I am

the concealed wealth which my father meant. sure, at least, we have found by experience that industry is itself a treasure." Industry yields plenty. Labour promotes health, and daily toil brings sweet repose at night. There are no gains, without pains. A slothful hand makes a slim fortune; and the sleeping fox catches no poultry. Sloth makes all things difficult; but industry, all easy. Rome was not built in a day; but little strokes fell great oaks. Constant dropping wears away stones, and by diligence and patience the mouse gnawed in two the cable.

81. An idle man is a blank in the creation-he is a cipher in society, and a burden to himself. What can he be good for? What use is there of a ship that lies always on the shore, or of armour that hangs up and rusts? Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labour wears; but the used key is always bright. Therefore use thy powers, and they will improve. Say unto sloth, thou art mine enemy. Sloth impairs the health, and shortens life. It is also the parent of vice and misery; for standing waters putrify; and, as man was made for action, he must be employed-if it is not in doing good, it will be assuredly in doing evil. The weeds thrive best in a neglected soil; and when the devil catches a man idle, he sets him to work. But time is our talent which we should turn to good account, either by our head or by our hands, by working at our trade, doing good to our fellow men, or making advances in wisdom. Lost time is never found again; when once it is past, it is not to be recalled. Therefore do not let it slip through your fingers unimproved. Make hay when the sun shines. Since you are not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Plow deep, while sluggards sleep, and you shall have

day, for

to-morrow.

corn to sell and to keep. Work while it is called to you know not how much you may be hindered Never leave that till to-morrow which you can do to-day; for what we call time enough always proves little enough. Let us then be up and doing what we know should be done. Delays are dangerous; and he that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night. Laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him; but to go to rest early, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. If we are industrious, we shall never starve. At the working man's house hunger may look in, but dare not enter. Industry pays debts, while indolence increaseth them. Diligence is the mother of good luck; and God gives all things to industry.

32. But, with our diligence and industry, if we wish to succeed, we must also be steady, attentive, and careful. The man that is unstable as water will never excel. A trade is an estate; but the trade must be worked at, and our calling well followed. Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee. A little neglect may breed great mischief-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, being overtaken and slain by the enemy-all for want of a little care about a horse shoe nail.

38. If a man would be wealthy, he must also think of saving by frugality, as well as getting by industry. "Get what you can, and what you get hold," is the Stone that will turn all your lead into gold. Yet let not the heart be hardened with the love of wealth; for riches are of no value, except as the means of doing good; and he that will do no good, does not deserve

to receive or enjoy any. He that stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, himself shall cry and shall not be heard. Riches are servants to the wise; and they are neither to be hoarded up, nor lavishly and heedlessly squandered away. A prince, who knew the proper use of his wealth and high station, on remembering, one evening, that, during the whole day, he had conferred no kindness on any of his subjects, exclaimed, with regret for the opportunities he had lost-" Ah, my friends, I have lost a day." When to do good is in our power, not to do it is a crime. Even for our own sakes, we should seek to be useful; for man never is so happy as when he giveth happiness to others. None become poor by alms-giving, nor rich by robbery. Let us not, therefore, hope to be wealthy by practising dishonesty, nor by casting off charity; but the proper way to wealth is, first diligence and integrity, then temperance and economy. Away, then, with expensive follies, and lay not out money in a purchase of repentance. It is madness to run in debt for the sake of fineries or superfluities. If you buy what you have no need of, ere long you will sell your necessaries. Who dainties love shall beggars prove; for silks and satins, scarlets and velvets, put out the kitchen fire. To the poor especially, fond pride of dress and of show is a curse-ere fancy you consult, consult your purse. It is easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow; and it is as truly folly for the poor to the rich, as for the frog to swell in order to equal the ox. Vessels large may venture more, but little boats should keep near shore. A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees; but to keep himself upright, and free of debt, he must cut his coat, as the saying is, according to his cloth; that

ape

A

is, he must suit his expense to his income. The drunkard and glutton shall come to poverty. What maintains one vice would bring up two children. small leak, if unstopped, will sink a great ship; for the waste of fortune is by small expenses, and wilful waste makes woful want. Better spare at the brim than at the bottom; for it is too late to spare when all is spent. For age and want save while you may-no morning sun lasts a whole day.

34. A poor man is better, it is said, than a liar— much better indeed; for it is no disgrace to be poor, but it is disgraceful to lie. Falsehood is the mark of a mean and despicable spirit, and leads to the loss of character, and to general contempt. For the liar cannot fail to have his falsehood detected, and then, nobody will believe him or trust him. It is dreadful to become an outcast from society in this way, and to be hated and shunned as a nuisance among men, and at length excluded from heaven-as "whosoever loveth and maketh a lie," assuredly must be. Let, then, the young adhere strictly to truth; and when a question is put to them, either be silent or tell the plain and simple truth. Confess your fault, and your punishment will be light, compared to what you will deserve, when you try in vain (and it will almost always be in vain) to conceal your fault by a falsehood. This is adding one crime to another, and so great a crime, too, as is not to be forgiven. Let the scholar, then, attend to his lessons and his work, and study to commit as few faults as he can then his temptations to falsify will be few, and the road of candour and truth, when once it is habitual, will be found to be as plain and easy as it is safe and honourable. Honesty is the best policy; for however good a memory the liar may have, he is

almost sure to contradict, at one time, what he said at another, and then, when he is discovered to be a cheat, his knavery will serve him no longer. The wicked shepherd boy amused himself for a while, by cryingA wolf, a wolf—in order to deceive; but he perceived his folly, and was punished for it, when the wolf actually came and made away with a good sheep, because the neighbours, having found out his trick, and being disgusted and provoked by it, would no longer attend to his cries, nor go out to assist him. Let us, then, in our words and our dealings, keep to the plain and beaten road of sincerity. Falsehood and cunning are like intricate by-ways, in which we are sure to lose ourselves, and all the convenience or pleasure that may attend a lie is but momentary, whereas the exposure of falsehood will bring with it the bitter feelings of remorse, the suspicion and contempt of our fellow men, and perhaps the punishment of lasting infamy.

35. A stork was thoughtlessly drawn into company with some cranes, who were just setting out on a party of pleasure, as they called it, which, in truth, was to rob the fish ponds of a neighbouring farmer. The simple stork agreed to make one of the party; and it so happened that they were all taken in the fact. The cranes being old offenders, had very little to say for themselves, and were presently despatched; but the stork pleaded hard for his life, urging that it was his first fault-that he was not naturally addicted to stealing fish-and that he was famous for piety to his parents, and many other virtues. Your piety and virtue, said the farmer, may, for ought I know, be exemplary, but your being in company with thieves renders it very suspicious, and you must therefore submit to the same punishment with your companions. As I have