Chapter 1

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Beth Trapaga, and Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders

FROM BOYHOOD TO MANHOOD

LIFE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

By William M. Thayer

Author of "From Farm House to White House," "From Log Cabin to White House," "From Pioneer Home to White House," "From Tannery to White House," etc., etc.

ILLUSTRATED

1889.

PREFACE

The life of Benjamin Franklin is stranger than fiction. Its realities surpass the idealities of novelists. Imagination would scarcely venture to portray such victories over poverty, obscurity, difficulties, and hardships. The tact, application, perseverance, and industry, that he brought to his life-work, make him an example for all time. He met with defeats; but they inspired him to manlier efforts. His successes increased his desire for something higher and nobler. He was satisfied only with _going up still higher_. He believed that "one to-day is worth two to-morrows"; and he acted accordingly, with the candle-shop and printing office for his school-room, and Observation for his teacher. His career furnishes one of the noblest examples of success for the young of both sexes to study. We offer his life as one of the brightest and best in American history to inspire young hearts with lofty aims.

The first and principal source of material for this book was Franklin's "Autobiography." No other authority, or treasure of material, can take the place of that. Biographies by Sparks, Sargent, Abbott, and Parton have freely consulted together with "Franklin in France," and various eulogies and essays upon his life and character.

That Franklin was the real father of the American Union, is the view which the author of this biography presents. It is the view of Bancroft, as follows:--

"Not half of Franklin's merits have been told. He was the true father of the American Union. It was he who went forth to lay the foundation of that great design at Albany; and in New York he lifted up his voice. Here among us he appeared as the apostle of the Union. It was Franklin who suggested the Congress of 1774; and but for his wisdom, and the confidence that wisdom inspired, it is a matter of doubt whether that Congress would have taken effect. It was Franklin who suggested the bond of the Union which binds these States from Florida to Maine. Franklin was the greatest diplomatist of the eighteenth century. He never spoke a word too soon; he never spoke a word too much; he never failed to speak the right word at the right season."

The closing years of Franklin's life were so identified with the Union of the States, and the election and inauguration of Washington as the first President, that his biography becomes a fitting companion to the WHITE HOUSE SERIES.

CONTENTS

I. FROM OLD ENGLAND TO NEW ENGLAND.

Persecution Driving Franklin and Others Away--Discussion about Emigrating--Josiah Franklin--His Trade--Benjamin Franklin--Doctor Franklin's Account of His Ancestors--Meetings of Dissenters Broken Up--Why Josiah Decided to Go--Account of Their Family Bible--The Final Decision--The Franklin Family Influential--Thomas Franklin--The Franklin Poet--Doctor Franklin about His Father--What Boston was Then and Now--Exploring the Wilderness--Influence of Franklins in Boston.

II. THE FIFTEENTH GIFT.

Birth of Benjamin Franklin on Sunday--The Fifteenth Child--God's Gift--Proposition to Baptize Him the Same Day--Discussion over It--Baptized on That Day by Doctor Willard--The Church Record--House in Which He was Born--Josiah's Children--Death of Wife and Second Marriage--The Folger Family--Name for Uncle Benjamin--Personal Beauty--Words of Parton--Josiah Took Up Trade of Tallow-chandler--The Business and Place Described--Sons Apprenticed--Josiah a Good Musician--Condition of the World When Benjamin was Born in 1706.

III. PAYING TOO DEAR FOR THE WHISTLE.

Seven Years Old--First Money to Spend as He Pleased--Advice Gratis--Boy with Whistle--Benjamin Buys a Whistle--Going into the Concert Business--Scene in the Family--Tormented by John for Paying All His Money--Ben Breaks Down--Father and Mother Takes His Part--The Lesson He Learned--What He Wrote about It at Seventy-two Years of Age--When Boys Pay Too Dear for the Whistle--Dickens--Keeping the Secret--How the Secret Came Out.

IV. IN SCHOOL.

Uncle Benjamin and His Poetry--His Family--His Letter about Ben--Plans for School and Doctor Willard--Goes to School at Eight Years of Age--Description of His Father--Of His Mother--Inscription on Their Monument--Nathaniel Williams, Teacher--Description of School-house--His Scholarship High--His Teacher Praises Him--Led the School--Prophecies about Him--Webster--Rittenhouse--Stephenson.

V. OUT OF SCHOOL.

Poverty Forces Him to Leave School--His Mother's View--Hard Time for Ministers--Brownell's School of Penmanship--How Ben Could Help His Father--Boys Put to Work Young Then--His Obedience--A Well-Disciplined Boy--Incident of His Manhood to Rebuke a Landlord--Robert Peel and Harry Garland--The Eight Hall Brothers--His Progress.

VI. FROM SCHOOL TO CANDLE-SHOP.

Arrival of Uncle Benjamin--Opposed to Taking His Nephew Out of School-- Thinks Ben is Very Talented--Prospects of the Business--Benjamin's Talk with His Mother--Blessings of Industry--Doctor Franklin's Proverbs--Became Wiser Than His Father--Tallow-Chandler at Ten Years of Age--His Father Saw His Dissatisfaction--Josiah, the Runaway Son, Returns--Wanted to Go to Sea--The Proposition Vetoed--Uncle Benjamin Against It.

VII. CHOOSING A TRADE AND STEALING SPORT.

Love of a Trade Necessary to Success--Following "Natural Bent"--Square Boys in Round Holes--Smeaton--Benjamin Pleased with a New Plan-- Examining Different Trades--The Cutler, Brazier, etc.--Chooses Cutler's Trade--Enters Shop on Trial--Disagreement on Terms--The Good It Did Him--Sport on the Water--An Evil Proposition--Stealing Stones--The Wharf Built--The Thieves Detected--How Benjamin's Father Found Him Out--Benjamin's Confession and Promise--The End.

VIII. BECOMING PRINTER-BOY.

James Franklin Returns from England a Printer--His Father's Talk About Learning That Trade--Benjamin Likes It--Arrangement with James-- Printing in Its Infancy Then--Censorship over Printing--Bound to His Brother--Form of Indenture--William Tinsley--White Slavery--Poor Children Sold at Auction--A Printer-boy and How He Liked--Time for Reading--Budget!--The Printing-office, Where and What--Being on Time--After a Book Before Breakfast--Washington's Punctuality-- Franklin's Like It.

IX. TABLE-TALK EDUCATION.

What Franklin Said of Table-talk--What Heard at Table Now--Its Moulding Influence--That of His Grandfather--The Franklins Good in Conversation--Extract from Parton--Letter of Franklin to His Wife in 1758--Pythagoras--Cicero--Josiah Franklin--His Wise Counsels--Origin of His Temperance Principles--No Temperance Cause Then--The Washburne Family--The Way the Twig is Bent.

X. LEADER OF SPORTS AND THOUGHTS.

Love of Reading and Fun--The Best Swimmer, etc.--Invention to Promote Swimming--His Secret of Success--The Trial of the Apparatus--Hard on the Wrists--Another Experiment Proposed--Swimming Promoted by a Kite--Delight of the Boys--What Franklin Said of It in Manhood--The Seed Thought of Drawing Lightning from a Cloud with a Kite--His Experiment and Joy--What He Wrote about It--Advocate of Liberal Female Education--Correspondence with Collins--His Father's Opinion--How Benjamin Tried to Improve--How He Gained Time--Wise Maxims in Age--Maxims--C.G. Frost and One Hour a Day--What Spare Moments Did for Benjamin.

XI. STARTING A NEWSPAPER.

Only Three Newspapers in America--Created a Stir--What Newspaper Business is in Boston Now--How to Estimate It--Benjamin Manages the Printing of It--His Interest in It--Its Warm Reception--Proposition to Board Himself--What He Gained by It--His Object Self-improvement-- James Selfish, Benjamin Generous--Their Talk about the Plan--What His Bill-of-Fare Was--How Come to Adopt Vegetable Diet--More Maxims-- Cocker's Arithmetic--His Success.

XII. THE RUSE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

What Parton Says of _Courant_--The Knot of Liberals--Ben's First Anonymous Article, and His Ruse--Discussion over It by the _Courant_ Club--Decided to Publish It--Benjamin Puts It in Type--It Created a Sensation--The Second Article, Better Than First--Excitement over It Still Greater--Ben's Exultation--James' Astonishment--Surprise of the "Knot"--Ben a Favorite Now--How the Autobiography Tells the Story-- Decided Ben's Career--Canning and Microcosm--Examples of Industry, Tact, etc.--Boy without a Name.

XIII. BOOKS OF HIS BOYHOOD.

Four Classes of Readers--Ben after Diamonds--Hungry Mind--Words of Thomas Hood--What Franklin Said--First Book Pilgrim's Progress--Talk with His Father--What Franklin Said of Narrative--Plutarch's Lives--Easy to Do Good--What They Were--Incident by Parton--Plan to Buy Burton's Historical Collections--Describes Them--Boyle's Lectures--Kind Offer of Matthew Adams--Borrowing Books of Booksellers' Clerks--Great Favor--Books Very Scarce Then--Greenwood's English Grammar--Talk with Collins--Other Books Read--Habit of Taking Notes--Letter of Franklin about It--Professor Atkinson's Words--Garfield Had Same Habit.

XIV. LEARNING THE ART OF COMPOSITION.

Began to Write Poetry at Seven--Had Practised Putting Thoughts Together--James Praised His Pieces--Proposition to Write, Print, and Sell Verses--Wrote Two--Sold Well--His Father's Severe Rebuke-- After-talk with James--Best Writers Deficient at First--Reporting to James--Benefit to Ben--One of His Verses Preserved--What Franklin Said of It in Manhood--How He Used the _Spectator_--Determined to Improve--His Own Description of His Literary Work--How He Acquired Socratic Method--Rhetoric and Logic--How a Single Book Made Wesley, Martin, Pope, Casey, Lincoln, and Others What They Were--A Striking Case.

XV. THE "COURANT" IN TROUBLE.

The Startling News from the Assembly--A Discussion--A Sarcastic Letter the Cause--James and Benjamin Summoned before the Council--James Defiant--Benjamin Dismissed--How Mather Assailed the _Courant_--How James Answered Him--James in Prison--Benjamin Editing the Paper-- Quotation from Parton--Persecution of Printers in the Old Country--A Horrible Case--James Released, and Still Defiant--Inoculation a Remedy for Small Pox--The _Mercury_ Denouncing James' Imprisonment--James Still for Freedom of the Press--Secured It for All Time.

XVI. THE BOY EDITOR.

Attacking the Government--The Council Exasperated--Action of the _Courant_ Club--Plan to Evade Order of the Council--Benjamin, the Boy-editor--His Address in _Courant_--Quotations from _Courant_ of January 14, 1723--Not Libelous--Extract from Parton's Life--When Newspapers Ceased to be Carried Free--How Long Ben Was in Printing Office--Remarks by Mr. Sparks--What He Says of General Court--How the Experience Developed Benjamin--Right Boy in Right Place--Extract from _Courant_ about Bears.

XVII. THE YOUNG SKEPTIC.

Reading Shaftesbury's Work--Discussion with Collins--Ben's Orthodoxy in Peril--Benjamin a Thinker--Saying Grace over the Pork Barrel--Reading from Collins--Several Paragraphs Repugnant to Orthodoxy--Shaftesbury Attacking Miracles--Ben's Influence over John--Charged with Being Atheist--His Confession--Letter to His Father--Letter to Sister--Seeing His Folly--His Prayer--Sad Experience with Infidel Books--Similar to Lincoln's and Garfield's--Lincoln's Farewell.

XVIII. HOW HE QUIT BOSTON.

Decision to Leave James--Cruelty of the Latter--The Indenture-- Discussion over It with Collins--Advised to Get Place in Another Printing Office in Boston--James Had Warned Them against Hiring Him--Discloses His Decision to James--Unfair Use of Indenture--What Benjamin Said of It Afterwards--Resolved to Run Away--Planned The Method With Collins--Why Go by Water--How He Obtained Money--Collins Engages His Passage--Collins' Deliberate Lie--On the Road to Ruin--Collins' Report to Benjamin--Final Arrangements--Boarding the Sloop--Scene off Block Island--Ben Converted to Flesh--Benjamin Franklin's Experience Like William Hutton's.

XIX. TRIALS OF A RUNAWAY.

Applies for Work in New York--Bradford's Advice and Kindness--Starts for Philadelphia--The Drunken Dutch man--Driven on Shore by a Squall-- A Fearful Night--At Amboy--Benjamin Sick--A Young Man Travelling in Maine--Advantage of Reading--Sir Walter Scott's Advice--Going in Rain to Burlington--Landlord Suspected He Was a Runaway--At Doctor Brown's--A Fine Time with the Doctor--Buying Gingerbread of Old Woman--His Disappointment--Way out of It--Unexpected Deliverance--His Skill at Rowing Again Useful--Finally Reaches Philadelphia.

XX. THE WALKING COMEDY.

Meeting a Boy Eating--Buys Three Loaves--His Surprise--A Walking Comedy--Sees His Future Wife--His Generosity to Mother and Child--A Trait of His Life--Back to the Boat--On the Street Again and in Quaker Church--Sleeping in Church--The Kind Quaker--The Crooked Billet-- Suspected of being a Runaway--Meeting the New York Bradford--Interview with Young Bradford--Interview with Keimer--Showing His Skill at Type-setting--Senior Bradford's Ruse--Giving Account of His Boston Life--Doing Things Well--Case of Budgett--What Parton Said to Maydoll.

XXI. GETTING ON.

Repairing the Old Printing Press--Caution to Keep Secrets--Repairing for Bradford--Conversation with Bradford about Work in Boston-- Unbelief--Changing Boarding-place--Talk with Boarding-master Read-- Study and Companions There--High Rank of Printing Then--Letter from Collins--Found by His Brother-in-law, Captain Homes--Letter from the Captain--Benjamin's Reply--His Letter Read by Governor Keith--His History Told Keith--The Latter's Promise--Colonel French--Two Traits of Ben's Character, Observation and Humility.

XXII. GOING UP HIGHER.

Governor Keith and Colonel French Call on Benjamin--Keimer's Surprise--Benjamin's Interview with Them--Proposition to Establish Printing House--Keith Proposed He Should See His Father--Keimer Very Inquisitive about the Interview--Waiting for Vessel to Boston--Letter to Collins--How Long Take to Start Printing House--Tells Keimer He is Going to Boston--Sails for Boston--A Great Storm--Experience in Reaching Boston.

XXIII. THE SURPRISE, AND ITS RESULTS.

Hastens to See His Parents--Joyful Meeting--Account of Correspondence with Homes--Going to See James--Delight of Journeymen--Many Inquiries-- Proposition to Treat Them--Report of James' Treatment to Parents--His Mother's Counsel--Meets Collins--The Latter Intemperate--Counsels Him to Let Strong Drink Alone--His Father's Opinion of Keith's Letter-- Arrival of Captain Homes--Approves Plans of Benjamin--Calling on Friends--Seeing Doctor Mather--An Incident and Its Lesson--Collins Decides to Go to Philadelphia--Benjamin's Father Declines to Help Him--About _Courant_--Bidding Parents Farewell and Returning.

XXIV. HIS RETURN, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

Leaves Boston for New York--Collins to Meet Him There--Calls at Newport to See His Brother John--Takes a Debt to Collect--Finds Collins Drunk in New York--Talk with Landlord--Governor Burnett Sends for Him-- Benjamin's Words about It--Rebukes John Drunk--Arrival in Philadelphia-- Called on Governor Keith--The Governor Proposes to Set Him up--Amusing Talk with Keimer--Collins Can Not Get Work--Trouble with Collins on the Delaware--End of Collins--Governor Keith Sends for Him--Going to England to Buy Outfit.

XXV. WORKING, READING, AND COURTING.

Keimer's Religious Creed--Argument with Benjamin--Establishing a New Sect and Foregoing a Good Dinner--Benjamin's Three Literary Associates--Literary Club Formed--Discussion on Ralph as a Poet--Benjamin's Views--Each One Writing Poetry--Paraphrase of 18th Psalm--Benjamin Reading Ralph's--Plan to Outwit Osborne--Its Success--Osborne's Mortification--The Club a Good One--Benjamin and Deborah Read--The Result.

XXVI. A BOGUS SCHEME.

Ralph Going to England with Benjamin--Time to Sail--Governor Keith Promises Letters--No Suspicion of Keith--Letters Not Ready as Promised--Second Application for Letters--Final Promise--Bag of Letters Come on Board--Looked over Letters in English Channel--The Revelation of Rascality--Benjamin's Situation Alone in London--Ralph Discloses that He Has Abandoned His Wife--Rebuked by Benjamin--Advice of Denham--Governor Keith a Fraud--Finds Work at Palmer's Printing House--Had Ralph to Support--Ralph a Schoolmaster--Accepting Trouble Philosophically.

XXVII. "OUR WATER DRINKER."

Letter from Ralph to Benjamin--Ralph's Epic Poem--Assisted Ralph's Wife--How He and Ralph Separated--Kindness of Wilcox, the Bookseller-- Loaning Books--Benjamin Reviews "Religion of Nature"--Talk with Watts, and His Opinion of It--Interview with Doctor Lyons--Doctor Pemberton-- Lived to See His Folly--Interview with Sir Hans Sloane--Benjamin's Attack on Beer Drinking--His Sound Argument--Jake, the Ale Boy--Called "A Water Drinker"--Discussion with Watts--Refused to Treat the Company-- Visits His Old Press Forty Years After.

XXVIII. AT HOME AGAIN.

What Became of Ralph--Benjamin Teaching Two Companions to Swim--Who Was Wygate?--The Excursion to Chelsea--Benjamin Swims Four Miles--Antics in the Water--Sir W. Wyndham Proposes He Should Open a Swimming School-- Wygate's Proposition to Travel--Denham's Advice--Cheaper Board--Incident Showing Denham's Character--Denham Offers to Employ Him as Clerk in Philadelphia--Leaves Printing House for Warehouse--Returns to Philadelphia.

XXIX. UPS AND DOWNS OF LIFE.

Visits Keimer's Printing Office--Calls on Deborah Read--Her Marriage to Rogers, and Divorce--Visit to Deborah Leads to Re-engagement--Now a Merchant's Clerk--Denham and Benjamin Both Sick--Denham Died and Left Legacy to Benjamin--Arrival of Captain Homes--Working for Keimer Again--The Latter Making Trouble--Benjamin Leaves Him--Interview with Meredith--Proposition to Go into Company in Printing Business--Meredith's Father Loans Capital.

XXX. THE LEATHERN APRON CLUB.

Reflecting on His Religious Belief--Rules He Wrote on the _Berkshire_ and Introduction to Them--The Leathern Apron Club--Patterned after Cotton Mather's--The Questions Asked--Benjamin's Explanation--The Compact Signed--Bringing in Books They Owned--Establishing the First Library in the Land--Questions Discussed by the Club--No Improvement on This Club--Benjamin's View of It in Age--Organizing Other Clubs-- Studying the Languages--Benjamin's Success.

XXXI. BRIGHTER DAYS.

Proposition from Keimer--Discussion of It with Meredith--Returns to Keimer--Printing Money for New Jersey at Burlington--The Surveyor General's Life--His Talk with Benjamin--Starting New Firm, Franklin and Meredith--The First Job--Predictions of Its Failure by Nickle and Merchants' Club--Doctor Baird Differed--A Proposition from a Stationer--Interview with Webb--Plan for Starting a Paper Made Known-- Keimer's Paper--Benjamin's Articles in _Mercury_--Buys Keimer's Paper--Dissolves Partnership--Rum the Cause--The _Gazette_ a Success.

XXXII. NO LONGER A SKEPTIC.

Time is Money--The Lounger Rebuked--Maxims--Avoiding Slander and Abuse--Revising His Religious Belief--Articles of Belief--Code of Morals Adopted--Creed for "United Party of Virtue "--Letters to Friends--Proposed Prayers in Congress and Speech--Epitaph for His Tombstone Written at Twenty-three.

XXXIII. POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC.

Publishing an Almanac--Discussion about It--When It Was Started-- Maxims Found in It--Very Popular, and Great Circulation--Franklin's Fame Spreading--The Junto Pleased--Franklin's Account of Success-- How He Conducted His Paper--The Libeller Suppressed--Success of His Stationer's Shop--Visit to Boston--Visits His Brother James-- Reconciliation--Takes His Son Home--He Buries a Child--His Defense of Rev. George Whitefield--Building a House of Worship for Him.

XXXIV. MORE HONORS AND MORE WORK.

Clerk of the Assembly--Postmaster--Night-watch Discussed in the Junto--Plan of a Fire Department--Many Fire Companies Formed--Plan to Pave the Streets--Paper on Smoky Chimneys--Franklin Invents a Stove--Gives Away the Patent--Franklin Founds the University of Philadelphia--Its Great Success--Franklin Organized Militia--Influence of Quakers against It--Eighty Companies Formed--Franklin Secured Fast Day--Peace.

XXXV. PHILOSOPHER AND STATESMAN.

Entering into Partnership with Hall--His Large Income--Time for Study and Research--Rapid Progress in Science--His Fame in Both Hemispheres-- What Mignet Said of His Labors--Kimmersley on His Lightning Rod-- Called Again to Political Life--List of Offices He Filled--Drafting Declaration of Independence--Hanging Separately--Anecdote--His First Labors at Court of England--Minister to England--Source of Troubles-- Hatred of Tories--Firm before House of Commons--Death of Mrs. Franklin-- Famous Letter to Strahan--The Eight Years' War--Franklin Author of the Union--First Name in History--Library and Letters of Franklin, Mass.-- His Death--Bequest to Washington.

BOYHOOD TO MANHOOD.

I.

FROM OLD ENGLAND TO NEW ENGLAND.

"I am tired of so much persecution under the reign of our corrupt king," said a neighbor to Josiah Franklin, one day in the year 1685, in the usually quiet village of Banbury, England, "and I believe that I shall pull up stakes and emigrate to Boston. That is the most thriving port in America."

"Well, I am not quite prepared for that yet," replied Franklin. "Our king is bad enough and tyrannical enough to make us all sick of our native land. But it is a great step to leave it forever, to live among strangers; and I could not decide to do it without a good deal of reflection."

"Nor I; but I have reflected upon it for a whole year now, and the more I reflect the more I am inclined to emigrate. When I can't worship God here as my conscience dictates, I will go where I can. Besides, I think the new country promises much more to the common people than the old in the way of a livelihood."

"Perhaps so; I have not given the subject much attention. Dissenters have a hard time here under Charles II, and we all have to work hard enough for a livelihood. I do not think you can have a harder time in Boston."

Josiah Franklin was not disposed to emigrate when his neighbor first opened the subject. He was an intelligent, enterprising, Christian man, a dyer by trade, was born in Ecton, Leicestershire, in 1655, but removed to Banbury in his boyhood, to learn the business of a dyer of his brother John. He was married in Banbury at twenty-two years of age, his wife being an excellent companion for him, whether in prosperity or adversity, at home among kith and kin, or with strangers in New England.

"You better consider this matter seriously," continued the neighbor, "for several families will go, I think, if one goes. A little colony of us will make it comparatively easy to leave home for a new country."

"Very true; that would be quite an inducement to exchange countries, several families going together," responded Franklin. "I should enjoy escaping from the oppression of the Established Church as much as you; but it is a too important step for me to take without much consideration. It appears to me that my business could not be as good in a new country as it is in this old country."

"I do not see why, exactly. People in a new country must have dyeing done, perhaps not so much of it as the people of an old country; but the population of a new place like Boston increases faster than the older places of our country, and this fact would offset the objection you name."

"In part, perhaps. If Benjamin could go, I should almost feel that I must go; but I suppose it is entirely out of the question for him to go."