'they would lead them. But this is not a Thing for Fools 'to meddle with, for they only bring Difesteem upon those 'whom they attempt to serve, when they unfkilfully pronounce 'Terms of Art. I have obferved great Evils arife from this 'Practice, and not only the Cause of Piety, but also the fecu'lar Intereft of Clergymen, has extreamly fuffered by the 'general unexplained Signification of the Word Church.' From Monday, February 4, to Monday, February 11, 1723 The late Publisher of this Paper, finding so many Inconveniences would arise by his carrying the Manuscripts and publick News to be supervis'd by the Secretary, as to render 1 "Boston: Printed and sold by Benjamin Franklin in Queen Street, where Advertisements are taken in." The Courant was conducted in such a reckless fashion by the Hell-fire Club that the Council declared that the tendency of the paper was to mock religion, and to disturb the peace and good order of the Province. James Franklin the publisher was therefore strictly forbidden "to print or publish the New England Courant or any other pamphlet or paper of the like nature, except it be first supervised by the Secretary of the Province." It was thereupon decided that Benjamin Franklin should appear as the sole publisher. His apprenticeship indentures were cancelled and new indentures were signed and concealed. Under these circumstances he entered upon his first editorial duties, and his introductory preface shows that the Courant had sustained no loss by its change of management. ED. VOL. II-E his carrying it on unprofitable, has intirely dropt the Undertaking. The present Publisher having receiv'd the following Piece, desires the Readers to accept of it as a Preface to what they may hereafter meet with in this Paper. Non ego mordaci distrinxi Carmine quenquam Nulla vonenato Litera onista Joco est. Long has the Press groaned in bringing forth an hateful, but numerous Brood of Party Pamphlets, malicious Scribbles, and Billinsgate Ribaldry. The Rancour and bitterness it has unhappily infused into Men's minds, and to what a Degree it has sowred and leaven'd the Tempers of Persons formerly esteemed some of the most sweet and affable, is too well known here, to need any further Proof or Representation of the Matter. No generous and impartial Person then can blame the present Undertaking, which is designed purely for the Diversion and Merriment of the Reader. Pieces of Pleasancy and Mirth have a secret Charm in them to allay the Heats and Tumours of our Spirits, and to make a Man forget his restless Resentments. They have a strange Power to tune the harsh Disorders of the Soul, and reduce us to a serene and placid State of Mind. The main Design of this Weekly Paper will be to entertain the Town with the most comical and diverting Incidents of Humane Life, which in so large a Place as Boston will not fail of a universal Exemplification: Nor shall we be wanting to fill up these Papers with a grateful Interspersion of more serious Morals which may be drawn from the most ludicrous and odd Parts of Life. As for the Author, that is the next Question. But tho' we profess ourselves ready to oblige the ingenious and courteous Reader with most Sorts of Intelligence, yet here we beg a Reserve. Nor will it be of any Manner of Advantage either to them or to the Writers, that their names should be published; and therefore in this Matter we desire the Favour of you to suffer us to hold our Tongues: Which tho' at this Time of Day it may sound like a very uncommon Request, yet it proceeds from the very Hearts of your Humble Servants. By this Time the Reader perceives that more than one are engaged in the present Undertaking. Yet is there one Person, an Inhabitant of this Town of Boston, whom we honour as a Doctor in the Chair, or a perpetual Dictator. The Society had design'd to present the Publick with his Effigies, but that the Limner, to whom he was presented for a Draught of his Countenance, descryed (and this he is ready to offer upon Oath) Nineteen Features in his Face, more than ever he beheld in any Humane Visage before; which so raised the Price of his Picture, that our Master himself forbid the Extravagance of coming up to it. And then besides, the Limner objected a Schism in his face, which splits it from his Forehead in a strait Line down to his chin, in such sort, that Mr. Painter protests it is a double Face, and he'll have Four Pounds for the Pourtraiture. However, tho' this double Face has spoilt us of a pretty Picture, yet we all rejoiced to see old Janus in our Company. There is no Man in Boston better qualified than old Janus for a Couranteer, or if you please, an Observator, being a Man of such remarkable Opticks, as to look two ways at once. As for his Morals, he is a chearly Christian, as the Country 4 Phrase expresses it. A Man of good Temper, courteous Deportment, sound Judgment; a mortal Hater of Nonsense, Foppery, Formality, and endless Ceremony. As for his club, they aim at no greater Happiness or Honour, than the Publick be made to know, that it is the utmost of their Ambition to attend upon and do all imaginable good Offices to good old Janus the Couranteer, who is and always will be the Readers humble Servant. P.S. Gentle Readers, we design never to let a Paper pass without a Latin Motto if we can possibly pick one up, which carries a Charm in it to the Vulgar, and the learned admire the pleasure of Construing. We should have obliged the World with a Greek scrap or two, but the Printer has no Types, and therefore we intreat the candid Reader not to impute the defect to our Ignorance, for our Doctor can say all the Greek Letters by heart. 5. TO SIR HANS SLOANE1 (B. M.) [London] June 2, 1725 Sir Having lately been in the Nothern (sic) Parts of America I have brought from thence a Purse made of the Stone Asbestus, a Piece of the Stone, and a Piece of Wood, the Pithy Part of which is of the same Nature, and call'd by the In 1 First printed in the Gentleman's Magazine, September, 1780. The original is in the Sloane Collection, British Museum (Sl. 4047, f. 347). Franklin refers to this asbestos purse in his autobiography; he says: "Sir Hans Sloane came to see me, and invited me to his house in Bloomsbury Square, showed me all his curiosities and persuaded me to add that to the number; for which he paid me handsomely." From this letter it would appear that Franklin required but little persuasion. — ED. habitants, Salamander Cotton. As you are noted to be a Lover of Curiosities, I have inform'd you of these; and if you have any Inclination to purchase them, or see 'em, let me know your Pleasure by a Line directed for me at the Golden Fan in Little Britain, and I will wait upon you with them. I am, Sir Your most humble Servant P.S. I expect to be out of Town in 2 or 3 Days, and therefore beg an immediate Answer: 6. JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE FROM LONDON TO PHILADELPHIA 1 1 (L. C.) Journal of Occurrences in my Voyage to Philadelphia on board the Berkshire, Henry Clark, Master, from London Friday, July 22d, 1726. - Yesterday in the afternoon we left London, and came to an anchor off Gravesend about eleven at night. I lay ashore all night, and this morning took a walk up to the Windmill Hill, from whence I had an agreeable prospect of the country for above twenty miles round, and two or three reaches of the river, with ships and boats sailing both up and down, and Tilbury Fort on the other side, which commands the river and passage to London. This Gravesend is a cursed biting place; the chief dependence of the people being the advantage they make of imposing upon strangers. If you buy anything of them, and give half what they ask, you pay twice as much as the thing is worth. Thank God, we shall leave it to-morrow. 1 From a transcript in the Library of Congress. |