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Literary
February 16, 1782
The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser
Portsmouth, Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
A first-person soliloquy reflecting on the duties of the wealthy to be thankful and charitable, acknowledging the temptations of riches, and preferring a life of moderation over extremes of wealth or poverty, concluding with Agur's prayer for neither.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
A SOLILOQUY ON RICHES:
THE beneficent Creator of the Universe has been fit to give me the riches of this World, which many of my fellow creatures are starving for the want of. What then is my duty, as a wealthy man, but to be thankful, charitable and exemplary, especially as I am indebted to divine goodness for all I have, and am: When I look around me, and view the multitude of snares, temptations, and allurements, which daily I am exposed and liable to fall into, I cannot but acknowledge myself in the midst of danger, difficulties, and entanglements, unknown to, and therefore undreaded by, the sons and daughters of indigence and poverty. Which situation then, ye sensible and discerning, ay, is most desirable, or to be preferred by the thinking and judicious FEW, a life of golden cares, or a state of unenvied distance from the glare of wealth? They both have inconveniencies attending them, and yet neither of them will be esteemed ineligible in every respect. No; as there are circumstances respecting each, which make them (if not equally, yet on many accounts, and for various reasons) worthy the regard and choice of the wise & virtuous, so they ought neither of them to be eagerly sought after on the one hand, or entirely rejected on the other. Let then the prayer of Agur be the prayer of all,
Give me neither poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient for me.
THE beneficent Creator of the Universe has been fit to give me the riches of this World, which many of my fellow creatures are starving for the want of. What then is my duty, as a wealthy man, but to be thankful, charitable and exemplary, especially as I am indebted to divine goodness for all I have, and am: When I look around me, and view the multitude of snares, temptations, and allurements, which daily I am exposed and liable to fall into, I cannot but acknowledge myself in the midst of danger, difficulties, and entanglements, unknown to, and therefore undreaded by, the sons and daughters of indigence and poverty. Which situation then, ye sensible and discerning, ay, is most desirable, or to be preferred by the thinking and judicious FEW, a life of golden cares, or a state of unenvied distance from the glare of wealth? They both have inconveniencies attending them, and yet neither of them will be esteemed ineligible in every respect. No; as there are circumstances respecting each, which make them (if not equally, yet on many accounts, and for various reasons) worthy the regard and choice of the wise & virtuous, so they ought neither of them to be eagerly sought after on the one hand, or entirely rejected on the other. Let then the prayer of Agur be the prayer of all,
Give me neither poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient for me.
What sub-type of article is it?
Soliloquy
Essay
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
Temperance
What keywords are associated?
Riches
Poverty
Moderation
Charity
Moral Duty
Agurs Prayer
Literary Details
Title
A Soliloquy On Riches
Key Lines
Give Me Neither Poverty Nor Riches, But Feed Me With Food Convenient For Me.
What Then Is My Duty, As A Wealthy Man, But To Be Thankful, Charitable And Exemplary
Which Situation Then, Ye Sensible And Discerning, Ay, Is Most Desirable, Or To Be Preferred By The Thinking And Judicious Few, A Life Of Golden Cares, Or A State Of Unenvied Distance From The Glare Of Wealth?