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CONTENTS
OF THE
TEN VOLUMES.
VOLUME 1.
LIFE OF FRANKLIN.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
-
CHAPTER I.
Origin and Genealogy of his Family.— His Birth. - His Mother. -
Employments in his Boyhood. - Anecdote. Character of his
Father. Epitaph on his Father and Mother. - Fond of reading.
- Apprenticed to his Brother to learn the Printer's Trade.
Writes Ballads.—Intimacy with Collins.-Practises Composition.
-Adopts a vegetable Diet. Studies the Socratic Method of
Disputation. Concerned in publishing a Newspaper. Disa-
grees with his Brother.-Leaves Boston and takes Passage in a
Sloop for New York.
Pagu
1
CHAPTER II.
Journey to Philadelphia. · Adventure in a Boat. - Dr. Brown.-
Burlington. His first Appearance in Philadelphia. - Quaker
Meeting.
Commences
Seeks for Employment as a Printer.
Work in Keimer's Office. - Forms Acquaintances. - Patronized
by Sir William Keith, Governor of Pennsylvania. — First Inter-
view with him. Keith proposes to set him up in Business..
Returns to Boston.
Voyage to New York. Incident on the Passage from Newport.
- Meets his Friend Collins in New York. They go together to
Philadelphia. - Collins's ill Conduct causes a Separation. — Keith
insists on executing his original Plan, and proposes sending him
to London to purchase Types.-Returns to the Use of animal
Food. Anecdotes of Keimer. His Associates, Osborne, Wat-
His Father disapproves Keith's Plan.
son, Ralph.Their Exercises in Composition.-Resolves to visit
England, as advised by Governor Keith.
CHAPTER III.
Sails for London, accompanied by Ralph.-On his Arrival delivers
Letters supposed to be written by the Governor. — Discovers that
Keith had deceived him. His Money exhausted. - Engages to
work as a Printer at Palmer's, in Bartholomew Close.-Writes
and prints a metaphysical Tract.-Frequents a Club, consisting
of Dr Mandeville and Others. - Disagreement with Ralph and
Separation. Removes to Watts's Printing-house, near Lincoln's
Inn Fields. Habits of the Workmen. - His Expenses of Living.
-Feats of Activity in Swimming. - Enters into Mercantile Bus-
iness with Mr. Denham. - Sir William Wyndham.
53
CHAPTER IV.
Description
Voyage from London to Philadelphia. - His Mercantile Plans de-
feated by the Death of Mr. Denham. Accepts an Offer from
Keimer to superintend his Printing Establishment.
of the Workmen in the Printing-house. - Resolves to separate
from Keimer, and commence Business on his own Account.-
Engraves the Plates for Paper Money in New Jersey, and prints
the Bills. - His Views of Religion. Account of his London
Pamphlet. A New Version of the Lord's Prayer, with Explan-
atory Remarks. Forms a Partnership with Hugh Meredith in
the Printing Business.
67
CHAPTER V.
The Junto. Description of its original Members. Franklin writes
the "Busy Body."— Establishes a Newspaper.- Partnership with
Meredith dissolved. - Writes a Tract on the Necessity of a Paper
Currency.-Opens a Stationer's Shop. - His Habits of Industry
and Frugality.-Courtship. - Marriage.
Origin of the Philadelphia Library.-Mode of obtaining Subscrip-
tions.-Thrives in his Business. Anecdote of the Silver Spoon
and China Bowl. - Religious Sentiments and Remarks on Preach-
ing. Scheme for arriving at Moral Perfection. Explanation of
the Scheme. List of Virtues enumerated, and Rules for Prac-
tising them. Division of Time, and the Occupation of each Hour.
81
A Treatise on
98
CHAPTER VIIL
Scheme of a Society for extending the Influence of Virtue.
Belief
in one God, the Immortality of the Soul, and future Rewards and
Punishments. Poor Richard's Almanac.-Rules for conducting
a Newspaper. Controversy concerning Hemphill, the Preach-
er.Studies the French, Italian, and Spanish Languages. Visits
Boston. The Junto. Chosen Clerk of the Assembly. - Ap-
pointed Postmaster of Philadelphia. - Suggests Improvements in
the City Watch.-Establishes a Fire Company.
CHAPTER VIII.
Forms an Intimacy with Whitefield.— Building erected for Preach-
ers of all Denominations. Character of Whitefield, his Oratory
and Writings. - Partnerships in the Printing Business. - Propos-
es a Philosophical Society. Takes an active Part in providing
Means of Defence in the Spanish War. — Forms an Association
for that Purpose. - Sentiments of the Quakers. James Logan.
-Anecdote of William Penn. -The Sect called Dunkers.- Re-
ligious Creeds.-New-invented Fireplace.
CHAPTER IX.
118
• 136
Proposals relating to the Education of Youth.-Subscriptions for that
Object.— An Academy established. - Appointed one of the Trus-
tees for managing it.—Partnership with David Hall. - Electrical
Experiments. Chosen a Member of the Assembly. A Com-
missioner for making a Treaty with the Indians.- Pennsylvania
Hospital. Writes in Favor of it, and procures Subscriptions.
Advice to Gilbert Tennent.- Suggests Plans for cleaning, paving,
and lighting the Streets of Philadelphia. - Project for cleaning
the Streets of London. -Appointed Postmaster-general for Amer-
ica. Receives the Degree of Master of Arts from Harvard and
Yale Colleges.
Attends a General Convention at Albany, as a Delegate from Penn-
Proposes a Plan of Union for the Colonies, which is
adopted by the Convention. Interview with Governor Shirley
at Boston.-Conversations with Governor Morris on Pennsylvania
Affairs. Assists Mr. Quincy in procuring Aids for New Eng-
land. Visits General Braddock's Army in Maryland. - Procures
Horses and Wagons to facilitate the March of the Army. — Ob-
tains Supplies for the Officers. - Character of Braddock.— Ac-
count of his Defeat in the Battle of the Monongahela. — Braddock
commends his Services in Letters to the Government. - These
Services poorly rewarded.- Society for the Relief and Instruction
of Germans in Pennsylvania.
CHAPTER XI.
Appointed One of the Commissioners for appropriating the public
Money for military Defence - Proposes a Militia Bill, which pass-
es the Assembly. — Commissioned to take Charge of the Frontier,
and build a Line of Forts.— Marches at the Head of a Body of
Troops.― Account of the March. — Operations at Gnadenhutten.
- Indian Massacres. - Moravians at Bethlehem. · Returns to
Philadelphia. Chosen Colonel of a Regiment. — Journey to Vir-
ginia. - Declines accepting the Governor's Proposal to lead an
Expedition against Fort Duquesne.- Account of his Electrical
Discoveries. Chosen a Member of the Royal Society. - Receives
the Copley Medal.
176
196
CHAPTER XII.
Conversations with Governor Denny. - Disputes between the Gov-
ernor and Assembly.— Deputed by the Assembly to present a Pe-
tition to the King, and to act in England as an Agent for Penn-
sylvania.Meets Lord Loudoun in New York. - Anecdotes illus-
trating his Character. Sails from New York.-Incidents of the
Voyage. Arrives in England.
CONTINUATION,
BY JARED SPARKS.
214
State of Affairs in Pennsylvania. - Defects of the Government.
Legislation.Conduct of the Proprietaries. Object of Franklin's
Agency in England. - Collinson, Miss Stevenson, Strahan, Gov-
ernor Shirley, Beccaria, Musschenbroek.- Franklin's Interview
with the Proprietaries. He causes a Letter to be published re-
specting Pennsylvania. Delays in his public Business. He
travels in various Parts of England.-Visits the Place in which
his Ancestors were born. - Forms an Acquaintance with Bas-
kerville. Publishes the "Historical Review of Pennsylvania.".
Authorship of that Work.
229
Franklin advises the Conquest of Canada. - His Scheme adopted by
the Ministry. Journey to Scotland. Lord Kames, Robertson,
"Parable against Persecution." First published by
Hume.
Lord Kames.- How far Franklin claimed to be its Author. - His
Mission brought to a favorable Termination.. Lord Mansfield's
Agency in the Affair.- Franklin's Sentiments in Regard to Can-
ada. - Writes a Pamphlet to show that it ought to be retained at
the Peace. Tour to the North of England. - Receives Public
Money for Pennsylvania. Tour in Holland. Experiments to
prove the Electrical Properties of Tourmalin. - Cold produced
by Evaporation.-Ingenious Theory for explaining the Causes
of Northeast Storms. - Invents a Musical Instrument, called the
Armonica.- His Son appointed Governor of New Jersey. - Re-
turns to America.
247
Receives the Thanks of the Assembly. Tour through the Middle
and Eastern Colonies. — Engages again in Public Affairs. - Mas-
sacre of Indians in Lancaster. - Franklin's Pamphlet on the Sub-
ject, and his Agency in pacifying the Insurgents. Colonel Bou-
quet's Account of his Public Services. Disputes revived between
the Governor and the Assembly. - Militia Bill defeated. The
Governor rejects a Bill in which the Proprietary Estates are taxed.
-The Assembly resolve to petition the King for a Change of Gov-
ernment.-Petition drafted by Franklin.— Chosen Speaker of the
Assembly. Norris, Dickinson, Galloway. - Scheme for Stamp
Duties opposed by the Assembly. Franklin is not elected to the
Assembly. Appointed Agent to the Court of Great Britain.
Sails for England.
Origin of the Stamp Act. Franklin's Opposition to it. His Re-
marks on the Passage of the Act, in a Letter to Charles Thomson.
-False Charges against him in Relation to this Subject. — Dean
Tucker. Effects of the Stamp Act in America. -Franklin's Ex-
amination before Parliament. Stamp Act repealed. Mr. Pitt.-
Declaratory Act.-American Paper Currency. - Franklin's An-
swer to Lord Hillsborough's Report against it. New Scheme
for taxing the Colonies by supplying them with Paper Money. -
Franklin travels in Holland and Germany. His Ideas of the Na-
ture of the Union between the Colonies and Great Britain. - Plan
of a Colonial Representation in Parliament.-Franklin visits Paris.
- His "Account of the Causes of the American Discontents.".
Change of Ministry. Lord Hillsborough at the Head of the
270