BOSTON AND LONDON
by Benjamin Franklin
1722-1726
_Silence Dogood, No. 1_
_To the Author of the_ New-England Courant.
_Sir,_
It may not be improper in the first Place to inform your
Readers, that I intend once a Fortnight to present them, by the Help
of this Paper, with a short Epistle, which I presume will add
somewhat to their Entertainment.
And since it is observed, that the Generality of People, now a
days, are unwilling either to commend or dispraise what they read,
until they are in some measure informed who or what the Author of it
is, whether he be _poor_ or _rich_, _old_ or _young_, a _Schollar_ or
a _Leather Apron Man_, &c. and give their Opinion of the Performance,
according to the Knowledge which they have of the Author's
Circumstances, it may not be amiss to begin with a short Account of
my past Life and present Condition, that the Reader may not be at a
Loss to judge whether or no my Lucubrations are worth his reading.
At the time of my Birth, my Parents were on Ship-board in their
Way from _London_ to _N. England._ My Entrance into this troublesome
World was attended with the Death of my Father, a Misfortune, which
tho' I was not then capable of knowing, I shall never be able to
forget; for as he, poor Man, stood upon the Deck rejoycing at my
Birth, a merciless Wave entred the Ship, and in one Moment carry'd
him beyond Reprieve.
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