I have forgotten what was Mr. Denham's diforder; but it was a tedious one, and he at laft funk under it. He left me a fmall legacy in his will, as a teftimony of his friendship; and I was once more abandoned to myself in the wide world, the warehoufe being confided to the care of the teftamentary executor, who difmiffed me. My brother-in-law, Holmes, who happened to be at Philadelphia, advised me to return to my former profeffion; and Keimer offered me a very confiderable falary if I would undertake the management of his printing-office, that he might devote himself entirely to the fuperintendence of his fhop. His wife and relations in London had given me a bad character of him; and I was loth, for the prefent, to have any concern with him. I endeavoured to get employment as a clerk to a merchant; but not readily finding a fituation, I was induced to accept Keimer's propofal. The following were the perfons. I found in his printing-house. Hugh Meredith, a Penfylvanian, about thirty five years of age. He had been brought up to husbandry, was honeft, fenfible, had fome experience, and was fond of reading; but too much addicted to drinking. Stephen Potts, a young ruftic, just broke from fchool, and of ruftic education, with endowments rather above the common order, and a competent portion of understanding and gaiety; but a little idle. Keimer had engaged thefe two at very low wages, which he had promised to raife every three months a fhilling a week, provided their improvement in the typographic art fhould merit it. This future increase of wages was the bait he made ufe of to enfnare them. Meredith Meredith was to work at the prefs, and Potts to bind books, which he had engaged to teach them, though he understood neither himfelf. John Savage, an Irifhman, who had been brought up to no trade, and whofe fervice, for a period of four years, Keimer had purchased of the captain of a fhip. He was also to be a preff man. George Webb, an Oxford scholar, whofe time he had in like manner bought for four years, intending him for a compofitor. I fhall speak more of him presently. Laftly, David Harry, a country lad, who was apprenticed to him. I foon perceived that Keimer's intention, in engaging me at a price fo much above what he was accustomed to give, was, that I might form all thefe raw journeymen and apprentices, who fcarcely coft him any thing, and who, being indentured, would, as foon as they fhould be fufficiently inftructed, enable him to do without me. I nevertheless adhered to my agreement. I put the office in order, which was in the utmost confufion, and brought his people, by degrees, to pay attention to their work, and to execute it in a more masterly style. It was fingular to fee an Oxford fcholar in the condition of a purchafed fervant. He was not more than eighteen years of age; and the following are the particulars he gave me of himself. Born at Gloucefter, he had been educated at a grammar fchool, and had diftinguifhed himself among the scholars by his fuperior style of acting, when they reprefented dramatic performances. He was member of a literary club in the town; and fome pieces of his compofition, in profe as well as in verfe, had been inferted in the Gloucefter papers. From hence he was fent to Ox ford, ford, where he remained about a year; but he was not contented, and wifhed above all things to fee London, and become an actor. At length, having received fifteen guineas to pay his quarter's board, he decamped with the money from Oxford, hid his gown in a hedge, and travelled to London. There, having no friend to direct him, he fell into bad company, foon fquandered his fifteen guineas, could find no way of being introduced to the actors, became contemptible, pawned his clothes, and was in want of bread. As he was walking along the streets, almost famifhed with hunger, and not knowing what to do, a recruiting bill was put into his hand, which offered an immediate treat and bounty-money to whoever was disposed to serve in America. He inftantly repaired to the house of rendezvous, inlifted himself, was put on board a fhip and conveyed to America, without ever writing a line to inform his parents what was become of him. His mental vivacity, and good natural difpofition, made him an excellent companion; but he was indolent, thoughtlefs, and to the last degree imprudent. John, the Irifhman, foon ran away. I began to live very agreeably with the reft. They ref pected me, and the more fo as they found Keimer incapable of inftructing them, and as they learned fomething from me every day. We never worked on a Saturday, it being Keimer's fabbath; fo that I had two days a week for reading. I increafed my acquaintance with perfons of knowledge and information in the town. Keimer himself treated me with great civility and apparent esteem; and I had nothing to give me uneafinefs but my debt to Vernon, which I was unable to pay, my favings as yet being very lit tle. tle. He had the goodness, however, not to afk me for the money. Our prefs was frequently in want of the neceffary quantity of letter; and there was no fuch trade as that of letter-founder in America. I had feen the practice of this art at the house of James, in London; but had at the time paid it very little attention. I however contrived to fabricate a mould. I made ufe of fuch letters as we had for punches, founded new letters of lead in matrices of clay, and thus fupplied, in a tolerable manner, the wants that were moft preffing. I alfo, upon occafion, engraved various ornaments, made ink, gave an eye to the fhop; in fhort I was in every refpect the factotum. But ufeful as I made myfelf, I perceived that my fervices became every day of less importance, in proportion as the other men improved; and when Keimer paid me my fecond quarter's wages, he gave me to underftand that they were too heavy, and that he thought I ought to make an abatement. He became by degrees lefs civil, and affumed more the tone of mafter. He frequently found fault, was difficult to please, and feemed always on the point of coming to an open quarrel with me. I continued, however, to bear it patiently, conceiving that his ill-humour was partly occafioned by the derangement and embarraffment of his affairs. At laft a flight incident broke our connection. Hearing a noife in the neighbourhood, I put my head out at the window to fee what was the matter. Keimer being in the street, obferved me, and in a loud and angry tone told me to mind my work; adding fome reproachful words, which piqued me the more as they were uttered in the street; and the neighbours, whom the fame noife had attracted to the windows, were witneffes of the manner in which I was treated. treated. He immediately came up to the printing room, and continued to exclaim against me. The quarrel became warm on both fides, and he gave me notice to quit him at the expiration of three months, as had been agreed between us; regretting that he was obliged to give me so long a term. I told him that his regret was fuperfluous, as I was ready to quit him inftantly; and I took my hat and came out of the houfe, begging Meredith to take care of some things which I left, and bring them to my lodgings. Meredith came to me in the evening. We talked for fome time upon the quarrel that had taken place. He had conceived a great veneration for me, and was forry I fhould quit the houfe while he remained in it. He diffuaded me from returning to my native country, as I began to think of doing. He reminded me that Keimer owed more than he poffeffed; that his creditors began to be alarmed; that he kept his fhop in a wretched ftate, often felling things at prime coft for the fake of ready money, and continually giving credit without keeping any accounts; that of confequence he muft very foon fail, which would occafion a vacancy from which I might derive advantage. I objected my want of money. Upon which he informed me that his father had a very high opinion of me, and, from a converfation that had paffed between them, he was fure that he would advance whatever might be neceflary to cftablish us, if I was willing to enter into partnership with him. "My "time with Keimer," added he, "will be at an end "next fpring. In the mean time we may fend "to London for our prefs and types. I know "that I am no workman; but if you agree to "the propofal, your skill in the bufinefs will be balanced by the capital I fhall furnish, and we " will |