first
daily newspaper printed on this continent.

GEMS OF THOUGHT.

POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC

BY

Benjamin Franklin.

POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC.

COURTEOUS READER:

I have heard that nothing gives an author so great pleasure as to find
his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors. This pleasure I
have seldom enjoyed. For though I have been, if I may say it without
vanity, an _eminent_ author of _Almanacs_ annually now for a full
quarter of a century, my brother authors in the same way, for what
reason I know not, have ever been very sparing in their applauses; and
no other author has taken the least notice of me; so that did not my
writings produce me some solid pudding, the great deficiency of praise
would have quite discouraged me.

I concluded at length that the people were the best judges of my merit,
for they buy my works; and besides, in my rambles where I am not
personally known, I have frequently heard one or other of my adages
repeated, with _as Poor Richard says_ at the end of it. This gives me
some satisfaction, as it showed, not only that my instructions were
regarded, but discovered likewise some respect for my authority; and I
own that to encourage the practice of remembering and repeating those
sentences, I have sometimes quoted myself with great activity.

Judge, then, how much I must have been gratified by an incident I am
going to relate to you. I stopped my horse lately where a great number
of people were collected at a vendue of merchant's goods. The hour of
sale not being come, they were conversing on the badness of the times;
and one of the company called to a plain, clean old man with white
locks, "Pray, Father Abraham, what think you of the times? Won't these
heavy taxes quite ruin the country? How shall we ever be able to pay
them? What would you advise us to do?" Father Abraham stood up and
replied: "If you would have my advice, I will give it you in short; for
_A word to the wise is enough_, and _Many words won't fill a bushel_,
as Poor Richard says." They all joined, desiring him to speak his mind,
and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows:

Friends, says he, and neighbors, the taxes are indeed very heavy, and
if those laid on by the government were the only ones we had to pay, we
might the more easily discharge them; but we have many others, and much
more grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much by our
IDLENESS, three times as much by o