seeing inconveniences in that, it was finally concluded on as abetter way, to let it be printed for the future under the name ofBenjamin Franklin; and to avoid the censure of the Assemblythat might fall on him as still printing it by his apprentice, thecontrivance was that my old indenture should be returned to me,with a full discharge on the back of it, to be shown on occasion,but to secure to him the benefit of my service, I was to sign newindentures for the remainder of the term, which were to be keptprivate. A very flimsy scheme it was; however, it was immedi-ately executed, and the paper went on accordingly, under myname for several months. At length, a fresh difference arising between my brother andme, I took upon me to assert my freedom, presuming that hewould not venture to produce the new indentures. It was not fairin me to take this advantage, and this I therefore reckon one ofthe first errata of my life; but the unfairness of it weighed littlewith me, when under the impressions of resentment for theblows his passion too often urged him to bestow upon me,though he was otherwise not an ill-natured man: perhaps I wastoo saucy and provoking. When he found I would leave him, he took care to prevent mygetting employment in any other printing house of the town, bygoing round and speaking to every master, who accordingly refusedto give me work. I then thought of going to New York, as thenearest place where there was a printer; and I was rather inclinedto leave Boston when I reflected that I had already made myselfa little obnoxious to the governing party, and, from the arbitraryproceedings of the Assembly in my brothers case, it was likelyit might, if I stayed, soon bring myself into scrapes; and further,that my indiscrete disputations about religion began to make mepointed at with horror by good people as an infidel or atheist. Idetermined on the point, but my father now siding with mybrother, I was sensible that, if l attempted to go openly, meanswould be used to prevent me. My friend Collins, therefore,undertook to manage a little for me. He agreed with the captainof a New York sloop for my passage, under the notion of mybeing a young acquaintance of his that had got a naughty girlwith child, whose friends would compel me to marry her, andtherefore I could not appear or come away publicly.
展开
