富蘭克林自傳

前言

本杰明·富蘭克林(1706—1790)，美國獨立運動的先驅(qū)者，美國民主精神的締造者，杰出的政治家、科學(xué)家、外交家、哲學(xué)家和實業(yè)家，美國獨立運動的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人，參與起草并簽署了《獨立宣言》和《美國憲法》。富蘭克林1706年出生于美國波士頓，他在家中的17個孩子中排行15。富蘭克林少年時上過兩年學(xué)，后因家境貧寒被迫輟學(xué)。12歲時，他到哥哥的印刷廠里當(dāng)學(xué)徒。學(xué)徒的日子雖然艱難，但他卻利用閑暇時間刻苦自學(xué)，閱讀了大量書籍，在政治、科學(xué)、歷史、文學(xué)等方面打下了扎實的基礎(chǔ)；同時，他還通過自學(xué)能熟練運用法語、意大利語、西班牙語和拉丁語。1726年，富蘭克林開始在費城獨立經(jīng)營自己的印刷廠。從此，富蘭克林的事業(yè)蒸蒸日上，開始創(chuàng)造一個美國夢的傳奇故事：他印刷并發(fā)行影響巨大的《賓夕法尼亞報》；發(fā)明了避雷針、兩用眼鏡、新式火爐和新型路燈等；率先提出了北美殖民地“不聯(lián)合就死亡”的口號，爭取法國的支持并代表北美殖民地與英國談判，與杰斐遜起草了《獨立宣言》。一個人在如此眾多的領(lǐng)域成就斐然，這在美國歷史上幾乎無人能及。1790年4月17日，富蘭克林逝世于費城，美國人民為他舉行了最隆重的葬禮，他靜靜地躺在教堂院子里的墓穴中，他的墓碑上只刻著：“印刷工富蘭克林”。富蘭克林是美國精神最完美的代表，是人類道德與理性的最佳詮釋者，是一個令人難以置信的通才。他的多重身份對此做了最好的詮釋：他是一位杰出的政治家，是美國建國的創(chuàng)始者、美國獨立運動的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者、民主精神的締造者、《獨立宣言》的起草者；同時，他還是最杰出的科學(xué)家、外交家、出版家、作家和社會實業(yè)家，他像是“從天上偷竊火種的第二個普羅米修斯”，成為舉世公認(rèn)的現(xiàn)代文明之父。正因為如此，美國開國元勛、總統(tǒng)華盛頓甚至說：“在我的一生，能讓我佩服的人只有三位：第一位是本杰明·富蘭克林，第二位也是本杰明·富蘭克林，第三位還是本杰明·富蘭克林?！背酥猓惶m克林的杰出成就還表現(xiàn)在1771年出版的改變無數(shù)年輕人命運的《富蘭克林自傳》。這本書生動地記述了富蘭克林的成長歷程，告誡年輕人要積極向上，該書在世界上影響深遠(yuǎn)。二百多年來，《富蘭克林自傳》影響了一代又一代的美國人及世界各國的年輕人。這是一部經(jīng)久不衰的勵志奇書，包含了人生奮斗與成功的真知灼見以及善與美的道德真諦，被公認(rèn)為是改變了無數(shù)人命運的美國精神讀本。在中國，《富蘭克林自傳》同樣是最受廣大青少年讀者歡迎的經(jīng)典自傳之一。目前，在國內(nèi)數(shù)量眾多的《富蘭克林自傳》書籍中，主要的出版形式有兩種，一種是中文翻譯版，另一種是中英文對照版。而其中的中英文對照讀本比較受讀者的歡迎，這主要是得益于中國人熱衷于學(xué)習(xí)英文的大環(huán)境。而從英文學(xué)習(xí)的角度上來看，直接使用純英文的學(xué)習(xí)資料更有利于英語學(xué)習(xí)?？紤]到對英文內(nèi)容背景的了解有助于英文閱讀，使用中文導(dǎo)讀應(yīng)該是一種比較好的方式，中文導(dǎo)讀也可以說是第三種版本形式。采用中文導(dǎo)讀而非中英文對照的方式進行編排，有利于國內(nèi)讀者擺脫對英文閱讀依賴中文注釋的習(xí)慣?；谝陨显颍覀儧Q定編譯《富蘭克林自傳》，并采用中文導(dǎo)讀英文版的形式出版。在中文導(dǎo)讀中，我們盡力使其貼近原作的精髓，也盡可能保留原作風(fēng)格。我們希望能夠編出為當(dāng)代中國讀者所喜愛的經(jīng)典讀本。讀者在閱讀英文故事之前，可以先閱讀中文導(dǎo)讀內(nèi)容，這樣有利于了解故事背景，從而加快閱讀速度。我們相信，該經(jīng)典著作的引進對加強當(dāng)代中國讀者，特別是青少年讀者的人文修養(yǎng)是非常有幫助的。本書主要內(nèi)容由王勛、紀(jì)飛編譯。參加本書故事素材搜集整理及編譯工作的還有趙雪、鄭佳、劉乃亞、熊金玉、李麗秀、熊紅華、王婷婷、孟憲行、胡國平、李曉紅、貢東興、陳楠、邵舒麗、馮潔、王業(yè)偉、徐鑫、王曉旭、周麗萍、熊建國、徐平國、肖潔、王小紅等。限于我們的科學(xué)、人文素養(yǎng)和英語水平，書中一定會有一些不當(dāng)之處，衷心希望讀者朋友批評指正。

內(nèi)容概要

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin，中文譯名《富蘭克林自傳》，被公認(rèn)為是世界上最偉大的自傳之一，它由美國獨立運動的杰出領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者、《獨立宣言》的起草者本杰明·富蘭克林編著而成。翔實地記述了本杰明·富蘭克林不屈服命運安排，艱苦奮斗的個人歷程；不屈服強權(quán)，依靠智慧和不屈不饒的精神為國家爭取獨立和自由的斗爭歷程。同時，還生動地講述了本杰明·富蘭克林自學(xué)成才之路，以及通過自己勤奮工作取得廣泛成就的歷程?！　姓宫F(xiàn)了一代偉人人生奮斗與取得巨大成功的歷程，真、善、美與個人奉獻(xiàn)的精神境界。閱讀本書，是一次與偉人心靈對話之旅，是實現(xiàn)美國夢的奮斗歷程和完美道德的精神之旅。無論作為語言學(xué)習(xí)的課本，還是作為通俗的文學(xué)讀本，對當(dāng)代中國的青少年都將產(chǎn)生積極的影響。為了使讀者能夠了解英文故事概況，進而提高閱讀速度和閱讀水平，在每章的開始部分增加了中文導(dǎo)讀。

作者簡介

本杰明·富蘭克林（1706—1790），美國獨立運動的先驅(qū)者，美國民主的締造者，杰出的政治家、科學(xué)家、外交家、哲學(xué)家和實業(yè)家，美國獨立運動的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人，參與起草了《獨立宣言》和《美國憲法》?！陡惶m克林自傳》生動地記敘了富蘭克林的成長歷程，告誡年輕人要積極向上。200多年來，《富蘭克林自傳擴影響了一代又一代的美國人及世界各國的年輕人。這是一部經(jīng)久不衰的勵志奇書，包含了對人生奮斗與成功的真知灼見，以及善與美的道德真諦，被公認(rèn)為是改變了無數(shù)人命運的美國精神讀本。

書籍目錄

第一章/Part 1	1第二章/Part 2	27第三章/Part 3	53第四章/Part 4	77第五章/Part 5	99第六章/Part 6	124第七章/Part 7	149第八章/Part 8	174附錄  富蘭克林大事記/Appendix  Events in Franklin's Life	197

章節(jié)摘錄

第一章Part 1（1771年，富蘭克林寫給孩子們的信）好比我渴望知道先人的生活，你們也會好奇我的生活狀況，現(xiàn)在我就利用這休假的一星期講給你們聽。當(dāng)然還有一個目的是，我經(jīng)歷了從一個出身貧賤的小男孩到財富和名譽雙收的成功，希望你們也能從中找到與自身相適應(yīng)的立身之術(shù)。回首我的幸福，我總想既然生活不能重演，不幸不會被抹去，那我就會欣然接受現(xiàn)在這恩賜于我的生活?；貞浻质亲罱咏匮莸?，為了讓回憶成為一種永恒，我選擇用筆記下來。坦率地說，寫這個自傳對于我那虛榮心也是一種極大的滿足。在我看來，感謝生活的美滿后感謝上帝所賜予我們的虛榮心是無可厚非的。在此我以一顆真誠的心感謝上帝，感謝他給予我的幸福，并讓我有足夠的毅力去承擔(dān)困苦。從我一位伯父的手記中我大概了解到祖上的一些情況。我們家族在洛斯安普頓教區(qū)的?？硕卮遄×?00多年，除了30畝地以外還以打鐵為副業(yè)，一般都是由家中的長子來接替打鐵的生意。我祖父托馬斯大部分時間都生活在?？硕卮遄錾?，他有托馬斯、約翰、本杰明、喬賽亞四個兒子和一個女兒。長子托馬斯一直住在?？硕兀颈慌囵B(yǎng)學(xué)習(xí)打鐵，后因天性聰慧，經(jīng)過學(xué)習(xí)成為一名書記員，積極推動公益事業(yè)，屬于當(dāng)?shù)睾苡杏绊懙娜宋铮缓芏嗬先硕颊f我和托馬斯很像，就像人們所認(rèn)為的轉(zhuǎn)世投胎那樣：他去世后第四年的忌日就是我的生日。約翰是生活在牛津郡班伯里的一名洗染工，祖父暮年和他生活在一起并葬在那里。本杰明是染絲綢的染工，機靈、虔誠且關(guān)心政治，他不僅寫過很多即興的小詩，還創(chuàng)造了一套速記法；我父親和他的感情很深，這就是為什么我名叫“本杰明”。我們家族很早就開始信奉新教，而且直到查理二世王朝覆滅時都是英國國教教徒，其后本杰明叔叔和喬賽亞離開了國教。為了追求宗教自由，我父親喬賽亞在朋友勸說下于1682年帶著妻子和三個孩子來到新英格蘭。父親一共有17個子女，我在其中排行倒數(shù)第二，是最小的兒子，我出生在波士頓。我母親叫阿拜雅·福爾杰，是我父親的第二個妻子，為他生有10個子女。我的外祖父叫彼得·福爾杰，他很早便到新英格蘭定居，是最早的移民之一，他常寫一些即興短詩以頌揚良心自由，《美洲基督大事記》中也曾記載過我祖父，并且稱贊他善良又博學(xué)。早在孩提時我就開始學(xué)習(xí)，父親的朋友都認(rèn)為我將來能成為一個大學(xué)者，父親也希望我從事教會事業(yè)，因此8歲時便將我送到文法學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)。一年后考慮到經(jīng)費問題，我轉(zhuǎn)至一所教授讀寫和算術(shù)的學(xué)校。在新學(xué)校里我很快學(xué)得一手漂亮字，但算術(shù)卻不及格。10歲的時候父親把我?guī)Щ亓思遥鲂┘魻T芯、照看店面、跑腿送貨的事情，幫助維持全家的生計。然而我一心向往航海，卻遭到父親反對。你們可能對我父親的一些事頗為好奇吧。他是個中等身材的人，但體格健壯，天資聰慧，對繪畫、音樂等很多方面都有所涉獵，另外對機械也很在行。但父親的超人之處更在于他極強的理解力和判斷力，他似乎天生適合做裁決人。很多人都詢問他許多棘手的事情的意見，他也常被邀請做裁決人。父親與他那些思維敏銳的朋友們的充滿智慧的談話讓我受益匪淺，它讓幼小的我懂得應(yīng)該去關(guān)心什么，不應(yīng)該關(guān)心什么。這就是我為什么重視善良、公正與謹(jǐn)慎，而忽視那些生活中不必要的瑣碎細(xì)節(jié)。父親89歲去世。我母親身體也很好，85歲去世，他們死后合葬于波士頓。似乎是老了的緣故，話題扯得有點遠(yuǎn)，下面回到正題。我在父親那兒做到12歲，但仍厭惡蠟燭匠人這一行當(dāng)，父親便帶我去看一些木匠、瓦匠、銅匠，希望我能從中找到喜愛的工作。這種經(jīng)歷使我學(xué)到了很多，漸漸地實驗興致高漲，開始嘗試做一些小機器。我從小愛讀書，零花錢都用在書上了，而父親也終于因此讓我從事印刷這個行業(yè)。1717年，哥哥詹姆斯帶著印刷機從英國回到波士頓，開始創(chuàng)業(yè)。相對于父親的行業(yè)我更喜歡哥哥的印刷行當(dāng)，12歲那年，我被說服簽訂了學(xué)徒合同。印刷工作給了我更好的機會去讀書。那時我正著迷于詩歌，便在哥哥的鼓勵下寫了兩首詩去賣錢。但父親卻不以為然，他說寫詩的基本都窮得很，因此長大后的我盡量避免成為一個詩人。但散文寫作對于我的一生卻有著莫大的幫助。約翰·柯林斯是鎮(zhèn)上另外一個喜歡讀書的年輕人，我們常在一起辯論。有一次我們辯得難舍難分，所以分開后我就將我的理由寫下來寄給他，然后他再回復(fù)。如此往復(fù)三四次后父親偶然發(fā)現(xiàn)了，他借此指出了我寫作中的長處和短處，尤其指出我在寫作的清晰明了和措辭優(yōu)雅方面有待改進。這時我買了一本殘缺的《旁觀者》第三卷，我對這本書愛不釋手，并開始想到去模仿它。我將其中幾篇文章做了摘要，然后試著在不看原文的情況下復(fù)述原文，最后與原文對照，訂正我的錯誤。我的詞匯量貧乏，因此我又用把故事改寫成詩的方法來擴充詞匯量。一般我都是利用完工后的夜里或開工前的清晨來進行這種閱讀和寫作訓(xùn)練的。16歲那年，我偶然碰到一本提議吃素的書，從此我便決心吃素。這種節(jié)制飲食的做法不僅給我提供了額外的買書錢，還節(jié)省出了寶貴的學(xué)習(xí)時間，使我常保持頭腦清楚、思維敏捷。為彌補算術(shù)上的不足，我找來寇克的書自學(xué)了一遍；另外我還從有關(guān)航海的書上學(xué)到了很少的一些幾何知識；《蘇格拉底談話錄》則讓我了解了該如何辯論。1720或1721年時，哥哥開始印刷報紙：《新英格蘭報》，美洲出現(xiàn)的第二家報紙，報紙很受歡迎。我也躍躍欲試，但擔(dān)心哥哥知道稿子是我這個小孩寫的決不會發(fā)表，所以就開始匿名寫稿。稿子在哥哥和他的朋友間得到好評，他們紛紛猜測文章作者是鎮(zhèn)上某個博學(xué)之人。就這樣直到我江郎才盡時我才把真相告訴哥哥。但哥哥并不高興，也許是怕我過于驕傲。哥哥認(rèn)為他是我的師傅，應(yīng)該從我這里得到其他學(xué)徒一樣的服務(wù)；而我覺得他對我要求太多了，作為一個兄長他給予我的應(yīng)該是寵愛。就在我無比期待這討厭的學(xué)徒生涯能縮短些時，機會來了。我們報紙上的一篇有關(guān)政治問題的文章觸怒了州議會，哥哥被監(jiān)禁了一個月，這期間由我負(fù)責(zé)報紙的管理。當(dāng)局下令：禁止詹姆斯？富蘭克林繼續(xù)出版《新英格蘭報》。最后哥哥他們商定用本杰明？富蘭克林的名義繼續(xù)發(fā)行。但幾個月后，我和哥哥又發(fā)生了新矛盾：我趁火打劫地處處維護自己的自由，哥哥則經(jīng)常對我大打出手。后來我意識到那時我可能是太沒有禮貌了，這是我一生犯下的第一大錯。我準(zhǔn)備離開哥哥，他便說服鎮(zhèn)上的老板不要給我工作，另外由于我早已引起當(dāng)局的憎惡，最后我決定去紐約。怕父親發(fā)現(xiàn)，我在柯林斯的幫助下悄悄上了前往紐約的船，3天后，17歲的身無分文的我到了離家300英里的紐約。我向當(dāng)?shù)氐挠∷⒗习迕熳运]，他便介紹我去他兒子在賓夕法尼亞州的印刷所做助手。渡海時我們遭遇了狂風(fēng)。我救了一位落水的荷蘭乘客，而他有一本 我鐘愛的作家班揚的《天路歷程》。后來我們上岸，徒步前行去50英里 外的伯林頓。第二天晚上，我搭上一條前往費城的船。由于沒有風(fēng)，我 們只能劃船前行，午夜時登岸呆到天亮。第三天早上八九點，我終于到了費城。wyford, at the Bishop of St. Asaph's, 1771DEAR SON,I HAVE ever had pleasure in obtaining any little anecdotes of my ancestors. You may remember the inquiries I made among the remains of my relations when you were with me in England, and the journey I undertook for that purpose. Imagining it may be equally agreeable to some of you to know the circumstances of my life, many of which you are yet unacquainted with, and expecting the enjoyment of a week's uninterrupted leisure in my present country retirement, I sit down to write them for you. To which I have besides some other inducements. Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world, and having gone so far through life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means I made use of, which with the blessing of God so well succeeded, my posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them suitable to their own situations, and therefore fit to be imitated.That felicity, when I reflected on it, has induced me sometimes to say, that were it offered to my choice, I should have no objection to a repetition of the same life from its beginning, only asking the advantages authors have in a second edition to correct some faults of the first. So I might, besides correcting the faults, change some sinister accidents and events of it for others more favorable. But though this were denied, I should still accept the offer. Since such a repetition is not to be expected, the next thing most like living one's life over again seems to be a recollection of that life, and to make that recollection as durable as possible by putting it down in writing.Hereby, too, I shall indulge the inclination so natural in old men, to be talking of themselves and their own past actions; and I shall indulge it without being tiresome to others, who, through respect to age, might conceive themselves obliged to give me a hearing, since this may be read or not as any one pleases. And, lastly (I may as well confess it, since my denial of it will be believed by nobody), perhaps I shall a good deal gratify my own vanity. Indeed, I scarce ever heard or saw the introductory words, "Without vanity I may say," &c., but some vain thing immediately followed. Most people dislike vanity in others, whatever share they have of it themselves; but I give it fair quarter wherever I meet with it, being persuaded that it is often productive of good to the possessor, and to others that are within his sphere of action; and therefore, in many cases, it would not be altogether absurd if a man were to thank God for his vanity among the other comforts of life.And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to His kind providence, which lead me to the means I used and gave them success. My belief of this induces me to hope, though I must not presume, that the same goodness will still be exercised toward me, in continuing that happiness, or enabling me to bear a fatal reverse, which I may experience as others have done: the complexion of my future fortune being known to Him only in whose power it is to bless to us even our afflictions.The notes one of my uncles (who had the same kind of curiosity in collecting family anecdotes) once put into my hands, furnished me with several particulars relating to our ancestors. From these notes I learned that the family had lived in the same village, Ecton, in Northamptonshire, for three hundred years, and how much longer he knew not (perhaps from the time when the name of Franklin, that before was the name of an order of people, was assumed by them as a surname when others took surnames all over the kingdom), on a freehold of about thirty acres, aided by the smith's business, which had continued in the family till his time, the eldest son being always bred to that business; a custom which he and my father followed as to their eldest sons. When I searched the registers at Ecton, I found an account of their births, marriages and burials from the year 1555 only, there being no registers kept in that parish at any time preceding. By that register I perceived that I was the youngest son of the youngest son for five generations back.My grandfather Thomas, who was born in 1598, lived at Ecton till he grew too old to follow business longer, when he went to live with his son John, a dyer at Banbury, in Oxfordshire, with whom my father served an apprenticeship. There my grandfather died and lies buried. We saw his gravestone in 1758. His eldest son Thomas lived in the house at Ecton, and left it with the land to his only child, a daughter, who, with her husband, one Fisher, of Wellingborough, sold it to Mr. Isted, now lord of the manor there. My grandfather had four sons that grew up, viz.: Thomas, John, Benjamin and Josiah. I will give you what account I can of them, at this distance from my papers, and if these are not lost in my absence, you will among them find many more particulars.Thomas was bred a smith under his father; but, being ingenious, and encouraged in learning (as all my brothers were) by an Esquire Palmer, then the principal gentleman in that parish, he qualified himself for the business of scrivener; became a considerable man in the county; was a chief mover of all public-spirited undertakings for the county or town of Northampton, and his own village, of which many instances were related of him; and much taken notice of and patronized by the then Lord Halifax. He died in 1702, January 6, old style, just four years to a day before I was born. The account we received of his life and character from some old people at Ecton, I remember, struck you as something extraordinary, from its similarity to what you knew of mine. "Had he died on the same day," you said, "one might have supposed a transmigration."John was bred a dyer, I believe of woolens. Benjamin was bred a silk dyer, serving an apprenticeship at London. He was an ingenious man. I remember him well, for when I was a boy he came over to my father in Boston, and lived in the house with us some years. He lived to a great age. His grandson, Samuel Franklin, now lives in Boston. He left behind him two quarto volumes, MS., of his own poetry, consisting of little occasional pieces addressed to his friends and relations, of which the following, sent to me, is a specimen.To my Namesake upon a Report of his Inclination to Martial Affairs, July 7th, 1710Believe me, Ben, war is a dangerous trade.The sword has marred as well as made;By it do many fall, not many rise—Makes many poor, few rich, and fewer wise;Fills towns with ruin, fields with blood, besideTis sloth's maintainer and the shield of Pride.Fair cities, rich today in plenty flow,War fills with want tomorrow, and with woe.Ruined states, vice, broken limbs, and scarsAre the effects of desolating wars.He had formed a short-hand of his own, which he taught me, but, never practising it, I have now forgot it. I was named after this uncle, there being a particular affection between him and my father. He was very pious, a great attender of sermons of the best preachers, which he took down in his short-hand, and had with him many volumes of them. He was also much of a politician; too much, perhaps, for his station. There fell lately into my hands, in London, a collection he had made of all the principal pamphlets, relating to public affairs, from 1641 to 1717; many of the volumes are wanting as appears by the numbering, but there still remain eight volumes in folio, and twenty-four in quarto and in octavo. A dealer in old books met with them, and knowing me by my sometimes buying of him, he brought them to me. It seems my uncle must have left them here, when he went to America, which was about fifty years since. There are many of his notes in the margins.This obscure family of ours was early in the Reformation, and continued Protestants through the reign of Queen Mary, when they were sometimes in danger of trouble on account of their zeal against popery. They had got an English Bible, and to conceal and secure it, it was fastened open with tapes under and within the cover of a joint-stool. When my great-great-grandfather read it to his family, he turned up the joint-stool upon his knees, turning over the leaves then under the tapes. One of the children stood at the door to give notice if he saw the apparitor coming, who was an officer of the spiritual court. In that case the stool was turned down again upon its feet, when the Bible remained concealed under it as before. This anecdote I had from my uncle Benjamin. The family continued all of the Church of England till about the end of Charles the Second's reign, when some of the ministers that had been outed for nonconformity holding conventicles in Northamptonshire, Benjamin and Josiah adhered to them, and so continued all their lives: the rest of the family remained with the Episcopal Church. Josiah, my father, married young, and carried his wife with three children into New England, about 1682. The conventicles having been forbidden by law, and frequently disturbed, induced some considerable men of his acquaintance to remove to that country, and he was prevailed with to accompany them thither, where they expected to enjoy their mode of religion with freedom. By the same wife he had four children more born there, and by a second wife ten more, in all seventeen; of which I remember thirteen sitting at one time at his table, who all grew up to be men and women, and married; I was the youngest son, and the youngest child but two, and was born in Boston, New England.My mother, the second wife, was Abiah Folger, daughter of Peter Folger, one of the first settlers of New England, of whom honorable mention is made by Cotton Mather in his church history of that country, entitled Magnalia Christi Americana, as'a godly, learned Englishman, "if I remember the words rightly. I have heard that he wrote sundry small occasional pieces, but only one of them was printed, which I saw now many years since. It was written in 1675, in the home-spun verse of that time and people, and addressed to those then concerned in the government there.It was in favor of liberty of conscience, and in behalf of the Baptists, Quakers, and other sectaries that had been under persecution, ascribing the Indian wars, and other distresses that had befallen the country, to that persecution, as so many judgments of God to punish so heinous an offense, and exhorting a repeal of those uncharitable laws. The whole appeared to me as written with a good deal of decent plainness and manly freedom. The six concluding lines I remember, though I have forgotten the two first of the stanza; but the purport of them was, that his censures proceeded from good-will, and, therefore, he would be known to be the author.Because to be a libeller (says he)I hate it with my heart;Form Sherburne town, where now I dwellMy name I do put here;Without offense your real friend,It is Peter Folgier.My elder brothers were all put apprentices to different trades. I was put to the grammar-school at eight years of age, my father intending to devote me, as the tithe of his sons, to the service of the Church. My early readiness in learning to read (which must have been very early, as I do not remember when I could not read), and the opinion of all his friends, that I should certainly make a good scholar, encouraged him in this purpose of his. My uncle Benjamin, too, approved of it, and proposed to give me all his short-hand volumes of sermons, I suppose as a stock to set up with, if I would learn his character. I continued, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

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