A man of but an ordinary penetration will improve himself by conversing in matters of trade with men of trade; by the experience of the old tradesmen they learn caution and prudence, and by the rashness and the miscarriages of the young, they learn what are the mischiefs that themselves may be exposed to.

Again, in conversing with men of trade, they get trade; men first talk together, then deal together—­many a good bargain is made, and many a pound gained, where nothing was expected, by mere casual coming to talk together, without knowing any thing of the matter before they met.  The tradesmen’s meetings are like the merchants’ exchange, where they manage, negociate, and, indeed, beget business with one another.

Let no tradesman mistake me in this part; I am not encouraging them to leave their shops and warehouses, to go to taverns and ale-houses, and spend their time there in unnecessary prattle, which, indeed, is nothing but sotting and drinking; this is not meeting to do business, but to neglect business.  Of which I shall speak fully afterwards.

But the tradesmen conversing with one another, which I mean, is the taking suitable occasions to discourse with their fellow tradesmen, meeting them in the way of their business, and improving their spare hours together.  To leave their shops, and quit their counters, in the proper seasons for their attendance there, would be a preposterous negligence, would be going out of business to gain business, and would be cheating themselves, instead of improving themselves.  The proper hours of business are sacred to the shop and the warehouse.  He that goes out of the order of trade, let the pretence of business be what it will, loses his business, not increases it; and will, if continued, lose the credit of his conduct in business also.

FOOTNOTES: 

[10] [The story of the political upholsterer forms the subject of several amusing papers by Addison in the Tatler.]

[11] [To stand in the presence of a prince is the highest mark of honour in the east, as to sit is with us.]

CHAPTER V

DILIGENCE AND APPLICATION IN BUSINESS

Solomon was certainly a friend to men of business, as it appears by his frequent good advice to them.  In Prov. xviii. 9, he says, ’He that is slothful in business, is brother to him that is a great waster:’  and in another place, ‘The sluggard shall be clothed in rags,’ (Prov. xxiii. 1), or to that purpose.  On the contrary, the same wise man, by way of encouragement, tells them, ‘The diligent hand maketh rich,’ (Prov. x. 4), and, ’The diligent shall bear rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute.’

Nothing can give a greater prospect of thriving to a young tradesman, than his own diligence; it fills himself with hope, and gives him credit with all who know him; without application, nothing in this world goes forward as it should do:  let the man have the most perfect knowledge of his trade, and the best situation for his shop, yet without application nothing will go on.  What is the shop without the master? what the books without the book-keeper? what the credit without the man?  Hark how the people talk of such conduct as the slothful negligent trader discovers in his way.