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dreffed, of a good or bad flavour, high-seasoned or nothefwife, preferable or inferior to this or that dish of a fimilar kind. Thus accustomed, from my infancy, to the utmost inattention as to thofe objects, I have always been perfectly regardless of what kind of food was before me; and I pay fo little attention to it even now, that it would be a hard matter for me to recollect, a few hours after I had dined, of what my dinner had confifted. When travelling, I have particularly experienced the advantage of this habit; for it has often happened to me to be in company with perfons, who, having a more delicate, becaufe a more exercised tafte have fuffered in many cafes confiderable inconvenience, while, as to myfelf, I have had nothing to defire.

My mother was likewife poffeffed of an excellent conftitution, She fuckled all her ten children and I never heard either her or my father complain of any other disorder than that of which they died my father at the age of eighty feven, and my mother at eighty-five. They are buried together at Bofton, where, a few years ago, I placed a marble over their grave, with this infcription: "Here lie

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"JOSIAS FRANKLIN and ABIAH his wife: They "lived together with reciprocal affection for fifty"nine years; and without private fortune, wi h❝ out lucrative employment, by affiduous labour and honest induftry, defcently fupported a nu"merous family, and educated with fuccefs, thir"teen children, and seven grand-children. Let this example, reader, encourage you diligently to discharge the duties of thy calling, and to rely on the fupport of divine providence.

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"He was pious and prudent,
"She difcreet and virtuous.

"Their youngest fon, from a fentiment of filial "duty, confecrates this stone

To their memory."

I perceive, by my rambling digreffions, that I am growing old. But we do not dress for a private company as for a formal ball. This deferves perhaps the name of negligence.

To return, I thus continued employed in my fathers trade for the space of two years; that is to fay, till I arrived at twelve years of age. About this time my brother John, who had served his apprenticeship in London, having quitted my father, and being married and fettled in bufinefs on his own account at Rhode Island, I was destined, to all appearance, to fupply his place, and be a candle-maker all my life: but my diflike of this occupation continuing, my father was apprehenfive, that, if a more agreeable one were not offered me, I might play the truant and efcape to fea; as, to his extreme mortification, my brother Jofias had done.

He therefore took me fometimes to fee mafons, coopers, braziers, joiners, and other mechanics, employed at their work; in order to difcover the bent of my inclination, and fix it if he could upon fome occupation that might retain me on fhore. I have fince, in confequence of these vifits, derived no fmall pleafure from feeing skilful workmen handle their tools; and it has proved of confiderable benefit, to have acquired thereby fufficient knowledge to be able to make little things for myself, when I have had no mechanic at hand, and to conftruct small machines for my experi ments, while the idea I have conceived has been

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fresh and ftrongly impreffed on my imagination. My father at length decided that I fhould be a cutler, and I was placed for fome days upon trial with my coufin Samuel, fon of my uncle Benjamin, who had learned this trade in London, and had eftablished himself at Boston. But the premium he required for my apprenticeship difpleafing my father, I was recalled home.

From my earliest years I had been paffionately fond of reading, and I laid out in books all the little

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money I could procure. I was particularly pleased with accounts of voyages. My first acquifition was Bunyan's collection in fmall separate volumes. These I afterwards fold in order to buy an historical collection by R. Burton, which confifted of fmall cheap volumes, amounting in all to about forty or fifty. My father's little library was principally made up of books of practical and polemical theology. I read the greateft part of them. I have fince often regretted, that at a time when had fo great a thirst for knowledge, more eligible books had not fallen into my hands, as it was then a point decided that I should not be educated for the church. There was alfo among my. father's books Plutarch's Lives, in which I read continually, and I ftill regard as advantageoufly employed the time I devoted to them. I found befides a work of De Foe's, entitled, an Effay on Projects, from which, perhaps, 1 derived impreffions that have fince influenced fome of the principal events of my life.

My inclination for books at laft determined my father to make me a printer, though he had alrea dy a fon in-that profeffion. My brother had returned from England in 1717 with a prefs and

types, in order to establish a printing-houfe at Bofton. This bufinefs pleafed me much better than that of my father, though I had ftill a predilection for the fea. To prevent the effects which might refult from this inclination, my father was impatient to fee me engaged with my brother. I held back for fome time; at length however I fuffered my. felf to be perfuaded, and figned my indentures, being then only twelve years of age. It was agreed that I fhould ferve as apprentice to the age of twenty one, and should receive journeyman's wages only during the last year.

In a very fhort time I made great proficiency in this bufinefs, and became very ferviceable, to my brother. I had now an opportunity of procuring better books. The acquaintance I neceffarily formed with bookfellers' apprentices, enable me to borrow a volume now and then, which I never failed to return punctually and without injury. How often has it happened to me to pass the greater part of the night in reading by my bed-fide, when the book had been lent me in the evening, and was to be returned the next morning, left it might be miffed or wanted.

At length, Mr. Matthew Adams, an ingenious tradefman, who had a handfome collection of books, and who frequented our printing-house, took notice of me. He invited me to fee his library, and had the goodnefs to lend me any books I was defirous of reading. I then took a ftrange fancy for poetry, and compofed feveral little pieces. My brother, thinking he might find his accouat in it, encourag, ed me and engaged me to write two ballads. One, called the Light-houfe Tragedy, contained an account of the fhipwreck of capt. Worthilake and

his two daughters; the other was a failor's fong on the capture of the noted pirate called Teach, or Black-beard. They were wretched verfes in point of flyle, mere blind-men's ditties. When printed, he difpatched me about the town to fell them, The first had a predigious run, because the event was recent, and had made a great noife.,

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My vanity was flattered by this fuccefs; but father checked my exultation, by ridiculing my productions, and telling me that verfifiers were always poor. I thus efcaped the misfortune of being, probably a very wretched poet. But as the faculty of writing profe has been of great fervice to me in the courfe of my life, and principally contributed to my advancement, I fhall relate by what means fituated as I was, I acquired the small fkill I may poffefs in that way.

There was in the town another young man, a great lover of books, of the name of John Collins, with whom I was intimately connected. We fre- quently engaged in difpute, and were indeed fo fond of argumentation, that nothing was fo agreea ble to us as a war of words. This contentious temper, I would obferve by the bye, is in danger of becoming a very bad habit, and frequently ren ders a man's company infupportable, as being no otherwife capable of indulgence than by indifcriminate contradiction. Independently of the acrimony and difcord it introduces into converfation, it is often productive of diflike, and even hatred, between perfons to whom friendship is indifpenfably neceffary. I acquired it by reading, while I lived with my father, books of religious controvery... have fince remarked, that men of fenfe felpiem fall into this error; lawyers, fellows of uni

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