Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

[Illustration: FRANKLIN ARMS]

[Illustration: FRANKLIN SEAL]

[Illustration: Franklin at the Court of Louis XVI

"He was therefore, feasted and invited to all the court parties. At these he sometimes met the old Duchess of Bourbon, who, being a chess player of about his force, they very generally played together. Happening once to put her king into prize, the Doctor took it. 'Ah,' says she, 'we do not take kings so.' 'We do in America,' said the Doctor."--Thomas Jefferson.]

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

OF

BENJAMIN

FRANKLIN

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS _by_ E. BOYD SMITH

EDITED _by_ FRANK WOODWORTH PINE

[Illustration: Printers Mark]

_New York_ HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 1916

Copyright, 1916,

BY HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY

June, 1922

THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS RAHWAY, N. J.

CONTENTS

PAGE Introduction vii

The Autobiography

I. Ancestry and Early Life in Boston 3 II. Beginning Life as a Printer 21 III. Arrival in Philadelphia 41 IV. First Visit to Boston 55 V. Early Friends in Philadelphia 69 VI. First Visit to London 77 VII. Beginning Business in Philadelphia 99 VIII. Business Success and First Public Service 126 IX. Plan for Attaining Moral Perfection 146 X. _Poor Richard's Almanac_ and Other Activities 169 XI. Interest in Public Affairs 188 XII. Defense of the Province 201 XIII. Public Services and Duties 217 XIV. Albany Plan of Union 241 XV. Quarrels with the Proprietary Governors 246 XVI. Braddock's Expedition 253 XVII. Franklin's Defense of the Frontier 274 XVIII. Scientific Experiments 289 XIX. Agent of Pennsylvania in London 296

Appendix

Electrical Kite 327 The Way to Wealth 331 The Whistle 336 A Letter to Samuel Mather 34O

Bibliography 343

ILLUSTRATIONS

Franklin at the Court of Louis XVI _Frontispiece_

"He was therefore, feasted and invited to all the court parties. At these he sometimes met the old Duchess of Bourbon, who, being a chess player of about his force, they very generally played together. Happening once to put her king into prize, the Doctor took it. 'Ah,' says she, 'we do not take kings so.' 'We do in America,' said the Doctor."--Thomas Jefferson.

PAGE Portrait of Franklin vii

Pages 1 and 4 of _The Pennsylvania Gazette_, Number XL, the first number after Franklin took control xxi

First page of _The New England Courant_ of December 4-11, 1721 33

"I was employed to carry the papers thro' the streets to the customers" 36

"She, standing at the door, saw me, and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous appearance" 48

"I took to working at press" 88

"I see him still at work when I go home from club" 120

Two pages from _Poor Richard's Almanac_ for 1736 171

"I regularly took my turn of duty there as a common soldier" 204