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though an elegant preacher, he was but a | inconsistency in our common mode of teach

poor writer, I wrote for him two or three pamphlets, and a piece in the Gazette of April, 1735. Those pamphlets, as is generally the case with controversial writings, though eagerly read at the time, were soon put out of vogue, and I question whether a single copy of them now exists.

During the contest, an unlucky occurrence hurt his cause exceedingly. One of our adversaries having heard him preach a sermon that was much admired, thought he had somewhere read the sermon before, or at least a part of it. On searching, he found that part quoted at length in one of the British Reviews, from a Discourse of Dr. Foster's. This detection gave many of our party disgust, who accordingly abandoned his cause, and occasioned our more speedy discomfiture in the synod. I stuck by him however; I rather approved of his giving us good sermons composed by others, than bad ones of his own manufacture; though the latter was the practice of our common teachers. He afterwards acknowledged to me that none of those he preached were his own; adding, that his memory was such as enabled him to retain and repeat any sermon after once reading only. On our defeat he left us in search elsewhere of better fortune, and I quitted the congregation, never attending it after; though I continued many years my subscription for the support of its ministers.

I had begun in 1733 to study languages; I soon made myself so much a master of the French, as to be able to read the books in that language with ease: I then undertook the Italian: an acquaintance who was also learning it, used often to tempt me to play chess with him: finding this took up too much of the time I had to spare for study, I at length refused to play any more, unless on this condition, that the victor in every game should have a right to impose a task, either of parts of the grammar to be got by heart, or in translations, &c. which tasks the vanquished was to perform upon honour before our next meeting: as we played pretty equally, we thus beat one another into that language. I afterwards, with a little pains-taking, acquired as much of the Spanish as to read their books also. I have already mentioned that I had only one year's instruction in a Latin school, and that when very young, after which I neglected that language entirely. But when I had attained an acquaintance with the French, Italian, and Spanish, I was surprised to find, on looking over a Latin Testament, that I understood more of that language than I had imagined; which encouraged me to apply myself again to the study of it, and I met with the more success, as those preceding languages had greatly smoothed my way. From these circumstances, I have thought there was some

ing languages. We are told that it is proper to begin first with the Latin, and having acquired that, it will be more easy to attain those modern languages which are derived from it: and yet we do not begin with the Greek, in order more easily to acquire the Latin. It is true, that if we can clamber and get to the top of a staircase without using the steps, we shall more easily gain them in descending; but certainly if we begin with the lowest, we shall with more ease ascend to the top; and I would therefore offer it to the consideration of those who superintend the education of our youth, whether since many of those who begin with the Latin, quit the same after spending some years without having made any great proficiency, and what they have learned becomes almost useless, so that their time has been lost-it would not have been better to have begun with the French, proceeding to the Italian, and Latin. For though, after spending the same time, they should quit the study of languages, and never arrive at the Latin, they would, however, have acquired another tongue or two, that being in modern use, might be serviceable to them in common life.

After ten years' absence from Boston, and having become easy in my circumstances, I made a journey thither to visit my relations, which I could not sooner afford. In return ing, I called at Newport to see my brother James, then settled there with his printinghouse; our former differences were forgotten, and our meeting was very cordial and affectionate: he was fast declining in health, and requested of me, that in case of his death, which he apprehended not far distant, I would take home his son, then but ten years of age, and bring him up to the printing business. This I accordingly performed, sending him a few years to school before I took him into the office. His mother carried on the business till he was grown up, when I assisted him with an assortment of new types, those of his father being in a manner worn out. Thus it was that I made my brother ample amends for the service I had deprived him of by leaving him so early.

In 1736, I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted him bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and therefore that the safer should be chosen.

Our club, the Junto, was found so useful, and afforded such satisfaction to the members, that some were desirous of introducing their

friends, which could not well be done with- | heard that he had in his library a certain out exceeding what we had settled as a con- very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note venient number; viz. twelve. We had from to him, expressing my desire of perusing that the beginning made it a rule to keep our in- book, and requesting that he would do me the stitution a secret, which was pretty well ob- favour of lending it to me for a few days. He served; the intention was to avoid applica- sent it immediately; and I returned it in tions of improper persons for admittance, about a week with another note, expressing some of whom, perhaps, we might find it diffi- strongly my sense of the favour. When we cult to refuse. I was one of those who were next met in the house, he spoke to me, (which against any addition to our number; but, in- he had never done before,) and with great stead of it, made in writing a proposal, that civility; and he ever after manifested a readievery member separately should endeavour mess to serve me on all occasions, so that we to form a subordinate club, with the same became great friends, and our friendship conrules, respecting queries, &c., and without tinued to his death. This is another instance informing them of the connection with the of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, Junto. The advantages proposed, were the which says, "He that has once done you a improvement of so many more young citizens kindness, will be more ready to do you anby the use of our institutions; our better ac- other, than he whom you yourself have quaintance with the general sentiments of obliged." And it shows how much more the inhabitants on any occasion, as the junto profitable it is prudently to remove, than to member might propose what queries we resent, return, and continue inimical proshould desire, and was to report to the Junto, ceedings. what passed in his separate club: the promotion of our particular interests in business by more extensive recommendation, and the increase of our influence in public affairs, and our power of doing good by spreading through the several clubs the sentiments of the Junto. The project was approved, and every member undertook to form his club: but they did not all succeed. Five or six only were completed, which were called by different names, as the Vine, the Union, the Band, &c. they were useful to themselves, and afforded us a good deal of amusement, information, and instruction; besides, answering in some considerable degree our views of influencing the public on particular occasions; of which I shall give some instances in course of time as they happened.

My first promotion was my being chosen, in 1736, clerk of the general assembly. The choice was made that year without opposition; but the year following, when I was arin proposed, (the choice, like that of the members, being annual,) a new member made a long speech against me, in order to favour some other candidate. I was, however, chosen, which was the more agreeable to me, as, besides, the pay for the immediate service of clerk, the place gave me a better opportutunity of keeping up an interest among the members, which secured to me the business of printing the votes, laws, paper-money, and other occasional jobs for the public, that on the whole were very profitable. I therefore did not like the opposition of this new member, who was a gentleman of fortune and education, with talents that were likely to give him in time great influence in the house, which indeed afterwards happened. I did not, however, aim at gaining his favour by paying any servile respect to him, but after some time took this other method. Having VOL. L... F 4*

In 1737, colonel Spotswood, late governor of Virginia, and then postmaster-general, being dissatisfied with the conduct of his deputy at Philadelphia, respecting some negli-. gence in rendering, and want of exactness in framing his accounts, took from him the commission, and offered it to me. I accepted it readily, and found it of great advantage; for, though the salary was small, it facilitated the correspondence that improved my newspaper, increased the number demanded, as well as the advertisements to be inserted, so that it came to afford me a considerable income. My old competitor's newspaper declined proportionably, and I was satisfied, without retaliating his refusal, while postmaster, to permit my papers being carried by the riders. Thus he suffered greatly from his neglect in due accounting; and I mention it as a lesson to those young men who may be employed in managing affairs for others, that they should always render accounts, and make remit-' tances with great clearness and punctuality. The character of observing such a conduct, is the most powerful of recommendations to new employments and increase of business.

I began now to turn my thoughts to public affairs, beginning, however, with small matters. The city watch was one of the first things that I conceived to want regulation. It was managed by the constables of the respective wards in turn; the constable summoned a number of housekeepers to attend him for the night. Those who chose never to attend, paid him six shillings a year to be excused, which was supposed to go to hiring substitutes, but was, in reality, much more than was necessary for that purpose, and made the constableship a place of profit; and the constable, for a little drink, often got such ragamuffins about him as a watch, that respectable housekeepers did not choose to mix

with. Walking the rounds too was often neglected, and most of the nights spent in tippling: I thereupon wrote a paper to be read in junto, representing these irregularities, but insisting more particularly on the inequality of this six-shilling tax of the constables, respecting the circumstances of those who paid it, since a poor widow housekeeper, all whose property to be guarded by the watch did not perhaps exceed the value of fifty pounds, paid as much as the wealthiest merchant who had thousands of pounds worth of goods in his stores. On the whole, I proposed as a more effectual watch, the hiring of proper men to serve constantly in the business; and as a more equitable way of supporting the charge, the levying a tax that should be proportioned to the property. This idea being approved by the Junto, was communicated to the other clubs, but as originating in each of them; and though the plan was not immediately carried into execution, yet by preparing the minds of people for the change, it paved the way for the law obtained a few years after, when the members of our clubs were grown into more influence.

have been applied to the purchase of fire engines, ladders, fire-hooks, and other useful implements for each company; so that I question whether there is a city in the world better provided with the means of putting a stop to beginning conflagrations; and, in fact, since these institutions, the city has never lost by fire more than one or two houses at a time, and the flames have often been extinguished before the house in which they began has been half consumed.

In 1739, arrived among us from Ireland, the reverend Mr. Whitefield, who had made himself remarkable there as an itinerant preacher. He was at first permitted to preach in some of our churches; but the clergy taking a dislike to him, soon refused him their pulpits, and he was obliged to preach in the fields. The multitude of all sects and denominations that attended his sermons were enormous, and it was a matter of speculation to me, (who was one of the number) to observe the extraordinary influence of his oratory on his hearers, and how much they admired and respected him, notwithstanding his common abuse of them, by assuring them, they were naturally half beasts and half devils. It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about

growing religious, so that one could not walk through the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street. And it being found inconvenient to assemble in the open air, subject to its inclemencies, the building of a house to meet in, was no sooner proposed, and persons appointed to receive contributions, but sufficient sums were soon received to procure the ground, and erect the building, which was one hundred feet long and seventy broad; and the work was carried with such spirit as to be finished in a much shorter time than could have been expected. Both house and ground were vested in trustees, expressly for the use of any preacher of any religious persuasion, who might desire to say something to the people at Philadelphia. The design in building not being to accommodate any particular sect, but the inhabitants in general; so that even if the Mufti of Constantinople, were to send a missionary to preach Mahomedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service.

About this time I wrote a paper (first to be read in the Janto, but it was afterwards published) on the different accidents and carelessnesses by which houses were set on fire, with cautions against them, and means pro-religion, it seemed as if all the world were posed of avoiding them. This was spoken of as an useful piece, and gave rise to a project, which soon followed it, of forming a company for the more ready extinguishing of fires, and mutual assistance in removing and securing of goods when in danger. Associates in this scheme were presently found, amounting to thirty. Our articles of agreement obliged every member to keep always in good order, and fit for use, a certain number of leathern buckets, with strong bags and baskets, (for packing and transporting of goods,) which were to be brought to every fire; and we agreed about once a month to spend a social evening together, in discoursing and communicating such ideas as occurred to us upon the subject of fires, as might be useful in our conduct on such occasions. The utility of this institution soon appeared, and many more desiring to be admitted than we thought convenient for one company, they were advised to form another, which was accordingly done; and thus went on one new company after another, till they became so numerous as to include most of the inhabitants who were men of property; and now at the time of my writing this, (though upwards of fifty years since its establishment,) that which I first formed, called the UNION FIRE COMPANY, still subsists; though the first members are all deceased but one, who is older by a year than I am. The fines that have been paid by members for absence at the monthly meetings,

Mr. Whitefield, on leaving us, went preaching all the way through the colonies to Georgia. The settlement of that province had lately been begun, but instead of being made with hardy industrious husbandmen, accustomed to labour, the only people fit for such an enterprise, it was with families of broken shopkeepers, and other insolvent debtors; many of indolent and idle habits, taken out of the jails, who being set down in

The last time I saw Mr. Whitefield, was in London, when he consulted me about his orphan-house concern, and his purpose of appropriating it to the establishment of a college. He had a loud and clear voice, and articu

the woods, unqualified for clearing land, and was a mere civil friendship, sincere on both unable to endure the hardships of a new sides, and lasted to his death. The following settlement, perished in numbers, leaving instance will show the terms on which we many helpless children unprovided for. The stood. Upon one of his arrivals from England sight of their miserable situation inspired the at Boston, he wrote to me that he should benevolent heart of Mr. Whitefield, with the come soon to Philadelphia, but knew not idea of building an orphan-house there, in where he could lodge when there, as he unwhich they might be supported and educated. derstood his old friend and host, Mr. Benezet, Returning northward, he preached up this was, removed to Germantown. My answer charity, and made large collections: for his was, you know my house; if you can make eloquence had a wonderful power over the shift with its scanty accommodations you will hearts and purses of his hearers, of which I be most heartily welcome. He replied, that myself was an instance. I did not disapprove if I made that kind offer for Christ's sake, I of the design, but as Georgia was then desti- should not miss of a reward. And I returntute of materials and workmen, and it was ed, "don't let me be mistaken; it was not proposed to send them from Philadelphia at a for Christ's sake, but for your sake." One great expense, I thought it would have been of our common acquaintance jocosely remarkbetter to have built the house at Philadelphia, ed, that knowing it to be the custom of the and brought the children to it. This I ad- saints, when they received any favour, to vised, but he was resolute in his first project, shift the burden of the obligation from off rejected my counsel, and I therefore refused their own shoulders, and place it in heaven, I to contribute. I happened soon after to at- had contrived to fix it on earth. tend one of his sermons, in the course of which, I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me: I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold; as he pro-lated his words so perfectly that he might be ceeded I began to soften, and concluded to heard and understood at a great distance; give the copper. Another stroke of his ora- especially as his auditories observed the most tory made ne ashamed of that, and determin- perfect silence. He preached one evening ed me to give the silver; and he finished so from the top of the Court-House steps, which admirably, that I emptied my pocket wholly are in the middle of Market street, and on the into the collector's dish, gold and all! At this west side of Second street, which crosses it sermon there was also one of our club, who at right angles. Both streets were filled with being of my sentiments respecting the build- his hearers to a considerable distance: being ing in Georgia, and suspecting a collection among the hindmost in Market street, I had might be intended, had by precaution emptied the curiosity to learn how far he could be his pockets before he came from home; to- heard, by retiring backwards down the street wards the conclusion of the discourse how- towards the river, and I found his voice disever, he felt a strong inclination to give, and tinct till I came near Front street, when some applied to a neighbour who stood near him, noise in that street obscured it. Imagining to lend him some money for the purpose. then a semicircle, of which my distance should The request was fortunately made to perhaps be the radius, and that it was filled with the only man in the company who had the auditors, to each of whom I allowed two firmness not to be affected by the preacher. square feet; I computed that he might well His answer was, "At any other time, friend be heard by more than thirty thousand. This Hopkinson, I would lend to thee freely; but reconciled me to the newspaper accounts of not now, for thee seems to me to be out of his having preached to 25,000 people in the thy right senses." fields, and to the history of generals haranguing whole armies, of which I had sometimes doubted.

Some of Mr. Whitefield's enemies affected to suppose, that he would apply these collections to his own private emolument; but I who was intimately acquainted with him (being employed in printing his sermons, journals, &c.) never had the least suspicion of his integrity; but am to this day decidedly of opinion, that he was in all his conduct a perfectly honest man; and methinks my testimony in his favour ought to have the more weight, as we had no religious connexion. He used indeed sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard. Ours

By hearing him often I came to distinguish easily between sermons newly composed, and those which he had often preached in the course of his travels. His delivery of the latter was so improved by frequent repetition, that every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of voice, was so perfectly wellturned and well-placed, that without being interested in the subject, one could not help being pleased with the discourse; a pleasure of much the same kind with that received from an excellent piece of music. This is an

advantage itinerant preachers have over those who are stationary, as the latter cannot well improve their delivery of a sermon by so many rehearsals. His writing and printing from time to time gave great advantage to his enemies; unguarded expressions, and even erroneous opinions delivered in preaching, might have been afterwards explained or qualified, by supposing others that might have accompanied them; or they might have been denied; but litera scripta manet: critics at-ed, declined the undertaking: and not knowtacked his writings violently, and with so much appearance of reason, as to diminish the number of his votaries and prevent their increase. So that I am satisfied that if he had never written any thing, he would have left behind him a much more numerous and important sect; and his reputation might in that case have been still growing even after his death; as there being nothing of his writing on which to found a censure, and give him a lower character, his proselytes would be left at liberty to attribute to him as great a variety of excellencies, as their enthusiastic admira-vernor, Thomas, to prevail with our Quaker tion might wish him to have possessed.

things that I regretted, there being no provision for defence, nor for a complete education of youth; no militia, nor any college: I therefore, in 1743, drew up a proposal for establishing an academy; and at that time, thinking the Rev. Richard Peters, who was out of employ, a fit person to superintend such' an institution, I communicated the project to him: but he having more profitable views in the service of the proprietors, which succeed

My business was now constantly augmenting, and my circumstances growing daily easier, my newspaper having become very profitable, as being for a time almost the only one in this and the neighbouring provinces. I experienced too the truth of the observation, that after getting the first hundred pounds it is more easy to get the second:" money itself being of a prolific nature.

The partnership at Carolina having succeeded, I was encouraged to engage in others, and to promote several of my workmen who had behaved well, by establishing them with printing houses in different colonies, on the same terms with that in Carolina. Most of them did well, being enabled at the end of our term, (six years.) to purchase the types of me and go on working for themselves; by which means several families were raised. Partnerships often finish.in quarrels, but was happy in this that mine were all carried on and ended amicably; owing I think a good deal to the precaution of having very explicitly settled in our articles, every thing to be done by or expected from each partner; so that there was nothing to dispute; which precaution I would therefore recommend to all who enter into partnerships; for whatever esteem partners may have for, and confidence in each other at the time of the contract, little jealousies and disgusts may arise, with ideas of inequality in the care and burden, business, &c. which are attended often with breach of friendship and of the connection; perhaps with law-suits and other disagreeable

consequences.

I had on the whole abundant reason to be satisfied with my being established in Pennsylvania; there were however some

ing another at that time suitable for such a trust, I let the scheme lie awhile dormant, I succeeded better the next year, 1744, in proposing and establishing a Philosophical Society. The paper I wrote for that purpose, will be found among my writings; if not lost with many others.

With respect to defence, Spain having been several years at war against Great Britain, and being at length joined by France, which brought us into great danger; and the laboured and long continued endeavour of our go

assembly to pass a militia law, and make other provisions for the security of the province, having proved abortive; I. proposed to try what might be done by a voluntary subscription of the people: to promote this, I first wrote and published a pamphlet, intitled PLAIN TRUTH, in which I stated our helpless situation in strong lights, with the necessity of union and discipline for qur defence, and promised to propose in a few days, an association, to be generally signed for that purpose. The pamphlet had a sudden and surprising effect. I was called upon for the instrument of association; having settled the draught of it with a few friends, I appointed a meeting of the citizens in the large building beforementioned. The house was pretty full; I had prepared a number of printed copies, and provided pens and ink dispersed all over the room. I harangued them a little on the subIject, read the paper, explained it, and then distributed the copies, which were eagerly signed, not the least objection being made. When the company separated, and the papers were collected, we found above twelve hundred signatures; and other copies being dispersed in the country, the subscribers amounted at length to upwards of ten thousand. These all furnished themselves as soon as they could with arms, formed themselves into companies, and regiments, chose their own officers, and met every week to be instructed in the manual exercise, and other parts of military discipline. The women, by subscriptions among themselves, provided silk colours, which they presented to the companies, painted with different devices and mottos, which I supplied. The officers of the companies composing the Philadelphia regiment, being met, chose me for their

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