treat morals as a science will allow frugality to be numbered among the virtues, I have not thought it necefiary to enquire. For I, who draw my opinions from a caresul observation of the world, am satisfied with knowing, what is. abundantly sufficient for practice, that if it be not a virtue, it is, at least, a quality which can seldom exist without some virtues, and without which sew virtues can exist. Frugality may be termed the daughter of prudence, the sister of temperance, and the parent of liberty. He that is extravagant will quickly become poor, and poverty will ensorce dependence, and invite corruption; it will almost always produce a passive compliance with the wickedness os others; and there are few who do not learn by degrees to practise thofe crimes which they cease to censure.

If there are any who do not dread poverty as dangerous to -virtue, yet mankind seem unanimous enough in abhorring it as destructive to happiness;

and and all to whom want is terrible, upon whatever principle, ought to think themselves obliged to learn the sage maxims of our parsimonious ancestors, and attain the salutary arts of contracting expence; for without frugality none can be rich, and with it very sew would be poor.

To most other acts of virtue or exertions of wisdom, a concurrence of many circumstances is necessary, some previous knowledge must be attained, some uncommon gifts of nature possessed, or some opportunity produced by in extraordinary combination of things; but the mere power of saving what is already in our hands, must be easy of acquisition to every mind; and as the example of Bacon may shew, that the highest intellect cannot sasely neglect it, a thousand instances will every day prove, that the meanest may practise it with success.

Riches cannot be within the reach of great numbers, because to be rich is to possess more than it commonly placed in a single hand; and, if many could obtain the sum which now makes a man wealthy, the name of wealth must then be transserred to still greater accumulations. But I am not certain that it is equally impossible to exempt the lower classes of mankind from poverty; because, though whatever be the wealth of the community* some will always have least, and he that has less than any other is comparatively poor yet I do not see any coactive necessity that many should be without the indispensable conveniencies of lise; but am sometimes inclined to imagine, that, casual calamities excepted, there might, by universal prudence, be procured

cured an univerfal exemption from want; and that he who should happen to have least, might notwithstanding have enough.

But without entering too far into speculations which I do not remember that any political calculator has attempted, and in which the most perspicacious reasoner may be easily bewildered, it is evident that they to whom providence has allotted no other care but of their own fortune and their own virtue, which make far the greater part of mankind, have sufficient incitements to personal frugality; since, whatever might be its general esfect upon provinces or nations, by which it is never likely to be tried, we know with certainty that there is scarcely any individual entering the world, who, by prudent parsimony, may not reasonably promise himself a cheersul competence in the decline of lise.

The profpect of penury in age is so gloomy and terrifying, that every man who looks besore him must resolve to avoid it; and it must be avoided generally by the science of sparing. For, though in every age there are some, who by bold adventures, or by favourable accidents, rise suddenly to riches, yet it is dangerous to indulge hopes of such rare events: And the bulk of mankind must owe their affluence to small and gradual prosits, below which their expence must be resolutely reduced.

You must not theresore think me sinking below the dignity of a practical philofopher, when I recommend to the consideration of your readers, from the statesman to the apprentice, a position replete with mercantile wisdom,. J penny saved is two-pence

got;

got; which may, I think, be accommodated to all conditions, by observing not only that they who pursue any lucrative employment will save time when they forbear expence, and that the time may be employed to the increase of profit; but that they who are above such minute considerations, will find, by every victory over appetite or passion, new strength added to the mind, will gain the power of resusing thofe solicitations by which the young and vivacious are hourly assaulted, and in time set themselves above the reach of extravagance and folly.

It may, perhaps, be enquired by thofe who are willing rather to cavil than to learn, what is the just measure of frugality ? and when expence, not absolutely necessary, degenerates into prosusion? To such questions no general answer can be returned; since the liberty of spending, or necessity of parsimony, may be varied without end by different circumstances. It may, however, be laid down as a rule never to be broken, that a man's voluntary exfence fiould not exceed bis revenue. A maxim so obvious and incontrovertible, that the civil law ranks the prodigal with the madman, and debars them equally from the conduct of their own affairs. Another precept arising from the former, and indeed included in it, is yet necessary to be distinctly impressed upon the warm, the sancisul, and the brave; Let no man anticipate uncertain profits. Let no man presume to spend upon hopes, to trust his own abilities for means of deliverance from penury, to give a loofe to his present desires, and leave the reckoning to fortune or to virtue.

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