Quotes from Benjamin Franklin

The borrower is a slave to the lender and the debtor to the creditor.

No nation was ever ruined by trade.

Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep thee.

Industry pays debts, while despair increases them.

Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade?

Observe all men; thy self most.

Deny Self for Self's sake

Proclaim not all thou knowest

Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.

Fools need advice most, but wise men only are the better for it.

Who says Jack is not generous? He is always fond of giving, and cares not for receiving. What? Why; Advice.

We may give advice but we cannot give conduct.

Ill Customs & bad Advice are seldom forgotten.

Promises may fit the friends, but non-performance will turn them into enemies.

As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.

To bear other people's afflictions, everyone has courage and enough to spare.

I look upon death to be as necessary to our constitution as sleep. We shall rise refreshed in the morning.

Take Courage, Mortal; Death can't banish thee out of the Universe.

Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.

Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.

Death takes no bribes.

How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep holidays than commandments.

Do good to thy friend to keep him, to thy enemy to gain him.

Friends and neighbors, 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 others, 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 allowing abatement.