A manual for my conduct

The scheme of actions to help me live like a rational and moral creature.

By Prajwal Basnet | 28 10 2025 | 20 minute read

Introduction

I am fascinated by Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln. I am persuaded that it requires great study for any man who brings great changes and accomplishes great affairs without forfeiture of honesty.

I have read extensively about them, and following their conduct as a fair way of improvement, I have decided to structure my moral conduct to guard against vices– to keep the wolf out from entering, than to labour at pulling its teeth once he is within; And, at length, to form scheme of action that, henceforth, help me live as a rational and moral creature.

This endeavour consists of: code of conduct, desired virtues, Prayer, poems, pain and pleasure, employer and employee relation, junto, piece of writings, education, wits and wisdoms, and, by and large, autobiography of ben franklin (and moral conduct itself). This can be either read seperately in parts by clicking highlighted link above, in pdf (click here) or in website.

Code of Conduct

One man of tolerable abilities may work great changes and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan and makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.

It is necessary for me to be extremely frugal for sometime, till I have paid what I owe.

To endeavour to speak truth in every instance, to give nobody expectations that are not likely to be answered; but aim at sincerity in every word and action: the most amiable excellence in rational being.

To apply myself industriously to whatever business I take in hand, And not divert my mind from my business by any foolish project of growing suddenly rich: for industry and patience is the surest means of plenty.

I resolve to speak ill of no man, whatever, not even in matter of truth, But rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others; And upon proper occasion speak all the good i know of everybody.

Virtue

Temperance: Eat not to dullness, drink not to elevation.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourselves; avoid trifling conversation.

Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have time.

Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; Perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourselves.

Industry: Loose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut all unnecessary actions.

Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly.

Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries, as much as you think they deserve.

Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

Chastity: Never use venery but for health, offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or injury of our own or another pace of reputation.

Humility: Imitate Jesus or Socrates.

Prayer

That i may be preserved from atheism and infidelity, impiety and profaneness, And in my address to you carefully avoid irreverence and ostentation, Formality and odious hypocrisy.

That i may be loyal to my prince and faithful to my country, Careful for its good, valiant in its defence, and obedient to its laws, Abhorring treason as much as tyranny.

That i may be those above me be dutiful, humble and submissive; Avoiding pride, disrespect and contumacy.

That i may be those below me be gracious, condescending, and forgiving using clemency, Protecting innocent distress, avoiding cruelty, harshness and oppression, Insolence and unreasonable severity.

That i may be refrain from censure, calumny, and detraction; That i may avoid and abhor deceit and envy, fraud, flattery and hatred, Malice and ingratitude.

That I may be sincere in friendship, faithful in trust, and impartial in judgement, Watchful against pride and against anger (that monetary madness).

That i may be just in my dealings, temperate in my pleasures, Full of candour and ingenuity, humanity and benevolence.

That I may be grateful to my benefactor, generous to my friends, Exercising charity and liberty to the poor and pity to the miserable.

That i may avoid avarice and ambition, Jealousy and intemperance, falsehood, luxury and lasciviousness.

That i may possess integrity and evenness of mind, resolution in difficulties, Fortitude under affliction; that i may be punctual in performing my promise, peaceable and prudent in my behaviour.

That i may be tenderness for the weak and reverent respect for ancient; That I may be kind to my neighbour, good natured to my companion, and hospitable to strangers.

That i may be averse from table bearing, backbitting, detraction, slander and craft and overreaching, abhor extortion, perjury and every kind of wickedness.

That i may be honest and open hearted, gentle, merciful, good, And cheerful in spirit, rejoicing in the good of others.

That i may have constant regard of honour and probity, that i may possess perfect innocence and good conscience, and, at length, become truly virtuous and magnanimous.

Poems

May i govern my passion with absolute sway,
Grow wiser and better as my strength wears away,
Without gout or stone by gentle decay,
With courage undaunted may i face my last day,
And when i am gone may the better sort say,
In the morning when sober,
In the evening when mellow,
He has gone and left not behind his follow,
For he governed his passion.

Dazzled with hope, we cannot see the cheat
Of aiming with impatience to be great
With wild ambition in his heart we find,
Farewell content and quiet of his minds,
For glittering cloud he left the solid shore
And wanted happiness returns no more.

Christ arm do still stand open to receive,
All weary prodigal, that sin do leave;
For them left his father blessed house;
Made son of man to make son of God;
To cure their wounds, he’s life exiler bled
And died a dead to raise them from death.

Ah! Few and full of sorrows are the days
Of miserable man: his life decays
Like that frail flower, which with the sun’s uprise
Her bud unfolds, and in the evening dies:
He like an empty shadow glides away
And all his life is but a winters day.

May liberty meet wi’ success!
May prudence protect her frae evil!
May tyrants and tyranny tine in the mist,
And wander their way to the devil!
Here’s freedom to him that wad read,
Here’s freedom to them that wad write!
There’s nane ever fear’d that the truth should be heard,
But they wham the truth wad indite.

He who ascends to mountain-tops, shall find
The loftiest peaks most wrap in clouds and snow;
He who surpasses or subdues mankind,
Must look down on the hate of those below.
Though high above the sun of glory glow,
And far beneath the earth and ocean spread,
Round him are ice rocks, and loudly blow
Contending tempests on his naked head,
And thus reward the toils which to those summits led.

The world an inn, all travelers are we;
And this world goods accommodation be.
Our life is nothing but winters day.
Some only break their fast and so away.
Other stay dinner and depart full fed.
The deepest age but sups and goes to bed.
He’s most in debt that lingers out day.
Who dies bedtimes has less and less to pay.

There is the moral of all human tales;
‘Tis but the same rehearsal of the past,
First freedom and then Glory –when that fails,
Wealth, vice, corruption –barbarism at last.

Pain and pleasure

Men are not machine driven by necessity rather, in practice, there are things such as right or wrong.

Whatever is created must, in its own nature, be subject to error, irregularity, excess, and disorder

We are obliged by reason to take as much care for our future as our present happiness, and not to build one upon the ruins of other; So this philosophy of self denial is only refusing to do action which you strongly desire because it is inconsistent with your fortune, health or circumstance in the world. In other words, it would cost you more than its worth.

Good of man is not natural and sensual, but rational and moral.

A man is perfect when he fulfill highest potential of nature -with reason, virtue, discipline and contribution to others.

zest for reason, hunger for goodness, a passion for wisdom.

Aim to resolve the conflict of instinct toward pleasure and faith in reasonable virtue.

or sensual pleasure continues no more than action itself, but this divine or moral pleasure [ doing good to others ] continues when the action is over; And swells and grows upon hands by reflection.

Natural or sensual pleasure is inconstant, unsatisfying, of short duration and attended with numberless ill; the other is constant yield full of satisfaction, is durable, and no evils preceding or following it.

Upon further inquiry into why moral pleasures are greater than sensual; Perhaps the reason is their happiness or chief good is acting to their chief faculty, Or that faculty which distinguishes them all creatures of different species.

Natural good and ill is pleasure and pain; While moral good and ill is pleasure and pain with intention and design.

Goodness without wisdom can be harmful. Wisdom without goodness can be dangerous. Thus, true virtue requires both.

Self denial is never a duty, or reasonable action; But it is a natural means of procuring more pleasure than you can taste without it.

All intelligent rational agent find in themselves a power of judging what kind of being they are; What action are proper to preserve’em and what consequence will generally attend them, what pleasure they are formed for, and to what degree their nature are capable of receiving them.

While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; Habit took advantage of inattention.

Inclination is too strong for reason, Thus just attention to be virtuous is not enough, We ought to form uniform steady rectitude of conduct first.

Contrary habits must be broken, And good ones acquired and established, Before we can have dependence on steady, uniform rectitude of conduct.

Right action cannot be produce without right opinion. Thus, foundation of all virtue is thinking rightly.

Those who write of the art of poetry teaches up that if we would write what may be worth reading we ought always, before we begin, to form regular plan and design of our piece.

Employer and Employee

During which term the said apprentice his master shall or will serve,
His secret keeps, his lawful commands everywhere gladly do.
He shall do no damage to his said master, nor see it to be done of others;
But to his power shall let or forthwith give notice to his said master of the same.

The good of master, he shall not waste,
Nor the same without a license of him to give or lend.
Hurt to his master he shall not do,
cause , nor procure to be done.

He shall neither buy nor sell without the license of his master.
Taverns, inns, or ale houses he shall not haunt.
At card, dice, tables, or any other unlawful game he shall not play.

Matrimony he shall not contract.
Nor from the service of his said master day nor night absent himself;
But in all things as an honest and faithful apprentice,
shall and will demean and behave himself toward his said master
And all his during said term.

Junto

Junto is called free and easy; Free as being, by general habit and practice of virtues. Free from dominion of vice; And particularly by practice of industry and frugality, Free from debt, which exposes man to confinement and species of slavery to his creditor.

Some inquiry of junto:

Have you met with anything in the author you last read, remarkable or suitable to communicate, particularly in history, morality, poetry, physics, travel etc?

What new story have you heard that is agreeable for telling in conversation?

Have any citizen in your knowledge failed in business lately and what you have heard of cause?

Have you lately heard any citizen thriving well and by what means?

What unhappy effects of intemperance have you lately observed or heard; of imprudence, of passion, or any other vice or folly?

What happy effects of temperance, prudence, of moderation, or any other virtue?

Do you know any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in power of junto to encourage?

Have you lately observed any defects in laws of country of which it will be proper to move the legislature for amendment?

Is there any person whose disorderly behaviour may be so scandalous and notorious that doing well by sending unto said person for charitable admonition?

Does there appear any instance of oppression, or fraudulence in dealing of any sort of people that may call for our essays to be rectified?

Can any further method be devised that ignorance and wickedness may be chased from our people in general and that household piety in particular may flourish among them?

Have any deserving strangers arrived in town? What have you heard or observed of his character or merit? Whether you think it lies in power to oblige him or encourage him as he deserves?

Has anybody attacked your reputation lately? What can junto do to secure?

Have you lately heard any member or character attacked and what have you done to secure it?

Can a man arrive at perfection in this life, as some believe, or is it impossible as other beliefs which consist of the happiness of a creature?

Is any man wise at all times to all things?

Is meat and drinks not the best that contain nothing in natural taste, so pleasing as to induce us to eat or drink when we are not thirsty or hungry, or after it is satisfied?

Is there any difference between knowledge and prudence? If there is any which of two is eligible?

Which is best to make a friend of a wise and good man that is poor or rich man that is neither wise nor good?

Does it not, in general, require great study and intense application for poor man to become rich, if he would do it without forfeiture of honesty?

Does it require as much pains, study, and application to become truly wise and strictly virtuous as to become rich?

Piece of writings

Families break up when poor men emigrate.

Seest thou a man diligent in his callings, he shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before a mean man.

Even a privileged man could not resist a man with money; If they did he could disregard him.

If you chamber and get to top without using steps, You would more easily gain them in descending; But if you begin with the lowest you will with more ease ascend to the top.

Make the best of bargains you could not avoid.

Out of administration for Socrates he gave up disputation habits He had formed, and put on humble inquirer and doubter.

I am enemy of vice and friend to virtue; I am of extensive charity, and a great forgiver of private injuries; A hearty lover of clergy and all good man, And mortal enemy to arbitrary government and unlimited power.

I have likewise a natural inclination to observe and reprove the faults of others. I now take up a resolution to do for the future all that lies in my way for the service of my countrymen.

Without freedom of thoughts there can be no such thing as wisdom; And no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech; Which is the right of every man as far as it does not hurt or control the right of another. This is the only check it ought to suffer and only bounds it ought to know.

Hypocritical pretenders to religion are worse for common wealth than openly profane

You are young and you have world before you; Stop as you go through it, And you will miss many hard bumps.

Franklin was not too young to reflect on the dangers of carrying a head too high.

He wished to please everybody; And having little to give, he gave expectation.

Since god was all-wise, all-good, all-powerful, And yet permitted the world to be what it was; Therefore, there could be no such things as natural virtues and vices. Men had no freewill, did what they must and could not be blamed or praised for their behavior.

What moved them to action was their desire to avoid pain and experience pleasure.

The monarch was not happier than slaves, nor the beggar more miserable than Croesus.

The young realist was a moralist. In short, I believe it is impossible for man, though he has all the cunnings of devil, To live and die a villain, and yet conceal it so well to carry the name of an honest fellow To his grave with him, but someone by some accident shall discover him.

Truth and sincerity have certain distinguishing native lustre about them which cannot be perfectly counterfeited; they are like fire and flame, that can not be painted.

Truly wise people are never lonely when they are by themselves. I acknowledge solitude an agreeable refreshment to busy mind; But were these thinking people obliged to be always alone, I am apt to think they would quickly find their very best being insupportable to them.

I would rather be a very stupid block in nature than a possessor of all knowledge without some intelligent being to communicate.

Let the ladies make one long sea voyage with them, And if they have the least spark of ill nature in them, And conceal it to end of voyage, I will forfeit my pretension to their favour.

A single man resembles an odd half of a pair of scissors. A single man has not nearly the value he would have in state of union.

When man differ in opinion, both sides ought equally to have the advantage of being heard by public; And that when truth and error have fairplay, Former always matches latter.

I took care not only to be in reality: industrious and frugality. But to avoid all appearances to the contrary. I dressed plainly; I was seen at no places of idle diversion. I never went to fishing or shooting; a book, indeed sometimes debauched me from my work, But that was seldom snug and gave no scandal.

And to show that i was not above my business, I sometimes brought home the paper I purchased through streets on wheel barrows.

A large part of his leisure time had always been devoted to the concern of common life: warming houses with a stove, protecting them against fire etc.

Never be discouraged by any apprehension that arts come to such perfection in England as to be incapable of further improvement. As yet, the quantity of human knowledge bears no proportion to the quantity of human ignorance.

A wise man that often acts foolishly, a wit that seldom acted wisely. If enough were the mans to make mans happy, One always had the means of happiness without ever enjoying the thing. The other always had a thing without possessing means. One even in prosperity always fretting; Others in the midst of poverty are always laughing.

When I considered the character of good wives was far preferable to that of being only a pretty woman.

When the brightest of female virtues shine among other perfection of body and mind in the same person, it makes a woman more lovely than an angel.

In business, Franklin was extremely alert to the main chance; adaptable, crafty though not petty, and ruthless on occasion.

Happiness in life is rather depended on internal than external; and that, beside the natural effect of wisdom and virtue, vice and folly, There is no such thing as a happy or unhappy constitution.

The seed of the english was already planted in america, And would grow itself without further immigration. You now fear our virtuous young king will be overwhelmed by political groups forming against him, And that his time as king will be difficult or troubled. But I believe the opposite, his strong character, and genuine desire to do good to his people, will give him the courage and stability he needs.

The honest advisor he chosen him will support him and once people see that he’s firm And principled political opposition will fade away like fog disappearing in the morning sun.

Our opinion or inclination would weight little among you. We are in your hands as clay in hands of potter; For as potter cannot waste or spoil his clay without injuring himself, So i think there is scarce in anything you can do that may be hurtful to us, But what will be as much or more so to you. Therefore, for interest with you we have but little. The cat can yield but her skin.

Englishman are too apt to silent when they have nothing to say; Too sullen when they are silent; And when sullen - depressed.

Trade is voluntary things between buyer and seller, In every article of which each exercises his own judgement and is to please himself.

Debts of honor are generally paid as any other payment. Where no compulsion can be used, it is more disgraceful to be dishonest.

Their necessity makes them rapacious, their office make them proud and insolent. Their insolence and rapacity makes them odious, and being conscious that they are hatted, They become malicious; their malice urges them to continually abuse the inhabitants.

Franklin was economical of time and words; but the sage was not too grave to play jokes on his friends.

I think happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur everyday than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.

Christian doctrines of forgiveness of injuries and doing good to enemies.

By premature struggle we may be crippled and keep down another age; That as between friends every affront is not worth a duel, between nation every injury not worth a war, So between governed and government every mistake, Every mistake on government, every encroachment of right, Not worth a deal.

Franklin letter to americans were so moderate and pacific that radical suspected him, Too much English”.

In emergency men behave, not according to what they later reflected would have been wise, but according to their characters at the time.

Franklin already had instinct to be patient under stress, Habit of magnanimity and schooled knowledge of world which made him realise that the longer the enemy wants the sooner his words will be held against him.

Grievance cannot be redressed unless they are known. And they cannot be known but through complaints and petition.

Angry nation, like angry man, accuse each other of having first offended, And excuse themselves by claiming that they have acted merely in self defense.

Great empire have crumbled because they were too remote to be understood by the central government.

In his own mind, he had gone through issue discussed before and had to watch younger men learn what he already know.

Slaves rather weaken than strengthen the state, And therefore there is some difference between them and sheep; Sheep will never make any insurrections.

His plans and his examples were to abolish monarchy, aristocracy and hierarchy.

He loves his ease, hates to offend and seldom gives any opinion till obliged to do it. Although he has determined a soul as any man, yet in his constant policy Never to say yes or no decidedly but when he cannot avoid it.

Franklin made a rule, “always to support one’s friend may be right till one finds them wrong, Rather than to suppose them wrong till one finds them right”.

It is enough for a good mind to be affected by other people's misfortune; but they, that are vexed at everybody's good luck, can never be happy.

Since the foolish part of mankind will make wars from time to time with each other, not having sense enough otherwise to settle their difference; It certainly becomes wiser part, Who cannot prevent those wards, to alleviate as much possible, The calamities attending them.

The war in America is for the future to be only defensive. I hope we should be too prudent to have too much dependence on formal declaration ( we still have to act wise).

A nation's attitude can change quickly even if they seem humble. With a bit of success could make them arrogant again. I remember when i was boxing boy even after my opponent said he had enough, It was still allowed to give him one last punch as he was getting up - let's make sure our last punch is a strong one.

Franklin was good natured, simple, gentle, With serenity that passed into gaiety. He rarely spoke at length and for the most part in the form of a story which he told to make points.

When he talked it was without gestures or movements of his head or body.

O that moral science was in a fair way of improvement that men would cease to be wolf to one another, and that human beings at length learn what they now improperly called humanity.

To make lasting peace, the method is very simple, which was to settle terms in the first projection on equal, just and reasonable footings.

If war was to continue to the satisfaction of both America and France, it was to the interest of both to share equal cost.

States which leaves all her ports open to all the world upon equal terms will by that means have foreign commodities cheaper, sell its own production dearer and on the whole prosper.

Better for America to lose the benefits of the empire, than to be at the mercy of quarreling English politicians.

If he does not bring fortune with him, he must work and be industrious to live. In short, America is the land of labour.

I am determined to give him trade so that he may have something to depend on and not be obliged to ask favour or office of anybody.

In free government, rulers are servants and people their superiors and sovereigns . for the former to return among later was not to degrade but to promote.

The accumulation of property and its security to individuals in every society must be affected by protection afforded it by joint strength in society in execution of its law.

Agriculture recourse should not be wasted, and that farming must be something of business as science as way of life.

Let there be as few as possible artificial bonds which make unnatural wars.

If we do foolish things we are the first to laugh at ourselves.

Let commerce and knowledge bind the continent together.

Education

Prose writing has been of great use to me in the course of life, And was the principal means of advancement.

Determined to endeavour to improve is a moral duty.

Making short hits of sentiments at each sentence, Laid them by a few days, and then without looking at book; I tried to complete the papers again. After comparing, I wanted a stock of words, or readiness in recollecting and using them.

Since the continual occasion for words of the same import, but of different length to suit the measure, or of different sound for the rhyme, Would have laid me under constant necessity of searching for variety; And also have a tendency to fix that variety in my mind and master it.

For study, Franklin needed both time and money; Which he exercised by reading at night, Or evading as much as he could during common attendance.

Riches and poverty kept the gate, And poverty rejected those whom riches did not recommend. Within temple of learning, most of worshipper withdrew their hands from plow, And contented themselves to sit at the food with madam idleness, and her maid ignorance. Until those who had ascended by diligence and temper, when they were to inquire the assistance, Who had got up before them and, who, for pint of milk, Or piece of plum cake, lend their lubbers a helping; And sat them in the eyes of the world to level themselves.

Every beetle skull seemed well satisfied with his own portion of learning, Though perhaps he was just as ignorant as ever. Once out of temple, “some perceived to took to merchandising, others to travelling”, And some to nothing; and many of them from henceforth for want of patrimony, Lived as poor as church mice, being unable to dig, And ashamed to beg, and to live by their wits it was impossible.

Students should diet together plainly, temperately and frugally. And frequently exercise in running, leaping, wrestling and swimming.

As to their study, it would be good if they could be taught everything that is useful and ornamental. But art is long and time is short. It is therefore they learn those things that are likely to be most useful, regard being had to be several professions for which they are intended.

All should be taught to write with a fair hand and swift as that is useful to all.

Reading should also be taught and pronouncing properly, distinctly, emphatically; not with even tone which underdoes, nor a theatrical, which overdoes nature.

Franklin urged students to read histories of nature and commerce, Of invention, arts, rise of manufactures, progress of trade, change of its seats, With reason, causes etc.

This would lead to curiosity of mechanics, “Art by which weak men perform such wanders, Labour is saved and manufacture expedited”

Finally, with whole should they be constantly inoculated and cultivated, That benignity of mind which show itself in search for seizing every opportunity to serve and oblige is the foundation of what is called good breading.

For reasonable, sensible men can always make a reasonable scheme Appear to other reasonable men, if they take pains and have time and opportunity for it. Unless from circumstance, their honesty and good intention are suspected.

Effective humor in both writing and speech he was later to believe, Had the virtue of cathartic, An antidote to weighty would not be an escape but a restorative.

Keep up your spirit and that will keep up your body.

Humans are limited in understanding, And shaped by outside influence. So its arrogant to think you are completely right And others are completely wrong. Instead of judging belief by who holds them, We should look at their effects; If they make people better, not worse then those belief are not harmful.

Wits and Wisdom

- Innocence is its own defence.
- He does not possess wealth; it possesses him.
- Poverty wants something, luxury wants many things, and avarice all things.
- Avarice and happiness never saw each other, how should they be acquainted?
- Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.
- Have your virtues? Acquire also the graces and beauties of virtue.
- Nothing but money is sweeter than honey.
- Kings and bears worry their keepers.
- Hunger never saw bad bread.
- Eat to live, not live to eat.
- There is no little enemy.
- He's a fool that makes his doctor his heir.
- The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in heart.
- He that drinks fast pays slow.
- Where there is marriage without love, there will be love without marriage.
- Approve not of him who commends all you say.
- The family of fools is ancient.
- Look before or your will find yourself behind.
- A lie stand on one leg, and truth on two.
- Sloth and silence are fool virtue.
- Denyself for self’s sake.
- An old young man will be a young old man.
- The rotten apple spoils his companion.
- Fish and visitors smell in three days.
- Bargaining has neither friends nor relations.
- Administration is the daughter of ignorance.
- He that can have patience can have what he will.
- None preaches better than the ant, and she says nothing.
- The absences are never without fault, nor present without excuse.
- Poverty, poetry, and a new title of honor makes men ridiculous.
- A country man between two lawyer is like fish between two cats.
- The worst wheel of cart makes most noise.
- Write with learned, pronounce with vulgar.
- Time is herb that cures all disease.
- Eat to please yourself, but dress to please others.
- The ancient tells us what is best; but we must learn from moderns what is fittest.
- A house without women and firelight is like body without soul.
- You cannot pluck roses without fear of thorns,
- Nor enjoy a fair life without danger of horns.
- Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut afterwards.
- Fools make feasts and wise man eat them.
- Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
- God helps them that helps themselves.
- Creditors have better memory than debtors.
- An empty bag cannot stand upright.
- When the wells dry, you know the worth of water.
- The cat in gloves catches no mice.
- It is better to have eggs today than hen tomorrow.
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- There were plenty of mysteries about men, but industry and frugality were never.
- Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly no great use; a right heart exceeds all.
- He that falls in love with himself shall have no rivals.
- Some are justly laughed at for keeping their money foolishly, others for spending at idly; he is the greatest fool that lays it out in the purchase of repentance.
- Up sluggard and waste not life, in the grave will be sleeping enough”.
- The eye of the master will do more work than his mind.
- Help hands! For i have no lands.
- The most exquisite folly is wisdom spun too fine.
- The life of leisure and life of laziness are two different things.
- His hypothesis grew as his facts accumulated.
- He wanted wealth only that he might be free,and And to be free only that he might be useful.
- It is hard but glorious to be poor and honest.
- Lost time is never found again.
- The muse loves the morning.
- The end of passion is the beginning of repentance.
- Many foxes grow grey, but few grow good.
- Having being poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it is.
- Doing an injury puts you below your enemy;
- Revenging one makes you but even;
- Forgiving it sets you above him.
- Discontended minds and fever of the body are not cured by changing beds or business.
- Men would live by their wits, but break for want of stocks.
- We may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.
- Cunning proceeds from want of capacity.
- The brave and wise can both be pity and excuse when cowards and fools show no mercy.
- It is against some men to pay interest and seems against others to pay principal.
- He that best understood the world least likes it.
- Anger is never without reason, but seldom with good ones.
- The bell calls other to church but itself never minds the sermon.
- Cut the wings of your hope, lest they lead you a weary dance after them.
- Love your neighbour, yet don’t pull down your hedge.
- When prosperity was well mounted she let go the bridle and soon came out tumbling from the saddle.
- A hundred thieves cannot strip one naked man, especially if his skin is off.
- It is ill manner to silence the fool and cruelty to let him go.
- Silencing might be rude, But allowing them to continue unchecked could be harmful and detrimental. Thus, balancing politeness with need to prevent foolishness.
- Retirement does not always secure virtue.
- Lot was upright in the city, wicked in the mountains.
- Half a truth is often a great lie.
- The first mistake in public business is going into it.
- In corrupt age the putting the world in order would breed confusion,
- Then mind your business.
- I wish every kind of prosperity to my friends; and I forgive the enemies.
- Let us agree to consume no more of their gee-gaws;
- Let us live frugally; and let us industriously manufacture what we can for ourselves.
- The receiver of stolen good was as bad as thief.
- For as people say, when they are angry: If he strikes me, i’ll strike him, I sometimes think it may be right to say; If he flatters me, i’ll flatter him again.
- A man is sometimes more generous when he has but little money than when he has plenty, perhaps through fear of being thought to have but little.
- Strong and stable young men often attract their loser friend, and are attracted to them.
- We are apt to fancy a person that cannot speak intelligibly, just because he is stupid in understanding does not mean he also lost the use of ears as well as tongue.
- Modesty makes the most homely virgin amiable and charming.
- Love mankind in general and truth for truth sake.
- Develop zest for reason, hunger for goodness, and a passion for wisdom.
- Right action cannot be produced without right opinion.
- Never spare the person wine nor bakers pudding.
- As charm are nonsense, nonsense are charm.
- What one relishes, nourishes.
- Man and melons are hard to know.
- Do good to your friend to keep him, to enemy to gain him.
- He that is rich need not to live sparingly,
- He that can live sparingly need not to be rich.
- He is no clown that drives the plough, he that do the clownish things.
- Now i have a ship and cow, everybody gives me a good morrow.
- He that has neither fools nor beggars among his kindred is son of thundergust.
- Love and lordship hate companions.
- There are no ugly loves nor handsome prisons.
- If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead,
- Either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.
- Defer not your well doing;
- Be not like st George ,
- Who is always a horse back and never rides on.
- As we most account for every idle word,
- So we must for every idle silence.
- Fly pleasures and they will follow you.
- Neither a fortress nor a maiden head will hold out long after they begin to parley.
- Marry your son when you will,
- A little horse well filled; A little filled well tilled; A little wife well willed; Are great riches.
- A ship under sail and big-bellied woman are handsomest two thing that can be seen common.
- Let your maid servant be faithful, strong and homely.
- He that takes a wife takes care.
- Why does the blind man's wife paint herself?
- The sleeping fox catches no poultry.
- If you’d have it done, go; if not, send.
- Experience keeps a dear school; yet fools will learn in no other.
- The used key is always bright.
For want of nail the shoe is lost, For want of shoe the horse is lost, For want of horse the rider is lost.
- In the affairs of the world, men are saved not by faith But by want of it.
- Three removes is as bad as fire.
- A fat kitchen, a lean will.
- Little strokes fell great oaks.
- People who had no chance to save in England, Did not learned to save in canada.
- A man's trade should be its pride.
- Sin is not hurtful because it is forbidden, But it is forbidden becaus it is hurtful.
- Proclaim not all you know, All you owe, all you have, nor all you can
- You had better eat salt with philosopher of greece than sugar with courtiers of italy.
- Learn of the skillful; he that teaches himself shall have a fool for master.
- Lying lie upon your debt backs.Ben beats his brain and fancies wit will come, But he may knock, there’s nobody at home.
- He that rise late, may rush all day and yet not finish work by end of it.
- Sloth (like rust) consumes faster than labor wears.
- Light-heeled mothers make laden-heeled daughter.
- What’s proper is becoming; see the blacksmith with his white silk apron.
- Like an Irishman, to steal gunpowder, he used a hot rod.
- War is like hazard like fire or lightning and like them to be guarded against.
- If a man was rich and free, he should be useful.
- He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.
- Civilized justice and savage justice are much the same and could live side by side in peace.
- The rule to public office: “Never ask, never refuse, nor even resign”.
- Prudence and propriety no matter how harsh daily life is were values that demanded respect.
- When he did good he felt good,
- When he did bad he felt bad,
- That is my religion.
- We should cherish sentiments of character toward all men.
- With malice toward none and charity for all.
- True liberty can only exist when justice is equally administered to all.
- We ought to distrust our passion,
- Even when they appear most reasonable.
- Reason, logic, evidence, and incentives were guide to truth.
- For cheerful countenance betokens a good heart.
- The path of glory lead but to grave.
- High ambition distorts value and well being of society.
- History is full of error of states and princes.
- Small seeds properly sown sometimes, produce a large and fruitful tree.
- Kill no more pigeon than you can eat.
- If i have offended them by acting right,
- I can whenever i please reverse their displeasure by acting wrong.
- Farewell a long farewell to all my greatness.
- Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
- True ease in writing comes from art, not chance.
- Two principles in human nature reign,
- Self love to urge and reason to restrain.
- He was surer in practice than in doctrine.
- In book about women, “not to give reason before one is sure of facts”.
- No man is always prophet.
- He that is pleased to feed ravens will undoubtedly take care to prevent monopoly of carrion.
- Business not well managed ruins faster than no business.
- The waves never rise but when the wind blow.
- Nothing is more apt to sour the temper of aged people.
- Make yourself sheep and wolves will eat you.
- People can act from any other principle than interest.
- Where complaining is a crime, hope becomes desperate.
- Violence are natural effects on the mind of freeman.
- Violence would lead to larger violence,
- And all interest and reason be overwhelmed.
- Wisdom is long, violence is short.
- I was well! I will be better, I took physic and died.
- If we mean a hearty reconciliation we must deal candidly and use no tricks.
- Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.
- Honor doesn’t descend but ascend.
- A shilling spent idly by a fool may be picked up by wiser person who knows better to do with.
- Those who feel can best judge.

Reference

Auto biography of Benjamin franklin by Carl Van doren

Team of Rivals

founder archieves

Licoln: The biography of writer by Fred Kaplan