Poor Richard's Amanack, February 1759

Transcript:

Its Vigour by Adversity refines;

The Jewel must be polish’d e’er it shines.

Camillus, Cato, each heroic Name,

Tradition knows, derives from thence its Fame

Howe’er exalted, or how ever low;

As equal Dignity of Mind they show

In them ye little, mimick, Patriots view,

What to your country, to yourselves is due;

To brave the Menace, and to scorn the Bribe,

Than Stars, or Ribbons, more adorns your Tribe

Plutarch observes, that Pericles, at a

Time when all the Citizens were crying

out against him, and blaming his Con-

duct, like an able Pilot, who, in a Storm

regards only the Rules of his Art for

saving the Ship, and overlooks the Cries,

Lamentations, and Prayers of all around

him; that Pericles, I say, after having

taken all possible Precaution for the Secu-

rity of the State, pursued his own Scheme,

without troubling himself about the Mur-

murs, and Insults, the injurious Rail

leries and Accusations that were daily

thrown out against him.

On the 1st of this Month, February,

A.D. 1172, King Henry II of England

surnamed Plantagenet, returned from

taking Possession of Ireland.

Self-Sufficiency exposed

The Honour which Science and Ge-

nious confer, results not merely from li-

terary Attainments, and the Talents of

the Mind, but the good Use made of

the; for a Man may be adorned with

the Knowledge of every Thing that is

most curious and exquisite in the Sciences,

and yet be a bad Man. This makes a

Man learned, but does not make him

good. And if a Man be only learned,

Public Domain

Link