to the class immediately above, and was to pass at the end of the year, to the one next in order. But my father, burdened with a numerous family, found that he was incapable, without subjecting himself to difficulties, of providing for the expenses of a collegiate education; and considering, besides, as I heard him say to his friends,that a person so educated were often poorly provided for, he renounced hisfirst inten tions, took me from the grammar-school, and sent me to a school for writing and arithmetic, kept by Mf George Brownwell, who was a skilful master, and succeeded very well in his profession by employing gentle means only, and such as were calculated to encourage his scholars. Under him, I soon acquired an excellent hand; but I failed in arithmetic, and made therein no sort of progress.

At ten years of age, I was called home to assist my father in his occupation, which was that of soap-boil er and tallow-chandler; a business to which he had served no apprenticeship, but which he embraced on his arrival in New England, because he found his own, that of dier, in too little request to enable him to maintain his family. I was accordingly employ ed in cutting the wicks, filling the moulds, taking care of the shop, carrying messages, &c.

This business displeased me, and I felt a strong inclination for a sea life; but my father set his face against it. The vicinity of the water, however gave me frequent opportunities of venturing myself both upon and within it, and I soon acquired the art of swimming and of manageing a boat. When embark ed with other children, the helm was commonly de puted to me, particularly on difficult occasions; and in every other project I was almost always the lead er of the troop, whom I sometimes involved in em barrasments. shall give an instance of this, which demonstrates an early disposition of mind for public enterprises, though the one in question was not con ducted by justice.

The mill-pond was terminated on one side by marsh, upon the borders of which we were accuse tomed to take our stand, at high water, to angle for small fish. By dint of walking, we had converted

perfect quagmire. My proposal was to erect a wharf that should afford us firm footing; and I pointed out to my companions a large heap of stones, intended for the building a new house near the marsh, and which were well adapted for our purpose. Accordingly, when the workmen retired in the evening, I assembled a number of my play fellows, and by labouring diligently, like ants, sometimes four of us uniting our strength to carry a single stone, we removed them all, and constructed our little quay. The workmen were surprised the next morning at not finding their stones, which had been conveyed to our wharf. Inquiries were made respecting the authors of this conveyance; we were discovered; complaints were exhibited against us; and many of us underwent correction on the part of our parents; and though I strenuously defended the utility of the work, my father at length convinced me, that nothing which was not strictly honest could be useful.

It will not, perhaps be uninteresting to you to know what sort of a man my father was. He had an exellent constitution, was of a middle size, but well nade and strong, and extremely active in whatever e undertook. He designed with a degree of neatness, and knew a little of music. His voice was sonorous and agreeable; so that when he sung a psalm, or ymn, with the accompaniment of his violin, as was is frequent practice in an evening, when the labours of the day were finished, it was truly delightful to hear him. He was versed also in mechanics, and ould, upon occasion, use the tools of a variety of rades. But his greatest excellence was a sound unlerstanding and solid judgment, in matters of prulence both in public and private life. In the former, deed he never engaged, because his numerous famiy, and the mediocrity of his fortune, kept him unreittingly employed in the duties of his profession. But well I remember, that the leading men of the lace used frequently to come and ask his advice repecting the affairs of the town, or of the church to hich he belonged, and that they paid much defernce to his opinion. Individuals were also in the

habit of consulting him in their private affairs, and he was often chosen arbiter between contending parties.

He was fond of having at his table, as often as possible, some friends or well-informed neighbours, capable of rational conversation, and he was always careful to introduce useful or ingenious topics of dis course, which might tend to form the minds of his children. By this means he early attracted our at tention to what was just, prudent and beneficial the conduct of life. He never talked of the meats which appeared upon the table, never discussed whether they were well or ill-dressed, of a good bad flavour, high-seasoned or otherwise, preferable or inferior to this or that dish of a similar kind Thus accustomed, from my infancy, to the utmost in attention as to these objects, I have been perfectly re gardless of what kind of food was before me; and pay so little attention to it even now, that it would be a hard matter for me to recollect, a few hours after! had dined, of what my dinner had consisted. When travelling I have particularly experienced the advan tage of this habit; for it has often happened to met be in company with persons, who, having a more delicate, because a more exercised taste, have suffer ed in many cases considerable inconvenience; whil as to myself, I have had nothing to desire.

My mother was likewise possessed of an excellen constitution. She suckled all her ten children, and never heard either her or my father complain of any other disorder than that of which they died: my fa ther at the age of eighty-seven, and my mother { eighty-five. They are buried together at Bosto where, a few years ago, I placed a marble over the grave, with this inscription:

"Here lie

"JOSIAS FRANKLIN and ABIA his wife: They li "together with reciprocal affection for fifty-nine yea "and without private fortune, without lucrative er, "ployment, by assiduous labour and honest industr "decently supported a numerous family, and educ "ted with success,thirteen children,and seven gran

children. Let this example, reader, encourage thee "diligently to discharge the duties of thy calling, and "to rely on the support of Divine Providence.

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

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"Their youngest son, from a sentiment of filial duty, consecrates this stone to "their memory."

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

To return. I thus continued employed in my father's trade for the space of two years; that is to say, 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 settled in business on his own account at Rhode Island, I was destined to all ap pearance, to supply his place, and be a candle-maker all my life; but my dislike of this occupation continuing, my father was apprehensive, that if a more agreeable one were not offered me, I might play the truant and escape to sea; as, to his extreme mortification, my brother Josias had done. He therefore took me sometimes to see masons, coopers, braziers, joiners, and other mechanics. employed at their work; in order to discover the bent of my inclination, and fix it, if he could, upon some occupation that might retain me on shore. I have since, in consequence of these visits. derived no small pleasure from seeing skilful workmen handle their tools; and it has proved of considerable benefit, to have acquired thereby sufficient knowledge to be able to make little things for myself when I have had no mechanic at hand, and to construct small machines for my experiments, while the idea I have conceived has been fresh and strongly impressed on my imagination

My father at length decided that I should be a cutler, and I was placed for some days upon trial with my cousin Samuel, son of my uncle Benjamin, whe

had learned this trade in London, and had established himself at Boston. But the premium he required for my apprenticeship displeasing my father, I was re called home.

From my earliest years I had been passionately fond of reading, and I laid out in books all the money I could procure. I was particularly pleased with ac counts of voyages. My first acquisition was Bun yan's collection in small separate volumes. These I afterwards sold in order to buy a historical collec tion by R. Burton, which consisted of small cheap volumes, amounting in all to about forty or fifty My father's little library was principally made up o books of practical and polemical theology. I real the greatest part of them I have since often re

gretted, that at a time when I had so great a thirs for knowledge, more eligible books had not falle into my hands, as it was then a point decided that! should not be educated for the church. There was also among my father's books, Plutarch's Lives, it which I read continually, and I still regard as ad vantageously employed the time I devoted to them. I found, besides, a work of De Foe's, entitled a Essay on Projects, from which; perhaps, I derive impressions that have since influenced some of the principal events of my life.

fa

My inclination for books at last determined my ther to make me a printer, though he had already son in that profession. My brother had returne from England in 1717, with press and types, in o der to establish a printing-house at Boston. Th business pleased me much better than that of my father, though I had still a predilection for the ses To prevent the effects which might result from the inclination, my father was impatient to see me e gaged with my brother. I held back for some time at length, however, I suffered myself to be persuaded and signed my indentures, being then only twelv years of age. It was agreed that I should serve as a apprentice to the age of twenty-one, and should re ceive journeyman's wages only during the last year

In a very short time I made grest proficiency this business, and became very serviceable to m