Poor Richard's Almanac

Dear One,

Very few must have heard about this 1732 publication, and a handful might have actually read it; yet some of the best known proverbs of our times are derived from this humble work of Benjamin Franklin.

Franklin was a man of great many talents. He was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, soldier and diplomat. I guess the oldies really valued their life and did everything to make it memorable. So, our man was a jack of many trades and talent used in the service of his country.

Benjamin Franklin is credited as being foundational to the roots of American values and character, a marriage of the practical and democratic puritan values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment.

Poor Richard's almanac was a private diary of sorts, where he wrote about everything he could come across. It contained information on astronomy, morals, poems, calender, weather etc. and it was a huge hit with the common masses of that time. He used it effectively as his political  mouth-piece and the common masses used it  as their reliable guidepost. (News letters, by the way, are not a modern information tool.)

I have reproduced some of the least known sayings from this monumental work of Old Ben, for you to enjoy the old world literary charm. Read it with an open heart and you will surely be won over by these simple and practical sayings of yore.

Would you live with ease,
Do what you ought, and not what you please.

Better slip with foot than tongue.

You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns,
Nor enjoy a fair wife without danger of horns.

Without justice, courage is weak.

Many dishes many diseases,
Many medicines few cures.

Hot things, sharp things, sweet things, cold things
All rot the teeth, and make them look like old things.

Be temperate in wine, in eating, girls, & sloth;
Or the Gout will seize you and plague you both.

No man e’er was glorious, who was not laborious.

What pains our Justice takes his faults to hide,
With half that pains sure he might cure ’em quite.

In success be moderate.

Take this remark from Richard poor and lame,
Whate’er’s begun in anger ends in shame.

What one relishes, nourishes.

Fools multiply folly.

Look before, or you’ll find yourself behind.

Approve not of him who commends all you say.

By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable.

A little House well fill’d, a little Field well till’d, and a little Wife well will’d, are great Riches.

Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.

Teach your child to hold his tongue, he’l learn fast enough to speak.

He that cannot obey, cannot command.

Peace in oneself. Peace in the world.