The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Volume 1

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J.B. Lippincott, 1916

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Page 223 - Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men...
Page 114 - 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 110 - ... in each sentence, laid them by a few days, and then, without looking at the book, tried to complete the papers again by expressing each hinted sentiment at length, and as fully as it had been expressed before, in any suitable words that should occur to me. Then I compared my ' Spectator ' with the original, discovered some of my faults and corrected them.
Page 229 - These names of virtues, with their precepts were:— 1 TEMPERANCE Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. 2 SILENCE Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. 3 ORDER Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 4 RESOLUTION Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
Page 161 - Water-American, as they called me, was stronger than themselves, who drank strong beer! We had an alehouse boy who attended always in the house to supply the workmen. My companion at the press drank every day a pint before breakfast, a pint at breakfast with his bread and cheese, a pint between breakfast and dinner, a pint at dinner, a pint in the afternoon about six o'clock, and another when he had done his day's work.
Page 235 - I could go through a course complete in thirteen weeks, and four courses in a year. And like him who, having a garden to weed, does not attempt to eradicate all the bad herbs at once, which would exceed his reach and his strength, but works on one of the beds at a time, and, having accomplished the first, proceeds to a second...
Page 107 - Often I sat up in my room reading the greatest part of the night, when the book was borrowed in the evening and to be returned early in the morning, lest it should be missed or wanted.
Page 261 - ... which he had never done before, and with great civility ; and he ever after manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death. This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, " He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.
Page 128 - ... with one ; but there was another printer in town, lately set up, one, Keimer, who, perhaps, might employ me; if not, I should be welcome to lodge at his house, and he would give me a little work to do now and then till fuller business should offer. The old gentleman said he would go with me to the new printer; and when we found him, " Neighbor," says Bradford, " I have brought to see you a young man of your business ; perhaps you may want such a one.
Page 337 - It is, perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but if you were to deal it out and only just after prayers, you would have them all about you.

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