Autobiography of Benjamin FranklinJ.B. Lippincott & Company, 1868 - 409 pages Charming 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 12
... thought a duty , though I could not , as it seemed to me , afford time to practice it . ( Autograph , p . 22. ) He agreed with the captain of a New York sloop for my passage , under the notion of my being a young acquaintance of his ...
... thought a duty , though I could not , as it seemed to me , afford time to practice it . ( Autograph , p . 22. ) He agreed with the captain of a New York sloop for my passage , under the notion of my being a young acquaintance of his ...
Page 13
... thought it impracticable , so they went away , and night coming on , we had no remedy but to wait till the wind should abate ; and , in the meantime , the boatman and I con- cluded to sleep if we could ; and so crowded into the scuttle ...
... thought it impracticable , so they went away , and night coming on , we had no remedy but to wait till the wind should abate ; and , in the meantime , the boatman and I con- cluded to sleep if we could ; and so crowded into the scuttle ...
Page 16
... thought that it would be curious to compare the history of a writer who seemed to have used his brilliant imagination merely to render himself miserable , with that of a philosopher who employed all the resources of an equally gifted ...
... thought that it would be curious to compare the history of a writer who seemed to have used his brilliant imagination merely to render himself miserable , with that of a philosopher who employed all the resources of an equally gifted ...
Page 40
... thought to convict us , and was also attributed , in part , to motives not entirely honorable to the person directly responsible for the delay . The Edinburgh Review gave the most solemn expression to the public discontent in a review ...
... thought to convict us , and was also attributed , in part , to motives not entirely honorable to the person directly responsible for the delay . The Edinburgh Review gave the most solemn expression to the public discontent in a review ...
Page 42
... thought the best way was to strangle all the innocents in the vicinage . " William Temple's tardy vindication from these imputa- tions is given in the preface to his edition of his grand- father's works . He there admits that he delayed ...
... thought the best way was to strangle all the innocents in the vicinage . " William Temple's tardy vindication from these imputa- tions is given in the preface to his edition of his grand- father's works . He there admits that he delayed ...
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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.