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
7. That none who are angry with me would have given me so much to let it
alone.
8. That if all the People of different Opinions in this Province would
engage to give me as much for not printing things they don't like, as I
can get by printing them, I should probably live a very easy Life; and
if all Printers were everywhere so dealt by, there would be very little
printed.
9. That I am oblig'd to all who take my Paper, and am willing to think
they do it out of meer Friendship. I only desire they would think the
same when I deal with them. I thank those who leave off, that they have
taken it so long. But I beg they would not endeavour to dissuade others,
for that will look like Malice.
10. That 'tis impossible any Man should know what he would do if he was
a Printer.
11. That notwithstanding the Rashness and Inexperience of Youth, which
is most likely to be prevail'd with to do things that ought not to be
done; yet I have avoided printing such Things as usually give Offence
either to Church or State, more than any Printer that has followed the
Business in this Province before.
12. And lastly, That I have printed above a Thousand Advertisements
which made not the least mention of _Sea-Hens_ or _Black Gowns_, and
this being the first Offence, I have the more Reason to expect
Forgiveness.
I take leave to conclude with an old Fable, which some of my Readers
have heard before, and some have not.
"A certain well-meaning Man and his Son, were travelling
towards a Market Town, with an Ass which they had to sell.
The Road was bad; and the old Man therefore rid, but the Son
went a-foot. The first Passenger they met, asked the Father
if he was not ashamed to ride by himself, and suffer the
poor Lad to wade along thro' the Mire; this induced him to
take up his Son behind him: He had not travelled far, when
he met others, who said, they are two unmerciful Lubbers to
get both on the Back of that poor Ass, in such a deep Road.
Upon this the old Man gets off, and let his Son ride alone.
The next they met called the Lad a graceless, rascally young
Jackanapes, to ride in that Manner thro' the Dirt, while his
aged Father trudged along on Foot; and they said the old Man
was a Fool, for suffering it. He then bid his Son come down,
and walk with him, and they travell'd on leading the Ass by
the Halter; 'till they met another Company, who called them
a Couple of senseless Blockheads, for going both on Foot in
such a dirty Way, when they had an empty Ass with them,
which they might ride upon. The old Man could bear no
longer; My Son, said he, it grieves me much that we cannot
please all these People. Let me throw the Ass over the next
Bridge, and be no further troubled with him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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