Again, Poor Richard says, “’tis foolish to lay out money in a purchase of repentance;” and yet this folly is practiced every day at vendues for want of minding the almanac.
“Wise men,” as Poor Richard says, “learn by others’ harm; fools scarcely by their own;” but Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum.[416-5] Many a one, for the sake of finery on the back, has gone with a hungry belly and half-starved his family. “Silks and satins, scarlets and velvets,” as Poor Richard says, “put out the kitchen fire.” These are not the necessaries of life; they can scarcely be called the conveniences; and yet, only because they look pretty, how many want to have them! The artificial wants of mankind thus become more numerous than the natural; and as Poor Dick says, “for one poor person there are a hundred indigent.”
By these and other extravagances the genteel are reduced to poverty and forced to borrow of those whom they formerly despised, but who, through industry and frugality, have maintained their standing; in which case it appears plainly that “a plowman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees,” as Poor Richard says. Perhaps they have had a small estate left them, which they knew not the getting of; they think, “’tis day and will never be night;” that “a little to be spent out of so much is not worth minding” (a child and a fool, as Poor Richard says, imagine twenty shillings and twenty years can never be spent); but “always taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom.” Then, as Poor Dick says, “when the well’s dry they know the worth of water.” But this they might have known before if they had taken his advice. “If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some;” for “he that goes a-borrowing goes a sorrowing,” and indeed so does he that lends to such people, when he goes to get it in again.
Poor Dick further advises and says:
“Fond pride of dress is, sure, a very curse;
Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse.”
And again, “pride is as loud a beggar as want and a great deal more saucy.” When you have bought one fine thing you must buy ten more, that your appearance may be all of a piece; but Poor Dick says, “’tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow it.” And ’tis as true folly for the poor to ape the rich as for the frog to swell in order to equal the ox.
“Great estates may venture more,
But little boats should keep near shore.”
’Tis, however, a folly soon punished; for “pride that dines on vanity sups on contempt,” as Poor Richard says. And in another place, “pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty, and supped with infamy.”
And after all, of what use is this pride of appearance, for which so much is risked, so much is suffered? It cannot promote health or ease pain; it makes no increase of merit in the person; it creates envy; it hastens misfortune.
“What is a butterfly? At best
He’s but a caterpillar drest,
The gaudy fop’s his picture just,”