The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and Admirable Sayings of this Great Man, Never Before Published by Any of His Biographers |
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Page 18
... sure to get books enough , his father determined to make a printer of him , though he already had a son in that business . Exactly to his wishes , that son , whose name was James , had just returned from London with a new press and ...
... sure to get books enough , his father determined to make a printer of him , though he already had a son in that business . Exactly to his wishes , that son , whose name was James , had just returned from London with a new press and ...
Page 21
... sure , " said they all , " it must be like the old version , if it is poetry , " and thereupon they stared at him , marvelling hugely that a " little curly headed boy like him should be selling such a wonderful thing ! " This made Ben ...
... sure , " said they all , " it must be like the old version , if it is poetry , " and thereupon they stared at him , marvelling hugely that a " little curly headed boy like him should be selling such a wonderful thing ! " This made Ben ...
Page 26
... sure was saying something . But you might , I think , have said a great deal more ; at least the Bible says a great deal more for them . The Bible , sir , tells us that God created woman to be the helpmate of man . Now if man were ...
... sure was saying something . But you might , I think , have said a great deal more ; at least the Bible says a great deal more for them . The Bible , sir , tells us that God created woman to be the helpmate of man . Now if man were ...
Page 31
... sure enough , replied Ben ; and pray , Madam , what do you ask for your old book ? Only four pence half penny , said the old lady . Well , Madam , continued Ben , as your dreaming has generally , as you say , turned out true , it shall ...
... sure enough , replied Ben ; and pray , Madam , what do you ask for your old book ? Only four pence half penny , said the old lady . Well , Madam , continued Ben , as your dreaming has generally , as you say , turned out true , it shall ...
Page 32
... sure there is very little chance of its ever coming to pass . But though Ben went away to attend to his brother's business , yet the old woman's looks made such an im- pression on his mind , that he could not help going the next day to ...
... sure there is very little chance of its ever coming to pass . But though Ben went away to attend to his brother's business , yet the old woman's looks made such an im- pression on his mind , that he could not help going the next day to ...
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Common terms and phrases
America asked beautiful Ben's benevolence Benjamin Franklin better Blackbeard blessed Boston British brother called CHAPTER child christians Collins colonies composing stick dear Deborah Read deism Deity delight Denham discovery divine doctor Franklin England eyes father fond gave gentleman give glory grand hand happy head hear heart heaven honest honour hope imputed righteousness industry instantly James Keimer lady learned light lightning rods live London look lord lord North mind minister never night noble Philadelphia pleasure poor Richard says pounds sterling pray printer printing Quaker Ralph religion replied rods ship smile Socrates soon spirit stamp act sure sweet tell thee ther thing thou thought tion told took trade turn uncle Benjamin virtues William Penn wisdom wise wish wonder young youth Zounds
Popular passages
Page 152 - You call them goods; but if you do not take care they will prove evils to some of you. You expect they will be sold cheap, and perhaps they may for less than they cost; but if you have no occasion for them they must be dear to you. Remember what Poor Richard says: Buy what thou hast no need of, and ere long thou shalt sell thy necessaries.
Page 149 - Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears ; while the used key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that is the stuff" life is made of, as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep ! forgetting, that The sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will be sleeping etwugh in the grave, as Poor Richard says.
Page 150 - Industry all easy, as Poor Richard says; and He that riseth late must trot all Day, and shall scarce overtake his Business at Night; while Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him...
Page 151 - 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 152 - So much for industry, my friends, and attention to one's own business; but to these we must add frugality, if we would make our industry more certainly successful. A man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets, ' keep his nose all his life to the grindstone, and die not worth a groat at last. A fat kitchen makes a lean will;' and " ' Many estates are spent in the getting, Since women for tea forsook spinning and knitting. And men for punch forsook hewing and splitting/ 'If you would be wealthy,...
Page 152 - What maintains one vice would bring up two children. You may think, perhaps, that a little tea, or a little punch now and then, diet a little more costly, clothes a little finer, and a little entertainment now and then, can be no great matter; but remember, Many a little makes a mickle.
Page 152 - A little neglect may breed great mischief; 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, being overtaken and slain by the enemy ; all for want of a little care about a horse-shoe nail.
Page 150 - Richard likewise observes, he that hath a trade hath an estate, and he that hath a calling hath an office of profit and honor; but then the trade must be worked at, and the calling well followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes. If we are industrious we shall never starve; for as Poor Richard says, at the working man's house hunger looks in, but dares not enter.
Page 149 - ... commissioners cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us ; God helps them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says.
Page 241 - For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men all their prejudices, their pas,sions, their errors of opinion, their local interests and their selfish views.