Essays and Letters, Volumes 1-2 |
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Page 40
Phil . He only loves himself well , who rightly and judiciously loves himself . Hor .
what do you mean by that , Philocles ? You men of reason and virtue are always
dealing in mysteries , though you laugh at them when the church makes them .
Phil . He only loves himself well , who rightly and judiciously loves himself . Hor .
what do you mean by that , Philocles ? You men of reason and virtue are always
dealing in mysteries , though you laugh at them when the church makes them .
Page 46
Phil . Very fair , Horatio ; for I remember the time when reason , virtue , and
pleasure were the same thing with you ; when you counted nothing good but
what pleased , nor any thing reasonable but what you gained by ; when you
made a jest of ...
Phil . Very fair , Horatio ; for I remember the time when reason , virtue , and
pleasure were the same thing with you ; when you counted nothing good but
what pleased , nor any thing reasonable but what you gained by ; when you
made a jest of ...
Page 48
Phil . I will . I believe , Horatio , with all your scepticism about you , you will allow
that good to be constant , which is never absent from you ; and that to be durable
, which never ends but with your being . Hor . Yes : go on . Phil . That can never ...
Phil . I will . I believe , Horatio , with all your scepticism about you , you will allow
that good to be constant , which is never absent from you ; and that to be durable
, which never ends but with your being . Hor . Yes : go on . Phil . That can never ...
Page 51
Phil . That may be : the difference lies only in this — that natural good and evil are
pleasure and pain , moral good and evil are pleasure or pain produced with
intention and design ; for it is the intention only that makes the agent morally
good ...
Phil . That may be : the difference lies only in this — that natural good and evil are
pleasure and pain , moral good and evil are pleasure or pain produced with
intention and design ; for it is the intention only that makes the agent morally
good ...
Page 52
Phil . As easily as you distinguish a circle from a square , or light from darkness .
Look , Horatio , into the sacred book of nature , read your own nature , and view
the relation which other men stand in to you , and you to them , and you will ...
Phil . As easily as you distinguish a circle from a square , or light from darkness .
Look , Horatio , into the sacred book of nature , read your own nature , and view
the relation which other men stand in to you , and you to them , and you will ...
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Popular passages
Page 80 - Things, for they may all 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 71 - the Taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the Government were the only Ones we had to pay, we might 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 our Pride, and four times as much by our Folly; and from these Taxes the 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...
Page 72 - If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be, as Poor Richard says, the greatest prodigality ; since, as he elsewhere tells us, Lost time is never found again, and what we call time enough always proves little enough.
Page 71 - A word to the wise is enough, and many words wont fill a bushel, as Poor Richard says." They joined in desiring him to speak his mind, and gathering round him, he proceeded as follows; "Friends," says he, and neighbours, "the taxes are indeed very heavy, and if those laid on by the Government were the only ones we had to pay, we might 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 our pride,...
Page 81 - Thus the old gentleman ended his harangue. The people heard it, and approved the doctrine ; and immediately practised the contrary, just as if it had been a common sermon ; for the auction opened, and they began to buy extravagantly.
Page 71 - ... 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,
Page 74 - If you would have a faithful servant, and one that you like, serve yourself . 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 ; and 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 80 - Day, as Poor Richard says. Gain may be temporary and uncertain, but ever while you live, Expense is constant and certain; and 'tis 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, as Poor Richard says.
Page 76 - At a great pennyworth pause a while;' he means, that perhaps the cheapness is apparent only, and not real ; or the bargain, by straitening thee in thy business, may do thee more harm than good. For in another place he says, 'Many have been ruined by buying good pennyworths.
Page 97 - Good," which, I think, was written by your father. It had been so little regarded by a former possessor that several leaves of it were torn out, but the remainder gave me such a turn of thinking as to have an influence on my conduct through life; for I have always set a greater value on the character of a doer of good than on any other kind of reputation ; and if I have been, as you seem to think, a useful citizen, the public owes the advantage of it to that book.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Essays and Letters, Volumes 1-2 Essays and Letters, Benjamin Franklin |
| Author | Benjamin Franklin |
| Publisher | R. & W.A.Bartow & Company, 1821 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | 27 Jul 2006 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |