The-Autobiography文档格式.doc

The-Autobiography文档格式.doc

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s,1771

DearSon,

　　Ihaveeverhadapleasureinobtaininganylittleanecdotesofmyancestors.YoumayremembertheenquiriesImadeamongtheremainsofmyrelationswhenyouwerewithmeinEnglandandthejourneyIundertookforthatpurpose.Imaginingitmaybeequallyagreeabletoyoutoknowthecircumstancesofmylife—manyofwhichyouareyetunacquaintedwith—andexpectingaweek'

suninterruptedLeisureinmypresentcountryretirement,Isitdowntowritethemforyou.Besides,therearesomeotherinducementsthatexcitemetothisundertaking.FromthepovertyandobscurityinwhichIwasbornandinwhichIpassedmyearliestyears,Ihaveraisedmyselftoastateofaffluenceandsomedegreeofcelebrityintheworld.Asconstantgoodfortunehasaccompaniedmeeventoanadvancedperiodoflife,myposteritywillperhapsbedesirousoflearningthemeans,whichIemployed,andwhich,thankstoProvidence,sowellsucceededwithme.Theymayalsodeemthemfittobeimitated,shouldanyofthemfindthemselvesinsimilarcircumstances.Thatgoodfortune,whenIreflectedonit,whichisfrequentlythecase,hasinducedmesometimestosaythatwereitlefttomychoice,Ishouldhavenoobjectiontogooverthesamelifefromitsbeginningtotheend,onlyaskingtheadvantageauthorshaveofcorrectinginasecondeditionsomefaultsofthefirst.SowouldIalsowishtochangesomeincidentsofitforothersmorefavorable.Notwithstanding,ifthisconditionweredenied,Ishouldstillaccepttheoffer.Butasthisrepetitionisnottobeexpected,thatwhichresemblesmostlivingone'

slifeoveragain,seemstobetorecallallthecircumstancesofit；

and,torenderthisremembrancemoredurable,torecordtheminwriting.InthusemployingmyselfIshallyieldtotheinclinationsonaturaltooldmenoftalkingofthemselvesandtheirownactions,andIshallindulgeit,withoutbeingtiresometothosewho,fromrespecttomyage,mightconceivethemselvesobligedtolistentome,sincetheywillbealwaysfreetoreadmeornot.Andlastly（Imayaswellconfessit,asthedenialofitwouldbebelievedbynobody）Ishallperhapsnotalittlegratifymyownvanity.Indeed,Ineverheardorsawtheintroductorywords,"

WithoutVanityImaysay,"

etc.,butsomevainthingimmediatelyfollowed.Mostpeopledislikevanityinotherswhateversharetheyhaveofitthemselves,butIgiveitfairquarterwhereverImeetwithit,beingpersuadedthatitisoftenproductiveofgoodtothepossessorandtootherswhoarewithinhissphereofaction.Andtherefore,inmanycasesitwouldnotbealtogetherabsurdifamanweretothankGodforhisvanityamongtheothercomfortsoflife.AndnowIspeakofthankingGod,IdesirewithallhumilitytoacknowledgethatIowethementionedhappinessofmypastlifetohisdivineprovidence,whichledmetothemeansIusedandgavethemsuccess.Mybeliefofthisinducesmetohope,thoughImustnotpresume,thatthesamegoodnesswillstillbeexercisedtowardsmeincontinuingthathappinessorinenablingmetobearafatalreverse,whichImayexperienceasothershavedone—thecomplexionofmyfuturefortunebeingknowntohimonly,andinwhosepoweritistoblesstousevenourafflictions.

THEARRIVALINPHILADELPHIA

　　[FollowingthealtercationwithhisolderbrothertowhomFranklinhadbeenapprenticed（andwhoseoppressivetreatmentofFranklin,thelattersays,gavehim"

thataversiontoarbitrarypowerthathasstucktomethroughmywholelife"

）,andafterabrushwiththelaw,theseventeen-year-oldladleavesBostonandcomestoPhiladelphia,thecitywhosefirstcitizenhewouldeventuallybecome.]

　　Thismightbeoneoccasionofthedifferenceswebegantohaveaboutthistime.Thoughabrother,heconsideredhimselfasmymasterandmeashisapprentice,andaccordinglyexpectedthesameservicesfrommeashewouldfromanother;

whileIthoughthedegradedmetoomuchinsomeherequiredofme,whofromabrotherexpectedmoreindulgence.Ourdisputeswereoftenbroughtbeforeourfather,andIfancyIwaseithergenerallyintherightorelseabetterpleader,becausethejudgmentwasgenerallyinmyfavor.Butmybrotherwaspassionateandhadoftenbeatenme,whichItookextremelyamiss.Ifancyhisharshandtyrannicaltreatmentofmemightbeameansofimpressingmewiththataversiontoarbitrarypowerthathasstucktomethroughmywholelife.Thinkingmyapprenticeshipverytedious,Iwascontinuallywishingforsomeopportunityofshorteningit,whichatlengthofferedinamannerunexpected.

　　OneofthepiecesinournewspaperonsomepoliticalpointwhichIhavenowforgotten,gaveoffencetotheAssembly.Hewastakenup,censured,andimprisonedforamonthbytheSpeaker'

swarrant,Isupposebecausehewouldnotdiscovertheauthor.I,too,wastakenupandexaminedbeforetheCouncil;

butthoughIdidnotgivethemanysatisfaction,theycontentedthemselveswithadmonishingmeanddismissedme,consideringme,perhaps,asanapprenticewhowasboundtokeephismaster'

ssecrets.Duringmybrother'

sconfinement,whichIresentedagooddealnotwithstandingourprivatedifferences,Ihadthemanagementofthepaper,andImadeboldtogiveourrulerssomerubs.init,whichmybrothertookverykindly,whileothersbegantoconsidermeinanunfavorablelightasayounggeniusthathadaturnforlibelingandsatire.Mybrother'

sdischargewasaccompaniedwithanorderfromtheHouse（averyoddone）that"

JamesFranklinshouldnolongerprintthepapercalledtheNewEnglandCourant."

Therewasaconsultationheldinourprintinghouseamongsthisfriendsinthisconjuncture.Someproposedtoeludetheorderbychangingthenameofthepaper;

butmybrotherseeinginconveniencesinthat,itwasfinallyconcludedonasabetterwaytoletitbeprintedforthefutureunderthenameof"

BenjaminFranklin"

;

andtoavoidthecensureoftheAssemblythatmightfallonhimasstillprintingitbyhisapprentice,thecontrivancewasthatmyoldindentureshouldbereturnedtomewithafulldischargeonthebackofit,toshowincaseofnecessity;

buttosecuretohimthebenefitofmyservice,Ishouldsignnewindenturesfortheremainderoftheterm,whichweretobekeptprivate.Averyflimsyschemeitwas,but,however,itwasimmediatelyexecuted,andthepaperwentonaccordinglyundermynameforseveralmonths.Atlengthafreshdifferencearisingbetweenmybrotherandme,Itookuponmetoassertmyfreedom,presumingthathewouldnotventuretoproducethenewindentures.Itwasnotfairinmetotakethisadvantage,andthisIthereforereckononeofthefirsterrataofmylife.Buttheunfairnessofitweighedlittlewithme,whenundertheimpressionsofresentmentfortheblowshispassiontoooftenurgedhimtobestowuponme,thoughhewasotherwisenotanill-naturedman.PerhapsIwastoosaucyandprovoking.

　　WhenhefoundIwouldleavehim,hetookcaretopreventmygettingemploymentinanyotherprintinghouseofthetownbygoingroundandspeakingtoeverymaster,whoaccordinglyrefusedtogivemework.IthenthoughtofgoingtoNewYorkasthenearestplacewheretherewasaprinter;

andIwastheratherinclinedtoleaveBostonwhenIreflectedthatIhadalreadymademyselfalittleobnoxioustothegoverningparty;

andfromthearbitraryproceedingsoftheAssemblyinmybrother'

scase,itwaslikelyImightifIstayedsoonbringmyselfintoscrapes,andfurtherthatmyindiscreetdisputationsaboutreligionbegantomakemepointedatwithhorrorbygoodpeopleasaninfideloratheist.Ideterminedonthepoint,butmyfathernowsidingwithmybrother,IwassensiblethatifIattemptedtogoopenly,meanswouldbeusedtopreventme.MyfriendCollinsthereforeundertooktomanagemyflight.HeagreedwiththecaptainofaNewYorksloopformypassage,underpretenceofmybeingayoungmanofhisacquaintancethathadhadanintriguewithagirlofbadcharacter,whoseparentswouldcompelmetomarryherandthereforeIcouldnotappearorcomeawaypublicly,Isoldsomeofmybookstoraisealittlemoney,wastakenonboardthesloopprivately,hadafairwind,andinthreedaysfoundmyselfatNewYork,nearthreehundredmilesfrommyhome,attheageofseventeen,withouttheleastrecommendationtoorknowledgeofanypersonintheplace,andwithverylittlemoneyinmypocket.

　　TheinclinationIhadhadfortheseawasbythistimedoneaway,orImightnowhavegratifiedit.Buthavinganotherprofessionandconceivingmyselfaprettygoodworkman,Iofferedmyservicestotheprinteroftheplace,oldMr.Wm.Bradford（whohadbeenthefirstprinterinPennsylvania,buthadremovedthenceinconsequenceofaquarrelwiththeGovernor,Geo.Keith）.Hecouldgivemenoemployment,havinglittletodoandhandsenoughalready."

But,"

sayshe,"

mysonatPhiladelphiahaslatelylosthisprincipalhand,AquilaRose,bydeath.IfyougothitherIbelievehemayemployyou."

　　Philadelphiawasahundredmilesfarther.Isetout,however,inaboatforAmboy,leavingmychestandthingstofollowmeroundbysea.Incrossingthebaywemetwithasquallthattoreourrottensailstopieces,preventedourgettingintothekill,anddroveusuponLongIsland.InourwayadrunkenDutchman,whowasapassenger,too,felloverboard;

whenhewassinking,Ireachedthroughthewatertohisshockpateanddrewhimupsothatwegothiminagain.Hisduckingsoberedhimalittle,andhewenttosleep,takingfirstoutofhispocketabookwhichhedesiredIwoulddryforhim.ItprovedtobemyoldfavoriteauthorBunyan'

sPilgrim'

sProgressinDutch,finelyprintedo