naturally inclined to be meddling with things that do not concern me, perhaps I may sometimes talk of politics. And if I can by any means furnish out a weekly entertainment for the public, that will give a rational diversion, and, at the same time, be instructive to the readers, I shall think my leisure hours well employed; and if you will publish this, I hereby invite all ingenious gentlemen and others (that approve of such an undertaking) to my assistance, and correspondence.

"It is like, by this time, you have a curiosity to be acquainted with my name and character. As I do not aim at public praise, I design to remain concealed; and there are such numbers of our family and relations at this time in the country, that though I have signed my name at full length, I am not under the least apprehension of being distinguished and discovered by it. My character, indeed, I would favour you with, but that I am cautious of praising myself, lest I should be told my trumpeter is dead; and I cannot find in my heart, at present, to say any thing to my own disadvantage.

"It is very common with authors in their first performances, to talk to their readers thus:-If this meets with a suitable reception, or if this should meet with due encouragement, I shall hereafter publish, &c. This only manifests the value they put on their own writings, since they think to frighten the public into their applause, by threatening that unless you approve what they have already wrote, they intend never to write again, when perhaps it may not be a pin matter whether they ever do or no. As I have not observed the critics to be unfavourable on this account, I shall always avoid saying anything of the kind, and conclude with telling you, that if you send me a bottle of ink and a quire of paper by the bearer, you may depend on hearing further from

Sir,

"Your most humble servant,

"THE BUSY BODY."

The attention of the public became fixed, by means of these papers, on the "Weekly Mercury," and the proposals of Keimer were disregarded; so that before he had carried it on three-quarters of a year, he sold his paper to Franklin, who quickly turned it to great advantage. He introduced, at once, a better type and style of printing, and enlivened it with occasional extracts, and original essays of superior merit. Some remarks on an existing dispute between governor Burnet and the Massachusetts Assembly, in particular, made the paper exceedingly popular, until the leading men of Philadelphia, finding it in the hands of a man of talent, wished to conciliate and oblige him. When therefore Bradford, being the government printer, worked off an address of the House to the Governor in a coarse blundering manner, and Franklin and his partner re-printed it in a style of peculiar neatness, they were voted printers to the House for the year ensuing. On this occasion Mr Hamilton, having returned from England, exerted himself much in their favour.

Vernon about this time put Franklin in mind of the debt he owed him; but on receiving a letter of acknowledgment, requesting a little further forbearance, he desisted from pressing his claim; and in a short time, Franklin paid the principal, with interest. Meredith's father however, who was to have paid for their printing-house, according to agreement, had been able to advance only 100l.; and another 1007. was due to the merchant, who sued all the parties. Bail was accordingly given, and Franklin had great reasons to fear the money would not be raised in time. In this extremity, two friends of his, William Coleman and Robert Grace, came to his assistance separately, unknown to each other, and without any application from him. Each offered to advance him all the money that should be necessary to enable him to take the business on himself, but objected to his continuing in partnership with Meredith, in consequence of his low and profligate habits. "I told them," says

Franklin, "it would be dishonourable in me to propose a separation while there remained any prospect of the Merediths fulfilling their agreement, because I thought myself under great obligations to them for what they had done already; but if they failed, and the partnership must be dissolved, I must then accept the kind assistance of friends." To Meredith, Franklin shortly after remarked, that perhaps his father was dissatisfied with their partnership arrangements, and would not advance for the firm what he would for his son alone, offering, in such case, to resign the whole to his partner. This the latter declined. "I was bred a farmer," said he, "and it was folly in me to come to town, and put myself, at thirty years of age, apprentice to a new trade. Many of our Welsh people are going to settle in North Carolina: I am inclined to go with them, and follow my old employment." He finally agreed, that if Franklin would pay the debts of the firm, and some small ones of his own, return the 100l. advanced, and give him 307. and a new saddle, he would relinquish all his interest in the partnership. This the latter cheerfully acceded to; and, as he wanted money, took half from one of his friends, and half from the other. We are now brought by our narrative to the year 1729.

There being at this time only 1500l. paper-currency in the province of Pennsylvania, a clamour arose among the tradesmen and lower orders for more. But the increase was opposed by the opulent part of the community, who imagined it would result in the general depreciation of credit, as it had already done in New England. This point had been discussed in the Junto; and Franklin was on the side of an addition, from a strong persuasion that the sum issued in 1723 had increased the trade, employment, and even population, of the province. "I remembered well," says he, "when I first walked about the streets of Philadelphia, eating my roll, that I saw many houses in some of the most important streets, with bills on their doors, to be let,' whereas now I see the old ones

all inhabited, and many new ones building." Shortly after this, he published an anonymous pamphlet, entitled The Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency, which was well received; and the opponents of the measure, having no writers among them capable of answering it, the point was carried in the House by a considerable majority; Franklin being appointed to print the money. This was a lucrative job to our author, who lived to see other sums put in circulation on the same principle; trade and population increasing, in the mean time, in full proportion. Mr Hamilton, Franklin's friend, shortly afterwards procured him the printing of the Newcastle paper-money, as well as of the laws and votes of that government, which was continued in his hands as long as he followed the business. About this time he opened a small stationer's shop, and circulated blank bonds, and agreements of all kinds, the most correct that had ever appeared in the province; being indebted for the forms of them to his friend Breintual. He obtained likewise an able compositor, of the name of Whitemash, from London, and took, as an apprentice, the son of Aquila Rose.

To secure his credit and character as a tradesman, Franklin was not only really industrious and frugal, but took great pains to appear so. He dressed plainly, went to no places of public diversion; even his reading was private, so as to form no drawback upon his apparent diligence. He himself frequently brought home in a wheelbarrow the paper purchased at the stores. Being now esteemed an industrious thriving young man, and paying duly for what he bought, the merchants sought his custom; while Keimer's credit declined daily, until at length he sold his printinghouse to an apprentice of his, whom Franklin had instructed in the business. The friends of this young man having considerable interest, Franklin was at first apprehensive of a powerful rival, and accordingly proposed a partnership, which, fortunately for him, was rejected with scorn. David Harry became proud, careless of his business, and expensive in his habits,

until his business entirely fell away, and he followed Keimer to Barbadoes. No other printer now remained in Philadelphia but Bradford, who was rich, and cared little about his trade. As he held the postoffice, his paper obtained a wider circulation than Franklin's, both from the idea that he must have better opportunities of procuring information, and from his efforts to keep his rival's paper from the public; for Franklin could only receive and send papers by the post by bribing the postmen, Bradford taking care to forbid their taking it out; "a practice," says Franklin, "which I thought so meanly of, that when I afterwards came into the same situation, I took care never to imitate it."

In 1729, Mr and Mrs Godfrey, with whom he boarded (as they still lived in part of his house) proposed a match for him with the daughter of a relative of theirs, whose parents also encouraged the affair, inviting Franklin frequently, and leaving the daughter and him together. Franklin at length commissioned Mrs Godfrey to inform the young lady's friends, that he expected as much money, for a marriage portion, as would pay off the running debt upon his printing-house, to the amount perhaps of 100l.; they replied, that they had no such sum to spare, when he suggested that they might obtain it by way of mortgage on their house: but they now abruptly pretended not to approve of the match; said that printing was a poor business; that the types would be soon defaced and useless; that Keimer and Harry having failed in succession, he would, in all probability, shortly do the same, &c. Franklin considered this so unhandsome, that when Mrs Godfrey afterwards brought him more favourable accounts of their disposition towards him, he declared his resolution to have no further connexion with the family; and differences shortly afterwards arose, in consequence of which they left the house.

But Franklin had turned his thoughts seriously to marriage; and after having made overtures in other