t boy? It was a
habit he had acquired; he wished to please every body, and having
little to give, he gave expectations. He was otherwise an ingenuous,
sensible man, a pretty good writer, and a good governor for the
people, though not for his constituents the proprietaries. Several of
our best laws were of his planning, and passed during his
administration."

The entire absence of anger in this statement, has won for Franklin
great commendation.

With his dependent protege Ralph, he took humble lodgings in Little
Britain street. Ralph had remarkable powers of conversation, with much
more than ordinary literary talent, and could, whenever he wished,
make himself very agreeable and almost fascinating as a companion. But
he was quite a child as to all ability to take care of himself.
Franklin really loved him at that time. He was a very handsome young
man, graceful in his demeanor; and those who listened to his eloquent
harangues would imagine that he was destined to attain to greatness.

Franklin immediately applied for work at the great printing
establishment of Palmer in Bartholomew Close. Fifty journeymen
were here employed. He promptly entered into a contract with the
proprieter for the remuneration of about six dollars a week. Ralph,
characteristically hurried to the theatre to enter upon the profession
of a play-actor. Being disappointed in that attempt, his next plan was
to edit a newspaper to be called the Spectator. Not being able to find
a publisher, he then went the rounds of the law offices, in search of
copying, but not even this, could he obtain. In the meantime they were
both supported by the purse of Franklin. With fifty dollars in his
pocket, and earning six dollars a week, he felt quite easy in his
circumstances, and was quite generous in his expenditure for their
mutual enjoyment.

CHAPTER IV.

_Mental and Moral Conflicts._

Faithfulness to work--Neglect of Deborah Read--Treatise on
Liberty and Necessity--Skill in swimming--Return to
America--Marriage of Miss Read--Severe sickness--Death of
Mr. Denham--Returns to Keimer's employ--The Junto--His
Epitaph--Reformation of his treatise on Liberty and
Necessity--Franklin's creed.

Franklin and Ralph were essentially congenial in their tastes. Neither
of them were religiously inclined in the ordinary acceptation of those
words. But the thoughtful philosophy of Franklin has by many been
regarded as the development