BENJAMIN FRANKLIN - THE MAN OF PERMEATING WISDOM

 

There are so many stalwarts in the history of the world.  One such giant is Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of United States .  In many ways,  he is the First American.  

His magnum opus is  'Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin'  is  available as a free download  at   https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20203  .   The book is famous for his 13 virtues which every individual should nurture/ follow.

Franklin is a multi-facet personality.  He is an  author, printer, politician, political theorist, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat.

His innings as 'writer' are inscribed with golden letters in the annals of American History.    He gained his prominence with his  magazine called 'Poor Richard's Almanack' which  was very popular in those times.  The annual versions of that publication were made from 1733 to 1758 and they turned out as 'best sellers'.

The following are my choicest quotes from the Almanack.

- Hunger never saw bad bread.

-Great talkers, little doers.

-If you ride a horse, sit close and tight;  If you ride a man, sit easy and light.

-Better slip with foot than tongue.

-A good lawyer is a bad neighbor.

- Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power.

-Wish not so much to live long as to live well.

-Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.

-If you keep your secret from an enemy, tell it not to a friend.

-He that sows thorns, should not go barefoot.

-Experience keeps a dear school, yet fools will learn in no other.

- He is a Fool that can not conceal his wisdom.

-Great spenders are bad lenders.

-It is an easiest thing in the world for a Man to deceive himself.

-A good Example is the best sermon.

- The wise man draws more advantage from his enemies than the fool from his friends.

-Clean ;your Fingers before you point at any spots.

- We may give Advice but we can not give 'Conduct'.

- To serve the public faithfully and at the same time please it entirely is impracticable.

-A brother may not be a friend, but a friend  will always be a brother.

-The busy man has no idle visitors.

-For want for a nail the shoe is lost;
 For want of a shoe, the horse is lost;
 For want of a horse the Rider is lost !

 Benjamin Franklin is like Mahatma Gandhi to Americans.    His autobiography is an inspiring piece of prose and one should not miss to read it in his/her life time !

WILLIAM PENN - A MINEFIELD OF QUOTES

 

Harvard Classics, originally known as Dr. Eliot's Five Foot Shelf, is a 51-volume anthology of classic works from world literature, compiled and edited by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot and first published in 1909.

Eliot stated in speeches that the elements of a liberal education could be obtained by spending 15 minutes a day reading from the collection.

One such book which contains a minefield of quotes is Volume 1: The author is : William Penn   ( 14 October 1644 to 30 July 1718). As I was not familiar with the author in American Literature, I searched for clue from Wikipedia to know more about him. The online encyclopedia reverted back saying that he was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher and founder of the Pennsylvania, a U.S. State located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic region.

Like a wine, literature also when it becomes older gives more excitement and elation beyond the boundaries of sobriety. Penn's book "Fruits of Solitude" is a pithy comment upon human life. This literary giant has commented on all aspects of life and he is a man of permeating intelligence.

When you read his quotes, it reflects the amount of moderation required while handling our relationships with the outer world. Some of his quotes are enchanting and addictive which raise our awareness as the world we are living is shrouded with so many mysteries and the very mystery starts with our own bodies to pervading universe whose boundaries are unknown or you could say Unknowable.

Here are his best quotes to lift your soul:

- It were Happy if we studied Nature more in natural Things, and acted according to Nature, whose rules are few, plain and most reasonable.

- All Excess is ill : But Drunkenness is of the worst Sort. It spoils Health, dismounts the Mind, and unmans Men.

- If Love be not thy chiefest Motive, thou wilt soon grow weary of a Married State, and stray from thy Promise, to search out thy Pleasures in forbidden Places.

- There can be no Friendship where there is no Freedom. Friendship loves a free Air, and will not be penned up in straight and narrow Enclosures. It will speak freely, and act so too; and take nothing ill where no ill is meant; nay, where it is, it will easily forgive, and forget too, upon small Acknowledgements.

- Friends are true Twins in Soul; they Sympathize in every thing, and have the Love and Aversion.

- Between a Man and his Wife nothing ought to rule but Love. Authority is for Children and Servants; yet not without Sweetness.

- A true Friend unbosoms freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a Friend unchangeably.

- Avoid Company where it is not profitable or necessary; and in those Occasions speak little and last.

- Never assent merely to please others.

- Knowledge is the Treasure, but Judgement the Treasure of a Wise Man.

- He that has more Knowledge than Judgement, is made for another Man's use more than his own.

- The Jealous are Troublesome to others, but a Torment to themselves.

A great writer does not descend from Heaven. He is groomed here. He weaves daily thoughts into an interesting  prose order thereby etch our hearts like William Penn !