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such force and clearness, that he was convinced I had been less to blame than he had imagined.

Sir William Keith, govern.or of the province, was at Newcastle at the time. Captain Holmes, being by chance in his company when he received my letter. took occasion to speak of me, and showed it him. The Governor read it, and appeared surprised when. he learned my age. He thought me, he said, a young inan f very promising talents, and that, of consequence, ought to be encouraged; that there were at Philade hia none but very ignorant printers, and 'hat if I were to set up for myself, he had no debt of my success: that, for his own part, he would procure me all the public business, and would render me every other servico in his power. My brother-in-law related all this to me afterwards at Boston; but I knew nothing of it at the time; when one day Keimer and I, being at work toge. ther near the window, we saw the Governor and another gentleman, Colonel French, of Newcastle, handsomely dressed, cross the street, and make directly for our house. We heard them at the door, and Keimer, believing it to be a visit to himself, went immediately down; but the Governor inquired for me, came up stairs, and, with a condescension and politeness to which I had not at all been accustomed, paid me many compliments, desired to be acquainted with me, oblig. ingly reproached me for uot having made myself known to him on my arrival in the town, and wished nie to accompany him to a tavern, where he and Col. French were going to taste some excellent Madeira wine.

I was, I confess, somewhat surprised, and Keimer appeared thunderstruck. i went, however, with the Governor and the Colonel to a tavern, at the corner of Third-street, where, while we were drinking the Ma deira, he proposed to me to establish a printing-house He set forth the probabilities of success, and himself and Colonel Frerch assured me that I should have their protection and influence in obtaining the printing of the public papers of both governments; and as appeared to doubt whether my father would assist me in this enterprise, Sir William said he would give me a letter to him, in which he would represent the ad vantages of the scheme, in a light which he had no

doubt would determine him. It was thus concluded that I should return to Boston by the first vessel, with the letter of recommendation, from the Governor to my father. Meanwhile the project was to be kept su cret, and I continued to work for Keimer as before.

The Governor sent every now and the to invite me to dine with him. I considered this as a very great honour; and was the more sensible of it, as he cor versed with me in the most affable, familiar, and friendly manner imaginable.

Towards the end of April, 1724, a small vessel was ready to sail for Boston. I took leave of Keimer, upon the pretext of going to see my parents. The Governor gave me a long letter, in which he said many dattering things of me to my father; and strongly re sommended the project of my settling at Philadelphia, As a thing which could not fail to make my fortune.

Going down the bay we struck on a flat, and sprung a leak. The weather was very tempestuous, and we were obliged to pump without intermission; I took my turn. We arrived, however, safe and sound, at Bos on, after about a fortnight's passage.

I had been absent seven complete months, and my relations, during the interval, had received no intelli gence of me; for my brother-in-law, Holmes, was not yet returned, and had not written about me. My unexpected appearance surprised the family; but they were all delighted at seeing me again, and, except my brother, welcomed me home. I went to him at the printing-house. I was better dressed than I had ever been while in his service: i had a complete suit of clothes, new and neat, a watch in my pocket, and my purse was furnished with nearly five pounds sterling in money. He gave me no very civil reception; and, having eyed me from head to foot, resumed his work

The workmen asked me with eagerness where ! had been, what sort of a country it was, and how I liked it. I spoke in the highest terms of Philadelphia, the happy life we led there, and expressed my intention of going back again. One of them asking what sort of money we had, I displayed before them a handful of silver, which I drew from my pocket. This was ■ curiosity to which they were not accustomed, paper

being the current money at Boston. I failed not, after this, to let them see my watch; and, at last, my brother continuing sullen and out of humour, I gave them a shilling to drink, and took my leave. This visit stung my brother to the soul; for when, shortly after, my mother spoke to him of a reconciliation, and a desire to see us upon good terms, he told her that I had so insulted him before his men, that he would never forget or forgive it; in this, however, he was mistaken.

The Governor's letter appeared to excite in my fa ther some surprise; but he said little. After some days Captain Holines being returned, he showed it him, asking him if he knew Keith, and what sort of a man he was: adding, that, in his opinion, it proved very little discerniment to think of setting up a boy in business, who, for three years to come, would not be of an age to be ranked in the class of men. Holmes said every thing he could in faveur of the scheme; but my father firmly maintained its absurdity, and at last gave a positive refusal. He wrote, however, a civil letter to Sir William, thanking him for the protection he had so obligingly offered me, but refusing to assist me for the present, because he thought me too young to be entrusted with the conduct of so important an enterprise, and which would require so considerable a sum of money.

My old comrade, Collins, who was a clerk in the post-uffice, charmed with the account I gave of my new residence, expressed a desire of going thither; and, while I waited my father's determination, he set off before me by land for Rhode Island, leaving his books, which formed a handsome collection in mathematics and natural philosophy, to be conveyed with mine to New-York, where he proposed to wait for me. My father, though he could not approve Sir William proposal, was yet pleased that I had obtained so ad vantageous a recommendation as that of a person of his rank, and that my industry and economy had enabled me to equip myself so handsomely in so short a period. Seeing no appearance of accommodating mat. ters between my brother and me, he consented w my return to Philadelphia, advised me to be civil in every body, to endeavour to obtain general esteem, and avoid

satire and sarcasm, to which he thought I was too much inclined; adding, that with perseverence and prudent economy, I might, by the time I became of age, save enough to establish myself in business; and that if a small sum should then be wanting, he would undertake to supply it.

This was all I could obtain from him, except some rifling presents, in token of friendship from him and ny mother. I embarked once more for New-York, furnished at this time with their approbation and biessing. The sloop having touched at Newport, in Rhode Islam, paid a visit to my brother Join, who had for some years been settled there, and was married. He had always been arched to me, and he received me with great affeon. One of his fiends, whose name was Vernon, having a debt of about thirty-six pounas due him in Pennsylvania, begged me to receive it for him, and to keep the money till I should hear from him; accordingly he gave me an order for that purpose. This affair occasioned me, in the sequel, nuch uneasiness.

At Newport we took on board a number of passengers; among whom were two young women, and a grave and sensible quaker lady with her servants. I cad shown an obliging forwardness in rendering the quaker some trig services, which led her, probably, to feel an interest in my welfare; for when she saw a famili arity take place, and every day increase, between the two young women aud, me, she took me aside, and said, "Young man, I am in pain for thee. Thou hast no parent to watch over thy conduct, and thou seemnest to be ignorant of the world, and the snares to which youth is exposed. Rely upon what I tell thee: those are women of bad characters; I perceive it in all their actions. If thou dost not take care, they will lead the into danger. They are strangers to thee, and 1 advise thee, by the friendly interest I take in thy preservation, to form no connexion with them." As I appeared at first not to think quite so ill of them as she did, she re lated many things she had seen and heard, which had escaped my attention, but which convinced me that she was in the right. I thanked her for her obliging advice, and promised to follow it.

When we arrived at New-York, they informed me where they lodged, and invited me to conie and ce them. I did not however go, and it was well I did not; for the next day, the captain, missing a silver spoon and some other things which had been taken from the cabin, and knowing these women to be prostitutes, procured a search-warrant, found the stolen goods upon them, and had them punished. And thus, after having been saved from one rock concealed under water, upon which the vessel struck during our passage, I escaped another of a still more dangerous nature.

At New-York, I found my friend Collins, who had arrived some time before. We had been intimate from our infancy, and had read the same books together; but he had the advantage of being able to devote more time to reading and study, and an astonishing disposition for mathematics, in which he left ine far behind him. When at Boston, I had been accustomed to pass with him almost all my leisure hours. He was then n sober and industrious lad, his knowledge had gained him a very general esteem, and he seemed to promise to make an advantageous figure in society. But, during my absence, he had unfortunately addicted himself to brandy, and I learned, as weil from himself as from the report of others, that every day since his arrival at New-York, he had been intoxicated, and had acted in a very extravagant manner. He had also played and lost all his money; so that I was obliged to pay his expenses at the inn, and to maintain him during the rest of his journey; a burthen that was very inconvenient

to me.

The Governor of New-York, whose name was Bcrnet, hearing the Captain say, that a young inan, who as a passenger in his ship, had a great number of jooks, begged hun to bring me to his house. I accord ingly went, and should have taken Collins with me, had he been sober. The Governor treated me with great civility, showed me his library, which was a very considerable one, and we talked for some time upon books and authors. This was the second governor who had honoured me with his attention; and to a poor hoy, as I was then, these little adventures did not fail to be pleasing.

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