Sunday morning, and sauntered through the streets in search for lodgings, his pockets stuffed with shirts and stockings, and a large roll of bread under each arm, and eating a third. "Who would have dreamed," exclaims Brissot de Warville in his panegyric, "that this miserable wanderer would become one of the legislators of America; the ornament of the new world; the pride of modern philosophy; and an ambassador to one of the richest, most powerful, and enlightened nations of the universe?" His active mind and habits of industry soon procured for him employment as a compositor in one of the two printing establishments in Philadelphia at that time. Sir William Keith, the governor, having been informed that Franklin was a young man of promising talents, invited him to his house, and treated him in the most friendly manner. He advised him to enter into business for himself, and assured him of his assistance. his request he went to London to complete his knowledge of the business, and to purchase a set of types. On his arrival there he found himself deceived, and was left to find subsistence by his own exertions. Undismayed by misfortune and disappointment, he obtained employment as a journeyman printer, and by living economically, he saved a greater part of his wages.

At

After a residence of eighteen months in London, he returned to Philadelphia, in October, 1726, as a clerk to Mr. Denham, a merchant. On the death of his friend in the following year, he engaged with Mr. Keimer, as foreman in his printingoffice.

It was not long before a disagreement took place with Keimer, whom he left, and entered into partnership with Mr. Meredith; but in 1729, he dissolved the connexion with him. He then purchased of Keimer a paper, and by the assistance of friends, was enabled to conduct it in such a manner as attracted much attention. In 1730, he

married a Miss Read. In 1731, he carried into effect the plan of forming a library, which afterwards became the foundation of that noble institution the present Library Company of Philadelphia. In 1732, he began to publish "Poor Richard's Almanac. Of this work he sold ten thousand annually. The wise sayings of Poor Richard have been repeated, and copied, and printed in many works. They have also been translated into many foreign languages. As a treatise of public and private economy it was considered one of the best extant. His paper he published nearly on the same plan, enriching it with ethical discourses, and carefully excluding from it "all libelling and personal abuse."

At the age of twenty-seven he acquired the French, Italian, and Spanish languages, so as to read them with considerable fluency.

In 1736, he was appointed clerk of the general assembly of Pennsylvania, and in the following year postmaster of Philadelphia.

In 1736, he put into successful operation the "American Philosophical Society," and may also be considered as the founder of the university of Pennsylvania. By his influence and zeal he procured a grant from the legislature for the establishment and endowment of the Pennsylvania hospital. And, indeed, such were his patriotic and philanthropic exertions, in contributing to the ornament, and benefit of Philadelphia, that his name may be cherished as its second founder. In 1747, he was chosen a member of the assembly, and continued in this station ten years. Here he exerted all his influence in opposing the proprietary claims. Among the writers upon politics, and the persons who have acted an important part in the revolution of their country, Dr. Franklin has been highly esteemed, and conspicuously distinguished. At this period he began his electrical experiments, which was only the commencement of a more bril

liant and successful career. His great discovery was the identity of the electric fluid and lightning. His splendid experiments were justly admired and venerated in all parts of Europe, and in a short time they filled the world with his fame. In 1754, he was appointed one of the commissioners, who attended the congress at Albany, to devise the best means of defending the country against the French. He drew up a plan which was afterwards adopted by congress.

In 1757, he was sent to England as agent for Pennsylvania, and while there, was appointed agent of Massachusetts, Maryland, and Georgia. During his residence abroad, he formed connexions with persons of rank and influence. It was now he began to receive the reward of his philosophical merit. He was elected with especial honours, a member of the Royal Society, and was honoured with the degree of doctor of laws by the universities of St. Andrew's, Edinburgh and Oxford, and his correspondence was sought by the most eminent philosophers of Europe.

In 1762, he returned home, and received thanks for his services.

In 1764, he was again sent to London as an agent for the province, to procure a change of the proprietary government.

In 1766, he was examined at the bar of the house of commons, respecting the repeal of the stamp act; his conduct on this occasion was firm and manly. During the following year he visited Holland, Germany, and France, and became acquainted with most of the literary characters of Europe.

In 1775, he returned to America, and the day after his arrival, he was elected a member of congress. In this body he laboured with the utmost zeal, to bring about the ever memorable declaration of independence, to which he afterwards affixed his name, on the 4th July, 1776. Towards the latter end of July, he was chosen president of

the convention which met in Philadelphia, to form a new constitution for Pennsylvania. In October following, he was sent to France to assist in a negotiation in connexion with Mr. Arthur Lee, and Šilas Deane. He had much influence in forming the treaty of alliance and commerce with that nation, February 6, 1778.

In conjunction with Mr. Adams, Mr. Jay, and Mr. Laurens, he signed the provisional articles of peace, November 30, 1782, and the definitive treaty, September 30, 1783.

În 1785, at his request to retire, congress appointed Mr. Jefferson to succeed him as ambassador at the court of France. In the interval he negotiated and signed two treaties of amity and commerce, one with Sweden, and the other with Prussia. During his residence in France, he was the idol of the literary and political circles of Paris, while his genius and talents were held in the highest estimation. On his arrival in this country, he was received with universal applause, and the citizens, in order to express their approbation of his invaluable services abroad, immediately appointed him president of the supreme executive council.

In 1787, he was a delegate to the grand convention, which framed the constitution of the United States.

In 1788, he retired wholly from public life, in consequence of the complication of diseases which for a number of years, had laid waste his strength, and now entirely prevented him from attending to business. For the last twelve months, he was confined almost entirely to his bed. On approaching the confines of another world, he reasoned like a philosopher, and often expressed a grateful sense of the many blessings received from the Supreme Being, who had raised him from his humble origin to such consideration among men.

On the 17th April, 1790, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, he departed this life in the city of

Philadelphia. Almost to the last moment his mental faculties remained unimpaired, and with a pious resignation he commended his spirit to the will of heaven. After his death the posthumous honours conferred on his memory and services, were but little short of enthusiastic.

Congress ordered a general mourning for him in America for the space of one month. Obsequies were solemnized in Paris, and funeral panegyrics delivered by order of its municipality. The national assembly of France decreed a mourning of three days, and addressed a letter of condolence to the American congress, in which they style him the Nestor of America.

His works, philosophical, political, and literary, have been published in England, France, and America.

FLOYD, WILLIAM, one of the signers of the decla-. ration of independence, was born on Long-Island, New-York, December 17, 1734.

He received a liberal education, and afterwards confined himself to the pursuits of agriculture. At an early period he embarked in the controversy between Great Britain and the colonies, and as it grew more animated, he became more conspicuous as an advocate of the rights of the people. It was doubtless from these considerations that he was appointed a delegate from New-York to the congress which met at Philadelphia in 1774.

In 1775, he was re-elected and took his seat in the general congress, which met in May, 1776. During this interesting and protracted session, he was actively and constantly employed on the numerous and important committees which particularly occupied a greater part of the attention of congress.

In 1777, he was elected a senator under the new