or a slice of bread and a handful of raisins, a tart from the pastry cook's, and a glass of water, had the rest of the time till their return for study, in which I made the greater progress, from that greater clearness of head and quick apprehension, which generally attends temperance in eating and drinking. ner that seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat most of those purposes for which speech was given to us. In fact if you wish to instruct others, a positive and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may occasion opposition and prevent a candid attention. If you desire imNow it was, that being on some occasion provement from others, you should not at the made ashamed of my ignorance in figures, same time express yourself fixed in your prewhich I had twice failed learning when at sent opinions; modest and sensible men who school, I took Cocker's book on arithmetic, do not love disputations will leave you undisand went through the whole by myself with turbed in the possession of your errors. In the greatest ease. I also read Sellers and adopting such a manner, you can seldom exSturny's book on navigation, which made me pect to please your hearers, or obtain the conacquainted with the little geometry it contain-currence you desire. Pope judiciously obed; but I never proceeded far in that science. I read about this time Locke on the Human Understanding, and the Art of Thinking by Messrs. du Port Royal. serves, Men must be taught as if you taught them not, While I was intent on improving my lan- To speak, tho' sure, with seeming diffidence. And he might have joined with this line, that which he has coupled with another I think less properly. For want of modesty is want of sense, and logic, the latter finishing with a dispute in the Socratic method; and soon after I procured Xenophon's Memorable things of Socrates, wherein there are many examples of the same method. I was charmed by it, adopted it, dropt my abrupt contradiction and positive argumentation, and put on the humble inquirer; and being then, from reading Shafts- If you ask, why less properly, I must repeat bury and Collins, made a doubter, as I already the lines, was in many points of our religious doctrines, I found this method the safest for myself and very embarrassing to those against whom I used it; therefore I took delight in it, practis ed it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing people, even of superior knowledge, into concessions, the consequences of which they did not foresee; entangling them in difficulties, out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories, that neither myself nor my cause always deserved. Immodest words admit of no defence, Now is not the want of sense (where a man is Immodest words admit but this defence, I continued this method This, however, I should submit to better judgsome few years, but gradually left it, retain-ments. ing only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence; never using, when I advanced any thing that may possibly be disputed, the word certainly-undoubtedly--or any other that gave the air of positiveness to an opinion; but rather say I conceive, or apprehend a thing to be so and so, it appears to me; or I should not think it is so, for such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not mistaken. This habit I believe has been of great advantage to me, when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men into measures that I have been from time to time engaged in promoting; and as the chief ends of conversation are to inform, or to be informed, to please or to persuade, I wish well meaning and sensible men would not lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming man My brother had in 1720 or 21, began to print a newspaper. It was the second that appeared in America, and was called the New England Courant. The only one before it, was the Boston News Letter. I remember his being dissuaded by some of his friends from the undertaking, as not likely to succeed, one newspaper being, in their judgment, enough for America. At this time (1771) there are not less than five-and-twenty.* He went on however with the undertaking; I was employed to carry the papers to the customers, after having worked in composing the types and printing off the sheets. He had some ingenious men among his friends, who amused themselves by writing little pieces for this paper, which gained it credit, and *The number in 1817, exceeds 400. made it more in demand, and these gentlemen | me perhaps as an apprentice, who was bound often visited us. Hearing their conversations and their accounts of the approbation their papers were received with, I was excited to try my hand among them: but being still a boy, and suspecting that my brother would object to printing any thing of mine in his paper, if he knew it to be mine, I contrived to disguise my hand, and writing an anonymous paper, I put it at night under the door of the printing house. It was found in the morning, and communicated to his writing friends, when they called in as usual. They read it, commented on it in my hearing, and I had the exquisite pleasure of finding it had met with their approbation, and that in their different guesses at the author, none were named but men of some character among us for learning and ingenuity. I suppose that I was rather lucky in my judges, and they were not really so very good as I then believed them to be. Encouraged however by this attempt, I wrote and sent in the same way to the press several other pieces, that were equally approved; and I kept my secret till all my fund of sense for such performances was exhausted, and then discovered it, when I began to be considered with a little more attention by my brother's acquaintance. However, that did not quite please him, as he thought it tended to make me too vain. This might be one occasion of the differences we began to have about this time. Though a brother, he considered himself as my master, and me as his apprentice, and accordingly expected the same services from me as he would from another, while I thought he degraded me too much in some he required of me, who from a brother required more indulgence. Our disputes were often brought before our father, and I fancy I was either generally in the right or else a better pleader, because the judgment was generally in my favour. But my brother was passionate and had often beaten me, which I took extremely amiss; and thinking my apprenticeship very tedious, I was continually wishing for some opportunity of shortening it, which at length offered in a manner unexpected. Perhaps the harsh and tyrannical treatment of me, might be a means of impressing me with the aversion to arbitrary power, that has stuck to me through my whole life. One of the pieces in our newspaper on some political point, which I have now forgotten, gave offence to the assembly. He was taken up, censured, and imprisoned for a month, by the speaker's warrant, I suppose because he would not discover the author. I too was taken up and examined before the council; but though I did not give them any satisfaction, they contented themselves with admonishing me and dismissed me, considering to keep his master's secrets. During my brother's confinement, which I resented a good deal notwithstanding our differences, I had the management of the paper; and I made bold to give our rulers some rubs in it, which my brother took very kindly, while others began to consider me in an unfavourable light, as a youth that had a turn for libelling and satire. My brother's discharge was accompanied with an order (and a very odd one) that "James Franklin should no longer print the newspaper called the New England Courant." On a consultation held in our printing of fice amongst his friends, what he should do in this conjuncture, it was proposed to elude the order, by changing the name of the paper; but my brother seeing inconveniences in this, come to a conclusion, as a better way, to let the paper in future be printed in the name of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN : and in order to avoid the censure of the assembly that might fall on him, as still printing it by his apprentice, he contrived and consented that my old indenture should be returned to me, with a discharge on the back of it, to show in case of necessity and, in order to secure to him the benefit of my service, I should sign new indentures for the remainder of my time, which was to be kept private. A very flimsy scheme it was; however, it was immediately executed, and the paper was printed accordingly under my name for several months. At length a fresh difference arising between my brother and me, I took upon me to assert my freedom, presuming that he would not venture to produce the new indentures. It was not fair in me to take this advantage, and this I therefore reckon as one of the first errata of my life; but the unfairness of it weighed little with me, when under the impression of resentment for the blows his passion too often urged him to bestow upon me; though he was otherwise not an illnatured man: perhaps I was too saucy and provoking. When he found I would leave him, he took care to prevent my getting employment in any other printing house in town, by going round and speaking to every master, who accordingly refused to give me work. I then thought of going to New York, as the nearest place where there was a printer; and I was rather inclined to leave Boston, when I reflected that I had already made myself a little obnoxious to the governing party, and from the arbitrary proceedings of the assembly in my brother's case, it was likely I might, if I staid, soon bring myself into scrapes; and further, that my indiscreet disputations about religion began to make me pointed at with horror, by good people, as an infidel or atheist. I concluded therefore to remove to New York; but my father now siding with my brother, Í was sensible that if I attempted to go openly, there being a great surf on the stony beach. means would be used to prevent me. My So we dropt anchor, and swung out our cable friend Collins therefore undertook to manage towards the shore. Some people came down to my flight. He agreed with the captain of a the shore, and hallooed to us, as we did to them, New York sloop to take me, under pretence but the wind was so high, and the surf so of my being a young man of his acquaintance loud, that we could not understand each other. that had an intrigue with a girl of bad cha- There were some small boats near the shore, racter, whose parents would compel me to and we made signs, and called to them to fetch marry her; and that I could neither appear or us; but they either did not comprehend us, or come away publicly. I sold my books to raise it was impracticable, so they went off. Night a little money, was taken on board the sloop approaching, we had no remedy but to have privately, had a fair wind, and in three days patience till the wind abated, and in the mean found myself at New York, near three hun- time the boatmen and myself concluded to dred miles from my home, at the age of se- sleep if we could; and so we crowded into venteen, without the least recommendation, the hatches, where we joined the Dutchman, or knowledge of any person in the place, and who was still wet, and the spray breaking very little money in my pocket. over the head of our boat, leaked through to us, so that we were soon almost as wet as he. In this manner we lay all night with very little rest; but the wind abating the next day, we made a shift to reach Amboy before night; having been thirty hours on the water, without victuals, or any drink but a bottle of filthy rum; the water we sailed on being salt. The inclination I had felt for the sea was by this time done away, or I might now have gratified it. But having another profession, and conceiving myself a pretty good workman, I offered my services to a printer of the place, old Mr. W. Bradford, who had been the first printer in Pennsylvania, but had removed thence, in consequence of a quarrel with the governor, general Keith. He could give me no employment, having little to do, and hands enough already. But he said, "My “son, at Philadelphia, has lately lost his prin"cipal hand, Aquilla Rose, by death; if you “go thither, I believe he may employ you." Philadelphia was one hundred miles farther; I set out, however, in a boat for Amboy, leaving my chest and things to follow me round by sea. In crossing the bay we met with a squall that tore our rotten sails to pieces, prevented our getting into the kill, and drove us upon Long Island. In our way, a drunken Dutchman, who was a passenger too, fell overboard; when he was sinking, I reached through the water to his shock pate, and drew him up, so that we got him in again. His ducking sobered him a little and he went to sleep, taking first out of his pocket a book which he desired I would dry for him. It proved to be my old favourite author, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, in Dutch, finely printed on good paper, copper cuts, a dress better than I had ever seen it wear in its own language. I have since found that it has been translated into most of the languages of Europe, and suppose it has been more generally read than any other book, except perhaps the Bible. Honest John was the first that I know of, who mixed narration and dialogue; a method of writing very engaging to the reader, who, in the most interesting parts finds himself, as it were, admitted into the company and present at the conversation. De Foe has imitated him successfully in his Robinson Crusoe, in his Moll Flanders, and other pieces; and Richardson has done the same in his Pamela, &c. On approaching the island, we found it was in a place where there could be no landing, VOL. I.-B In the evening I found myself very feverish, and went to bed; but having read somewhere that cold water drank plentifully was good for a fever, I followed the prescription, and sweat plentifully most of the night: my fever left me, and in the morning crossing the ferry, I proceeded on my journey on foot, having fifty miles to Burlington, where I was told I should find boats that would carry me the rest of the way to Philadelphia. It rained very hard all the day, I was thoroughly soaked, and by noon a good deal tired, so I stopt at a poor inn, where I stayed all night; beginning now to wish I had never left home. I made so miserable a figure too, that I found by the questions asked me, I was suspected to be some runaway indentured servant, and in danger of being taken up on that suspicion. However, I proceeded next day, and got in the evening to an inn within eight or ten miles of Burlington, kept by one Dr. Brown. He entered into conversation with me, while I took some refreshment, and finding I had read a little, became very obliging and friendly. Our acquaintance continued all the rest of his life. He had been, I imagine, an ambulatory quack doctor, for there was no town in England, or any country in Europe, of which he could not give a very particular account. He had some letters, and was ingenious, but he was an infidel, and wickedly undertook some years after to turn the Bible into doggrel verse, as Cotton had formerly done with Virgil. By this means he set many facts in a ridiculous light, and might have done mischief with weak minds, if his work had been published; but it never was. At his house I lay that night, and arrived the next morning at Burlington; but had the mortification to find, that the regular boats for a three-penny loaf, and was told they had none. Not knowing the different prices, nor the names of the different sorts of bread, I told him to give me three-penny worth of any sort. He gave me accordingly three great puffy rolls. I was surprised at the quantity, but took it, and having no room in my pockets, walked off with a roll under each arm, and eating the other. Thus I went up Market, street as far as Fourth-street, passing by the door of Mr. Read, my future wife's father; when she, standing at the door, saw me, and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous appearance. Then I turned and went down Chestnut-street and part of Walnut-street, eating my roll all the way, and coming round found myself again at Mar had gone a little before, and no other expected to go before Tuesday, this being Saturday. Wherefore I returned to an old woman in the town, of whom I had bought some gingerbread to eat on the water, and asked her advice; she proposed to lodge me, till a passage by some other boat occurred. I accepted her offer, being much fatigued by travelling on foot. Understanding I was a printer, she would have had me remain in that town and follow my business; being ignorant what stock was necessary to begin with. She was very hospitable, gave me a dinner of ox cheek with a great good-will, accepting only of a pot of ale in return; and I thought myself fixed till Tuesday should come. However, walking in the evening by the side of the ri-ket-street wharf, near the boat I came in, to ver, a boat came by which I found was going towards Philadelphia with several people in her. They took me in, and as there was no wind, we rowed all the way; and about midnight, not having yet seen the city, some of the company were confident we must have passed it, and would row no further: the others knew not where we were, so we put towards the shore, got into a creek, landed near an old fence, with the rails of which we made a fire, the night being cold, in October, and there we remained till daylight. Then one of the company knew the place to be Cooper's creek, a little above Philadelphia, which we saw as soon as we got out of the creek, and arrived there about eight or nine o'clock, on the Sunday morning, and landed at Market-street wharf. which I went for a draught of the river water; and, being filled with one of my rolls, gave the other two to a woman and her child that came down the river in the boat with us, and were waiting to go farther. Thus refreshed, I walked again up the street, which by this time had many clean-dressed people in it, who were all walking the same way: I joined them, and thereby was led into the great meeting house of the Quakers near the market. I sat down among them, and after looking round awhile, and hearing nothing said, being very drowsy, through labour and want of rest the preceding night, I fell fast asleep, and continued so till the meeting broke up, when some one was kind enough to rouse me., This therefore was the first house I was in, or slept in, in Philadelphia. I have been the more particular in this de- I then walked down towards the river, and scription of my journey, and shall be so of my looking in the faces of every one, I met a first entry into that city, that you may in young Quaker man whose countenance pleasyour mind compare such unlikely beginnings, ed me, and accosting him, requested he would with the figure I have since made there. I tell me where a stranger could get a lodging. was in my working dress, my best clothes We were then near the sign of the Three coming round by sea. I was dirty, from my be- Mariners. "Here," said he, "is a house ing so long in the boat; my pockets were where they receive strangers, but it is not a restuffed out with shirts and stockings, and I putable one; if thou wilt walk with me, I'll knew no one, nor where to look for lodging. shew thee a better one;" and he conducted Fatigued with walking, rowing, and the want me to the Crooked Billet in Water-street.— of sleep, I was very hungry; and my whole There I got a dinner; and while I was eatstock of cash consisted in a single dollar, and ing, several questions were asked me; as about a shilling in copper coin, which I gave from my youth and appearance I was suspectto the boatmen for my passage. At first they ed of being a runaway. After dinner my refused it, on account of my having rowed, host having shown me to a bed, I lay myself but I insisted on their taking it. Man is some-on it, without undressing, and slept till six in times more generous when he has little money, than when he has plenty; perhaps to prevent his being thought to have but little. I walked towards the top of the street, gazing about, still in Market-street, where I met a boy with bread. I had often made a meal of dry bread, and enquiring where he had bought it, I went immediately to the baker's he directed me to. I asked for biscuits, meaning such as we had at Boston: that sort, it seems, was not made in Philadelphia. I then asked the evening, when I was called to supper. I went to bed again very early, and slept very soundly till next morning. Then I dressed myself as neat as I could, and went to Andrew Bradford, the printer's. I found in the shop the old man his father, whom I had seen at New York, and who, travelling on horseback, had got to Philadelphia before me. He introduced me to his son, who received me civilly, gave me a breakfast, but told me he did not at present want a hand, being lately supplied with one: but there was another printer in town lately set up, one Keimer, who perhaps might employ me; if not, I should be welcome to lodge at his house, and he would give me a little work to do now and then till fuller business should offer. particular religion, but something of all on occasion; was very ignorant of the world, and had, as I afterwards found, a good deal of the knave in his composition. He did not like my lodging at Bradford's while I worked with him. He had a house indeed, but without furniture, so he could not lodge me; but he got me a lodging at Mr. Read's, beforementioned, who was the owner of his house; and my chest of clothes being come by this time, I made rather a more respectable appearance in the eyes of Miss Read, than I had done when she first happened to see me eating my roll in the street. The old gentleman said he would go with me to the new printer; and when we found him, “Neighbour," said Bradford, "I have brought to see you, a young man of your business; perhaps you may want such a one." He asked me a few questions, put a composing stick in my hand to see how I worked, and then said he would employ me soon, though he had just then nothing for me to do; and I began now to have some acquaintance taking old Bradford, whom he had never seen among the young people of the town, that before, to be one of the town's people that were lovers of reading, with whom I spent had a good will for him, entered into a con- my evenings very pleasantly; and gained moversation on his present undertaking and pros-ney by my industry and frugality. I lived pects; while Bradford, (not discovering that very contented, and forgot Boston as much as he was the other printer's father,) on Kei-I could, and did not wish it should be known mer's saying he expected soon to get the greatest part of the business into his own hands; drew him on by artful questions, and starting little doubts, to explain all his views, what influence he relied on, and in what manner he intended to proceed. I, who stood by and heard all, saw immediately, that one was a crafty old sophister, and the other a true novice. Bradford left me with Keimer, who was greatly surprised when I told him who the old man was. The printing house, I found, consisted of an old damaged press and a small worn-out fount of English types which he was using himself, composing an elegy on Aquilla Rose, before mentioned; an ingenious young man, of excellent character, much respected in the town, secretary to the assembly, and a pretty poet. Keimer made verses too, but very indifferently. He could not be said to write them, for his method was to compose them in the types directly out of his head; there being no copy, but one pair of cases, and the elegy probably requiring all the letter, no one could help him. I endeavoured to put his press (which he had not yet used, and of which he understood nothing) into order to be worked with; and promising to come and print off his elegy as soon as he should have got it ready, I returned to Bradford's, who gave me a little job to do for the present, and there I lodged and dieted. A few days after Keimer sent for me to print off the elegy. And now he had got another pair of cases, and a pamphlet to reprint on which he set me to work. where I resided, except to my friend Collins, who was in the secret and kept it faithfully. At length, however, an incident happened, that occasioned my return home much sooner than I had intended. I had a brother-in-law, Robert Holmes, master of a sloop that traded between Boston and Delaware. He being at New Castle, forty miles below Philadelphia, and hearing of me, wrote me a letter, mentioning the grief of my relations and friends in Boston, at my abrupt departure, assuring me of their good will to me, and that every thing would be accommodated to my mind if I would return; to which he intreated me earnestly. I wrote an answer to his letter, thanked him for his advice, but stated my reasons for quitting Boston, so fully and in such a light, as to convince him, that I was not so much in the wrong as he had apprehended. Sir William Keith, governor of the province, was then at New Castle, and captain Holmes happening to be in company with him, when my letter came to hand, spoke to him of me, and shewed him the letter. The governor read it, and seemed surprised when he was told my age. He said I appeared a young man of promising parts, and therefore should be encouraged: the printers at Philadelphia were wretched ones, and if I would set up there, he made no doubt I should succeed; for his part he would procure me the public business, and do me every other service in his power. This my brother-in-law Holmes afterwards told me in Boston, but I knew as yet nothing of it; when one day These two printers I found poorly qualified Keimer and I being at work together near for their business. Bradford had not been the window, we saw the governor and anobred to it, and was very illiterate; and Keither gentleman, (who proved to be col. mer, though something of a scholar, was a mere compositor, knowing nothing of presswork. He had been one of the French prophets, and could act their enthusiastic agitations. At this time he did not profess any French of New Castle, in the province of Delaware) finely dressed, come directly across the street to our house, and heard them at the door. Keimer ran down immediately, thinking it a visit to him; but the governor in |