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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 commissiouer cannot ease or deliver us by allowing an abatement. However, let us hearken to good advice, and something may be done for us ;
"God helps them that helps themselves,"
as poor Richard says in his Almanack.
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, if we reckon all that is spent in absolute sloth, or doing of nothing, with that which is spent in idle employments, or amusements that amount to nothing.
Sloth, by bringing on disease, absolutely shortens life.
But dost thou love life ? then do not squander time, for “that's the stuff life is made of,” as poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep ! forgetting that "the sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that there will be sleeping in the grave," as poor Richard says. “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, “Lost time is never found again, and what we will call “time enough” always proves little enough.
