Hew Morrison Collection > Collection of Gaelic proverbs, and familiar phrases

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ivould have my advice^ I will give it you in short ; *-for
* a xvord to the wise is enoughy as Poor Richard says.
— They joined in desiring him to speak his mind ; and,
gathering round him, he proceeded as follows:
" Friends, (said he), the taxes are indeed very heavy ;
and, if those laid on by the government were the only
ones we had to pay, we might more easily discharge
them ; but we have many othei's, and much more
grievous to some of us. We are taxed twice as much
by our idleness, three times as much by our pride, and
four "times as much by our folly ; and from these taxes
the commissioners cannot ease or deliver us, by allow-
ing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good
advice, and something may be done for us. ^
3. " It would be thought a hard government, that
should tax its people one-tenth part of their time to be
employed in its service ; but idleness taxes many of us
much more ; sloth, by bringing on diseases, absolutely
shortens life. ' Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than
labour wears, while the used key is always bright,' as
Poor Richard says. — ' But, dost thou love life ? then
* do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made
* of,' as Poor Richard says. — How much moi'e than is
necessary, do we spend in sleep ! forgetting that ' the
' sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will
* be sleeping enough in the grave,' as Poor Richard
says.
4. '•' If time be of all things the most precious,
' wasting time must be,' as Poor Richard says, ' the
* greatest prodigality ;' since, as he elsewhere tells us,
' lost time is never found again ; and what we call time
' enough, always proves little enough.' — Let us then up
and be doing, and doing to the purpose ; for, by dili-
gence, we shall do more with less perplexity. ' Sloth
* makes all things difficult, but industry all easy : and