The following were the perfons I found in his printing-house:

Hugh Meredith a Pennsylvanian, about thirtyfive years of age. He had been brought up to husbandry, was honeft, fenfible, had fome experience, and was fond of reading; but too much addicted to drinking.

Stephen Potts, a young ruftic, juft broke from fchool, and of ruftic education, with endowments rather above the common order, and a competent portion of understanding and gaiety; but a little idle. Keimer had engaged these two at very low wages, which he had promised to raise every three months a fhilling a week, provided their improvement in the typographic art fhould merit it. This future increafe of wages was the bait he made ufe of to enfnare them. Meredith was to work at the prefs, and Potts to bind books, which he had engaged to teach them, though he understood neither himself,

John Savage, an Irishman, who had been brought up to no trade, and whofe fervice, for a period of four years, Keimer had purchafed of the captain of a hip. He was alfo to be a preffman.

George Webb an Oxford fcholar, whofe time he had in like manner bought for four years, intending him for a compofitor. I fhall fpeak more of him presently.

Laftiy, David Harry a country ląd, who was apprenticed to him.

I fon perceived that Keimer's intention, in engaging me at a price fo much above what he was accustomed to give, was, that I might form all thef raw journeymen and apprentices, who fcarcely cost hun any thing, and who, being inden

tured, would as foon as they fhould be fufficiently inftructed, enable him to do without me. I nevertheless adhered to my agreement. I put the office in order, which was in the utmoft confufion, and brought his people by degrees, to pay attention to their work, and to execute it in a more mafterly

manner.

It was fingular to fee an Oxford scholar in the condition of a purchafed fervant. He was not more than eighteen years of age; and the following are the particulars he gave me of himself. Born at Gloucefter, he had been educated at a grammar fchool, and had diftingui hed himself among the scholars by his superior ftyle of acting, when they reprefented dramatic performances.

He was member of a literary club in the town; and some pieces of his compofition, in profe as well as in verfe, had been inferted in the Gloucefter pa-) pers. From hence he was fent to Oxford, where he remained about a year; but he was not contented, and wished above all things to fee London, and become an actor. At length having received fiteen guineas to pay his quarters board. he decamped with the money from Oxford, hid his gown in a hedge, and travelled to London. There, having no friend to direct him he fell into bad company, foon fquandered his fifteen guineas, could find no way of being introduced to the act rs, becam contemptible, pawned his clo hes, and was in want of bread. As he was walking along the rects, alnoft famished with hunger, and not knowing what to do, a recruiting bill was put into his hard, which offered an immediate treat and bouniy-money to whoever was difpofed to ferve in America. He inftantly repaired to the houfe of rendezvous, in

lifted himself, was put on board a fhip and conveyed to America, without ever writing to inform his parents what was become of him. His mental vivacity, and good natural difpofition, made him an excellent companion; but he was indolent, thoughtlefs, and to the laft degree imprudent.

John, the Irishman, foon ran away. I began to live very agreeable with the reft. They refpected me, and the more fo as they found Keimer incapable of inftructing them, and as they learned fomething from me every day. We never worked on a Saturday, it being Keimer's fabbath; fo that I had two days a week for reading.

Keimer

I increased my acquaintance with perfons of knowledge and information in the town. himself treated me with great civility and apparent efteem; and I had nothing to give me uneafiness but my debt to Vernon, which I was unable to pay my favings as yet being very little. He had the goodnefs, however, not to afk me for the money.

Our prefs was frequently in want of the neceffary quantity of letter; and there was no fuch trade as that of letter-founder in America. I had feen the practice of this art at the houfe of James, in London; but had at the fame time paid it very little attention. I however contrived to fabricate a mould, I made ufe of fuch letters as we had for punches, founded new letters of Lead in matrices of clay, and thus fupplied in a tolerable manner, the wants that were most preffing.

I also, upon occafion, engraved various ornaments, made ink, gave an eye to the fhop; in fhort, I was in every respect the factotum. But ufeful as I made my felf, I perceived that my fervices becane

every day of lefs importance, in proportion as the other men improved; and when Keimer paid me my fecond quaters wages, he gave me to undertand that they were too heavy, and that he thought I ought to make an abatement. He became by degrees lefs civil, and affumed more the tone of mafter. He frequently found fault, was difficult to pleafe, and feemed always on the point of coming to an open quarrel with me.

I continued, however, to bear it patiently, conceiving that his ill-humour was partly occafioned by the derangement and embarraffment of his affairs. At laft a flight incident broke our connec tion. Hearing a noife in the neighbourhood, I put my head out of the window to fee what was the matter. Keimer being in the street, obferved me, and in a loud and angry tone told me to mind my work; adding fome reproachful words, which piqued me the more as they were uttered in the ftreet; and the neighbours, whom the fame noife had attracted to the windows, were witneffes of the manner in which I was treated. He immediately came up to the printing-room, and continued to exclaim against me. The quarrel became warm on both fides, and he gave me notice to quit him at the expiration of three months, as had been agreed between us; regretting that he was obliged to give me so long a term. I told him that his regret was fuperfluous, as I was ready to quit him inftantly; and I took my hat and came out of the houfe, begging Meredith to take care of fome things which I left, and bring them to my lodgings.

Meredith came to me in the evening. We talk ed for fome time upon the quarrel that had taken

place. He had conceived a great veneration for me, and was forry I fhould quit the house while he remained in it. He diffuaded me from returning to my native country, as I began to think of doing. He reminded me that Keimer owed more than he poffeffed; that his creditors began to be alarmed; that he kept his fhop in a wretched ftate, often felling things at prime coft for the fake of ready money, and continually giving credit without keeping any accounts; that of confequence he must very foon fail, which would occafion a vacancy from which I might derive advantage. I objected my want of money. Upon which he informed me that his father had a very high opinion of me, and, from a converfation that had paffed between them, he was fure that he would advance whatever might be neceffary to establish us, if I was willing to enter into partnership with him." "My time with Keimer," added he, "will be at an end next Spring. In the mean time we may fend to London for our prefs and types. I know that I am no workman; but if you agree to the proposal, your fkill in the bufinefs will be balanced by the capital I will furnish and we will fhare the profits equally." His propofal was reasonable, and I fell in with it. His father who was then in the town, approved of it. He knew that I had fome afcendency over his fon, as I had been able to prevail on him to abftain a long time from drinking brandy; and he hoped, that when more clofely connected with him, I fhould cure him entirely of this unfortunate habit.

I gave the father a lift of what it would be neceffary to import from London. He took it to a merchant, and the order was given. We agreed