Autobiography of Benjamin FranklinCharming self-portrait covers boyhood, work as a printer, political career, scientific experiments, much more. Its openness, honesty, and readable style have made the "Autobiography" one of the great classics of the genre. |
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Page 98
... Provincial Letters . He was ravished by them . He read them over many times . They were one of the French books he most esteemed . " — Euvres Complets , vol . v . , p . 228 . The discrepancy between these two statements provokes the ...
... Provincial Letters . He was ravished by them . He read them over many times . They were one of the French books he most esteemed . " — Euvres Complets , vol . v . , p . 228 . The discrepancy between these two statements provokes the ...
Page 117
... province , was then at Newcastle , and Captain Holmes , happening to be in company with him when my letter came to hand , spoke to him of me , and show'd him the let- ter . The governor read it , and seem'd surpris'd when he was told my ...
... province , was then at Newcastle , and Captain Holmes , happening to be in company with him when my letter came to hand , spoke to him of me , and show'd him the let- ter . The governor read it , and seem'd surpris'd when he was told my ...
Page 162
... many principal people of the province . Several of them had been appointed by the Assembly a committee to attend the press , and take care that no more bills were printed than the law directed . They were 162 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF.
... many principal people of the province . Several of them had been appointed by the Assembly a committee to attend the press , and take care that no more bills were printed than the law directed . They were 162 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF.
Page 163
... Province , Isaac Pearson , Joseph Cooper , and several of the Smiths , members of Assembly , and Isaac De- cow , the surveyor - general . The latter was a shrewd , sagacious old man , who told me that he began for himself , when young ...
... Province , Isaac Pearson , Joseph Cooper , and several of the Smiths , members of Assembly , and Isaac De- cow , the surveyor - general . The latter was a shrewd , sagacious old man , who told me that he began for himself , when young ...
Page 170
... provincial judges . Our friendship continued without interrup- tion to his death , upward of forty years ; and the club ... province ; for our queries , which were read the week preceding their discussion , put us upon reading with ...
... provincial judges . Our friendship continued without interrup- tion to his death , upward of forty years ; and the club ... province ; for our queries , which were read the week preceding their discussion , put us upon reading with ...
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance advantage affairs afterwards agreeable appear'd appeared arriv'd Art of Virtue Assembly attended Autograph Benjamin Franklin Boston CALIFORN captain character colonies conduct continu'd continued copy desire dispute Ecton Edition of 1817 England English father France French friends gave give good-natur'd governor grandfather hands honor instructions intended Keimer letter LIBRARY Little Britain lived London Lord Loudoun manner manuscript Memoirs ment never Northamptonshire occasion opinion original pamphlet paper Paris Passy perhaps person Philadelphia piece pounds sterling present printed printer printing-house profit propos'd proposed proprietary province published Quakers Ralph receiv'd received says sect sent Society soon Sparks thing thought thro tion took translation uncle Benjamin Union Fire Company UNIVERS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Veillard Collection virtue waggons William Franklin William Temple Franklin writing written wrote young
Popular passages
Page 100 - I took a delight in it, practis'd it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing people, even of superior knowledge, into concessions, the consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved.
Page 101 - If you ask, Why less properly ? I must repeat the lines : " Immodest words admit of no defense For want of modesty is want of sense.
Page 222 - Father of light and life, thou Good Supreme ! O teach me what is good ; teach me Thyself ! Save me from folly, vanity, and vice, From every low pursuit ; and fill my soul With knowledge, conscious peace, and virtue pure ; Sacred, substantial, never-fading bliss...
Page 229 - And to this habit (after my character of integrity) I think it principally owing that I had early so much weight with my fellow-citizens when I proposed new institutions, or alterations in the old, and so much influence in public councils when I became a member ; for I was but a bad speaker, never eloquent, subject to much hesitation in my choice of words, hardly correct in language, and yet I generally carried my points.
Page 209 - Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men...
Page 223 - I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish. To avoid the trouble of renewing now and then my little book, which, by scraping out the marks on the paper of old faults to make room for new ones in a new course, became full of holes...
Page 91 - To return : I continued thus employed in my father's business for two years, that is, till I was twelve years old ; and my brother John, who was bred to that business...
Page 99 - While I was intent on improving my language, I met with an English Grammar (I think it was Greenwood's), at the end of which there were two little sketches of the arts of rhetoric and logic, the latter finishing with a specimen of a dispute in the Socratic method ; and soon after I procured Xenophon's Memorable Things of Socrates, wherein there are many instances of the same method.
Page 112 - Second-street, and ask'd for bisket, intending such as we had in Boston; but they, it seems, were not made in Philadelphia. Then I asked for a three-penny loaf, and was told they had none such. So not considering or knowing the difference of money, and the greater cheapness nor the names of his bread, I bade him give me three-penny worth of any sort. He gave me, accordingly, three great puffy rolls. I was...
Page 221 - Here will I hold. If there's a power above us (And that there is, all Nature cries aloud Through all her works), he must delight in virtue ; And that which he delights in must be happy.