The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin |
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Page 39
... shilling in copper . The latter I gave the people of the boat for my passage , who at first refused it , on account of my rowing ; but I insisted on their taking it , a man being sometimes more gen- erous when he has but a little money ...
... shilling in copper . The latter I gave the people of the boat for my passage , who at first refused it , on account of my rowing ; but I insisted on their taking it , a man being sometimes more gen- erous when he has but a little money ...
Page 58
... shillings and sixpence a 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 ...
... shillings and sixpence a 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 ...
Page 62
... shillings to pay out of his wages every Saturday night for that muddling liquor - an expense I was free from . And thus these poor devils keep themselves always under . Watts after some weeks desiring to have me in the composing room ...
... shillings to pay out of his wages every Saturday night for that muddling liquor - an expense I was free from . And thus these poor devils keep themselves always under . Watts after some weeks desiring to have me in the composing room ...
Page 63
... shillings a week on their ac- counts . This , and my being esteemed a pretty good “ riggite , ” — that is , a jocular verbal satirist , -supported my consequence in the so- ciety . My constant attendance ( I never making a Saint Monday ...
... shillings a week on their ac- counts . This , and my being esteemed a pretty good “ riggite , ” — that is , a jocular verbal satirist , -supported my consequence in the so- ciety . My constant attendance ( I never making a Saint Monday ...
Page 64
... shillings a week , which , intent as I now was on saving money , made some difference , she bid me not think of it , for she would abate me two shillings a week for the future ; so I remained with her at one shilling and sixpence as ...
... shillings a week , which , intent as I now was on saving money , made some difference , she bid me not think of it , for she would abate me two shillings a week for the future ; so I remained with her at one shilling and sixpence as ...
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Common terms and phrases
accordingly acquaintance affairs afterward American appeared arrived Art of Virtue Assembly attend began BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Boston Brander Matthews bred brother brought called captain character colonies conduct continued conversation debt defense desired dispute Ecton employed endeavor England father Fort Duquesne Franklin friends gave give governor hands heard horses industry inhabitants instructions Keimer length letter Little Britain lived lodging London Lord Loudoun Madeira wine Magic squares means never obtained occasion opinion paid paper Pennsylvania perhaps persons Philadelphia pieces pleasure Poor Richard says POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC pounds sterling printer printing house procure proposed proprietaries province Quakers Ralph received sailed sect seemed sent shillings ship sometimes soon Street thee things thought thousand pounds tion told took unani virtue wagons writing wrote young
Popular passages
Page 29 - By comparing my work afterwards with the original, I discovered many faults and amended them ; but I sometimes had the pleasure of fancying that, in certain particulars of small import, I had been lucky enough to improve the method or the language, and this encouraged me to think I might possibly in time come to be a tolerable English writer, of which I was extreamly ambitious.
Page 109 - I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurred between the remarkable days in the calendar with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue, it being more difficult for a man in want to act always honestly ; as. to use here one of those proverbs, ' It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.
Page 200 - Industry all easy, as Poor Richard says; and He that riseth late must trot all Day, and shall scarce overtake his Business at Night; while Laziness travels so slowly, that Poverty soon overtakes him...
Page 12 - MR. STRAHAN, You are a member of parliament, and one of that majority which has doomed my country to destruction. — You have begun to burn our towns, and murder our people. — Look upon your hands! — They are stained with the blood of your relations ! — You and I were long friends: — You are now my enemy, — and I am • Yours, B. FRANKLIN.
Page 201 - The cat in gloves catches no mice! as Poor Richard says. 'Tis true there is much to be done, and perhaps you are weak-handed; but stick to it steadily, and you will see great effects; for Constant dropping wears away stones; and By diligence and patience the mouse ate in two the cable; and Little strokes fell great oaks...
Page 13 - THE BODY of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Printer, (like the cover of an old book, its contents torn out, and stript of its lettering and gilding) lies here food for worms ; yet the work itself shall not be lost, for it will (as he believed) appear once more in a new and more beautiful edition, corrected and amended by THE AUTHOR.
Page 28 - I thought the writing excellent, and wished if possible to imitate it. With this view I took some of the papers, and making short hints of the sentiments 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 come to hand. Then I compared my Spectator...
Page 201 - But with our Industry, we must likewise be steady, settled and careful, and oversee our own Affairs with our own Eyes, and not trust too much to others; for, as Poor Richard says I never saw an oft-removed Tree, Nor yet an oft-removed Family, That throve so well as those that settled be.
Page 85 - ... to show that I was not above my business, I sometimes brought home the paper I purchased at the stores thro' the streets on a wheelbarrow.
Page 98 - I cross'd these columns with thirteen red lines, marking the beginning of each line with the first letter of one of the virtues, on which line, and in its proper column...