Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself. [Vol. 1 of 2]: With His Most Interesting Essays, Letters, and Miscellaneous Writings; Familiar, Moral, Political, Economical, and Philosophical, Selected with Care from All His Published Productions, and Comprising Whatever Is Most Entertaining and Valuable to the General ReaderFranklin, Benjamin
History
Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself. [Vol. 1 of 2]: With His Most Interesting Essays, Letters, and Miscellaneous Writings; Familiar, Moral, Political, Economical, and Philosophical, Selected with Care from All His Published Productions, and Comprising Whatever Is Most Entertaining and Valuable to the General Reader
Franklin, Benjamin
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790; Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 -- Correspondence; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography
We both of us happened to know, as well as the stationer, that
Riddlesden, the attorney, was a very knave; he had half ruined Miss
Read's father, by persuading him to be bound for him. By his letter it
appeared there was a secret scheme on foot to the prejudice of Mr.
Hamilton (supposed to be then coming over with us); that Keith was
concerned in it, with Riddlesden. Denham, who was a friend of
Hamilton's, thought he ought to be acquainted with it; so, when he
arrived in England, which was soon after, partly from resentment and ill
will to Keith and Riddlesden, and partly from good will to him, I waited
on him and gave him the letter. He thanked me cordially, the information
being of importance to him; and from that time he became my friend,
greatly to my advantage afterward on many occasions.
But what shall we think of a governor playing such pitiful tricks, and
imposing so grossly upon a poor ignorant boy! It was a habit he had
acquired; he wished to please everybody, and having little to give, he
gave expectations. He was otherwise an ingenious, sensible man, a pretty
good writer, and a good governor for the people, though not for his
constituents the proprietaries, whose instructions he sometimes
disregarded: several of our best laws were of his planning, and passed
during his administration.
Ralph and I were inseparable companions. We took lodgings together in
Little Britain, at 3s. 6d. per week; as much as we could then afford. He
found some relations, but they were poor, and unable to assist him. He
now let me know his intentions of remaining in London, and that he never
meant to return to Philadelphia. He had brought no money with him, the
whole he could muster having been expended in paying his passage. I had
fifteen pistoles; so he borrowed occasionally of me to subsist, while he
was looking out for business. He first endeavoured to get into the
playhouse, believing himself qualified for an actor; but Wilkes to whom
he applied, advised him candidly not to think of that employment, as it
was impossible he should succeed in it. Then he proposed to Roberts, a
publisher in Paternoster Row, to write for him a weekly paper like the
Spectator, on certain conditions; which Roberts did not approve. Then he
endeavoured to get employment as a hackney-writer, to copy for the
stationers and lawyers about the Temple; but could not find a vacancy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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