Benjamin Franklin Autobiography 1706-1757 by Benjamin Franklin

Author:Benjamin Franklin
Format: epub
Publisher: epub掌上书苑
Published: 2010-05-21T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

My ideas at that time were, that the sect should be begun and spread at first among young and single men only; that each person to be initiated should not only declare his as- sent to such creed, but should have exercised himself with the thirteen weeks' examination and practice of the vir- tues) as in the before-mention'd model; that the existence of such a society should he kept a secret, till it was become considerable, to prevent solicitations for the admission of improper persons, but that the members should each of them search among his acquaintance for ingenuous, well-disposed youths, to whom, with prudent caution, the scheme should be grad ually communicated; that the members should en- gage to afford their advice, assistance, and support to each other in promoting one another's interests, business, and advancement in life; that, for distinction, we should be call'd The Society of the Free and Easy: free, as being, by the general practice and habit of the virtues, free from the do- minion of vice; and particularly by the practice of industry and frugality, free from debt, which exposes a man to con- finement, and a species of slavery to his creditors.

This is as much as I can now recollect of the project, ex- cept that I communicated it in part to two young men, who adopted it with some enthusiasm; but my then narrow cir- cumstances, and the necessity I was under of sticking close to my business, occasion'd my postponing the further pros- ecution of it at that time; and my multifarious occupations, public and private, induc'd me to continue postponing, so that it has been omitted till I have no longer strength or activity left sufficient for such an enterprise; tho' I am still of opinion that it was a practicable scheme, and might have been very useful, by forming a great number of good citi- zens; and I was not discourag'd by the seeming magnitude of the undertaking, as I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accom- plish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan, and, cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.

In 1732 I first publish'd my Almanack, under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continu'd by me about twenty-five years, commonly call'd Poor Richard's Almanac. I endeavor'd to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand, that I reap'd considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand. And observing that it was generally read, scarce any neighborhood in the province being without it, I consider'd it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought scarcely any other books; I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurr'd between the remarkable days in the calendar with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as in- culcated industry

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