fenfible, and fincere and affectionate in his friendfhips, but too much inclined to the critic in mat ters of literature. Ralph was ingenious and fhrewd, genteel in his address, and extremely eloquent. I do not remember to have met with a more agreeable speaker. They were both enamoured of the muses, and had already evinced their paffion by fome fmall poetical productions.

It was a custom with us to take a charming walk on Sundays, in the woods that border the Skuylkil. Here we read together, and afterwards converfed on what we read. Ralph was difpofed to give himself up entirely to poetry. He flattered himself that he should arrive at great eminence in the art, and even acquire a fortune. The fublimeft poets, he pretended, when they firft began to write, committed as many faults as himfelf. Ofborne endeavoured to diffuade him, by affuring him that he had no genius for poetry, and advised him to ftick to the trade in which he had been brought up. In the road of commerce, faid he, you will be fure, by diligence and affiduity, though you have no capital, of fo far fucceeding as to be employed as a factor, and may thus, in time, acquire the means of fetting up for your, felf. I concurred in thefe fentiments, but at the fame time expreffed my approbation of amufing ourfelves fometimes with poetry, with a view to improve our ftyle. In confequence of this it was propofed, that, at our next meeting, each of us fhould bring a copy of verfes of his own compofition. Our object in this competition was to benefit each other by our mutual remarks, criticifms, and corrections; and as ftyle and expreffion were all we had in view, we excluded every idea of invention, by agreeing that our task fhould be a verfion of the eighteenth pfalm, in which is defcribed the defcent of the deity. E

The

The time of our meeting drew near, when Ralph called upon me, and told me that his performance was ready. I informed him that I had been idle, and, not much liking the task, had done nothing. He fhowed me his piece, and afked what I thought of it. I expreffed myself in terms of warm approbation; because it really appeared to have confiderable merit. He then faid: Ofborne will never acknowledge the smalleft degree of excellence in any production of mine. Envy alone dictates to him a thousand animadverfions. Of you he is not fo jealous: I wish therefore you would take the verses, and produce them as your own. I will pretend not to have had leisure to write any thing. We fhall then fee in what manner he will speak of them. I agreed to this little artifice, and immediately tranfcribed the verfes to prevent all fufpicion.

We met. Watfon's performance was the first that was read. It had fome beauties, but many faults. We next read Ofborne's, which was much better. Ralph did it juftice, remarking a few imperfections, and applauding fuch parts as were excellent. He had himfelf nothing to fhow. It was now my turn. I made fome difficulty; feemed as if I wifhed to be excufed; pretended that I had had no time to make corrections, &c. No excufe, however, was admiffible, and the piece must be produced. It was read and re-read. Watfon and Ofborne immediately refigned the palm, and united in applauding it. Ralph alone made a few remarks, and propofed fome alterations; but I defended my text. Ofborne agreed with me, and told Ralph that he was no more able to criticife than he was able to write.

When Osborne was alone with me, he expreffed himself still more ftrongly in favour of what he confidered as my performance. He pretended

that

that he had put fome restraint on himself before, apprehenfive of my conftruing his commendation into flattery. But who would have fuppofed, faid he, Franklin to be capable of fuch a compofition? What painting, what energy, what fire! He has furpaffed the original. In his common converfation he appears not to have a choice of words; he hesitates, and is at a lofs: and yet, good God, how he writes!

At our next meeting Ralph discovered the trick we had played Ofborne, who was rallied without

mercy.

By this adventure Ralph was fixed in his refolution of becoming a poet. I left nothing unattempted to divert him from his purpose; but he perfevered, till at laft the reading of Pope' effected his cure: he became, however, a very tolerable profe writer. I fhall speak more of him hereafter; but as I fhall probably have no farther occafion to mention the other two, I ought to obferve here, that Watfon died a few years after in my arms. He was greatly regretted; for he was the beft of our fociety. Ofborne went to the islands, where he gained confiderable repu tation as a barrifter, and was getting money; but he died young. We had feriously engaged, that whoever died firft fhould return, if poffible, and pay a friendly vifit to the furvivor, to give him an account of the other world; but he has never fulfilled his engagement.

The governor appeared to be fond of my company, and frequently invited me to his house. He always fpoke of his intention of fettling me in bufinefs, as a point that was decided. I was

*

Probably the Dunciad, where we find him thus immortalized by the author:

Silence, ye wolves, while RALPH to Cynthia howls,
And makes night hideous; anfwer him, ye owls!

E 2

to

to take with me letters of recommendation to a number of his friends; and particularly a letter of credit, in order to obtain the neceffary fum for the purchase of my prefs, types, and paper. He appointed various times for me to come for thefe letters, which would certainly be ready; and when I came, always put me off to another day.

Thefe fucceffive delays continued till the veffel, whofe departure had been feveral times deferred, was on the point of setting fail; when I again went to Sir William's houfe, to receive my letters and take leave of him. I faw his secretary, Dr. Bard, who told me that the governor was extremely bufy writing, but that he would be down at Newcafle before the veffel, and that the let ters would be delivered to me there.

Ralph, though he was married and had a child, determined to accompany me in this voyage. His object was fuppofed to be the establishing a correfpondence with fome mercantile houses, in order to fell goods by commiffion; but I afterwards learned, that, having reafon to be diffatisfied with the parents of his wife, he proposed to himself to leave her on their hands, and never return to America again.

Having taken leave of my friends, and interchanged promises of fidelity with Mifs Read, I quitted Philadelphia. At Newcastle the veffel came to anchor. The governor was arrived, and I went to his lodgings. His fecretary received me with great civility, told me on the part of the governor that he could not fee me then, as he was engaged in affairs of the utmoft importance, but that he would fend the letters on board, and that he wifhed me, with all his heart, a good voyage and fpeedy return. I returned, fomewhat aftonifhed, to the fhip, but ftill without entertaining the flightest suspicion.

Mr.

Mr. Hamilton, a celebrated barrifter of Philadelphia, had taken a paffage to England for himfelf and his fon, and, in conjunction with Mr. Denham a quaker, and Meffrs. Oniam and Ruffel, proprietors of a forge in Maryland, had agreed for the whole cabin, fo that Ralph and I were obliged to take up our lodging with the crew. Being unknown to every body in the fhip, we were looked upon as of the common order of people but Mr. Hamilton and his fon (it was James, who was afterwards governor) left us at Newcastle, and returned to Philadelphia, where he was recalled, at a very great expence, to plead the cause of a veflel that had been feized; and just as we were about to fail, colonel Finch came on board, and fhewed me many civilities. The paffengers upon this paid me more attention, and I was invited, together with my friend Ralph, to occupy the place in the cabin which the return of the Mr. Hamiltons had made vacant; an offer which we very readily accepted.

Having learned that the difpatches of the governor had been brought on board by colonel Finch, I afked the captain for the letters that were to be intrufted to my care. He told me that they were all put together in the bag, which he could not open at prefent; but before we reached England, he would give me an opportu nity of taking them out. I was fatisfied with this anfwer, and we purfued our voyage...

The company in the cabin were all very fociable, and we were perfectly well off as to provi fions, as we had the advantage of the whole of Mr. Hamilton's, who had laid in a very plentiful ftock. During the paffage Mr. Denham contracted a friendship for me, which ended only with his life in other refpects the voyage was

by