of whose father, the printer, William Governor Burnet, a son of the Bishop, Bradford, of New York, he had left then in office at New York. It is that place for Philadelphia. The old evidence of the size and character of gentleman introduced him to Samuel the present metropolis at that time that Keimer, an original, a compound of the the governor heard from the captain knave and the enthusiast, whom he who had brought him to the place, of found literally composing an elegy, a passenger, with a number of books stick in hand, at the case, upon Aquila on board, and that he invited him in Rose, a young printer of the city, re- consequence to see his library.

Governor Keith was as enthusiastic as ever on the scheme for a good printer in the province, and directed Franklin to make out a list of what would be wanting, and proceed by the packet to England, with a letter of credit for the necessary funds, with which he would provide him. There are men in the world whose imaginations give them the faculty of seeing a thing in the strongest light at a distance, who have no capacity to grapple with it close at hand. Keith appears to have been one of these; a man of words and not of deeds. Franklin was ready; not so the letter of credit; it was deferred with promises to be sent to one place and another, and finally on ship board. The result was that Franklin found himself in London, in 1724, on a fool's errand. Some fifty years afterwards,

cently deceased. Keimer was one of a host of odd people, with whom Franklin, in the course of his life, came in contact, of whom there are amusing traces in his letters and Autobiography. He always delighted to study human nature in her varieties, and no man ever had a better opportunity, or pursued it more profitably. He had soon the means of making the acquaintance of two Royal Governors; for there seems to have been some influence in Franklin's star which threw him out of the society of vagabonds among titled personages. One of these was Sir William Keith, the Governor of Pennsylvania, who was attracted to the youth by a letter that had accidentally come to his knowledge, in which the apprentice stated his reasons for leaving Boston. He made the most flattering overtures to Franklin, recommending in the Autobiography, he summed up him to open a printing office in the province, and gave him a letter to smooth the way for the project, with his father. The epistle assisted the youth's consequence on his visit to Boston, produced some surprise and good wishes for the future, but no money. On his way back to Philadelphia, the young printer Thus Franklin was thrown upon the had the honor of an interview with great metropolis. Fortunately, within

the character of his eminent friend philosophically enough-"He wished to please everybody; and, having little to give, he gave expectations. He was otherwise an ingenious, sensible man, a pretty good writer, and a good governor for the people."

It is remarkable, again, how men of eminence are attracted to this printer's boy, Franklin. Sir William Wyndham, afterwards Earl of Egremont, hearing of his excellent qualifications as a swimmer, was desirous of securing his ser

Franklin had now, however, made up his mind to return home, led by the inducements held out to him in a trading scheme by a Mr. Denham, whose acquaintance he had made on the outer voyage.

the limits of the civilized world, a gestive fact in the history of the future printer, wherever cast, will always man of science. alight upon his feet. Franklin soon found employment, and supported himself at his trade during his eighteen months' residence in London. His industry at this time was great as ever, but, unhappily, the principles in which he had been indoctrinated at home vices as the instructor of his sons. had been gradually relaxed. He had a shabby companion in Ralph, who came with him from Philadelphia, and subsequently grew into a voluminous political writer, under the patronage of Bubb Doddington. The two cronies lived together in Little Britain; we are sorry to say their principles were not of the best; theoretical infidelity appears to have been their amusement, and both were faithless in their obligations to the fair they had left in America. Franklin forgot the lady Miss Read, whom he had courted in Philadelphia, and Ralph rather prided himself on his abandonment of his wife and child. The conclusion of the intimacy between the chums, was Ralph's borrowing Franklin's money, and Franklin making love to his friend's. mistress in his absence.

Franklin also published, at this time, "A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain," inscribed to his friend: another erratum of his life, he frankly admits. It led, however, to his introduction to Dr. Mandeville, and a club which he maintained. A casual introduction to Sir Hans Sloane, who called upon him to purchase a purse of asbestos, may be mentioned as a sug

On his return to Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1726, he turned over a new leaf, with fewer errata than the blotted London pages. It is much to be regretted that the plan for regulating the future conduct of his life, which he drew up on the voyage, alluded to in the Autobiography, is missing from the very interesting journal of occurrences at sea to which we are referred. He was now twenty, with confirmed habits of industry, a mind trained to observation, an extraordinary acquaintance with the world for one of his years, and, for his time and country, a rare felicity in composition, to state in print what he might think or desire to accomplish. His style was already formed in sentences, clear, distinctly separated, terse and pointed, an index of his mind and character, and an admirable vehicle for his peculiar saga city and humor. We may see the young man on the deck of the Berk shire, in mid Atlantic, calmly weighing

his past career, rebuking its graver literary club, to which he gave the offences, commending the diligence name The Junto. This society, founded which had been his preserver, scrutinizing carefully those minor morals, as they have been called, of temper and the proprieties, which may be cultivated to promote the great successes of life.

for mutual improvement by a few intel ligent clerks and mechanics, lasted for forty years, and became the basis of the American Philosophical Society. The queries, or topics of debate or conver At Philadelphia he found his offi-sation, which are preserved, have nocious friend, Gov. Keith, walking the thing of the stiffness usual with such streets a private citizen, and his ne- assemblies. They relate to common glected Ariadne, Miss Read, the wife life and daily observation, to anecdote, of "one Rogers, a potter." His engage- tests of character, and means of success, ment with Denham in store-keeping the avoidance of errors and the accuprospered for a time, but was speedily mulation of advantages-in a word, interrupted by the death of that friend, they are the natural, healthy, amusing and Benjamin, who thought he had table-talk of young men of talent with bid farewell to stick and case forever, their eyes open, and anxious to get on resumed his old employment with in the world. Among the standing Keimer, who had prospered in the questions for every meeting, were such world. It would be of interest to suggestive points as these: "What new recount the successive steps of Frank- story have you lately heard agreeable lin's entrance to fortune, as they are for telling in conversation?" "Have related in his Autobiography, but we you lately heard how any present rich must pursue this sketch within briefer man, here or elsewhere, got his estate?" limits. Indeed, it is only possible for "Do you know of anything at present us to touch upon the leading incidents, in which the Junto may be serviceable summa fastigia rerum, of his hence- to mankind, to their country, to their forth busy and important career. The friends, or to themselves?" The soci key to a man's life is given in his shap-ety was not only for self-improvement, ing early years; when the hero is once fairly on the track, his biography becomes history. Sagacity and industry sharpening and invigorating one another; genius springing from self-culture to meet the necessities of a New World -this is the story, in brief, of Franklin's great success.

One of his first steps in this new residence at Philadelphia, was the formation of his friends into a social and

but for mutual help. Franklin early perceived, and practised through life, the benefits of association. Out of this Junto came the great Philadelphia Library, "the mother of all the North American subscription libraries." It was suggested by the little joint-stock collection of books of Franklin's knot of scriveners, joiners, and shoemakers.

While these things were going on, and Franklin was drawing up all sorts

secured "a good and faithful helpmate," the honored companion for forty-four years of his long life, sharing his rising efforts, living to witness his brilliant successes in philosophy, and rapidly growing importance in the State.

of plans for knowledge and improve- lin took the risk of his coming back, ment, he did not neglect the practical which fortunately never happened, and part of life. His business as a printer -he was now in partnership with his friend Meredith, master of his own office-was not neglected; on the contrary, it throve wonderfully with his ingenuity and application. One of his early projects was the establishing of a In 1732 Franklin began the publica newspaper, for which there was then tion of his famous "Poor Richard's Alan opening. He unhappily communi- manac," which appeared annually for cated the plan, before he was quite a quarter of a century. It was a great ready for its accomplishment, to one of favorite with our forefathers, as it well his acquaintances in the profession, might be in those days with its stock who carried it to his rival, Keimer, by of useful information, and the cheerful whom he was anticipated. To counter- facetiousness and shrewd worldly-wise act the influence of the new journal, he maxims, of temperance, health, and threw the weight of his talents into good fortune, by its editor, Richard Andrew Bradford's gazette, "The Saunders, Philomath, as he called himWeekly Mercury," to which he contri- self-for Franklin appeared on its title. buted some half dozen capital essays page only as printer and publisher. of a series entitled "The Busy Body." The maxims at the close of the work Keimer's feeble attempt fell through in 1758 were collected into a famous before the end of a year, when the tract, "The Way to Wealth," which, "Pennsylvania Gazette" became the printed on broad sheets, and translated property of Franklin and Meredith. into various languages, has been long The two friends commenced the publi- since incorporated into the proverbial cation of the Gazette September 25, wisdom of the world. By some per 1729. It was long continued under the sons its lessons have been thought to editorship of Franklin. give a rather avaricious turn to the inThe year 1730 brought about Frank-dustry of the country; but there was lin's match with Deborah Read, the nothing really in Franklin or his philo lady to whom we have seen him en-sophy to encourage parsimony. Bene gaged before his visit to Europe, and volence and true kindness were laws of who was married in his absence. Her his nature, and if he taught men to be husband proved to be "a worthless fel- prudent and economical, it was that low," got into debt, and ran away to they might be just and beneficent. the West Indies. He was, moreover, We have not only such spurs to ac laboring under the suspicion of having tivity as "Diligence is the mother of another wife living in England. Frank- good luck," and "One to-day is worth

two to-morrows," but a charitable word for the unfortunate, and those who fall in the race. "It is hard,” he says, "for an empty sack to stand upright."

draws up a plan for a general system of Union of the Colonies, for purposes of defence and the like, which is the first time the word Union is distinctly Public duties now began to flow in sounded among the States. The Home upon Franklin apace. In 1736 he was Government saw too much indepenchosen Clerk of the General Assembly, dence in the scheme, and sent over which gave him some incidental advan- General Braddock and his army to tages in securing the printing of the fight the battles of the provincials for laws, and the following year was ap- them. Franklin waited upon the conpointed Deputy Postmaster in Phila- sequential Englishman on his arrival, delphia. His hand is in everything at Fredericktown, in Maryland, assisted useful which is taking its rise in Phila-him greatly in his equipment by means delphia. He is the Man of Ross in of his influence over the resources of the place, setting on foot a building for Pennsylvania, and proffered some good Whitefield to preach in, instituting fire advice as to Indian ambuscades, which companies, editing and publishing his the general was too fool-hardy to listen newspaper, printing books, issuing, in to. Franklin shook his head over the 1741, the "General Magazine and His grand march through the wilderness. torical Chronicle," inventing his Frank- He was called upon at Philadelphia for lin stove in 1742, drawing up a propo- a subscription to the fire works for the sal for the establishment of an Academy expected victory. Upon his hesitating, in 1743, out of which grew the Univer- one of the applicants said with emphasity of Pennsylvania; the next year sis, "Why, you surely don't suppose projecting and establishing the Ameri- that the fort will not be taken?" "I can Philosophical Society; afterwards don't know," he replied, "that it will assisting in founding the Pennsylvania not be taken; but I know that the Hospital. events of war are subject to great uncertainty." There was one man at least in the land who was not taken by surprise at the news of Braddock's Defeat. After this, Franklin is himself employed by his State in superintending its western defences against the French and Indians; but when Governor Morris talks of his making a military expedition against Fort Duquesne, he shows no disposition to fol low in the footprints of Braddock.

The public business of the country is now to raise Franklin to a wider field of exertion than the city limits of Philadelphia. In 1753 he is appointed by the department in London, Postmaster-General for the Colonies. The following year he is sent by the Pennsylvania House of Assembly as a member to the Congress of Commissioners, meeting at Albany, to confer with the Chief of the Six Nations, on common means of defence. On his way he

The philosophical studies of Frank