It is probably difficult to find anyone who has been educated in the United States who has not heard of Benjamin Franklin. In addition to being an inventor, a politician, and a scientist, Franklin was first and foremost a printer. As a printer he needed something to print and so, from 1733 to 1758 he published Poor Richard’s Almanack. He scattered in this almanac lots of folk wisdom, old saying, proverbs, and other short bits which are sometimes called Franklin’s Laws. While he may have written a few of these, for the most part these “laws” were probably borrowed and edited from earlier oral traditions and publications. Here are a few of Franklin’s Laws:
“Necessity never made a good bargain.”
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
“He that lives upon hope, dies farting.”
“After three days men grow weary of a wench, a guest, and weather rainy.”
“There are no gains without pain.”
“Time is money.”
“At the working man’s house hunger looks in but dares not enter.”
“Lost time is never found again.”
“One today is worth two tomorrows.”
“Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.”
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”
“In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.”
Welcome to Street Prophets Saturday. Feel free to add to the list of Franklinisms and to invent or create some of your own. This is an open thread. Discussions about food (with photos), pets (with photos), politics, religion, and the weather are welcome.