the autobiography of ben franklin(本富兰克林自传)-第25节
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dulness； weakness； or the injury of your own or another's peace or
reputation。
13。 HUMILITY。 Imitate Jesus and Socrates。
My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues； I judg'd
it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at
once； but to fix it on one of them at a time； and； when I should be master
of that； then to proceed to another； and so on； till I should have gone thro'
the thirteen； and； as the previous acquisition of some might facilitate the
acquisition of certain others； I arrang'd them with that view； as they stand
above。 Temperance first； as it tends to procure that coolness and clearness
of head； which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be kept up；
and guard maintained against the unremitting attraction of ancient habits；
and the force of perpetual temptations。 This being acquir'd and establish'd；
Silence would be more easy； and my desire being to gain knowledge at the
same time that I improv'd in virtue； and considering that in conversation it
was obtain'd rather by the use of the ears than of the tongue； and therefore
wishing to break a habit I was getting into of prattling； punning； and
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joking； which only made me acceptable to trifling company； I gave Silence
the second place。 This and the next； Order； I expected would allow me
more time for attending to my project and my studies。 Resolution； once
become habitual； would keep me firm in my endeavors to obtain all the
subsequent virtues； Frugality and Industry freeing me from my remaining
debt； and producing affluence and independence； would make more easy
the practice of Sincerity and Justice； etc。； etc。 Conceiving then； that；
agreeably to the advice of Pythagoras in his Golden Verses； daily
examination would be necessary； I contrived the following method for
conducting that examination。
I made a little book； in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues。 I
rul'd each page with red ink； so as to have seven columns； one for each
day of the week； marking each column with a letter for the day。 I cross'd
these columns with thirteen red lines； marking the beginning of each line
with the first letter of one of the virtues； on which line； and in its proper
column； I might mark； by a little black spot； every fault I found upon
examination to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day。
Form of the pages。
＋…＋ ｜ TEMPERANCE。 ｜ ＋…
＋ ｜ EAT NOT TO DULNESS； ｜ ｜ DRINK NOT TO ELEVATION。 ｜
＋…＋ ｜ ｜ S。｜ M。｜ T。｜ W。｜ T。｜ F。｜ S。｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…
＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ T。｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ S。｜ * ｜ * ｜ ｜ * ｜ ｜
* ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ O。｜ **｜ * ｜ * ｜ ｜ * ｜ * ｜ * ｜ ＋…＋…＋…
＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ R。｜ ｜ ｜ * ｜ ｜ ｜ * ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ F。｜
｜ * ｜ ｜ ｜ * ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ I。｜ ｜ ｜ * ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…
＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ S。｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ J。｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜
＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ M。｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…
＋…＋ ｜ C。｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ T。｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋
…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ C。｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋ ｜ H。｜ ｜ ｜
｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜ ＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋…＋
I determined to give a week's strict attention to each of the virtues
successively。 Thus； in the first week； my great guard was to avoid every
the least offence against Temperance； leaving the other virtues to their
ordinary chance； only marking every evening the faults of the day。 Thus； if
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in the first week I could keep my first line； marked T； clear of spots； I
suppos'd the habit of that virtue so much strengthen'd and its opposite
weaken'd； that I might venture extending my attention to include the next；
and for the following week keep both lines clear of spots。 Proceeding thus
to the last； I could go thro' a course compleat in thirteen weeks； and four
courses in a year。 And like him who； having a garden to weed； does not
attempt to eradicate all the bad herbs at once； which would exceed his
reach and his strength； but works on one of the beds at a time； and； having
accomplish'd the first； proceeds to a second； so I should have； I hoped； the
encouraging pleasure of seeing on my pages the progress I made in virtue；
by clearing successively my lines of their spots； till in the end； by a
number of courses； I should he happy in viewing a clean book； after a
thirteen weeks' daily examination。
This my little book had for its motto these lines from Addison's Cato：
〃Here will I hold。 If there's a power above us （And that there is all
nature cries aloud Thro' all her works）； He must delight in virtue； And that
which he delights in must be happy。〃
Another from Cicero；
〃O vitae Philosophia dux！ O virtutum indagatrix expultrixque
vitiorum！ Unus dies； bene et ex praeceptis tuis actus； peccanti
immortalitati est anteponendus。〃
Another from the Proverbs of Solomon； speaking of wisdom or virtue：
〃Length of days is in her right hand； and in her left hand riches and
honour。 Her ways are ways of pleasantness； and all her paths are peace。〃
iii。 16； 17。
And conceiving God to be the fountain of wisdom； I thought it right
and necessary to solicit his assistance for obtaining it； to this end I formed
the following little prayer； which was prefix'd to my tables of examination；
for daily use。
〃O powerful Goodness！ bountiful Father！ merciful Guide！ increase in
me that wisdom which discovers my truest interest。 strengthen my
resolutions to perform what that wisdom dictates。 Accept my kind offices
to thy other children as the only return in my power for thy continual
favors to me。〃
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I used also sometimes a little prayer which I took from Thomson's
Poems； viz。：
〃Father of light and life； thou Good Supreme！ O teach me what is
good； teach me Thyself！ Save me from folly； vanity； and vice； From every
low pursuit； and fill my soul With knowledge； conscious peace； and virtue
pure； Sacred； substantial； never…fading bliss！〃
The precept of Order requiring that every part of my business should
have its allotted time； one page in my little book contain'd the following
scheme of employment for the twenty…four hours of a natural day：
THE MORNING。 ｛ 5 ｝ Rise； wash； and address ｛ ｝ Powerful
Goodness！ Contrive Question。 What good shall ｛ 6 ｝ day's business； and
take the I do this day？ ｛ ｝ resolution of the day； prose… ｛ 7 ｝ cute the
present study； and ｛ ｝ breakfast。 8 ｝ 9 ｝ Work。 10 ｝ 11 ｝
NOON。 ｛ 12 ｝ Read； or overlook my ac… ｛ 1 ｝ counts； and dine。 2 ｝
3 ｝ Work。 4 ｝ 5 ｝
EVENING。 ｛ 6 ｝ Put things in their places。 ｛ 7 ｝ Supper。 Music or
diversion； Question。 What good have ｛ 8 ｝ or conversation。 Examination I
done to…day？ ｛ 9 ｝ of the day。 ｛ 10 ｝ ｛ 11 ｝ ｛ 12 ｝
NIGHT。 ｛ 1 ｝ Sleep。 ｛ 2 ｝ ｛ 3 ｝ ｛ 4 ｝
I enter'd upon the execution of this plan for self…examination； and
continu'd it with occasional intermissions for some time。 I was surpris'd to
find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined； but I had the
satisfaction of seeing them diminish。 To avoid the trouble of renewing
now and then my little book； which； by scraping out the marks on the
paper of old faults to make room for new ones in a new course； became
full of holes； I transferr'd my tables and precepts to the ivory leaves of a
memorandum book； on which the lines were drawn with red ink； that
made a durable stain； and on those lines I mark'd my faults with a black…
lead pencil； which marks I could easily wipe out with a wet sponge。 After
a while I went thro' one course only in a year； and afterward only one in
several years； till at length I omitted them entirely； being employ'd in
voyages and business abroad； with a multiplicity of affairs that interfered；
but I always carried my little book with me。
My scheme of
