tters of credit, when he has no credit of his own to
give? No one who knows him has the least confidence in his character.
There is no dependence to be placed upon him in anything. He is
entirely irresponsible."

"What, then, shall I do?" asked Benjamin with evident concern. "Here I
am among strangers without the means of returning, and what shall I
do?"

"I advise you to get employment in a printing-office here for the
present. Among the printers here you will improve yourself, and, when
you return to America, you will set up to greater advantage."

There was no alternative left for Benjamin but to find work where he
could, and make the best of it. Again he had "paid too dear for the
whistle," and must suffer for it. He took lodgings with Ralph in
Little Britain, at three shillings and sixpence a week, and very soon
obtained work at Palmer's famous printing-house in Bartholomew Close,
where he laboured nearly a year. Ralph was not so successful in
getting a situation. He made application here and there, but in vain;
and, after several weeks of fruitless attempts at securing a place, he
decided to leave London, and teach a country school. Previously,
however, in company with Benjamin, he spent much time at plays and
public amusements. This was rather strange, since neither of them had
been wont to waste their time and money in this way; and years after,
Benjamin spoke of it as a great error of his life, which he deeply
regretted. But Ralph's departure put an end to this objectionable
pleasure-seeking, and Benjamin returned to his studious habits when
out of the office.

At this time, the ability to compose which he had carefully nurtured
proved of great assistance to him. He was employed in the printing of
Wollaston's "Religion of Nature," when he took exceptions to some of
his reasoning, and wrote a dissertation thereon, and printed it, with
the title, "A DISSERTATION ON LIBERTY AND NECESSITY, PLEASURE AND
PAIN." This pamphlet fell into the hands of one Lyons, a surgeon,
author of a book entitled "The Infallibility of Human Judgment," and
he was so much pleased with it, that he sought out the author, and
showed him marked attention. He introduced him to Dr. Mandeville,
author of the "Fable of the Bees," and to Dr. Pemberton, who promised
to take him to see Sir Isaac Newton. Sir Hans Sloane invited him to
his house in Bloomsbury Square, and showed him all his curiosities. In
this way, the small pamphlet which he wr