Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume 2 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own WritingsBruce, Wiliam Cabell
History
Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume 2 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own Writings
Bruce, Wiliam Cabell
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
With the return of day, he made himself as tidy as he could without the aid
of his clothes chest, which was coming around by sea, and repaired to the
printing shop of Andrew Bradford, to whom he had been referred by William
Bradford, the father of Andrew, in New York. When he arrived at the shop,
he found the father there. By travelling on horseback, he had reached
Philadelphia before Benjamin. By him Benjamin was introduced to Andrew
Bradford, who received him civilly, and gave him breakfast but told him
that he was not at present in need of a hand, having recently secured one.
There was another printer in town, however, he said, lately set up, one
Keimer, who perhaps might employ him. If not, Benjamin was welcome to lodge
at his house, and he would give him a little work to do now and then until
he could find steadier employment for him.
Benjamin then went off to see Keimer; and William Bradford accompanied him;
for what purpose soon became apparent enough. "Neighbor," said Bradford, "I
have brought to see you a young man of your business; perhaps you may want
such a one." Keimer asked Benjamin a few questions, put a composing stick
in his hands to test his competency, and declared that he would employ him
soon though he had just then nothing for him to do. Then taking old
Bradford, whom he had never seen before, and whose relationship to Andrew
he never suspected, to be a friendly fellow townsman, he opened up his
plans and prospects to his visitors, and announced that he expected to get
the greater part of the printing business in Philadelphia into his hands.
This announcement prompted William Bradford to draw him on "by artful
questions, and starting little doubts, to explain all his views, what
interest he reli'd on, and in what manner he intended to proceed." "I,"
observes Franklin, "who stood by and heard all, saw immediately that one of
them was a crafty old sophister, and the other a mere novice. Bradford left
me with Keimer, who was greatly surpris'd when I told him who the old man
was."
There was room enough in Philadelphia for such an expert craftsman as
Benjamin. Andrew Bradford had not been bred to the business of printing,
and was very illiterate, and Keimer, though something of a scholar, was a
mere compositor, and knew nothing of presswork. His printing outfit
consisted of an old shattered press, and one small, worn-out font of
English letters. When Benjamin called on him, he was composing directly out
of his head an elegy on Aquila Rose, a worthy young Philadelphian who had
just died:
What mournful accents thus accost mine ear,
What doleful echoes hourly thus appear!
What sighs from melting hearts proclaim aloud
The solemn mourning of this numerous crowd.
In sable characters the news is read,
Our Rose is withered, and our Eagle's fled,
In that our dear Aquila Rose is dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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