sink into base downright lying ; for, as poor Richard says, 'The second vice is lying;2 the first is running in debt.' And again, to the same purpose, 'Lying rides upon debt's back ;'3 whereas a freeborn Englishman ought not to be ashamed nor afraid to speak to any man living. But poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue: It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright,' as poor Richard truly says. What would you think of that 5 prince, or that government, who would issue an edict, forbidding you to dress like a gentleman or gentlewoman, on pain of imprisonment or servitude? Would you not say, that you were 7 free, have a right to dress as you please, and that such an edict would be a breach of your privileges, and such a government tyrannical? And yet you are about to put yourself under that tyranny when you run in debt for such dress! 10 Your creditor has authority, at his pleasure, to deprive you 11 of your liberty, by confining you in gaol for life, or by selling you for a servant,12 if you should not be 13 able to pay him. When you have got 14 your bargain, you may, perhaps, think little of payment; but 'Creditors (poor Richard tells us) have better memories 15 than debtors' and in another place he says, 'Creditors are a superstitious sect, great observers of set days 16 and times.' 1 dans les mensonges les plus tortueux et les plus vils. 2 Turn, Lying is but the second vice; but leave the construction of the rest of the sentence as it is. 3 Debt carries lying upon its back, says he again on (a) this subject.' We must obviously use a different turn from the English, as to ride' is monter à cheval (or, à âne, &c.), or, elliptically, monter, when the rest is well understood: the former expression, of course, could not do, and the latter would decidedly be ambiguous and obscure (monte la dette would certainly be understood to mean, though it would make no sense with what precedes, 'raises-increases the debt,' and monte sur le dos, &c., to signify merely, 'gets The day1 comes round before you are aware, and the demand is made before you are prepared to satisfy it. Or if you bear your debt in mind, the term which at first seemed so long, will, as 2 it lessens, appear extremely short: Time will seem to have added wings to his heels as well as his shoulders. Those have a short Lent (saith poor Richard) who owe money to be paid at Easter.'s "At present, perhaps, you may think yourselves in thriving circumstances, and that you can bear a little extravagance without injury; but For age and want save while you may, No morning sun lasts a whole day,' 5 as poor Richard says. Gain may be temporary and uncertain; but ever, while you live, expense is constant and certain and it is easier to build two chimneys, than to keep one in fuel,' 6 as poor Richard says. So, 'Rather go to bed supperless than rise in debt.'7 Get what you can, and what you get hold, 'Tis the stone that will turn all your lead into gold,' 8 9 as poor Richard says. And when you have got the philosopher's stone, sure you will no longer complain of bad times, or the difficulty of paying taxes.10 "This doctrine, my friends, is 11 reason and wisdom: 1 Le jour de l'échéance. 2 à mesure que, in this sense,— indicating a progress, succession, or proportion; see p. 150, n. 4, and p. 235, n. 6 3 Fais une dette payable à Pâques, et tu trouveras le carême court' (PROVERB). 4 'and able to.' The English construction is not allowed in French, on account of the want of symmetry it exhibits in those two parts of the attribute which are separated by 'and.' Gardez pour vos besoins, Or, in four lines : "Gardez pour les besoins et l'âge de retour, but, after all, do not depend too much upon your own industry and frugality, and prudence, though1 excellent things; for they may be blasted 2 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.3 Remember Job suffered, and was afterwards prosperous. "And now, to conclude, Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true, we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct,' as poor Richard says. However, remember this,They that will not be counselled, cannot be helped,' as poor Richard says; and, further, that 'If you will not hear Reason, she will surely rap your knuckles.' 998 5 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 10 extravagantly, notwithstanding all his cautions, and their own fear of taxes. I found 11 the good man 12 had thoroughly studied my Almanacs, and digested all I had dropped 13 on these topics, during the course of twenty-five years. The frequent mention he made of me must have tired every one else; 14 but my vanity was wonderfully de 1 Supply the ellipsis. 2 they would be quite useless to you.' 3 See page 90, note 7. 4 'a school that costs dear; or, a school where lessons are dear.' Do not confound cher, adverb, with cher, adjective: the adverb, of course, is always invariable. 5 and yet they do not learn (page 32, note 9) much (grand' chose) in it.' 6 Use savoir, in preference to vouloir. 7 do not listen to.' 8 she will not fail to rap your knuckles (de vous donner sur les doigts).'-This being a quaint saying, it will be better to put as poor Richard says,' at the end of lighted with it, though I was conscious that not a tenth part of the wisdom was my own, which1 he ascribed to me, but rather the gleanings that I had made of the sense2 of all ages and nations. However,3 I resolved to be the better for the echo of it ; and though I had at first determined to buy stuff for a new coat, I went away, resolved to wear my old one a little longer. Reader, if thou wilt do the same, thy profit will be as great as mine.7 I am, as ever, thine to serve thee,8 RICHARD SAUNDERS. THE OLD MAN AND HIS ASS.9 AN old man and a little boy were driving an ass to the next market 10 to sell. "What a fool is this fellow,"11 says a man upon the road,12 to be trudging it on foot 13 with his son, that this ass may go light!" 14 The old man hearing this set his boy upon the ass, and went whistling by the side of him. "Why, sirrah!" 15 cried a second man to the boy, "is it fit for you to be riding, while your poor old father is walking on foot?" The father, upon this rebuke, took down his boy from the ass, and mounted himself. "Do you see," says a third, " how the lazy old knave 16 rides along 17 upon his beast, while his poor little boy is note) all present (see p. 28, n. 9) 4 de mettre cet écho à profit pour moi-même. 5 stuff for,' de quoi me faire. 6 to make the old one (leave this last word out) last.' 7 si tu peux en faire autant (p. 88, n. 7), tu y gagneras autant que moi. 8 thine,' &c. ; turn, at thy service.' 9 See the LA FONTAINE, pages 31-34. 6 66 almost crippled with walking? The old man no sooner heard this, than he took up his son behind him.3 Pray, honest friend," says a fourth, "is that ass your own?" "Yes," says the man. "One would not have thought so,"5 replied the other, "by your loading him so unmercifully. You and your son are better able to carry the poor beast than he you."s "Anything to please," says the owner; and alighting with his son, they tied the legs of the ass together, and by the help of a pole endeavoured to carry him upon their shoulders over the bridge that led to the town. This was so entertaining a sight, that the people ran in crowds 10 to laugh at it, till the ass, conceiving a dislike to the over-complaisance of his master, burst asunder the cords that tied him, slipped from the pole, and tumbled into the river. The poor old man made the best of his way home,11 ashamed and vexed that,12 by endeavouring to please every body, he had pleased nobody, and lost his ass into 13 the bargain.-(World.) note 15, (where the case, grammatically speaking, is different from the present one). See also page 49, note. 8 This ellipsis would be considered somewhat too strong, in French. 9 Monsieur, je suis tout à votre service. In the same way we say, Qu'y a-t-il pour votre service? What is your pleasure?' 10 Use the singular. 11 returned home (page 78, note 5) as fast as he could;' or, hastened to reach again his home (logis).' 12 de ce que (elliptical for de ce fait que, of that fact, viz., that'). 13 par-dessus. |