nown 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,"

as Poor Richard says.

But what madness must it be to run into debt for these superfluities! We
are offered by the terms of this vendue six months' credit; and that,
perhaps, has induced some of us to attend it, because we cannot spare
the ready money and hope now to be fine without it. But ah! think what
you do when you run in debt: you give to another power over your
liberty. If you cannot pay at the time you will be ashamed to see your
creditor; you will be in fear when you speak to him; you will make poor,
pitiful, sneaking excuses, and by degrees come to lose your veracity and
sink into base, downright lying; for, as Poor Richard says, "the second
vice is lying, the first is running into debt;" and again, to the same
purpose, "lying rides upon debt's back;" whereas a free-born Englishman
ought not to be ashamed or afraid to see or speak to any man living. But
poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue. "'Tis hard for an
empty bag to stand upright!" as Poor Richard truly says. What would you
think of that prince or the governmen