tively, to few books, but those he devoured with the
utmost eagerness. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress was, so to speak, his
first love. Having read and re-read it until his whole spirit was
incorporated with its nature, he sold the volume and purchased
Burton's Historical Collections. This consisted of quite a series of
anecdotes and adventures, written in an attractive style, and
published at a low price. In those early years he read another book
which exerted a powerful influence in the formation of his character.
When eighty years of age he alludes as follows to this work in a
letter to Mr. Samuel Mather, who was son of the author, Cotton Mather,

"When I was a boy I met with a book entitled 'Essays to do
Good,' which I think was written by your father. It had
been so little regarded by a former possessor that several
leaves of it were torn out; but the remainder gave me such a
turn of thinking, as to have an influence on my conduct
through life; for I have always set a greater value on the
character of a doer of good, than on any other kind of a
reputation; and if I have been, as you seem to think, a
useful citizen, the public owe the advantage of it to that
book."[2]

[Footnote 2: This volume has been republished by the Mass. S. S.
Society.]

When Franklin was twelve years of age, the population of Boston had
increased to about ten thousand. An incident is recorded of Franklin
at this time, which strikingly illustrates the peculiarity of his
mental structure and the want of reverence with which he gradually
accustomed himself to regard religious things. His father's habit, in
the long graces which preceded each meal, rather wearied the temper of
his son. The precocious young skeptic, with characteristic
irreverence, ventured to say,

"I think, father, that if you were to say grace over the whole cask,
once for all, it would save time."[3]

[Footnote 3: Works of Dr. Franklin by W. Temple Franklin. Vol. I, p.
447.]

This was the remark of a boy but twelve years of age. Though it does
not indicate a very devout spirit, it certainly gives evidence of an
intellect of unusual acuteness.

Franklin ever spoke of his boyhood as the very happy period of a
remarkably happy life. His peculiar temperament enabled him to be
happy under circumstances in which others would have been very
miserable. His affections in after years ever yearned toward Boston;
he was accustomed