About this period Mr. Vernon reminded me of the debt I owed him, but without preffing me for payment. I wrote him a handsome letter on the occafion, begging him to wait a little longer, to which he confented; and as soon as I was able I paid him, principal and intereft, with many ex preffions of gratitude; fo that this error of my life was in a manner atoned for.

But another trouble now happened to me, which I had not the smallest reason to expec: Meredith's father, who, according to our agree ment, was to defray the whole expence of our printing materials, had only paid a hundred pounds. Another hundred was still due, and the merchant being tired of waiting, commenced a fuit against us. We bailed the action, but with the melancholy profpect, that, if the money was not forthcoming at the time fixed, the affair would come to iffue, judgment be put in execution, our delightful hopes be annihilated, and ourfelves. entirely ruined; as the types and press must be fold, perhaps at half their value, to pay the debt.

In this diftrefs, two real friends, whose generous conduct I have never forgotten, and never fhall forget while I retain the remembrance of any thing, came to me feperately, without the knowledge of each other, and without my having applied to them. Each offered me whatever fum might be neceffary, to take the bufinefs into my own hands, if the thing was practicable, as they did not like I fhould continue in partnerfhip with Meredith, who, they faid was frequently feen drunk in the streets, and gambling at ale-houses, which very much injured our cre

dit. These friends were William Coleman and Robert Grace. I told them that while there`re; mained any probability that the Merediths would fulfil their part of the compact, I would not propofe a feparation; as I conceived myself to be under obligations to them for what they had done already, and were still disposed to do if they had the power but in the end fhould they fail in their engagements, and our partnership be dif folved, I fhould then think myself at liberty to accept the kindness of my friends.

ence.

Things remained for fomne time in this ftate, At laft I faid one day to my partner, "Your father is perhaps diffatisfied with your haying a fhare only in the bufinefs, and is unwilling to do for two, what he would do for you alone. Tell me frankly if that be the case, and I will refign the whole to you, and do for myself as well as I can."-" No (faid he) my father has really been disappointed in his hopes; he is not able to pay, and I wish to put him to no farther inconveniI fee that I am not at all calculated for a printer; I was educated as a farmer, and it was abfurd in me to come here, at thirty years of age, and bind myself apprentice to a new trade. Many of my countrymen are going to fettle in North-Carolina, where the foil is exceedingly favourable. I am tempted to go with them, and to resume my former occupation. You will doubtlefs find friends who will affift you. If you will take upon yourself the debts of the partnership, return my father the hundred pounds he has advanced, pay my little perfonal debts, and give me thirty pounds and a new faddle, I will re

nounce the partnership, and confign over the whole flock to you."

I accepted this propofal without hefitation. It was committed to paper, and figned and fealed without delay. I gave him what he demanded, and he departed foon after for Carolina, from whence he fent me, in the following year, two long letters, containing the best accounts that had yet been given of that country, as to climate, foil, agriculture, &c. for he was well verled in thele matters. I published them in my newfpaper, and they were received with great fatisfaction,

As foon as he was gone I applied to my two friends, and not wifhing to give a difobliging preference to either of them, I accepted from each half what he had offered me, and which it was neceffary I should have. I paid the partnership. debts, and continued the business on my own account; taking care to inform the public, by advertisement, of the partnership being diffolved. This was, I think, in the year 1729, or thereabout.

Nearly at the fame period the people demanded a new emiffion of paper money: the existing and only one that had taken place in the province, and which amounted to fifteen thousand pounds, being foon to expire. The wealthy inhabitants,. prejudiced against every fort of paper currency, from the fear of its depreciation, of which there had been an inftance in the province of NewEngland, to the injury of its holders, frongly opposed the measure. We had difcuffed this affair in our junto, in which I was on the fide of the new cmiffion; convinced that the fift

fmall fum, fabricated in 1723, had done much good in the province, by favouring commerce, induftry and population, fince all the houses were now inhabited, and many others building; whereas I remembered to have seen, when first I paraded the treets of Philadelphia eating my roll, the majority of thofe in Walnut-ftreet, Secondstreet, Fourth-street, as well as a great number in Chefnut and other ftreets, with papers on them fignifying that they were to be let; which made me think at the time that the inhabitants of the town were deferting it one after another.

Our debates made me fo fully master of the fubject, that I wrote and published an anonymous pamphlet, entitled An Enquiry into the Nature, and Neceffity of a Paper Currency. It was very well received by the lower and middling class of people; but it difpleafed the opulent, as it increased the clamour in favour of the new emiffion. Having, however, no writer among them capable of answering it, their oppofition became lefs violent; and there being in the house of affembly a majority for the measure, it paffed. The friends I had acquired in the house, perfuaded that I had done the country effential fervice on this occafion, rewarded me by giving me the printing of the bills. It was a lucrative employ ment, and proved a very seasonable help to me; another advantage which I derived from having habituated myself to write.

Time and experience fo fully demonftrated the utility of paper currency, that it never after experienced any confiderable oppofition: fo that it ioon amounted to 55,000l. and in the year 1739

to 80,000l. It has fince rifen, during the laft war, to 350,000l. trade, buildings and population having in the interval continually increased: but I am now convinced that there are limits beyond which paper money would be prejudicial.

I foon after obtained, by the influence of my friend Hamilton, the printing of the Newcastle paper money, another profitable work, as I then thought it, little things appearing great to per-' fons of moderate fortune; and they were really' great to me, as proving great encouragements. He also procured me the printing of the laws and votes of that government, which I retained as long as I continued in the business.

I now opened a fmall ftationer's fhop. I kept bonds and agreements of all kinds, drawn up in a more accurate form than had yet been feen in that part of the world; a work in which I was affifted by my friend Brientnal. I had alfo pa-' per, parchment, pafteboard, books, &c. One Whitemafh, an excellent compofitor, whom I had known in London, came to offer himself. I engaged him, and he continued conftantly and diligently to work with me. I alfo took an ap prentice, the fon of Aquila Rofe.

I began to pay, by degrees, the debt I had contracted; and in order to infure my credit and character as a tradefman, I took care not only to be really induftrious and frugal, but alfo, to avoid every appearance of the contrary. I was plainly dreffed, and never feen in any place of public amusement. I never went a fishing or hunting: A book indeed enticed me fometimes from my work, but it was feldom, by ftealth, and occa