intro-第1章

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THE　AUTOBIOGRAPHY　OF

BENJAMIN　FRANKLIN






INTRODUCTORY　NOTE





BENJAMIN　FRANKLIN　was　born　in　Milk　Street；　Boston；　on　January

6；　1706。　　His　father；　Josiah　Franklin；　was　a　tallow　chandler　who

married　twice；　and　of　his　seventeen　children　Benjamin　was　the　youngest

son。　　His　schooling　ended　at　ten；　and　at　twelve　he　was　bound　apprentice

to　his　brother　James；　a　printer；　who　published　the　〃New　England

Courant。〃　To　this　journal　he　became　a　contributor；　and　later　was　for

a　time　its　nominal　editor。　But　the　brothers　quarreled；　and　Benjamin

ran　away；　going　first　to　New　York；　and　thence　to　Philadelphia；　where

he　arrived　in　October；　1723。　　He　soon　obtained　work　as　a　printer；

but　after　a　few　months　he　was　induced　by　Governor　Keith　to　go　to

London；　where；　finding　Keith's　promises　empty；　he　again　worked　as　a

compositor　till　he　was　brought　back　to　Philadelphia　by　a　merchant

named　　Denman；　who　gave　him　a　position　in　his　business。　On　Denman's

death　he　returned　to　his　former　trade；　and　shortly　set　up　a　printing

house　of　his　own　from　which　he　published　〃The　Pennsylvania　Gazette；〃

to　which　he　contributed　many　essays；　and　which　he　made　a　medium　for

agitating　a　variety　of　local　reforms。　In　1732　he　began　to　issue　his

famous　〃Poor　Richard's　Almanac〃　for　the　enrichment　of　which　he　borrowed

or　composed　those　pithy　utterances　of　worldly　wisdom　which　are　the

basis　of　a　large　part　of　his　popular　reputation。　　In　1758；　the　year

in　which　he　ceases　writing　for　the　Almanac；　he　printed　in　it　〃Father

Abraham's　Sermon；〃　now　regarded　as　the　most　famous　piece　of　literature

produced　in　Colonial　America。



Meantime　Franklin　was　concerning　himself　more　and　more　with

public　affairs。　　He　set　forth　a　scheme　for　an　Academy；　which　was

taken　up　later　and　finally　developed　into　the　University　of　Pennsylvania；

and　he　founded　an　〃American　Philosophical　Society〃　for　the　purpose

of　enabling　scientific　　men　to　communicate　their　discoveries　to　one

another。　　He　himself　had　already　begun　his　electrical　researches；

which；　with　other　scientific　inquiries；　he　called　on　in　the　intervals

of　money…making　and　politics　to　the　end　of　his　life。　　In　1748　he

sold　his　business　in　order　to　get　leisure　for　study；　having　now

acquired　comparative　wealth；　and　in　a　few　years　he　had　made　discoveries

that　gave　him　a　reputation　with　the　learned　throughout　Europe。　　In

politics　he　proved　very　able　both　as　an　administrator　and　as　a

controversialist；　but　his　record　as　an　office…holder　is　stained　by

the　use　he　made　of　his　position　to　advance　his　relatives。　　His　most

notable　service　in　home　politics　was　his　reform　of　the　postal　system；

but　his　fame　as　a　statesman　rests　chiefly　on　his　services　in　connection

with　the　relations　of　the　Colonies　with　Great　Britain；　and　later　with

France。　　In　1757　he　was　sent　to　England　to　protest　against　the

influence　of　the　Penns　in　the　government　of　the　colony；　and　for　five

years　he　remained　there；　striving　to　enlighten　the　people　and　the

ministry　of　England　as　to　Colonial　conditions。　　On　his　return　to

America　he　played　an　honorable　part　in　the　Paxton　affair；　through

which　he　lost　his　seat　in　the　Assembly；　but　in　1764　he　was　again

despatched　to　England　as　agent　for　the　colony；　this　time　to　petition

the　King　to　resume　the　government　from　the　hands　of　the　proprietors。

In　London　he　actively　opposed　the　proposed　Stamp　Act；　but　lost　the

credit　for　this　and　much　of　his　popularity　through　his　securing　for

a　friend　the　office　of　stamp　agent　in　America。　　Even　his　effective

work　in　helping　to　obtain　the　repeal　of　the　act　left　him　still　a

suspect；　but　he　continued　his　efforts　to　present　the　case　for　the

Colonies　as　the　troubles　thickened　toward　the　crisis　of　the　Revolution。

In　1767　he　crossed　to　France；　where　he　was　received　with　honor；　but

before　his　return　home　in　1775　he　lost　his　position　as　postmaster

through　his　share　in　divulging　to　Massachusetts　the　famous　letter　of

Hutchinson　and　Oliver。　　On　his　arrival　in　Philadelphia　he　was　chosen

a　member　of　the　Continental　Congress　and　in　1777　he　was　despatched

to　France　as　commissioner　for　the　United　States。　　Here　he　remained

till　1785；　the　favorite　of　French　society；　and　with　such　success　did

he　conduct　the　affairs　of　his　country　that　when　he　finally　returned

he　received　a　place　only　second　to　that　of　Washington　as　the　champion

of　American　independence。　　He　died　on　April　17；　1790。



The　first　five　chapters　of　the　Autobiography　were　composed　in

England　in　1771；　continued　in　1784…5；　and　again　in　1788；　at　which

date　he　brought　it　down　to　1757。　　After　a　most　extraordinary　series

of　adventures；　the　original　form　of　the　manuscript　was　finally　printed

by　Mr。　John　Bigelow；　and　is　here　reproduced　in　recognition　of　its

value　as　a　picture　of　one　of　the　most　notable　personalities　of　Colonial

times；　and　of　its　acknowledged　rank　as　one　of　the　great　autobiographies

of　the　world。