was uncertain, so I could not undertake it. But from this Incident I thought it likely, that if I were to remain in England and open a Swimming School, I might get a good deal of Money. And it struck me so strongly, that had the Overture been sooner made me, probably I should not so soon have returned to America. After many Years, you & I had something of more Importance to do with one of these Sons of Sir William Wyndham, become Earl of Egremont, which I shall mention in its Place.

Thus I spent about 18 Months in London. Most Part of the Time, I work’d hard at my Business, & spent but little upon myself except in seeing Plays & in Books. My Friend Ralph had kept me poor. He owed me about 27 Pounds; which I was now never likely to receive; a great Sum out of my small Earnings. I lov’d him notwithstanding, for he had many amiable Qualities. Tho’ I had by no means improv’d my Fortune. But I had pick’d up some very ingenious Acquaintance whose Conversation was of great Advantage to me, and I had read considerably.

We sail’d from Gravesend on the 23^d of July 1726. For the Incidents of the Voyage, I refer you to my Journal, where you will find them all minutely related. Perhaps the most important Part of that Journal is the Plan to be found in it which I formed at Sea, for regulating my future Conduct in Life. It is the more remarkable, as being form’d when I was so young, and yet being pretty faithfully adhered to quite thro’ to old Age. We landed in Philadelphia the 11th of October, where I found sundry Alterations. Keith was no longer Governor, being superseded by Major Gordon: I met him walking the Streets as a common Citizen. He seem’d a little asham’d at seeing me, but pass’d without saying any thing. I should have been as much asham’d at seeing Miss Read, had not her Friends, despairing with Reason of my Return, after the Receipt of my Letter, persuaded her to marry another, one Rogers, a Potter, which was done in my Absence. With him however she was never happy, and soon parted from him, refusing to cohabit with him, or bear his Name It being now said that he had another Wife. He was a worthless Fellow tho’ an excellent Workman which was the Temptation to her Friends. He got into Debt, and ran away in 1727 or 28. Went to the West Indies, and died there. Keimer had got a better House, a Shop well supply’d with Stationery, plenty of new Types, a number of Hands tho’ none good, and seem’d to have a great deal of Business.

Mr Denham took a Store in Water Street, where we open’d our Goods. I attended the Business diligently, studied Accounts, and grew in a little Time expert at selling. We lodg’d and boarded together, he counsell’d me as a Father, having a sincere Regard for me: I respected & lov’d him: and we might have gone on together very happily: But in the Beginning of Feb^y 1726/7 when I had just pass’d my 21^st Year, we both were taken ill. My Distemper was a Pleurisy, which very nearly carried me off: I suffered a good deal, gave up the Point in my own mind, & was rather disappointed when I found myself recovering; regretting in some degree that I must now some time or other have all that disagreeable Work to do over again. I forget what his Distemper was. It held him a long time, and at length carried him off. He left me a small Legacy in a nuncupative Will, as a Token of his Kindness for me, and he left me once more to the wide World. For the Store was taken into the Care of his Executors, and my Employment under him ended: My Brother-in-law Homes, being now at Philadelphia, advis’d my Return to my Business. And Keimer tempted me with an Offer of large Wages by the Year to come & take the Management of his Printinghouse, that he might better attend his Stationer’s Shop. I had heard a bad Character of him in London, from his Wife & her Friends, & was not fond of having any more to do with him. I try’d for farther Employment as a Merchant’s Clerk; but not readily meeting with any, I clos’d again with Keimer.

I found in his House these Hands; Hugh Meredith a Welsh-Pennsylvania, 30 Years of Age, bred to Country Work: honest, sensible, had a great deal of solid Observation, was something of a Reader, but given to drink: Stephen Potts, a young Country Man of full Age, bred to the Same: of uncommon natural Parts, & great Wit & Humor, but a little idle. These he had agreed with at extreme low Wages, per Week, to be rais’d a Shilling every 3 Months, as they would deserve by improving in their Business, & the Expectation of these high Wages to come on hereafter was what he had drawn them in with. Meredith was to work at Press, Potts at Bookbinding, which he by Agreement, was to teach them, tho’ he knew neither one nor t’other. John —— a wild Irishman brought up to no Business, whose Service for 4 Years Keimer had purchas’d from the Captain of a Ship. He too was to be made a Pressman. George Webb, an Oxford