Benjamin Franklin

“ Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence we shall do more with less perplexity. "Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all easy; and, He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night; while laziness travels so slowly, that poverty soon overtakes him. Drive thy business, let not that drive thee; and, Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," as Poor Richard says. ”

“ We are taxed twice as much by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and four times as much by our folly; and from these taxes the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us, by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us: "God helps them that help themselves," as Poor Richard says.
It would be thought a hard government that should tax its people one tenth part of their time, to be employed in its service: But idleness taxes many of us much more; sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely shortens life. ”

“ We may make these times better if we bestir ourselves. "Industry need not wish: and, He that lives upon hope will die fasting. There are no gains without pains; then Help hands, for I have no lands," or, if I have, they are smartly taxed. "He that hath a trade, hath an estate; and he that hath a calling, hath an office of profit and honour," as Poor Richard says; but then the trade must be worked at, and the calling well followed, or neither the estate nor the office will enable us to pay our taxes.—If we are industrious, we shall never starve ”

“ A little neglect may breed great mischief; for want of a nail, the shoe was loft; 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.
So much for industry, my friends, and attention to one's own business; but to these we must add Frugality, if we would make our industry more certainly successful. A man may, if he knows not how to save as he gets, "Keep his nose all his life to the grind-stone, and die not worth a groat at last. A fat kitchen makes a lean will;" ”

“ And again, "The eye of a matter will do more work than both his hands;" and again, "Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge;" and again, "Not to oversee workmen, is to leave them your purse open." Trusting too much to others care is the ruin of manys for, "In the affairs of this world, men are saved, not by faith, but by the want of it." But a man's own care is profitable ”

“ Again, "It is foolish to lay out money in a purchase of repentance and yet this folly is practised every day at audlions, for want of minding the. ”

“ You call them goods; but, if you do not take care, they will prove evils to some of you. You expect they will be fold cheap, and, perhaps, they may for less than they cost; but, if you have no occasion for them, they must be dear to you. ”

“ and farther, "Never leave that till tomorrow, which you can do to-day." ”