Remember that fix pounds a year is but a groat a day. For this little fum (which may be daily wafted either in time or expence, unperceived), a man of credit may, on his own fecurity, have the conftant poffeffion and ufe of an hundred pounds. So much in ftock, briskly turned by an induftrious man, produces great advantage. Remember this faying, "The good paymafter is lord of another man's purfe." He that is known to pay punctually and exactly to the time he promifes, may at any time, and on any occafion, raife all the money his friends can fpare. This is fometimes of great ufe. After industry and frugality, nothing contributes more to the raifing of a young man in the world, than punctuality and juftice in all his dealings: therefore never keep borrowed money an hour beyond the time you promifed, left a difappointment fhut up your friend's purfe for ever. The moft trifling actions that affect a man's credit are to be regarded. The found of your hammer at five in the morning, or nine at night, heard by a creditor, makes him easy fix months longer but if he fees you at a billiard table, or hears your voice at a tavern, when you fhould be at work, he fends for his money the next day; demands it before he can receive it in a lump. It fhews, befides, that you are mindful of what you owe; it makes you appear a careful, as well as an honeft man, and that ftill increases your credit. Beware of thinking all your own that you poffefs, and of living accordingly. It is a miftake that many people who have credit fall into. To prevent this, keep an exact account, for fome time, both of your expences and your in come. come. If you take the pains at firft to mention particulars, it will have this good effect; you will discover how wonderfully small trifling expences mount up to large fums, and will difcern what might have been, and may for the future be faved, without occafioning any great incon venience. In fhort, the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality; that is, wafte neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality nothing will do, and with them every thing. He that gets all he can honeftly, and faves all he gets (neceffary expences excepted), will certainly become rich-if that Being who governs the world, to whom all fhould look for a bleffing on their honeft endeavours, doth not, in his wife providence, otherwife determine. AN OLD TRADESMAN. NECES NECESSARY HINTS TO THOSE THAT WOULD BE RICH. WRITTEN ANNO 1736. THE ufe of money is all the advantage there is in having money. For fix pounds a year you may have the ufe of one hundred pounds, provided you are a man of known prudence and honefty. He that spends a groat a day idly, fpends idly above fix pounds a year, which is the price for the use of one hundred pounds. He that waftes idly a groat's worth of his time per day, one day with another, waftes the privilege of using one hundred pounds each day. He that idly lofes five fhillings worth of time, lofes five fhillings, and might as prudently throw five fhillings into the fea. He that lofes five fhillings, not only loses that fum, but all the advantage that might be made by turning it in dealing, which, by the time that a young man becomes old, will amount to a confiderable fum of money. Again he that fells upon credit, asks a price for what he fells equivalent to the principal and intereft of his money for the time he is to be kept out of it; therefore, he that buys upon credit, pays intereft for what he buys; and he that pays ready money, might let that money out to use: fo that he that poffeffes any thing he has bought, pays intereft for the use of it. Yet, Yet, in buying goods, it is beft to pay ready money, because, he that fells upon credit, expects to lofe five per cent. by bad debts; therefore he charges, on all he fells upon credit, an advance that fhall make up that deficiency. Those who pay for what they buy upon credit, pay their fhare of this advance. He that pays ready money, efcapes, or may efcape, that charge. A penny fav'd is two-pence clear; THE THE WAY TO MAKE MONEY PLENTY IN AT this time, when the general complaint is that" money is fcarce," it will be an act of kindness to inform the moneylefs how they may reinforce their pockets. I will acquaint them with the true fecret of money-catching-the certain way to fill empty purfes-and how to keep them always full. Two fimple rules, well obferved, will do the business. First, let honesty and industry be thy conftant companions; and, Secondly, spend one penny less than thy clear gains. Then fhall thy hide-bound pocket foon begin to thrive, and will never again cry with the empty belly-ach: neither will creditors infult thee, nor want opprefs, nor hunger bite, nor nakednefs freeze thee. The whole hemifphere will fhine brighter, and pleasure fpring up in every corner of thy heart. Now, therefore, embrace these rules and be happy. Banish the bleak winds of forrow from thy mind, and live independent. Then fhalt thou be a man, and not hide thy face at the approach of the rich, nor fuffer the pain of feeling little when the fons of fortune walk at thy right hand: for independency, whether with little or much, is good fortune, and placeth thee on even ground with the proudeft of the golden fleece. Oh, then, be wife, and let industry walk with thee in the morning, and attend thee until thou reacheft the evening hour for rest. Let honefty be as the breath of thy foul, and ne0 ver |