THE LIFE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

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Page 224 - ... 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...
Page 223 - 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...
Page 200 - Join voices, all ye living Souls : Ye Birds, That singing up to Heaven-gate ascend, Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise. Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep ; Witness if I be silent, morn or even, To hill, or valley, fountain, or fresh shade, Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise. Hail, universal Lord, be bounteous still To give us only good ; and if the night Have gather'd aught of evil, or conceal'd, Disperse it, as now light...
Page 199 - These are thy glorious works, Parent of Good, Almighty ; thine this universal frame, Thus wond'rous fair ; thyself how wond'rous then ! Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens To us invisible, or dimly seen In these thy lowest works ; yet these declare Thy goodness beyond thought, and pow'r divine.
Page 224 - Gain may be temporary and uncertain; but ever, while you live, expense is constant and certain : and ' It is 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,
Page 222 - 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 Dick says, 'Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.
Page 200 - And ye five other wandering fires, that move In mystic dance, not without song, resound His praise, who out of darkness called up light. Air, and ye elements, the eldest birth Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run Perpetual circle, multiform, and mix And nourish all things ; let your ceaseless change Vary to our great Maker still new praise.
Page 218 - Methinks I hear some of you say, " Must a man afford himself no leisure ? " I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to gain leisure ; and Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour...
Page 220 - For want of a nail, the shoe was lost, For want of a shoe, the horse was lost, For want of a horse, the rider was lost, For want of a rider, the battle was lost.
Page 214 - THE BODY of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Printer, (like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out, and stript of its lettering and gilding) lies here food for worms ; yet the work itself shall not be lost, for it will (as he believed) appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by THE AUTHOR.

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