Management of his Newspaper. Study of the Languages. Chess-playing. The Preacher Hemphill. Stealing Sermons. Visit to Boston. Visits his Brother James at Newport. Usefulness of the Junto. Formation of new Clubs. Franklin chosen Clerk of the General Assembly. Anecdote.
1. Besides his almanac, Franklin considered his newspaper as a very valuable means of circulating instruction and good advice among the people. For this purpose he frequently reprinted in it extracts from the Spectator, a work written a good many years ago, by several distinguished English authors. It is a collection of pieces on moral and popular subjects, in a very pleasant style, and first published in single numbers of a few pages each.
2. In conducting his paper, Franklin was very careful to avoid all abuse of particular persons. Whenever he was requested to publish any thing of the kind, his answer was, that he would print the piece by itself, and give the author as many copies for his own use as he desired. He very wisely considered that his subscribers expected him to furnish them with useful and entertaining pieces, and not with abuse and violent discussions about things with which they had nothing to do.
3. In 1733, Franklin sent one of his apprentices to Charleston, South Carolina, where a printer was wanted. He furnished him with a press and types, and was to receive one third of the profits of the business. After the death of this man, who was very irregular in settling his affairs with Franklin, the business was continued by his widow. This woman had been born and educated in Holland, where females were taught a knowledge of accounts. She managed the establishment with a great deal of prudence and success, and was in time able to purchase the printing office, and establish her son in it.
4. In 1733, Franklin began the study of foreign languages. He soon obtained such a knowledge of the French, as to read books in that language with perfect ease. After this he undertook the Italian. An acquaintance, who was also learning it, often tempted him to play chess. Finding this took up too much time, Franklin refused to play any more, except upon one condition. This was, that whichever of them should beat, should have a right to impose a task upon the other; either of part of the grammar to be got by heart, or in translations.
5. These tasks they were bound in honor to perform before the next meeting. The two friends played with about equal skill and success, and in this way soon beat each other into a pretty good knowledge of the Italian. Franklin next undertook Spanish, and learned enough to read books in that language with considerable ease.
6. About the year 1734, a young preacher arrived in Philadelphia, by the name of Hemphill. He had a good voice, and delivered very excellent sermons. Large numbers were attracted by his eloquence, of different doctrines and belief. Among the rest, Franklin became a very constant hearer. He was pleased with his sermons, because they impressed the love and the practice of virtue and goodness, without quarrelling about hard questions of doctrinal religion.
7. Some of the congregation, however, disapproved of his preaching, and united with the old ministers to attempt to put him down. Franklin took sides with him very warmly, and did all he could to raise a party in his favor. He wrote two or three pamphlets in his defence.
8. During this contest the unlucky preacher hurt his own cause by a very unpardonable meanness. One of his enemies heard him preach a very eloquent sermon, and thought he had somewhere heard or read parts of it before. On looking into the matter, he found the preacher had stolen several passages from a discourse delivered by a celebrated English divine. This discovery induced many of his friends to desert him, and he was obliged to go in search of a congregation less inquisitive.
9. After ten years' absence from Boston, Franklin determined to make a journey there to visit his relations. He was now doing very good business, and was in quite easy circumstances. He had seen a good many changes in his fortunes, since he first ran away from his native place; and his industry and good sense were to bring about still greater changes.