tioner, who was the first perfon I called upon. I delivered him the letter as coming from Governor Keith. "I have no acquaintance (faid he} "with any fuch person ;" and opening the letter, "Oh, it is from Riddlefden!" he exclaimed. "I have lately discovered him to be a very ar"rant knave, and I wish to have nothing to do

either with him or his letters." He inftantly put the letter into my hand, turned upon his heel, and left me to ferve fome customers.

I was astonished at finding these letters were not from the Governor. Reflecting and putting circumstances together, I then began to doubt his fincerity. I rejoined my friend Denham, and related the whole affair to him. He let me at once into Keith's character, told me there was not the leaft probability of his having written a fingle letter; that no one who knew him ever placed any reliance on him, and laughed at my credulity in fuppofing that the Governor would give me a letter of credit, when he had no credit for him. felf. As I fhowed fome uneafinefs refpecting what step I should take, he advised me to try to get employment in the houfe of fome printer. You may there, said he, improve yourself in business, and you will be able to settle yourself the more advantageously when you return to America.

We knew already, as well as the ftationer, attorney Riddlesden to be a knave. He had nearly ruined the father of Mifs Read, by drawing him in to be fecurity. We learned from his letter, that he was fecretly carrying on an intrigue, in concert with the Governor, to the prejudice of

Mr. Hamilton, who it was fuppofed would by this time be in Europe. Denham, who was Hamilton's friend, was of opinion that he ought to be made acquainted with it; and in reality, the inftant he arrived in England, which was very foon after, I waited on him, and, as much from good-will to him as from refentment against the Governor, put the letter into his hands. thanked me very fincerely, the information it contained being of confequence to him; and from that moment bestowed on me his friendship which afterwards proved on many occafions ferviceble to me.

He

But what are we to think of a Governor who could play fo fcurvy a trick, and thus grofsly deceive a poor young lad, wholly deftitute of experience? It was a practice with him. Wishing to please every body, and having little to bestow, he was lavish of promifes. He was in other respects fenfible and judicious, a very tolerable writer, and a good Governor for the people; though not fo for the proprietaries, whose inftructions he frequently difregarded. Many of our best laws were his work, and established during his administration.

Ralph and I were infeperable companions. We took a lodging together at three-and-fixpence a week, which was as much as we could afford. He met with fome relations in London, but they were poor, and not able to affift him. He now,

for the first time, informed me of his intention to remain in England, and that he had no thoughts of ever returning to Philadelphia. He was totally without money; the little he had been able I

to raise having barely fufficed for his paffage. I had fill fifteen piftoles remaining; and to me he had from time to time recourfe, while he tried to get employment.

At first, believing himself poffeffed of talents for the ftage, he thought of turning actor: but Wilkes, to whom he applied, frankly advited him to renounce the idea, as it was impoffible to fucceed. He next propofed to Roberts, a bookfeller in Paternofter-Row, to write a weekly paper in the manner of the Spectator, upon terms to which Roberts would not listen. Lastly, he endeavoured to procure employment as a copyift, and applied to the lawyers and ftationers about the Temple; but he could find no vacancy.

As to myself, I immediately got engaged at Palmer's, at that time a noted printer in BarthoJomew Clofe, with whom I continued nearly a year. I applied very affiduoufly to my work; but I expended with Ralph almost all that I earned. Plays, and other places of amusement which we frequented together, having exhausted my piftoles, we lived after this from hand to mouth. He appeared to have entirely forgotten his wife and child, as I alfo, by degrees, forgot my engagements with Mils Read, to whom I never wrote more than one letter, and that merely to inform her that I was not likely to return foon. This was another grand error of my life, which I fhould be defirous of correcting, were I to begin my career again.

I was employed at Palmer's on the fecond edition of Woolafton's Religion of Nature. Some of his arguments appeared to me not to be well

founded, I wrote a fmall metaphyfical treatife, in which I animadverted on thofe paffages. It was entitled a Differtation on Liberty and Neceffity, Pleasure and Pain. I dedicated it to my friend Ralph, and printed a small number of copies. Palmer upon this treated me with more confideration, and regarded me as a young man of talents; tho' he seriously took me to task for the principles of my pamphlet, which he looked upon as abominable. The printing of this work was another error of my life.

a

While I lodged in Little Britain I formed acquaintance with bookfeller of the name of Wilcox, whose shop was next door to me. Circulating libraries were not then in ufe. He had an immenfe collection of books of all forts. We agreed that, for a reasonable retribution, of which I have now forgotten the price, I should have free access to his library, and take what books I pleased, which I was to return when I had read them. I confidered this agreement as a very great advantage; and I derived from it as much benefit as was in my power,

My pamphlet falling into the hands of a furgeon, of the name of Lyons, author of a book entitled Infallibility of Human Judgment, was the occafion of a confiderable intimacy between us. He expreffed great esteem for me, came frequently to fee me in order to converse taphyfical fubjects, and introduced me to Dr. Mandeville, author of the Fable of Becs, who had inftituted a club at a tavern in Cheapfide, of which he was the foul: he was a facetious and very amufing character. He alfo introduc

upon me

ed me, at Bafton's coffee-houfe, to Dr. Pemberton, who promised to give me an opportunity of seeing Sir Ifaac Newton, which I very ardently defired; but he never kept his word.

I had brought some curiosities with me from America; the principle of which was a purfe made of asbestos, which fire only purifies. Sir Hans Sloane hearing of it, called upon me, and invited me to his houfe in Bloomsbury fquare, where, afer fhewing me every thing that was curious, he prevailed on me to add this piece to his collection; for which he paid me very handfomely.

There lodged in the fame house with us a young woman, a miliner, who had a shop by the fide of the Exchange. Lively and fenfible, and having received an education somewhat above her rank, her converfation was very agreeable. Ralph read plays to her every evening. They became intimate. She took another lodging,

and he followed her. They lived for fome time together; but Ralph being without employment, fhe having a child, and the profits of her business not sufficing for the maintenance of three, he refolved to quit London, and try a country íchool. This was a plan in which he thought himself likely to fucceed, as he wrote a fine hand, and was verfed in arithmetic and accounts. But confidering the office as beneath him, and expecting fome day to make a better figure in the world, when he should be ashamed of its being known that he had exercised a profeffion fo little honourable, he changed his name, and did me the honour of affuming mine. He wrote to