Part 3 (1/2)

I began now gradually to pay off the debt I was under for the printing-house In order to secure my credit and character as a tradesman, I took care not only to be in reality industrious and frugal, but to avoid all appearances to the contrary I drest plainly; I was seen at no places of idle diversion I never went out a fishi+ng or shooting; a book, indeed, so, and gave no scandal; and, to show that I was not above ht home the paper I purchas'd at the stores thro' the streets on a wheelbarrow Thus being estee duly for what I bought, the merchants who imported stationery solicitedly In thedaily, he was at last forc'd to sell his printing-house to satisfy his creditors He went to Barbadoes, and there lived some years in very poor circumstances

His apprentice, David Harry, whom I had instructed while I work'd with hiht his materials I was at first apprehensive of a powerful rival in Harry, as his friends were very able, and had a good deal of interest I therefore propos'd a partnershi+p to him, which he, fortunately for entleman, liv'd expensively, took lected his business; upon which, all business left hi to do, he followed Kei-house with him There this apprentice employ'd his former master as a journeyman; they quarrell'd often; Harry went continually behindhand, and at length was forc'd to sell his types and return to his country work in Pennsylvania The person that bought them employ'd Keimer to use them, but in a few years he died

There remained now no competitor with me at Philadelphia but the old one, Bradford; as rich and easy, did a little printing now and then by straggling hands, but was not very anxious about the business However, as he kept the post-office, it was i news; his paper was thought a better distributer of advertisements than mine, and therefore hadto hie to me; for, tho' I did indeed receive and send papers by the post, yet the publick opinion was otherwise, for what I did send was by bribing the riders, who took theh to forbid it, which occasion'd soht so meanly of him for it, that, when I afterward came into his situation, I took care never to imitate it

I had hitherto continu'd to board with Godfrey, who lived in part of my house with his wife and children, and had one side of the shop for his glazier's business, tho' he worked little, being always absorbed in his mathematics Mrs Godfrey projected a hter, took opportunities of bringing us often together, till a serious courtshi+p onThe old folks encourag'd ether, till at length it was ti'd our little treaty I let her know that I expected asdebt for the printing-house, which I believe was not then above a hundred pounds She brought age their house in the loan-office The answer to this, after some days, was, that they did not approve the match; that, on inquiry of Bradford, they had been infor business was not a profitable one; the types would soon be worn out, and more wanted; that S Keimer and D Harry had failed one after the other, and I should probably soon follow thehter shut up

Whether this was a real change of senti too far engaged in affection to retract, and therefore that we should steal a ive or withhold what they pleas'd, I know not; but I suspected the latter, resented it, and went no ht me afterward some more favorable accounts of their disposition, and would have drawn ain; but I declared absolutelymore to do with that family This was resented by the Godfreys; we differed, and they re me the whole house, and I resolved to take no hts to e, I look'd round me and made overtures of acquaintance in other places; but soon found that, the business of a printer being generally thought a poor one, I was not to expect money with a wife, unless with such a one as I should not otherwise think agreeable A friendly correspondence as neighbours and old acquaintances had continued between ard forin their house I was often invited there and consulted in their affairs, wherein I sometimes was of service I piti'd poor Miss Read's unfortunate situation, as generally dejected, seldoiddiness and inconstancy when in London as in a great degree the cause of her unhappiness, tho' the h to think the faultbefore I went thither, and persuaded the other match in my absence Our reat objections to our union Thewife being said to be living in England; but this could not easily be prov'd, because of the distance; and, tho' there was a report of his death, it was not certain Then, tho' it should be true, he had left ht be call'd upon to pay We ventured, however, over all these difficulties, and I took her to wife, September 1st, 1730 None of the inconveniences happened that we had apprehended; she proved a good and faithful help the shop; we throve together, and have ever mutually endeavour'd to reat erratum as well as I could

[62] Mrs Franklin survived her e over forty years Franklin's correspondence abounds with evidence that their union was a happy one ”We are grown old together, and if she has any faults, I a is a stanza fros written for the Junto: ”Of their Chloes and Phyllises poetsmy plain country Joan, These twelve years my wife, still the joy of my life, Blest day that I , not at a tavern, but in a little room of Mr Grace's, set apart for that purpose, a proposition was made by me, that, since our books were often referr'd to in our disquisitions upon the queries, it ether where we ht be consulted; and by thus clubbing our books to a coether, have each of us the advantage of using the books of all the other members, which would be nearly as beneficial as if each owned the whole It was lik'd and agreed to, and we fill'd one end of the room with such books as we could best spare The nureat as we expected; and tho' they had been of great use, yet so for want of due care of them, the collection, after about a year, was separated, and each took his books hoain

And now I set on foot my first project of a public nature, that for a subscription library I drew up the proposals, got thereat scrivener, Brockden, and, by the help of my friends in the Junto, procured fifty subscribers of forty shi+llings each to begin with, and ten shi+llings a year for fifty years, the term our company was to continue We afterwards obtain'd a charter, the co increased to one hundred: this was the mother of all the North American subscription libraries, now so nu itself, and continually increasing These libraries have ieneral conversation of the Aent as entlemen froree to the stand so generally es[63]

Mem Thus far ritten with the intention express'd in the beginning and therefore contains several little family anecdotes of no importance to others What folloritten many years after in compliance with the advice contain'd in these letters, and accordingly intended for the public The affairs of the Revolution occasion'd the interruption[64]

[63] Here the first part of the Autobiography, written at Twyford in 1771, ends The second part, which folloritten at Passy in 1784

[64] After this memoranduhan, urging hiraphy

[Continuation of the Account of un at Passy, near Paris, 1784]

It is some time since I receiv'd the above letters, but I have been too busy till now to think of coht, too, bemy papers, which would aiduncertain, and having just now a little leisure, I will endeavour to recollect and write what I can; if I live to get ho any copy here of what is already written, I know not whether an account is given of the means I used to establish the Philadelphia public library, which, froh I remember to have come down to near the tiin here with an account of it, which iven

At the tiood bookseller's shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston In New York and Philad'a the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc, almanacs, ballads, and a few coed to send for their books froland; the members of the Junto had each a few We had left the alehouse, where we first met, and hired a room to hold our club in I propos'd that we should all of us bring our books to that room, where they would not only be ready to consult in our conferences, but beco at liberty to borrow such as he wish'd to read at holy done, and for soe of this little collection, I propos'd to render the benefit fro a public subscription library I drew a sketch of the plan and rules that would be necessary, and got a skilful conveyancer, Mr Charles Brockden, to put the whole in forree'd to pay a certain sum down for the first purchase of books, and an annual contribution for increasing them So feere the readers at that time in Philadelphia, and the reat industry, to findto pay down for this purpose forty shi+llings each, and ten shi+llings per annuan The books were imported; the library was opened one day in the week for lending to the subscribers, on their promissory notes to pay double the value if not duly returned The institution soon manifested its utility, was imitated by other towns, and in other provinces The libraries were aug beca no publick amusements to divert their attention from study, became better acquainted with books, and in a few years were observ'd by strangers to be better instructed and enerally are in other countries

When ere about to sign the aboveon us, our heirs, etc, for fifty years, Mr Brockden, the scrivener, said to us, ”You are young men, but it is scarcely probable that any of you will live to see the expiration of the term fix'd in the instru; but the instrument was after a few years rendered null by a charter that incorporated and gave perpetuity to the company

The objections and reluctances Ithe subscriptions,one's self as the proposer of any useful project, that ht be suppos'd to raise one's reputation in the shbours, when one has need of their assistance to accomplish that project I therefore put ht, and stated it as a scheo about and propose it to such as they thought lovers of reading In this way my affair went on more smoothly, and I ever after practis'd it on such occasions; and, from my frequent successes, can heartily recommend it The present little sacrifice of your vanity will afterwards be amply repaid If it res, soed to claim it, and then even envy will be disposed to do you justice by plucking those assuht owner

This library afforded me the means of improvement by constant study, for which I set apart an hour or two each day, and thus repair'd in soree the loss of the learned educationwas the only aames, or frolicks of any kind; and able as it was necessary I was indebted foron to be educated, and I had to contend with for business two printers, ere established in the place before inal habits of frugality continuing, andhis instructions to me when a boy, frequently repeated a proverb of Solo, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men,” I fro wealth and distinction, which encourag'd me, tho' I did not think that I should ever literally stand before kings, which, however, has since happened; for I have stood before five, and even had the honor of sitting doith one, the King of Denlish proverb that says, ”He that would thrive, must ask his wife” It was lucky for ality asand stitching pas for the paper-makers, etc, etc We kept no idle servants, our table was plain and simple, our furniture of the cheapest For instance,time break and er, with a pewter spoon But ress, in spite of principle: being call'd oneto breakfast, I found it in a China boith a spoon of silver! They had been bought for e by my wife, and had cost her the enors, for which she had no other excuse or apology to ht her husband deserv'd a silver spoon and China bowl as well as any of his neighbors This was the first appearance of plate and China in our house, which afterward, in a course of years, as our wealth increas'd, augradually to several hundred pounds in value

I had been religiously educated as a Presbyterian; and though somas of that persuasion, such as the eternal decrees of God, election, reprobation, etc, appeared to ible, others doubtful, and I early absentedious principles I never doubted, for instance, the existence of the Deity; that he overn'd it by his Providence; that the ood to man; that our souls are immortal; and that all crime will be punished, and virtue rewarded, either here or hereafter These I estee to be found in all the religions we had in our country, I respected therees of respect, as I found them more or less mix'd with other articles, which, without any tendency to inspire, promote, or confirm morality, serv'd principally to divide us, and make us unfriendly to one another This respect to all, with an opinion that the worst had soht tend to lessen the good opinion another ion; and as our province increas'd in people, and new places of worshi+p were continually wanted, and generally erected by voluntary contribution, ht be the sect, was never refused

Tho' I seldom attended any public worshi+p, I had still an opinion of its propriety, and of its utility when rightly conducted, and I regularly paid my annual subscription for the support of the only Presbyterianwe had in Philadelphia He us'd to visit me sometimes as a friend, and admonished me to attend his administrations, and I was now and then prevail'd on to do so, once for five Sundays successively Had he been in ht have continued,[65] notwithstanding the occasion I had for the Sunday's leisure in my course of study; but his discourses were chiefly either poleuments, or explications of the peculiar doctrines of our sect, and were all to leto be rather to ood citizens

[65] Franklin expressed a different view about the duty of attending church later

At length he took for his text that verse of the fourth chapter of Philippians, ”Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report, if there be any virtue, or any praise, think on these things” And I iin'd, in a ser some morality But he confin'd himself to five points only, asholy the Sabbath day 2 Being diligent in reading the holy Scriptures 3 Attending duly the publick worshi+p 4 Partaking of the Sacraht be all good things; but, as they were not the kind of good things that I expected fro with the no y, or form of prayer, for my own private use (viz, in 1728), entitled, Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion I return'd to the use of this, and went no ht be bla further to excuse it;to relate facts, and not to ies for them

IX

PLAN FOR ATTAINING MORAL PERFECTION

It was about this ti atany fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custoht I kneas right and wrong, I did not see why I ht not always do the one and avoid the other But I soon found I had undertaken a task of ined[66] While ainst one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was soth, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be co; and that the contrary habits ood ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct For this purpose I therefore contrived the following method

[66] Compare Philippians iv, 8

In the various enu, I found the catalogue more or less numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the same na and drinking, while by others it was extended toevery other pleasure, appetite, inclination, or passion, bodily or mental, even to our avarice and ambition I propos'd to myself, for the sake of clearness, to use rather more names, with fewer ideas annex'd to each, than a few names with more ideas; and I included under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurr'd to me as necessary or desirable, and annexed to each a short precept, which fully express'd the extent I gave to its

These names of virtues, with their precepts, were: 1 Temperance

Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation

2 Silence

Speak not but whatconversation

3 Order

Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its tiht; perforality

Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i e, waste nothing

6 INDUSTRY

Lose no ti useful; cut off all unnecessary actions

7 Sincerity

Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly

8 Justice

Wrong none by doing injuries, or o the benefits that are your duty

9 Moderation

Avoid extrea injuries so much as you think they deserve

10 Cleanliness