University of California Berkeley FROM THE PAPERS OF ROGER LEVENSON THE LIFE O F Dr. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WRITTEN BY HIMSELF* SALEM: PRINTED FOR GUSHING AND CARLTON, AT THE* 8 I B L S AND H E A * T . 1796. P ; R E F A C E. IT is already known to many, that Dr. Franklin amufed him- fclf, towards the dole of his lite, with writing memoirs oC hii own hiftory. Thefe memoirs were brought down to the yeav 17^7. Together with fome other manufcripts they were left be hind him at his death, and were coafidfrred as confirming part of his pofthumous property. It is a little extraordinary that* under thefa circunTtances, interefting as they are, from the ce lebrity of the character of which they treat, and from the critical lituation of the prefent times, they fhculd fo' long have been withheld from the Public. A tranflation of them appeared in Trance aear two years ago, coming down to the year 1731. There ean be no-fufficient reaibu, that what has thus been fubmitted to the per ufa I of Europe, mould not be made acceffible to thofo to. whom Dr. Franklin's language is native. The firft part of the hii'tory of his life is tranflated from that publication. The flylc of thefe memoirs is uncommonly pleafing. Tlie ftory is told with tlie mod unreferved fincerity, and without any falfe colouring or ornament. We fee, in every page, that the author examined his fubjedl with the eye of a matter, and related no incidents, the fprings and origin of which he did not perfedtfy underflaml. It is this that givs fuch exquilite and uncommon pet fpicuity to the detail, and delight in the review. The tranf- Jator has endeavoured, as he went along, to conceive the proba ble manner in which Dr. Franklin expreiled his ideas in his Engliih manulcript, and he hopes to be forgiven if this inquiry {hall occafionaUy have fubje&ed him to the charge of a ftyle in any refpeil bald or low : to imitate the admirable fimplicity of the author, is no eafy taflc. The public will be amufed with following a great philofopher in relaxations, and obferving in what relpe&s his phi'ofophy tends to elucidate and improve the molt common Xubjecls. The editor lubjoins a letter from the late celebrated and-arnw- ble Dr. Price, to a gentleman in Philadelphia, upon the fubjert of Dr. Franklin's memoirs of his own life. Hackney > ^uns ?gi 17^9, "DEAR SIR, * I AM hardly able to tell you how kindly I take the letters with which you favour me. Your laft, containing an account * [ if ] *f the death of our excellent friend Dr. Pi'anldin, and the elr* cumftances attending it, dcferves my particular gratitude. The account whuh he has left of his life will mow, in a linking ex ample, how a man, by talents, induftry, and integrity, may rife from obfcurhy to the firjft eminence and confequence in the world ; but it brings his hiftory no lower than the year 1757, and I underftand that fince he fent over the copy, which I have read, he has been able to make no additions to it. It is with a melancholy regret I think of his death : but to death we are ail bound by the irreverfible order of nature; and ia looking forward to it, there is comfort in being able to reflect that we have not lived in vain, and that all the ufeful and virtuous (hall meet in a better country beyond the grave. " Dr. Fianklin, in the laft letter I received frcni him, after mentioning his age and infirmities, obferves, that it has been kindly ordered by the Author of nature, that, as we draw nearer the conclullon of lifei we are furnifhed with more helps to vveaa us from it ; among which, one -of the ftrongeft ii the lofs of dcr jfriends. I was delighted with the account you gave in your let- *ter of the honour (hewn to his memory at Pnihdelphia, and by Congrefs ; and yefierday I received a high additional pleafure, by being informed that the National Afiembly of '"Trance had determined to go in mourning for him. What * glorious fcene is opened there! The annals of the world furnhh no parallel t it. One of the honours cf cuj departed friend ii, that he has contributed joauch to it. I am, with great refpecU Your obliged and ver/ humble iervant, RICHARD PRICE,' 1 T f I E L I F E O F DR. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. MY DEAR SON, T HAVE amufed, myfelf with collecting fome little JL anecdotes of ray family. You may remember the in quiries I made, when you were with me in England, among fuch of my relations as were then living ; and the journey I undertook for that purpofe. To be acquainted with the particulars of my parentage and life, naany of which are unknown to you, I flatter myfelf, will afford the fame pleafure to you as to me.. I ihall relate them upon paper : it will be an agreeable employment of a vreek'vS uninterrupted leifure, which I promife myfelf during my prefcnt retirement in the coantry. There are; alfo other motives which induce me to the undertaking. From the bofotn of poverty aad obfcurity, in which I drew my firft breath, and fpent my earlieft years,! have raifed myfelf to a (late of opulence, and to fome d.egree of celebrity in the world. A confiant good fortune has attended me through every period of life to my prefcnt advanced age; and my descendants may be deiirous of learning what were the means of which I made ufe, and which, thanks to the affifting hand of Providence, have proved fo eminently fuccefsful. They may alfo, mould they ever be placed in a fnnilar fuuation, derive feme advantage fro in my narrative. When Lreflcft, as I. frequently do, upon the felicity I A a, have:. [ 6 have enjoyed, I fomethnes fay to myfelf, thr.t, were the OiTer made me, I would engage to run again, fr -m bsgi li ning to end, the fame career of lifj. All I would afk fnould be the privilege of an author, to corrcd, in a fecond edition, certain errors of the firft. 1 could wifii, iikevvife, if it were in my power, to change feme trivial incidents and events for others more favourable. Were this how ever denied me, iHJl would I not decline the oifer, But fince a repetition of life cannot take place, there is no thing which, in my opinion, fo nearly refernbles it, as to call to mind all its ciroamftances;, and, to render their remembrance inoie durable, commit them to writing. By thus Ginplo) ing myfelf, I mail yield to the inclination, fo natural to old men, to talk of themfelvcs and their exploits, and may freely fallow my bent, without being tirefome to thofe who, from refpecl to my age, might think themfclves obliged to liflen to we ; as they will be at liberty to read me or not, as they pleafe. In fine and I may well avow it, iince nobody would believe me were I to deny it I (hall perhaps, by this employment, gratify iny vanity. Scarcely indeed have I ever heard or read the introductory phrnfe, '* / may fa j ivi bout *vanHy" but fame (hiking and characieiiitic initance of vanity has immediately followed. The generality of men hate vanity in others, however ftrongly they may be tinSurcd with it themfelves ; for myfelf, I pay obeifance to it wherever 1 meet with if, perfuaded'thaJ it is advantageous, as well to the individual it governs, as to thofe who are within the fphere of its influence. Of conference, it would, in many cafes, not be wholly abfurd, that a man fhould count his vanity among the other fweets uf hfe, and give thanks to Providence for the bk-ffing. And here let "me with all humility acknowledge, that to Divine Providcngc I am indebted for the felicity I have hitherto enjoyed. It is that Power alone which has furniiried me with the means I have employed, and that has crowned them with fuccefs. My faith in this^refpeft leads me to hope, though I cannot count upon ir, that the divine goodnefs will ftill be exercifed towards me, either by prolonging the duration of my happiRcfs to the [ 7 } clofe of life, or by giving me fortitude to fupport any melancholy reverfe, which may happen to me, as to fo many others. My future fortune is unknown but to Him in whofe hand is our deftiny, and who can make our very afflictions fubfervient to our benefit. One of my uncles, deiirous, like myfelf, of collecting anecdotes of our family, gave me fome notes, from which I have derived many particulars refpecl- ing cur anceftors. From thefe I learn, that they had lived in the fame village (Eaton in Northamptonfhire) upon a freehold of about thirty acres, for the {pace at leaft of three hundred years. How long they had refide'd there prior to that period, my uncle had been unable to difcever ; probably ever fince the inftitotion of furuames, when they took the appellation of Franklin, which had formerly been the name of a particular order of individuals.* This petty eftate would not have fufiiced for their fub- fiftence, * As a proof that Franklin was anciently the common name o f an order or rank in England, fee Judge Fortefcue, De laudibus legum Angfiefi written about the year 14.12, in which is the fol lowing paflage, to (hew that good juries might eaftiy.be formed in any part of England ; " Regio ctiarn ilia, ita refperfa refertaque eft froffffirlbus tfr- rantm et agrorum, quod in ea, viJiula tarn parva reperiri no* potent, in qua non eft //V.r, armiger, vel pater-familias, qualis ibidem fraxklin vulgaritur nuncupatur, niagnis ditatus pofief- fionibus, nee non libeie, tenentes et alii vule&> pluvimi, fuis patrimonies fufticientes, ad faciendum juraium, in foroia prae- notata." * Moreover, the fame country is fo filled and replenifhed tvith landed rnenne, that therein fo fmall a thorpc cannot be found wherein dwelleth not a knight, an efquire, or fuch a houf- hclder as is there commonly called * franklin^ enriched with great pofleflions '; and alfo other freeholders and many yeomen, able for their livelihoods to make a jury in form aforcmen- "tioned." OLD TR ANSI. ATION. Chaucer too calls his country gentleman a franklin, and after ttdcribiag his -good houfekeeping, thus charactenfes him : This worthy franklin bore a purfe of iilk, Fix'd to his girdle, white as morning milk. Knight of the fliire, firft juftice at th' affize, To help the poor, the doubtful to advife. In all employments, generous, jufl, he prov'ch. Fv?aovvn'd for eourtcfy> by ail bdoY'd [ 2 ] fiftence, had ihey not added the trade of blackfmith, which was perpetuated in the family down to my uncle's time, the eidetl fon having been uniformly brought up to this employment : a cuftom which both he. and my father obfervrd with refpeft to their eldeft fons, In the rcfearches I made at Eaton, I found ao account of their birth?, marriages, and deaths, eariici than the year 1^55; the parilh regifter not extending farther back than that period. This regiiler informed me, thaf I was the youogeft fon of the youngeft branch of the family, counting five generations. ' My grandfather, Thomas, \vho was born in i 598, living at Eaton till he was too cKl to continue his trade, when he retired to Banhury in Oxfcrduiire, where his fon John, who was a dyer, re- lided, and with whom my father was apprenticed. He died, and was buried there: we faw his monument in 1758. His eldeft fon lived in the family houfe at Ea ton, which be bequeathed, with the land belonging to it, to his only daughter; who, in concert with her kuf- band, Mr. Fifher of Wellingborough, afterwards fold it fo Mr. Efted, the prefent proprietor, My grandfather had four furviving fons, Thomas, J.ohn, Benjamin, and Jonas. 1 fhali give you fuch par ticulars of them as my memory will furniih, not having my papers here, in which you will find a more minute account, if they are not loft during my abfence. Thomas had learned the trade of blackfmith under his father ; but poiTeffing a good natural underftanding, he improved it by ftudy, at the folicitation of a gentleman- of the name of Palmer, who was at that time the princi* pa! inhabitant of the village, and who encouraged in like manner all ray uncles to improve their minds. . Thomas thus rendered him felf competent to the functions of a country attorney ; foon became an eiTential perfonage m the affairs of the village; and was one of the chief movers of every public enterprife, as well relative to the coun try as tl>e town of Northampton. A variety of remark able incidents were told us of him at Eaton. After en- joyiY.g the efleem and patronage of Lord Halifax, he died,' January 6 t 1702, precifeljL four years before I was hoxiu t 9 j born. The recital that was made us of his life and cha racter, by fome aged perfons of the village, ilruck you, 1 remember) as extraordinary, from its analogy to what you knew of myfelf. " Had he died," faid yon, " juft fonr years later, one might have fuppofed a tranlmigra- tion of fouls " John, to the bed of my belief, was brought up to the trade of a wool- dyer. Benjamin ferred his apprenticcfliip in London to a lilk-dyer. He was an induftrious man : I remember him well; for, while I was a child, he joined my father at Bofton, and lived for fome years iu the houfe with us. A particular affection had always fuhfifted between my fa ther and him ; and 1 was his god-fon. He arrived to a great age. He left behind him two quarto volumes of poems in manufcript, confiding of little fugitive pieces addrefied to his friends. He had invented a fhorthand. which he taught me, but having never made ufo of it, I have now forgotten it. He was a man of piety, and a conllant attendant on the belt preachers, wliofe fermons he took a pleafure in writing down according to the ex- peditory method he had dcvifed. Many volumes were thus collected by him. He was alfo extremely fond of politics, too much fo perhaps for his fituation. I lately found in London a collection which he had made of all the principal pamphlets relative to public affairs, from the year 1641 to 1717. Many volumes are wanting, as appears by the feries of numbers; but there'ftill remain eight in folio, and twenty four in quarto and oclavo. v The collection had fallen into the hands of a fecond-hand bockfcller, who, knowing me by having fold me fome bcoks, brought it to me. My uncle, itYeems, had left it behind him on his departure for America, about fifty- years ago. I found various notes oPhis writing in the margins, His grandfon, Samuel, is now living at Bof ton. Our humble family had early embraced the Reforma tion. They remained fai.h r ully attached during the reign of Queen Mary, when they were in danger of be ing molefted on account cf their zeal againft popery. They r 10 i They had an Englifh Bible; and, to conceal it the mars fecureiy, they conceived the project of fattening it, cpcn, with pack-threads acrofs the leaves, on the inlide of the lid of a clofe-ftoo!. When my great-grandfather wifh- ed to read to his family, he reverfed the lid of the clo&- ftool upon his knees, and patted the leaves from one fide to the other, which were held down on each by the pack thread. One of the children was ftaiioned at the door, to give notice if he faw the proctor (an ofncer of die fpiritual court) make his appearance : in that cafe, the lid was reftored to its place, with the Bible concealed under it as before. I had this anecdote from my uncle Benjamin. The whole family preferved its attachment to the Church of England till towards the clofe of the reign of Charles II. when certain minifters, who had been ejed- ed as n on- conform ills, having held'conventicles in North- hamptonfhire, they were joined by Benjamin and Joilas, who adhered to them ever after. The reft of the family continued in the epifcopal church. My father, Jofus, married early in life. He went, with his wife and three children, to New-England, a- bout the year 1682. Conventicles being at that time prohibited by law, and frequently difturbed, fome con- fiderable perfons of his acquaintance determined to go to America, where they hoped to enjoy the free exercife of their religion, and my father was prevailed on to ac company them. My father had alfo by the fame wife four children born in America, and tea others by a fecond wife, mak ing in all fevenreen. 1 remember to have feen thirteen feated together at his table, who all arrived to yea rs of ma turity, and were married. I was the lail ofthefons, and the youngeft child, excepting two daughters. 1 \vas born at Botfon in New-England. My mother, the fecond wife, was Abiah Folger, daughter of Peter Fol- ger, one of the firft colonies of New-England,^of whom Cotton Mather makes honourable mention, in hisEcele*., fsaftical Hiflory of that province, as f< a pious, learned EngUJhrnav" if I rightly recollect his expfsiiions. 1 I have been told of his having written a variety pieces ; but there appears to be only one in print, which 1 met with many years ago. It was publifiied in the year 1675, and is in familiar verfe, agreeable to the tafle of the times and the country. The author addreflw him- felf to the governors for the time being, fpeaks for liber ty of confcience, and in favour of the anabaptiits, quakers and other feclaries, who had fuftercd perfecution. To this perfecution he attributes the wars with the natives, :and other calamities which afflicted the country, regard ing them as the judgments of God in punifnment of fo odious an offence ; and he exhorts the government to the repeal of laws fo contrary to charity. The poem appear ed to be wrken with a manly freedom and a pleading fim- plicity. I recoiled the fix concluding lines, though I Lave forgotten the order of words of the two firft ; the ienfe of which was, that his cenfures were dictated by be nevolence, and that, of confluence, he wifhed to be known as the author; becaufe, faid he, I hate from my very foul dirTimulation ; From iherburne,* where I dwell, I therefore put my name, Your friend who means you well. PETER FOLCER. My brothers were all put to apprentice to different trades. With refpec~t to myfelf, I was font, at the age of eight years, t0 a grammar fchool. My father deftined me for the church, and already regarded me as the chap- Iain of the family. The promptitude with which from my infancy I had learned to read (for I do not remem ber to have been ever without this acquirement) and the encouragement of his friends, who arTured him that I firouid one day certainly become a man of letters, con firmed him in this defign. My uncle Benjamin approv ed alfo of the fcherne, and promifed to give me all his volumes of fermons, written, as I have faid, in the ihort hand of hjs invention, if 1 would take the pains to learn it. I remained however fcarcely a year at grammar- fchool, although in this Ihort interval I had rifen from the raid- die * Town in the Ifland of Nantucker. [ 12 J die to the head of my clafs, from thence to the clafs im mediately above, nnd was to p?.fr, at the end of the year, to the one next in order. But my father, bunhened with a numerous family, found that he was incapable, without fubjelting himfelf to difficulties, of providing for the expenfe of a collegiate education ; and confi-dering betides, as I heard him fay to his friends, that perfons fo educated were often poorly provided for, he renounced -his firft intentions, took me from the grammar fchool, and Tent me to a fchool for writing and arithmetic; kept by a Mr. George Brcwnwel, who was a fkilful mailer, and fucceedcd very well in his profeilion by employing gentle means only, and fuch as were calculated to encour age his fcholars. Under him I foon acquired an excel lent hand; but I failed in arithmetic, and made therein iiQ fort of progrefs. At ten years of age, I was called home to affift my fa ther in his occupation, which was that of foap- boiler and tallow-chandler ; a bufmefs to which he had ferved no apprenticefhip, bnt which he embraced on his arrival ia New-England, becaufe he found his own, that of a dyer, in too little requeft to enable him to maintain his family. I was accordingly employed in cutting the wicks, filling the moulds, taking care of the Ihop, carry ing meffages, &c. This bufinefs difpleafed me, and I felt a ftrong incli nation for a fea life ; but my father fet his face againft it. The vicinity of the water, however, gave me fre quent opportunities of venturing rnyfelf both upon and within it, and I foon acquired the art of fwimming, and of managing a boat. When embarked with other chil dren, the helm was commonly deputed to me, particu larly on difficult occafions ; and, in every other projecl, I was almoft always the leader of the troop, whom I ibmetiraes involved in embarraffments. I fhall give an. inflance of this, which demonitrates an early difpofition of mind for public enterprifc s, though the one in quef- tion was not conducted by jullice. The mill-pond was terminated on one fide by a marfh, upon the borders of which we were accuftomed to take [ '3 J ivtir uand, at high water, to angle for fmall fifli. 2y iint of walking, we had converted the place into a per- kct quagmire. My propofal was to ereft a wharf that ihould afford us firm footing ; and I pointed out to ray companions a large heap 01 iiones, intended for building a new houfe near the marfh, and which were well adapt ed for our purpofe. Accordingly, when the workmen retired in the evening, I affembled a number of my play fellows, and by labouring diligently, like ants, fame- times four of us uniting our ftrength to carry a f;ngle ilone, we removed them all, and conftrudled our little quay. The .workmen were furprifed the next morning at not finding their flones, which had been conveyed to our wharf. Inquiries were made refpecling the authors of this conveyance; we, were difcovered ; complaints were exhibited againft us ; many of us underwent cor- reftion on the part of our parents ; and though I ftrenu- oufiy defended the utility of the work, my father at length convinced me, that nothing which was not ftriftly honeft could be ufefui. *It will not, perhaps, be uninterefling to you to know what fort of a man my father was. He had an excellent conftitution, was of a middle fize, but well made and Jftrong, and extremely aftive in whatever he undertook. He defigned with a degree of neatnefs, and knew a little of mufic. His voice was fonorcus and agreeable; fo that when he fung a pfalm or hymn with accompaniment of his violin, as was his frequent practice in an evening when the labours of the day were finifhed, it was truly delightful to hear him. He was verfed alfo in mechan ics, and could upon occafion ufe the tools of a variety of trades. But his grcateft excellence was a found under- ftanding and folid judgment in matters of prudence, both in public and private life. In the former indeed he nev er engaged, becaufe his numerous family and the medi ocrity of his fortune, kept him unremittingly employed in the duties of his profefHon, But 1 very well remem ber that the leading men of the place ufed frequently to come and afk his advice refpeding affairs of the town, or of the church to which he belonged, and that they B paid [ 14 J paid much deference to his opinion. Individuals were alfo in the habit of confulting him in their private affairs, and he was often c'hofen arbiter between contending parties. He was fond of having at his table, as often as poflible, fome Iricnds or well-informed neighbours, capable of rational converfation,and he was always careful to intro duce ufeful or ingenious topics of difcourfe, which mi^ht tend to form the minds of his children. By this means he early attracted our attention to what was juft, prudent, and beneficial in the conduct of life. He never talked of the meats which appeared upon the table, never diA cuffed whether they were well or ill drefled, of a good or bad flavour, high-feafoned or otherwife, preferable or inferior to this or that difh of a fimilar kind. Thus accuftomcd, from my infancy, to the utmoft attention as to tbefe objects, 1 have always been perfectly regardkfs of what kind of food was before me ; and I pay fo little attention to it even navv, that it would be a hard matter for me to recollect, a few hours after I had dined, of what my dinner had confifted. When travelling, I have particularly experienced the advantage of this habit ; for it has often happened to me to be in company \vith per- fons," who, having a more delicate, beeaufe a more exer- cifed tafte, have fuffered in many cafes conficlerafele in convenience j while, as to myfelf, I have had nothing to defixe. My mother was likewife poffefTed of an excellent con- flittition. She fuckled all her ten children, and i never heard either her or my father complain of any other dif- order, than that of which they died : my father at the age of eighty-feven, and my mother at eighty-five. They are buried at Bofton, where, a few years ago, I placed a marble over their grave, with this infcription : ' Here lie " JOSIAS FRANKLIN and ABIAH his wife: They '* lived together with reciprocal affection for fifty-nine (t years ; and without private fortune, without lucrative l( employment, by afliduous labour and honeft induftry, f * deceotly fupported a rumeroiv? family* aiid educated, witJi [ '5 1 * with faccefs, thirteen children, and feven grand chil- ** dren. Let this example, reader, encourage thee djli- " gently to difcharge the duties of thy calling, and to Jv rely on the fupport of divine Providence." " He was pious and prudent, " She difcreet and virtuous. "Their youngeft fon, from a fentiment of filial duty, ' coniecrated this ftone '* To their memory." I perceive, by my rambling digreffions, that I am growing old. But we do not drefs for a private com pany as for a formal ball. This defer ves perhaps the name of negligence. To return. I thus continued employed in my father's trade for the fpace of two years j that is to fay, till I ar rived at twelve years of age. About this time my brother John, who had ferved his apprenticefhip in Lon don, having quitted my father, and being married and fettled in bufmefs on his own account at Rhode-Ifland, Iwas deftined, to all appearance, to fupply his place, and be a candlemaker all my life : but my diflike of this occupation continuing, ray father was apprehend ve., that, .if a more agreeable one were not offered me, I might play the truant and efcape to fea ; as, to his extreme mortification, my brother Jofias had done. He there fore took me fometimes to fee mafons, coopers, braziers, joiners, and other mechanics, employed at their work ; in order to difcover the bent of my inclination, ami fix it if he could upon fome occupation that might retain, me on fhorc. I have fince, in confequence of thefe vifits, de rived no fmall pleafure from feeing fkilful workmen han dle their tools : and it has proved of confiderable benefit, to have acquired thereby fufficient knowledge to be sble to make little things r *r myfelf, when I have had no me chanic at hand, and to conftrucl fmall machines for my experiments, while the idea I have conceived has been frefn and ftrongly imprefied on my imagination. My father at length decided that I fhould be a cutler, and 1 was placed for fome days upon trial with my cou- fin Samuel, fon of my uncle Benjamin, who had learned B 2 thi> E *6 } tKJs trade in London, and had eftablifhed himfelf at Bof~ ton. But the premium he required for my apprentice- fhip difpleafing my father, I was recalled home. From ray earlieft years I had been paffionately fond of reading, and I laid out in books all the little money I could procure, I was particularly pleafed with ac- counts^ of voyages. My firft acquisition was Bunyaq'a collection in fmall Separate volumes. Thefc I after wards fold in order to buy an hiftorical collection by R. Burton, which confifted of fmall cheap volumes, amount ing in all to about forty or fifty. My father's little li brary was principally made up of books of practical and polemical theology. I read the greateft part of them. I have fince often regretted, that, at a time when I had fo great a thirft for knowledge, more eligible books had not fallen into my hands, as it was then a point decided that I fliould not be educated for the church. There was alfo among my father's books Plutarch's Lives, in which I read continually ; and I ftill regard as advan- tagecufly employed the time 1 devoted to them. I found betides a work of De FQU'S, entitled an Eflay on Pro jects, from which, perhaps, I derived impreflions that fcave fince influenced fome of the principal events of my Hff. My inclination for books at lad determined my father to make me a printer, though he had already a fon in that profcSion. My brother had returned from England in 1717, with a prefs and types, in order to eftablilh a jprinting-houfe at Bofton. This bufinefs pleafed me much better than that of my father, though I had ftill a predilection for tfae fea. To prevent the effects which Jnighv refult from this inclination, ray father was impa tient to fee me engaged with my brother. I held back for fome time; at length however I fuffered myfelf to be perftiaded,nnd f gned my indentures, being then only twelve yars of age. It was agreed that I fhould ferve ss apprentice to the age of twenty- one, and fhould re- : journeyman's wages only during the laft year. In a very ihort time I made great proficiency in this brnrief". *nd brmme very ferviceable to my brother. I [ '7 1 { had now an opportunity of procuring better books. The acquaintance I necefiarily formed with book fellers' apprentices, enabled me to borrow a volume now and then, which I never failed to retarn punctually and without injury. Plow often has it happened to me to pafs the greater part of the night in reading by my bed- fide, when the book had been lent me in the evening, and was to be returned the next morning, left it might / be mified or wanted. At length, Mr. Matthew Adams, an ingenious tradcf- man, who had a handfome collection of books, and who frequented our printing-houfe, took notice of me. He invited me to fee his library, and had the gpodncfs to lend me any books I was defirous of reading. I then took a ftrange fancy for poetry, and compofcd feveral little pieces. My brother, thinking he might find his account in it, encouraged me, and engaged me to write two ballads. One, called the Lighthoufe Tragedy, contained an account of the (hip- wreck of captain Worthilake and. his two daughters ; the other was a failor's fong on the capture of the noted pirate called Teach,, or Rlack-keanl. They were wretch ed verfes in point of ftyle, mere blin^-men's ditties. When printed, he difpatchcd roe about the town to fell them. The firft had a prodigious run, .becaufe the event was recent, and had made a great noife. My vanity was flattered by this fuccefs ; but my fa ther checked my exultation, by ridiculing, my produc tions, and telling me that verifiers were always poor, I thus efcaped the misfortune of being, probaly, a very- wretched poet. But as the faculty of writing profe has- been of great fen ice to me in the courfe of my life, and principally contributed to my advancement, I (hall re- jate by what means, frtuated as I was, I acquired tht fmall fkill I may polfefs in that way. There was in the town another youn-g man, a great lover of books, of the name of John Colhns, with whom I was intimately connecled. We frequently engaged in difpate, and were indeed fo fond of argumentation, that nothing was fo agreeable to us a? a war of words. B 3 Thi*. [ 1 8 ] This contentious temper, I would obferve by the bye, is in danger of becoming a very bad habit, and frequent ly renders a man's company infupportable, as being no otherwife capable of indulgence than by indi (criminate contradiction. Independently of the acrimony and dii- eord it introduces into converfation, it is often produc tive of difiike, and even hatred, between perfons to whom friendfhip is indifpenfibly neccirary. I acquired it by reading, while I lived with my father, books of reli gious controvcrfy. I have fince remarked, that men of fenfe feldora fall into this error ; lawyers, fellows of aniverlities, and perfons of every profeilion educated at Edinburgh, excepted. Collins and I one day entered into an argument rela tive to the education of women ; namely, whether it were proper to inftruft theai in the fciences, and whether they were competent to the ftudy. Collins fupported the negative, and affirmed that the talk was beyond their capacity. I maintained the oppofue opinion, a little perhaps for the pleafure of difputing. He was naturally more eloquent than I ; words flowed copioufly from his lips ; and frequently I thought myfelf vanquifhed, more by his volubility than by the force of his arguments. We feparated without coming to an agreement upon this point ; and as we were not to fee each other again for ibme time, I committed my thoughts to paper, made a fair copy, and fent it him. He anfwercd, and I replied. Three or four letters had been written by each, when my father chanced to light upon my papers and read them. Without entering into the merits of the caufe, he embra ced the opportunity of fpeaking to me upon my manner of writing. He obferved, that though 1 had the advan tage of ray adverfary in correct fpelling and pointing, which I owed to ray occupation ; I was greatly his infe- .-ior in elegance of expreffion, in arrangement, and perf- picuity. Of this he convinced me by feveral examples. I felt the juftice of his remarks, became more attentive to language, and refoived to make every effort to im- pro?e my ftylc. /irnidft thefe refolves an odd volume of the Spectator fell into my hands, This was a publi cation [ 19 1 cation I had never fecn. I bought the volume, and read it again and again. I was enchanted with it, thought the ftyle excellent, and wifhed it were in my power to imitate it. With this view I felefted forne of the pa pers, made fhort fummaries of the fenfe of each period, and put them for a few days afide. I then, without looking at the book, endeavoured to rcftore the eflays to their true form, and to exprefs each thought at length, as it was in the original, employing the moft appropriate words that occurred to my mind. I afterwards com pared my Spectator with the original; I perceived fomc faults, which I corrected : but I found that I wanted a fund of words, if I may fo exprefs myfelf, and a facility of recollecling and employing them, which I thought I fhould by that time have acquired, had I continued to make verfes. The continual need of words of the fame meaning, bat of different lengths for the meafure, or of different founc^ for the rhyme, would have obliged me to feck for a variety of fynonymes, and have rendered me mafter of them. From this belief, I took fome of the tales of the Spe&ator, and turned them into verfe ; and after a time, when I had fufficiemly forgotten them, I again converted them into profe. Sometimes alfo I mingled all my fumoianes together; and a fevr weeks after endeavoured to arrange them in the beft order, before I attempted to form the periods and complete the efiays. This I did with a view of ac quiring method in the arrangement of my thoughts. On comparing afterwards my performance with the original, many faults were apparent, which I corrected ; bat I had brnetimes the fatisfaclion to think, that, in certain par- ricclars of little importance, I had been fortunate enough ro improve the order of thought or the ftyle ; and this encouraged me to hope that I fhould fucceed, ia time, in writing the Englifh language, which was one of the great objefts of my ambition. The time which I devoted to thefe exercifes, and to reading, was the erening after my day's labour was fin- ifaed, the raerning before it began, and Sundays when I could cfcape attending divine fervice, While 1 livei with I *> J my father, he had infixed on my punctual attend^ ance on public wormip, and I flill in .iced confidered h as a duty, but a duty which I though: I had no time to praftife. When about fixteen years of age, a work of Try on frll into my hands, in which he recommends vegetable diet. I determined to obferve it. My brother, being a bachelor, did not keep houfe, but boarded, with his apprentices, in a neighbouring family. My refufmg to eat animal food was found inconvenient, and I was ofren fcolded for my fmgularity. I attended to the mode in which Tryon prepared fome of his dimes, particularly how to boil-potatoes and rice, and make hafty-puddings. I then faid to ray brother, that if he would allow me per week half what he paid for my board, I would undertake to maintain myfelf. The offer was inftantly embraced, and 1 foon found that of what he gave me I was able to fave half. This was a new fund for the purchafe of books; and other advantages refulted to me from the plan. When my brother and his workmen left the printing-houfe to go to dinner, I remained behind; and difpatched my frugal meal, which frequently confifted of a bifcuit only, or a ilice of bread and a bunch of rai sins, or a bun from the paftry cook's, with a glafs of water ; I had the reft of the time, till their return,, for ftudy ; and my progrefs therein was proportioned to that clearnefs of ideas, and quicknefs of conception, which are the fruit of temperance in eating and drinking. It was about this period, that, having one day been pat to the blufh for my ignorance in the art of calcula tion, which I had twice failed to learn while at fchool, I took up Cocker's Trcatife of Arithmetic, and went through it by myfelf with the utmoft eafc ; J alfo read a book of Navigation by Seller and Sturmy, and made myfelf matter of the little geometry it contains ; but I icyer proceeded far in this fcience. Nearly at the fame lime 1 rend Locke on the Hnman Undemanding, and the Art of Thinking by Meflrs. du Port- Royal. While labouring to form and improve my ftyle, I met wish an English Grammar, which I believe was Green., wood'*, wood's, having at the end of it two little cfTays on rheto ric and logic. In the latter I found a model of difpu- ration after the manner of Socrates. Shortly after I procured Xenophon's work, entitled Memorable Things of Socrates, in which are various examples of the fame method. Charmed to a degree of enthufiafm with this mode of difputing, I adopted it, and renouncing blunt contradiction, and direct and pofitive argument, I af- fumed the character of a humble queftioner. The pe- rufal of Shafjfbury and Collins had made me a fceptic ; and being prcviouily fo as to many doctrines of chrif* tianity, 1 found Socrates' method to be both the fafeft for myfelf, as well. as the mod embarrafling to thofe againft whom I employed it. It foon afforded me fmgular pleafure ; 1 inceiTantly practifed it ; and became very adroit in obtaining, even from perfons of fuperior tinderftanding, conceflions of which they did not forefce the confequences. Thus 1 involved them in difficulties from which they were unable to extricate themfelvey, and fomctimes obtained victories which neither my caufe nor my argument* merited. This method I continued to employ for fome years j bat I afterwards abandoned it by degrees, retaining only the habit of expreiling myfelf with modcft diffidence, and never making ufe, when I advanced any proportion which might be controverted, of the words ctrtainly, undoubtedly i Of any others that might give the appear ance of being obfcinatefy attached to my opinion. I rather faid, I imagine, I fuppofe, or it appear* to me, that fuch a thing is fo or fo, for fuch and ibch reafons ; or it is fo, if I am not miftaken. This habit has, I think, been of confiderablc advantage to me, when I have had occadon to imprefs my opinion on the ininda of others, and perfuade them to the adoption of the mea- fures I have fuggefted. And fmcc the chief ends of converfation are, to inform or be informed, to pleafe or to perfuade, 1 could wifh thai intelligent and well-mean ing men would not themfelves dimimih the pcnverr, they poflefs of being ufeful, by a poiitive and prefumptuous manner of exprefling themfelveSj which fcarccly ever fails [ J fails to difguft the hearer, and is only calculated to ex- cice oppofnion, and defeat every purpofe for which the faculty of Ipeech has bten befioued upon man. In fhort, if you with to inform, a pofitive and dogmatical manner of advancing your opinion may provoke con tradiction, and prevent }our being heard with attention. On the other hand,. if, with a defire of being informed, and of benefiting by the knowledge of others, you ex- pre.fs yourfelves as being drongly attached to your own opinions, 'inodeft and fenfible men, who do not love dif- putation, will leave you in tranquil pofieffion of your errors. By following fuch a method, you can rarely hope to pieafe your auditors, conciliate their good- will, or work conviction on thofe whom you cnay be defiroos of gaining over to your views, Pope judicicufiy ob- ferves, Men rnufl be taught as if you taught them not, And things unknown propes'd as tilings forgot. And in the fame poem he afterwards advifes us, To fpeak, tho' fure with feerning diffidence-. He might have added to thefe lines, one that he has coupled clfewhcre, in my opinion, with lefs propriety. It is this : For want of rnodefty is want of fenfe. If you afk v/hy 1 fay with left propriety, I mull give you {he iwo lines together : Immotieft words admit of no ae/eiite* For want cf decency is want of fenfe. Now want of fenfe, when a man has the misfortune to be fo circumftance'd, is it not a kind of excufe for want of fhodeity ? And would not the veffes have been more accurate, if they had been conftrufied thws : Irrimodefl words admit but tils dtfta t . That want of tlecency is want of Jenie- But I leave the decifion of this fo better judges than myfelf. In 1720, or 1721, my brother began to print a new public paper. It was the fecond that made its appear ance in America, and was entitled the New-England Cfwrant. The only One that cxified before was the B-fioft News-Letter. Some of his friends, I remember, would have diiTuaded him from this undertaking, as a thing that was not likely to fucceed ; a fingle newfpaper being, in their opinion, ftifficient for all America At prefent, however, in 1777, there arenolefs than twenty- five. But he carried his project into execution, and I was employed in drftributmg the copies to his cuftom- ers, after having affifted in compoling and working them off. Among his friends he had a number of literary char- afters, who, as an amufement, wrote fhort eflays for the paper, which gave it reputation and increafed its fale, Thefe gentlemen came frequently to our houfc. I heard the converfation that pafled, and the accounts they gave of the favourable reception of their writings with the public. I was tempted to try my hand among them ; but, being ftill a child as it were, I was fearful that my brother might be unwilling to print in his paper any performance of which he ihould know me to be the au thor. I therefore contrived to difgtiife my hand, and having written an anonymous piece, I placed it at night tinder the door of the printing-hotife, where it was found the next morning. My brother communicated it to his friends, when tftey came as ufual to fee him, who read it, commented upon it within fny hearing, and I had the exquifite pleafure to find that it met with their ap probation, and that, in the various conjectures they made refpefting the author, no one was mentioned who did not enjoy a high reputation in the country for talents and genius. I now fuppofed myfelf fortunate in my judges, and began to Aifpecl that they were- not fuch excellent writers as I had hitherto fuppofed them. Be that as it may, encouraged by this little adventure, i wrote and fent to the prefs, in the fame way, many other pieces, which were equally approved ; keeping the fecret till my (lender ftock of information and knowledge' for fuch perfarmances was pretty completely cxhaufted, when I made oiyfelf known. My brother, upon this difcovery, began to entertain a Jhtle morejrefpett for me ; bat he ftill regarded him-feif as I *4 1 as my marter, and treated me like an apprentice. He thought himfelf entitled to the fame fervices from me a& from any other perfon. On the contrary, I conceived that, in many inftances, he was too rigorous, and that, on the part of a brother, I had a right to expect greater indulgence. Our difjwtes were frequently brought be fore my father ; and either my brother was generally in ihe wroEg, or I was the better pleader of the two, fos judgment was commonly given in my favour. But my brother was paffionate, and often had recourfe to blows ; a circumftance which I took in very ill part. This fe- vere and tyrannical treatment contributed, I believe, to imprint on my mind that averfion to arbitrary power, which during my whole life I have ever preferved. My apprenticeship became infupportable to me, and I conti nually fighed for an opportunity of ftiortening it, which at length unexpectedly offered. An article inferted in our paper upon fome political {abjefts which I have now forgotten, gave offence to the Alfembly. My brother was taken into cuftody, cenfured, and ordered into confinement for a month, becaufe, as I prefume, he would not difcover the author. I was alfo- taken up, and examined before the council ; but, though I gave them no fatisfadion, they contented themfelves with reprimanding, and then cliftiuiTed rne ; confidering me probably as bound, in quality of apprentice, to keep my mailer's fecrets. The imprisonment of my broil,:::- .o tidied my refent- ment, notwithftandiug our private quarrels. Daring its continuance the management of the paper was entrufted to me, and I was bold enough to infert fome pafquerades againft the governors ; which highly pleafed my brother, while others began to look upon me in an unfavourable point of view, considering me as a young wit' inclined to fatire and lampoon. My brother's enlargement was accompanied with an arbitrary order from the houfe of AffembljT, ** '" James Franklin ihould no longer print the newfpaper *' entitled the NtEtfgl4a4 Coxrant." In this con juncture, we held a ccmf'iltaDoii of cur friends at the pnrit j prinfing-feoufe, in order to determine what was propet to be done. Some propofed to evade the order, by changing the title of the paper ; but my brother, forefee- ing inconveniences tha', would refult from this ftep, thonght it better that it fhould in future be printed in the name of Benjamin Franklin ; and to avoid the cen- fure of the A {Terribly, who might charge him with ftill printing the paper himfelf, under the name of his ap prentice, it was refolved that my old indentures ftiould be given up to me, with a full and entire difcharge writ ten on the back, in order to be produced upon an emer gency : but that, to fecure to my biother the benefit of my fervice, 1 (hi aid fign a new contract, which ftiould be kept fecret during the remainder of the term. This was a very (hallow arrangement. It was, however, car ried into immediate execution, and the paper continued, in confequence, to make its appearance for fome months in my name. At length a new difference arifmg be tween my brother and me, I ventured to teke advantage of my liberty, prefuming that he would not dare to pro duce the new contrad. It was undoubtedly difhonoura- blc to avail myfelf of this circamftance, and I reckon this action as one of the firft errors of my life ; but I was little capable of eftimatitig it at its true value, embittered as my mind had been by the recollection of the blows I had received. Exclufively of his paflionate treatment of me, my brother was by no means a man of an ill temper, and perhaps ray manners had too much of impertinence not to afford it a very natural iretext. When he knew that it was my determination to quit him, he wiflied to prevent my finding employment elfe- where. He went to all the printing houfes in the town, and prejudiced the mailers againft me ; who accordingly refufed to employ me. The idei then fuggefted itfelf to me of going ^to New- York, the neareft town in which there was a printing office. Farther reflations confirmed me in the deiign of leaving Bofton, where v l had already rendered myfelf an objed of fufpiciou to the governing' party. It was probable, from the arbitrary proceedings ef the Afiembly in the affair of my brother, that by ft- C V " 'maining, r *^ i , I iliould foon have been expofcd to difficulties which 1 had the greater reafon to apprehend, as, from my indifcreet difputes upon the fuhjccl of religion, I -be gun to be regarded, by pious fouls, with horror, either as an apoftate or an atheift. I came therefore to a refo- lu-tion ; but ray father, in this inftance, fiding with my brother, I prefumed that if I attempted to depart openly, vneafures would be taken to prevent me. Ivly friend Collins undertook to favour tny flight. He agreed for my paffage with the captain of a New^York Hoop, to whom he represented me as a younj* man of his acquain tance, who had an affair with a girl of bad character, whofe parents wifhed to compel me to marry her, and that of coniequence I could neither make my appearance nor go off publicly. ] fold part of my books to procure a.fmall fern of money, and went privately on board the Hoop. By favour of a good wind, 1 found myfelf in three days at New- York, nearly three hundred miles from my home, at the age only of ferenteen years, with out knowing an individual in the place, and with very little money in my pceket. The inclination I had felt for a feafaring life was en tirely fubfided, or I mould now have been able to gratify It ; bat having another trade, and believing myfelf to be a tolerable workman, I hefuated not to offer ray fer- Yices to the old Mr. William Bradford, who had been the nril printer in Pennfylvania, but had quitted that province on account of a quarrel with George Keith, the governor. He could not give me employment himfelf, having little to do, and already as many perfons as he wanted ; but he told me that his fon, a printer at Phila delphia, had lately loft his principal workman, Arjuiia Role, who was dead, and that if I would go thithec, he believed that he would en-gage me. Philadelphia was a hundred miles farther. I befitated not to embark in a boat, in order- to repair, by the fhorteft cat of the fea, to Am boy, leaving my tru-nk and eiTecls to corns after me by the ufaal and more tedious conveyance. In crofTmg the bay we met withi a fquall, which fn altered to pieces our rotten 'fails, prevemed us from entering the Kill, and threw us upon Long Iflaad, During During the fqaall a drunken Dutchman, who likeiny* ftflf was a paflenger in the boat, fell into the fea. At the moment that he was finking, 1 feized him by the fore- top* faved him, and drew him on board. This immer sion ibbered him a little, fo that he fell aflcep, after hav ing taken from his pocket a volume, which he requeftcd me to dry. This volume I found to be my old favour ite work, Ruby an '$ Voyages, in Dutch, a beautiful irn- preflion on fine paper, with copperplate engravings ; a drefa in which I had never feen it in its original language. I have fince learned that it had been translated into almoft all the languages of Europe, and next to the Bible, I am perfuaded, it is one of the books which has had the great- ell fpread. Honed John is the firft, that I know of, who lias mixed narrative and dialogue together j a mode of writing very engaging to the reader, who in the moft in- tcfefting paflkgefi, finds hi mfclf admitted as it Were into the company, and prefent at the conversation. De Foe has imnsitated it with inccefs in his Robinfon Crufo, his Moll Flanders, and other works ; as alfo has Rich ard Ton in his Pamela, &c. In approaching the iiland we found that we had made a part of the coaft where it was not poflible to land, on account of the ftrong breakers produded by the rocky fhorc. We caft anchor and veered the cable toward the fhore. Some men, v/ho flood upon the brink, hallooed to us, while we did the fame on our part ; but the wind was fo high, and the waves fo noify, that we could nei ther of as hear each other. There were fome canoes up on the bank, and we called out to them, and made figns to prevail on them to come and take us up ; but either they did not understand us, or they deemed our requeft impracticable, and withdrew. Night came on, and no thing remained for us but to wait the fubiiding of the wind ; till when we determined (that is, the pilot and I) to fleep if poffible. For that parpofe we went below the hatches along with the Dutchman, who was drench ed with water. The fea broke over the boat, and reach- ed us in our retreat, fo that we were prefcntly as com pletely drenched as he. C Z Wr ' - I 2g .1 We had very little rcppfe during the whole night ; but the wind abating the next day, we fucceeded in reaching Amboy before it was dark,' after having pafied thirty hours without provifions, and with no other drink than a bottle of bad rum, the water upon which we row ed being fait. Jn the evening I went to bed with a .vio lent fever. I had fomewhere read that cold water, drank plentifully, was a remedy in fuch cafes. I followed the prefcripdon, was in a profufc fweat for the greater part of the night, and the fever left me. The next day 1 crof- fed the river in a ferry-boat, and continued my journey on foot. I had fifty miles to walk, in order to reach Burlington, where I was told Ifhould nnd paflage-boats that would convey me to Philadelphia. It rained hard the whole day, fo that I was wet to the {kin. Finding myfelf fatigued, about noon 1 flopped at a paltry inn, where I paired the reft of the day and the whole night, beginning to regret that I had quitted my home. I made, betides fo wretched a figure, that. I was fufpefted to be fome run-away fervant. This I difcovered by the quei- tions that were afked me ; and I felt that I was every moment in danger of being taken up as fuch; The next day, however, 1 continued my journey, and arriv ed in the evening at an inn, eight or ten miles from Burlington, that was kept by one Dr. Brown. This man entered into convcrfation with me while I took fome refrefhment, and perceiving that I had read a little, he expreffed towards me confiderable intereft and friendship. Our acquaintance continued during the remainder of his life. 1 believe him to have been what is called an itinerant doctor; for there was no town in England, or indeed in Europe, of which he could not give a particular account. He was neither deficient in understanding nor literature, but he was a fad infidel ; and, fome years after, undertook to travcfty the Bible in burlefque verfe, as Cotton has traveftied Virgil. He exhibited, by this means, many fafts in a very ludicrous point of view, which would have given umbrage to weak minds, had his work been publilhed, which it never was.. . I fpent the night at his houfe, and reached Burlington the next morning. On 1:17 nrrival, I had the mortification to learn that the ordinary pa iTage- boats had failed a lit tle before. This was on a Saturday, and there would be no other boat till the Tuefday following. 1 returned to the houfe of an old woman in the town who had fold ?ne fome gingerbread to eat on my paffage, and I afked her advice. She invited me to take up my abode with her till an opportunity offered for me to embark/ Fa tigued with having travelled fo far on foot, I accepted her invitation. When (he underftood that I was a print er, {he would have perfuaded me to ftay at Burlington, nnd fet up my trade : but Ihe was little aware of the capital that woald be neceffary for fueh a ptrrpcffe ! I was treated while at her houfe with true hofpitality. She gave me, with the ntmoit good-will, a dinner of beef-'fteaks, and would accept of nothing in return but a pint of ale. Here I imagined myfelf to be fixed till the Tuefday in the enfuing week ; but walking out in the evening by the fiver ilde, I faw a boat with a number of perfons in it approach. It was going to Philadelphia, and the company took me in. As there was no wind, we could only make way with our oars. About midnight, not perceiving the town, fome of the company were of v- pinion that we muft have pailed ir, and were unwilling to row any farther; the reft not knowing where we were, it was refolved that we ihoald &op. We drew to* wards the fhore, entered a creek, and landed near fome old palifades, which fcrved us for fire- wood, it being a ccld night in Oftober. Here we Itayed till dny, when one of the company found the place in which we were, to be Cooper's Creek, a little above Philadelphia ; which in reality we perceived the moment we were out of the Creek. We arrived on Sunday about eight or fiirie o'clock in the rnornicg, and landed on Market- ffcreet wharf. I have entered into the particulars of my voyage, and lliall in like manner dcfcribe my firft entrance into this viry, that you may be able to compare beginnings, fo lit tle aufpici^r, with the figure 1 have fince made. C 3 On 'On my arrival at Philadelphia I vss in my working drefs, my belt clothes being to come by ila. "l was cov ered with dirt; my pockets were filled with ihirts and. ftocklngs ; I was unacquainted with a (ingle foul in the place, and knew not where ro feck for a lodging, Fa- signed with walking, rowing, and bavjng p{&4 t'-,e night without fleep, 1 was extremely hungry, and all my money conii lied of a Dutch dollar, and about a milling's worth of coppers, which 1 gave to the boatmen for my paiTage. As I had afliiled them in rowing they refilled it at fir ft ; but I infilled on their taking' it. A man is fomctimes more generous when he has littk*, than when he has much money ; probably becaufe, in the firft cafe, he is defirotrs of concealing his poverty. I walked towards the top of the rlreet, looking eagerly on both fides, till I came to Market-ftreet, where I avst a child with a loaf of bread. Often had I made my dinner on dry bread. I inquired where he had bought it, and went ftrait to the baker's (hop which he pointed out to roe. 1 alked for fome bifcuits, expecting to find fuch as we had at Bofron ; but they made, it feems, none of that fort at Philadelphia. I then afeed for a three penny loaf. They made no loaves of that price. Find- ir.g myfelf ignorant of the prices, as well as of the dif ferent kinds of bread, I defired him to let me have three penny-worth of bread of fome kind or other. He gave me three large rolls. I was farprized at receiving fo much : I took them, however, and having no room in my pockets, I walked on with a roll under each arm, eating- the third. In this manner I went through Mar? ket-fireeT to Fourth- flreet, and pafTcd the houfe of Mr. Read, ths father of my future wife. She was (landing at the door, obferved me, and thought, with reafon, that I made a very fingular and grotefque appearance. I then turned the corner, and went through Chefnut- flreet, eaiing rr-y roll all the way; and having made this round, 1 found myfelf a^ain on Market -fireet wharf, near the boat in which 1 had arrived. I Hepped into it to take a draught of river-water; and finding m) felf ->;ed with iny firfi roll, I 'gave the other two to. a wo- oiao. L 3' J roan and .her child, w4io had come down the river with us in the boat, and was waiting to continue her journey. Thus refrelhed, 1 regained the ftreet, which was now full of well-dreiTed people, all -going the fame way. I joined them, and was thus led to a large Quaker's meet- ing-houfe- near the market ptece, I fat down with the reft, and after looking round, me Cor fome time, hearing nothing faid, and bein$ drowfy from my lad night's la bour and want of rdtr, I fell into a. found fleep. In this ftate. I continued till the affemMy difperfed, when one of the congregation had. the goodnefs. to wake me. This was corifequendy the firft.houfe I entered, or in which I flept at Philadelphia. I began again to walk along the fireets by the river fide ; and looking attentively in ihe ftce of every one I met, I at length perceived a young quaker, whofe coun tenance pleafed -me* I accofted him, and begged him to inform me where a ft ranger might find a lodging. We were then near the fign of the Three Mariners. They receive travellers here, faid ho, but it is not a hbufe that bears a, good character ; if yu will go with me, I will (hew you a better one. He jccaducled me to the Crooked Billet, in Water-drest, There I ordered fornething tor dinner ; and during my meal, a number of curious queftions \?ere pur to me ; my youth and ap pearance exciting the fufpicion of my being a ran-away. After dinner my drowfmefs returned, and I threw my- felf upon a bed without taking off my clothes, and flept till fix o'clock in the eveaing, .when I was called to fop- per. I afterwards went to bed at a very early hour, and did not wake till the next morning. As foon as I got up, I put tnyfelf in as decent a trim as I could, and went to the houfe of Andrew Bradford the printer. I found his father in the fhop, whom 1 had feen at New York. Having travelled oa horfeback, he had arrived at Philadelphia befjre me. He intro duced rae to his fon, who received me with civility, and gave me fome breakfaft ; but told me he had no occa^ .on for a journeyman, having lately procured one. He added, that there was another primer newly fettled in the C '3>- * the town, of the name of Kelmer, ^ho might perhaps employ me ; and in cafe of a refafal, I fhduld he wei- come to lodge at his houfe, and he would give tne A lit- tic work now and then, till fomething better The 6ld rnan offered to introduce me to the new print er. When we were at his houfe, " Neighbour," fnid fee, < I bring yofc a young man in the printing baftnefs; c * perhaps yoa m*f ha*e need of his fcrtices." Keimer aiked me iome queftiofts, put a compofing flick in my hand to fee how I could work, and then fatd, that at prefent he had nothing for me to do, but that he fhould foon be able to employ inc. At the fame time taking old Bradford for an inhabitant of the town well-difpofed towards him, he communicated his project to him, arrd the profpecl he had of ftfccefs. Bradford was careful not to difcover that he was the fathef of the other printer ; and from what Keimer had faid, that he hoped ftiortly to be in poiTeirion of the greater part of the buiinefs of the town, led him, by artful queftions,- and by ftarting fome difficulties, to difclofe all his views^ wftat his hopes were founded upon, and how he intended to proceed. I was prefent, and heard it all. I inftaritly faw that one of the two was a cunning old fox, and the other a perfect novice. Bradford left me with Keimer, who was itrangely furprifed when 1 informed him whd the old man was. I found Kei Biers printing materials to confift of an old damaged prefs, and a fmall cait of worn-out Englif^ letters, with which he was himfelf at work upon an elegy on Aquila Rofe, whom I have mentioned above, an in genious young man, and of an excellent character, high ly eileemed in the town, Secretary to the Affernbly, and a very tolerable poet. Keimer alfo made verfes, but they were indifferent ones. He could not be faid to write in verfr, for his method was to take and fet the lines as they flowed from his* mufc ; and as he worked at copy, ha<$ but one fet of letter-cafes, and the would probabl) occupy all his type, it was impof- for any out to ailift him, I- endeavoured to pt hk I 33 1 prcft in order, which he had not yet ufcJ, and of which iadeed he underftood nothing : and h"& P 1 ?**'. come and work off his elegy arfoon as it fhouM be rea dy I returned to the houfe of Bradford, who 'gave me Come trifle to do for the -prcfcnf, for ; which 3 board and lodging. ". . In a few days Keimer'fent for me to print off hiselegy. He had now procured ahofherfet of letter-cafes; and had a -pamphlet to reprint, upon which he fet me to work. The two Philadelphia printers appeared 'depute o: every qualification neceffary in their ptbfeflion. Brad had not been brought np to it, and was very illiterate. Keimer, though he underftood a .little of the bulmefs, was merely a coropofitor, and wholly incapable erf work- in" at the prefs. He had one of the French prophets, and knew how to imitate their fupernaturai agitations. At the time of our firft acquaintance he prafeffed no pw ticular reliaion, but a little of all upon occaiion. was toullylgnorant of the world, and a great knave a heart as I had afterwards an opportunity ot experiencing. Keimer could not endure that, working with him, I ihould lode at Bradford's. He had indeed a houfe, but it vvasunfurnid, paid me many complirDems, defired to be acquainted with me, obligingly reproached me fcrnot having made my- felf known to him on my aiHval in the town, and wifhed me to accompany him to a tavern, where he and Colonel French were goi r - 'to' tafte fonve excellent Madeira wine. I t 35 ] I was, I confefs, fomevvhat furprifed, and Keimtr ap peared thunderftruck. I went however with the gover nor and the colonel to a tavern at the corner of Third* Srcet, where, while we were drinking the Madeira, he propofed to me to eftablifh a printing-houfe. He fee j'brth the probabilities of fuccefs, and tiimfelf and colo nel French affurcd rne that I (houM have their projection and influence in obtaining the printing of the public pa pers of both government j and as 1 appeared to doubt whether my father would affift me in this enterprise, Sir William faid that he would give me a letter to him, in which he would reprefent the advantages of the fcherae, in a light which he had no doubt would determine him* It was thus concluded that I fhould return fo Bofton by the firft veffel, with the letter of recommendation from the governor to my father. Meanwhile the proje-ft w$$. to be kept ftccrcr, and I continued to work for Keimef 33 before. The governor feat every now and then to invite me to dine with him. I confidered this as a very great honour j and I was the more fenfible of it, as he con verged with me in. the mofl affable, familiar, and friendly manner imaginable. Towards the end of April 17.24* a froall veiTel was ready to fail for Bofton. I took leave of Keiiner, upon the pretext of going to fee my parents. The governor gave rne a long letter, in which he faid many flattering things of me to my father ; and ftrongly recommended the project of my fettliag at Philadelphia, as a thing which could not fail to make my fortune. Going down the bay we {truck on a fiat, and {prong a leak. The weather was very ternpcflucus, and we were obliged to pump without mtermiflion ; I took my turn. We arrived however fafe and found at Bofton, after about a fortnight's paiTage. 1 had been abfent feven complete months, and my re lations,, during that interval, had received no intelligence of me ; for my brother-in-law, Holmes, was not yet re* turned; and had not written about me. My unexpected p|)caranc'for^irifed the family; but they were all de lighted t 36 J lighted at feeing roe again, and, except my brother, welcomed me home. 1 went to him at the printing- of fice. I was better dreficd than I had ever been while in his fervice ; I had a complete Am 01 clothes, new and near, a watch in my pockrr, and ny purfe was furnifhed with nearly five pounds iieriing iii money. He gave me no very civil reception j and having ejcd me from head to foot, refumed his work. The workmen a iked me with eager nefs where I had been, what fort of a country it was, and how I liked -it. 1 fpoke in the higheft terms of Philadelphia, the happy life we Jed there, and exprciled my intention of going back again One of them alked what forr of money we had. I difplayed before them a handful of filver, which I drew from my pocket. This was a curiofity to which they were not accuftomed, paper being the current mon ey at Bofton. I failed not after this to let them fee my watch ; and at laft, my brother continuing fallen and out of humour, I gave them a milling to drink, and took my leave. This viiit flung my brother to the foul ; for when, fhonly after, my mother fpoke to him of a reconciliation, and a defire of feeing us upon good terms, he told her that I had fa infulted him before his men, that he would never forget or forgive it : in this, however, he was miftaken. The governor's letter appeared to excite in my father fome furprife ; but he fr.id little. After fome days, Capt. Holmes being returned, he fhewed it him, aiking him if he knew Keith, and what fort of a man he was : adding, that, in his opinion it proved v-ery little dif- cernment to think of fetting up a boy in bufinefs, who for three years to ccm,e would not be of an age to be ranked in the clafs of men. Holmes faid every thing he could .in favour of the fcheme ; but my father firmly maintained its abfurdity, and at laift gave a pofitive re fufal. He wrote, however, a civil letter to Sir William, thanking him fo.r the protection he had fo . obligingly offered me, but refufing to affiit me for 'the.prefen V be- caufe he thought me too young -to.be ent'rufted with -the conduct of fo important an ; eflterprifc, an4 which would require fo considerable a fum of money. My [ 37 J My old comrade Collins, who was a clerk in the poft-ofiee, charmed with the account I gave of my new residence, exprefled a defire of going thither ; and while I waited my father's determination, he fet off before me, by land, for Rhode-Ifland, leaving-his books, which formed 3. handfome collection in mathematics and natu ral phi'ofopby, to be conveyed with mine to New- York, where he purpoied to wait for me. My father, though he could not approve Sir William's propofa!, was yet pleafed that I had obtained fo advan tageous a recommendation as that of a perfon of his rank, and that iny induftry and economy had enabled me to equip myfelf fo handibmely io fo fliort a period. Seeing no appearance of accommodating matters between my brother and me, he confented to my return to Philadel phia, advifed me to be civil to every body, to endeavour to obtain general efteem, and avoid fatire and farcafm, to which he thought 1 was too much inclined; adding, that, with perfeverance and prudent economy, I might, by the time I became of age, fave enough to eftablifh myfclt in bufinefs ; and that, if a fmall ftim Ihould then be wanting, he would undertake to fupply it. This was all I could obtain from him, except feme trifling prefents, in token of friendihip, from him and my mother. I embarked once more for New- York, furnifhed at this rime with their approbation and .bleff- ing. The Hoop having touched at Newport in Rhode- Jlland, I paid a vint to my brother John, who had for Tome years been fettled there, and was married. He had always been attached to me, and received me with great affeclion. One of his friends, whole name was Vernon, having a debt of about thirty- fix pounds due to him in Pennfylvania, begged me to receive it for him, and keep the money till I ihould hear from him : accordingly he gave me an order for that purpofe. This affair occa- iioned me, in the fequel, much ur.eafinefs. At Newport we took on board a number of paiTen- gers ; among whom were two young women, an ' a grave and fenfible quaker lady with her fervants 1 had fhown an obliging forwardness in rendering the quaker forne D trifling [ 3* J trifling fervices, which led her, probably, to fee! feme intereft in my welfare ; for when fbe faw a familiarity- take place, and every day increafc, between the two young women and me, (he took me aiide and faid, ** Young man, I am in pain for dice. Thou haft no parent to watch over thy condtic't, and thou feemeft to l>e ignorant of the world, and the fnares to which youth is expofed. Rely upon what I tell thee : thofe are wo men of bad characters ; I perceive it in all their actions. If thou doll not take care, they will lead thee into dan ger. They ate ftra-nger* to thee, and I advife thee, by the friendly intereft I take in thy prefervation, to form no conn * fame relations in London, but they were poor, and not able to afiilt him. He now, for the firft time, informed me of his intention to renunfi in England^ and that be had no thoughts of ever returning to Philadelphia. He was totally without money ; the little he had been able to raife having barely fufticed for his paffage. I had ilill fifteen piiiolcs remaining; and to me he had from time to time recourfe, while he tried to get employment. At firft, believing himfelf pofieiTod of talents for the ftage, he thought of turning aftor ; but Wilkes, to whom he applied, frankly advifed him to renounce the idea, as it was impomblc to fucceed. He next propofed to Roberts, a hookfeller in Paternofter-Row, to wriie a weekly paper in the manner of the Spectator, upoa terms to which Roberts would not liiten. Lailly, he en deavoured to procure employment as a copy-ill, and ap plied to the lawyers and ftationers about the Temple ; but he could find no vacancy. As to rayfelf, I immediately got engaged at Palmer's, al that time a noted printer in Bartholomew Clofe, with I continued nearly a year* I applied ve_ry afiidu- to my work; but I expended with Kajlph almoft that I earned. Flays and other places of amufement which we frequented together, having exhausted my pif- toles, we lived after this from hand to .mouth. He ap peared to have entirely forgotten his wife and child, as I alfo, by degrees, forgot my engagements with Mifs Read, to whom I never wrote more than one letter, and that merely to inform her that 1 was not likely to return foon. This was another grand error of my life, which I ftiould be defirous of correcting, were i to begin my career again. I was employed at Palmer's on the fecond edition of Wooiafton's Religion of Nature. Some of his argu ments appearing to me not to be well iounded, 1 wrote a (mail metaphyfical treatife, in which I animadverted on thofe paflages. It was eatiiled a Differtatioh on Liberty and Neceflity, Pleasure and Pain. 1 dedicated 51 to my friend Ralph, and printed a fmall number of r 51 1 Palmer upon this treated me with more cor- (ukranon, and regarded me as a young man of ta'ents 5 though lie ferioufly took me to tafk for the principles of ciy pamphlet, which he looked upon as abominable. The printing of this work was another error gf my life. While 1 lodged in Little Britain I formed acquaint ance with ? bookfeller of the name of Wiicox, whofe Chop was next door to me. Circulating libraries were sot then in ufe. He had an immenfe collection of books of ail forts. We agreed that, for a reafonable re tribution, of which I have now forgotten the price, I fh^uid have free accefs to his library, and take what books I pleafed, which I was to return when I had read them. I confidered this agreement as a very great ad vantage ; and I derived from it as much benefit as was in. my power. My pamphlet falling into the hands of a furgeon, of the name of Lyons, author of a book entitled Infallibili ty of Human Judgment, was the occaiion of a coniklera- bie intimacy between us. He exprefifed great efteena for me, came frequently to fee me, in order to converfe upon metaphyfical fubjecls, and introduced me to Dr.Mande- ville, author of the Fable of the Bees, who had indicated a club at a tavern ia Cheapfide, of which he was the foul : he was a facetious and very amuftng character. He al- fo introduced me, at Barton's coffce-houfe, to Dr. Pera- berton, who promifed to give me an opportunity of fee ing Sir Ifaac Newton, which I very ardently defired ; but he never kept his word. I had brought fome curiofuies with me from Ameri ca ; the principal of which was a purfe made of Afoeftos, which fire only purifies. Sir Hans Sloane hearing of it, called upon me, and invited me to his houfe in Bloomf- bury fquare, where, after mowing me every thing that was curious, he prevailed on me to add this piece to his collection ; for which he paid me very handfomely. There lodged in the fame houfe with us a young wo man, a milliner, who had a (hop by the iicte of the Ex- clange. Lively and fenfible, and having received ^an foraewhat above|her rank, her eonYerfatioiv E z W5ts .[ 5* 3 was very agreeable. Ralph read plays to her every even ing. They became intimate. She took another lodg ing, and he followed her. They lived for Tome time together; but Ralph being without employment, IBs having a child, and the profits of her bufinefs not furnc- ing for the maintenance of three, he refolded to quit London, and try a country fchool. This was a plan in which he thought himfelf likely to fucceed, as he wrote a fine hand, and was verfed in arithmetic and accounts. But considering the office as beneath him, and expeding fome day to make a better figure in the world, when he jfhould be aihamed of its being known that he had exer. cjfed a profdfion fo little honourable, he changed his name, and did me the honour of affuming mine. He wrote to me foon after his departure, informing me that he was fettled at a frnall village ia Berkshire. In his letter he recommended Mrs. T***. the milliner, to my care, and requefled an anfwer, directed to Mr. Franklin, fchoolmafleratN***^ lie continued to write to me frequently, fending me large fragments of an epic poem he was compoiing, and which he requefted me to criticife aud correct. I did fo, but not without endea\ r ouring to 'prevail on him to re nounce his purfuit. Yourvg had jull pablifhed one of liis Si', ires. I copied and fent him a grc^t part of it j in which the author demonftiates the folly of cultivating the Mules, from the hope, by their inftruinentality, of rifmg in the world. It was all to nopurpofe; paper after paper of his poem continued to arrive every pod. Meanwhile Mrs. T**" having loft, on his account, both her friends and her bufinefs, was frequently in dif* trefs, In this dilemma (he had recourfe to me ; and to extricate her from her difficulties,. I lent her all the mo ney I could fpare. 1 felt, a little too much fondnefs for her. Having at that time no ties of religion, and tak ing advantage of her necoffitous fituation, I attempted liberties (another error of my life) which me repelled Lvith becoming indignation. She informed Ralph of my conduct ; and the. affair occafioned a breach between us. When he returned to Londdti, he gave tae to underftand that 53 ] Ks considered all the obligations he o\ved* me as an nihilated by this proceeding ; whence I concluded, that I was never to expecl the payment of what money I had lent him, or advanced on his account. I was the lefs afHiifted at this, as he was unable to pay me ; and as, by lofmg his friendship, I was relieved at the fame time from a very heavy burthen. I now began to think. of laying by fome money. The' printing- houfe of Watts, near Lincoln's Inn- Fields, be ing a ftill nrore confiderable one than that in which I worked, ic was probable I might find it raore advantage ous to be employed there. I offered myfelf, and was accepted ; and in this houfe I continued during the re mainder of my flay in London. On my entrance.! worked ai firft as a prefTman, con ceiving that I had need of bodily exercife, to which I had' been accuilomed in America, where the printers work al* ternately as compofitors and at the prefs. I. drank no* thing but water. The other workmen, to the number of about fifty, were great drinkers of beer. I carried occafiorkilly a large form of letters in each hand, up and- down flairs, while the reft employed both hands to carry; one. They were furprifed to fee, by this and many other examples, that the American Aqnatic t -^ they ufed to call me, was ftronger than thofe who drank porter, The beer- boy had fuiEcient employment daring, thje- whole day in ferving that houle alone. My fellow- preiTman drank every day a pint of beer before breakfafr, a pint with bread and ckeefe for breakfaft, one between, breakfaft and dinner, one at dinner,, one again about (IK- o'clock in the afternoon, and another after he had finiih- cd his day's work. This cuftom appeared to meabomi* liable ; but he had need,, he faid, of>all this beer,, in or der to acquire ftrength to work. J endeavoured to convince him that -bodily flrength, furnifhed by beer, conld only be in proportion to the folid part of the barley dilSTolved in the water of which fie beer, was competed ; that there was a larger portion of Sour in a penny loaf, and that confequently, if he eat aad drank a pint of water with it, he would . 3 derive E 54 ] derive more ftrength from it than from a pmt of beer* This reafoning, however, did not prevent him from drinking his accuftomed quantity of beer, arid paying every Saturday night a fcore of four or five flsillingi a week for tins carfed beverage ; an expence from which I was wholly exempt. Thus do thefc poor devils con tinue all their lives in a (late of voluntary wretchedne& and poverty. At the end of a few we?ks, Watts having occafion for me above (lairs as a com poll cor, 1 quitted the prefs. The compofttors demanded of me garnifh-money afrefh, This I confidercd as an impofition, having already paid below. The matter was of the fame opinion, and de- iired me not to comply. I tkiis remained two or three weeks out of the fraternity. I was consequently looked upon as excommunicated ; and whenever I was abfent, no little trick that malice could fuggeft was left unprac- tifed upon me. I found my Letters mixed, my pages tranfpofed, my matter broken, c. c. all which was attributed to the fpirit that haunted the chapel,* and tormented thofe who were not regularly admitted. Z was at lad obliged to fubmit to pay, notwithftanding the protection of the matter; convinced of the folly of not keeping up a-good undemanding with thofe among whom ^ve are deftined to live. After this I lived in the tHmoft harmony with my fellow- labourers, and foon acquired confiderable influ-* snce among them. I propofed fome alterations in the laws of the chapel, which I carried without oppofition. My example prevailed with feveral of them to renounce their abominable practice of bread and cheefe with beer ; and they procured, like me, from a neighbouring houfe, a good bafon f w.ann gruel,, in which was a fmall flice of butter, with toafted bread and nutmeg. This was a much better br,e propo-0.il. The following Were the pcrfons I found in his print- ing-honfe : Hugh Meredith, a Pennfylvanian, abont thirty-five- years of a^e, He liad been brought up to huiban'drr, was honefl, fcnfihie, had fome experience, and was fond of reading : but too much addicted to drinking. Stephen Potts, a young ruftic, jaft broke from fchool; and of rwdic education, with endowments rather above the'eomrnoii order, and a competent portiota of under- (landin'g and gaiety ; but a little idle. Keimcr had en gaged thefe two at very low wages, which he had prom- ifed to raife every three months a (hilling a week, pro vided their improvement in the typographic art fhould merit it. This future increafe of wages was the bait he made ufe of to enfnare them. Meredith was to work at the prefs, and Potrs to bind books, which he had en aged to teach them, though he underftood neither him- elf. John Savage, an Irifhrmn, who had been brought up to no trade, and whofe fervicc, for a period of four years, K^imer hai porcivifed of the captain of a (hip. He was a'fo to be. a pivffman. George Webb, an Oxford fcholar, whofe time ! ; e had in like manner bought for four years, intending htm for a compofitor. I fhall fpcak more of him prefently. Laftly, David Harry, a country lad, who was appren ticed to him. F I g f t J I fron perceived that Keimer's intention, in engaging rr indolent, thoughtlefs, and to th laft degree imprudent. John, John, the Irimman, foon ran away. I began to live very agreeably with the reft. They refpefted me, and the more To as they found Keimer incapable cf icftrucfc- in* them, and as they learned fomething from me ever/ <:av. We never worked on a- Saturday, it being Kei- nier's fabuath ; fo that 1 had two days a week for read ing. i increafed my acquaintance with perfons of know ledge and information in the town. Kcinier himfelf treated me with great civility and apparent efteem ; and i had nothing to give me uneafmefs but my debt to Ver- ncn, which I was unable to pay, my favings as yet being very little. He had the goodaefs, however, not to afk me for the mou-vy. Our prefs was frequently in want of the neceflary quantity of letter ; and there was no fuch trade as that of letter- founder in America. I had feen the practice of this art at the houfe of James, in London j but at the fa;ne time paid it very litrlc attention. I however con trived to fabricate a mould, I made ufe of fuch letters as we had for punches, founded new letters of lead ia matrices of clay, and thus fupplied, in a tolerable man ner, the wants that were moft preffing. 1 aifo, upon cccafion, engraved various ornaments, made ink, gave an eye to the (hop ; in ihort,. I was ia every refpeft the fa&otum. But, ufeful as I made ray- felf^ I perceived that my fer vices became every day of bfs importance, in proportion as the other men improv ed ; and when Keimer paid me my fecond quarter's wa ges, he gave me to underfland that they were too heavy,, and that he tho-^ht I ought to make an abatement. He became by degrees lefs civil,, and aiTumed more the, tone of mafter. He frequently found fault, was difficult to pleafe, and feemed always on the point of coming 10 an open quarrel with me. 1 continued, however, to bear it patiently, conceiving that his ill-humour was partly occafioned by the derange ment and embarraflment of his affairs. At laft a flight incident broke our connection. Hearing a noife in the neighbourhood, I put my .head out of the window to fee 'F 2 what- r 64 ] what was the matter. Keiraer being in the ftreet, ob- ferved me, and in a loud and angry tone, told me to mind my work ; adding fome teproachful words, \\hich piqued me the more as they were uttered in the 'ft real; and the neighbours, whom the fame ncife had attra&c-d to the windows, were wirneffes of the manner in which I was treated. Me immediately came up to the printing- loom, and continued to exclaim againft me. The quar rel became'warm on both fides, and he gave me notice to quit him at the expiration of three months, as had been agreed between us j regretting that he was obliged to give me fo Jong a twn. I told him that his regret was fuperfiucus, as I was ready to quit him inftantly ; and I took my hat and came out of the houfe, begging Meredith to take care of fome things which I left, and bring them to my lodgings. Meredith came to me in the evening. We talked for fome time upon the quarrel that had taken place. He had conceived a great veneration for me, and was ferry 1 mould quit the houfe while he remained in it. He tiiffuaded me from returning to my native country, as I began to think of doing. He reminded me that Keiraer .owed more than lie poileflld ; that his creditors began to be alarmed ; that he kept his mop in a wretched ftufe, often felling things at prime coil for the fake of ready money, and continually giving credit without keeping any accounts ; that ot confequence he mnft very foon fail, which would occalion a vacancy from which I might derive advantage. I objected rny want of money. Up on which he informed me that his father had a very high opinion of me, and, from a converfa ion that had palled between them, he was fure that he would advance what ever might be neceffary to eftablim us, if I was willing to enter into partner&ip with him. t: My time with Keimer," added he, "'will be at an end next fpring. lu the mean time we may fend to London for our prefs and types. I know that 1 am no workman ; but If you agree t ) the prppofal, your {kill in the bufinefs will be balanced by the capital I will furnim, and we will mare the pro fits eqaally." His propofal was rcafonable, and I fell [ 65 ] in with ir. Kis father, who was then in the town, ap proved of it. He knew that I had fjme afcendehcy over his fbn, as ] had bsen able to prevail on him to abitain a long time from drinking brandy ; and he hoped that, \fhen more clo-fely eonnecled with him, 1 mould cure him entirely of this unfortunate habir. I gave the father a lift of what it would be necefTary to import from London. He took it to a merchant, and the order was given. We agreed to keep the Secret till the arrival of the materials, and I was in the mean time to procure work, if poflible, in another printing houfe ; but there was no place vacant, and I remained idle. Afier fome days, KeLner having the expectation o* be ing employed to print fome New-Jerfey money-bills, that would require types and engravings which 1 only could furnifh, r.nd fearful that Bradford, by engaging me, might deprive him of the undertaking, fent me a very civil 'meiTage, telling me that old friends ought not to be dif united on account of a few words, which were the efftcl only of a momentary paffion, and inviring me to return to him. Meredith perfuaded me to comply with the invitation, particularly as it would afford him- more opportunities of improving himfelf in the bufmef* by means of my inft ructions. I did fo, and we lived up on better terms than before our fepa ration- He obtained the New-Jerfey bufiaefs ; and, in order to execute it, I conftrufled a copper-plate printing- prefs ; the firft that had been feen in the country,. I engraved various ornaments and vignettes for the bills ; and we repaired to Burlington together, where 1 executed 1 the whole to the general fatisraclion ; and he received a funv of money for his work, which enabled him to keep his- head above water for a conuckrable time longer. At Burlington 1 formed acquaintance with the prin cipal perfonages c the province ; many of whom were. commiiTioned by (he Aflembly to fuperinteni the pref^, and to fee that no more bills were printed than the law had prefcribed. Accordingly they were constantly '.vi:h us, each in his turn ; and he that came, com brought wiih him a fri-.-jvl or *\vo to bsarhim c~. ' My mind was mo-re cultivated by reading than Keimer's; and it was for this reafan, probably, that they fet more value on my converfadon. ' They took me to their hoiiies, introduced me to their friends, and treated me with the greateft civility while Keimer, though matter, faw himfelf a little negledted. He was, in fad, a itrange animal, ignorant of the common modes of lifo, apt "to opppfe with rud^nefs generally received opinions, an emhuiiaft in certain points of religion, difguftingly un clean in his perfon, and a little knavifh withal. We remained there nearly three months ; and at the expiration of this period I could include in the Hit of my friends, Judge Allen, Samuel Buftil, fecretary of the province, Ifaac Pearfon, Jofeph Ce'oper, feveral * 3 gratitude I felt on tins occafion to George Howfe, 1ms rendered me often more difpofed, than perhaps ! ftotsll otherwife have been, to encourage young beginners in trade. There are in every country raorofe being*, who arc always prognofticating ruin. There was ORC of t?H$ {ramp in Philadelphia. He was a man of forturre, de clined in years, had an air of wifdom, and a very grave manner of f peaking. His name was Samuel Mickle. I knew him nor ; but he {topped one day at my door, and silk. :.! me if I was the young mf t n who had lately opened a new printing houfe. Upon my anfweriag in the af- rmati*e, he fatd he was very forry for me, as it was an expenfive undertaking, and the money that had been laid out upon it would be loft, Philadelphia being a place falling into decay ; its inhabitants having all, or nearly all of them, been obliged to call together their creditors, That he kn?w, from undoubted faft, the circumftances which might lead us to fuppofe the contrary, fuch as new buildings, and the advanced price of rent, to be de ceitful appearances, which in reality contributed tohaft- cn the general rum ; and he gave me fo long a detail of misfortunes, actually exifting, or which were foon to tuk? place, that he left me almoft ia a ftafe of defpair. Had I known this man before 1 entered into trade, I ihonid doubtlefs never have ventured. He however continued to live in this place of decay, and to declaim in the fame ftyle, refufing for many years to buy a houfcs becaufe all was going to wreck ; and in the end I had' the farisfaftion to fee him pay live times as much for one as it would havecoft him had he purchaftd it when he firft began his lamentations. I ought to have related, that, during the autumn of the preceding year, I had united the majority of well- informed perfons of my acquaintance into a club, which \VQ called by the name of the Junto, and the object of \vhich was to improve our underilandings. We met every Friday evening. The regulations I drew up oblig ed every member to propofe, in his turn, one or more quellions upon fome point of morality, politics, or phi- I' 1 I lofophy, which wtre to be difculTed by the ibciefr-; a;id to read, ones in three months, an ellay of Li- ov. ; competition, on whatever fubjecl. he pleafed. Our de bates were under the direction of a president, ant! wera to be dictated only by a fincere defire of truth ; the pleafure of disputing, and the vanity of triumph, Laving jio (hare in the bufmefs ; and, in order to prevent undue warmth, every exprefiion which implied obftinate adher ence to an opinion, and all direct contradidon, were prohibited, under fmall pecuniary penalties. The firil members of our club were Jofeph Brein'nal, whofe occupation was that of a fcri verier. He was a middle-aged man, of a good natural dlfpofition, (hongly attached to his friends, a great lover of poetry, reading e\ery thing that came in his way, and writing tolerably well, ingenious in many little trifks, and of an agreeable conversation. Thomas Godfrey, a fkilful, though felf- taught maihe- matician, and who was afterwards the inventor of what now goes by the name of Hadley's dial ; but he had lit' tie knowledge out of his own line, and was infuppcrtaLb in company, always requiring like the majoiity of Ma thematicians that have fallen in ray way, an unufual ;?re- cifion in every thing that is {aid, continually contradict ing or making trifling diftinclions ; a fare way of defeat ing all the ends of ccnverfation. He very foon left us. Nicholas Scull, a furveyor, and who became after wards furveyor- general. He was fond of bocks, and wrote verfes. William Parfons, brought up to the trade of a (hoe- maker, but who, having a tafte for reading, had acquired a profound knowledge of mathematics. He firft itudicd them with a view to aftrology, and was afterwards the firft to laugh at his folly, lie alfo became furveyor- general. William Mawgridge, a joiner and a very excellent mechanic ; and in other refpefts a man of f'olid undet- ftanding. Hugh Meredith, Stephen Potts and George Webb, of whom I have already fpoken. Robert [ 7' T Robert Grace, a young man of fortune j ge animated and witty ; fond of epigrams, bat more fond of his friends. And laftly, William Colemar, at that time a mer chant's clerk, and nearly of my own ag;% He had a cooler and clearer head, a better hear:, and more fcrupu- lous morals, than almoft any other perfon I have ever met with. He became 3 very refpeclable merchant, and one of our provincial judges. Our friendship fub- jitted. without interruption, for more than forfy year?, till the period of his death ; and thi club continued to exift alrnoft as long. This was the beft fchool of politics and philofophy that then exifled in the province; for our queftions, n hich were read a week previous to their diicufiion, in duced us to perufe attentively fuch !x>oks as were written upon the fubjecls propofed, that we might be able to fpeak upon them mere pertinently. V/e thus acquired the habit of converting more agreeably ; every object being difcuffed conformably to our regulations, and in a manner to prevent mutual difgufl. To this circumllance may be attributed the long duration of the club ; which 1 ihall have frequent occasion to mention as I proceed. I have introduced it here, as being one of the >ans on which 1 had to count for fuccefs in my bufinefs j every member exerting himfclf to procure work for us. Breint* rial, among others, obtained for us, on the part of the Quakers, the printing of forty fiieets of their hiilorj ; the reit of which was to be done by Keimcr. Our execu tion of this work was by no means mafttrly ; as the price was very low. It was in folio, upon pro patria paper, and in the pica letter, with heavy notes in the fmalleft. type. I eompofed a flieet a day. and Meredith put it to the prtfs. It was frequently eleven o'clock at night, iometimes later, before I had finifhed my diftribution for the next day's talk ; for the little things which our friends occafionally fent us, kept us back in this work : but I was fo determined to compofe a fneet a day, that one evenirg, when my form was impofed, and my day's work, as I thought, at an end, an accident having broken this f 7* J tfcis fe?m, and deranged two complete folio pages, I I'm- ihediately diftrioBCed, and compoied them anew before I went to bed. This unweared mduftry, which vr-as perceived by onr neighbours, began to acquire us repiraiion and credit. I learned among other things, 'that our new printing- houfe beiftg the fu' }-ct of converfarion at a club of mer chant, who met every evening, it was the general opin ion that it would e. ;dford printed, was a paltry thing", rnifer// , in no refpeft amufmg, and which yet v/as profitable, I confe- qnentlv fuppofrd that a good work of this kind could not fail of fuccefs. Webb betrayed my fecret to Keimer, who, to prevent me, immediately published the projfehis of 73 3 f a paper that he intended to inftitute himfel'f, and in which Webb wa^ to be engaged. 1 was exafperated at this proceeding, and, with a view to counteraft them, not being able at prefent to inftitute my own paper, I wrote feme humorous pieces in Brad ford's under the title ot the Bufy Body ;* and which was continaed for feveral months by Breintnal. I hereby fixed the attention of the public upon Bradford's paper, nd the profpedus of Keimer, which we turned into ridi cule, was treated with contempt. He began, notwith- ftantiing, his paper ; and after continuing it for nine months, having at moft not more than ninety fubfcribers, he offered it to me for a mere triHe. 1 had for fome time been ready for fuch an engagement ; I therefore inftantly took it upon myfelf, and in a few years it proved ex tremely profitable to me. I perceive that 1 am apt to fpeak in the firft perfon, though our parinerihip (till continued. It is perhaps, becaufe in fact, the whole bufinefs devolved upon me, Meredith was nocompofitor, and but an indifferent prefT- man : and it was rarely that he abftained from hard drinking. My friends were forty to fee me connected with him ; but I contrived to derive from it the utmoft advantage the cafe admitted. Our firft number produced no other efFeft than any o- ther paper which had appeared in the province, as to type and printing ; but fome remarks, in my peculiar ftyle of writing, upon the difpute which then prevailed between governor Burner and the MafTachafetts affembly, ftruck fome perfons as above mediocrity, caufed the paper and its editors to be talked of, and in a few weeks induced them to become our fubfcribers. Many others follow ed their example; and our fubfcriptjon continued to in- ereafe. This was one of the firtt good effects of the pains I had taken to learn to put my ideas on paper. I derived this farther advantage from it, that the leading men of the place, feeing in the author of this publication G a * A manufcript note in the file of the American Mercury, pre- ferved in the Philadelphia library, lays, that Franklin wrate the firft five numbers and part ot" the eighth, [ 74 ] a man fo well able to ufe his pen, thought it right to en courage and patronife me. The votes, laws, and other public pieces, were print ed by Bradford. An addrefs of the houfe of AiTembly to the governor had been executed by him in a very coarfe and incorred manner. We reprinted it with ac curacy and neatnefs, and fent a copy to every member. They perceived the difference ; and it fo ftrengthened the influence of our friends in the Affernbly, that we were nominated its printer for the following year. Among thefe friends 1 ought not to forget one mem ber in particular, Mr. Hamilton, whom I have mention ed in a former part of my narrative, and who was now- returned from England. He warmly interfiled himfelf for me on this occafion, as he did likewife on many o- thers afterwards ; having continued his kindnefs to me till his death. About this period Mr. Vernon reminded me of the debt I owed him, but without preffing me for payment. I wrote him a handfome letter on the occalion, begging him to wait a little longer, to which he confented ; and as foon as I was able I paid him, principal and intereft, with many expreflions of gratitude; fo that this error of my life was in a manner atoned for. But another trouble now happened to me, which I had not the fmalleft reafon to expect. Meredith's father, who, according to our agreement, was to defray the whole expence of our printing materials, had only paid a hundred pounds. Another hundred was ftill due, and the merchant being tired of waiting, commenced a fuit againft us. We bailed the action, with the melan choly profpccl, that, if the money was not forth coming at the time fixed, the affair would come to iffue, judg ment be put in execution, our delightful hopes be anni hilated, and ourfelves entirely ruined ; as the type and prcfs mud be fold, perhaps at half their value, to pay the debt. In this diftrefs, two real friends, whofe generous con duct I have never forgotten, and never fuall forget while I retain the remembrance of any thing, came to me [75 J me feparately, without the knowledge of each other,, and without my having applied to them. Each offered me whatever fum might be necefTary, to take the bufmefs in to my own hands, if the thing was practicable, as they did not like I mould continue in partnerfhip with Mer edith, who, they faid, was frequently fecn drunk in the ftreets, and gambling at ale-houfes, which very much injured our credit. Thefe friends were William Cole- man and Robert Grace. I told them that while there remained any probability that the Merediths would ful fil their part of the compacl, I could not propofe a fepar- ation ; as I concieved myfelf to be under obligations to them for what they had done already, and were ftill dif- pofed to do if they had the power : but in the end faould they fail in their engagement, and our partner- fnip be diffolved, I fhould then think myfelf at liberty to accept the kindnefs of my friends. Things remained for fome time in this ftate. At laft I faid one day to my partner, " Your father is perhaps diiTatisfted with your having a mare only in the bufmefs, and is unwilling to do for two, what he wcj^ld do for you alone. Tell me frankly if that b the cafe, and I will refign the whole to you, and do for myfelf as well as I can." '* No (faid he) my father has really been tlifappointed in his hopes ; he is not able to pay, and I wifii to put him to no further inconvenience. I fee that I am not at all calculated for a printer; I was educated as a fanner, and it was abfurd in me to come here, at thirty yenrs of age, and bind myfelf apprentice to a new trade. Many of my countrymen are going to fettle in North-Carolina, where the foil is exceedingly favoura ble. I am tempted to go with them, and to refume my former occupation. You will doubtlefs find friends who will affift you. If you will take upon yourfclf the debts of the partnerfhip, return my father the hundred pounds he has advanced, pay my little perfonal debts, and give me thirty pounds and a new faddle, I will renounce the partnerfnip, and confign over the whole ftock to you." I accepted this propofal without hefuation. It wa? committed to paper,, and figned and fealed without do G 2 lav. r 7 3 lay. I gave him what he demanded, and he departecf foon after for Carolina, from whence he fent me, ia the following year, two long letters, containing the heft ac counts that had yet been given of that country, as to cli mate, foil, agriculture, &c. far he was well verfed in thefe matters. I publimed them Jn my newfpaper, and they were received with great fadsfaclion. As foon as he was gone I applied to my two friends, and not wifhing to give a difobliging preference to either of them, I accepted from each half what he had offered me, and- which it was neceflary I fhould have. I paid the partnership debts, and continued the bufmefs on my own account ; taking care to inform the public, by ad- vertifement, of the partnerfhip being diflblved. This was, I think, in the year 1729, or thereabout. Nearly at the fame period the people demanded a new emiflion of paper money ; the exilting and only one that had taken place in the province, and which amounted to fifteen thoufand pounds, being foon to expire. The wealthy inhabitants, prejudiced againil every fort of pa per currency, from the fear of its depreciation, of which there had teen an inftance in the province of New-Eng land, to the injury of its holders, ftrongly oppofed the meafure. We had difcuffed this affair in our junto, in which I was on the (ide of the new emiflion ; convinced that the fjrft fmall fum fabricated in 1725, had done much good in the province, by favouring commerce, in- duftry and population, fince all the houfes were uow in habited, and many others building ; whereas I remem bered to have feen, when firft 1 paraded the ftreets of Philadelphia eating my roll, the majority of thofe in Walnut-ftreet, Second- ft reet, Fourth- ilreet, as well as a great number in Chefnut ajid other ftreets, with papers on them fignifying that they were to be let ; which made me think at the time that the inhabitants of the town were deferting it one after another. Our debates made me fo fully mafter of the fubjec"r. t that I wrote and publiftied an anonymous pamphlet, en titled, An Inquiry into the Nature and Necefiity of a Paper Currency. It was very well received by the low er [ 77 ]' er and middling clafs of people; but it difpleafed the pulent, as it increafed the clamour in favour of the new emiifion. Having,, however, no writer among them ca pable of anfwering it, their oppofition became lefs vio lent ; and there being in the houie of Afiembly a ma jority for the meafure, it patted. The friends I ha"d ac quired in the houfe r perfuaded that I had done the coun try efTential fervice on this occafion, rewarded me by giving me the printing of the bills. It was a lucrative employment, and proved a very fcafonable help to me ; another advantage which 1 derived from having habitu ated myfelf to write. Time and experience fo fully demonstrated the utility of paper currency,, that it never after experienced any confiderable oppofition; fo that it foon amounted to 5^,000!. and in the year 1739 to 8o,oool. it has fince rifen, during the laft war,, to 3jo,oooL trade, buildings and population having in the interval continually in- ereafed ; but I am now convinced that there aie limits beyond which paper money would be prejudicial. I foon after obtained, by the influence of my friend Hamilton, the printing of the Newcaftle paper money* another profitable work, as I then thought it, little things appearing great to perfons of moderate fortune 5 and they were really great to me, as proving great en couragements. He alfo procured me the printing of the laws and votes of that government*, which 1 retained as- long as I continued in the bufmci's. I now opened a final! ilationer's mop. I kept bonds and agreements of all kinds, drawn up in a more accu rate form than had yet been feen in that part of the world ; a work in which I was a/lifted by my friend Breintnal. I had alfo paper, parchment, pafteboard, books, c. One Whitemarfb, an excellent compofitcr,. whom I had known in London, came to offer himfeif. I engaged him, and he continued conflantly and dili gently to work with me. 1 alfo took an apprentice, the fon of Aquila Rofe. I began to pay, by degrees, the debt I had contract ed; and in order to infure my credit and character as a G 3, txadefraaiv teadefman, I took care not only to be realty induftrious and frugal, but alfo to avoid every appearance of the contrary. I was plainly dreffed, and never feen in any place of public amufement. I never went a fifhing or hunting: a book indeed enticed me fometimes from my work, bin it was feldorn, by Health, and occafioned no feandal; and, to fhow that i did not think myfelf above my profeffion, I conveyed home fometimes in a wheel barrow the paper 1 purchafed at th" warehoufes. , I thus obtained the reputation of being an indsftrious young man, and very puuclual'in my payments. The merchants who imported articles of ftationary folicred Hiy cuftorn ; others offered to ftirnim me with books, and my little trade went on profperoufly. Meanwhile the credit and bufinefs cf Keimer dimin- ifhed every day ; he was at lail forced to fell his flock, to fattsfy his creditors; and he betook himfelf to Bar- badoes, where he lived fome time in a very impoverifned ftate. His apprentice, David Harry, whom I had in structed \vhile I worked with Keimer, having bought his materials, fueceeded him in the bufinefs. I was ap- prehenfive at firft of finding in Harry a powerful com petitor, as he was allied to an opulent and refpeclable family ; 1 therefore propofed a partnerihip, which hap pily for me, he rejected with difdain. He was extreme ly proud, thought himfelf a fine gentleman, lived exTav- agaivly, and purfued amufements which fuffcred him to be fcarcely ever at home ; of confequenee he became in <)eb.t, neglecled his bufinefs, and bufmefs neglected him. Finding in a fhort time nothing to be done in the coun try, he followed Keimer to Barbadoes, carrying hi3 printing materials with htra. There the apprtnrice em ployed his old mafter as a journeyman. They were con tinually quarrelling; and Harry, Mill getting in debt, was obliged at laft to fell his pr j fs and types, and return to his old occupation of hufoandry in Pennfylvania. The perfon who purchafed them employed Keimer to raannge the bufinefs: but he died a few years after. I had now at Philadelphia no competitor but Brad ford, who, being in.er.fy circomftances, did hot engage m [ 79 1 in the printing of books, except now and then as work men c'>a ced to offer themfehes ; and was not anxious to extend his trade. He bad, however, one advantage o- ver me, as he had the direction of the poft-office, and was of confequence fuppofed to have better opportunities of obtaining news. His paper was alfo fuppofed to be more advantageous to advertising cuftomers ; and, in confequence of that {uppofiti^n, his advertifements wers much more numerous than mine : this was a fource pf great profit to him, and difadvanrngeous to me. It was to no purpofe thar I really procured other papers, and diftributed my own, by means of the port ; the public took, f .r granted, my inability in this refpeft ; and 1 was indeed unable to conquer it in any other mode th^n by bribing the poil-bovs, who ferved me only by Health, Bradford being fo ii.iberal' as to forbid them. This treatment of his, excited mv rcfenfment; and my difguft was fo rooted, thar, when I aferua/ds fucceedtd him in the poft-office, I took care to avoid copying his example, 1 had hitherto continued to i> >ard with Godfrey, who, with his wife and children, occupied part of my houfe, and half of the (hop fur his bufuufs ; at which indeed he worked very little, being al-.vays a.iforned by mathemat ics. Mrs. Godfrey formed a wifh of marrying me to the daughter of one of her relations. She connived va rious opportunities of bringing us toge;her, till .(he fa\v that I was captivated ; which was not difficult, the lady in queftion pofleffing great perfonal merir. The parents encouraged my addrefles, by inviting me continually to {upper, and leaving us together, till at laft it was time to come to an explanation. Mrs Godfrey undertook to negociate our little treaty. I ga\ e her to un Jerf'asd, that i expected to receive with the young lady a fu;n of money that would enable me at leail to difcliarge the remainder of my debt for my printing maieriala. It was then, I believe, not more than a hun .'red pounds. She brought me f -r anfwer, that they had no fueh furn at their difpofal. I obferved that it mi^ht eafily be ob tained, by a mortgage on tSeir h >uft. The reply of this was, after a few days interval, that ihey did not ap prove f So ] prove, of the match ; that they had confulted Bradford, and found that the huiinefs of a printer was not lucra tive ; that my letters would focn be worn out, and mufl be fupplied by new ones; that Keimer and Harry had failed, and that, probably, I mould do fo too. Accord ingly they forbade me the houfe, and the young lady was confined. I know not if they .had really changed their minds, or if it was merely an artifice, fuppoiing our affections to be too far engaged for us to defiit, and that we fhould contrive to marry fecretly, which would leave them at liberty to give or not, as they pleafed. But, fufpecling this motive, I never went again :o their houfe. Some time after Mrs. Godfrey informed me that they were favourably difpofed towards me, and \vilhed me to renew the acquaintance;, but I declared a firm refolution never to have any thing more to do with the fanvi' y. The Godfreys expreifed fome refentment at this-; and, as we could no longer agree, they changed their refi- denee, leaving me in pofleffion of the whole houfe. I then refolved to take no more lodgers. This affair hav ing turned my thoughts to marriage, I looked around me, and made overtures of alliance in other quarters ; but I foon found that the profeffion of a printer being generally looked upon as a poor trade, I could expect no money with a wife, at leaft if I wiflied her. to pofltfs any- other charm. Meanwhile, that pafiion of youth, fo dif ficult to govern, had often drawn me into intrigues with defpicable women who fell in my way ; which were not unaccompanied with expence and inconvehience, bcfides the perpetual riik of injuring my health, and catching a. difeafe which I dreaded above all things. But I was fortunate enough to efcape this danger. As a neighbour and old acquaintance, I kept up a friendly intimacy with the famify of Mifs Read. Her parents had retained an affection for me from the time of my lodging in their houfe. I was often invited thither ; they confulted me about their affairs, and I had been fometimes ferviceable to them. I was touched with the unhappy fituation of their daughter, who was aloioft al ways. ways melancholy, and continually feeking folitude. I regarded my forgetfulnefs and inconftancy, during my abode in London, as the principal caufe of her misfor tune ; though her mother had the candour to attribute the fault to herfelf, rather than to me, becaufe, after having prevented our marriage previous to my departure, (lie had induced her to marry another in my abfence. Our mutual affeftion revived ; but there exifted great obftacles to our union. Her marriage was confidered, in deed, as not being valid, the man having, it was faid, a former wife ftill living in England ; but of this it was difficult to obtain a proof at fo great a diftance ; and though a report prevailed of his being dead, yet we had no certainty of it ; and fuppofing it to be truej he had left many debts, for the payment of which, his fucceiTor might be fued. We ventured neverthelefs, in fpite of all thefe difficulties, and I married her on the firft of September, 1730. None of the inconveniences we had feared, happened to us She proved to me a good and faithful companion, and contributed eflentially to the fuccefs of my (hop, We profpered together, and it was our mutual ftudy to render each other happy. Thus I corrected, as well as I coald, this great error of my youth. Our club was not at that time eftablifhed at a tavern* We held our meetings at the houfe of Mr. Grace, wha appropriated a room to the purpofe. Some member ob- ferved one day, that as our books were frequently quot* ed in the courfe of our difcufiiqns, it would be convenient to have them collected in the room in whioh we afiem- bled, in order to be confulted upon occafion ; and that, by thus forming a common library of our individual col- leclions, each would have the advantage of ufmg the books of all the other members, which would nearly be the fame as if he poifcSed them all himfelf. The idea was approved, and vre ''accordingly brought fuch books as we could fpare, which we placed at the end of the club- room. They amounted not to fo many as we ex- peeled ; and though we made confiderable ufe of them, yet fome inconveniences refuking, from want of care, it was was agreed, after about a year, to deflroy the collection ; and each took away fuch books as belonged to him. It was now that I full ftartcd the idea of eilabli thing, by fubfcription, a public library. I drew up the propo- fals, had them engrofled in form by Brodcden the attor ney, and my project fucceeded, as will be feen in the fequel ************** [The life of Dr. Franklin, as written by himfelf, fo far as it has yet been communicated to the world, breaks off in this place. We underftand that it was continued by him fomewhat further, and we hope that the remain* der will, at fome future period, be communicated to the public. We have no hefitation in fuppoiing that every reader will find himfelf greatly interefted by the frank fimplicity and the philofophical difcernrnent by which thefe pages are fo eminently charafterifed. We have therefore thought proper, in order as much as poffible to relieve his regret, to fubjoin the following continuation, by one of the dodor's intimate friends. It is extracted from an American periodical publication, and was writ ten by the late Dr. Stuber* of Philadelphia. J * Dr. Stuber was born in Philadelphia, of German parents. He was fent at an early age to theuniverfity? where his geniust diligence and amiable temper, foon acquired him the particular notice and favour of thofe under whole immediate direction he was placed. After palling through the common courfe of ftudy, in a much (horter time than ulual, he left the univerfity, at ths age of fixteen, with great reputation. Not long after, he enter ed on the ftudy of phyfic ; and the zeal with which he purfued it, and the advances he made, gave his friends reafors to form the moft flattering profpeds of his future eminence and uleful- nefs in the profeffion. As Dr. Stuber's circumftanceswere very anoderate> he did not think this puriuit well calculated to anf- r/er them. He therefore relinquiihe/J it after he had obtained a degree in the profeffion, and qualified i:Jiimielf to praclife with credit and fuccefs : and irninediately^chtered on the Itudy of Uw.-v In purfuit of the laft mentioned objedt, he was prema turely arrefted, before he had an opportunity of reaping the fruit of thofe talents with which he was endowed* and of a youth ipent in the ardent and fucsesful purfuit of ufeful and elegant literature. TllE r THE promotion of literature had been little attended to in Pennfy Ivania. Moft of the inhabitants were too much immerfed in bufinefs to think of fcientific purfuits ; and thofe few whole inclinations led them to Itudy, found it difficult to gratify them, from the want of fufficiently large libraries. In fuch circnmftances the eftablimment of a public library was an important event. This was firft fet on foot by Franklin, about the year 1731. Fifty perfons fubfcribed forty millings each, and agreed to pay ten {hillings annually. The number increafed ; and, in 1742, the company was in corporated by the name of " The Library Company of Philadelphia*" Several other companies were formed in this city in imitation of it. Thefe were all at lengdi united with the library company of Philadelphia, which thus received a confiderable acceffion of books and prop erty. It now contains about eight thonfand volume's on all fubjefts, a philofophical apparatus, and a good be ginning towards a colleclion of natural and artificial cu- riofities, befides landed property of confiderable value. The company have lately built an elegant houfe in Fifth- flreet, in the front of which is erecled a marble ilatue of their founder, Benjamin Franklin. This inftitution was greatly encouraged by the friends of literature in America and in Great- Britain. The Penn family diftinguimed themfelves by their donations. Amongft the earlicft friends of this inilitution mud be mentioned the late Peter ColHnfon, the friend and cor- refpondent of Dr. Franklin. He net only made con- fiderable prefents himfelf, and obtained others from his friends, but voluntarily undertook to manage the bufi nefs of the company in London, recommending books, purchafmg and fhipping them. His extcnfive knowledge, and zeal tor the promotion of fcience, enabled him to execute this important truft with the greateft advantage. He continued to perform thefe fervices for more than thirty years, and uniformly refufed to accept of any compenfation. During this time, he communicated to the directors every information relative to improve ments I 84 ] rnents and discoveries in the arts, agriculture and pht- lofophy. The beneficial influence of the inftitution was foon evident. The cheapnefs of terms rendered it accefiible to every one. Its advantages were not confined to the opufenr. The citizens in the middle and the lower walks of life were equally partakers of them. Hence a degree of information extended amongft all c-lalfes br ? f/pscialfy when we reflecl, that this country was at that time but thinly peopled. It cannot be tteabted, that the falutary maxims contained in thefe almanacs muft have made a favourable impreffion upon many of the readers of them. Jr was not long before Franklin entered upon h*s political career. ]n the year 1736 he was appointed clerk to the general ?ffembly of Pennfylvahia ; and was re-elefted by fucceeding affemblies for feveral years, un til he was chofen a reprefentative for the city of Phila delphia. Bradford was poflefled of fome advantages over Frank lin, by being poft-mafter, thereby having an opportunity of circulating his paper more extenfively, and thus ren dering it a better vehicle for ad verti foments, &c. Frank lin, in his tu*n, enjoyed theft advantages, by being ap pointed poft-mafter of Philadelphia in 1737. Bradford, while in office, had afted ungeneronfly towards Frank lin, preventing as much as poffible the circulation of his paper, fie had now an opportunity of retaliating j but his noblenefs of foul prevented him from making ufc of it. The police of Philadelphia had early appointed watch men, whofe duty it was to guard the citizens againft the midnight robber, and to give an immediate alarm in cafe of fire. This duty is, perhaps, one of the moil im portant that can be committed to any fet of men. The regulations, however, v/ere not fufHciently ItricL Frank lin faw the clangers arifing from this caufe, and fuggeiled an alteration, fo as to oblige the guardians of the night to be more watchful over the lives and property cf the citizens. The propriety of this was immediately per ceived, and a reform was effected. There is nothing more dangerous to growing cities, than fires. Other caufes operate /lowly, and almoft im perceptibly; but thefe in a moment render abortive the labours of ages. On this account there fliould be, in all cities, ample provifions to prevent fires from fpreaeling* Fnnklin early faw the neceffity of thefe ; and, about the year 1738, formed the firli lire-company in this city. a This L 86 ] xsrnple was fcon followed by others ; arcl there ;ire now numerous fire-companies in the city and liber ties. To thefe may be attributed In a great degree the activity in oxtinguiihing fires, for which the citizens ot Philadelphia are difdnguifned, and the inccnuderable damage which ihis city has faftained from this caafe. Some time after, Franklin fuggefted the plan of an afib- ciation for infuring houfesirom loiTes by fire, which was adopted ; and theaiTociation continues to this day. The advantages experienced from it have been great. From the firfl cftablifnment of Pennsylvania, a fpirit of difpute appears to have prevailed amongft its inhabi tants. During the life-time of William Penn, the con- ill tution had been three times altered. Afrer this period, the hiilory of Pennsylvania is little elte than a recital of the quarrels between the proprietaries, or their gover nors, and the afTembly. , The proprietaries contended for the right of exempting their land from taxes ; to which the atTcmbly would by no means confent. Tins fubject of difpute interfered in almoft every queftion, and prevented che mod falutary laws from being enacled . 'This at times fubje&ed the people to great inconvenien ces. In the year 1744, during a war between Francs and Great-Britain, fome French and Indians had made inroads upon $he frontier inhabitants of the province, who were unprovided for fuch an attack. It became neceilary that the citizens fhould arm for rheir defence. Governor Thomas recommended to the afierably, who v/ere then fitting, to pafs a militia law. To this they would agree only upon condition that he fhouid give his ai&nt to certain laws, which appeared to them calculated to promote the intereit of the people. As he thought would be injurious to tha proprietaries, he re- his afletir. to them ; and the a {Terribly broke up a militia law. The fmiation of the pro vince wss at thiii time truly alarming : expofed to the continual inroads of an enemy, and deftitute of every ,-. At this crifis, Franklin ftepped fort'.-. fed M) a meeting of the citizens o' Philadel phia, a pi a: ovince. This was approved of, and i:g: twelve hundred perfons immediately. Copies o* it were circulated throughout the province ; and in a fliort tfme the number of figners amounted to ten thouiand. i 1 rank- Hn was chofen colonel of the Philadelphia regiment ; but he did not think proper to accept of the honour. Parfaits of a different nature now occupied the great - cil part of his attention for fome years. He engaged in a courfe of electrical experiments, with all the ardour and thirft for ciifcovery which characterized the philoiophers of that day. Of all the branches of experimental philo- fophy, electricity had been leal* explored. The attractive po\ver of r.mberis mentioned by Theophraftus and Pliny, and, from them, by later naturalifts. In the year 1600, Gilhm, an Englifh phynciari, enlarged considerably she catalogue of fubilances which have the property of a- g -light bodies. Boyle, Otto Guericke, a bargo- mafter of Magdeburgh, celebrated as the invento? air pamp, Dr, Wall, and Sir Ifaic Newton, aJiled forne fads. Guericke firft obfervcd the repulfrvc poV.cr of fle&ricity, and the light and noUe produced by i'.. In 1709, Hawkefbcc corunuifiicated forne important ohicr- vatirns and experiments to the world. For fevera-1 years, icily was entirely neglected, until Mr. Gray applicl Ir-rr-ieif to ir, in 1728, with groat afiiduity. He, and Ms frit- iid Mr. Wheeler, m.'vic a great variety of experi'. ja xvhich they demonftrared, that ele^trieiiy may be rrmiTTiunicated from one body to another, even without in contad, and in this way may be conducted to a jreat diilance. Mr. Gray afterwards found, that by .Oifpending rods of iron by filk or hair lines, and bring ing an exci;ed tr.be under them, fparks might be drawn, ght perceived at the extremities in the dark. M Du Faye, hi tend ant of the French king's gardens, :\ !;ii:nbi. j r of experiments, which added not a little to t ). fcience. He made the difcovery of two kinds of eU-v rricity, which he called vitreous and rejinotts ; the fonr.c,- prodnced by rubbing glafs, the latter from excited fnl- phur, fealing-wax, &c. But this idea he aftfcrwanls V;, >v; Up as enoneous, Between the years' 1739 and 1 742, H 2 Defaguiiers Defaguliers made a number of experiments, but addr/i little of importance. He firft mod the arms cwdutlc.',* and efedrics. per fe. In 1742, feveral ingenious Ger mans engaged in this fubject. Of thefe the principal were^profeiTor Boze of Wittemberg, prefcifor Wink'ler of Leipfic, Gordon, a Scotch Benedictine monk, pro- feflbr of philofophy at Erfurt, and Dr. Ludolf of Berlin, The refult of their refearches aftonifhed the phHofophers cf Europe. Their apparatus was large, and by means of it they were enabled to coilecl large quantities of electricity, and thus to produce phenomena which hud been hitherto unobferved. They killed final! birds, and. fet fpirits on fue. Their experiments excited the curiofity of other philofophers. Collinfon, about the year 1745, *~ ent to ^ e library company of Pkiladelphia an account cf thefe experiments, together with a tube, and directions how to ufe it. Franklin, whh forne of his friends, immediately engaged in a courfe of experi- m r nt ; the refult of which is well known. He was enabled to make a number of important difcovcries, and to propofc theories to account for various phenomena ; Kh:.:h have been univeifally adopted, and which bid fait to endure for ages. His obfervation-s he communica'ed, in a feries of letters, to his friend Collinfon ; the firft of which is dated March 28, 1747. In thefe he makes known the power of points in drawing and throwing off the electrical matter, which had hitherto efcaped the no tice of electricians. He nlfo made the grand difcovery of z plus arid minus, or of a pajitive and negative ftaie of eleftricity. We give him the honour of this, without hefiratioh ; aiihouou trie Engliili have claimed it for their counrryrrian Dr. Watfon. Watfon's paper is dai- cd January 21, 174^; Franklin's, July ri, I747> feve ral months prior. Shortly after, Franklin, from his principles cf plus and av.iius irate, exphiined, in a fatis- ia ; :ipiy manner, the phcnor.iena of the I.eydci phial, f.rft 'obftt-vcd by profc-ilbr rvluichcnbronck of Leytlem, wjiich hal muck perplexed philofjuhers. He (hewed Clearly that the bo'tie, when charged, contained no more electricity than L tt as much wai taken from tV one fu ? e as \vss thrown on the other; and thity to difeharge it, nothing was necefikry but to make a c'd.rfY- mcnica-'ion tefween the two (ides, by which the equi librium rnisjht be reltcred, and that then no figns cf declricity would remain. He afterwards dcn^nfinued, by experiments, that the electricity did not rdiJe in' the costing, as had been fuppofed,- bat in the porf- glais itfelf. After a phial w^s charged, l\-:- c-?atif) hoafes, ihips, &c. from being damaged by lightning, by eroding the pointed iron rods, which ihoiild rife fome feet above the me ft eleva-ed parr, and ccfce; d fome fret into the gn nr.d or uT/.t-r. The cffcft of theie, he cc>nc!i;ded, \v .uid be eiihrr to prevent a ilroke by repeflinV the cloud beyond the (Inking difiance, or by drawing off the elec^r r cal fire which ir contained ; or, if they could not effcd this, they wcuK) ar Jeyft con duit the ftrokc to the earth, wi.houi any injury to ihc building. It was not until the fummer of 175-2, *har he was en- sbled to complete his grand and unparelieled difcbvei vperi;iient. The plan winch he had qri^lnally pro- poud, was to er::rt on f >me high to^er, 01 Qtber cfc ?.t' a ctni ry box, frbm'whicfi ihould . OIK- . . .. ; :?e*ng f. xeu in a c^k/: ci t jbleclnned clouds, paffingover uiis, would, he conceived, impart t( it a portion of their electricity, which vvculu DC reucl?:;:;! evident '.o the fen ft:? l.-y fparks being eniz* ioil, when a he}-, a knuchb or other c^nduvitor, was -pre* Rented te? ir. jPhiUjeiplua ;.t t'-is tir.:e afforded no op portunity of trying aa experiment of this kind. Whilifc jjranklin was waiting for the erection of a fpire, ir oc curred to him, that he might h;;ve more ready j'.ccefs to i|ic region of clouds by me;.inc < . nion kite. He prepared one by attaching two . ',,:= to a fill; hand kerchief, which would not furfor fq '. i-'i.m' die rain T. To his upright fcick J an itca poiar. The ihl.-,sj \vas, as ufual, of hen,; , e.XCfj "lowcc end, which was fiik. Where; the hen: pen i^ring termi nated, a iiey was faftened. ^Vidi this apparatus, on the Appearance of a thunder -guft approaching, he wcr.t cut into t he commons, accompanied by his fon, to \vhom. alone he commuFiicaicd his intentionSj ^-cli kfiojving the ridicule which, too generally for the in r creil of fcience, awaits unfucccfsrui experiments in philofophy. He placed himfeif u;Kkr a fhcd, ro avoid the rain. His kite was laifed. A thunder-cloud palled over it. Nofipi of elecliicity appeared. He alir.vft defpaired of fuccefsj when fuddenly he obferved the Icofe fibres of his firing to move towards an erecl pofition. He now prefcnteti his knuckle to the key, and received a ilrong fpark. Ijjvv cxc]ui.(ite m u ft Iiis fenfarions have been at this mo ment ! Or, this experiment depended ;he fate of h?s theory. If he foccceded, his nsrae would rank high imong thofe vvho have improved fcience; if he faiied 4 . he rauft be inevitably fubjected to the- dcriilcn of man kind, or, whai is worfe, their pity, aj> a weH-meanin^ man, but a weak, filly projetior. The anxiety \vith which he looked fjr ;he refult of his experiment, may ciifav be conceited. Doubts and dcfpair h^d began to prevail, when the iu3 \va- fcertai,ed ir. fo clear a man ner, that even -the nioft incredulous could no 1 nger' Id their afienf. Repeated {parks were drawn "^ uey : a phial ws.5 charg'.xl-., a fcock given, ?nd I 9' } *U the exptnencnumaJc, which arc ufually performed Kith eheclricity. About a month before thb period, fonic ingenious Frenchmen had completed the difccvery, in the manner originally proposed by Dr. Franklin. The letters which he fent to Mr. Coliiafon, it is faid, v/ere refufed a place amongft the papers of the R.oyal Society of Lon don. However thk may be, Coilinfon publilhed them in a fepa r are volume, u'u;er the title of Neiv Experiments and Ohfer-t'athns on Eleftricity, made at Philadelphia /'* America. They were read with avidity, and Coon tranf- lated into different languages, A very in cor reel French trarsilarion fell into the hand? of the- celebrated Buffbn, who, notwirhilanding the tfifa'd vantages under which the work laboured, was much plea fed with it, and repeated the experiments with fuccefs. He prevailed upon his friend, M. D'Alibard, to give his countrymen a more correct tranflation of the work of the American electrician. This contributed towards fpreadine a knowledge of Franklin's principles in France. The King, Louis XV. hearing of thcfe experiments, exprefu-d a wifh to be a fpeclator of them, A ccurfe of experiments was given at the feat of the Due D'A^cn, at Sr. Germain, by M. De Lor. The applau.fes which the King beftowcd upon Franklin, excited in Buftbn, D 1 Alibard, and De Lor, an earneit defite of afcertaining the truiVj of his theory of thunder- guilf. BnfFon erected his apparatus on the tower of Montbar, M. D'Alibard at Mary-la-ville, and De Lor at his houfe in the Eftrapade at Paris, fume of the high- eft ground in that capital. D'AIibard's machine firft ihevvcd figns of eleclricity. On the lotli of May, 17529 a thunder-cloud pafied over it in the abfence of M. D* Alibard; and a number of fparks were drawn from it by Coiffier, a joiner, with whora D'Alibard had lefc dirr.dions how to proceed, nnd by M. Roulet, the prior of Mary-Ia-viHe, An account of this experiment was given to the Royal Academy of Sciences, in a memoir, by M. D'Alibard, dated May i3th, 1752. On the fSth cf May, M. de Lor proved equally fuccefsful with the apparatus erc^d at his own 'Iwufp*- Thcfe difcoveries foora >on fxetted the phi!ofopbr< of cthrr pr?s of Europe to repeat the experiment, Anv.a.git tJ>efe. none ii^bzed themfelves rnore than Father Bo car a cf Ttsrin, to whole ohfervation? fcicrce is much indebted. Fvt-n the c Id regions of Riiffia were pen trated by rhe ard ur for dif- covery. Proftff r Ricbn.an bide "fair ic add much to the (lock of knowledge on this fubjrft, when an unfor tunate flufli from his rod pur a period to his exiilence. The friends of fcience vvill long remember with regret the amiable martyr to elrftridry. Hy thefe experiments Franklin's theory was eftablilheii in the moil firm ma -nicr. When the tr'u'h of it could f.o longer be. doubted, the vanity of men endeavoured to deira$ from its merit. That an American, an inhi> bitant of the obfcure city of Philadelphia, the name of which was 'hardly known, fhouid be able to make di&o- vene.s, and to frame theories, which had efcaped the no tice of the enlightened philofophers of Europe, v*is too mortifying, to be admitted. He mult cerainly have taken the idea from fomebody elfe. An Amer can, a being of an inferior order, make difeoverie, ! irnpoifible I It was faid, that the Abbe Nollet, in i 748, had fuggtfled the iiiea of the firnilarity of lightning and ele^trkity, in his Le^om de Phjjique. It is iruc, that \\-. Abbe men tions the idea, bu; he thro.vs it out as a bare corjeftuie, and propoferHo mode of afccrtaining the trurh ci iu lie hi mfelf acknowledges, that Franklin fir ft en*eiraine Friisklin. D'Alibard, who made the experiments in France^ fays, that he only followed the track \vluch i'ranklin had pointed cut. It [ 93 J It has been of late averted, that the honour of com pleting the experiment wih the electrical kife, dee, not belong to Franklin. Some late Englifh paragraphs have attributed it to fame Frenchman, whofe name they do not mention ; and the Abbe Bertholon gives it to M 9 DC Romas, aifeifor to the prciident of Nerac ; the Eng- liih paragraphs probably refer to the fame perfon. But a very flight attention will convince us of the injuftiee of this procedure : Dr. Franklin's experiment was made in Juue 1752 ; and his letter, giving a; * account of it, is liaied October 19, 17;!, M. De Romas made his firft attempt on the i-fth cf May, 17^3, but was not fuccefsful until the 7th of June; a year after Franklin had com- plercd the difcovcry, and when ii was known to all the philosophers in Europe. Befi.ies thefe great principles, Franklin's letters on cleclr icily contain a number of fads and hints, which have contributed greatly towards reducing this branch of knowledge to a fci/ncr. His ..friend, Mr. Kinneriley, communicated to him a difeovery of the different kinds of electricity excited by rubbing glafs and fulphur. This, we have faid, was firft .ol>ft;rvcd by M. Da Faye i but it v> as for many years r.rglecied. The philofophers were difpofcd to account for the phenomena, rather from difference in the q;ianriry of eleCttieity collected ; and even Du Faye himfelf feesns at lail to have adopted this docirine. Franklin at firft entertained the fame idea ; but upon repeating the experiments, he perceived that Mr. Kinneriley was right ; and that the 'vitreous and re~ finau! electricity of Da Faye, were nothing more than the pofuive and negative ftates which he had before ob- fcrved ; that the glafs globe charged /ff/JV/iv/y, or in- creafed the quantity of electricity on the prime conduc tor, whilft the globe of fulphur diminifhes its nataral quantity, or charged negatively. Thefe experiments, and obfervations opened a new field for inveftigation, upon which electricians entered wiih avidity ; and their labours have added much to the dock of our knowledge. In September, 1752, Franklin entered upon a courfe of experiments, to determine the (Ute of electricity in the clouds-, [ 94 ] clouds. From a number of experiments he formed this eonciuilon : '* that the-clouds of a thunder-guft aremoft commonly in a negative ftate of eleft ricity, but feme- times in a pofitive ftate ;" and from this it follows as a iicTeifary eonfequence, " that, for the moil part, in thunder- flrckes, it is the earth that ftrikes into the clouds, and not the clouds that ftrike into the earth." The let ter containing theft ohfervations, is dated in September, J ~753 > 2nt ^ yet I he difcovery of afcending thunder has been faid to be of a modern date, and has Ireen attributed to the. Abbe Bevtholon, who published his memoir en the iuhjeft in 1776. Franklin** ieners have been tranflated into raoft of the European languages, and into Latin. In proportion a.s they have become known, his principles have been a- dopted. Some oppoiuion was made to his theories, par- ic:ul.*rly by the Abbe NoIIer, who was, however, but feebly Aipported, whilft the firft philofophers of Europe Ivepped forth in defence of Franklin's principles ; amongft whom D'Alibard and Beccaria were the moft diftin- guiihed. The oppofition has gradoally ceafed, and the Frankliman fyftemisnovv univerfally adopted, wherefci- efice fiouriilies. The important practical ufe which Franklin made cf ?-is difcoveries, the fecuring of houfes from injury by lightning, has been already mentioned. Pointed con- rs are now very common in America ; but prejudice f:as hitherto prevented their general introduOion into Europe, notwithilanding the moft undoubted proofs of th^ir utility have been given. But mankind can with ;.Uy be brought to lay afideeftablimed practices, or to adopt ftexv ones. And perhaps we have more realon to be furprifed that a practice, however rational, which V,Mftern of education in which hath neveriheiets been nearly rea!izcd or followed as a model, in the college and aca demy of Philadelphia, and fome other American femiuaiics, lor many years [>aft. t The quotation allaned to {from the London Monthly Re view for 17*9) was judged to refictt too levcrely on the difci- pline and governrneiit of the Engiilh univerlitics of" Oxford and Ganibndge, and \v*te expunged from the following editions of this vycrk. f ; 10 * 1 eftabliflied there, but they dread entering into new en- , gagcments till they are got oat of debt ; and 1 have not yet got them wholly over to my opinion, that a good profeflbr, or teacher of the higher branches of learning, wculd draw fo many fchoJars as to pay ^fcaf part, if not the whole, of his falary. Thus, unlefs the proprietors (of the province) mall think fit to pur vie finifning hand 10 cur inftkution, it muft, 1 fear, wait fame few >ears longer before it can arrive at tli.it fiatt of perfection, \vhich to me it feems now capable of; and all the plca- fure 1 promifed myfelf, in feeing you fettled among us, vanifnes into fmoke. But good Mr. Collinfon -writes me word, that no en deavours of l.is fliall be wanting; and he hopes, with the archbifhop's affiftance, to be able to prevail with our proprietors.* 1 pray God grant them fuccefs. My fon prefents his affectionate regards, wiih, Dear Sir, Yours, &c. B. FRANKLIN. P. S. I have not been favoured with a line from you fmceyour arrival in England.' Sir, . April 1 8/, 1 754. 1 have had but one letter from you fince your arrival in England, which was a fhort one, 'via Bofton, dated" Oclober 1 8th, acquainting me that you had written largely by Capt. Davis. Davis was loft, and with him your letters, to my great difappointment. Mefnard and Gibbon have fince arrived here, and I hear nothing from you. My comfort is, an imagination that you only emit writing hecaufe you are coming, and puipofe to tell me e very thing i-iva ica fares for their own de fence, or they were unwilling (o take upon themfelve* the whole burden of creeping forts and maintaining gar- rifons. whilft their neighbours, who partook equally witli themfelves of the advantages, contributed nothing to the expence. Sometimes alfo the difputes, which fubfifteo? between the governors and aflfemblies, prevented the adoption of mea-vs of defence ; as we have feen was the cafe in Pennfylvania in 1745. To devife a plan of union between the colonies, to regulate this and other matters, appeared a defirable object. To accomplifil this, in the year 1754, commiffioners from New-Hamp- fhire, MaiTachufetts, Rhode-lfland, New-Jerfey, Pcr.n- fylvania, and Maryland, met at Albany. Dr. Franklin attended here, as a com rniffioner from Pennfylvania, and produced a plan, which, from the place of meeting, has been ufually termed, " The Albany Plan of Union.** This propofed, that application ihould be made for an aft of parliament, to eftablilh in the colonies a general government, to be adminiftered by a prefident-general, appointed by the crown, and by a grand council, con- fifting of members chofen by the reprefentadves of the different colonies ; their number to be in direct propor tion to the fums paid by each colony into the general treafury, with this restriction, that no colony mould have more than feven, nor lefs than two reprefentatives. The v/hole execurive authority was committed to the prefi- denr- general. The power of legislation was I'odged in the grand co-jncil and prefident-general jointly ; his confent l>^ing made neceflary to pafiing a bill into a law. The power* vefted in the preliderrt and council were, to declare war and peace, and to conclude treaties with the Indian nations ; to regulate trade with, and to make pur- ehafes of vacant lands from them, either in the name of the crown, or of the union ; to fettle new colonies, to make laws for governing thefe until they fhould be erect ed into feparate govern roents, and to raife troops, build fcm, fit out armed veflels, and ufe other means for the general deflate; and to efFed thefe Chi'ngs, a power was given [ io6 ] given to mpke jaws, laying fuch duties, iinpofts, or tax es, as they ifeoulti find neceffary, and as would be leaH burthenfome to the people. All law* were to be fent to England for the king's approbation ; and unlefs tlifap- p roved of within three years, were to remain in force. All officers in the land or fea fervice were to be nomi nated by the prefident-general, and 'approved of by the general council ; civil officers were to be nominated by tne council, and approved by the prefidcnt. Such are the out-lines of the plan propofed, for the confederation of the congrcfs. by Dr. Franklin. After feveral days 4tfcufiicn, it was unanimoufly agreed to by the com- iniuloners, a copy tranfmit-ied to each afTernbly, and one to the king's council. The fare of it was fingular. It was difapproved of by the minrftry of Great-Britain, feecaufe it gave too much power to the icprefentatives of the people; and it was rejected- by every aflembly, as giving to the prefident-general, the representative of ihe crown, an influence greater than appeared to them proper, in a plan of government intended for freemen. Perhaps this rejeftion, on both fides, is the ftrongeft proof that could be adduced of the excellence of it, as {uited to the fituation of America and Great- Britain at that time. It appears to have fleered exaftly in the middle, between the oppoiite interefts of both. Whether the adoption of this plan would have pre vented the feparation of America from Great- Britain, is a queftion which might afford much room for fpecula- ticn. It may be faid, that, by enabling the colonies to Defend thcrafdves, it would have removed the pretext upon which the ftarnp-acl, tea-acl, and other a^ls of the Britifn parliament, were pafied : which exciied a fpirit of oppofuion, and laid the foundation for the feparation of the two countries. But, on the other hand, it muft be admitted, that the reftridion laid by Great-Britain upow our commerce, obliging us to fell our produce to her citizens only, and t take frjm them various articles, of which, as our manufactures we*e difcouraged, we itood in need, at a price greater than that for which they cou!4 kave been obtained from other nations, muft inevitably produce 3 produce diffatisfaftion, even though no duties ^ pofed by the -parliament : a circurnvbtnce - in Hill have taken place, t'cficles, as th* preb :;il was to be ap'poin ed by the crown, he mutr, oi ne'ceiii'.y, be devoted to its views, and would, therefore, refuie^his affent to any laws, however fiilutary to the communiiy, which had the moil re:n >*" tendency to injure the inter- efh of his fovereign. Even fhould they receive his af fent, the approba*ion of the king was to be neccffiuy ; who would indubitably, in every inftance, prefer.the ad vantage of his home dominions to that ot his colonies. Hence would enfa." perpetual disagreements between ihe council aud the prefident- general, and thus, between the people of America and the crown of Great-Britain : While the eolonies continued weak, they would be obliged to fubmit, and as foon as they acquired ftreagth they would become more urgent in their demands, until, at length, they would make off the yoke, and declare .themfelves independent. Whilit the French were in pofleflion of Canada, their trade with the natives extended very far; even to the back of the Britifh fettlements. They were difpofed, from time to time, to eftablifli polls within the territory, which the Britifh claimed as their own. Independent of the injury to the fur-trade, which was confiderable, the eolonies fuffered this further inconvenience, that the In dians were frequently inftigattd to commit depredations on their frontiers. In the year i753> encroachments were made upon the boundaries of Virginia. Remon- ftrances had no effect. In the enfuing year, a body of men was fent out under the command of Mr. Waftiing- ton, who, though a very young man, had, by his conduct in the preceding year, (hewn himfelf worthy of foeh an important trull. Whiift marching to take poffe <:on of the poll at the junction of the Allegany and Mononga- hela, he was informed that the French had already erec ted a fort there. A detachment of their men marched againft him. He fortified himfelf as (trongly as time and circumftances would permit. A fuperionty of num bers foon obliged him to furrender Fart NeceJJity. He obtained t zoS ] obtained hononrable terms for hirafelf nnd men, and re- turned to Virginia, The government cf Great- Britain .now thought it neceffary to interfere. In the y tar i 755, "General Braddock, with fome regiments of regmar tro :.ps, and provincial levies, was lent ro difpofids the French of the pofts upon which they had feized. After the men were all ready, a difficulty occurred, which had nearly prevented the expedition. This was the want of waggons. Franklin now ftepped forward, and with the afiiftance of his fon, in a littJe time procured a hundred and fifty. Braddock unfortunately fell into an amhuf- cade, and pert (bed, with a number of his men. Wafh- ington, who had accompanied him as an aid-de-camp, and had warned him in vain of his danger, now dif- playecl great military talents in effecting a retreat of the remains of the army, and in forming a junction with rhc rear, under colonel Dunbar, upon whom the chief com mand now devolved. With fome difficulty they brought their little body to a place of fafety ; but (hey found it necefiary to de.it roy their waggons and baggage to pre vent their falling into the hands of the enemy. For the waggons which he had furnifned, Franklin had given bonds to a large amount. The owners declared their intentions of obliging him to make a refutation of their property. Had they put their threats in execution, ruin nauft inevitably have been the confequence. Governor Shirley, finding that he had incurred thefe debts for the fervice of government, made arrangements to have them difcharged, and releaied Franklin from his disagreeable fituation. The alarm fpread through the colonies, after the de feat of Braddock, was very great. Preparations to arm were every where made. In Wnnfylvania, the preva lence .of thequaker imereil prevented the 'adoption of any fyftern of defence which would compel the citizens to bear arms. Franklin introduced into the aifcml.ly a bill for organizing a militia, by which every man was al lowed to take arms or not, as to him fnould appear lit. The quakers, being thus left at liberty, fuiiered the r,j.jl to pafs; for although their principles would not them. .1 to fight, they had no objections to their neighbours lighting for them. In eonfequenee of this aft, a very refpedable militia was formed. The fenfe of impending danger iafufed a military fpirit in all, whofe religious tenets were not oppofed to war. Franklin was appointed colonel of a regiment in Philadelphia, which confifted of i zoo men. The north- wftern frontier being invaded by the ene my, it became neceffary to adopt meafures for its de fence. Franklin was directed by the governor to take charge of this bufinefs. A power of raifing men, and of appointing officers to command them, was vefteel in him. He foon levied a body of troops, with which he repaired to the place at which their prefence was neceflary. Here he built a fort, and placed the garrifon in fuch a pofture of defence, ^s would enable them to withstand the inroads to which the inhabitants had previoufly been expofed. He remained here for fome time, in order the more com pletely to difcharge ihe truft committed to him. Some bufinefs ef importance rendered his prefence neceffary in the afTembly. and he returned to Philadelphia. The defence of her colonies was a great expence to Great- Britain. The moft effec'taal mode of leffening this war was, to put arms into the hands of the inhabitants, and to teach them their ufe. But England wifhed not that the Americans Oiould become acquainted with their own ilrength. She wasapprehenfive, that, as foon as this period arrived, they would no longer fubmit to that mo nopoly of their trade, which to them was highly inju rious, but extremely advantageous to the mother coun try. In comparifon with the profits of this, the expence . of maintaining armies and fleets to defend them was tri fling. She fought to keep them dependent upon her for protection, the bed plan which could b?. devifed for re taining them in peaceable fubjeftion. The leaft appear ance of a military fpirit was therefore to be guarded againft, and, although a war then raged, the art orga nizing a militia was difapprovccl of by the miniftry. The regiments which had been formed under it, were di(b.aded, and the defence of the province en truiled to regular troops. The K E o J 'Hie difpntes between tfi'e proprietaries aird the continued in foil force, '-alt-he ugh a war was raging on the frontiers. Not evn the fenfe of danger was fufS- ient to reconcile, for ever fo ihort a time, their jarring intercfts. The aflembly Hill infifted upon the juitice of taxing the proprietary eftates, but the governors con- ftantly refufed to give their a-ffent to this meafure, with- -out which no bill could pafs into a law. Enraged at the obftmacy, and what they conceived to be unjuft pro ceedings of their opponents, the aflembly at length de termined to apply to the mother country for relief. A petition was addreffcd to the king, in council, dating the inconveniences under which the inhabitants laboured 5 from the attention of the proprietaries to their private interefts, to the neglect of the general welfare of the community, and praying for redrefs. Franklin was appointed to prefent this addrefs, as agent for the pro vince of Pennsylvania, and departed from America In June, 1757* In conformity to the inftruifUons which he had received from the legiflature, he held a conference with the proprietaries, who then refided in England, and endeavoured to prevail upon them to give up the long- contefted point. Finding that they would hearken to no terms of accommodation, he laid his petition before the council. During this time, governor Denny aflented to a law impofing a tax, in which no difcrimination was made in favour of the eliates of the Penn family. They, alirmed at this intelligence, and Franklin's exertions, wfed their utmoft exertions to prevent the royai fandion being given to this law, which they represented as highly iniquitous, defigned to throw the burden of fupporting government on them, and calculated to produce the molt ruinous confequences to them and their pofterity. The catife was amply difcufled before the privy council. The Penrss found here fome ftrenous advocates ; nor were there wanting fome who warmly efpoufed the fide of the people. After feme time fpent in debate, a propofal was inade, that Franklin fhould foJemnly engage, that the. aJGTeifmont of the tax mould be fo made, as that the pro- >rietar/ efutes Ikould pay no more than a due propor ton tion. This he agreed to perform, the Perm family withdrew their oppofition, and tranquillity was thus once more reilored to the province. more reilored to the provvuce. The mode in which this difpute was terminated is a ftriking proof of the high opinion entertained of Frank- Tin's integrity and honour, even by thofe who coufide-retl hitn as inimical to their views. Nor was their confiJknce ill- founded. The aiTeSmsnt was made upon the ftn&eft principles of equity ; and the proprietary eftates bore only a proportionable fliare of the expenccs oi fupport- ing government. After the completion of this important bufmefs, Franklin remained at tha court of Great- Britain, as agent for the province of Pennfylvania. The extensive knowledge which he poffefled of the fi.luation of the co- jonies, and the regard which he always manifefled for their interests, occauoned his appointment to the fame cilice by the colonies of Maflachufetts, Maryland and Georgia. His conduct, in this lituation, was fuch aa rendered him ftill more dear to his countrymen. He had now an opportunity of indulging in the fociety ef thofe friends, whom his merits had procured him while at a difta-nce. The regard which thay had enter tained for him was rather incrcafed by a perfonal ac quaintance. The eppofition which had been made to bis difcoveries in philofophy gradually ceafed, and the rewards of literary merit were abundantly conferred wpon him. The royal fociefy of London, which had ?,t firft refufed his performances admiffion into its tranfac- tions, now thought it an honour to rank him among ua fellows. Other ibcieties of Europe were equally ambi tious of calling him a member. The univerfity of St. Andrew's, in Scotland, conferred upon him the degree of Doftor of Laws. Its example was followed by the tmiveriities of Edinburgh and of Oxford. His cor re i'- poadence was fought for by the moft eminent philoso phers of Europe. His letters to thefe abound with tru* fcience, delivered in the moft finiple tmadorncd rnaniier, The province of Canada was at this time in the po4- lefiba of the French, who had originally fettled ir, 'Yl.*; K a trade. trade with the Indians, for which its fituatron wss very convenient, was exceedingly lucrative. The French traders here found a market for their commodities, and received in return large quantities of rich furs, which they difpofed of at a high price in Europe. Whilft the pofleffion of this country was highly advantageous to France, it was a grievous inconvenience to the inhabi tants of the Britifh colonies. The Indians were almoit f^nerally defirous to cultivate the friendfhip of the reach, by whom they were abundantly fuppHed with arms and ammunition. Whenever a war happened, the .Indians were ready to fall upon the frontiers : and this they frequently did, even when Great- Britain and France were at peace. From thefe confiderations, it appeared to be the intereft of Great- Britain to gain the pofleifion of Canada. But the importance of fuch aa acquisition was not well underftood in England. Frank lin about this time publilhed his Canada pamphlet, in which he, in a very forcible manner, pointed out the advantages which would refult from the conqueft of thite province. An expedition agaircft it was planned, and the com mand given to General Wolfe. His fuccefs is welt known. At the treaty in 1762, France ceded Canada to Great- Britain, and by her ceffion of Louifiana, at the fame tirnr, relinquimed ail her poi&fiions on the conti nent of America. Although Dr. Franklin was now principally occupied with political purfuits, he found time for pfeilofophical ftudies. He extended his electrical refearches, and raade a variety of experiments, particularly on the tourmalin. The fmgular properties which this ftone poffeffes of he- ing electrified on one fide pofltively and on the other negatively, by heat alone, without friftion, had been but lately obferved. Some experiments on the cold produced by evapora tion, made by Dr. Cullen, had been communicated to Dr. Franklin by ProfefTor Simpfon of Glafgow. Thefe he repeated, and found, that, By the evaporation of ether in the exhaulied receiver of an air-pump, fo great a de gree \ "3 3 gree of cold was produced in a famraer's day, thatwatej* was converted into ice. This difcovery he applied to the folution of a number of phenomena, particularly a Singular fa ft, which philofophers had endeavoured J'R vain to account for, viz. that rhe temperature of the hu man body, when in health, never exceeds 96 degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer, although theattoofphere which furrounds it may be heated to a much greater degree. This he attributed to the increafed perfpi ration, anU confequent evaporation, produced by the heat. In a letver to Mr. Small of London, dated in May, 1760, Dr. Franklin makes a number of obfervation$> tending to (hew that, in North-America, north-eaft ftorms begin in the fouth-weft parts. It appears, from adtual observation, that a- north-eaft ftorm, which ex tended a considerable diftance, commenced at Philadel phia nearly four hours before it was felt at Bofton. He endeavoured to account for this, by fappofing that, from heat, fome refraclion takes place about the gulph of Mexico, that the air further north being cooler rufhes in, and is fucceeded by the cooler and denfer air ft ill further north, and thus a continued current is at length, produced. The tone produced by rubbing the brim of a drinking glafs with a v/et linger had been generally known. A Mr Puckeridge, an Irifhman, by placing on a table a number of glares of different fi'zes, and tuning them by partly filling them with water,, endeavoured to form an inftrument capable of playing tunes. He was prevented, by an untimely end, from bringing his invention to any degree of perfection. After his death forrre improvements were made upon his plan. The fweetnefs of the tones induced Dr. Franklin to make a variety of experiments ; and he at length formed that elegant inftrument, which he has called the Armoxidi. In the fummer of 1 762 he returned to America. On his paifage he obferved the frngular effeci produced by the agitation of a veficl, containing oil .floating on water. The furface of the oil remains fmooth and undifturbed, whilft the water is agitated with the mmoft cormnotion. K 3 No [ "4 ] No fatisfa^ory explanation of this appearance has, we believe, ever been given. Dr. Franklin received the thanks of the afTembly of Pennfylvania, " as well for the faithful difcharge of his duty to that province in particular, as for the many and important ferviccs done to America in general, during his relidence in Great- Britain." A compenfation of 500!. Pennfylvania currency, was aifo decreed him for bis fervices during fix years. During his abfence he had been annually ele^ed member of the affembly. On his return to Pennfylva- ma he again took his feat in this body, and continued a Heady defender of the liberties of the people. In December, 1762, a circumftance which caufed great alarm in the province took place. A number of Indians had reftded in the country at Lancaster, and conducted themfelves uniformly as friends to the white inhabitants. Repeated depredations on the frontiers had exafperated the inhabitants to fuch a degree, that they determined to revenge upon every Indian. A number cf perfons, to the aniouut of 120, principally inhabit ants of Donnegal and Peckftang or Paxton townfhips^ in the county of York, afl'embled ; a>nd, mounted on fccrfebatk, proceeded to the fettlement of thefe harmlefs and dcfencelefs Indians, whofe number was now reduced ,lo about twenty. The Indians received intelligence of the attack which was intended againft them, but difbe- Jieved it. Confide ring the white people as their friends, they apprehended no danger from them. When the party arrived at the Indian fettlement, they found only fome wcnien and children, and a few old men, the reit being abfcut at work. They murdered all whom they found, and amongft others the chief Shahaes, who liad been always diiHnguifhed for his friendlhip to the whites. This Moody deed excited much indignation in the well- difpofed part of the corn-inunity. The remainder of thefe unfortunate Indians, who, by abfence, had efcaped the maffacre, were conducted to Lan carter, and lodged in the jail, as a place of fe~iarity. The governor iffued a prcdamauon exprefiing tjie itrong- r ^5 ] eft diftpprobation of the aftion, offering a reward for the difcovery of the perpetrators of the deed, and pro* hibicing all injuries to the peaceable Indians in future. But tsotwithftaniing this, a part/ of the fame men (hort- ly after marched to Lancafter, broke open the jail, and inhumanly butchered the innocent Indiana who had been placed there for fecirrity. Another proclamation was iflued, but had no effecl. A detachment marched down to Philadelphia, for the exprefs purpofe of murdering fome friendly Indians, who had been removed to the ci ty for &fcty A number of the citizens armed in their defence. The Quakers, whofe principles are oppofed to fighting, even in their own defence, were moft aclive up-, on this occafion. The rioters came to Germantown. The governor fled for fafety to the houfe of Dr. Franklin, who, wiih fome others, advanced to meet the Paxtoa boys, as they were called, and had influence enough to prevail upon them- to relinquifh their undertaking, aad return to their homes. The difpates between the proprietaries and theaflembtyy which, for a time, had fubfided, were again revived. The proprietaries were dhTatisfied with the conceflions made in favour of the people, and made great ftraggles to recover the privilege of exempting their eftatcs iron., taxation, which they had been induced to give up. In 1763 the aflembly pafTed a militia bill, to which the' governor refufed to give his affent, unlefs the afieinbty would -agree to certain amendments which he propofed. Thefe confuted in increafmg the fines, and, in fome caf es, fubftituting death for fines* He wifhed too that the. officers (hould be appointed altogether by himfelf, and not be nominated by the people, as the bill had propof ed. Thefe amendments the aftembly confidered as in- confiftent with tha fpiric of liberty. They would not adopt them ; the governor was obftinate, and the bill was loft. Thefe, and various other circumfiances, increa&d the uneafinefs which fubiifted between the proprietaries and the affembly, to fuch a degree, that, in 1764, a petition ta tht lung wa* agreed to by the houfe,^ pray ing an ai- teiaiiom C t.6 ] teratica frsra' a proprittarj to a regal g Great oppofttiohich Great-Britain derived from her colonies were ib great, that nothing but a degree of in fatuation, little ihort of madnefs, could have produced a continuance of vneafares calculated to keep up a fpirit of uneafmefs, which might occafion the flighted vviih for a feparation. When we confid^r the great improvements in the fcience of government, the genera' diifuiion of the principles of liberty amongil the people of Europe, the effects nhich thefe have already produced in France, and the probable confequences which will refult from them elfewhcre, all of which are the offspring of the Ameriean revolution, it cannot but appear ftrange, that events of ib great moment to the happinefs of mankind, fhould have been ultimately occafioned by the wickednefs or ignorance of a tfritifn miniftry. Dr. Franklin left nothing untried to prevail Hpon the miniilry to eonfent to a change of meafures. In private coaverfatir.ns, aad in letters to perfons in government, he continually expatiated upon the impolicy and injuftice of their conduct towards America ; and ftated, that, not- in the attachment of tfic colonifts to the mo ther [ rz tfher country, a repetition of ill-treatment muft ultimately alienate their affcclions. They liftened rot to his advice. They blindly perfevered in their own fchemes, and let: to the colonffts no alternative, but apportion or uncon ditional fubmifllon. The latter accorded not with the principles of freedom, which they had been taught to yevere. To the former they were compelled, though zehi&antly, to .have recourfe. Dr. Franklin, finding all efforts to reflore harmony between Qreat- Britain and her colonies ufelefs, returned to America in the year 1775- ; juft after the commence ment of hoftilhies. The day after his return he was elecled by the Jegiflature of Pennfylvania a member of cngrefs. Not long after his election, a committee wa$ appointed, contlfting of Mr. Lynch, Mr. Harrifon and fcimfelf, to vifit the camp at Cambridge, and in conjunc tion with the commander in chief, to endeavour ro con vince the troops, whofe term of enliftment was about to expire, of the neceflity of rheir continuing in the field, and perfevering in thecaufe of their country. In the fall of the fame year he vifited Canada, to en deavour to unite them in the common eaufe of liberty ; but they could not be prevailed upon to eppofe the mea- fures of the Britifh government. M. Le Roy, in a letter annexed to Abbe Fauchet's eulogium of Dr, Frankjin, ftates that the ill fuccefs of this negociation was occa- fioned, in a great degree, by religious animofities, which fubfifted between the Canadians and rheir neighbours, fome of whom had at differeat times burnt their cha- |>els. When Lord Howe came to America, in 1776, vefied with power to treat with the coloniils, a correfpondence took place between him and Dr. Franklin, on thefubjec't of a reconciliation. Dr. Franklin was afterwards ap pointed, together with John Adams and Edward Rut- ledge, to wait upon the commiffioners, in order to learn the extent of their power. Thefe were found to be on ly to grant pardons upon fubrniilion. Thefe were terms which would not be accepted ; and the objcdl of the comrm&ORer* could not be obtained. The The momcntom queftion of independence was sifter' brought into view ; at a time when the fleets and Armies, which were fent to enforce obedience, were truly formidable. With an army, numerous indeed, but ig norant of difcipline, and entirely unikilled in the art of \var, without money, without a fleet, without allies, and \vi\\i nothing but the leve of liberty to fupport them, the colonifts determined to feparate from a country from which, they had experienced a repetition of injury and infult. In this queftion, Dr. Franklin was decidedly in favour of the meafure propofed, and had great inHuence in bringing over others to his fenti-ments. The public mind had been pretty fully prepared for this event, by Mr. Paine's celebrated pamphlet, Common benfc. There is good reafon to believe that Dr. Frank lin had no inconfiderable fhare, at leaft, in furnifhing materials for this work. In the convention which aflembled at Philadelphia in 1 776, for the pnrpofe of eftab liming a new form of gov ernment for the ftate of Pennfylvania, Dr. Franklin was chofen prefident. The late conftitution of this (late, which was the reftilt of their deliberations, may be con- fidered as a digeft of his principles of government. The Angle legillature, and the plural executive, feern to have been his favourite tenets. In the latter end of 1776, Dr. Franklin was appointed to afliil in the negociations which had been fet on foot *by Silas Deane at the court of France. A conviction of the advantages of a commercial intercourfe with Ameri ca, and a deiire of weakening the Britifli empire by dif- menibering it, firft induced the French court to liften to propofals of an alliance. But they mewed rather a re- luftance to the meafure, which, by Dr. Franklin's ad- Orel's, and particularly by the fuccefs of the American arms againft general Burgoyne, was at length overcome; and in February 1778, a treaty of alliance, rffenfive and defensive, was concluded; in cdnfequence of which, France became involved in the war with Great- Britain. Perhaps no perfon could have been found, more capa ble of rendering effcntial fen ices to the United States at L the t 122 ] the court of France, than Dr. Franklin. He was wdl known as a pbflofopher, and his character was held in the higheit efticoation. He was received with the great- eft marks of refpecl by all the literary characters ; and this refpect was extended amongft all claiTes of men. His perfonal influence was hence very coniiderable. To the effects of this were added thofe of various perform ances which he published, tending to eftablifh the credit and character of the United States. To his exertions in this way, may, in no fmall degree, be afcribed the fuc- cefs of the loans negociated in Holland and France, which greatly contributed to bringing the war to a hap py conclufion. The repeated ill fuccefs of their arms, and more par ticularly the capture of Cornwallis and his army, at length convinced the Britifh nation of the impofiibility of reducing the Americans to fubjeftion. The trading tr.tereft particularly became very clamorous for peace. The miniftry were unable longer to oppofe their wifhes. Provincial articles of peace were agreed to, and figned at Paris on the joth of November, 1782, by Dr. Franklin, Mr. Adams, Mr. Jay, and Mr. Laurens, on the part of the United States ; and by Mr. Ofvvald on the part of Great-Britain, Thefe formed the bafis of the definitive treaty, which was concluded the 30th of September, 1783, and figned by Dr. Franklin, Mr. Adams and Mr. Jay, on the one part, and by Mr. David Hartley on the ether. On the 3d of April 1783, a treaty of amity and com merce, between the United States and Sweden, was con cluded at Paris, by Dr. Franklin and the Count Von Krutz. A fimilar treaty with Pruffia was concluded in 1785, not long before Dr. Franklin's departure from Europe. Dr. Franklin did not fufFer his political purfuits to engrofs his whole attention. Some of his performances made their appearance ia Paris. TIe object of thefe was generally the promotion of induftry and economy. In the year 1784, when animal magnetifm made great noife in the world, particularly at Paris, it was thought a matter of fuch importance, that the king appointed comraifiioners to examine into the foundation of this pretended fcience. Dr. Franklin was one of the num ber. After a fair and diligent examination, in the courfe of which Mefmer repeated a number of experi ments, ia the prefcnce of tke commiilioners, fome of \vhich were tried upon thcmfelves, they determined that it was a mere trick, intended to impofa upon the igno rant and credulous- Mefmer was thus interrupted in hfs cajreer to wealth and faije, and a moft infolent attempt ' to impofe upon the human underftanding baffled. The important ends of Dr. Franklin's million being completed by the eftablimment of American indepen dence, and the infirmities of age and difeafe coming up on him, he became deii.ious of returning to his native country. Upon application to congrefs to be recalled, Mr. JefFerfon was appointed to fucceed him, in 1785* .Some time in September of the fame year, Dr. Franklin arrived in Philadelphia. He wa.s ftiortly after chofen a member of the fupreme executive council for the city ; and foon after was elected prefident of the ftate. When a convention was called to meet in Philadel phia, in 1787, for the purpofe of giving more energy to the government of the union, by revifmg and amend ing the articles of confederation, Dr. Franklin was ap pointed a delegate from the ftate of Pennfylvania. He ' figned the constitution which they propofed for the un ion, and gave it the rnoft unequivocal marks of his ap probation. A fociety for political inquiries, of which Dr. Frank lin was prefident, was eftablifhed about this period. The meetings were held at his houfe. Two or three effays read in the fociety were published. It did not long continue. In the year 1787, two focieties were eflablifiied in Philadelphia, fouaded on principles of the moil liberal and refined humanity the Philadelphia Society for alle- "jiatiug the mjferies rf public prifons and the Pennfylya- nia Society for promoting the abolition of jla--jerj t the re- ^ ic f f f )f * negroes unlawfully hdd in bondage, and tJst L 2 iifl />;';'!' : C 4 I improvement of the condition of the African race. Of cadi of theie* Dr. Franklin was prefident. The labours of thefe bodies have been crowned with great fuccefs : and they continue to profccute, with unwearied diligence, the laudablfe defigns for which they were iaftitutcd. Dr. Franklin's increafing infirmities prevented his re gular attendance at tlfe council-chamber j and, in 178*,. he retired wholly from public life. His conlHtution had been a remarkably good one. He had been little fubjed to difeafe, except an attack, of the gout occasionally, until the year 17^1, when he was nrft attacked with the fymptoms of the calculous complaint, which continued during his life. During the intervals of pain from this grievous difeafe, he fpent many cheerful hours, converfing in the moft agreeable und inftrudive manner. His faculties were entirely un impaired, even- to the hour of his death. Hi* name, as prefident of the Abolition Society, was figned to the memorial prefented to the Houfeof Rcpi,- fentadves of the United States, on the izth of February, 1789, praying them to exert the full extent of power vefted in them by the conflitution, in difcouraging tlie trafftck of the human fpecies. This was his laft public ad. In the debates to which this memorial gave rife, feveral attempts were made to jollify the trade. In the Federal Gazette of March 25th, there appeared ancilay, iigncd Hiftoricus, written by Dr. Franklin, in which he communicated a fpeech, faid to have been delivered in the Divan of Algiers in 1687, inoppofition to the prayer of the petition of a fed called Erika, or purifts, for the abolition of piracy and ilavery. This pretended African fpeech was an excellent parody of one delivered by Mr. Jackfon of Georgia. All the arguments urged in favour of negro flavery, are applied with equal force to juftify the plundering and enflaving the Europeans. It affords, '.ii the fame time, a dcmonftration of the futility of the arguments in defence of the flave trade, and of the ilrengch of mind and ingenuity of the. author, at his ad vanced period of life. It furnifhed too a no lefs con vincing proof of his power of imitating the ft}' Is of other times- thnes and nations, than his celebrated parable againfb perfection. And as the latter led many to fearch the fcriptures with a view to find it 7 fo the forhier cau'fed many perfons to fearch the bo?k-ftores and libraries, for the work from which it was fatd to be extraded. In the beginning of April following, he was attacked with a fever and complaint of his bread, which termi nated his exigence. The following account of his laft illnefs was written by his friend and phyfician, Dr. Jones. " The fton?, with which he had been airlifted for fev- era! years, had for the lart twelve months confined him chiefly to his bed ; and during the extreme painful par- oxyfms, he was obliged to take large dofes of laudanum to mitigate his tortures ftiJJ, in the intervals of pain, he not only araufed himfelf with reading and converting with his fvunily, and a few friends who viiited him, but was often employed in doing bufinefs of a public as well as private nature, with various perfons who waited on him for that puruofe ; and in every inftance difplayed, not only that reads nefs and difpoiition of doing good, which was the clifcinguifning cbaracleriftic of his life,, but the fulled and cleared pofieffion of his uncommon mental abilities > and not unfrequently indulged hinvfelf in thofeyV^.v d? cfprit and entertaining anecdotes, whieh were the delight of all who heard him. " About iixteen days before his death, he was feized with a feverifti iadifpofition, without any particular fymp- toms attending it, till the third or fourth day, when he complained of a pain in his left breaft, which fncreafed till it became extremely acute, attended with a cough and laborious breathing. During this (late, when the fsverity of his pains fornetimes drew forth a groan of complaint,, he would obferve that he was afraid he did not bear them as he ought acknowledged his grateful ftnfe of the many bleiiings he had received from the fu- preme Being, who had raifed him from, f hi all and low beginnings to fucH high raak and consideration among men and made no doubt but his prefent afflictions were kindly intended to weaa him from a world,, in wMch he L 3 was .1 "0 j was no longer fit to act the part afilgncd him. In this frame of body and mind he continued till five days he- fore his death, when hi., pain and difficulty of breathing entirely kft him, and his family were flattering them- K Ivcs with the hopes of Lls recover}-, when an impofthu- rnation, which had formed irfdf in his lungs, fuddenly burfc, and difcliar.ged a great quantity of matter, which lie continued to throw up while he had fufiicient ftrength to do it; but, as that failed, the organs of refpiration became gradually opprciFcd a ctilm lethargic tbate fuc- eeeded and on the i'th of April, 1790, about eleven o'clock at night, he quietly expired, cioiing a long ur.d uieful life of eight}'- lour years ar>d three months. *' It may not be amifs to add to the above account, that Dr. Franklin, in the year 17.35,, had a fevere pleu- rify, which terminated in aa abfcefs of the left lobe of his lungs, and he was then almoft fuftocated with the quantity and fuddennefs of the difcharge. A fecond at-" tack cf a fimilar nature happened fome years after this, from which he foo:i recovered, and divl not appear to fiifFer any inconvenience in his refpiration from thefe difeafes." , The following epitaph on himfelf, was written by him many years previous to his death :. THE BODY BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Printer* (Like ibt cover ofa?i 'Ad buck , Its contents torn oztt, Andjiript of ifs lettering and gilding) Lies btre fosd for worms ; Yet tat work itfeU Jball not be //?, i : Vr it -;.';/// '(as hi' bell,~oed) appear once tr.sre t In a r.c-^o . ' vtire be an tiff I edit l foft } Cirretlcd and amended h ^Lwt AUTHOR, 1*7 Ex TRACTS /row the laft Will and Tefiqmtnt vf Dr. FRANKLIN. WITH regard to my books, thole I had in France, and thofc I left in Philadelphia, being now allembled together herd and" a catalogue made of them, it is my intention to difpoie of the j'ame as follows : My hiftory of the Academy of Sciences, in fixty or feventf volumes quarto, I give to the philoibphical fociety. of Philadel phia, of which I have the honour to be prclident. My collec tion in folio of Les Arts " Les Meti-rs, I give to the philofoph- Ical ibciety, cRabliihed in New- England, of which I am a merH~ bur. My quaru> edition of the fame drts and Mttit-rst 1 give TO the library compay of Philadelphia. Such and fo many of my books as I fhali mark in the faid catalogue with the name of niy graudfon, Benjamin Franklin BacUe, I do hereby give to i\im : and inch and ib many of my books, as I ihall mark in the f.iid catalogue with the name of my gvandfon William Bache, I do hereby ^ive to him : and fuch as Ihall be marked with the name at Jonathan Williams,.. I hereby give to my coufia of that name. The rsikiue and remainder of all my books, manu- fcripts and piper^, I do give to my grandibn William Temple 'FrankJ in- My (lure ki the library company of Philadelphia I give to toy grandibn Benjamiu Franklin Bachc, confiding that he will permit his brothers and lifters to fhare in the ule of it. I svas b^rn in Hoft>n, Nc\v-Hnglafl, and owe my firft in- iluidions in . lite-uture to the tree grummar-ichooh eltablillied there. I tlierefore give one hundred pounds fterling to my ex- ctfutois, to be by them, the furvivors or furvivor of them, paid \cf to the managers or directors of the free fchools in my na tive town of Bofton. to be by them, or the perfon or perfema who lhall have the Juperintendance and management of the faid fchoois, put oitt to iiitereft, and fo continued at inte^reil forever ; which ititeieft annually tliall be laid out in iilver incdals, and given as honorary rewards annually by the diretlors of the fuici i'ree foivjols, for tha encouragement of fcholarfhip in the laid fell >..>l$, b-j'.on^ing TO the faid town* in fuch manner as to the difcretion of the lele^men of th^: laid town lhall feem meet. Oat of the i ilary that may venr-un due to rne as prefident of the (late, I give the *lbm of two thoufand ponads to my execu-> tors i to be by them, the furvivors or iu-'vivor of them, paid over to fuch perfon or perfons as the legiflatme of this flate, by an a their agent, and by fublequent ap pointments continued there till 1775 \vlien, on my icturn, I was immediately engaged in the aiiiiirs of congrefs, and fent to France in 1776, where I remained nine years, not returning till 1785 and the faid debts not being demanded in -.fuch a length of time, are become in a manner oblblte> yet are nevertheless juftly due. Thefe, as they a^e ftated in my great folio ledger* E, I bequeath to the contributors of the Pennsylvania hcfpital ; hoping thak thofe debtors, and the defendants ot inch as are rleceafed, who now, as I find, make loins difficulty of i'atistying fuch antiquated demands as juft debts, may however be- induced to pay or give them as charity to that excellent ioftitution. I am fenfible that much muft inevitably be loft ; but I hops Something coafiderable ray be recovered. It is pofiibie too that fome otthe parties charged may have exiting old unsettled accounts againft me ; in which cafe the managers of the laid hofpital will allow and deduit the amount, and pay the balance, if they rind it againft me. I requeft my friends Henry Hill, Efq. John Jay, Efq.. Frand* Hopkinfon, Elq. and Mr. Edward Duificld, of Bonfield, m Philadelphia county, to be the executors of this my laft will and tf.'Kinent, and I hereby nominate and appoint them for that purpcfe. I would have my body buried with as little ex pence or cere mony as may be. Philadelphia, July 17, 1788. Couici i.. I Benjamin Franklin, in the foregoing GT annexed laft will and tcftawieut, having further coniidered the fame, do think proper to make and pubiilh the following codicil, or addition thereto : It having long been a fixed political opinion of mine, that ia a democratical ftate there ought to be no offices of profit, for the reafoas I had jjiven in an article of my drawing in our conftitu- tion, it was my intention, when I accepted the office of prefi- dent, to devote the appointed falary to fomc public ufe : Ac- cordiogly I had already, before I made my laft will, in July Jaft, given large Aims of it to colleges, fchools, building of churches, ice. and in that will I bequeathed two thoufand pounds more to the it'ita, for the purpole of making the Schuylkill navigable ; but underftanding fince, that fuch a fum will do but little to- \vards accomplifhing fuch a work, and that the project is not. likely to be undertaken for many years to come and having en tertained another ides which I hope may be fovmdi more exten- lively fivety ufeful, I do hereby ravoke and annul the bequeft, and d- red tiiat the certificates I have ibr what remains due to me of that falary, be Ibid towards railing the lu.n of two ihjufanci pounds iterlkig, to be clit'pol'ed of as I am now about to order. It lias been an ov/iuioi:, that he \vho receives an eftate from his anceftors, is under ionia obligation to tranl'mit the fame to poilerity. This obligation lic-j not OK ine> who never inherited a (hilling from any iruccftor or relation. I ihall, however, if it- is not diminished by i">me accident before my death, leave a eonfiderable cftate ainon^ my defccndants arid relations. The above obfervation is made tncr-ly as i'ome apology to my family* for my making bequeits that do not appear to have any imruo tliate relation to their advantage. 1 was born in Boiton, New-England, and owe my firft inftruc- tions in literature to the free grammar- fchools eftabliiked there. 1 have therefore eoniidcred thole ichools in my will. But I am under obligations to the ftate of MaO'achufetts, for having, unafked, appointed me formerly their agent, with r. Irmdfome i alary which continued fome years : and although I jivc;Hentaliy loll in their fervice, by tranlmitting governoL f iutchinfon j s letters, much more than the amount of what they gave me, I do not think that ought in the leaft to dirninifh my gratitude. I have eonlklered thai, amoiifj artifans, good ap prentices are moil likely to make good citrrens ; and having myfelf been bred to a manual art, printing, in my native town, and afterwards aiTifted to let up my bufinels in Philadelphia by Kind loans of motley from two friends there, which was the foundation of my fortune, and of all the utility in life that may; be afcribed to me I with to be ufeful even after my death, if pollibie, in forming and advanciwg other young men, tint may be ferviceabie to their country in both thefe towns. To this end I rfevote two thoufand pounds Hfirlinj;, which I give, one thoufand thereof to the inhabitants of the town of Bofton, in Mail'achufetts, and the other one thoufand. to the in habitants of the city of Philadelphia, in truft, to and lor the ufes, intents, and purpofes, herein after mentioned and de clared. The faid fum of one thoufand pounds fterling, if accepted by the inhabitants of the town of Bofton, ihall be managed under the direction of the feledhnen, united with the minifter* or th* oldeft epifcopalian, congregational, and j>relbyterun churchefc in that town, who are to let out ths Lime upon interest at iivt per cent, per annum, to fuch young m irried artificers, under the agy of twenty-rive years, as have farved an apprenticeOiip in the laid town, and faithfully fulfilled the duties required in theic indentures, fo as to obtain a good moral character, from at leait, two refpedtable citizens, who are willing to become furctiei in- a bond, with the Applicants, for the repayment of the money fo isiu, with inteteffci according to the tarns iiersin after prefcrtb- I 130 j ed ; all which bonds are to be taken for Spanifh. milled dollars* or the value thereof in current gold coin : and the manager (hall keep a bound book* or books, wherein Ihall be entered the names of thole who Ihall apply for, and reserve the benefit ot this in- flitution, and of their furetics, together with the Anns lent, the dates, and other neceflary and proper records reflecting the bu- fmefs and concerns of this inftitution : and as thefe loans are intended to affift young married artificers in fettmg up their bu- iinels, they are to be proportioned by the dii'cretion of the ma nagers, fo as not tn exceed fixty pounds fteriing to one perfont jior to be lefs than fifteen pounds. And if the number of appliers fo entitled fhould be fo large as that the fum will not fuifice to afford to each as much as might otherwife not be improper, the proportion to each mail be diminiihed, fo as to aiford to every ort fome afliftance. Thefe aids may therefore be fmall at firft, but as the capital in- cseafes by the accumulated intereft, they will be more ample. And in order to ferve as many as poflible in their turn, as well as to make the repay mentof the principals borrowed more ealy, each borrower Ihall be obliged to pay with the yearly intereft one tenth part of the principal j which fums of principal and intereft fo paid in, Ihall be again let out to freth borrowers. And it is prefumed, that there will be always found in Bofton virtuous and benevolent citizens, willing to beitow a part of their time in doing good to the riling generation, by fuperia- tending and managing this inftitution gratis ; it is hoped that no pan of the money will at any time lie dead* or be diverted to other purpofes, but be continually augmenting by theintereft> i"n which cafe there may in time be more than the eccafion ifl Bofton ihall require : and then fome may be fpartd to the neigh bouring or other towns in the faid ftate of MailachufettSj which may deiire to have it, fuch towns engaging io pay pun&ual'y the intereft, and fueh proportions of the principal, annually, to the inhabitants of the town ot Bofton : if this plan is executed, and fucceeds, as projected, without interruption, for one hun dred years, the fum will be the/n one hundred and thirty-one thoufand pounds ; of which I would have the managers of the donation to the tewn of Eoflon then lay out, at their difcretiom one hundred thoufand pounds in public works, which may be judged of moil general utility to the inhabitants 5 fuch as forti fications, bridges, aqueducts, public buildings, baths, pave ments, or whatever may make living in the town more conve nient to its people, and render it more agreeable to Grangers re- forting thither for health, or a temporary residence. The re maining thirty-one thoufand pounds I would have continued to be let out to intereft, in the manner above directed, for one hundred years ; as I hope it will have been found that the inftitution has had a good effed on the conduct of yont^h, And been of fervice to rnaiiy worthy characters and ufeml i 13 * J At the end of this feceiul term) if no unforfunatc accident has prevented the operafion, the fum will be lour millions and fixty-one thoufand pounds fieri ing ; of which I leave one million and fixty-one thoufand pounds to the difpo- fition and management of the inhabitants of the town of l>of- ton, and the three millions to the difpofirion of the government of the ftate ; not p-efuming to carry my views any farther. All thediredions herein given ref petting the difpofition and management of the donation to the inhabitants of Boiion, I would hav* obferved refpecting that to me inhabitants of Phi ladelphia; only, as Philadelphia is incorporated, I request the corporation of that city to undertake rhe management, agreeable to the faid directions : and 1 do hereby velt them with full and ample powers for that purpofe. And having conlldered that the covering its ground-plat with builuings and pavements, which carry off" moil rain, and prevent its foaking into the earth, and renewing and purifying the fprings, whence the water of the \vells muft gradually grow worfe, and in time be unfit for ufe, as I find has happened in all old cities ; I recommend, that, at the end of the tirft hundred years, if not done before, the corpo ration of the city employ a part of the hundred thoufand pounds in bringing by pipes the water of Wifi'ahickon-creek into the town, fo as to fupply the inhabitants,, which I apprehend may be done without great difficulty, the level of that creek being jmucii above that of the city, and may be made higher by a dam. 1 alfo recommend making the Schuylkill completely navigable. At the end of the fe^ond hundred years, I would have the difpofition of the four millions and fixty-one thoufand pounds divided between the inhabitants of the city of Philadel phia and the government of Pennfylvania in the fame manner as herein directed with rafpec'l to that of the inhabitants of Bof- ton and the government of Mafl'achufetts. It is my defire that this inftitution fhould take place, and begin to operate within one year after my deceafe ; for which purpofe due notice fhould be publicly given, previous to the expiration of that year, that thofe for whole benefit this eftablifhment is intended may make their refpeclive applications ; and I hereby direct my executors, the fui vivors and furvivor of them, within fix months after my decejfe, to pay over the faid fum of two thoufand pounds fter ling to fuch perfons as (hall be duly appointed by the felect men of Bofton, and the corporation of Philadelphia, to receive and take charge of their rcfpedive fums of one thoufand pounds each for the purpofes atbrefaid. Contidering the accidents to which all human alfairs and projects are fubjedt in fuch a length oi time, I have perhaps too much flattered myfelf with a vain fancy, that theie difpofitions, if carried into execution, will be continued without interruption, and have the effects propofed ; I hope, however, that, if the inhabitants of the two cities ihould not think fit to undertake the execution-, thsy will at ieail ac cept tlie offer ef thefe Donations, as a mark of rny gc.rtl xvi*?>. token of rny gratitude, and teftcmoiiy of my defire to be uitTul lo them even after m,y departure. I "wfch, indeed, tint they jmay both undertake to endeavour 'the execution of my project* becaufc 1 think, that, though unforefeen difficulties m;iy arife, expedients will be found to remove them, and the fchenie be fownd praflicablc. It one of them accepts the money with the conditions, and the other refufes, my will, then ii, that both -fums be given to the inhabitants of the city accepting; the -whole to be applied to the fame purpofes, and under the fame regulations direded for the 1 ' narate parts ; and if both refute, the money remains of courfe in the mals of my efiate, and it is to be difpofed of therewitii. according to my v\ill made the feventeenth day of July, 1701%. My fine crab-tree walking-ftick, v.'ith a geld head curioufly tyrou^ht in the form of the cap of Liberty, 1 give to Biy friend, and the friend of mankind, General WaCnington. If it \tiie a , he has merited it, and would become it. Bfe