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About the Old Proverb “Early to Bed, Early to Rise…”

January 17th, 2006 Marks 300 Years since Ben Franklin was Born

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About the Old Proverb “Early to Bed, Early to Rise…”

Tuesday, February 12th, 2008

I have a correction to make – and investigating my error has led me to an interesting discovery. Way back in 2005, I was asked about the saying, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” At the time I attributed it to Benjamin Franklin. The saying was in Franklin’s book “Poor Richard’s Almanac” in 1735.

(An aside: Everyone has heard about Almanacs. They used to be very important. In Benjamin Franklin’s time, everyone had one. They gave information about the tides, the cycles of the moon, seasons, the dates of the holidays, etc. You have to consider the times to realize their significance. For example, if you were going out at night, the cycle of the moon was important, since there weren’t street lamps lighting the whole way!)

Franklin, as well as other almanac writers, peppered his book with witticisms and proverbs. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” is one of the sayings he used. This proverb actually originated long before Franklin’s time. It was seen in print as early as 1496, in a piece called The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle. There it is referred to as an old English proverb:

Also whoever wishes to practice the sport of angling, he must rise early, which thing is profitable to a man in this way. That is, to wit: most for the welfare of his soul. For it will cause him to be holy, and for the health of his body. For it will cause him to be well, also for the increase of his goods, for it will make him rich. As the old English proverb says: “Whoever will rise early shall be holy, healthy, and happy.”

So the proverb was around in some form before 1496, since they were already calling it old, even then.

After 1496, the proverb is found in print in other variations:

1523 – Early rising maketh a man whole in body, holer (holier?) in soul and richer in goods.
(Found in The Book of Husbandry by Sir Anthony Fitzherbert)
1577 – Rise you early in the morning, for it hath properties three: holiness, health and happy wealth, as my father taught me.
(Found in the Boke of Nurture by Hugh Rhodes)

Finally, in 1639 the proverb is seen in print in its current form in a book called Paroemiologia by John Clarke: “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

Interestingly, there’s another similar proverb from around 1830, “The cock doth crow to let you know, If you be wise, ‘Tis time to rise.”

The two proverbs came together to form the nursery rhyme:

The cock crows in the morn
To tell us to rise,
And he that lies late
Will never be wise:
For early to bed,
And early to rise,
Is the way to be healthy,
And wealthy and wise.

So remember – Go to bed early tonight!

-Mama Lisa

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Posted in Authors, Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, Books, Countries & Cultures, Early to Bed, Early to Rise, England, English, English Nursery Rhymes, English Proverbs, Great Britain, Languages, Nursery Rhymes, People, Poor Richard's Almanack, Proverbs, The Cock Crows in the Morn, USA | 4 Comments »

January 17th, 2006 Marks 300 Years since Ben Franklin was Born

Monday, January 16th, 2006

Ben Franklin (1706 – 1790) is an amazingly interesting character! He made tremendous contributions to the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. He also invented the lightening rod, bifocals and the wood stove. One of his favorite pastimes was Chess. Here’s what he had to say about it…

The Morals of Chess

The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement. Several valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired or strengthened by it, so as to become habits, ready on all occasions. For life is a kind of chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors and adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events that are, in some degree, the effects of prudence of want of it.

By playing at chess then, we may learn:

1) Foresight, which looks a little into futurity, and considers the consequences that may attend an action; for it is continually occurring to the player, “if I move this piece, what will be the advantages of my situation? What use can my adversary make of it to annoy me? What other moves can I make to support it, and defend myself from his attacks?

2) Circumspection, which surveys the whole chess board or scene of action, the relations of several pieces and situations, the dangers they are respectively exposed to, the several possibilities of their aiding each other, the probabilities that the adversary may make this or that move and attack this or the other piece; and what different means can be used to avoid his stroke, or turn the consequences against him.

3) Caution, not to make our moves too hastily. This habit is best acquired by observing strictly the laws of the game, such as, if you touch a piece you must move it somewhere; if you set it down you must let it stand. And it is therefore best that these rules be observed, as the game thereby becomes more the image of human life, and particularly of war in which, if you have incautiously put yourself into a bad and dangerous position, you cannot obtain your enemy’s leave to withdraw your troops and place them more securely but you must abide all the consequences of your rashness.

Once kids get old enough, Chess is a great game to play with them. When they’re first learning, spot them a few pieces. That is, begin the game leaving off a queen and a rook on your side. Do your best to beat them with that handicap and you’ll have fun even against the most inexperienced opponent. As they get better, spot them less, maybe just a knight or a bishop. Eventually, they’ll be able to play you even, and that’s a great feeling. Nothing makes a parent prouder than losing a game of Chess to their young child!

January 17th is Franklin’s 300th birthday. Happy Birthday Ben!

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Posted in Authors, Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, Chess, Countries & Cultures, Games, People, The Morals of Chess, USA | 2 Comments »

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