Benjamin Franklin : $b Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notesFranklin, Benjamin
General
Benjamin Franklin : $b Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notes
Franklin, Benjamin
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
Keimer's Printing House I found, consisted of an old shatter'd Press,
and one small worn-out Fount of English, which he was then using
himself, composing in it an Elegy on Aquila Rose before-mentioned, an
ingenious young Man of excellent Character much respected in the Town,
Clerk of the Assembly, and a pretty Poet. Keimer made Verses, too, but
very indifferently. He could not be said to write them, for his Manner
was to compose them in the Types directly out of his Head; so there
being no Copy, but one Pair of Cases, and the Elegy likely to require
all the Letter[s], no one could help him.--I endeavour'd to put his
Press (which he had not yet us'd, and of which he understood nothing)
into Order fit to be work'd with; and promising to come and print off
his Elegy as soon as he should have got it ready, I return'd to
Bradford's who gave me a little Job to do for the present, [and] there I
lodged and dieted. A few Days after[,] Keimer sent for me to print off
the Elegy. And now he had got another Pair of Cases, and a Pamphlet to
reprint, on which he set me to work.--
These two Printers I found poorly Qualified for their Business. Bradford
had not been bred to it, and was very illiterate; and Keimer tho'
something of a Scholar, was a mere Compositor, knowing nothing of
Presswork. He had been one of the French Prophets and could act their
enthusiastic Agitations. At this time he did not profess any particular
Religion, but something of all on occasion; was very ignorant of the
World, and had, as I afterward found, a good deal of the Knave in his
Composition. He did not like my Lodging at Bradford's while I work'd
with him. He had a House indeed, but without Furniture, so he could not
lodge me: But he got me a Lodging at Mr. Read's beforementioned, who was
the Owner of his House. And my Chest and Clothes being come by this
time, I made rather a more respectable Appearance in the Eyes of Miss
Read than I had done when she first happen'd to see me eating my Roll in
the Street.--
I began now to have some Acquaintance among the young People of the
Town, that were Lovers of Reading with whom I spent my Evenings very
pleasantly and gaining Money by my Industry and Frugality, I lived very
agreably, forgetting Boston as much as I could, and not desiring that
any there should know where I resided, except my Friend Collins who was
in my Secret, and kept it when I wrote to him. At length an Incident
happened that sent me back again much sooner than I had intended.--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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