is
worth while to caution the tradesman against venturing. And I must add,
too, that many a tradesman has fallen under the disaster by the
partner's affairs thus affecting him, though the immediate losses which
the partner had suffered have not been charged upon him; and yet I
believe it is not so easy to avoid being fallen upon for those debts
also.

It is certain, as I formerly noted, rumour will break a tradesman almost
at any time. It matters not, at first, whether the rumour be true or
false. What rumour can sit closer to a man in business--his own personal
misfortunes excepted--than such as this-_that his partner is broke?_
That his partner has met with a loss, suppose an insurance, suppose a
fall of stocks, suppose a bubble or a cheat, or we know not what, the
partner is sunk, no man knows whether the partnership be concerned in it
or no; and while it is not known, every man will suppose it, for mankind
always think the worst of every thing.

What can be a closer stroke at the poor tradesman? He knows not what his
partner has done; he has reason to fear the worst; he even knows not
himself, for a while, whether he can steer clear of the rocks or no; but
soon recovers, knows his own circumstances, and struggles hard with the
world, pays out his partner's stock, and gets happily over it. And it is
well he does so, for that he is at the brink of ruin must be granted;
and where one stands and keeps up his reputation and his business, there
are twenty would be undone in the same circumstance.

Who, then, would run the venture of a partner, if it were possible to
avoid it? And who, if they must have a partner, would have one that was
concerned in separate business, in which the partnership was not
engaged?

2. If you must have a partner, always choose to have the partner rather
under than over you; by this I mean, take him in for a fifth, a fourth,
or at most a third, never for a half. There are many reasons to be given
for this, besides that of having the greater share of profits, for that
I do not give as a reason here at all; but the principal reasons are
these:--First, in case of any disaster in any of the particular supposed
accidents which I have mentioned, and that you should be obliged to pay
out your partner's stock, it will not be so heavy, or be so much a blow
to you: and, secondly, you preserve to yourself the governing influence
in your own business; you cannot be overruled, overawed, or dogmatically