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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 16
of 154
began to consider me in an unfavorable light, as a young genius that had a turn
for libelling and satyr. My brother's discharge was accompany'd with an order of
the House (a very odd one), that "James Franklin should no longer print the
paper called the New England Courant."
There was a consultation held in our printing-house among his friends, what he
should do in this case. Some proposed to evade the order by changing the name of
the paper; but my brother, seeing inconveniences in that, it was finally
concluded on as a better way, to let it be printed for the future under the name
of Benjamin Franklin; and to avoid the censure of the Assembly, that might fall
on him as still printing it by his apprentice, the contrivance was that my old
indenture should be return'd to me, with a full discharge on the back of it, to
be shown on occasion, but to secure to him the benefit of my service, I was to
sign new indentures for the remainder of the term, which were to be kept
private. A very flimsy scheme it was; however, it was immediately executed, and
the paper went on accordingly, under my name for several months.
At length, a fresh difference arising between my brother and me, I took upon me
to assert my freedom, presuming that he would not venture to produce the new
indentures. It was not fair in me to take this advantage, and this I therefore
reckon one of the first errata of my life; but the unfairness of it weighed
little with me, when under the impressions of resentment for the blows his
passion too often urged him to bestow upon me, though he was otherwise not an
ill-natur'd man: perhaps I was too saucy and provoking.
When he found I would leave him, he took care to prevent my getting employment
in any other printing-house of the town, by going round and speaking to every
master, who accordingly refus'd to give me work. I then thought of going to New
York, as the nearest place where there was a printer; and I was rather inclin'd
to leave Boston when I reflected that I had already made myself a little
obnoxious to the governing party, and, from the arbitrary proceedings of the
Assembly in my brother's case, it was likely I might, if I stay'd, soon bring
myself into scrapes; and farther, that my indiscrete disputations about religion
began to make me pointed at with horror by good people as an infidel or atheist.
I determin'd on the point, but my father now siding with my brother, I was
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