But what shall we think of a governor’s playing such pitiful tricks, and imposing so grossly on a poor ignorant boy!  It was a habit he had acquired.  He wish’d to please everybody; and, having little to give, he gave expectations.  He was otherwise an ingenious, sensible man, a pretty good writer, and a good governor for the people, tho’ not for his constituents, the proprietaries, whose instructions he sometimes disregarded.  Several of our best laws were of his planning and passed during his administration.

Ralph and I were inseparable companions.  We took lodgings together in Little Britain at three shillings and sixpence a week—­ as much as we could then afford.  He found some relations, but they were poor, and unable to assist him.  He now let me know his intentions of remaining in London, and that he never meant to return to Philadelphia.  He had brought no money with him, the whole he could muster having been expended in paying his passage.  I had fifteen pistoles; so he borrowed occasionally of me to subsist, while he was looking out for business.  He first endeavored to get into the playhouse, believing himself qualify’d for an actor; but Wilkes, to whom he apply’d, advis’d him candidly not to think of that employment, as it was impossible be should succeed in it.  Then he propos’d to Roberts, a publisher in Paternoster Row, to write for him a weekly paper like the Spectator, on certain conditions, which Roberts did not approve.  Then he endeavored to get employment as a hackney writer, to copy for the stationers and lawyers about the Temple, but could find no vacancy.

I immediately got into work at Palmer’s, then a famous printing-house in Bartholomew Close, and here I continu’d near a year.  I was pretty diligent, but spent with Ralph a good deal of my earnings in going to plays and other places of amusement.  We had together consumed all my pistoles, and now just rubbed on from hand to mouth.  He seem’d quite to forget his wife and child, and I, by degrees, my engagements with Miss Read, to whom I never wrote more than one letter, and that was to let her know I was not likely soon to return.  This was another of the great errata of my life, which I should wish to correct if I were to live it over again.  In fact, by our expenses, I was constantly kept unable to pay my passage.

At Palmer’s I was employed in composing for the second edition of Wollaston’s “Religion of Nature.”  Some of his reasonings not appearing to me well founded, I wrote a little metaphysical piece in which I made remarks on them.  It was entitled “A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain.”  I inscribed it to my friend Ralph; I printed a small number.  It occasion’d my being more consider’d by Mr. Palmer as a young man of some ingenuity, tho’ he seriously expostulated with me upon the principles of my pamphlet, which to him appear’d abominable.  My printing this pamphlet was another erratum.  While I lodg’d in Little Britain, I made an acquaintance with one Wilcox, a bookseller, whose shop was at the next door.  He had an immense collection of second-hand books.  Circulating libraries were not then in use; but we agreed that, on certain reasonable terms, which I have now forgotten, I might take, read, and return any of his books.  This I esteem’d a great advantage, and I made as much use of it as I could.