Benjamin Franklin

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Abbott John Stevens Cabot. Benjamin Franklin

PREFACE

CHAPTER I. Parentage and Early Life

CHAPTER II. Developments of Character

CHAPTER III. Excursion to England

CHAPTER IV. Mental and Moral Conflicts

CHAPTER V. The Dawn of Prosperity

CHAPTER VI. Religious and Philosophic Views

CHAPTER VII. The Tradesman becomes a Philosopher

CHAPTER VIII. The Rising Storms of War

CHAPTER IX. Franklin’s Mission to England

CHAPTER X. Franklin’s Second Mission to England

CHAPTER XI. The Intolerance of King and Court

CHAPTER XII. The Bloodhounds of War Unleashed

CHAPTER XIII. Progress of the War, both of Diplomacy and the. Sword

CHAPTER XIV. The Struggles of Diplomacy

CHAPTER XV. Life’s Closing Scenes

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About the year 1685, Josiah Franklin, with his wife and three children, emigrated from Banbury, England, to seek his fortune in this new world. He was in all respects a very worthy man, intelligent, industrious, and influenced to conduct by high moral and religious principles. Several of Josiah Franklin’s neighbors accompanied him in his removal.

Boston was then a straggling village, of five or six thousand inhabitants. In front spread out its magnificent bay, with its beautiful islands. In the rear the primeval forest extended, almost unbroken, through unexplored wilds to the Pacific. His trade was that of a dyer. Finding, however, but little employment in that business, he set up as a tallow chandler and soap boiler. Four years of life’s usual joys and sorrows passed away when Mrs. Franklin died, leaving six children. The eldest was but eleven years of age. This motherless little family needed a maternal guardian. Within the year, Mr. Franklin married Abiah Folger, of Nantucket. She was the youngest daughter of Peter Folger, a man illustrious for many virtues, and of whom it has been well said, that “he was worthy to be the grandfather of Benjamin Franklin.” She proved to be a noble woman, and was all that either husband or children could wish for. Ten children were the fruit of this union. Benjamin was born on the sixth of January, (O. S.) 1706.

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The hours of the night were his own. He often sat up late and rose early, his soul all absorbed in intellectual vigils.

There are two platforms of morality, in some respects inseparably blended, in others quite distinctly separated from each other. The one of these platforms constitutes the low standard of mere worldly morality. It says,

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