「Sowhatsignifieswishingandhopingforbettertimes.Wemaymakethesetimesbetter,ifwebestirourselves.Industryneednotwish,asPoorRichardsays,andhethatlivesuponhopewilldiefasting.Therearenogainswithoutpains;thenhelphands,forIhavenolands,orifIhave,theyaresmartlytaxed.And,asPoorRichardlikewiseobserves,hethathathatradehathanestate;andhethathathacalling,hathanofficeofprofitandhonor;butthenthetrademustbeworkedat,andthecallingwellfollowed,orneithertheestatenortheofficewillenableustopayourtaxes.Ifweareindustrious,weshallneverstarve;for,asPoorRichardsays,attheworkingman』shousehungerlooksin,butdaresnotenter.Norwillthebailiffortheconstableenter,forindustrypaysdebts,whiledespairincreaseththem,saysPoorRichard.Whatthoughyouhavefoundnotreasure,norhasanyrichrelationleftyoualegacy,diligenceisthemotherofgoodluck,asPoorRichardsays,andGodgivesallthingstoindustry.Thenplowdeep,whilesluggardssleep,andyoushallhavecorntosellandtokeep,saysPoorDick.Workwhileitiscalledtoday,foryouknownothowmuchyoumaybehinderedtomorrow,whichmakesPoorRichardsays,onetodayisworthtwotomorrows,andfarther,haveyousomewhattodotomorrow,doittoday.Ifyouwereaservant,wouldyounotbeashamedthatagoodmastershouldcatchyouidle?Areyouthenyourownmaster,beashamedtocatchyourselfidle,asPoorDicksays.Whenthereissomuchtobedoneforyourself,yourfamily,yourcountryandyourgraciousking,beupbypeepofday;letnotthesunlookdownandsay,ingloriousherehelies.Handleyourtoolswithoutmittens;rememberthatthecatinglovescatchesnomice,asPoorRichardsays.』Tistruethereismuchtobedone,andperhapsyouareweakhanded,butsticktoitsteadily;andyouwillseegreateffects,forconstantdroppingwearsawaystones,andbydiligenceandpatiencethemouseateintwothecable;andlittlestrokesfellgreatoaks,asPoorRichardsaysinhisAlmanack,theyearIcannotjustnowremember.」
「MethinksIhearsomeofyousay,『mustamanaffordhimselfnoleisure?』Iwilltellthee,myfriend,whatPoorRichardsays,employthytimewell,ifthoumeanesttogainleisure;and,sincethouartnotsureofaminute,thrownotawayanhour.Leisureistimefordoingsomethinguseful;thisleisurethediligentmanwillobtain,butthelazymannever;sothat,asPoorRichardsaysalifeofleisureandalifeoflazinessaretwothings.Doyouimaginethatslothwillaffordyoumorecomfortthanlabor?No,forasPoorRichardsays,troublespringsfromidleness,andgrievoustoilfromneedlessease.Manywithoutlabor,wouldlivebytheirwitsonly,buttheybreakforwantofstock.Whereasindustrygivescomfort,andplenty,andrespect:flypleasures,andthey』llfollowyou;thediligentspinnerhasalargeshift;andnowIhaveasheepandacow,everybodybidsmegoodmorrow;allofwhichiswellsaidbyPoorRichard.」
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善解人意的讀者：
我聽說一個作家的作品被其他博學的作家充滿敬意地引用是他最大的快樂。這種快樂我很少有過，雖然整整25年來，我年年都是歷書的知名作家——如果我沒有自誇的話——可不知為什麼，跟我同道的作家們卻一直都很吝嗇他們的掌聲，甚至沒有一個作家絲毫注意過我，雖然我的作品帶給我很多實惠，但掌聲太少實在是件很讓人洩氣的事情。