exchanged between them. Collins, deeply indebted to
Franklin, accepted of some business offer at Barbadoes. He sailed for
that island, and was never heard of more.

Almost every young man has a few particular friends. The three most
intimate companions of Benjamin Franklin were young men of his own
rank and age, of very dissimilar characters, but having a common taste
for business. They were all clerks. One of these, Joseph Watson, was,
according to Franklin's description, "a pious, sensible young man of
great integrity." It would seem that they were all persons of very
estimable character, though some of them had imbibed Franklin's
skeptical opinions. They spent many of their Sabbaths, wandering on
the banks of the romantic Schuylkill, reading to each other their
compositions in prose and verse.

James Ralph, who was very emphatic in his deistical views, in his
enthusiasm, decided to devote himself to the art of rhyming. The
sensible Franklin tried to dissuade him from his folly, but in vain.
On one occasion they all agreed to attempt a version of the Eighteenth
Psalm. This sublime production of an inspired pen contains, in fifty
verses, imagery as grand and sentiments as beautiful, as perhaps can
anywhere else be found, within the same compass, in any language. It
certainly speaks well for the intellectual acumen of these young men,
and for their devotional instincts, that they should have selected so
noble a theme. As their main object was to improve themselves in the
command of language, and in the power of expression, they could not
have chosen a subject more appropriate, than the Psalmist's
description of the descent of God to earth.

"He bowed the heavens also and came down; and darkness was under
his feet.
And He rode upon a cherub and did fly;
Yea he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his secret place.
His pavilion round about him were dark waters, thick clouds of
the skies.
At the brightness which was before him his thick clouds passed.
Hail stones and coals of fire."[5]

[Footnote 5: The intelligent reader will recall the glowing version of
this Psalm, by Steinhold.

"The Lord descended from above,
And bowed the heavens most high;
And underneath his feet he cast
The darkness of the sky.
On cherub and on cherubim,
Full royally he rode;
And on the wings of mighty winds,
Came flying al