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作者:天净沙      更新:2022-05-01 22:41      字数:9310
  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
  THE
  AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
  BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
  WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES EDITED
  BY CHARLES W ELIOT LLD P F COLLIER & SON
  COMPANY; NEW YORK (1909)
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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。
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  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
  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
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  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
  acknowledged rank as one of the great autobiographies of the world。
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  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
  BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HIS
  AUTOBIOGRAPHY 1706…1757
  TWYFORD; at the Bishop of St。 Asaph's; 1771。
  The   country…seat   of   Bishop   Shipley;   the   good   bishop;   as   Dr。
  Franklin used to style him。B。
  DEAR SON: I have ever had pleasure in obtaining any little anecdotes
  of   my   ancestors。   You   may   remember   the   inquiries   I   made   among   the
  remains   of   my   relations   when   you   were   with   me   in   England;   and   the
  journey     I  undertook     for  that   purpose。    Imagining     it  may    be   equally
  agreeable to you to know the circumstances of my life; many of which
  you are yet unacquainted with; and expecting the enjoyment of a week's
  uninterrupted leisure in my present country retirement; I sit down to write
  them for you。 To which I have besides some other inducements。 Having
  emerged from the poverty and obscurity in which I was born and bred; to a
  state of affluence and some degree of reputation in the world; and having
  gone     so   far  through    life  with    a  considerable     share    of  felicity;  the
  conducing means I made use of; which with the blessing of God so well
  succeeded; my posterity may like to know; as they may find some of them
  suitable to their own situations; and therefore fit to be imitated。
  After   the   words    〃agreeable    to〃   the  words    〃some    of〃   were
  interlined and afterward effaced。B。
  That felicity; when I reflected on it; has induced me sometimes to say;
  that were it offered to my choice; I should have no objection to a repetition
  of   the   same   life   from   its   beginning;   only   asking   the   advantages   authors
  have   in   a   second   edition   to   correct   some   faults   of   the   first。   So   I   might;
  besides correcting the faults; change some sinister accidents and events of
  it   for   others   more   favorable。   But   though   this   were   denied;   I   should   still
  accept   the   offer。   Since   such   a   repetition   is   not   to   be   expected;   the   next
  thing most like living one's life over again seems to be a recollection of
  that life; and to make that recollection as durable as possible by putting it
  down in writing。
  Hereby; too; I shall indulge the inclination so natural in old men; to be
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  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
  talking   of   themselves   and   their   own   past   actions;   and   I   shall   indulge   it
  without      being   tiresome     to  others;    who;    through    respect    to  age;   might
  conceive themselves obliged to give me a hearing; since this m