FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN, bore at Boston, in New England, January 6, 1700, Old Style, was the son of a tallow-chandler iu humble circumstances, but intelligent and strong-minded. As It boy he had a great desire to go to sea; but he also displayed a fondness for rending, which induced his father to apprentice him to another son, who was a printer at Boston. His love of books, which he had now more means of indulging, weaned him from the love of the sea; and he practised great abstinence aud self-denial, the better to improve his opportunities of study. At the same time he made himself an able workman. The two brothers however did not agree: the elder used an undue severity, which the younger, as he himself says, did something to provoke by his impertinence. These quarrels led to a step, which, with his usual candour, Franklin has plainly related, and declared to have been dishonourable. His indentures had, for certain reasons, been cancelled, under a private agreement that he should continue to serve for the full period of apprenticeship. A new quarrel arising, he took advantage of the letter of the law, and declared his resolution to quit his brother's service. The printer took care so to represent this matter that Benjamin was unable to find employment in Boston. He therefore went away secretly, without the consent of his parents, in 1723, and after a vain trial to find work at New York, engaged himself to an obscure printer in Philadelphia, named Keimer. There he lived frugally and creditably for n year and a half: but being induced by deceptive promises of patronage to think of setting up for himself as a master printer, he sailed for England, in the begioning of 1725, to purchase the necessary stock in trade. On his arrival ho discovered that his pretended friend had neither the power nor the desire to help him ; and being destitute of money or credit, he again found employment as a journeyman printer in London. His own account of this portion of his life, which offers an admirable example of frugality and iuduatry, is very interesting. Haring gained the good-will of Mr. Denham, a merchant of Philadelphia, he returned thither as that gentleman's clerk, in July 1726. He now considered his prospects to he protnisiug: but in 1727 Mr. Denham died, and Franklin being unable to do better, returned to his old trade and his old master, Reimer. In the coerce of two years he gained credit and
friends to enable him to set up in business on his own account; and on September 1, 1730, he married a young woman to whom, before his voyage to England, ho hal been attached.
Franklin had early renounced Christianity, nor does It appear, though he has unequivocally recorded his belief in God aud in a future existence, that he ever again gave credence to revealed religion. About this time however a great change took place in his views. In London he had written a pamphlet to prove (we quote his words) 'from the attributes of God, his goodness, wisdom, and power, that there could be no such thing as evil in the world; that vice and virtue did not in reality exist, and were nothing more than vain dis tinctions." Reflection on the conduct of other freethinkers, by whom he had suffered, aud on POMO parts of his own life, which lie has candidly related and condemued, brought him to a differeut way of thinking ; and, he says, " I was at la-t convinced that truth, probity, and sincerity in transactious between MREI and man were of the utmost importance to the happiuess of life; and 1 resolved from that moment, and wrote the resulution in my journal, to practises them as long as I lived." This resolution he fully kept. His honesty and etraightforwardness have pursed unquestioned, even by the numerous enemies whom his religious and political opinions raised ageinet him.
Unceasing industry, business-like habits, a large fund of disposable talent, general hibernation, and readioees In the use of his pen, either for amusement or instruction, gradually secured to Franklin a large circle of friends, and raised Lim from poverty to affluence. Ile engaged in literature; edited a newspaper, wrote a pamphlet to advocate a paper currency; and in 1732 projected 'Poor Richard's Almanac,' of which the distinguishing feature was a series of maxims of prudence and industry, in the form of proverbs. It was continued for twenty-five years, and is said to have reached a circulation of 10,000 annually. These maxima, collected in one piece, called ' The Way to Wealth; obtained uncommon popularity, and have been translated into various languages.