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 occurr'd 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 express'd 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 worshiped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving.

"But that the most acceptable service of 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." [9]

[9] In the Middle Ages, Franklin, if such a phenomenon as Franklin were

possible in the Middle Ages, would probably have been the founder of a

monastic order.--B.

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 before-mention'd model; that the existence of

such a society should be kept a secret, till it was become considerable,

to prevent solicitations for the admission of improper persons, but that

the members should each of them search among his acquaintance for

ingenuous, well-disposed 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 interests, business, and advancement in life;

that, for distinction, we should be call'd The Society of the Free and

Easy: free, as being, by the general practice and habit 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

confinement, 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 some

enthusiasm; but my then narrow circumstances, and the necessity I was

under of sticking close to my business, occasion'd my postponing the

further prosecution of it at that time; and my multifarious occupations,

public and private, induc'd me to continue postponing, so that it has

been omitted till I have no longer strength or activity left sufficient

for such an enterprise; tho' I am still of opinion that it was a

practicable scheme, and might have been very useful, by forming a great

number of good citizens; and I was not discourag'd 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 publish'd my Almanack, under the name of Richard

Saunders; it was continu'd by me about twenty-five years, commonly

call'd Poor Richard's Almanac. I endeavor'd to make it both entertaining

and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand, that I reap'd

considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand. And

observing that it was generally read, scarce any neighborhood in the

province being without it, I consider'd 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 occurr'd

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

assembled and form'd into a connected discourse prefix'd to the Almanack

of 1757, as the harangue of a wise old man to the people attending an

auction. The bringing all these scatter'd counsels thus into a focus

enabled them to make greater impression. The piece, being universally

approved, was copied in all the newspapers of the Continent; reprinted

in Britain on a broad side, to be stuck up in houses; two translations

were made of it in French, and great numbers bought by the clergy and

gentry, to distribute gratis among their poor parishioners and tenants.

In Pennsylvania, as it discouraged useless expense in foreign

superfluities, some thought it had its share of influence 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 publish'd little

pieces of my own, which had been first compos'd 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 anything 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

neighboring 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 caution to young printers, and that they may be

encouraged not to pollute their presses and disgrace their profession by

such infamous practices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by my

example that such a course of conduct will not, on the whole, be

injurious to their interests.

In 1733 I sent one of my journeymen to Charleston, South Carolina, where

a printer was wanting. I furnish'd him with a press and letters, on an

agreement of partnership, by which I was to receive one-third of the

profits of the business, paying one-third of the expense. He was a man

of learning, and honest but ignorant in matters of account; and, tho' he

sometimes made me remittances, I could get no account from him, nor any

satisfactory state 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 inform'd, the knowledge of accounts makes

a part of female education, she not only sent me as clear a state 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 brought up reputably 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 females, 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

establish'd 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 from Ireland 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 persuasion, who join'd 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 stile are

called good works. Those, however, of our congregation, who considered

themselves as orthodox Presbyterians, disapprov'd his doctrine, and were

join'd by most of the old clergy, who arraign'd him of heterodoxy before

the synod, in order to have him silenc'd. I became his zealous partisan,

and contributed all I could to raise a party in his favour, and we

combated for him a while with some hopes of success. There was much

scribbling pro and con upon the occasion; and finding that, tho' an

elegant preacher, he was but a poor writer, I lent him my pen and wrote

for him two or three pamphlets, and one piece in the Gazette of April,

1735. Those pamphlets, as is generally the case with controversial

writings, tho' eagerly read at the time, were soon 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 somewhere read the sermon before, or at least a

part of it. On search 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

occasion'd our more speedy discomfiture in the synod. I stuck by him,

however, as I rather approv'd his giving us good sermons compos'd by

others, than bad ones of his own manufacture, tho' the latter was the

practice of our common teachers. He afterward acknowledg'd to me that

none of those he preach'd were his own; adding, that his memory was such

as enabled him to retain and repeat any sermon after one reading only.

On our defeat, he left us in search elsewhere of better fortune, and I

quitted the congregation, never joining it after, tho' I continu'd many

years my subscription for the support of its ministers.

I had begun in 1733 to study languages; I soon made myself so much a

master of the French as to be able to read the books with ease. I then

undertook the Italian. An acquaintance, who was also learning it, us'd

often to tempt me to play chess with him. Finding this took up too much

of the time I had to spare for study, I at length refus'd to play any

more, unless on this condition, that the victor in every game should

have a right to impose a task, either in parts of the grammar to be got

by heart, or in translations, etc., which tasks the vanquish'd was to

perform upon honour, before our next meeting. As we play'd pretty

equally, we thus beat one another into that language. I afterwards with

a little painstaking, acquir'd as much of the Spanish as to read their

books also.

I have already mention'd 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 surpriz'd to find, on looking over a

Latin Testament, that I understood so much more of that language than I

had imagined, which encouraged me to apply myself again to the study of

it, and I met with more success, as those preceding languages had

greatly smooth'd my way.

From these circumstances, I have thought that there is some

inconsistency in our common mode of teaching languages. We are told that

it is proper to begin first with the Latin, and, having acquir'd that,

it will be more easy to attain those modern languages which are deriv'd

from it; and yet we do not begin with the Greek, in order more easily to

acquire the Latin. It is true that, if you can clamber and get to the

top of a staircase without using the steps, you will more easily gain

them in descending; but certainly, if you begin with the lowest you will

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 learnt 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, etc.; for, tho', 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 well afford. In returning, I call'd at Newport to see

my brother, then settled there with his printing-house. Our former

differences were forgotten, and our meeting was very cordial and

affectionate. He was fast declining in his health, and requested of me

that, in case of his death, which he apprehended not far distant, I

would take home his son, then but ten years of age, and bring him up to

the printing business. This I accordingly perform'd, sending him a few

years to school before I took him into the office. His mother carried on

the business till he was grown up, when I assisted him with an

assortment of new types, those of his father being in a manner worn out.

Thus it was that I made my brother ample amends for the service I had

depriv'd 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 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 that,

therefore, the safer should be chosen.

Our club, the Junto, was found so useful, and afforded such satisfaction

to the members, that several were desirous of introducing their friends,

which could not well be done without exceeding what we had settled as a

convenient number, viz., twelve. We had from the beginning made it a

rule to keep our institution a secret, which was pretty well observ'd;

the intention was to avoid applications of improper persons for

admittance, some of whom, perhaps, we might find it difficult to refuse.

I was one of those who were against any addition to our number, but,

instead of it, made in writing a proposal, that every member separately

should endeavor to form a subordinate club, with the same rules

respecting queries, etc., and without informing them of the connection

with the Junto. The advantages proposed were, the improvement of so many

more young citizens by the use of our institutions; our better

acquaintance with the general sentiments of the inhabitants on any

occasion, as the Junto member might propose what queries we should

desire, and was to report to the Junto what pass'd 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 thro' the several clubs the

sentiments of the Junto.

The project was approv'd, and every member undertook to form his club,

but they did not all succeed. Five or six only were compleated, which

were called by different names, as the Vine, the Union, the Band, etc.

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 opinion on

particular occasions, of which I shall give some instances in course of

time as they happened.

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 propos'd (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, as, besides the pay for the immediate service

as clerk, the place gave me a better opportunity of keeping up an

interest among the members, which secur'd to me the business of printing

the votes, laws, paper money, and other occasional jobbs 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 heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce

and curious book, I wrote a note to him, expressing my desire of

perusing that book, and requesting he would do me the favour of lending

it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately, and I return'd it in

about a week with another note, expressing strongly my sense of the

favour. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had

never done before), and with great civility; and he ever after

manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became

great friends, and our friendship continued to his death. This is

another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says,

"He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you

another, than he whom you yourself have obliged." And it shows how much

more profitable it is prudently to remove, than to resent, return, and

continue inimical proceedings.

In 1737, Colonel Spotswood, late governor of Virginia, and then

postmaster-general, being dissatisfied with the conduct of his deputy at

Philadelphia, respecting some negligence in rendering, and inexactitude

of his accounts, took from him the commission and offered it to me. I

accepted it readily, and found it of great advantage; for, tho' the

salary was small, it facilitated the correspondence that improv'd my

newspaper, increas'd 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 declin'd proportionably, and I was satisfy'd

without retaliating his refusal, while postmaster, to permit my papers

being carried by the riders. Thus he suffer'd greatly from his neglect

in due accounting; and I mention it as a lesson to those young men who

may be employ'd 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 all recommendations to new employments and increase of

business.

I began now to turn my thoughts a little to public affairs, beginning,

however, with small matters. The city watch was one of the first things

that I conceiv'd to want regulation. It was managed by the constables of

the respective wards in turn; the constable warned a number of

housekeepers to attend him for the night. Those who chose never to

attend paid him six shillings a year to be excus'd, which was suppos'd

to be for 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 with. Walking the rounds, too, was often neglected, and

most of the nights spent in tippling. I thereupon wrote a paper to be

read in Junto, representing these irregularities, but insisting more

particularly on the inequality of this six-shilling tax of the

constables, respecting the circumstances of those who paid it, since a

poor widow housekeeper, all whose property to be guarded by the watch

did not perhaps exceed the value of fifty pounds, paid as much as the

wealthiest merchant, who had thousands of pounds' worth of goods in his

stores.

On the whole, I proposed as a more effectual watch, the hiring of proper

men to serve constantly in that business; and as a more equitable way of

supporting the charge the levying a tax that should be proportion'd to

the property. This idea, being approv'd by the Junto, was communicated

to the other clubs, but as arising in each of them; and though the plan

was not immediately carried into execution, yet, by preparing the minds

of people for the change, it paved the way for the law obtained a few

years after, when the members of our clubs were grown into more

influence.

About this time I wrote a paper (first to be read in Junto, but it was

afterward publish'd) on the different accidents and carelessnesses by

which houses were set on fire, with cautions against them, and means

proposed of avoiding them. This was much spoken of as a useful piece,

and gave rise to a project, which soon followed it, of forming a company

for the more ready extinguishing of fires, and mutual assistance in

removing and securing the goods when in danger. Associates in this

scheme were presently found, amounting to thirty. Our articles of

agreement oblig'd every member to keep always in good order, and fit for

use, a certain number of leather buckets, with strong bags and baskets

(for packing and transporting of goods), which were to be brought to

every fire; and we agreed to meet once a month and spend a social

evening together, in discoursing and communicating such ideas as

occurred to us upon the subject of fires, as might be useful in our

conduct on such occasions.

The utility of this institution soon appeared, and many more desiring to

be admitted than we thought convenient for one company, they were

advised to form another, which was accordingly done; and this went on,

one new company being formed after another, till they became so numerous

as to include most of the inhabitants who were men of property; and now,

at the time of my writing this, tho' upward of fifty years since its

establishment, that which I first formed, called the Union Fire Company,

still subsists and flourishes, tho' the first members are all deceas'd

but myself and one, who is older by a year than I am. The small fines

that have been paid by members for absence at the monthly meetings have

been apply'd to the purchase of fire-engines, ladders, fire-hooks, and

other useful implements for each company, so that I question whether

there is a city in the world better provided with the means of putting a

stop to beginning conflagrations; and, in fact, since these

institutions, the city has never lost by fire more than one or two

houses at a time, and the flames have often been extinguished before the

house in which they began has been half consumed.

In 1739 arrived among us from Ireland the Reverend Mr. Whitefield, who

had made himself remarkable there as an itinerant preacher. He was at

first permitted to preach in some of our churches; but the clergy,

taking a dislike to him, soon refus'd him their pulpits, and he was

oblig'd to preach in the fields. The multitudes of all sects and

denominations that attended his sermons were enormous, and it was matter

of speculation to me, who was one of the number, to observe the

extraordinary influence of his oratory on his hearers, and how much they

admir'd and respected him, notwithstanding his common abuse of them, by

assuring them that they were naturally half beasts and half devils. It

was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our

inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it

seem'd as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not

walk thro' the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in

different families of every street.

And it being found inconvenient to assemble in the open air, subject to

its inclemencies, the building of a house to meet in was no sooner

propos'd, and persons appointed to receive contributions, but sufficient

sums were soon receiv'd to procure the ground and erect the building,

which was one hundred feet long and seventy broad, about the size of

Westminster Hall; and the work was carried on with such spirit as to be

finished in a much shorter time than could have been expected. Both

house and ground were vested in trustees, expressly for the use of any

preacher of any religious persuasion who might desire to say something

to the people at Philadelphia; the design in building not being to

accommodate any particular sect, but the inhabitants in general; so that

even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach

Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service.

Mr. Whitefield, in leaving us, went preaching all the way thro' the

colonies to Georgia. The settlement of that province had lately been

begun, but, instead of being made with hardy, industrious husbandmen,

accustomed to labor, the only people fit for such an enterprise, it was

with families of broken shop-keepers and other insolvent debtors, many

of indolent and idle habits, taken out of the jails, who, being set down

in the woods, unqualified for clearing land, and unable to endure the

hardships of a new settlement, perished in numbers, leaving many

helpless children unprovided for. The sight of their miserable situation

inspir'd the benevolent heart of Mr. Whitefield with the idea of

building an Orphan House there, in which they might be supported and

educated. Returning northward, he preach'd up this charity, and made

large collections, for his eloquence had a wonderful power over the

hearts and purses of his hearers, of which I myself was an instance.

I did not disapprove of the design, but, as Georgia was then destitute

of materials and workmen, and it was proposed to send them from

Philadelphia at a great expense, I thought it would have been better to

have built the house here, and brought the children to it. This I

advis'd; but he was resolute in his first project, rejected my counsel,

and I therefore refus'd to contribute. I happened soon after to attend

one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to

finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing

from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four

silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to

soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory

made me asham'd of that, and determin'd me to give the silver; and he

finish'd so admirably, that I empty'd my pocket wholly into the

collector's dish, gold and all. At this sermon there was also one of our

club, who, being of my sentiments respecting the building in Georgia,

and suspecting a collection might be intended, had, by precaution,

emptied his pockets before he came from home. Towards the conclusion of

the discourse, however, he felt a strong desire to give, and apply'd to

a neighbour, who stood near him, to borrow some money for the purpose.

The application was unfortunately [made] to perhaps the only man in the

company who had the firmness not to be affected by the preacher. His

answer was, "At any other time, Friend Hopkinson, I would lend to thee

freely; but not now, for thee seems to be out of thy right senses."

Some of Mr. Whitefield's enemies affected to suppose that he would apply

these collections to his own private emolument; but I who was intimately

acquainted with him (being employed in printing his Sermons and

Journals, etc.), never had the least suspicion of his integrity, but am

to this day decidedly of opinion that he was in all his conduct a

perfectly honest man, and methinks my testimony in his favour ought to

have the more weight, as we had no religious connection. He us'd,

indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the

satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard. Ours was a mere

civil friendship, sincere on both sides, and lasted to his death.

The following instance will show something of the terms on which we

stood. Upon one of his arrivals from England at Boston, he wrote to me

that he should come soon to Philadelphia, but knew not where he could

lodge when there, as he understood his old friend and host, Mr. Benezet,

was removed to Germantown. My answer was, "You know my house; if you can

make shift with its scanty accommodations, you will be most heartily

welcome." He reply'd, that if I made that kind offer for Christ's sake,

I should not miss of a reward. And I returned, "Don't let me be

mistaken; it was not for Christ's sake, but for your sake." One of our

common acquaintance jocosely remark'd, that, knowing it to be the custom

of the saints, when they received any favour, to shift the burden of the

obligation from off their own shoulders, and place it in heaven, I had

contriv'd to fix it on earth.

The last time I saw Mr. Whitefield was in London, when he consulted me

about his Orphan House concern, and his purpose of appropriating it to

the establishment of a college.

He had a loud and clear voice, and articulated his words and sentences

so perfectly, that he might be heard and understood at a great distance,

especially as his auditories, however numerous, observ'd the most exact

silence. He preach'd one evening from the top of the Court-house steps,

which are in the middle of Market-street, and on the west side of

Second-street, which crosses it at right angles. Both streets were

fill'd with his hearers to a considerable distance. Being among the

hindmost in Market-street, I had the curiosity to learn how far he could

be heard, by retiring backwards down the street towards the river; and I

found his voice distinct till I came near Front-street, when some noise

in that street obscur'd it. Imagining then a semi-circle, of which my

distance should be the radius, and that it were fill'd with auditors, to

each of whom I allow'd two square feet, I computed that he might well be

heard by more than thirty thousand. This reconcil'd me to the newspaper

accounts of his having preach'd to twenty-five thousand people in the

fields, and to the ancient histories of generals haranguing whole

armies, of which I had sometimes doubted.

By hearing him often, I came to distinguish easily between sermons newly

compos'd, and those which he had often preach'd in the course of his

travels. His delivery of the latter was so improv'd by frequent

repetitions that every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of

voice, was so perfectly well turn'd and well plac'd, that, without being

interested in the subject, one could not help being pleas'd with the

discourse; a pleasure of much the same kind with that receiv'd from an

excellent piece of musick. This is an advantage itinerant preachers have

over those who are stationary, as the latter can not well improve their

delivery of a sermon by so many rehearsals.

His writing and printing from time to time gave great advantage to his

enemies; unguarded expressions, and even erroneous opinions, delivered

in preaching, might have been afterwards explain'd or qualifi'd by

supposing others that might have accompani'd them, or they might have

been deny'd; but litera scripta manet. Critics attack'd his writings

violently, and with so much appearance of reason as to diminish the

number of his votaries and prevent their encrease; so that I am of

opinion if he had never written any thing, he would have left behind him

a much more numerous and important sect, and his reputation might in

that case have been still growing, even after his death, as there being

nothing of his writing on which to found a censure and give him a lower

character, his proselytes would be left at liberty to feign for him as

great a variety of excellence as their enthusiastic admiration might

wish him to have possessed.

My business was now continually augmenting, and my circumstances growing

daily easier, my newspaper having become very profitable, as being for a

time almost the only one in this and the neighbouring provinces. I

experienced, too, the truth of the observation, "that after getting the

first hundred pound, it is more easy to get the second," money itself

being of a prolific nature.

The partnership at Carolina having succeeded, I was encourag'd to engage

in others, and to promote several of my workmen, who had behaved well,

by establishing them with printing-houses in different colonies, on the

same terms with that in Carolina. Most of them did well, being enabled

at the end of our term, six years, to purchase the types of me and go on

working for themselves, by which means several families were raised.

Partnerships often finish in quarrels; but I was happy in this, that

mine were all carried on and ended amicably, owing, I think, a good deal

to the precaution of having very explicitly settled, in our articles,

every thing to be done by or expected from each partner, so that there

was nothing to dispute, which precaution I would therefore recommend to

all who enter into partnerships; for, whatever esteem partners may have

for, and confidence in each other at the time of the contract, little

jealousies and disgusts may arise, with ideas of inequality in the care

and burden of the business, etc., which are attended often with breach

of friendship and of the connection, perhaps with lawsuits and other

disagreeable consequences.

I had, on the whole, abundant reason to be satisfied with my being

established in Pennsylvania. There were, however, two things that I

regretted, there being no provision for defense, nor for a compleat

education of youth; no militia, nor any college. I therefore, in 1743,

drew up a proposal for establishing an academy; and at that time,

thinking the Reverend Mr. Peters, who was out of employ, a fit person to

superintend such an institution, I communicated the project to him; but

he, having more profitable views in the service of the proprietaries,

which succeeded, declin'd the undertaking; and, not knowing another at

that time suitable for such a trust, I let the scheme lie a while

dormant. I succeeded better the next year, 1744, in proposing and

establishing a Philosophical Society. The paper I wrote for that purpose

will be found among my writings, when collected.

With respect to defense, Spain having been several years at war against

Great Britain, and being at length join'd by France, which brought us

into great danger; and the laboured and long-continued endeavour of our

governor, Thomas, to prevail with our Quaker Assembly to pass a militia

law, and make other provisions for the security of the province, having

proved abortive, I determined to try what might be done by a voluntary

association of the people. To promote this, I first wrote and published

a pamphlet, entitled Plain Truth, in which I stated our defenceless

situation in strong lights, with the necessity of union and discipline

for our defense, and promis'd to propose in a few days an association,

to be generally signed for that purpose. The pamphlet had a sudden and

surprising effect. I was call'd upon for the instrument of association,

and having settled the draft of it with a few friends, I appointed a

meeting of the citizens in the large building before mentioned. The

house was pretty full; I had prepared a number of printed copies, and

provided pens and ink dispers'd all over the room. I harangued them a

little on the subject, read the paper, and explained it, and then

distributed the copies, which were eagerly signed, not the least

objection being made.

When the company separated, and the papers were collected, we found

above twelve hundred hands; and, other copies being dispersed in the

country, the subscribers amounted at length to upward of ten thousand.

These all furnished themselves as soon as they could with arms, formed

themselves into companies and regiments, chose their own officers, and

met every week to be instructed in the manual exercise, and other parts

of military discipline. The women, by subscriptions among themselves,

provided silk colors, which they presented to the companies, painted

with different devices and mottos, which I supplied.

The officers of the companies composing the Philadelphia regiment, being

met, chose me for their colonel; but, conceiving myself unfit, I

declin'd that station, and recommended Mr. Lawrence, a fine person, and

man of influence, who was accordingly appointed. I then propos'd a

lottery to defray the expense of building a battery below the town, and

furnishing it with cannon. It filled expeditiously, and the battery was

soon erected, the merlons being fram'd of logs and fill'd with earth. We

bought some old cannon from Boston, but, these not being sufficient, we

wrote to England for more, soliciting, at the same time, our

proprietaries for some assistance, tho' without much expectation of

obtaining it.

Meanwhile, Colonel Lawrence, William Allen, Abram Taylor, Esqr., and

myself were sent to New York by the associators, commission'd to borrow

some cannon of Governor Clinton. He at first refus'd us peremptorily;

but at dinner with his council, where there was great drinking of

Madeira wine, as the custom of that place then was, he softened by

degrees, and said he would lend us six. After a few more bumpers he

advanc'd to ten; and at length he very good-naturedly conceded eighteen.

They were fine cannon, eighteen-pounders, with their carriages, which we

soon transported and mounted on our battery, where the associators kept

a nightly guard while the war lasted, and among the rest I regularly

took my turn of duty there as a common soldier.

My activity in these operations was agreeable to the governor and

council; they took me into confidence, and I was consulted by them in

every measure wherein their concurrence was thought useful to the

association. Calling in the aid of religion, I propos'd to them the

proclaiming a fast, to promote reformation, and implore the blessing of

Heaven on our undertaking. They embrac'd the motion; but, as it was the

first fast ever thought of in the province, the secretary had no

precedent from which to draw the proclamation. My education in New

England, where a fast is proclaimed every year, was here of some

advantage: I drew it in the accustomed stile, it was translated into

German, printed in both languages, and divulg'd thro' the province. This

gave the clergy of the different sects an opportunity of influencing

their congregations to join in the association, and it would probably

have been general among all but Quakers if the peace had not soon

interven'd.

It was thought by some of my friends that, by my activity in these

affairs, I should offend that sect, and thereby lose my interest in the

Assembly of the province, where they formed a great majority. A young

gentleman who had likewise some friends in the House, and wished to

succeed me as their clerk, acquainted me that it was decided to displace

me at the next election; and he, therefore, in good will, advis'd me to

resign, as more consistent with my honour than being turn'd out. My

answer to him was, that I had read or heard of some public man who made

it a rule never to ask for an office, and never to refuse one when

offer'd to him. "I approve," says I, "of his rule, and will practice it

with a small addition; I shall never ask, never refuse, nor ever resign

an office. If they will have my office of clerk to dispose of to

another, they shall take it from me. I will not, by giving it up, lose

my right of some time or other making reprisals on my adversaries." I

heard, however, no more of this; I was chosen again unanimously as usual

at the next election. Possibly, as they dislik'd my late intimacy with

the members of council, who had join'd the governors in all the disputes

about military preparations, with which the House had long been

harass'd, they might have been pleas'd if I would voluntarily have left

them; but they did not care to displace me on account merely of my zeal

for the association, and they could not well give another reason.

Indeed I had some cause to believe that the defense of the country was

not disagreeable to any of them, provided they were not requir'd to

assist in it. And I found that a much greater number of them than I

could have imagined, tho' against offensive war, were clearly for the

defensive. Many pamphlets pro and con were publish'd on the subject, and

some by good Quakers, in favour of defense, which I believe convinc'd

most of their younger people.

A transaction in our fire company gave me some insight into their

prevailing sentiments. It had been propos'd that we should encourage the

scheme for building a battery by laying out the present stock, then

about sixty pounds, in tickets of the lottery. By our rules, no money

could be dispos'd of till the next meeting after the proposal. The

company consisted of thirty members, of which twenty-two were Quakers,

and eight only of other persuasions. We eight punctually attended the

meeting; but, tho' we thought that some of the Quakers would join us, we

were by no means sure of a majority. Only one Quaker, Mr. James Morris,

appear'd to oppose the measure. He expressed much sorrow that it had

ever been propos'd, as he said Friends were all against it, and it would

create such discord as might break up the company. We told him that we

saw no reason for that; we were the minority, and if Friends were

against the measure, and outvoted us, we must and should, agreeably to

the usage of all societies, submit. When the hour for business arriv'd

it was mov'd to put the vote; he allow'd we might then do it by the

rules, but, as he could assure us that a number of members intended to

be present for the purpose of opposing it, it would be but candid to

allow a little time for their appearing.

While we were disputing this, a waiter came to tell me two gentlemen

below desir'd to speak with me. I went down, and found they were two of

our Quaker members. They told me there were eight of them assembled at a

tavern just by; that they were determin'd to come and vote with us if

there should be occasion, which they hop'd would not be the case, and

desir'd we would not call for their assistance if we could do without

it, as their voting for such a measure might embroil them with their

elders and friends. Being thus secure of a majority, I went up, and

after a little seeming hesitation, agreed to a delay of another hour.

This Mr. Morris allow'd to be extreamly fair. Not one of his opposing

friends appear'd, at which he express'd great surprize; and, at the

expiration of the hour, we carry'd the resolution eight to one; and as,

of the twenty-two Quakers, eight were ready to vote with us, and

thirteen, by their absence, manifested that they were not inclin'd to

oppose the measure, I afterward estimated the proportion of Quakers

sincerely against defense as one to twenty-one only; for these were all

regular members of that society, and in good reputation among them, and

had due notice of what was propos'd at that meeting.

The honorable and learned Mr. Logan, who had always been of that sect,

was one who wrote an address to them, declaring his approbation of

defensive war, and supporting his opinion by many strong arguments. He

put into my hands sixty pounds to be laid out in lottery tickets for the

battery, with directions to apply what prizes might be drawn wholly to

that service. He told me the following anecdote of his old master,

William Penn, respecting defense. He came over from England, when a

young man, with that proprietary, and as his secretary. It was war-time,

and their ship was chas'd by an armed vessel, suppos'd to be an enemy.

Their captain prepar'd for defense; but told William Penn, and his

company of Quakers, that he did not expect their assistance, and they

might retire into the cabin, which they did, except James Logan, who

chose to stay upon deck, and was quarter'd to a gun. The suppos'd enemy

prov'd a friend, so there was no fighting; but when the secretary went

down to communicate the intelligence, William Penn rebuk'd him severely

for staying upon deck, and undertaking to assist in defending the

vessel, contrary to the principles of Friends, especially as it had not

been required by the captain. This reproof, being before all the

company, piqu'd the secretary, who answer'd, "I being thy servant, why

did thee not order me to come down? But thee was willing enough that I

should stay and help to fight the ship when thee thought there was

danger."

My being many years in the Assembly, the majority of which were

constantly Quakers, gave me frequent opportunities of seeing the

embarrassment given them by their principle against war, whenever

application was made to them, by order of the crown, to grant aids for

military purposes. They were unwilling to offend government, on the one

hand, by a direct refusal; and their friends, the body of the Quakers,

on the other, by a compliance contrary to their principles; hence a

variety of evasions to avoid complying, and modes of disguising the

compliance when it became unavoidable. The common mode at last was, to

grant money under the phrase of its being "for the king's use," and

never to inquire how it was applied.

But, if the demand was not directly from the crown, that phrase was

found not so proper, and some other was to be invented. As, when powder

was wanting (I think it was for the garrison at Louisburg), and the

government of New England solicited a grant of some from Pennsilvania,

which was much urg'd on the House by Governor Thomas, they could not

grant money to buy powder, because that was an ingredient of war; but

they voted an aid to New England of three thousand pounds, to be put

into the hands of the governor, and appropriated it for the purchasing

of bread, flour, wheat, or other grain. Some of the council, desirous of

giving the House still further embarrassment, advis'd the governor not

to accept provision, as not being the thing he had demanded; but be

reply'd, "I shall take the money, for I understand very well their

meaning; other grain is gunpowder," which he accordingly bought, and

they never objected to it. [10]

[10] See the votes.--[Marg. note.]

It was in allusion to this fact that, when in our fire company we feared

the success of our proposal in favour of the lottery, and I had said to

my friend Mr. Syng, one of our members, "If we fail, let us move the

purchase of a fire-engine with the money; the Quakers can have no

objection to that; and then, if you nominate me and I you as a committee

for that purpose, we will buy a great gun, which is certainly a

fire-engine." "I see," says he, "you have improv'd by being so long in

the Assembly; your equivocal project would be just a match for their

wheat or other grain."

These embarrassments that the Quakers suffer'd from having establish'd

and published it as one of their principles that no kind of war was

lawful, and which, being once published, they could not afterwards,

however they might change their minds, easily get rid of, reminds me of

what I think a more prudent conduct in another sect among us, that of

the Dunkers. I was acquainted with one of its founders, Michael Welfare,

soon after it appear'd. He complain'd to me that they were grievously

calumniated by the zealots of other persuasions, and charg'd with

abominable principles and practices, to which they were utter strangers.

I told him this had always been the case with new sects, and that, to

put a stop to such abuse, I imagin'd it might be well to publish the

articles of their belief, and the rules of their discipline. He said

that it had been propos'd among them, but not agreed to, for this

reason: "When we were first drawn together as a society," says he, "it

had pleased God to enlighten our minds so far as to see that some

doctrines, which we once esteemed truths, were errors; and that others,

which we had esteemed errors, were real truths. From time to time He has

been pleased to afford us farther light, and our principles have been

improving, and our errors diminishing. Now we are not sure that we are

arrived at the end of this progression, and at the perfection of

spiritual or theological knowledge; and we fear that, if we should once

print our confession of faith, we should feel ourselves as if bound and

confin'd by it, and perhaps be unwilling to receive farther improvement,

and our successors still more so, as conceiving what we their elders and

founders had done, to be something sacred, never to be departed from."

This modesty in a sect is perhaps a singular instance in the history of

mankind, every other sect supposing itself in possession of all truth,

and that those who differ are so far in the wrong; like a man traveling

in foggy weather, those at some distance before him on the road he sees

wrapped up in the fog, as well as those behind him, and also the people

in the fields on each side, but near him all appears clear, tho' in

truth he is as much in the fog as any of them. To avoid this kind of

embarrassment, the Quakers have of late years been gradually declining

the public service in the Assembly and in the magistracy, choosing

rather to quit their power than their principle.

In order of time, I should have mentioned before, that having, in 1742,

invented an open stove for the better warming of rooms, and at the same

time saving fuel, as the fresh air admitted was warmed in entering, I

made a present of the model to Mr. Robert Grace, one of my early

friends, who, having an iron-furnace, found the casting of the plates

for these stoves a profitable thing, as they were growing in demand. To

promote that demand, I wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled "An

Account of the new-invented Pennsylvania Fireplaces; wherein their

Construction and Manner of Operation is particularly explained; their

Advantages above every other Method of warming Rooms demonstrated; and

all Objections that have been raised against the Use of them answered

and obviated," etc. This pamphlet had a good effect. Gov'r. Thomas was

so pleas'd with the construction of this stove, as described in it, that

he offered to give me a patent for the sole vending of them for a term

of years; but I declin'd it from a principle which has ever weighed with

me on such occasions, viz., That, as we enjoy great advantages from the

inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve

others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and

generously.

An ironmonger in London however, assuming a good deal of my pamphlet,

and working it up into his own, and making some small changes in the

machine, which rather hurt its operation, got a patent for it there, and

made, as I was told, a little fortune by it. And this is not the only

instance of patents taken out for my inventions by others, tho' not

always with the same success, which I never contested, as having no

desire of profiting by patents myself, and hating disputes. The use of

these fireplaces in very many houses, both of this and the neighbouring

colonies, has been, and is, a great saving of wood to the inhabitants.

Peace being concluded, and the association business therefore at an end,

I turn'd my thoughts again to the affair of establishing an academy. The

first step I took was to associate in the design a number of active

friends, of whom the Junto furnished a good part; the next was to write

and publish a pamphlet, entitled Proposals Relating to the Education of

Youth in Pennsylvania. This I distributed among the principal

inhabitants gratis; and as soon as I could suppose their minds a little

prepared by the perusal of it, I set on foot a subscription for opening

and supporting an academy; it was to be paid in quotas yearly for five

years; by so dividing it, I judg'd the subscription might be larger, and

I believe it was so, amounting to no less, if I remember right, than

five thousand pounds.

In the introduction to these proposals, I stated their publication, not

as an act of mine, but of some publick-spirited gentlemen, avoiding as

much as I could, according to my usual rule, the presenting myself to

the publick as the author of any scheme for their benefit.

The subscribers, to carry the project into immediate execution, chose

out of their number twenty-four trustees, and appointed Mr. Francis,

then attorney-general, and myself to draw up constitutions for the

government of the academy; which being done and signed, a house was

hired, masters engag'd, and the schools opened, I think, in the same

year, 1749.

The scholars increasing fast, the house was soon found too small, and we

were looking out for a piece of ground, properly situated, with

intention to build, when Providence threw into our way a large house

ready built, which, with a few alterations, might well serve our

purpose. This was the building before mentioned, erected by the hearers

of Mr. Whitefield, and was obtained for us in the following manner.

It is to be noted that the contributions to this building being made by

people of different sects, care was taken in the nomination of trustees,

in whom the building and ground was to be vested, that a predominancy

should not be given to any sect, lest in time that predominancy might be

a means of appropriating the whole to the use of such sect, contrary to

the original intention. It was therefore that one of each sect was

appointed, viz., one Church-of-England man, one Presbyterian, one

Baptist, one Moravian, etc., those, in case of vacancy by death, were to

fill it by election from among the contributors. The Moravian happen'd

not to please his colleagues, and on his death they resolved to have no

other of that sect. The difficulty then was, how to avoid having two of

some other sect, by means of the new choice.

Several persons were named, and for that reason not agreed to. At length

one mention'd me, with the observation that I was merely an honest man,

and of no sect at all, which prevail'd with them to chuse me. The

enthusiasm which existed when the house was built had long since abated,

and its trustees had not been able to procure fresh contributions for

paying the ground-rent, and discharging some other debts the building

had occasion'd, which embarrass'd them greatly. Being now a member of

both setts of trustees, that for the building and that for the Academy,

I had a good opportunity of negotiating with both, and brought them

finally to an agreement, by which the trustees for the building were to

cede it to those of the academy, the latter undertaking to discharge the

debt, to keep for ever open in the building a large hall for occasional

preachers, according to the original intention, and maintain a

free-school for the instruction of poor children. Writings were

accordingly drawn, and on paying the debts the trustees of the academy

were put in possession of the premises; and by dividing the great and

lofty hall into stories, and different rooms above and below for the

several schools, and purchasing some additional ground, the whole was

soon made fit for our purpose, and the scholars remov'd into the

building. The care and trouble of agreeing with the workmen, purchasing

materials, and superintending the work, fell upon me; and I went thro'

it the more cheerfully, as it did not then interfere with my private

business, having the year before taken a very able, industrious, and

honest partner, Mr. David Hall, with whose character I was well

acquainted, as he had work'd for me four years. He took off my hands all

care of the printing-office, paying me punctually my share of the

profits. This partnership continued eighteen years, successfully for us

both.

The trustees of the academy, after a while, were incorporated by a

charter from the governor; their funds were increas'd by contributions

in Britain and grants of land from the proprietaries, to which the

Assembly has since made considerable addition; and thus was established

the present University of Philadelphia. I have been continued one of its

trustees from the beginning, now near forty years, and have had the very

great pleasure of seeing a number of the youth who have receiv'd their

education in it, distinguish'd by their improv'd abilities, serviceable

in public stations, and ornaments to their country.

When I disengaged myself, as above mentioned, from private business, I

flatter'd myself that, by the sufficient tho' moderate fortune I had

acquir'd, I had secured leisure during the rest of my life for

philosophical studies and amusements. I purchased all Dr. Spence's

apparatus, who had come from England to lecture here, and I proceeded in

my electrical experiments with great alacrity; but the publick, now

considering me as a man of leisure, laid hold of me for their purposes,

every part of our civil government, and almost at the same time,

imposing some duty upon me. The governor put me into the commission of

the peace; the corporation of the city chose me of the common council,

and soon after an alderman; and the citizens at large chose me a burgess

to represent them in Assembly. This latter station was the more

agreeable to me, as I was at length tired with sitting there to hear

debates, in which, as clerk, I could take no part, and which were often

so unentertaining that I was induc'd to amuse myself with making magic

squares or circles, or any thing to avoid weariness; and I conceiv'd my

becoming a member would enlarge my power of doing good. I would not,

however, insinuate that my ambition was not flatter'd by all these

promotions; it certainly was; for, considering my low beginning, they

were great things to me; and they were still more pleasing, as being so

many spontaneous testimonies of the public good opinion, and by me

entirely unsolicited.

The office of justice of the peace I try'd a little, by attending a few

courts, and sitting on the bench to hear causes; but finding that more

knowledge of the common law than I possess'd was necessary to act in

that station with credit, I gradually withdrew from it, excusing myself

by my being oblig'd to attend the higher duties of a legislator in the

Assembly. My election to this trust was repeated every year for ten

years, without my ever asking any elector for his vote, or signifying,

either directly or indirectly, any desire of being chosen. On taking my

seat in the House, my son was appointed their clerk.

The year following, a treaty being to be held with the Indians at

Carlisle, the governor sent a message to the House, proposing that they

should nominate some of their members, to be join'd with some members of

council, as commissioners for that purpose. [11] The House named the

speaker (Mr. Norris) and myself; and, being commission'd, we went to

Carlisle, and met the Indians accordingly.

[11] See the votes to have this more correctly.--[Marg. note.]

As those people are extreamly apt to get drunk, and, when so, are very

quarrelsome and disorderly, we strictly forbad the selling any liquor to

them; and when they complain'd of this restriction, we told them that if

they would continue sober during the treaty, we would give them plenty

of rum when business was over. They promis'd this, and they kept their

promise, because they could get no liquor, and the treaty was conducted

very orderly, and concluded to mutual satisfaction. They then claim'd

and receiv'd the rum; this was in the afternoon; they were near one

hundred men, women, and children, and were lodg'd in temporary cabins,

built in the form of a square, just without the town. In the evening,

hearing a great noise among them, the commissioners walk'd out to see

what was the matter. We found they had made a great bonfire in the

middle of the square; they were all drunk, men and women, quarreling and

fighting. Their dark-colour'd bodies, half naked, seen only by the

gloomy light of the bonfire, running after and beating one another with

firebrands, accompanied by their horrid yellings, form'd a scene the

most resembling our ideas of hell that could well be imagin'd; there was

no appeasing the tumult, and we retired to our lodging. At midnight a

number of them came thundering at our door, demanding more rum, of which

we took no notice.

The next day, sensible they had misbehav'd in giving us that

disturbance, they sent three of their old counselors to make their

apology. The orator acknowledg'd the fault, but laid it upon the rum;

and then endeavored to excuse the rum by saying, "The Great Spirit, who

made all things, made every thing for some use, and whatever use he

design'd any thing for, that use it should always be put to. Now, when

he made rum, he said 'Let this be for the Indians to get drunk with,'

and it must be so." And, indeed, if it be the design of Providence to

extirpate these savages in order to make room for cultivators of the

earth, it seems not improbable that rum may be the appointed means. It

has already annihilated all the tribes who formerly inhabited the

sea-coast.

In 1751, Dr. Thomas Bond, a particular friend of mine, conceived the

idea of establishing a hospital in Philadelphia (a very beneficent

design, which has been ascrib'd to me, but was originally his), for the

reception and cure of poor sick persons, whether inhabitants of the

province or strangers. He was zealous and active in endeavouring to

procure subscriptions for it, but the proposal being a novelty in

America, and at first not well understood, he met but with small

success.

At length he came to me with the compliment that he found there was no

such thing as carrying a public-spirited project through without my

being concern'd in it. "For," says he, "I am often ask'd by those to

whom I propose subscribing, Have you consulted Franklin upon this

business? And what does he think of it? And when I tell them that I have

not (supposing it rather out of your line), they do not subscribe, but

say they will consider of it." I enquired into the nature and probable

utility of his scheme, and receiving from him a very satisfactory

explanation, I not only subscrib'd to it myself, but engag'd heartily in

the design of procuring subscriptions from others. Previously, however,

to the solicitation, I endeavoured to prepare the minds of the people by

writing on the subject in the newspapers, which was my usual custom in

such cases, but which he had omitted.

The subscriptions afterwards were more free and generous; but, beginning

to flag, I saw they would be insufficient without some assistance from

the Assembly, and therefore propos'd to petition for it, which was done.

The country members did not at first relish the project; they objected

that it could only be serviceable to the city, and therefore the

citizens alone should be at the expense of it; and they doubted whether

the citizens themselves generally approv'd of it. My allegation on the

contrary, that it met with such approbation as to leave no doubt of our

being able to raise two thousand pounds by voluntary donations, they

considered as a most extravagant supposition, and utterly impossible.

On this I form'd my plan; and asking leave to bring in a bill for

incorporating the contributors according to the prayer of their

petition, and granting them a blank sum of money, which leave was

obtained chiefly on the consideration that the House could throw the

bill out if they did not like it, I drew it so as to make the important

clause a conditional one, viz., "And be it enacted, by the authority

aforesaid, that when the said contributors shall have met and chosen

their managers and treasurer, and shall have raised by their

contributions a capital stock of ------ value (the yearly interest of

which is to be applied to the accommodating of the sick poor in the said

hospital, free of charge for diet, attendance, advice, and medicines),

and shall make the same appear to the satisfaction of the speaker of the

Assembly for the time being, that then it shall and may be lawful for

the said speaker, and he is hereby required, to sign an order on the

provincial treasurer for the payment of two thousand pounds, in two

yearly payments, to the treasurer of the said hospital, to be applied to

the founding, building, and finishing of the same."

This condition carried the bill through; for the members, who had

oppos'd the grant, and now conceiv'd they might have the credit of being

charitable without the expence, agreed to its passage; and then, in

soliciting subscriptions among the people, we urg'd the conditional

promise of the law as an additional motive to give, since every man's

donation would be doubled; thus the clause work'd both ways. The

subscriptions accordingly soon exceeded the requisite sum, and we

claim'd and receiv'd the public gift, which enabled us to carry the

design into execution. A convenient and handsome building was soon

erected; the institution has by constant experience been found useful,

and flourishes to this day; and I do not remember any of my political

manœuvres, the success of which gave me at the time more pleasure, or

wherein, after thinking of it, I more easily excus'd myself for having

made some use of cunning.

It was about this time that another projector, the Rev. Gilbert Tennent,

came to me with a request that I would assist him in procuring a

subscription for erecting a new meeting-house. It was to be for the use

of a congregation he had gathered among the Presbyterians, who were

originally disciples of Mr. Whitefield. Unwilling to make myself

disagreeable to my fellow-citizens by too frequently soliciting their

contributions, I absolutely refus'd. He then desired I would furnish him

with a list of the names of persons I knew by experience to be generous

and public-spirited. I thought it would be unbecoming in me, after their

kind compliance with my solicitations, to mark them out to be worried by

other beggars, and therefore refus'd also to give such a list. He then

desir'd I would at least give him my advice. "That I will readily do,"

said I; "and, in the first place, I advise you to apply to all those

whom you know will give something; next, to those whom you are uncertain

whether they will give any thing or not, and show them the list of those

who have given; and, lastly, do not neglect those who you are sure will

give nothing, for in some of them you may be mistaken." He laugh'd and

thank'd me, and said he would take my advice. He did so, for he ask'd of

everybody, and he obtained a much larger sum than he expected, with

which he erected the capacious and very elegant meeting-house that

stands in Arch-street.

Our city, tho' laid out with a beautiful regularity, the streets large,

strait, and crossing each other at right angles, had the disgrace of

suffering those streets to remain long unpav'd, and in wet weather the

wheels of heavy carriages plough'd them into a quagmire, so that it was

difficult to cross them; and in dry weather the dust was offensive. I

had liv'd near what was call'd the Jersey Market, and saw with pain the

inhabitants wading in mud while purchasing their provisions. A strip of

ground down the middle of that market was at length pav'd with brick, so

that, being once in the market, they had firm footing, but were often

over shoes in dirt to get there. By talking and writing on the subject,

I was at length instrumental in getting the street pav'd with stone

between the market and the brick'd foot-pavement, that was on each side

next the houses. This, for some time, gave an easy access to the market

dry-shod; but, the rest of the street not being pav'd, whenever a

carriage came out of the mud upon this pavement, it shook off and left

its dirt upon it, and it was soon cover'd with mire, which was not

remov'd, the city as yet having no scavengers.

After some inquiry I found a poor industrious man, who was willing to

undertake keeping the pavement clean, by sweeping it twice a week,

carrying off the dirt from before all the neighbours' doors, for the sum

of sixpence per month, to be paid by each house. I then wrote and

printed a paper setting forth the advantages to the neighbourhood that

might be obtain'd by this small expense; the greater ease in keeping our

houses clean, so much dirt not being brought in by people's feet; the

benefit to the shops by more custom, etc., etc., as buyers could more

easily get at them; and by not having, in windy weather, the dust blown

in upon their goods, etc., etc. I sent one of these papers to each

house, and in a day or two went round to see who would subscribe an

agreement to pay these sixpences; it was unanimously sign'd, and for a

time well executed. All the inhabitants of the city were delighted with

the cleanliness of the pavement that surrounded the market, it being a

convenience to all, and this rais'd a general desire to have all the

streets paved, and made the people more willing to submit to a tax for

that purpose.

After some time I drew a bill for paving the city, and brought it into

the Assembly. It was just before I went to England, in 1757, and did not

pass till I was gone, [12] and then with an alteration in the mode of

assessment, which I thought not for the better, but with an additional

provision for lighting as well as paving the streets, which was a great

improvement. It was by a private person, the late Mr. John Clifton, his

giving a sample of the utility of lamps, by placing one at his door,

that the people were first impress'd with the idea of enlighting all the

city. The honour of this public benefit has also been ascrib'd to me,

but it belongs truly to that gentleman. I did but follow his example,

and have only some merit to claim respecting the form of our lamps, as

differing from the globe lamps we were at first supply'd with from

London. Those we found inconvenient in these respects: they admitted no

air below; the smoke, therefore, did not readily go out above, but

circulated in the globe, lodg'd on its inside, and soon obstructed the

light they were intended to afford; giving, besides, the daily trouble

of wiping them clean; and an accidental stroke on one of them would

demolish it, and render it totally useless. I therefore suggested the

composing them of four flat panes, with a long funnel above to draw up

the smoke, and crevices admitting air below, to facilitate the ascent of

the smoke; by this means they were kept clean, and did not grow dark in

a few hours, as the London lamps do, but continu'd bright till morning,

and an accidental stroke would generally break but a single pane, easily

repair'd.

[12] See votes.

I have sometimes wonder'd that the Londoners did not, from the effect

holes in the bottom of the globe lamps us'd at Vauxhall have in keeping

them clean, learn to have such holes in their street lamps. But, these

holes being made for another purpose, viz., to communicate flame more

suddenly to the wick by a little flax hanging down thro' them, the other

use, of letting in air, seems not to have been thought of; and

therefore, after the lamps have been lit a few hours, the streets of

London are very poorly illuminated.

The mention of these improvements puts me in mind of one I propos'd,

when in London, to Dr. Fothergill, who was among the best men I have

known, and a great promoter of useful projects. I had observ'd that the

streets, when dry, were never swept, and the light dust carried away;

but it was suffer'd to accumulate till wet weather reduc'd it to mud,

and then, after lying some days so deep on the pavement that there was

no crossing but in paths kept clean by poor people with brooms, it was

with great labour rak'd together and thrown up into carts open above,

the sides of which suffer'd some of the slush at every jolt on the

pavement to shake out and fall, sometimes to the annoyance of

foot-passengers. The reason given for not sweeping the dusty streets

was, that the dust would fly into the windows of shops and houses.

An accidental occurrence had instructed me how much sweeping might be

done in a little time. I found at my door in Craven-street, one morning,

a poor woman sweeping my pavement with a birch broom; she appeared very

pale and feeble, as just come out of a fit of sickness. I ask'd who

employ'd her to sweep there; she said, "Nobody, but I am very poor and

in distress, and I sweeps before gentlefolkses doors, and hopes they

will give me something." I bid her sweep the whole street clean, and I

would give her a shilling; this was at nine o'clock; at 12 she came for

the shilling. From the slowness I saw at first in her working, I could

scarce believe that the work was done so soon, and sent my servant to

examine it, who reported that the whole street was swept perfectly

clean, and all the dust plac'd in the gutter, which was in the middle;

and the next rain wash'd it quite away, so that the pavement and even

the kennel were perfectly clean.

I then judg'd that, if that feeble woman could sweep such a street in

three hours, a strong, active man might have done it in half the time.

And here let me remark the convenience of having but one gutter in such

a narrow street, running down its middle, instead of two, one on each

side, near the footway; for where all the rain that falls on a street

runs from the sides and meets in the middle, it forms there a current

strong enough to wash away all the mud it meets with; but when divided

into two channels, it is often too weak to cleanse either, and only

makes the mud it finds more fluid, so that the wheels of carriages and

feet of horses throw and dash it upon the foot-pavement, which is

thereby rendered foul and slippery, and sometimes splash it upon those

who are walking. My proposal, communicated to the good doctor, was as

follows:

"For the more effectual cleaning and keeping clean the streets of London

and Westminster, it is proposed that the several watchmen be contracted

with to have the dust swept up in dry seasons, and the mud rak'd up at

other times, each in the several streets and lanes of his round; that

they be furnish'd with brooms and other proper instruments for these

purposes, to be kept at their respective stands, ready to furnish the

poor people they may employ in the service.

"That in the dry summer months the dust be all swept up into heaps at

proper distances, before the shops and windows of houses are usually

opened, when the scavengers, with close-covered carts, shall also carry

it all away.

"That the mud, when rak'd up, be not left in heaps to be spread abroad

again by the wheels of carriages and trampling of horses, but that the

scavengers be provided with bodies of carts, not plac'd high upon

wheels, but low upon sliders, with lattice bottoms, which, being cover'd

with straw, will retain the mud thrown into them, and permit the water

to drain from it, whereby it will become much lighter, water making the

greatest part of its weight; these bodies of carts to be plac'd at

convenient distances, and the mud brought to them in wheel-barrows; they

remaining where plac'd till the mud is drain'd, and then horses brought

to draw them away."

I have since had doubts of the practicability of the latter part of this

proposal, on account of the narrowness of some streets, and the

difficulty of placing the draining-sleds so as not to encumber too much

the passage; but I am still of opinion that the former, requiring the

dust to be swept up and carry'd away before the shops are open, is very

practicable in the summer, when the days are long; for, in walking thro'

the Strand and Fleet-street one morning at seven o'clock, I observ'd

there was not one shop open, tho' it had been daylight and the sun up

above three hours; the inhabitants of London chusing voluntarily to live

much by candle-light, and sleep by sunshine, and yet often complain, a

little absurdly, of the duty on candles and the high price of tallow.

Some may think these trifling matters not worth minding or relating; but

when they consider that tho' dust blown into the eyes of a single

person, or into a single shop on a windy day, is but of small

importance, yet the great number of the instances in a populous city,

and its frequent repetitions give it weight and consequence, perhaps

they will not censure very severely those who bestow some attention to

affairs of this seemingly low nature. Human felicity is produc'd not so

much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little

advantages that occur every day. Thus, if you teach a poor young man to

shave himself, and keep his razor in order, you may contribute more to

the happiness of his life than in giving him a thousand guineas. The

money may be soon spent, the regret only remaining of having foolishly

consumed it; but in the other case, he escapes the frequent vexation of

waiting for barbers, and of their sometimes dirty fingers, offensive

breaths, and dull razors; he shaves when most convenient to him, and

enjoys daily the pleasure of its being done with a good instrument. With

these sentiments I have hazarded the few preceding pages, hoping they

may afford hints which some time or other may be useful to a city I

love, having lived many years in it very happily, and perhaps to some of

our towns in America.

Having been for some time employed by the postmaster-general of America

as his comptroller in regulating several offices, and bringing the

officers to account, I was, upon his death in 1753, appointed, jointly

with Mr. William Hunter, to succeed him, by a commission from the

postmaster-general in England. The American office never had hitherto

paid any thing to that of Britain. We were to have six hundred pounds a

year between us, if we could make that sum out of the profits of the

office. To do this, a variety of improvements were necessary; some of

these were inevitably at first expensive, so that in the first four

years the office became above nine hundred pounds in debt to us. But it

soon after began to repay us; and before I was displac'd by a freak of

the ministers, of which I shall speak hereafter, we had brought it to

yield three times as much clear revenue to the crown as the postoffice

of Ireland. Since that imprudent transaction, they have receiv'd from

it--not one farthing!

The business of the postoffice occasion'd my taking a journey this year

to New England, where the College of Cambridge, of their own motion,

presented me with the degree of Master of Arts. Yale College, in

Connecticut, had before made me a similar compliment. Thus, without

studying in any college, I came to partake of their honours. They were

conferr'd in consideration of my improvements and discoveries in the

electric branch of natural philosophy.

In 1754, war with France being again apprehended, a congress of

commissioners from the different colonies was, by an order of the Lords

of Trade, to be assembled at Albany, there to confer with the chiefs of

the Six Nations concerning the means of defending both their country and

ours. Governor Hamilton, having receiv'd this order, acquainted the

House with it, requesting they would furnish proper presents for the

Indians, to be given on this occasion; and naming the speaker (Mr.

Norris) and myself to join Mr. Thomas Penn and Mr. Secretary Peters as

commissioners to act for Pennsylvania. The House approv'd the

nomination, and provided the goods for the present, and tho' they did

not much like treating out of the provinces; and we met the other

commissioners at Albany about the middle of June.

In our way thither, I projected and drew a plan for the union of all the

colonies under one government, so far as might be necessary for defense,

and other important general purposes. As we pass'd thro' New York, I had

there shown my project to Mr. James Alexander and Mr. Kennedy, two

gentlemen of great knowledge in public affairs, and, being fortified by

their approbation, I ventur'd to lay it before the Congress. It then

appeared that several of the commissioners had form'd plans of the same

kind. A previous question was first taken, whether a union should be

established, which pass'd in the affirmative unanimously. A committee

was then appointed, one member from each colony, to consider the several

plans and report. Mine happen'd to be preferr'd, and, with a few

amendments, was accordingly reported.

By this plan the general government was to be administered by a

president-general, appointed and supported by the crown, and a grand

council was to be chosen by the representatives of the people of the

several colonies, met in their respective assemblies. The debates upon

it in Congress went on daily, hand in hand with the Indian business.

Many objections and difficulties were started, but at length they were

all overcome, and the plan was unanimously agreed to, and copies ordered

to be transmitted to the Board of Trade and to the assemblies of the

several provinces. Its fate was singular: the assemblies did not adopt

it, as they all thought there was too much prerogative in it, and in

England it was judg'd to have too much of the democratic.

The Board of Trade therefore did not approve of it, nor recommend it for

the approbation of his majesty; but another scheme was form'd, supposed

to answer the same purpose better, whereby the governors of the

provinces, with some members of their respective councils, were to meet

and order the raising of troops, building of forts, etc., and to draw on

the treasury of Great Britain for the expense, which was afterwards to

be refunded by an act of Parliament laying a tax on America. My plan,

with my reasons in support of it, is to be found among my political

papers that are printed.

Being the winter following in Boston, I had much conversation with

Governor Shirley upon both the plans. Part of what passed between us on

the occasion may also be seen among those papers. The different and

contrary reasons of dislike to my plan makes me suspect that it was

really the true medium; and I am still of opinion it would have been

happy for both sides the water if it had been adopted. The colonies, so

united, would have been sufficiently strong to have defended themselves;

there would then have been no need of troops from England; of course,

the subsequent pretence for taxing America, and the bloody contest it

occasioned, would have been avoided. But such mistakes are not new;

history is full of the errors of states and princes.