the Press-room, he went up to a particular press,' and thus addressed the two men who were working. “Come, my friends, we will drink together; it is now 40 years since I worked like you at this press as journeyman printer:" on this he sent for a gallon of porter, and they drank success to printing.”

In one of the assemblies in America, wherein there was a majority of Presbyterians, a law was proposed to forbid the praying for the King by the Episcopalians; who, however, could not conveniently omit that prayer, it being prescribed in their Liturgy. Dr. Franklin, one of the members, seeing that such a law would occasion more disturbance than it was worth, said, that he thought it quite unnecessary; for, added he, "those people have, to my certain knowledge, been praying constantly these twenty years past, that "God would give to the King and his counsel wisdom," and we all know that not the least notice has ever been taken of that prayer; so that it is plain they have no interest in the court of Heaven." The house' smiled, and the motion was dropt.

In Philadelphia, where there are no Noblesse, but the inhabitants are all either merchants or mechanics, the merchants, many years since, set up an assembly for dancing, and desiring to make a distinction, and to assume a rank above the mechanics, they at first proposed this among the rules for regulating the assembly, "that no mechanic or mechanic's wife or daughter should be admitted, on any terms." These rules being shown by a manager to Dr. Franklin for his opinion, he remarked, that one of them excluded GOD ALMIGHTY. How so? said the manager. "Because," replied the Doctor," he is notoriously the greatest mechanic in the universe; having, as the Scripture testifies, made all things, and that by weight and measure." The intended new gentlemen became ashamed of their rule, and struck it out.

About the year 1752, Dr. Franklin having entered into a correspondence with Samuel Johnson, Doctor in Divinity in the University of Oxford, and afterwards President of King's College, in New York, and having endeavoured to induce the latter to accept the Presidency of the College at Philadelphia, and as an additional motive to his doing so, having offered to procure the erection of a new Episcopal church for him in that city; and Dr. Johnson having expressed some doubts respecting the propriety of such a measure, Dr. Franklin wrote a letter for the purpose of removing his scruples, of which the following extract has been preserved, viz. "Your tenderness of the church's peace is truly laudable; but, methinks, to build a new church in a growing place, is not properly dividing, but multiplying, and will really be a means of increasing the number of those who worship God in that way. Many who cannot now be

This press is now in the possession of Messrs. Cox and Baylis, Great Queen Street.

accommodated in the church, go to other places, or stay at home; and if we had another church, many who go to other places, or stay at home, would go to church. I had for several years nailed against the wall of my house, a pigeon-box that would hold six pair, and though they bred as fast as my neighbors' pigeous, I never had more than six pair; the old and strong driving out the young and weak, and obliging them to seek new habitations. At length I put up an additional box, with apartments for entertaining twelve pair more, and it was soon filled with inhabitants, by the overflowing of my first box, and of others in the neighborhood. This I take to be a parallel case with the building a new church here.”

Dr. Franklin was so immoderately fond of chess, that one evening at Passy, he sat at that amusement from six in the afternoon till sun-rise. On the point of losing one of his games, his king being attacked, by what is called a check, but an opportunity offering at the same time of giving a fatal blow to his adversary, provided he might neglect the defence of his king, he chose to do so, though contrary to the rules, and made his move. "Sir," said the French gentleman, his antagonist," you cannot do that, and leave your king in check." "I see he is in check," said the Doctor," but I shall not defend him. If he was a good king like yours, he would deserve the protection of his subjects; but he is a tyrant and has cost them already more than he is worth :-Take him, if you please; I can do without him, and will fight out the rest of the battle, en Républicain-as a Commonwealth's man."

IN THE PRESS,

THE THIRD AND LAST VOLUME of the MEMOIRS of DR. FRANKLIN, containing a SELECTION of his POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, and MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS, many of which have never yet appeared.

APPENDIX

No. 1.

JOURNAL of Occurrences in a Voyage to Philadelphia, &c.

[Referred to Page 40 of Memoirs 4to.]

JOURNAL of occurrences in my voyage to Philadelphia on board the Berkshire, Henry Clark Master, from London.

Friday, July 22nd, 1726.

Yesterday in the afternoon we left London, and came to an anchor off Gravesend about eleven at night. I lay ashore all night, and this morning took a walk up to the Windmill Hill, whence I had an agreeable prospect of the country for above twenty miles round, and two or three reaches of the river with ships and boats sailing both up and down, and Tilbury Fort on the other side, which commands the river and passage to London. This Gravesend is a cursed biting place; the chief dependence of the people being the advantage they make of imposing upon strangers. If you buy any thing of them, and give half what they ask, you pay twice as much as the thing is worth. Thank God, we shall leave it to-morrow.

Saturday, July 23.

This day we weighed anchor and fell down with the tide, there being little or no wind. In the afternoon we had a fresh gale, that brought us down to Margate, where we shall lie at anchor this night. Most of the passengers are very sick. Saw several Porpoises, &c.

Sunday, July 24.

This morning we weighed anchor, and, coming to the Downs, we set our pilot ashore at Deal and passed through. And now whilst I write this, sitting upon the quarter-deck, I have methinks one of the pleasantest scenes in the world before me. 'Tis a fine clear day, and we are going away before the wind with an easy pleasant gale. We have near fifteen sail of ships in sight, and I may say in company. On the left hand appears the coast of France at a distance, and on the right is the town and castle of Dover, with the green hills and chalky cliffs of England, to which we must now bid farewell.-Albion farewell!

Monday, July 25.

All the morning calm. Afternoon sprung up a gale at East: blew very hard all night. Saw the Isle of Wight at a distance.

Vol. I.

a

Tuesday, July 26.

Contrary winds all day, blowing pretty hard. Saw the Isle of Wight again in the evening. Wednesday, July 27.

'This morning the wind blowing very hard at West, we stood in for the land, in order to make some harbour. About noon we took on board a pilot out of a fishing shallop, who brought the ship into Spithead off Portsmouth. The captain, Mr. Denham and myself went on shore, and during the little time we staid I made some observations on the place.

Portsmouth has a fine harbour. The entrance is so narrow that you may throw a stone from fort to fort; yet it is near ten fathom deep and bold close to : but within there is room enough for five hundred, or for aught I know a thousand sail of ships. The town is strongly fortified, being encompassed with a high wall and a deep and broad ditch, and two gates that are entered over drawbridges; besides several forts, batteries of large cannon and other outworks, the names of which I know not, nor had I time to take so strict a view as to be able to describe them. In war time the town has a garrison of 10,000 men ; but at present 'tis only manned by about 100 Invalids. Notwithstanding the English have so many fleets of men of war at sea at this time,' I counted in this harbour above thirty sail of 2nd, Sd, and 4th rates that lay by unrigged, but easily fitted out upon occasion, all their masts and rigging lying marked and numbered in storehouses at hand. The King's yards and docks employ abundance of men, who even in peace time are constantly building and refitting men of war for the King's service. Gosport lies opposite to Portsmouth, and is near as big if not bigger; but except the fort at the mouth of the harbour, and a small outwork before the main street of the town, it is only defended by a mud wall which surrounds it, and a trench or dry ditch of about ten feet depth and breadth. Portsmouth is a place of very little trade in peace time; it depending chiefly on fitting out men of war. Spithead is the place where the fleet commonly anchor, and is a very good riding place. The people of Portsmouth tell strange stories of the severity of one Gibson, who was governor of this place in the Queen's time, to his soldiers, and show you a miserable dungeon by the town gate, which they call Johnny Gibson's Hole, where for triffing misdemeanors he used to confine his soldiers till they were almost starved to death. 'Tis a common maxim, that without severe discipline it is impossible to govern the licentious rabble of soldiery. I own indeed that if a commander finds he has not those qualities in him that will make him beloved by his people, he ought by all means to make use of such methods as will make them fear him, since one or the other (or both) is absolutely necessary; but Alexander and Cæsar, those renowned generals, received more faithful service, and performed greater actions by means of the love their soldiers bore them, than they could possibly have done, if instead of being beloved and respected they had been hated and feared by those they commanded.

Thursday, July 28.

This morning we came on board, having lain on shore all night. We weighed anchor and

One gone to the Baltic; one to the Mediterranean; and one to the West Indies.