POOR RICHARD’S ALMANAKS
By Ben Franklin
What is Serving God? 'Tis doing Good to Man.
Haste makes waste.
A penny saved is a penny earned.
God helps them who help themselves.
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Reading makes a full Man, Meditation a profound Man, discourse a clear Man.
There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.
After three days men grow weary, of a wench, a guest, & weather rainy.
Poverty wants some things, Luxury many things, Avarice all things.
To find out a girl’s faults, praise her to her girl friends.
Eat to live, and not live to eat.
Tongue double, brings trouble.
He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing.
Keep thy shop, & thy shop will keep thee.
Bware of the young Doctor & the old Barber.
He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas.
Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues.
A Lie stands on one leg, Truth on two.
Who has deceiv'd thee so oft as thy self?.
Buy what thou hast no need of; and e'er long thou shalt sell thy necessaries.
If you wou'd not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading,
or do things worth the writing.
Let thy vices die before thee.
Since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour.
Wish not so much to live long as to live well.
Time is an herb that cures all Diseases.
Eat to please thyself, but dress to please others.
He that falls in love with himself, will have no Rivals.
Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
Love, and be lov'd.
O Lazy-Bones! Dost thou think God would have given thee Arms and Legs, if he had not
design'd thou should'st use them.
A sleeping fox catches no poultry.
Well done is twice done . . .
Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that's the Stuff Life is made of.
There's a time to wink as well as to see.
A good Example is the best sermon.
He that won't be counsell'd, can't be help'd.
A Slip of the Foot you may soon recover:
But a Slip of the Tongue you may never get over.