The Works of Dr. Benjamin Franklin: Consisting of Essays, Humourous, Moral, and Literary : with His Life |
From inside the book
Results 6-10 of 64
Page 16
... hand ; but I failed in arithmetic , and made therein no sort of progress . At ten years of age , I was called home to assist my father in his occupation , which was that of soap - boile and tallow - chandler ; a business to which he had ...
... hand ; but I failed in arithmetic , and made therein no sort of progress . At ten years of age , I was called home to assist my father in his occupation , which was that of soap - boile and tallow - chandler ; a business to which he had ...
Page 19
... hand , and to construct small machines for my experiments , while the idea I have conceived has been fresh and strongly impressed on my imagination . My father at length . decided that I should be a cut- ler , and I was placed for some ...
... hand , and to construct small machines for my experiments , while the idea I have conceived has been fresh and strongly impressed on my imagination . My father at length . decided that I should be a cut- ler , and I was placed for some ...
Page 20
... hands , as it was then a point decided that I should not be edu- cated for the church . There was also among my fa- ther's books , Plutarch's Lives , in which I read con- tinually , and I still regard as advantageously em- ployed the ...
... hands , as it was then a point decided that I should not be edu- cated for the church . There was also among my fa- ther's books , Plutarch's Lives , in which I read con- tinually , and I still regard as advantageously em- ployed the ...
Page 22
... hands . This was a publication I had never seen . I bought the voluine , and read it again and again . I was enchanted with it , thought the style excellent , and wished it were in my power to imitate it . With this view I selected some ...
... hands . This was a publication I had never seen . I bought the voluine , and read it again and again . I was enchanted with it , thought the style excellent , and wished it were in my power to imitate it . With this view I selected some ...
Page 24
... hands , in which he recommends vegeta- ole diet . I determined to cbserve it . My brother be- ing a bachelor , did not keep house , but boarded with his apprentices in a neighbouring family . My refusing to eat animal food was found ...
... hands , in which he recommends vegeta- ole diet . I determined to cbserve it . My brother be- ing a bachelor , did not keep house , but boarded with his apprentices in a neighbouring family . My refusing to eat animal food was found ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
acquaintance advantage agreeable America appeared articles of confederation Assembly Boston Britain brother called citizens colonies consequence continued debt employed endeavoured engaged England established Europe experiments father favour fluid Franklin French friends gave give Governor hundred inconvenience Indians industry inhabitants Keimer kind labour land learned letters liberty Little Britain live Madeira wine manner master means ment merchants mind nation necessary neral never obliged observed obtained occasion opinion paper Pennsylvania perhaps persons Philadelphia philosophers pleasure poor Richard says portunity pounds pounds sterling power of points present printer printing printing-house procure produce proposed province of Pennsylvania quaker quantity received shillings slavery soon Stephen Potts subsistence thing Thomas Penn thought tion took town trade tricity whole wish writing young
Popular passages
Page 239 - 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 280 - Thus I consent, sir, to this Constitution, because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors I sacrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a syllable of them abroad. Within these walls they were born and here they shall die.
Page 280 - It therefore astonishes me, sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does ; and I think it will astonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded, like those of the builders of Babel ; and that our states are on the point of separation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another's throats. Thus I consent, sir, to this Constitution, because I expect no better, and because I am not sure, that it is not the best.
Page 237 - Key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But dost thou love Life, then do not squander Time, for that's 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...
Page 242 - If you would know the Value of Money, go and try to borrow some; for, he that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing; and indeed so does he that lends to such People, when he goes to get it in again.
Page 238 - 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 workingman's house hunger looks in, but dares not enter.
Page 143 - When I was a child of seven years old my friends on a holiday filled my pocket with coppers. I went directly to a shop where they sold toys for children, and being charmed with the sound of a whistle that I met by the way in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one.
Page 279 - I confess that there are several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them, for having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise.
Page 280 - I think a general government necessary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people, if well administered ; and I believe, further, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.
Page 240 - ... 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...