of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says 'He
that hath once done you a kindness will be more ready to do
you another than he whom you yourself have obliged,' and it
shows how much more profitable it is prudently to remove
than to resent, return, and continue inimical proceedings."

There was something in this transaction, an apparent want of
sincerity, an approach to trickery, which will impress many readers
painfully. It was a shrewd manoeuvre, skillfully contrived, and
successfully executed. The perfect sincerity of a friendly and
magnanimous mind is the safest guide in all the emergencies of life.

CHAPTER VI.

_Religious and Philosophic Views._

Studious habits--New religion--Personal habits--Church of
the Free and Easy--His many accomplishments--The career of
Hemphall--Birth and Death of Franklin's son--The Ministry of
Whitefield--Remarkable friendship between the philosopher
and the preacher--Prosperity of Franklin--His convivial
habits--The defense of Philadelphia--Birth of a
daughter--The Philadelphia Academy.

Franklin was a perservering and laborious student, for whatever he
read he studied. With increasing intellectual tastes, he found time
every day to devote many hours to his books. His reading was of the
most elevated and instructive kind. It consisted almost exclusively of
scientific treatises, and of history, biography, voyages and travels.

His mind was still struggling and floundering in the midst of
religious and philosophical speculations. He seems, from some
unexplained reason, to have been very unwilling to accept the religion
of Jesus Christ; and yet he was inspired undeniably by a very noble
desire to be a good man, to attain a high position in morality.
Earnestly he endeavored to frame for himself some scheme which would
enable him to accomplish that purpose.

At this time he wrote,

"Few in public affairs act from a mere view of the good of
their country, whatever they may pretend. Fewer still in
public affairs act with a view to the good of mankind. There
seems to me, at present, great occasion to raise a 'United
Party for Virtue,' by forming the virtuous and good of all
nations into a regular body, to be governed by suitable good
and wise rules, which good and wise men may probably be more
unanimous in their obedience to, than common people are to
common laws.