till the affembly difperfed, when one of the congregation had the goodness to wake me. This was confequently the first house I entered or in which I flept at Philadelphia.

I began again to walk along the ftreet by the river fide; and looking attentively in the face of every one I met, I at length perceived a young quaker whofe countenance pleased me. I accofted him, and begged him to inform me where a ftranger might find a lodging. We were then near the fign of the Three Mariners. They receive travellers here, faid he, but it is not a house that bears a good character; if you will go with me, I will fhew you a better one. He conducted me to the Crooked Billet, in Water-street. There I ordered fomething for dinner, and during my meal a number of curious questions were put to me; my youth and appearance exciting the fufpicion of my being a runaway. After dinner my drowfinefs returned, and I threw myfelf upon a bed without taking off my clothes, and flept till fix o'clock in the evening, when I was called to fupper. I afterwards went to bed at a very early hour, and did not awake till the next morning.

As foon as I got up I put myself in as decent a trim as I could, and went to the house of Andrew Bradford the printer. I found his father in the fhop, whom I had feen at New-York. Having travelled on horfeback, he had arrived at Philadelphia before me. He introduced me to his fon, who received me with civility, and gave me fome breakfaft; but told me he had no occafion at prefent for a journeyman, having lately procured one. He added, that there was another printer newly fettled in the town, of the name of Keimer, who might perhaps employ me; and that in cafe of refufal, I fhould be welcome to

lodge at his house, and he would give me a lit tle work now and then, till fomething better fhould offer.

The old man offered to introduce me to the new printer. When we were at his house: Neighbour," faid he," I bring you a young man in the printing bufinefs; perhaps you may liave need of his fervices."

Keimer afked me fome questions, put a compofing ftick in my hand to fee how I could work, and then faid, that at present he had nothing for me to do, but that he fhould foon be able to employ me. At the fame time taking old Bradford for an inhabitant of the town well-difpofed towards him, he communicated his project to him, and the profpect he had of fuccefs. Bradford was careful not to difcover that he was the father of the other printer; and from what Keimer had faid, that he hoped fhortly to be in poffeffion of the greater part of the bufinefs of the town, led him by artful queftions, and by starting fome difficulties, to difclofe all his views, what his hopes were founded upon, and how he intended to proceed. I was prefent, and heard it all. I inftantly faw that one of the two was a cunning old fox, and the other a perfect novice. Bradford. left me with Keimer, who was ftrangely furprized when I informed him who the old man was.

I found Keimer's printing materials to confift of an old damaged prefs, and a small caft of wornout English letters, with which he was himself at work upon an elegy on Aquila Rofe, whom I have mentioned above, an ingenious young man, and of an excellent character, highly efteemed in the town, fecretary to the affembly, and a very tolerable poet. Keimer alfo made verfes, but they were indifferent ones. He could not be faid to write in verfe, for his method was to fet the

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lines as they flowed from his mufe; and as he worked without copy, had but one fet of lettercafes, and the elegy would probably occupy all his type, it was impoffible for any one to affift him. I endeavoured to put his prefs in order, which he had not yet ufed, and of which indeed he underftood nothing: and having promifed to come and work off his elegy as foon as it should be ready, I returned to the houfe of Bradford, who gave me fome trifle to do for the prefent, for which I had my board and lodging.

In a few days Keimer fent for me to print off his elegy. He had now procured another fet of letter-cafes, and had a pamphlet to reprint, upon which he fet me to work.

The two Philadelphia printers appeared deftitute of every qualification neceffary in their profeffion. Bradford had not been brought up to it, and was very iliterate. Keimer, though he understood a little of the bufinefs, was merely a compofitor, and wholly incapable of working at the prefs. He had been one of the French prophets, and knew how to imitate their fupernatural agitations. At the time of our firft acquaintance he profeffed no particular religion, but a little of all upon occafion. He was totally ignorant of the world, and a great knave at heart, as I had afterwards an opportunity of experiencing.

Keimer could not endure that, working with him, I fhould lodge at Bradford's. He had indeed a houfe, but it was unfurnished; fo that he could not take me in. He procured me a lodging at Mr. Read's, his landlord, whom I have already mentioned. My trunk and effects being now arrived, I thought of making, in the eyes of Mifs Read, a more refpectable appearance

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town in England, or indeed in Europe, of which he could not give a particular account. He was neither deficient in understanding or literature, but he was a fad infidel; and, fome years after, wickedly undertook to travesty the Bible in burlefque verfe, as Cotton has traveftied Virgil. He exhibited, by this means, many facts in a very ludicrous point of view, which would have given umbrage to weak minds, had his work been published, which it never was.

I spent the night. at his houfe, and reached Burlington the next morning On my arrival, I had the mortification to learn that the ordinary paffage-boats had failed a little before. This was on a Saturday, and there would be no other boat till the Tuesday following. I returned to the houfe of an old woman in the town who had fold me fome ginger-bread to eat on my paffage, and I asked her advice. She invited me to take up my abode with her till an opportunity offered for me to embark. Fatigued with having travelled fo far on foot, I accepted her invitation. When fhe understood that I was a printer, fhe would have perfuaded me to ftay at Burlington, and fet up my trade: but fhe was little aware of the capital that would be neceffary for fuch a purpofe! I was treated while at her houfe with true hofpitality. She gave me, with the utmost goodwill, a dinner of beef-fieaks, and would accept of nothing in return but a pint of ale.

Here I imagined myself to be fixed till the Tuesday in the enfuing week; but walking out in the evening by the river fide, I faw a boat with a number of perfons in it approach. It was going to Philadelphia, and the company took me Jn. As there was no wind, we could only make way with our oars. About midnight, not perceiving the town, fome of the company were of

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opinion that we must have paffed it, and were unwilling to row any farther; the reft not knowing where we were, it was refolved that we fhould ftop. We drew towards the fhore, entered a creek, and landed near fome old palifades, which ferved us for fire-wood, it being a cold night in October. Here we ftayed till day, when one of the company found the place in which we were to be Cooper's Creek, a little above Philadelphia; which in reality we perceived the moment we were out of the creek. We arrived on Sunday about eight or nine o'clock in the morning, and landed on Market-ftreet wharf.

I have entered into the particulars of my voyage, and shall in like manner describe my first entrance into this city, that you may be able to compare beginnings fo little aufpicious, with the figure I have fince made.

On my arrival at Philadelphia I was in my working drefs, my beft clothes being to come by fea. I was covered with dirt; my pockets were filled with fhirts and ftockings; I was unacquainted with a fingle foul in the place, and knew not where to feek for a lodging. Fatigued with walking, rowing, and having paffed the night without flcep, I was extremely hungry, and all my money confifted of a Dutch dollar, and about a fhilling's worth of coppers, which I gave to the boatmen for my paffage. As I had aflifted them in rowing, they refused it at firft; but I infifted on their taking it. A man is fometimes more generous when he has little, than when he has much money; probably becaufe, in the firft cafe, he is defirous of concealing his poverty.

I walked towards the top of the street, looking eagerly on both fides, till I came to Marketfreet, where I met a child with a loaf of bread, Often had I made my dinner on dry bread. I

enquired