ÆT. 17.]

ARRIVES IN PHILADELPHIA.

17

adelphia, on Sunday morning from a small boat in which he had performed the last part of his journey.

"I was," says he, "in my working dress, my best clothes coming round by sea. I was dirty from my being so long in the boat; my pockets were stuffed out with shirts and stockings, and I knew no one, nor where to look for lodgings. Fatigued with walking, rowing, and the want of sleep, I was very hungry, and my whole stock of cash consisted in a single dollar and about a shilling in copper coin, which I gave to the boatmen for my passage. At first they refused it on account of my having rowed, but I insisted on their taking it. Man is sometimes more generous when he has little money than when he has plenty, perhaps to prevent his being thought to have little. I walked towards the top of the street, gazing about, still in Market street, where I met a boy with bread. I had often made a meal of dry bread, and enquiring where he had bought it, I went immediately to the baker's he directed me to; I asked for biscuits, meaning such as we had at Boston; that sort, it seems, was not made in Philadelphia. I then asked for a three penny loaf, and was told they had none. Not knowing the different prices of bread, nor the names of the different sorts, I told him to give me three penny worth of any sort. He gave me, accordingly, three great puffy rolls. I was surprised at the quantity, but took it, and having no room in my pockets, walked off with a roll under each arm, and eating the other. Thus I went up Market street as far as Fourth street, passing by the door of Mr. Reed, my future wife's father, where she, standing at the door, saw me and thought I made, as I certainly did, a most awkward, ridiculous appearance."

There were, at this time, but two printing establishments in Philadelphia, and both were of the meagerest kind. In one of these, conducted by a man named Keimer, he obtained employment, and by a singular sort of coincidence, was lodged by his employer at the house of Mr. Reed, before whose door he had passed but a few days previous, in the grotesque manner so quaintly related by himself. His chest of clothing having arrived, he was enabled to make "a rather more respectable appearance in the eyes of Miss Reed," than when she had first chanced to see him munching his penny loaf of bread.

Among the acquaintances made by him in Philadelphia, was that of Sir William Keith, the governor of the Province, who appears to have been a kind hearted and jovial sort of personage, but excessively given in the exuberance of his fancy, to making fair promises, which he had neither the intention nor the ability to perform, although to allow him due credit, he certainly desired most cordially to see them carried into execution. While on a visit to New Castle, he had seen a letter written by Franklin to his brother-in-law, Holmes, and was so much struck with the superior ability displayed by a youth of seventeen years of age, that on his return to Philadelphia he sought him out, and treated him with great kindness and attention.

Franklin thus describes his first interview with the Governor. "Keimer and I being at work together, near the window, we saw the Governor and another gentleman (who proved to be Col. French, of New Castle, in the Province of Delaware,) finely dressed, come directly across the street to our house, and heard them at the door. Keimer ran down

ÆT. 17.]

VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR.

19

immediately, thinking it a visit to him, but the Governor inquired for me, and with a condescension and politeness I had been quite unused to, made me many compliments, desired to be acquainted with me, blamed me kindly for not having made myself known to him when I first came to the place, and would have me away with him to the tavern, where he was going with Col. French, to taste, as he said, some excellent Maderia." Over his wine he proposed to Franklin, to establish himself in business, promising to lend him all his influence, and assuring him of success, as his competitors were but poor workmen. Franklin was very much pleased with the idea, but feared lest his father might object. The frank hearted Governor would listen to no such objection, and it was finally arranged that Franklin should take the first opportunity to visit his father, and obtain his consent, in which he was to be aided by a pressing letter from Sir William. In the meantime, he kept his own secret, and continued to work quietly at his trade, occasionally dining with the Governor, which he "considered a great honor, more particularly as he conversed with him in the most affable, friendly and familiar manner."

It is not at all unnatural that the acquaintance of, and friendly interchange of courtesies with, so distinguished a person as the Governor of the Province, should have tickled the fancy of the poor printer's boy, and even after old age had overtaken him and he had grown familiar with the most exalted society, and accustomed to receive the highest demonstrations of respect, we can still perceive the lurking feeling of triumph over his employer Keimer, with which he

penned the account of the interview between the Governor and himself.

Franklin's father felt flattered by the attention paid to his son by so important a person as Sir William Keith, but could not agree with him as to the propriety of establishing his son in business at his immature age, and positively refused to furnish him with the necessary means to accomplish the undertaking. He wrote a polite letter to Sir William declining his aid, and gave to his son the wholesome advice to remain closely attentive to his business until he was twenty-one years of age, by which time he might, with prudence, save money enough to set himself up, and that if he came any where near it he would help him out with the rest.

The Governor, on the receipt of the elder Franklin's letter, told Benjamin that he thought his father too prudent, and that discretion "did not always accompany years, nor was youth without it." "But," said he, "since your father will not set you up, I will." He told Franklin to give him an inventory of such things as he wanted, and promised to send to England for them, allowing Franklin to return the money when he was able.

"I presented him an inventory of a little printing house,” says Franklin, "amounting by computation to about one hundred pounds sterling. He liked it, but asked me if my being on the spot in England to choose the types and see that every thing was good of the kind, might not be of some advantage; 'then,' said he, 'when there you may make acquaintance, and establish correspondences in the book-selling and stationery way.' I agreed that this might be advantageous. Then,' said he, 'get yourself ready to go with the Annis,'

Ær. 18.]

SAILS IN THE ANNIS.

21

which was the annual ship and the only one at that time passing between London and Philadelphia. But as it would be some months before the Annis sailed, I continued working with Keimer."

When the time for its sailing had nearly arrived, he sought to obtain from the Governor the letters of credit and introduction promised by him, but was put off under one pretence or another until the very moment of sailing, when the Governor sent his Secretary to Franklin to say, that the letters would meet him on board the vessel. Under these assurances Franklin went on board, and sailed for England, accompanied by a particular friend named Ralph, who had some pretensions to be a poet, and is thus noticed in Pope's Dunciad:

"Silence ye wolves while Ralph to Cynthia howls,

And makes night hideous:-answer him ye owls."

This man left behind him a wife and child, who he was at that moment deserting with the full intention of never returning to them again; a fact afterwards communicated to Franklin, without lessening the esteem he entertained for his companion.

On arriving in the British channel, and overhauling the mail-bag, Franklin found, to the utter discomfiture of his plans, that the expected letters had never been sent, and that the promises of the Governor were only so many excuses quietly to rid himself of the performance of an obligation he found himself unable to comply with. It would appear that Sir William Keith was one of the most companionable and good feeling men in the province, and really desired two things in regard to his young companion; first, to see "a good