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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 17
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sensible that, if I attempted to go openly, means would be used to prevent me.
My friend Collins, therefore, undertook to manage a little for me. He agreed
with the captain of a New York sloop for my passage, under the notion of my
being a young acquaintance of his, that had got a naughty girl with child, whose
friends would compel me to marry her, and therefore I could not appear or come
away publicly. So I sold some of my books to raise a little money, was taken on
board privately, and as we had a fair wind, in three days I found myself in New
York, near 300 miles from home, a boy of but 17, without the least
recommendation to, or knowledge of any person in the place, and with very little
money in my pocket.
My inclinations for the sea were by this time worne out, or I might now have
gratify'd them. But, having a trade, and supposing myself a pretty good workman,
I offer'd my service to the printer in the place, old Mr. William Bradford, who
had been the first printer in Pennsylvania, but removed from thence upon the
quarrel of George Keith. He could give me no employment, having little to do,
and help enough already; but says he, "My son at Philadelphia has lately lost
his principal hand, Aquila Rose, by death; if you go thither, I believe he may
employ you." Philadelphia was a hundred miles further; I set out, however, in a
boat for Amboy, leaving my chest and things to follow me round by sea.
In crossing the bay, we met with a squall that tore our rotten sails to pieces,
prevented our getting into the Kill and drove us upon Long Island. In our way, a
drunken Dutchman, who was a passenger too, fell overboard; when he was sinking,
I reached through the water to his shock pate, and drew him up, so that we got
him in again. His ducking sobered him a little, and he went to sleep, taking
first out of his pocket a book, which he desir'd I would dry for him. It proved
to be my old favorite author, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, in Dutch, finely
printed on good paper, with copper cuts, a dress better than I had ever seen it
wear in its own language. I have since found that it has been translated into
most of the languages of Europe, and suppose it has been more generally read
than any other book, except perhaps the Bible. Honest John was the first that I
know of who mix'd narration and dialogue; a method of writing very engaging to
the
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