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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 7
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excellent constitution of body, was of middle stature, but well set, and very
strong; he was ingenious, could draw prettily, was skilled a little in music,
and had a clear pleasing voice, so that when he played psalm tunes on his violin
and sung withal, as he sometimesdid in an evening after the business of the day
was over, it was extremely agreeable to hear. He had a mechanical genius too,
and, on occasion, was very handy in the use of other tradesmen's tools; but his
great excellence lay in a sound understanding and solid judgment in prudential
matters, both in private and publick affairs. In the latter, indeed, he was
never employed, the numerous family he had to educate and the straitness of his
circumstances keeping him close to his trade; but I remember well his being
frequently visited by leading people, who consulted him for his opinion in
affairs of the town or of the church he belonged to, and showed a good deal of
respect for his judgment and advice: he was also much consulted by private
persons about their affairs when any difficulty occurred, and frequently chosen
an arbitrator between contending parties.
At his table he liked to have, as often as he could, some sensible friend or
neighbor to converse with, and always took care to start some ingenious or
useful topic for discourse, which might tend to improve the minds of his
children. By this means he turned our attention to what was good, just, and
prudent in the conduct of life; and little or no notice was ever taken of what
related to the victuals on the table, whether it was well or ill dressed, in or
out of season, of good or bad flavor, preferable or inferior to this or that
other thing of the kind, so that I was bro't up in such a perfect inattention to
those matters as to be quite indifferent what kind of food was set before me,
and so unobservant of it, that to this day if I am asked I can scarce tell a few
hours after dinner what I dined upon. This has been a convenience to me in
travelling, where my companions have been sometimes very unhappy for want of a
suitable gratification of their more delicate, because better instructed, tastes
and appetites.
My mother had likewise an excellent constitution: she suckled all her ten
children. I never knew either my father or mother to have any sickness but that
of which they dy'd, he at 89, and she at 85 years of age. They lie buried
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