XXVIII
OF EXPENCE
Riches are for Spending, And Spending for Honour and good Actions. Therefore Extraordinary Expence must be limitted by[1] the Worth of the Occasion; For Voluntary Undoing[2] may be as well for a Man's Country as for the Kingdome of Heaven; But Ordinary Expence ought to be limitted by[1] a Man's Estate, And governed with such regard as[3] it be within his Compasse; And not subiect to Deceit and Abuse of Servants; And ordered to the best Shew[4], that the Bils may be lesse then the Estimation abroad. Certainly, if a Man will keep but of Even hand[5], his Ordinary Expences ought to be but to the Halfe of his Receipts; And if he thinke to waxe Rich, but to the Third Part. It is no Basenesse for the Greatest to descend and looke into their owne Estate. Some forbeare it, not upon[6] Negligence alone, But doubting[7] to bring Themselves into Melancholy, in respect they shall finde it Broken[8]. But Wounds cannot be Cured without Searching. He that cannot looke into his own Estate at all, had need both Choose well those whom he employeth, and change them often; For New[9] are more Timorous and lesse Subtile. He that can looke into his Estate but seldome, it behoveth him to turne all to Certainties[10]. A Man had need, if he be Plentifull[11] in some kinde of Expence, to be as Saving againe in some other: As if he be Plentifull in Diet, to be Saving in Apparell; If he be Plentifull in the Hall[12], to be Saving in the Stable; And the like. For he that is Plentifull in Expences of all Kindes will hardly be preserved
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 proportionate to
- ↑ ruin, i.e. self-sacrifice
- ↑ so regulated that
- ↑ managed in such a way as to produce the greatest impression
- ↑ wishes to keep solvent
- ↑ from
- ↑ fearing
- ↑ in case they should find their fortune diminished
- ↑ i.e. new servants
- ↑ definitely to determine the items of his income and expenditure
- ↑ lavish
- ↑ hospitality
