more for New-York, furnifhed at this time with their approbation and bleffing. The floop having touched at Newport in Rhode-Island, I paid a vifit to my brother John, who had for fome years been fettled there, and was married. He had always been attached to me, and received me with great affection. One of his friends, whofe name was Vernon, having a debt of about thirty-fix pounds due to him in Pennlylvania, begged me to receive it for him, and keep the money till I fhould hear from him: accordingly he gave me an order for that purpofe. This affair occafioned me, in the fequel, much uneafinefs.

At Newport we took on board a number of paffengers; among whom were two young women, and a grave and fenfible quaker lady with her fervants. I had fhewn an obliging forwardnefs in rendering the quaker fome trifling fervices, which led her, probably, to feel fome intereft in my welfare; for when she saw a familiarity take place, and every day increase, between the two young women and me, fhe took me afide and faid, "Young man, I am in pain for thee. Thou haft no parent to watch over thy conduct, and thou feemeft to be ignorant of the world, and the fares to which youth is expofed. Rely upon what I. tell thee: thofe are women of bad characters: I perceive it in all their actions. If thou doft not take care, they will lead thee into danger. They are ftrangers to thee, and I advife thee, by the friendly intereft I take in thy prefervation, to form no connection with them." As I appeared at firit not

G

to think quite fo iil of them as fhe did, fhe related many things fhe had feen and heard, which had escaped my attention, but which convinced me she was in the right. I thanked her for her obliging advice, and promifed to follow

it.

When we arrived at New-York, they informed me where they lodged, and invited me to come and see them. I did not however go, and it was well I did not; for the next day, the Captain miffing a filver fpoon and fome other things which had been taken from the cabin, and know ing these women to be prostitutes, procured à search warrant, found the ftolen goods upon them, and had them punished. And thus, after having been faved from one rock concealed under water, upon which the vessel ftruck during our paffage, I escaped another of a still more dangerous nature.

At New-York I found my friend Collins, who had arrived fome time before. We had been intimate from our infancy, and had read the fame books together; but he had the advan◄ tage of being able to devote more time to reading and study, and an astonishing difpofition for mathematics, in which he left me far behind him. When at Boston, I had been accuftomed to pass with him almost all my leisure hours. He was then a fober and induftrious lad; his knowledge had gained him a very general cfteem, and he seemed to promife to make an advantageous figure in fociety. But, during my abfence, he had unfortunately addicted himself to brandy, and I learned, as well from himself as

from the report of others, that every day fince his arrival at New-York he had been intoxicated, and had acted in a very extravagant manner. He had alfo played, and loft all his money; fo that I was obliged to pay his expences at the inn, and to maintain him during the rest of the journey; a burthen that was very inconvenient to me.

The Governor of New-York, whofe name was Burnet, hearing the Captain say that a young man who was a passenger in his ship had a great number of books, begged him to bring me to his house. I accordingly went, and should have taken Collins with me, had he been fober. The Governor treated me with great civility, fhewed me his library, which was a very confiderable one, and we talked for fome time upon books and authors. This was the fecond Governor who had honoured me with his attention; and to a poor boy, as I then was, these little adventures did not fail to be pleasing.

We arrived at Philadelphia. On the way I received Vernon's money, without which we fhould have been unable to have finished our journey.

Collins wished to get employment as a merchant's clerk; but either his breath or his countenance betrayed his bad habit; for, though he had recommendations, he met with no fuccefs, and continued to lodge and eat with me, and at my expence. Knowing that I had Vernon's money, he was continually afking me to lend him fome of it; promifing to repay me as foon as he should get employment. At laft he had drawn fo much of this money, that I was ex

tremely alarmed at what might become of me, fhould he fail to make good the deficiency. His habit of drinking did not at all diminish, and was a frequent fource of difcord between us: for when he had drank a little too much, he was very headstrong.

Being one day in a boat together, on the De-.. laware, with fome other young perfons, he refufed to take his turn in rowing. You fhall row for me, faid he, till we get home.--No, I replied, we will not row for you. You fhall, faid he, or remain upon the water all night.-As you please. Let us row, faid the rest of the company: what fignifies whether he affifts or not. But, already angry with him for his condu&t in other refpects, I perfifted in my refufal. He then fwore that he would make me row, or would throw me out of the boat; and he made up to me. As foon as he was within my reach, I took him by the collar, gave him a violent thruft, and threw him head-foremoft into the river. I knew that he was a good fwimmer, and was therefore under no apprehensions for his life. Before he could turn himfelf, we were able, by a few strokes of our cars, to place ourselves out of his reach; and whenever he touched the boat, we afked him if he would row, ftriking his hands with the oars to make him let go his hold. He was nearly tuffocated with rage, but obftinately refufed making any promile to row. Perceiving at length that his ftrength began to be exhaufted, we took him into the boat, and conveyed him home in the evening, completely drenched. The utmoft coldnefs fubfifted between us after this adventure.

At laft the captain of a Weft-India flip, who was commiffioned to procure a tutor for the children of a gentleman at Barbadoes, meeting with Collins, offered him the place. He accepted it, and took his leave of me, promifing to difcharge the debt he owed me with the firft money he fhould receive; but I have heard nothing of

him fince.

The violation of the truft reposed in me by Vernon, was one of the firft great errors of my life; and it proves that my father was not miftaken when he fuppofed me too young to be entrufted with the management of important affairs. But Sir William, upon reading his letter, thought him too prudent. There was a difference, he said, between individuals: years of maturity were not always accompanied with difcretion, neither was youth in every inftance devoid of it. Since your father, added he, will not fet you up in bufinefs, I will do it myself. Make out a lift of what will be wanted from England, and I will fend for the articles. fhall repay me when you can. I am determined to have a good printer here, and I am lure you will fucceed. This was faid with fo much feeming cordiality, that I fufpected not for an inflant the fincerity of the offer.. I had hitherto kept the project, with which Sir William had infpired me, of fettling in business a fecret at Philadel phia, and I still continued to do fo. Had my reliance on the governor been known, fome friend, better acquainted with his characteythah mylelf, would doubtless have advised me not to trust him; for I afterwards learned that he was

You