Volume I Part 2 (1/2)

In a garret of her house there lived a maiden lady of seventy, in the ave me this account: that she was a Roed in a nunnery with an intent of beco with her, she returned to England, where, there being no nunnery, she had vowed to lead the life of a nun as near as iven all her estate to charitable purposes, reserving only twelve pounds a year to live on, and out of this suruel only, and using no fire but to boil it She had lived ratis by successive Catholic tenants of the house below, as they dee to have her there A priest visited her to confess her every day: ”from this I asked her,” said my landlady, ”how she, as she lived, could possibly find so much employment for a confessor” ”Oh,” said she, ”it is ihts_” I was permitted once to visit her; she was cheerful and polite, and conversed pleasantly The room was clean, but had no other furniture than a mattress, a table with a crucifix, and a book, a stool which she gave me to sit on, and a picture over the chi her handkerchief, with theface on it, which she explained to reat seriousness She looked pale, but was never sick, and I give it as another instance on how small an inco-house I contracted an acquaintance with an ingeniouswealthy relations, had been better educated than most printers; was a tolerable Latinist, spoke French, and loved reading I taught hi into the river, and they soon becaentlemen froe and Don Saltero's curiosities In our return, at the request of the coate had excited, I stripped and leaped into the river, and swa in the way many feats of activity both upon and under the water, that surprised and pleased those to whohted with this exercise, had studied and practised Thevenot's raceful and easy as well as the useful All these I took this occasion of exhibiting to the coate, as desirous of becorew more and more attached to me on that account, as well as froth proposed toourselves everywhere by working at our business I was once inclined to it; but ood friend Mr Denham, hom I often spent an hour when I had leisure, he dissuadedto Pennsylvania, which he was now about to do

I ood man's character: he had formerly been in business at Bristol, but failed in debt to a number of people, compounded and went to America; there, by a close application to business as a merchant, he acquired a plentiful fortune in a few years

Returning to England in the shi+p with me, he invited his old creditors to an entertainment, at which he thanked them for the easy composition they had favoured hi but the treat, every man at the first remove found under his plate an order on a banker for the full amount of the unpaid remainder, with interest

He now told me he was about to return to Philadelphia, and should carry over a great quantity of goods in order to open a store there He proposed to take me over as his clerk, to keep his books (in which he would instruct me), copy his letters, and attend the store; he added, that, as soon as I should be acquainted witho of flour and bread, &c, to the West Indies, and procure me commissions froed well, would establish rown tired of London; remembered with pleasure the happy ain to see it; therefore I ireed on the terms of fifty pounds a year, Pennsylvania s as a co better prospects

I now took leave of printing, as I thought, for ever, and was daily e the tradesmen, to purchase various articles and see the upon workmen to despatch, &c; and, when all was on board, I had a few days' leisure On one of these days I was, to reat man, I knew only by name (Sir William Wyndham), and I waited upon hi froate and another young man to swim in a few hours: he had two sons, about to set out on their travels; he wished to have theratify me handsomely if I would teach them

They were not yet come to town, and my stay was uncertain, so I could not undertake it; but froht it likely, that if I were to reood deal of ly, that, had the overture been made me sooner, probably I should not so soon have returned to A of more importance to do with one of those sons of Sir Williaremont, which I shall hteen months in London, most part of the time I worked hard at my business, and spent but little uponplays and in books My friend Ralph had kept me poor; he owed me about twenty-seven pounds, which I was now never likely to receive; a great su, for he had e, however, though I had by no enious acquaintance, whose conversation was of great advantage to me, and I had read considerably

We sailed from Gravesend on the 23d of July, 1726 For the incidents of the voyage I refer you to my journal, where you will find them all minutely related Perhaps the most important part of that journal is the _plan_ to be found in it, which I for the future conduct offor pretty faithfully adhered to quite through to old age

We landed at Philadelphia the 11th of October, where I found sundry alterations Keith was no longer governor, being superseded by Major Gordon; Ithe streets as a coI should have been asMiss Read, had not her friends, despairing with reason of my return after the receipt of ers, a potter, which was done in my absence With him, however, she was never happy, and soon parted fro now said he had another wife He was a worthless fellow, though an excellent workot into debt, ran away in 1727 or 1728, went to the West Indies, and died there

Keiot a better house, a shop well supplied with stationary, plenty of new types, and a nureat deal of business

Mr Denhaoods; I attended the business diligently, studied accounts, and grew in a little tiether; he counselled ard for ether very happily, but in the beginning of February, 1727, when I had just passed my twenty-first year, we both were taken ill My distemper was a pleurisy, which very nearly carried ave up the point in my own mind, and was at the tiretting in soree that I reeable work to go over again I forget what Mr Denhath carried hiacy in a nuncupative will, as a token of his kindness to me, and he left me once more to the orld, for the store was taken into the care of his executors, and my e now at Philadelphia, advised my return to es by the year, to coht better attend to his stationer's shop I had heard a bad character of him in London fro any more to do with him I wished for e with any, I closed again with Keih Meredith, a Welsh Pennsylvanian, thirty years of age, bred to country work; he was honest, sensible, a , but addicted to drinking Stephen Potts, a young countrye, bred to the sareat wit and hureed with at extre every threein their business; and the expectation of these high wages to come on hereafter hat he had drawn the, which he, by agreeh he knew neither one nor the other John Savage, an Irishht up to no business, whose service for four years Keimer had purchased from the captain of a shi+p; he too was to be e Webb, an Oxford scholar, whose ti him for a compositor (of whom more presently), and David Harry, a country boy, whom he had taken apprentice

I soon perceived that the intention of engaging ive, was to have these raw, cheap hands forhall articled to him), he should be able to do without -house in order, which had been in great confusion, and brought his hands by degrees to mind their business, and to do it better

It was an odd thing to find an Oxford scholar in the situation of a bought servant; he was not ave me this account of hira the scholars for so his part when they exhibited plays; belonged to the Wit's club there, and had written some pieces in prose and verse, which were printed in the Gloucester newspapers; thence was sent to Oxford; there he continued about a year, but not well satisfied, wishi+ng of all things to see London and beco his quarterly allowance of fifteen guineas instead of discharging his debts he went out of town, hid his gown in a furz bush, and walked to London, where, having no friend to advise hiuineas, found no rew necessitous, pawned his clothes, and wanted bread Walking the street, very hungry, and not knohat to do with hi iement to such as would bind thened the indentures, was put into the shi+p, and ca a line to his friends to acquaint theood-natured, and a pleasant coree

John, the Irishreeably, for they all respectedthe daily My acquaintance with ingenious people in the town increased We never worked on Saturday, that being Kei Keiard, and nothing now made me uneasy buthitherto but a poor economist; he, however, kindly -house often wanted sorts, and there was no letter foundry in America I had seen types cast at James's in London, but without much attention to the manner; however, I now contrived a mould, and made use of the letters we had as puncheons, struck the matrices in lead, and thus supplied, in a pretty tolerable way, all deficiencies I also engraved several things on occasion; made the ink; I arehouse-man, and, in short, quite a _factotuht be, I found that my services became every day of less importance, as the other hands improved in their business; and when Keies, he let ht I should rees less civil, put on more the airs of master, frequently found fault, was captious, and see I went on, nevertheless, with a good deal of patience, thinking that his encuth a trifle snapped our connexion; for a great noise happening near the courthouse, I put my head out of theto see as thein the street, looked up and saw ry tone, tosome reproachful words, that nettled hbours, ere looking out on the sa witnesses hoas treated He ca-house; continued the quarrel; high words passed on both sides; he gavea wish that he had not been obliged to so long a warning I told him his as unnecessary, for I would leave hiMeredith, who thely in the evening, e talked ard forthat I should leave the house while he re to an to think of; he reminded me that Keian to be uneasy; that he kept his shop miserably, sold often without a profit for readyaccounts that he ht profit of I objected my want of h opinion of me, and, from some discourse that had passed between them, he was sure he would advance money to set me up, if I would enter into partnershi+p with hi; by that time we may have our press and types in from London

I am sensible I am no workman: if you like it, your skill in the business shall be set against the stock I furnish, and ill share the profits equally The proposal was agreeable to me, and I consented; his father was in town and approved of it; the reat influence with his son; had prevailed on hiht break him of that wretched habit entirely e caave an inventory to the father, who carried it to a s were sent for, the secret was to be kept till they should arrive, and in the -house But I found no vacancy there, and so re employed to print some paper money in New-Jersey, which would require cuts and various types that I only could supply, and apprehending Bradford et the job froe, that old friends should not part for a feords, the effect of sudden passion, and wishi+ng ive more opportunity for his improvement under my daily instructions; so I returned, and ent on more smoothly than for some time before The New-Jersey job was obtained; I contrived a copperplate press for it, the first that had been seen in the country; I cut several ornaton, where I executed the whole to satisfaction; and he received so large a suer froton I made an acquaintance with many principal people of the province Several of them had been appointed by the assembly a committee to attend the press, and take care that no more bills were printed than the law directed They were, therefore, by turns, constantly with us, and generally he who attended brought with hi beenthan Keimer's, I suppose it was for that reason my conversation seemed to be more valued They had me to their houses, introduced me to their friends, and showed h the lected In truth, he was an odd creature; ignorant of co received opinions; slovenly to extreion, and a little knavish withal We continued there near threee Allen, Samuel Bustill, the secretary of the province, Isaac Pearson, Joseph Cooper, and several of the Seneral

The latter was a shrewd, sagacious old , by wheeling clay for the bricke, carried the chain for surveyors, who taught hiood estate; and, said he, I foresee you will soon work this man out of his business, and make a fortune in it at Philadelphia He had then not the least intimation of my intention to set up there or anywhere These friends were afterward of great use to me, as I occasionally was to so as they lived

Before I enter upon my public appearance in business, it ard to my principles and morals, that you may see how far those influenced the future events of ious ihway But I was scarce fifteen, when, after doubting by turns several points, as I found thean to doubt of the revelation itself Soainst Deism fell into my hands; they were said to be the substance of the sermons which had been preached at Boyle's Lectures It happened that they wrought an effect on uments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to er than the refutation; in short, I soon becauments perverted some others, particularly Collins and Ralph: but each of these having wrongedKeith's conduct towards me (as another freethinker), and reat trouble, I began to suspect that this doctrine, though it ht be true, was not very useful My London pamphlet (printed in 1725)--which had for its ht Though purblind man Sees but a part o' the chain, the nearest link, His eye not carrying to that equal beam That poises all above--”

and which, frooodness, and power, concluded that nothing could possibly be wrong in the world; and that vice and virtue were e--appeared now not so clever a perforht it; and I doubted whether soument, so as to infect all that followed, as is corew convinced that _truth_, _sincerity_, and _integrity_, in dealings between man and man, were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I formed written resolutions (which still remain in my journal-book) to practise theht with h certain actions ood _because_ it coht be forbidden _because_ they were bad for us, or commanded _because_ they were beneficial to us, in their own natures, all the circus considered And this persuasion, with the kind hand of Providence, or soel, or accidental favourable circuh the dangerous time of youth and the hazardous situations I was soers, remote froross iht have been expected froion; I say _wilful_, because the instances I haveof _necessity_ in them, from my youth, inexperience, and the knavery of others: I had, therefore, a tolerable character to begin the world with; I valued it properly, and deter returned to Philadelphia before the new types arrived from London We settled with Keimer, and left him by his consent before he heard of it We found a house to hire near the market, and took it To lessen the rent (which was then but twenty-four pounds a year, though I have since known it to let for seventy), we took in Tholazier, and his family, ere to pay a considerable part of it to us, and we to board with them We had scarce opened our letters and put our press in order, before George House, an acquaintance of ht a country for a printer All our cash was now expended in the variety of particulars we had been obliged to procure, and this country so seasonably, gave me more pleasure than any crown I have since earned; and, froratitude I felt towards House, has made me often more ready than perhaps I otherwise should have been, to assist young beginners

There are croakers in every country always boding its ruin Such a one there lived in Philadelphia, a person of note, an elderly ; his naer to me, stoppedanswered in the affirmative, he said he was sorry for , and the expense would be lost, for Philadelphia was a sinking place; the people already half bankrupts, or near being so; all the appearances of the country, such as new buildings and the rise of rents, being to his certain knowledge fallacious; for they were, in fact, aave , or that were soon to exist, that he left ed in this business, probably I never should have done it This person continued to live in this _decaying place_, and to declai forto destruction; and at last I had the pleasure of seeing hiht it for when he first began croaking

I should haveyear I had forenious acquaintance into a club for mutual improves The rules that I drew up required that every member in his turn should produce one or more queries on any point of morals, politics, or natural philosophy, to be discussed by the company; and once in three , on any subject he pleased