by no means an agreeable one, as we had much bad weather.

When we arrived in the river, the captain was as good as his word, and allowed me to fearch in the bag for the governor's letters. I could not find a fingle one with my name written on it, as committed to my care; but I felected fix or seven, which I judged from the direction to be thofe that were intended for me; particularly one to Mr. Basket the king's printer, and another to a ftationer, who was the firft perfon I called upon. I delivered him the letter as coming from governor Keith. "I have no acquaintance (faid he) "with any fuch perfon ;" and opening the letter, "Oh, it is from Riddlefden!" he exclaimed. "I have lately difcovered him to be a very ar"rant knave, and I wish to have nothing to do "either with him or his letters." He inftantly put the letter in my hand, turned upon his heel, and left me to ferve fome cuftomers.

I was aftonished at finding thefe letters were not from the governor. Reflecting, and putting circumftances together, I then began to doubt his fincerity. I rejoined my friend Denham, and related the whole affair to him. He let me at once into Keith's character, told me there was not the leaft probability of his having written a fingle letter; that no one who knew him ever placed any reliance on him, and laughed at my credulity in fuppofing that the governor would give me a letter of credit, when he had no credit for himfelf. As I fhowed fome uneafinefs refpecting what step I should take, he advised me to try to get employment in the houfe of fome printer. You may there, faid he, improve your felf in bufinefs, and you will be able to fettle yourself the more advantageously when you re

turn to America.

We

We knew already, as well as the stationer, attorney Riddlefden to be a knave. He had nearly ruined the father of Mifs Read, by drawing him in to be his fecurity. We learned from his letter, that he was fecretly carrying on intrigue, in concert with the governor, to the prejudice of Mr. Hamilton, who it was fuppofed would by this time be in Europe. Denham, who was Hamilton's friend, was of opinion that he ought to be made acquainted with it; and in reality, the inftant he arrived in England, which was very foon after, I waited on him, and, as much from good-will to him as from refentment against the governor, put the letter into his hands. He thanked me very fincerely, the information it contained being of confequence to him; and from that moment beftowed on me his friendfhip, which afterwards proved on many occafions ferviceable to me.

But what are we to think of a governor who could play fo fcurvy a trick, and thus grofsly deceive a poor young lad, wholly deftitute of experience? It was a practice with him. Wifhing to please every body, and having little to beftow, he was lavish of promifes. He was in other refpects fenfible and judicious, a very tolerable writer, and a good governor for the people; though not fo for the proprietaries, whofe inftructions he frequently difregarded. Many of our beft laws were his work, and establihed during his administration.

Ralph and I were infeparable companions. We took a lodging together at three and-fixpence a week, which was as much as we could afford. He met with fome relations in London, but they were poor, and not able to affift him. He now, for the first time, informed me of his intention to remain in England, and that he had no

thoughts

thoughts of ever returning to Philadelphia. He was totally without money; the little he had been able to raife having barely fufficed for his paffage. I had fifteen piftoles remaining; and to me he had from time to time recourfe, while he tried to get employment.

At first, believing himself poffeffed of talents for the ftage, he thought of turning actor; but Wilkes, to whom he applied, frankly advised him to renounce the idea, as it was impoffible he fhould fucceed. He next propofed to Roberts, a bookfeller in Paternofter-row, to write a weekly paper in the manner of the Spectator, upon terms to which Roberts would not liften. Laftly, he endeavoured to procure employment as a copyift, and applied to the lawyers and ftationers about the temple; but he could find no vacancy,

As to myfelf, I immediately got engaged at Palmer's, at that time a noted printer in Bartholomew Clofe, with whom I continued nearly a year. I applied very affiduoufly to my work; but I expended with Ralph almost all that I earned. Plays, and other places of amusement which we frequented together, having exhaufted my piftoles, we lived after this from hand to mouth. He appeared to have entirely forgotten his wife and child, as I alfo, by degrees, forgot my engagements with Mifs Read, to whom I never wrote more than one letter, and that merely to inform her that I was not likely to return foon. This was another grand error of my life, which I should be defirous of correcting were I to begin my career again.

I was employed at Palmer's on the fecond edi. tion of Woolafton's Religion of Nature. Some of his arguments appearing to me not to be well founded, I wrote a fall metaphyfical treatise, in which I animadverted on thofe paffages. It

was

was entitled, a Dissertation on Liberty and Neceffity, Pleasure and Pain. I dedicated it to my friend Ralph, and printed a fmall number of copies. Palmer upon this treated me with more confideration, and regarded me as a young man of talents; though he ferioufly took me to task for the principles of my pamphlet, which he looked upon as abominable. The printing of this work was another error of my life.

While I lodged in Little Britain I formed acquaintance with a bookfeller of the name of Wilcox, whofe fhop was next door to me.

Circula

ting libraries were not then in ufe. He had an immenfe collection of books of all forts. We agreed that, for a reafonable retribution, of which I have now forgotten the price, I fhould have free access to his library, and take what books I pleafed, which I was to return when I had read them. I confidered this agreement as a very great advantage; and I derived from it as much benefit as was in my power.

My pamphlet falling into the hands of a furgeon, of the name of Lyons, author of a book entitled, Infallibility of Human Judgment, was the occafion of a confiderable intimacy between us. He expreffed great efteem for me, came frequently to fee me, in order to converfe upon metaphyfical fubjects, and introduced me to Dr, Mandeville, author of the Fable of Bees, who had inftituted a club at a tavern in Cheapfide, of which he was the foul: he was a facetious and very amusing character. He alfo introduced me, at Batfon's coffee-house, to Dr. Pemberton, who promised to give me an opportunity of feeing Sir Ifaac Newton, which I very ardently defired; but he never kept his word.

I had brought fome curiofities with me from America; the principal of which was a purse made of the afbeftos, which fire only purifies.

Sir

Sir Hans Sloane hearing of it, called upon me, and invited me to his houfe in Bloomsburyfquare, where, after fhowing me every thing that was curious, he prevailed on me to add this piece to his collection; for which he paid me very handsomely.

There lodged in the fame house with us a young woman, a milliner, who had a fhop by the fide of the Exchange. Lively and fenfible, and having received an education fomewhat above her rank, her converfation was very agreeable. Ralph read plays to her every evening. They became intimate. She took another lodging, and he followed her. They lived for fome time together; but Ralph being without employment, the having a child, and the profits of her business not fufficing for the maintenance of three, he refolved to quit London, and try a country fchool. This was a plan in which he thought himfelf likely to fucceed, as he wrote a fine hand, and was verfed in arithmetic and accounts

But

confidering the office as beneath him, and expecting fome day to make a better figure in the world, when he fhould be afhamed of its being known that he had exercised a profeffion fo little honourable, he changed his name, and did me the honour of affuming mine. He wrote to me foon after his departure, informing me that he was fettled at a small village in Berkshire. In his letter he recommended Mrs. T***, the milliner, to my care, and requested an answer, directed to Mr. Franklin, fchool-mafter at N***.

He continued to write to me frequently, fending me large fragments of an epic poem he was compofing, and which he requested me to criticife and correct. I did fo, but not without endeavouring to prevail on him to renounce this purfuit. Young had just published one of his Satires.

1