But it so happened that my intention of writing and publishing this comment was never fulfilled. I had indeed from time to time put down short hints of the sentiments, reasonings, &c. to be made use of in it; some of which I have still by me: but the necessary close attention to private business, in the earlier part of life; and public business since, have occasioned my postponing it. For it being connected in my mind with a great and extensive project, that required the whole man to execute, and which an unforeseen succession of employs prevented my attending to, it has hitherto remained unfimished.

tle's man of verbal charity, who without some absurdity in his proposition; and in showing to the naked and hungry, how or answering I began by observing, that in cerwhere they might get clothes or victuals, tain cases or circumstances, his opinion would only exhorted them to be fed and clothed. be right, but in the present case there apJames ii. 15, 16. peared, or seemed to me, some difference, &c. I soon found the advantage of this change in my manners; the conversations I engaged in went on more pleasantly. The modest way in which I proposed my opinions, procured them a readier reception and less contradiction; I had less mortification when I was found to be in the wrong, and I more easily prevailed with others to give up their mistakes and join with me when I happened to be in the right. And this mode, which I at first put on with some violence to natural inclination, became at length easy, and so habitual to me, that perhaps for the fifty year's past no one has ever heard a dogmatical expression escape me. And to this habit (after my character of integrity) I think it principally owing, that I had early so much weight with my fellow-citizens, when I proposed new institutions, or alterations in the old; and so much influence in public councils, when I became a member for I was but a bad speaker, never eloquent, subject to much hesitation in my choice of words, hardly correct in language, and yet I generally carried my point.

In this piece it was my design to explain and enforce this doctrine, that vicious actions are not hurtful, because they are forbidden, but forbidden because they are hurtful; the nature of man alone considered: that it was therefore every one's interest to be virtuous, who wished to be happy even in this world: and I should from this circumstance, (there being always in the world a number of rich merchants, nobility, states and princes who have need of honest instruments for the management of their affairs, and such being so rare) have endeavoured to convince young persons, that no qualities are so likely to make a poor man's fortune, as those of probity and integrity.

My list of virtues contained at first but twelve but a quaker friend having kindly informed me that I was generally thought proud; that my pride showed itself frequently in conversation; that I was not content with being in the right when discussing any point, but was overbearing, and rather insolent; (of which he convinced me by mentioning several instances) I determined to endeavour to cure myself if I could of this vice or folly among the rest; and I added Humility to my list, giving an extensive meaning to the word. I cannot boast of much success in acquiring the reality of this virtue, but I had a good deal with regard to the appearance of it. I made it a rule to forbear all direct contradiction to the sentiments of others, and all positive assertion of mine own. I even forbid myself, agreeably to the old laws of our Junto, the use of every word or expression in the language that imported a fixed opinion; such as certainly, undoubtedly, &c. and I adopted instead of them, I conceive, I apprehend, or I imagine, a thing to be so, or so; or it so appears to me at present. When another asserted some thing that I thought an error, I denied myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly, and of showing immediately

In reality there is perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as Pride; disguise it, struggle with it, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it perhaps often in this history. For even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.

[Here concludes what was written at Passy, near Paris.]

MEMORANDUM.

I am now about to write at home (Philadelphia,) August 1788, but cannot have the help expected from my papers, many of them being lost in the war. I have however found the following;

Having mentioned a great and extensive project which I had conceived, it seems proper, that some account should be here given of that project and its object. Its first rise in my mind appears in the abovementioned little paper, accidentally preserved, viz.

OBSERVATIONS, on my reading history, in library, May 9, 1731.

66

That the great affairs of the world, the wars, revolutions, &c. are carried on and effected by parties.

"That the view of these parties is their present general interest; or what they take to be such.

"That the different views of these different | for the admission of improper persons; but parties occasion all confusion.

"That while a party is carrying on a general design, each man has his particular private interest in view.

"That as soon as a party has gained its general point, each member becomes intent upon his particular interest, which thwarting others, breaks that party into divisions, and occasions more confusion.

"That few in public affairs act from a mere view of the good of their country, whatever they may pretend; and though their actings bring real good to their country, yet men primarily considered that their own and their country's interest were united, and so did not act from a principle of benevolence.

"That fewer still, in public affairs, act with a view to the good of mankind.

"There seems to me at present to be great occasion for raising an United Party for Virtue, by forming the virtuous and good men of all nations into a regular body, to be governed by suitable good and wise rules, which good and wise men may probably be more unanimous in their obedience to, than common people are to common laws.

"I at present think, that whoever attempts this aright, and is well qualified, cannot fail of pleasing God, and of meeting with success." B. F. Revolving this project in my mind, as to be undertaken hereafter, when my circumstances should afford me the necessary leisure, I put down from time to time on pieces of paper such thoughts as occurred to me respecting it. Most of these are lost, but I find one purporting to be the substance of an intended creed, containing as I thought the essentials of every known religion, and being free of every thing that might shock the professors of any religion. It is expressed in these words; viz.

"That there is one God, who made all things.

"That he governs the world by his providence.

"That he ought to be worshipped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving.

"But that the most acceptable service to God, is doing good to man.

"That the soul is immortal. "And that God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice, either here or hereafter."

My ideas at that time were, that the sect should be begun and spread at first, among young and single men only; that each person to be initiated should not only declare his assent to such creed, but should have exercised himself with the thirteen weeks' examination and practice of the virtues, as in the beforementioned model; that the existence of such a society should be kept a secret, till it was become considerable, to prevent solicitations

that the members should, each of them, search among his acquaintance for ingenious, welldisposed youths, to whom, with prudent caution, the scheme should be gradually communicated. That the members should engage to afford their advice, assistance, and support to each other in promoting one another's interest, business, and advancement in life: that for distinction, we should be called THE SOCIETY OF the Free and EASY. Free, as being by the general practice and habits of the virtues, free from the dominion of vice; and particularly by the practice of industry and frugality, free from debt, which exposes a man to constraint, and a species of slavery to his creditors.

This is as much as I can now recollect of the project, except that I communicated it in part to two young men, who adopted it with enthusiasm: but my then narrow circumstances, and the necessity I was under of sticking close to my business, occasioned my postponing the further prosecution of it at that time, and my multifarious occupations, public and private, induced me to continue postponing, so that it has been omitted, till I have no longer strength or activity left sufficient for such an enterprise. Though I am still of opinion it was a practicable scheme, and might have been very useful, by forming a great number of good citizens: and I was not discouraged by the seeming magnitude of the undertaking, as I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities, may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan; and cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, makes the execution of that same plan, his sole study and business.

In 1732, I first published my Almanack under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continued by me about twenty-five years, and commonly called Poor Richard's Almanack. I endeavoured to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand that I reaped considerable profit from it; vending annually near ten thousand. And observing that it was generally read, (scarce any neighbourhood in the province being without it,) I considered it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought scarcely any other books. I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurred between the remarkable days in the Calendar, with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue; it being more difficult for a man in want to act always honestly, as (to use here one of those proverbs) "it is hard for an empty sack to stand upright." These proverbs which contained

the wisdom of many ages and nations, I as- tion to young printers, and that they be ensembled and formed into a connected discourse couraged not to pollute the presses, and disprefixed to the Almanack of 1757, as the grace their profession by such infamous pracharangue of a wise old man to the people at- tices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by tending an auction: the bringing all these my example, that such a course of conduct scattered counsels thus into a focus, enabled will not on the whole be injurious to their them to make greater impression. The piece interests. being universally approved, was copied in all In 1733, I sent one of my journeymen to the newspapers of the American Continent, Charleston, South Carolina, where a printer reprinted in Britain on a large sheet of paper was wanting. I furnished him with a press to be stuck up in houses; two translations and letters, on an agreement of partnership, were made of it in France, and great num- by which I was to receive one third of the bers bought by the clergy and gentry to dis-profits of the business, paying one third of the tribute gratis among their poor parishioners expense. He was a man of learning, but igand tenants. In Pennsylvania, as it dis- norant in matters of account; and though he couraged useless expense in foreign super-sometimes made me remittances, I could get fluities, some thought it had its share of in- no account from him, nor any satisfactory state fluence in producing that growing plenty of money which was observable for several years after its publication.

I considered my newspaper also as another means of communicating instruction, and in that view frequently reprinted in it extracts from the Spectator, and other moral writers; and sometimes published little pieces of mine own which had been first composed for reading in our Junto. Of these are a Socratic dialogue, tending to prove, that whatever · might be his parts and abilities, a vicious man could not properly be called a man of sense; and a discourse on self-denial, showing that virtue was not secure till its practice became a habitude, and was free from the opposition of contrary inclinations: these may be found in the papers about the beginning of 1735. In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libelling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country. Whenever I was solicited to insert any thing of that kind, and the writers pleaded (as they generally did) the liberty of the press; and that a newspaper was like a stage-coach, in which any one who would pay had a right to a place; my answer was, that I would print the piece separately if desired, and the author might have as many copies as he pleased to distribute himself; but that I would not take upon me to spread his detraction; and that having contracted with my subscribers to furnish them with what might be either useful or entertaining, I could not fill their papers with private altercation in which they had no concern, without doing them manifest injustice. Now, many of our printers make no scruple of gratifying the malice of individuals, by false accusations of the fairest characters among ourselves, augmenting animosity even to the producing of duels; and are moreover so indiscreet as to print scurrilous reflections on the government of neighbouring states, and even on the conduct of our best national allies, which may be attended with the most pernicious consequences. These things I mention as a cau

of our partnership while he lived. On his decease the business was continued by his widow, who being born and bred in Holland, where, (as I have been informed,) the knowledge of accounts makes a part of female education; she not only sent me as clear a statement as she could find of the transactions past, but continued to account with the greatest regularity and exactness every quarter afterwards; and managed the business with such success, that she not only reputably brought up a family of children, but at the expiration of the term, was able to purchase of me the printing-house, and establish her son in it. I mention this affair chiefly for the sake of recommending that branch of education for our young women, as likely to be of more use to them and their children in case of widowhood, than either music or dancing; by preserving them from losses by imposition of crafty men, and enabling them to continue, perhaps, a profitable mercantile house, with established correspondence, till a son is grown up fit to undertake and go on with it; to the lasting advantage and enriching of the family.

About the year 1734, there arrived among us a young Presbyterian preacher, named Hemphill, who delivered with a good voice, and apparently extempore, most excellent discourses; which drew together considerable numbers of different persuasions, who joined in admiring them. Among the rest, I became one of his constant hearers, his sermons pleasing me, as they had little of the dogmatical kind, but inculcated strongly the practice of virtue, or what in the religious style are called good works. Those, however, of our congregation who considered themselves as orthodox Presbyterians, disapproved his doctrine, and were joined by most of the old ministers, who arraigned him of heterodoxy before the synod, in order to have him silenced. I became his zealous partisan, and contributed all I could to raise a party in his favour, and combated for him awhile with some hopes of success. There was much scribbling pro and con upon the occasion; and finding, that

though an elegant preacher, he was but a | inconsistency in our common mode of teach

poor writer, I wrote for him two or three pamphlets, and a piece in the Gazette of April, 1735. Those pamphlets, as is generally the case with controversial writings, though eagerly read at the time, were soon put out of vogue, and I question whether a single copy of them now exists.

During the contest, an unlucky occurrence hurt his cause exceedingly. One of our adversaries having heard him preach a sermon that was much admired, thought he had some where read the sermon before, or at least a part of it. On searching, he found that part quoted at length in one of the British Reviews, from a Discourse of Dr. Foster's. This detection gave many of our party disgust, who accordingly abandoned his cause, and occasioned our more speedy discomfiture in the synod. I stuck by him however; I rather approved of his giving us good sermons composed by others, than bad ones of his own manufacture; though the latter was the practice of our common teachers. He afterwards acknowledged to me that none of those he preached were his own; adding, that his memory was such as enabled him to retain and repeat any sermon after once reading only. On our defeat he left us in search elsewhere of better fortune, and I quitted the congregation, never attending it after; though I continued many years my subscription for the support of its ministers.

ing languages. We are told that it is proper to begin first with the Latin, and having acquired that, it will be more easy to attain those modern languages which are derived from it: and yet we do not begin with the Greek, in order more easily to acquire the Latin. It is true, that if we can clamber and get to the top of a staircase without using the steps, we shall more easily gain them in descending; but certainly if we begin with the lowest, we shall with more ease ascend to the top; and I would therefore offer it to the consideration of those who superintend the education of our youth, whether-since many of those who begin with the Latin, quit the same after spending some years without having made any great proficiency, and what they have learned becomes almost useless, so that their time has been lost-it would not have been better to have begun with the French, proceeding to the Italian, and Latin. For though, after spending the same time, they should quit the study of languages, and never arrive at the Latin, they would, however, have acquired another tongue or two, that being in modern use, might be serviceable to them in common life.

After ten years' absence from Boston, and having become easy in my circumstances, I made a journey thither to visit my relations, which I could not sooner afford. In return ing, I called at Newport to see my brother I had begun in 1733 to study languages; I James, then settled there with his printingsoon made myself so much a master of the house; our former differences were forgotten, French, as to be able to read the books in that and our meeting was very cordial and affeclanguage with ease: I then undertook the tionate: he was fast declining in health, and Italian: an acquaintance who was also learn- requested of me, that in case of his death, ing it, used often to tempt me to play chess which he apprehended not far distant, I would with him: finding this took up too much of take home his son, then but ten years of age, the time I had to spare for study, I at length and bring him up to the printing business. refused to play any more, unless on this con- This I accordingly performed, sending him a dition, that the victor in every game should few years to school before I took him into the have a right to impose a task, either of parts office. His mother carried on the business of the grammar to be got by heart, or in trans- till he was grown up, when I assisted him lations, &c. which tasks the vanquished was with an assortment of new types, those of his to perform upon honour before our next meet-father being in a manner worn out. Thus it ing: as we played pretty equally, we thus beat one another into that language. I afterwards, with a little pains-taking, acquired as much of the Spanish as to read their books also. I have already mentioned that I had only one year's instruction in a Latin school, and that when very young, after which I neglected that language entirely. But when I had attained an acquaintance with the French, Italian, and Spanish, I was surprised to find, on looking over a Latin Testament, that I understood more of that language than I had imagined; which encouraged me to apply myself again to the study of it, and I met with the more success, as those preceding languages had greatly smoothed my way. From these circumstances, I have thought there was some

was that I made my brother ample amends for the service I had deprived him of by leaving him so early.

In 1736, I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted him bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and therefore that the safer should be chosen.

Our club, the Junto, was found so useful, and afforded such satisfaction to the members, that some were desirous of introducing their

friends, which could not well be done with- | heard that he had in his library a certain out exceeding what we had settled as a con- very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note venient number; viz. twelve. We had from to him, expressing my desire of perusing that the beginning made it a rule to keep our in- book, and requesting that he would do me the stitution a secret, which was pretty well ob- favour of lending it to me for a few days. He served; the intention was to avoid applica- sent it immediately; and I returned it in tions of improper persons for admittance, about a week with another note, expressing some of whom, perhaps, we might find it diffi- strongly my sense of the favour. When we cult to refuse. I was one of those who were next met in the house, he spoke to me, (which against any addition to our number; but, in- he had never done before,) and with great stead of it, made in writing a proposal, that civility; and he ever after manifested a readievery member separately should endeavour ness to serve me on all occasions, so that we to form a subordinate club, with the same became great friends, and our friendship conrules, respecting queries, &c., and without tinued to his death. This is another instance informing them of the connection with the of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, Junto. The advantages proposed, were the which says, "He that has once done you a improvement of so many more young citizens kindness, will be more ready to do you anby the use of our institutions; our better ac- other, than he whom you yourself have quaintance with the general sentiments of obliged." And it shows how much more the inhabitants on any occasion, as the junto profitable it is prudently to remove, than to member might propose what queries we resent, return, and continue inimical proshould desire, and was to report to the Junto, ceedings. what passed in his separate club: the promotion of our particular interests in business by more extensive recommendation, and the increase of our influence in public affairs, and our power of doing good by spreading through the several clubs the sentiments of the Junto. The project was approved, and every member undertook to form his club: but they did not all succeed. Five or six only were completed, which were called by different names, as the Vine, the Union, the Band, &c. they were useful to themselves, and afforded us a good deal of amusement, information, and instruction; besides, answering in some considerable degree our views of influencing the public on particular occasions; of which I shall give some instances in course of time as they happened.

In 1737, colonel Spotswood, late governor of Virginia, and then postmaster-general, being dissatisfied with the conduct of his de puty at Philadelphia, respecting some negligence in rendering, and want of exactness in framing his accounts, took from him the commission, and offered it to me. I accepted it readily, and found it of great advantage; for, though the salary was small, it facilitated the correspondence that improved my newspaper, increased the number demanded, as well as the advertisements to be inserted, so that it came to afford me a considerable income. My old competitor's newspaper declined proportionably, and I was satisfied, without retaliating his refusal, while postmaster, to permit my papers being carried by the riders. Thus he suffered greatly from his neglect in due accounting; and I mention it as a lesson to those young men who may be employed in managing affairs for others, that they should always render accounts, and make remittances with great clearness and punctuality. The character of observing such a conduct, is the most powerful of recommendations to new employments and increase of business.

My first promotion was my being chosen, in 1736, clerk of the general assembly. The choice was made that year without opposition; but the year following, when I was again proposed, (the choice, like that of the members, being annual,) a new member made a long speech against me, in order to favour some other candidate. I was, however, chosen, which was the more agreeable to me, I began now to turn my thoughts to public as, besides, the pay for the immediate service affairs, beginning, however, with small matof clerk, the place gave me a better opportu-ters. The city watch was one of the first tunity of keeping up an interest among the things that I conceived to want regulation. It members, which secured to me the business was managed by the constables of the reof printing the votes, laws, paper-money, and other occasional jobs for the public, that on the whole were very profitable. I therefore did not like the opposition of this new member, who was a gentleman of fortune and education, with talents that were likely to give him in time great influence in the house, which indeed afterwards happened. I did not, however, aim at gaining his favour by paying any servile respect to him, but after some time took this other method. Having VOL L...F 4*

spective wards in turn; the constable summoned a number of housekeepers to attend him for the night. Those who chose never to attend, paid him six shillings a year to be excused, which was supposed to go to hiring substitutes, but was, in reality, much more than was necessary for that purpose, and made the constableship a place of profit; and the constable, for a little drink, often got such ragamuffins about him as a watch, that respectable housekeepers did not choose to mix