「Sowhatsignifieswishingandhopingforbettertimes.Wemaymakethesetimesbetter,ifwebestirourselves.『Industryneednotwish』,asPoorRichardsays,and『hethatlivesuponhopewilldiefasting』.『Therearenogainswithoutpains』;then『helphands,forIhavenolands,orifIhave,theyaresmartlytaxed』.And,asPoorRichardlikewiseobserves,『hethathathatradehathanestate』;and『hethathathacalling,hathanofficeofprofitandhonor』;butthenthetrademustbeworkedat,andthecallingwellfollowed,orneithertheestatenortheofficewillenableustopayourtaxes.Ifweareindustrious,weshallneverstarve;for,asPoorRichardsays,『attheworkingman'shousehungerlooksin,butdaresnotenter』.Norwillthebailiffortheconstableenter,for『industrypaysdebts,whiledespairincreaseththem』,saysPoorRichard.Whatthoughyouhavefoundnotreasure,norhasanyrichrelationleftyoualegacy,『diligenceisthemotherofgoodluck』,asPoorRichardsays,and『Godgivesallthingstoindustry』.Then『plowdeep,whilesluggardssleep,andyoushallhavecorntosellandtokeep』,saysPoorDick.Workwhileitiscalledtoday,foryouknownothowmuchyoumaybehinderedtomorrow,whichmakesPoorRichardsays,『onetodayisworthtwotomorrows』,andfarther,haveyousomewhattodotomorrow,doittoday.Ifyouwereaservant,wouldyounotbeashamedthatagoodmastershouldcatchyouidle?Areyouthenyourownmaster,beashamedtocatchyourselfidle,asPoorDicksays.Whenthereissomuchtobedoneforyourself,yourfamily,yourcountry,andyourgraciousking,beupbypeepofday;letnotthesunlookdownandsay,ingloriousherehelies.Handleyourtoolswithoutmittens;rememberthatthecatinglovescatchesnomice,asPoorRichardsays.『Thistruethereismuchtobedone,andperhapsyouareweakhanded,butsticktoitsteadily;andyouwillseegreateffects,forconstantdroppingwearsawaystones,andbydiligenceandpatiencethemouseateintwothecable;andlittlestrokesfellgreatoaks,asPoorRichardsaysinhisAlmanack,theyearIcannotjustnowremember.」
「MethinksIhearsomeofyousay,『mustamanaffordhimselfnoleisure?』Iwilltellthee,myfriend,whatPoorRichardsays,employthytimewell,ifthoumeanesttogainleisure;and,sincethouartnotsureofaminute,thrownotawayanhour.Leisureistimefordoingsomethinguseful;thisleisurethediligentmanwillobtain,butthelazymannever;sothat,asPoorRichardsaysalifeofleisureandalifeoflazinessaretwothings.Doyouimaginethatslothwillaffordyoumorecomfortthanlabour?No,forasPoorRichardsays,troublespringsfromidleness,andgrievoustoilfromneedlessease.Manywithoutlabor,wouldlivebytheirwitsonly,buttheybreakforwantofstock.Whereasindustrygivescomfort,andplenty,andrespect:flypleasures,andthey'llfollowyou;Thediligentspinnerhasalargeshift;andnowIhaveasheepandacow,everybodybidsmegoodmorrow;allofwhichiswellsaidbyPoorRichard.」
善解人意的讀者：
我聽說一個作家的作品被其他博學的作家充滿敬意地引用是他最大的快樂。這種快樂我很少有過，雖然整整25年來，我年年都是歷書的知名作家——如果我沒有自誇的話——可不知為什麼，跟我同道的作家們卻一直都很吝嗇他們的掌聲，甚至沒有一個作家絲毫注意過我，雖然我的作品帶給我很多實惠，但掌聲太少實在是件很讓人洩氣的事情。