AM always pleased when I fee literature made ufeful, and scholars defcending from that elevation, which, as it raises them above common life, muft likewife hinder them from seeing the ways of men otherwise than in a cloud of bustle and conVOL. III.

E

fufion,

fufion. Having lived a life of business, and feen how feldom any occurrences emerge for which great qualities are required, I have learned the neceffity of regarding little things; and though I do not pretend to give laws to the legiflators of mankind, or to limit the range of thofe powerful minds that carry light and heat through all the regions of knowledge; yet I have long thought, that the greateft part of those who lose themselves in ftudies, by which I have not found that they grow much wifer, might, with more advantage both to the public and themfelves, apply their understandings to domeftic arts, and ftore their minds with axioms of humble prudence, and private economy.

Your late paper on frugality was very elegant and pleafing; but, in my opinion, not fufficiently adapted to common readers, who pay little regard to the mufic of periods, the artifice of connection, or the arrangement of the flowers of rhetoric; but require a few plain and cogent inftructions, which may fink into the mind by their own weight.

Frugality is fo neceffary to the happiness of the world, fo beneficial in its various forms to every rank of men, from the higheft of human potentates, to the lowest labourer or artificer; and the miferies which the neglect of it produces, are fo numerous and fo grievous, that it ought to be recommended with every variation of addrefs, and adapted to every clafs of understanding.

Whether those who treat morals as a science will allow frugality to be numbered among the virtues, I have not thought it neceffary to inquire. For I, who draw my opinions from a careful obfervation

of

of the world, am fatisfied with knowing, what is abundantly fufficient for practice, that, if it be not a virtue, it is at least a quality which can feldom exist without fome virtues, and without which few virtues can exist. Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the fifter of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty. He that is extravagant, will quickly become poor; and poverty will enforce dependence, and invite corruption: it will almost always produce a paffive compliance with the wickedness of others; and there are few who do not learn by degrees to practise those crimes which they cease to cenfure.

If there are any who do not dread poverty as dangerous to virtue, yet mankind feem unanimous enough in abhorring it as deftructive to happiness ; and all to whom want is terrible, upon whatever principle, ought to think themfelves obliged to learn the fage maxims of our parfimonious ancestors, and attain the falutary arts of contracting expence; for without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.

To most other acts of virtue, or exertions of wif dom, a concurrence of many circumftances is neceffary. There must be fome previous knowledge attained, fome uncommon gifts of nature poffeffed, or fome opportunity produced by an extraordinary combination of things: but the mere power of faving what is already in our hands, muft be eafy of acquifition to every mind; and, as the example of Bacon may fhew that the higheft intellect cannot fafely neglect it, a thousand inftances will every day prove, that the meanest may practise it with fuccefs.

Riches cannot be within the reach of great numbers; because to be rich, is to poffefs more than is commonly placed in a fingle hand; and, if many could obtain the fum which now makes a man wealthy, the name of wealth must then be transferred to still greater accumulations. But I am not certain that it is equally impoffible to exempt the lower claffes of mankind from poverty; because, though whatever be the wealth of the community, fome will always have least, and he that has less than any other is comparatively poor; yet I do not fee any coactive neceffity that many fhould be without the indifpenfable conveniencies of life; but am fometimes inclined to imagine, that, cafual calamities excepted, there might, by univerfal prudence, be procured an univerfal exemption from want; and that he who happens to have least, may notwithstanding have enough.

But, without entering too far into speculations which I do not remember that any political calculator has attempted, and in which the most perfpicacious reafoner may be easily bewildered; it is certain, that they to whom Providence has allotted no other care but of their own fortune and their own virtue, which make far the greater part of mankind, have fufficient incitements to perfonal frugality; fince, whatever might be its general effect upon provinces or nations, by which it is never likely to be tried, it is certain, that there is fcarcely any individual entering the world, who, by prudent parfimony, may not reasonably promife himself a chearful competence in the decline of life.

The profpect of penury in age is so gloomy and terrifying,

terrifying, that every man who looks before him, must resolve to avoid it; and it must be avoided generally by the science of sparing. For though

in every age there are fome, who by bold adventures, or by favourable accidents, rife fuddenly to riches, yet it is dangerous to indulge hopes of fuch rare events: and the bulk of mankind must owe their affluence to fmall and gradual profits, below which their expence must be refolutely reduced.

You must not therefore think me finking below the dignity of a practical philofopher, when I recommend to the confideration of your readers, from the statesman to the apprentice, a pofition replete with mercantile wifdom, A penny faved is two pence got: which may, I think, be accommodated to all conditions, by obferving, that not only they who purfue any lucrative employment, will fave time when they forbear expence, and that the time may be employed to the increase of profit; but they who are above fuch minute confiderations, will find, by every victory over appetite or paffion, new strength added to the mind, and gain the power of refufing those folicitations by which the young and vivacious are hourly affaulted, and in time fet themselves above the reach of extravagance and folly.

It may perhaps be inquired by those who are willing rather to cavil, than to learn, What is the just measure of frugality? and, When expence not abfolutely neceffary, degenerates into profufion? To fuch queftions no general anfwer can be returned; fince the liberty of spending, or neceffity of parfimony, may be varied without end by different