Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: With Introduction and Notes |
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Page 1
... 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 . Im- agining it may be equally ...
... 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 . Im- agining it may be equally ...
Page 16
... obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved . I continued this method some few years , but gradually left it , retaining only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence , never using , when I ...
... obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved . I continued this method some few years , but gradually left it , retaining only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence , never using , when I ...
Page 17
... obtain the concurrence you desire . Pope judiciously observes " Men must be taught as if you taught them not , And things unknown proposed as things forgot . " He also commended it to us " To speak , though sure , with seeming ...
... obtain the concurrence you desire . Pope judiciously observes " Men must be taught as if you taught them not , And things unknown proposed as things forgot . " He also commended it to us " To speak , though sure , with seeming ...
Page 29
... obtain for me the public business of both governments . And as I expressed doubts that my father would assist me in it , Sir William said he would give me letter to him , in which he would set forth the advantages , and he did not doubt ...
... obtain for me the public business of both governments . And as I expressed doubts that my father would assist me in it , Sir William said he would give me letter to him , in which he would set forth the advantages , and he did not doubt ...
Page 30
... obtain so advanta- geous a character from a person of such note where I had resided , and that I had been so industrious and careful as to equip myself so handsomely in so short a time ; therefore , seeing no prospect of an ...
... obtain so advanta- geous a character from a person of such note where I had resided , and that I had been so industrious and careful as to equip myself so handsomely in so short a time ; therefore , seeing no prospect of an ...
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance advantage affairs afterward almanac American appeared arrived Assembly attend began BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Boston bred brother brought called captain colonies continued conversation debt desire dispute employed endeavored England father Fort Duquesne Franklin friends gave give Gnadenhutten Gout governor hands heard honor horses Indians industry inhabitants instructions Keimer kind learning length letters Little Britain lived lodged London Lord Loudoun Madeira wine master means mention mind never night observed occasion opinion pamphlet paper Pennsylvania perhaps person Philadelphia pleased pleasure Poems Poor Richard says POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC Port-Royal present printed printer printing-house procure proposed province Province of Pennsylvania Quakers received sailed sect sensible shillings Socratic method sometimes soon Street thee things thought thousand pounds tion told took Uncle Benjamin virtue wagons walk writing wrote young
Popular passages
Page 168 - Methinks I hear some of you say, Must a Man afford himself no Leisure? I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, Employ thy Time well, if thou meanest to gain Leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a Minute, throw not away an Hour.
Page 174 - This doctrine, my friends, is reason and wisdom; but, after all do not depend too much upon your own industry and frugality and prudence, though excellent things; for they may all be blasted, without the blessing of Heaven; and, therefore, ask that blessing humbly, and be not uncharitable to those that at present seem to want it, but comfort and help them. Remember Job suffered, and was afterward prosperous. " And now, to conclude, Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other...
Page 99 - I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers.
Page 14 - I had never before seen any of them. I bought it, read it over and over, and was much delighted with it. I thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to imitate it.
Page 78 - Father of light and life, thou Good Supreme ! O teach me what is good ; teach me Thyself! Save me from folly, vanity, and vice, From every low pursuit; and feed my soul With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure; Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss...
Page 74 - ORDER Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4 RESOLUTION Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
Page 232 - Good," which, I think, was written by your father. It had been so little regarded by a former possessor that several leaves of it were torn out, but the remainder gave me such a turn of thinking as to have an influence on my conduct through life; for I have always set a greater value on the character of a doer of good than on any other kind of reputation ; and if I have been, as you seem to think, a useful citizen, the public owes the advantage of it to that book.
Page 166 - Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright, as Poor Richard says. But dost thou love life, then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of, as Poor Richard says. How much more than is necessary do we spend in sleep, forgetting that The sleeping fox catches no poultry, and that There will be sleeping enough in the grave, as Poor Richard says.
Page viii - Then I compared my Spectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, and corrected them. But I found I wanted a stock of words, or a readiness in recollecting and using them...
Page viii - I thought the writing excellent, and wished, if possible, to imitate it. With this view I took some of the papers, and making short hints of the sentiment in each sentence, laid them by a few days, and then, without looking at the book, tried to complete the papers again, by expressing each hinted sentiment at length, and as fully as it had been expressed before, in any suitable words that should come to hand. Then I compared my Spectator with the original, discovered some of my faults, and corrected...