TheWaytoWealth
本傑明·富蘭克林/BenjaminFranklin
CourteousReader,
Ihaveheardthatnothinggivesanauthorsogreatpleasure,astofindhisworksrespectfullyquotedbyotherlearnedauthors.ThispleasureIhaveseldomenjoyed;forthoughIhavebeen,ifImaysayitwithoutvanity,aneminentauthorofalmanacsannuallynowafullquarterofacentury,mybrotherauthorsinthesameway,forwhatreasonIknownot,haveeverbeenverysparingintheirapplause,andnootherauthorhastakentheleastnoticeofme,sothatdidnotmywritingsproducemesomesolidpudding,thegreatdeficiencyofpraisewouldhavequitediscouragedme.
Iconcludedatlength,thatthepeoplewerethebestjudgesofmymerit;fortheybuymyworks;andbesides,inmyrambles,whereIamnotpersonallyknown,Ihavefrequentlyheardoneorotherofmyadagesrepeatedwith「asPoorRichardsays」attheendonit;thisgavemesomesatisfaction,asitshowednotonlythatmyinstructionswereregarded,butdiscoveredlikewisesomerespectformyauthority;andIown,thattoencouragethepracticeofrememberingandrepeatingthosewisesentences,Ihavesometimesquotedmyselfwithgreatgravity.
Judge,then,howmuchImusthavebeengratifiedbyanincidentIamgoingtorelatetoyou.Istoppedmyhorselatelywhereagreatnumberofpeoplewerecollectedatavendueofmerchantgoods.Thehourofsalenotbeingcome,theywereconversingonthebadnessofthetimesandoneofthecompanycalledtoaplaincleanoldman,withwhitelocks,「Pray,FatherAbraham,whatthinkyouofthetimes?Won』ttheseheavytaxesquiteruinthecountry?Howshallwebeeverabletopaythem?Whatwouldyouadviseusto?」FatherAbrahamstoodup,andreplied,「Ifyou』dhavemyadvice,I』llgiveittoyouinshort,forawordto『thewiseisenough,andmanywordswon』tfillabushel』,asPoorRichardsays.」Theyjoinedindesiringhimtospeakhismind,andgatheringroundhim,heproceededasfollows:
「Friends,」sayshe,「andneighbors,thetaxesareindeedveryheavy,andifthoselaidonbythegovernmentweretheonlyoneswehadtopay,wemightmoreeasilydischargethem;butwehavemanyothers,andmuchmoregrievoustosomeofus.Wearetaxedtwiceasmuchbyouridleness,threetimesasmuchbyourpride,andfourtimesasmuchbyourfolly;andfromthesetaxesthecommissionerscannoteaseordeliverusbyallowinganabatement.However,letushearkentogoodadvice,andsomethingmaybedoneforus;『Godhelpsthemthathelpthemselves』,asPoorRichardsays,inhisAlmanackof1733.」
「Itwouldbethoughtahardgovernmentthatshouldtaxitspeopleone-tenthpartoftheirtime,tobeemployedinitsservice.Butidlenesstaxesmanyofusmuchmore,ifwereckonallthatisspentinabsolutesloth,ordoingofnothing,withthatwhichisspentinidleemployments,oramusements,thatamounttonothing.Sloth,bybringingondiseases,absolutelyshortenslife.『Sloth,likerust,consumesfasterthanlaborwears』;while『theusedkeyisalwaysbright』,asPoorRichardsays.But『dostthoulovelife,thendonotsquandertime,forthat』sthestufflifeismadeof』,asPoorRichardsays.Howmuchmorethanisnecessarydowespendinsleep,forgettingthat『thesleepingfoxcatchesnopoultry』andthat『therewillbesleepingenoughinthegrave』,asPoorRichardsays.」
「『Iftimebeofallthingsthemostprecious,wastingtimemustbe』,asPoorRichardsays,thegreatestprodigality;since,asheelsewheretellsus,『losttimeisneverfoundagain;andwhatwecalltimeenough,alwaysproveslittleenough』.Letusthenupandbedoing,anddoingtothepurpose;sobydiligenceshallwedomorewithlessperplexity.『Slothmakesallthingsdifficult,butindustryalleasy』,asPoorRichardsays;『andhethatrisethlatemusttrotallday,andshallscarceovertakehisbusinessatnight』;『whilelazinesstravelssoslowly,thatpovertysoonovertakeshim』,aswereadinPoorRichard,whoadds,『drivethybusiness,letnotthatdrivethee』,and『earlytobed,andearlytorise,makesamanhealthy,wealthy,andwise』.」