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univerfally known to be liberal of promifes, which he had no intention to perform. But having never folicited him, how could I fuppofe his offers to be deceitful? On the contrary, I believed him to be the best man in the world.

I gave him an inventory of a small printingoffice; the expence of which I had calculated at about a hundred pounds fterling. He expreffed his approbation; but asked if my prefence in England, that I might choose the characters myself, and see that every article was good in its kind, would not be an advantage. You will alfe be able, faid he, to form fome acquaintance there, and establish a correfpondence with ftationers and book fellers. This I acknowledged was defirable. That being the cafe, added he, hold yourself in readiness to go with the Annis. This was the annual veffel, and the only one, at that time, which made regular voyages between the ports of London and Philadelphia. But the, Annis was not to fail for fome months. I therefore continued to work with Keimer, unhappy refpecting the fum which Collins had drawn from me, and almost in continual agony at the thoughts of Vernon, who fortunately made no demand of his money for feveral years after.

In the account of my firft voyage from Boston to Philadelphia, I omitted I believe a trifling circumftance, which will not perhaps be out of place here. During a calm which stopped us above Block-island, the crew employed themselves in fifhing for cod, of which they caught a great number. I had hitherto adhered to my resolution of not eating any thing that had poffeffed

life; and I confidered on this occafion, agreeably to the maxims of my mafter Tryon, the capture of every fish as a fort of murder, committed without provocation, fince these animals had neither done, nor were capable of doing, the smallest injury to any one that should justify the measure. This mode of reasoning I conceived to be unanswerable. Meanwhile I had formerly been extremely fond of fish; and when one of these cod was taken out of the frying-pan, I thought its flavour delicious. I hefitated fome time between principle and inclination, till at laft recollecting, that when the cod had been opened, fome small fish were found in its belly, I faid to myself, If you eat one another, I fee no reason why we may not eat you. I accordingly dined on the cod with no small degree of pleasure, and have fince continued to eat like the rest of mankind, returning only occasionally to my vegetable plan. How convenient does it prove to be a rational animal, that knows how to find or invent a plaufible pretext for whatever it has an inclination to do!

I continued to live upon good terms with Keimer, who had not the fmalleft fufpicion of my projected establishment. He ftill retained a portion of his former enthusiasm; and being fond of argument, we frequently difputed together. I was so much in the habit of using my Socratic method, and had fo frequently puzzled him by my queftions, which appeared at firft very dif tant from the point in debate, yet nevertheless led to it by degrees, involving him in difficulties and contradictions from which he was unable to

extricate himself, that he became at laft ridiculoufly cautious, and would fcarcely answer the moft plain and familiar queftion without previoufly afking me- -What would you infer from that? Hence he formed fo high an opinion of my talents for refutation, that he feriously propofed to me to become his colleague in the eítablithment of a new religious fe&t. He was to propagate the doctrine by preaching, and I to refute every opponent.

When he explained to me his tenets, I found many abfurdities which I refused to admit, unless he would agree in turn to adopt fome of my opinions. Keimer wore his beard long, because Mofes had fomewhere faid, Thou shalt not mar the corners of thy beard. He likewife obferved the Sabbath; and these were with him two very effential points. I difliked them both; but I conlented to adopt them, provided he would abftain from animal food. I doubt, said he, whether my conftitution will be able to support it. 1 affured him on the contrary, that he would find himself the better for it. He was naturally a glutton, and I wished to amufe myself by ftarving him. He confented to make trial of this regimen, if I would bear him company; and in reality we continued it for three months. A woman in the neighbourhood prepared and brought us our victuals, to whom I gave a list of forty dishes; in the compofition of which there entered neither flesh nor fifh. This fancy was the more agreeable to me, as it turned to good account; for the whole expence of our living did not exceed for each eighteen-pence a week.

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I have fince that period observed several Lents with the greateft ftrictnefs, and have fuddenly returned again to my ordinary diet, without experiencing the fmalleft inconvenience; which has led me to regard as of no importance the advice commonly given, of introducing gradually fuch alterations of regimen.

I continued it cheerfully; but poor Keimer fuffered terribly. Tired of the project, he fighed for the flesh pots of Egypt. At length he order.. ed a roaft pig, and invited me and two of our female acquaintance to dine with him; but the pig being ready a little too foon, he could not refift the temptation, and eat it all before we arrived.

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During the circumstances I have related, I had paid fome attentions to Mils Read. I entertained for her the utmost esteem and affection; and I had reafon to believe that these sentiments were mutual. But we were both young, fcarcely more than eighteen years of age; and as I was on the point of undertaking a long voyage, her mother thought it prudent to prevent matters being carried too far for the prefent, judging that if marriage was our object, there would be more propriety in it after my return, when, as at least I expected I should be established in my business. Perhaps alfo fhe thought that my expectations were not so well-founded as I imagined.

My most intimate acquaintance at this time were Charles Ofborne, Jofeph Watfon, and Jame's Ralph; young men who were all fond of reading. The two firft were clerks to Mr. Charles Brockdon, one of the principal attornies in the town,

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and the other clerk to a merchant.

Watson was an upright, pious and fenfible young man the others were somewhat more loose in their principles of religion, particularly Ralph, whose faith, as well as that of Collins, I had contributed to fhake; each of whom made me fuffer a very adequate punishment. Ofborne was fenfible, and fincere and affectionate in his friendships, but too much inclined to the critic in matters of literature, Ralph was ingenious and fhrewd, genteel in his addrefs, and extremely eloquent. I do not remember to have met with a more agreeable speaker. They were both enamoured of the muses, and had already evinced their paffion by fome fmall poetical productions.

It was a cuftom with us to take a charming walk on Sundays, in the woods that border on the Skuylkill. Here we read together, and afterwards conversed on what we read. Ralph was difpofed to give himself up entirely to poetry. He flattered himself that he should arrive at great eminence in the art, and even acquire a fortune. The fublimeft poets, he pretended, when they first began to write, committed as many faults as himself. Ofborne endeavoured to diffuade him from it, by affuring him that he had no genius for poetry, and advised him to stick to the trade in which he had been brought up. In the road of commerce, faid he, you will be fure, by diligence and affiduity, though you have no capital, of fo far fucceeding as to be employed as a factor, and may thus, in time, acquire the means of fetting up for yourself. I concurred in thefe fentiments, but at the fame time expreffed my

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