From my earliest years I had been paffionately fond of reading, and I laid out in books all the little money I could procure. I was particularly pleased with accounts of voyages. My firft acqui fition was Bunyan's collection in small separate volumes. These I afterwards fold in order to buy an hiftorical collection by R. Burton, which confifted of fmall cheap volumes, amounting in all to about forty, or fifty. My father's little library was principally made up of books of practical and polemical theology. I read the greatest part of them. I have fince often regretted, that at a time when I had fo great a thirst for knowledge, more eligible books had not fallen into my hands, as it was then a point decided that I fhould not be educated for the church. There was also among my father's books Plutarch's Lives, in which I read continually, and I ftill regard as advantageoufly employ

ed

ed the time I devoted to them. I found befides a work of De Foe's, entitled, an Effay on Projects, from which, perhaps, I derived impreffions that have fince influenced fome of the principal events of my life.

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My inclination for books at last determined my father to make me a printer, though he had already a fon in that profeffion. My brother had returned from England in 1717, with a prefs and types, in order to establish a printing-house at Bofton. This business pleafed me much better than that of my father, though I had still a predilection for the fea. To prevent the effects which might refult from this inclination, my father was impatient to see me engaged with my brother. I held back for fome time; at length however I fuffered myself to be perfuaded, and figned my indentures, being then only twelve years of age. It was agreed that I fhould ferve as apprentice

prentice to the age of twenty-one, and fhould receive journeyman's wages only during the last

year.

In a very short time I made great proficiency in this bufinefs, and became very ferviceable to my brother. I had now an opportunity of procuring better books. The acquaintance I neceffarily formed with bookfellers' apprentices, enabled me to borrow a volume now and then, which I never failed to return punctually and without injury. How often has it happened to me to pass the greater part of the night in reading by my bed-fide, when the book had been lent me in the evening, and was to be returned the next morning, left it might be miffed or wanted!

At length, Mr. Matthew Adams, an ingenious tradefman, who had a handfome collection of books, and who frequented our printing-houfe, took notice of me. He invited me to fee his library,

and

and had the goodness to lend me any books I was defirous of reading. I then took a strange fancy for poetry, and compofed feveral little pieces. My brother, thinking. he might find his account in it, encouraged me, and engaged me to write two ballads. One, called the Light-house Tragedy, contained an account of the fhipwreck of captain Worthilake and his two daughters; the other was a failor's fong on the capture of the noted pirate called Teach, or Black-beard. They were wretched verfes in point of style, mere blind-men's ditties. When printed, he dispatched me about the town to fell them. The firft had a prodigious run, because the event was recent, and had made a great noise.

My vanity was flattered by this fuccefs; but my father checked my exultation, by ridiculing my productions, and telling me that verfifiers were always poor, I thus escaped the misfortune of

being,

being, probably, a very wretched poet. But as the faculty of writing profe has been of great fervice to me in the course of my life, and principally contributed to my advancement, I fhall relate by what means, fituated as I was, I acquired the small skill I may poffefs in that way.

There was in the town another young man, a great lover of books, of the name of John Collins, with whom I was intimately connected. We frequently engaged in difpute, and were indeed for fond of argumentation, that nothing was fo agreeable to us as a war of words. This contentious temper, I would obferve by the by, is in danger of becoming a very bad habit, and frequently renders a man's company infupportable, as being no otherwise capable of indulgence than by indiscriminate contradiction. Independently of the acrimony and difcord it introduces into converfation,