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LIFE DOUBLED

BY THE

ECONOMY OF TIME.

BY THE AUTHOR OF

"HOW A PENNY BECAME A THOUSAND POUNDS."

"Time is the nurse and breeder of all good."-Shakspere.

"I wasted time, and now doth time waste me,
For now hath time made me his numbering clock:
My thoughts are minutes."-Shakspere.

LONDON:

HOULSTON & WRIGHT, 65, PATERNOSTER ROW.

The Author reserves the right of Translation.

C. 348.

270.c.

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PREFACE.

In my previous work* reference is made to the singular hobby of my deceased Grandmother, whose steady persistence in hoarding crooked pieces of money until she had accumulated a considerable sum, led me to reflect upon the great influence of a cherished enthusiasm, and to inquire whether a similar degree of perseverance, applied to a better purpose, might not be productive of more valuable results.

I again allude to her here, for the purpose of explaining that as I was indebted to her for the starting point of that economic experiment, by which I converted a Penny into a Thousand Pounds, I am no less indebted to her for the views upon the Economy of Time which are expressed in this volume.

So far as the Old Lady's philosophy went, she was a strict disciplinarian; she often spoke proverbially of the value of Time-was an early riser, even to within a few days of her death, and never suffered the young people to waste their hours in sleep, after she had quitted her chamber; nor did she think that her own duties were satisfactorily commenced until she had seen every one around her provided with some useful occupation, according to their capacity or need: Her favourite morning reading to the young people was the 24th chapter of Proverbs, the concluding verses of which were delivered with marked emphasis. Her chosen evening reading was the 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes, upon some of the passages of which she offered frequent and instructive explanations.

"How a Penny Became a Thousand Pounds.'

Among the books which my Grandmother left, were two which she greatly treasured, and read daily. They were old volumes, and their leaves had, from time to time, been repaired by her with the greatest care. In one of them there were no less than eighty patches, besides various offices of needle and thread, to hold its antiquated leaves together. Their covers were enveloped in green baize, turned in over the edges, and laced together by threads on the inside. The first of these was a volume entitled "The Economy of Human Life, translated from an Indian manuscript, written by an ancient Bramin, to which is prefixed an account of the manner in which the said manuscript was discovered. London: Printed for M. Cooper, at the Globe, in Paternoster Row, 1751." The account of the manner in which the manuscript, from which this book was translated, was found, is substantially as follows:-That in China there prevailed among the learned, a belief of the existence in the Temple of the Lama of certain very ancient books. That the Emperor was determined to find them, for which purpose he despatched Cao-tfou, a man of about fifty years of age, of grave and noble aspect, and of great eloquence, with an autograph letter to the priests of Thibet to allow Cao-tfou to search amongst those ancient treasures. That he proceeded to fulfil his mission, accompanied by a great retinue. The magnificence of his appearance, and the richness of his presents, failed not to gain him a ready introduction. He had apartments appointed him in the sacred college, and was assisted in his researches by one of the most learned Lamas. He continued there near six months, during which time he had the satisfaction of finding many valuable pieces of antiquity, from which he made very copious extracts; and that he at length found a most remarkable manuscript, which he translated into Chinese ; and which, when translated, was eagerly read by all sorts of

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