PART THREE

[ "I am now about to write at home, August, 1788, but can not have the help expected from my papers, many of them being lost in the war. I have, however, found the following." ]

HAVING mentioned a great and extensive project which I had conceiv'd, it seems proper that some account should be here given of that project and its object. Its first rise in my mind appears in the following little paper, accidentally preserv'd, viz.:

Observations on my reading history, in Library, May 19th, 1731.

"That the great affairs of the world, the wars, revolutions, etc., are carried on and affected by parties.

"That the view of these parties is their present general interest, or what they take to be such.

"That the different views of these different parties occasion all confusion.

"That while a party is carrying on a general design, each man has his particular private interest in view.

"That as soon as a party has gain'd its general point, each member becomes intent upon his particular interest; which, thwarting others, breaks that party into divisions, and occasions more confusion.

"That few in public affairs act from a meer view of the good of their country, whatever they may pretend; and, tho' their actings bring real good to their country, yet men primarily considered that their own and their country's interest was united, and did not act from a principle of benevolence.

"That fewer still, in public affairs, act with a view to the good of mankind.

"There seems to me at present to be great occasion for raising a United Party for Virtue, by forming the virtuous and good men of all nations into a regular body, to be govern'd by suitable good and wise rules, which good and wise men may probably be more unanimous in their obedience to, than common people are to common laws.

"I at present think that whoever attempts this aright, and is well qualified, can not fail of pleasing God, and of meeting with success. B. F."

Revolving this project in my mind, as to be undertaken hereafter, when my circumstances should afford me the necessary leisure, I put down from time to time, on pieces of paper, such thoughts as occurr'd to me respecting it. Most of these are lost; but I find one purporting to be the substance of an intended creed, containing, as I thought, the essentials of every known religion, and being free of every thing that might shock the professors of any religion. It is express'd in these words, viz.:

"That there is one God, who made all things.

"That he governs the world by his providence.

"That he ought to be worshiped by adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving.

"But that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man.

"That the soul is immortal.

"And that God will certainly reward virtue and punish vice either here or hereafter."

第三部分

（“现在是1788年8月，我要在家里继续写作了。我的许多文章都已在战争中遗失，因此不能像原来期望的那样从中寻找资料。不过还是找到了以下部分。”）

既然提到我曾制定过一个宏大的计划，我想在这里该谈谈这个计划及其目标。我把最初产生这个想法的过程记在了下面这张小纸上，偶然得以保存下来：

这是1731年5月19日我在图书馆阅读历史著作时的一些感想：

“世界大事，如战争、革命等，都是由政党进行并受其影响的。

这些政党的观点代表着他们当前的普遍利益，或是他们借以维护这些利益的手段。

不同政党的不同意见引起了各种纷争和混乱。

一个政党制定其宏观纲领时，各人的私人利益都会在其中得以体现。

一旦政党完成其宏观目标，各党员即开始着力实现其个人利益，相互阻挠干预，使得政党四分五裂，从而引起更大混乱。

在公共事务中，不管人们口头上怎么说，很少有人做事是单纯从国家利益出发的。尽管他们的行为会给国家带来真正的好处，但人们的主要考虑还是基于自己的利益与国家利益存在一致性，而非出于爱国热忱。

而在公共事务中以造福人类为目标的，更是少之又少。

在我看来，当前很有必要建立一个“道德联合党”，将各国善良、有德行的人们组织起来，形成一个常设机构，并制定恰当而科学的规章加以管理，这样善良、睿智的人们很可能会一致遵守这一规章，比普通人对普通法律的服从更加没有异议。

我现在认为，如果有人能采用正确方法来作此尝试，而他本人又具备足够的资格和能力的话，一定不会让上帝失望，一定能够取得成功。

本杰明·富兰克林”

我想如果今后的境遇使我得有闲暇，我就来完成这项计划，于是现在我不时在纸上记下与此有关的想法。这些纸片大多数遗失了，但我发现其中有一张纸上记载着将来打算成立的教派的主旨，其中包含各个知名教派的教义精髓，但其内容又不冒犯任何宗教的信奉者。原文记载如下：

“有位上帝创造了世间万物。

他依其神旨统治世界。

人应通过敬慕、祈祷、感恩来崇拜上帝。

而最被上帝接纳的服务方式是与人为善。

灵魂不灭。

上帝必将褒奖美德、惩治恶行，或在此时，或在他日。”

My ideas at that time were, that the sect should be begun and spread at first among young and single men only; that each person to be initiated should not only declare his assent to such creed, but should have exercised himself with the thirteen weeks' examination and practice of the virtues, as in the before-mention'd model; that the existence of such a society should be kept a secret, till it was become considerable, to prevent solicitations for the admission of improper persons, but that the members should each of them search among his acquaintance for ingenuous, well-disposed youths, to whom, with prudent caution, the scheme should be gradually communicated; that the members should engage to afford their advice, assistance, and support to each other in promoting one another's interests, business, and advancement in life; that, for distinction, we should be call'd The Society of the Free and Easy: free, as being, by the general practice and habit of the virtues, free from the dominion of vice; and particularly by the practice of industry and frugality, free from debt, which exposes a man to confinement, and a species of slavery to his creditors.

This is as much as I can now recollect of the project, except that I communicated it in part to two young men, who adopted it with some enthusiasm; but my then narrow circumstances, and the necessity I was under of sticking close to my business, occasion'd my postponing the further prosecution of it at that time; and my multifarious occupations, public and private, induc'd me to continue postponing, so that it has been omitted till I have no longer strength or activity left sufficient for such an enterprise; tho' I am still of opinion that it was a practicable scheme, and might have been very useful, by forming a great number of good citizens; and I was not discourag'd by the seeming magnitude of the undertaking, as I have always thought that one man of tolerable abilities may work great changes, and accomplish great affairs among mankind, if he first forms a good plan, and, cutting off all amusements or other employments that would divert his attention, makes the execution of that same plan his sole study and business.

当时我的想法是，成立初期，本教派应先只在年轻的单身汉中传播。加入本教派的人不仅要宣布服从以上信条，还应按照前面提过的方法进行13周的道德自省和实践。为防止不合适的人选申请入教，教派成员应对外严格保密，直至教派发展壮大。但教派成员均应物色友人中率直、好心的年轻人，逐渐向他们传递关于这个计划的信息，做到小心谨慎。教派各成员应互相劝谏、互相帮扶，以促进彼此利益，帮助彼此事业发展，取得人生的进步。这一教派应起名为“自由无忧会”，以示和其他教派的区别。所谓“自由”，是指各种美德已成日常行为和习惯，因此人们摆脱了恶行的控制，尤其是养成勤奋和节俭的习惯后，人们摆脱了债务的烦扰，而债务往往会让人陷入拘禁及被债主奴役的境地。

关于这个计划，我所能记得的就是这些了。此外，我还记得曾把部分计划告诉过两个年轻人，他们相当热情地采纳了这个计划。但我当时境遇窘困，需要潜心专注于自己的事业，因此当时只好推迟执行这个计划。后来我各种公私事务缠身，只得将其继续拖延，直至我终究没有足够的精力和活力来完成这样一项工程，也就将其淡忘了。但我依然认为这个计划是可行的，可能在培养出众多好公民方面十分有用。这项事业表面看来艰巨繁杂，但我并未因此而气馁。我向来认为，一个有着较高才能的人若能先制定良好的计划，并舍弃所有可能分散其注意力的娱乐活动或事务，将执行这项计划作为其研究和事业的唯一内容，就会带来巨大变革，在人世间成就伟大事业。

In 1732 I first publish'd my Almanack, under the name of Richard Saunders; it was continu'd by me about twenty-five years, commonly call'd Poor Richard's Almanac. I endeavor'd to make it both entertaining and useful, and it accordingly came to be in such demand, that I reap'd considerable profit from it, vending annually near ten thousand. And observing that it was generally read, scarce any neighborhood in the province being without it, I consider'd it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought scarcely any other books; I therefore filled all the little spaces that occurr'd between the remarkable days in the calendar with proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality, as the means of procuring wealth, and thereby securing virtue; it being more difficult for a man in want, to act always honestly, as, to use here one of those proverbs, it is hard for an empty sack to stand up-right.

1732年，我用理查德·桑德斯的名字首次发行了我的年鉴。我后来继续发行年鉴长达大约25年时间，人们一般称为《穷理查年鉴》。我努力使这本年鉴既有趣味性，又有实用性，因此这本书风靡一时，年销量接近一万本，使我收益颇丰。考虑到书的读者面广，本州几乎每家每户都有一本，我想这是向普通民众传递知识的好方式，因为他们很少会买别的书。于是，我将日历上重大日子之间的空白处都印上谚语式的句子，主要是教导人们勤奋和节俭是致富从而养成美德的方法。对于穷人来说，始终做到诚实比富人更难，这可以用其中一句谚语来形容，即空口袋难立直。

These proverbs, which contained the wisdom of many ages and nations, I assembled and form'd into a connected discourse prefix'd to the Almanack of 1757, as the harangue of a wise old man to the people attending an auction. The bringing all these scatter'd counsels thus into a focus enabled them to make greater impression. The piece, being universally approved, was copied in all the newspapers of the Continent; reprinted in Britain on a broad side, to be stuck up in houses; two translations were made of it in French, and great numbers bought by the clergy and gentry, to distribute gratis among their poor parishioners and tenants. In Pennsylvania, as it discouraged useless expense in foreign superfluities, some thought it had its share of influence in producing that growing plenty of money which was observable for several years after its publication.

I considered my newspaper, also, as another means of communicating instruction, and in that view frequently reprinted in it extracts from the Spectator, and other moral writers; and sometimes publish'd little pieces of my own, which had been first compos'd for reading in our Junto. Of these are a Socratic dialogue, tending to prove that, whatever might be his parts and abilities, a vicious man could not properly be called a man of sense; and a discourse on self-denial, showing that virtue was not secure till its practice became a habitude, and was free from the opposition of contrary inclinations. These may be found in the papers about the beginning of 1735.

In the conduct of my newspaper, I carefully excluded all libelling and personal abuse, which is of late years become so disgraceful to our country. Whenever I was solicited to insert anything of that kind, and the writers pleaded, as they generally did, the liberty of the press, and that a newspaper was like a stagecoach, in which any one who would pay had a right to a place, my answer was, that I would print the piece separately if desired, and the author might have as many copies as he pleased to distribute himself, but that I would not take upon me to spread his detraction; and that, having contracted with my subscribers to furnish them with what might be either useful or entertaining, I could not fill their papers with private altercation, in which they had no concern, without doing them manifest injustice. Now, many of our printers make no scruple of gratifying the malice of individuals by false accusations of the fairest characters among ourselves, augmenting animosity even to the producing of duels; and are, moreover, so indiscreet as to print scurrilous reflections on the government of neighboring states, and even on the conduct of our best national allies, which may be attended with the most pernicious consequences. These things I mention as a caution to young printers, and that they may be encouraged not to pollute their presses and disgrace their profession by such infamous practices, but refuse steadily, as they may see by my example that such a course of conduct will not, on the whole, be injurious to their interests.

这些谚语包含着来自各个时代不同国家的智慧，我将它们收集起来写成一篇衔接连贯的文章，放在1757年年鉴的前面，就像一位睿智的老者向参与拍卖会的人们大声演说一般。这样将分散的谏言集中起来能给人们留下更深的印象。文章得到众人赞赏，美洲各家报纸都纷纷刊载；在英国，人们用大幅纸张翻印，以便贴在家里；文章还有两个法语译本，牧师和贵族都大量购买，将其免费发放给穷困的教区居民和佃农。在宾夕法尼亚，有人认为这篇文章对财富的增长也有一定作用，这在文章发表后的几年里可以看出来，因为文章劝诫人们不要购买无用的外国奢侈品。

我认为我的报纸也是教导民众的另外一种途径，因此我常在报上登载《旁观者》或是其他道德论说文的摘要，有时还会刊发自己的一些小文章，这最初是我为在“密社”中朗读而写。其中有一篇是苏格拉底式的对话，意在证明无论才华和能力如何，品行不端之人都不能称为明达之人。还有一篇讲述自制克己的文章，指出只有美德成为习惯，并不受相反习性所扰时，这种品德才真正养成。这些文章也许可在1735年初的报纸上找到。

在办报纸时，我小心地避免刊登一切带有诽谤性和人身攻击色彩的文章。近年来，这类文章给我们国家带来了莫大的负面影响。每当有人央求我在文章中插入该类语句时，他们一般会以出版自由为借口，说报纸就像公共马车，只要花钱，人人都应有一个位置。我则会回答说，如果想要的话，我可以单独印刷那篇文章，作者想散发多少份我就印多少份，但我不会承担他散播诽谤言论的责任。再者，我与我的订户签订了合约，要为他们提供或有实用性或有趣味性的报纸，因此不能在报纸上登载一些他们毫不关心的私人争论，我这样做显然对他们不公平。现在，我们许多报纸无所顾忌地迎合个人的恶意，毫无根据地指责我们之中最为优秀的人物，挑拨离间，甚至引起双方反目。此外，他们还草率地发表关于邻国政府的低级言论，甚至对我们最友好的盟国也说三道四，这可能会招致极为严重的后果。我提及这些事情是想提醒年轻的报纸发行人，希望他们不要做这样令人不齿的事情，以免玷污他们的出版物，使他们的职业为之蒙羞。他们应坚定地拒绝这样做，因为他们可以从我的事例中看出，总体来说，这样做并不会损害他们的利益。

In 1733 I sent one of my journeymen to Charleston, South Carolina, where a printer was wanting. I furnish'd him with a press and letters, on an agreement of partnership, by which I was to receive one-third of the profits of the business, paying one-third of the expense. He was a man of learning, and honest but ignorant in matters of account; and, tho' he sometimes made me remittances, I could get no account from him, nor any satisfactory state of our partnership while he lived. On his decease, the business was continued by his widow, who, being born and bred in Holland, where, as I have been inform'd, the knowledge of accounts makes a part of female education, she not only sent me as clear a state as she could find of the transactions past, but continued to account with the greatest regularity and exactness every quarter afterwards, and managed the business with such success, that she not only brought up reputably a family of children, but, at the expiration of the term, was able to purchase of me the printing-house, and establish her son in it.

I mention this affair chiefly for the sake of recommending that branch of education for our young females, as likely to be of more use to them and their children, in case of widowhood, than either music or dancing, by preserving them from losses by imposition of crafty men, and enabling them to continue, perhaps, a profitable mercantile house, with establish'd correspondence, till a son is grown up fit to undertake and go on with it, to the lasting advantage and enriching of the family.

About the year 1734 there arrived among us from Ireland a young Presbyterian preacher, named Hemphill, who delivered with a good voice, and apparently extempore, most excellent discourses, which drew together considerable numbers of different persuasion, who join'd in admiring him. Among the rest, I became one of his constant hearers, his sermons pleasing me, as they had little of the dogmatical kind, but inculcated strongly the practice of virtue, or what in the religious stile are called good works. Those, however, of our congregation, who considered themselves as orthodox Presbyterians, disapprov'd his doctrine, and were join'd by most of the old clergy, who arraign'd him of heterodoxy before the synod, in order to have him silenc'd. I became his zealous partisan, and contributed all I could to raise a party in his favor, and we combated for him a while with some hopes of success. There was much scribbling pro and con upon the occasion; and finding that, tho' an elegant preacher, he was but a poor writer, I lent him my pen and wrote for him two or three pamphlets, and one piece in the Gazette of April, 1735. Those pamphlets, as is generally the case with controversial writings, tho' eagerly read at the time, were soon out of vogue, and I question whether a single copy of them now exists.

1733年，我派一个工人去南卡罗来纳的查尔斯顿，那里正缺一个印刷所。我提供给他一部印刷机和一些铅字，并与他订立了合伙协议，我得到印刷所三分之一的利润，并负担三分之一的开支。他很有学问，人也诚实，就是不懂会计事务。尽管他有时给我汇钱，但我却从他那儿拿不到会计账目，他在世时我也没得到对我们合伙情况的令人满意的说明。他去世后，印刷所的事务交由他的妻子接管。他妻子在荷兰出生并长大，据我所知，在荷兰，会计知识是女性教育的内容之一。她不仅把她能找到的关于以前生意的记录尽可能清楚地寄给我，后来每个季度都会寄来规范且精确的会计账目表。她把印刷店经营得很成功，不仅把他们的孩子抚养成人，名声很好，合约期满时，她还有能力把印刷所从我手上买下来，让儿子独立经营。

我提这件事，主要是希望我们的女青年也能接受会计方面的教育。这样万一婚后守了寡，会计知识对她们和她们的孩子来说，可能要比音乐或舞蹈实用得多，它能使她们不受奸人蒙骗而受损失，或许还能让她们凭着业已建立的业务往来继续经营盈利的生意，直到儿子长大能够接手并继续经营为止，使家庭持续受益，获取财富。

大约在1734年，一位年轻的长老会传教士从爱尔兰来到我们这儿，名叫汉姆菲尔。他声音悦耳，能即席发表极为动人的演讲，吸引了众多不同教派的信徒聚在一起，纷纷夸赞他。我也经常和其他人一起听他演讲，我很喜欢他的布道，因为他极少空谈教条，而是大力劝谏人们践行道德，或用宗教说法来说叫积德。但我们会众中有些人自认为是正统的长老会教徒，不赞同汉姆菲尔讲的教义，大多数老牧师也站在他们这边，在教会会议上抨击他为异端，想要禁止他传教。我成了汉姆菲尔的热烈拥护者，并尽我所能地组织了一个团体来支持他，为他斗争了一段时间，当时还有一些成功的希望。当时双方你来我往地展开笔伐。我发现尽管汉姆菲尔牧师演讲能力出众，但他的写作能力并不好，于是我代他写了两三本小册子，还有一篇文章发表在1735年4月的政府公报上。如同所有争论性文章一样，那些小册子在当时读者甚多，但很快就被人遗忘了，恐怕现在一本也没留下来。

During the contest an unlucky occurrence hurt his cause exceedingly. One of our adversaries having heard him preach a sermon that was much admired, thought he had somewhere read the sermon before, or at least a part of it. On search he found that part quoted at length, in one of the British Reviews, from a discourse of Dr. Foster's. This detection gave many of our party disgust, who accordingly abandoned his cause, and occasion'd our more speedy discomfiture in the synod. I stuck by him, however, as I rather approv'd his giving us good sermons compos'd by others, than bad ones of his own manufacture, tho' the latter was the practice of our common teachers. He afterward acknowledg'd to me that none of those he preach'd were his own; adding, that his memory was such as enabled him to retain and repeat any sermon after one reading only. On our defeat, he left us in search elsewhere of better fortune, and I quitted the congregation, never joining it after, tho' I continu'd many years my subscription for the support of its ministers.

I had begun in 1733 to study languages; I soon made myself so much a master of the French as to be able to read the books with ease. I then undertook the Italian. An acquaintance, who was also learning it, us'd often to tempt me to play chess with him. Finding this took up too much of the time I had to spare for study, I at length refus'd to play any more, unless on this condition, that the victor in every game should have a right to impose a task, either in parts of the grammar to be got by heart, or in translations, etc., which tasks the vanquish'd was to perform upon honour, before our next meeting. As we play'd pretty equally, we thus beat one another into that language. I afterwards with a little painstaking, acquir'd as much of the Spanish as to read their books also.

在这场争论中，发生了一件不幸的事，极大损害了他的事业。我们的对立方中有个人曾听他讲授过一篇广为称道的教义，觉得以前在哪儿听过，或者至少听过一部分。经过搜寻，他发现了那部分讲道的详细出处，原来是摘自一期《英国评论》上登载的福斯特博士的文章。这一发现使我们这派的许多人都开始厌恶汉姆菲尔，因此也就不再支持他，这加速了我们在教会会议上的失势。但我依然和汉姆菲尔站在一起，因为我认为，尽管牧师一般是自己创作教义的，但他向我们讲授别人创作的好教义，要比自己粗制滥造好得多。后来他向我承认，他所传授的教义，无一是由他自己创作，还说他的记忆力非常惊人，任何教义但凡读过一遍，都能过目不忘。我们失败之后，他就离开了我们，去别处碰运气了。我也退出了教会会议，后来再没参加过，但多年以来始终捐款支持牧师们。

1733年，我开始学习外语。我很快便掌握了法语，能够轻松阅读法语书籍。接着我又开始学习意大利语。我有个朋友也在学意大利语，他常常找我和他下象棋。我发现下象棋占用了我太多的学习时间，后来就不再和他下了，除非他答应一个条件，即每盘棋的胜出一方有权让另一方完成一项任务，或是背诵语法，或是翻译等等，失败一方在下次见面前要完成这项任务。我俩的棋艺势均力敌，因此我们都起到了敦促对方学习那种语言的作用。后来我又花了些功夫学习西班牙语，也能阅读西班牙语书籍。

I have already mention'd that I had only one year's instruction in a Latin school, and that when very young, after which I neglected that language entirely. But, when I had attained an acquaintance with the French, Italian, and Spanish, I was surpriz'd to find, on looking over a Latin Testament, that I understood so much more of that language than I had imagined, which encouraged me to apply myself again to the study of it, and I met with more success, as those preceding languages had greatly smooth'd my way.

From these circumstances, I have thought that there is some inconsistency in our common mode of teaching languages. We are told that it is proper to begin first with the Latin, and, having acquir'd that, it will be more easy to attain those modern languages which are deriv'd from it; and yet we do not begin with the Greek, in order more easily to acquire the Latin. It is true that, if you can clamber and get to the top of a staircase without using the steps, you will more easily gain them in descending; but certainly, if you begin with the lowest you will with more ease ascend to the top; and I would therefore offer it to the consideration of those who superintend the education of our youth, whether, since many of those who begin with the Latin quit the same after spending some years without having made any great proficiency, and what they have learnt becomes almost useless, so that their time has been lost, it would not have been better to have begun with the French, proceeding to the Italian, etc.; for, tho', after spending the same time, they should quit the study of languages and never arrive at the Latin, they would, however, have acquired another tongue or two, that, being in modern use, might be serviceable to them in common life.

After ten years' absence from Boston, and having become easy in my circumstances, I made a journey thither to visit my relations, which I could not sooner well afford. In returning, I call'd at Newport to see my brother, then settled there with his printing-house. Our former differences were forgotten, and our meeting was very cordial and affectionate. He was fast declining in his health, and requested of me that, in case of his death, which he apprehended not far distant, I would take home his son, then but ten years of age, and bring him up to the printing business. This I accordingly perform'd, sending him a few years to school before I took him into the office. His mother carried on the business till he was grown up, when I assisted him with an assortment of new types, those of his father being in a manner worn out. Thus it was that I made my brother ample amends for the service I had depriv'd him of by leaving him so early.

我曾提过，年幼时我只在一所拉丁学校读过一年书，后来把拉丁文全都忘了。但学习了法语、意大利语和西班牙语后，我在翻阅拉丁文版本的《圣经》时惊讶地发现，我对这种语言掌握得比我想象的要多，这鼓舞了我，决心再次学习拉丁文。后来我收获颇多，因为之前的语言学习已经在很大程度上为我铺平了道路。

从这些情况看来，我认为我们教授语言的一般模式存在不合理之处。人们常说应先从拉丁文学起，在掌握拉丁文之后，再去学习由其衍生而来的现代语言会容易一些。如果是这样，我们为什么不从希腊语学起呢？这样再来学习拉丁文也会更容易些。的确，如果你不借助台阶便能登至楼梯顶点，下楼时会更容易，但如果你从最低一级台阶开始往上爬，就能更加轻松自如地到达顶点。许多先学拉丁文的人在几年后便停止了学习，也没取得什么大的进步，而他们所学的几乎完全无用，这样时间也就浪费了，因此，我要请主管青年教育的部门考虑语言是否应先从法语学起，然后学意大利语等，因为在花费同样的时间后，他们停止语言学习，也达不到学习拉丁文的程度，但他们学到了现代通用的一两种语言，这在日常生活中也许对他们更有用。

我离开波士顿已经10年了，如今生活富足，于是我就踏上旅途，回波士顿去拜访我的亲戚，而以前我是负担不起旅费的。在回乡的途中，我去新港看望了哥哥，他当时搬到了那里，开了一家印刷店。我们从前的芥蒂一笔勾销，会面亲切而融洽。哥哥身体每况愈下，认为自己就要不久于人世了，于是请求我在他去世后把他当时只有10岁的儿子接到我家去，让他学习印刷业务。他的请求我照办了，我先把他的儿子送到学校学习了几年，后来又让他跟着学习印刷业务。他母亲在他长大以前一直从事这一行业，等他长大后，我帮他置办了一套新铅字，他父亲那些已经磨损了。当年我很早就离开了哥哥，没有为他服务多久，通过这种方式，我对他做了丰厚的补偿。

In 1736 I lost one of my sons, a fine boy of four years old, by the small-pox, taken in the common way. I long regretted bitterly, and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation. This I mention for the sake of parents who omit that operation, on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.

Our club, the Junto, was found so useful, and afforded such satisfaction to the members, that several were desirous of introducing their friends, which could not well be done without exceeding what we had settled as a convenient number, viz., twelve. We had from the beginning made it a rule to keep our institution a secret, which was pretty well observ'd; the intention was to avoid applications of improper persons for admittance, some of whom, perhaps, we might find it difficult to refuse. I was one of those who were against any addition to our number, but, instead of it, made in writing a proposal, that every member separately should endeavor to form a subordinate club, with the same rules respecting queries, etc., and without informing them of the connection with the Junto. The advantages proposed were, the improvement of so many more young citizens by the use of our institutions; our better acquaintance with the general sentiments of the inhabitants on any occasion, as the Junto member might propose what queries we should desire, and was to report to the Junto what pass'd in his separate club; the promotion of our particular interests in business by more extensive recommendation, and the increase of our influence in public affairs, and our power of doing good by spreading thro' the several clubs the sentiments of the Junto.

The project was approv'd, and every member undertook to form his club, but they did not all succeed. Five or six only were compleated, which were called by different names, as the Vine, the Union, the Band, etc. They were useful to themselves, and afforded us a good deal of amusement, information, and instruction, besides answering, in some considerable degree, our views of influencing the public opinion on particular occasions, of which I shall give some instances in course of time as they happened.

1736年，我失去了一个儿子，是个四岁的漂亮男孩，他得了天花，夭折了。很长一段时间里我都懊悔不已，现在仍然后悔没给他种痘。我提及此事，是为了提醒那些疏忽此事的父母，万一孩子因此而死，他们将永远不会原谅自己。我的实例表明，种与不种都可能会有遗憾，因此还是应该采取更为安全的办法。

我们的社团（即“密社”）对于会员来说大有裨益，能带来很大的满足感，于是有些会员想介绍朋友参加，但这样就会超过我们曾经约定的俱乐部的合适人数，即12个。从一开始我们就规定不让别人知道我们这个俱乐部的存在，这一点大家都严格遵守了，目的就在于避免不合适的人选申请加入，而我们也可能难以拒绝其中的某些人。我是反对俱乐部增加人数的人之一，还写了一份建议书，提议俱乐部的每个成员设法单独成立下属俱乐部，采用同样的讨论规则等，但不要透露他们与“密社”的关系。这一提议的好处是，更多年轻人可以通过参加我们的俱乐部得到进步，因为社员可以在下属俱乐部中提议讨论我们希望了解的问题，然后向“密社”报告各自俱乐部中的讨论过程，这样我们就能更好地了解特定事件中居民们的大致想法和感受。更为广泛的推广提升了我们在业务上的特殊利益，我们在公共事务中的影响力也有所提高。我们还把“密社”里的看法在下属的俱乐部传播开去，从而增强了行善的能力。

我的提议得到了赞同，每位成员都着手成立自己的下属俱乐部，但并没有全都成功，只有五六个下属俱乐部真正建立起来。下属俱乐部的名字多种多样，如“葡萄藤”、“联盟会”、“联合社”等等。下属俱乐部对会员很有益，也为我们带来了很多乐趣、信息与启示，还在很大程度上符合我们在特定事件中影响舆论的期望，我会在后面适当地举些例子来作出说明。

My first promotion was my being chosen, in 1736, clerk of the General Assembly. The choice was made that year without opposition; but the year following, when I was again propos'd (the choice, like that of the members, being annual), a new member made a long speech against me, in order to favor some other candidate. I was, however, chosen, which was the more agreeable to me, as, besides the pay for the immediate service as clerk, the place gave me a better opportunity of keeping up an interest among the members, which secur'd to me the business of printing the votes, laws, paper money, and other occasional jobs for the public, that, on the whole, were very profitable.

I therefore did not like the opposition of this new member, who was a gentleman of fortune and education, with talents that were likely to give him, in time, great influence in the House, which, indeed, afterwards happened. I did not, however, aim at gaining his favor by paying any servile respect to him, but, after some time, took this other method. Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note to him, expressing my desire of perusing that book, and requesting he would do me the favor of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately, and I return'd it in about a week with another note, expressing strongly my sense of the favor. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility; and he ever after manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death. This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, "He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged." And it shows how much more profitable it is prudently to remove, than to resent, return, and continue inimical proceedings.

我的第一次升迁是在1736年，我当选为州议会秘书。那年我的当选是一致通过的，没有人反对，但第二年我又被提名为秘书人选时（和议员一样，秘书的任期也是一年），一位新议员发表了长篇演说反对我，以帮助另一位候选人。但我还是当选了，这让我十分愉快，因为我除了可以得到秘书的工资外，这一职位还能让我更好地与议员们保持联系，从而揽得印刷选票、法律、纸币的生意和其他临时的公家业务。总体来说，这些生意的利润十分丰厚。

因此我很不希望这位新议员反对我。他是一位财力雄厚、教养良好的绅士，才能出众，假以时日的话，他很可能会在议会里有很大影响力，后来也确实如此。但我不想靠卑躬屈膝来赢得他的支持，一段时间后，我通过其他方式做到了。我听说他藏有一本十分稀有且珍贵的书，就写了张便条给他，说很希望拜读此书，请他将书借我几日。他便立刻把书寄来了，大约一周后，我把书还给了他，又附上一张便条，对他的恩惠深表感激。我们再在议会见面时，他就开口和我说话了（此前从未有过），且彬彬有礼。从此以后，无论什么情况，他总是愿意帮我的忙，我们成了很好的朋友，友谊一直持续到他去世。这又一次印证了我曾经听过的一句古老的格言：“曾施惠于你的人会愿意再次施惠于你，他们比受你恩惠的人更加乐意这么做。”这件事也说明，与其憎恨、报复对方，使双方的敌意持续下去，不如谨慎地消除这种情绪更为有益。

In 1737, Colonel Spotswood, late governor of Virginia, and then postmaster-general, being dissatisfied with the conduct of his deputy at Philadelphia, respecting some negligence in rendering, and inexactitude of his accounts, took from him the commission and offered it to me. I accepted it readily, and found it of great advantage; for, tho' the salary was small, it facilitated the correspondence that improv'd my newspaper, increas'd the number demanded, as well as the advertisements to be inserted, so that it came to afford me a considerable income. My old competitor's newspaper declin'd proportionably, and I was satisfy'd without retaliating his refusal, while postmaster, to permit my papers being carried by the riders. Thus he suffer'd greatly from his neglect in due accounting; and I mention it as a lesson to those young men who may be employ'd in managing affairs for others, that they should always render accounts, and make remittances, with great clearness and punctuality. The character of observing such a conduct is the most powerful of all recommendations to new employments and increase of business.

I began now to turn my thoughts a little to public affairs, beginning, however, with small matters. The city watch was one of the first things that I conceiv'd to want regulation. It was managed by the constables of the respective wards in turn; the constable warned a number of housekeepers to attend him for the night. Those who chose never to attend paid him six shillings a year to be excus'd, which was suppos'd to be for hiring substitutes, but was, in reality, much more than was necessary for that purpose, and made the constableship a place of profit; and the constable, for a little drink, often got such ragamuffins about him as a watch, that respectable housekeepers did not choose to mix with. Walking the rounds, too, was often neglected, and most of the nights spent in tippling. I thereupon wrote a paper, to be read in Junto, representing these irregularities, but insisting more particularly on the inequality of this six-shilling tax of the constables, respecting the circumstances of those who paid it, since a poor widow housekeeper, all whose property to be guarded by the watch did not perhaps exceed the value of fifty pounds, paid as much as the wealthiest merchant, who had thousands of pounds worth of goods in his stores.

1737年，斯波茨伍德上校（弗吉尼亚前任总督，时任邮电总长）因不满费城的代理人在账目处理上的疏忽和粗枝大叶，就免了其职务，让我接替。我欣然接受，后来发现这个职位对我大有好处，因为尽管薪水不高，却便利了通信和稿件往来，使报纸的质量得以改进，并增加了报纸订户数量和广告需求，因此给我带来了可观的收入。我那位老竞争对手的报纸相应地走了下坡路。我心满意足，也不去报复他管理邮局时不许邮差替我送报的行为了。就这样，他因疏于账目管理而备受其害。我提到这点，是希望年轻人能吸取教训，如若受雇于人，替人管理事务，就应始终做到清楚记账，按时汇款，条理清晰，不出差错。如能做到这点，那么其品格就是他谋求新职位、拓展新业务时最好的推荐书。

这时我开始把自己的想法稍稍转至公共事务上来，但一开始我是从小事着手的。费城的巡查制度是我认为亟待整顿的头几件事之一。夜间巡查原是由各区的治安官轮流执行，治安官通知若干户主和他一起巡夜。那些不来巡查的每年出六个先令，便可免于参加。这笔钱原本是用来雇用替代者的，而事实上远远超过了实际所需，于是治安官一职就成了肥差。治安官因为贪杯，便常常找些流浪汉一起巡夜，而品行端正的户主就不愿参与其中了。巡查工作也常常被忽视，大多数夜晚都被巡夜者在酒精中消磨了过去。于是我写了一篇文章在“密社”中宣读，指出了这些不当情形，还着重强调了不考虑各人实际情况、一律规定付给治安官六先令的做法是不公平的，因为一个穷困的寡妇所需保护的全部财产价值也许还不超过50镑，但她所付的钱却和库存价值千镑的富商一样多。

On the whole, I proposed as a more effectual watch, the hiring of proper men to serve constantly in that business; and as a more equitable way of supporting the charge the levying a tax that should be proportion'd to the property. This idea, being approv'd by the Junto, was communicated to the other clubs, but as arising in each of them; and though the plan was not immediately carried into execution, yet, by preparing the minds of people for the change, it paved the way for the law obtained a few years after, when the members of our clubs were grown into more influence.

About this time I wrote a paper (first to be read in Junto, but it was afterward publish'd) on the different accidents and carelessnesses by which houses were set on fire, with cautions against them, and means proposed of avoiding them. This was much spoken of as a useful piece, and gave rise to a project, which soon followed it, of forming a company for the more ready extinguishing of fires, and mutual assistance in removing and securing the goods when in danger. Associates in this scheme were presently found, amounting to thirty. Our articles of agreement oblig'd every member to keep always in good order, and fit for use, a certain number of leather buckets, with strong bags and baskets (for packing and transporting of goods), which were to be brought to every fire; and we agreed to meet once a month and spend a social evening together, in discoursing and communicating such ideas as occurred to us upon the subject of fires, as might be useful in our conduct on such occasions.

The utility of this institution soon appeared, and many more desiring to be admitted than we thought convenient for one company, they were advised to form another, which was accordingly done; and this went on, one new company being formed after another, till they became so numerous as to include most of the inhabitants who were men of property; and now, at the time of my writing this, tho' upward of fifty years since its establishment, that which I first formed, called the Union Fire Company, still subsists and flourishes, tho' the first members are all deceas'd but myself and one, who is older by a year than I am. The small fines that have been paid by members for absence at the monthly meetings have been apply'd to the purchase of fire-engines, ladders, fire-hooks, and other useful implements for each company, so that I question whether there is a city in the world better provided with the means of putting a stop to beginning conflagrations; and, in fact, since these institutions, the city has never lost by fire more than one or two houses at a time, and the flames have often been extinguished before the house in which they began has been half consumed.

大体上讲，我提出了一种更为有效的巡夜方式，即雇用合适的人手长期巡夜；另外，为使巡夜费的征收更为公平，各人应根据自己的财产额度按比例交费。这一想法在社里得到赞同，并传递给了其他俱乐部，但这是作为各俱乐部自己的意见提出的。尽管这项计划未能马上实施，但它使人们对改革做好了心理准备，也为几年以后法律的通过铺平了道路，那时我们俱乐部会员的影响力已经更大了。

大约这个时候，我写了一篇文章（首先在学习社里朗读，后来发表了），论述使房子着火的各种事故和疏忽，提醒人们要小心，还提出了避免火灾的办法。人们纷纷认为这篇文章非常有益，并由此制定计划来组建一支消防队，以便能更迅速扑灭火灾及危险时要互帮互助转移货物。不久就有30人参加这个组织。我们订立了合约，规定每个成员都应随时备好一定数量且适用的皮水桶，还有结实的袋子和篮子（用于包装和运送货物），一旦发生火灾就要带来。我们还约定每月见面开一次晚会，相互交流讨论我们能够想到的火灾话题，这在火灾真正发生时或许对我们有用。

这一组织的实用性很快就显现出来，要求加入的人越来越多，大大超过我们认为合适的限额，于是建议他们另组一队，他们同意了。就这样，新的消防队接二连三地建立起来，数量越来越多，后来大多数有钱居民也加入其中。到现在我写自传之时，尽管离消防队建立已有50年之久，但我最初成立的“联合消防队”仍然存在，且发展很好，只是第一批成员中只我和另一位依然健在，此人比我要大一岁。当时每月开会缺席的成员要交纳数额不大的罚款，用于为各队购买救火机、消防梯、消防钩和其他灭火设备，因此我想世界上没有哪个城市能比费城更为迅速地控制住刚刚发生的火灾了。事实上，自从成立了消防队之后，费城因火灾被毁的房屋从未超过两间，且通常在起火房屋被烧毁一半之前，火就被扑灭了。

In 1739 arrived among us from Ireland the Reverend Mr. Whitefield, who had made himself remarkable there as an itinerant preacher. He was at first permitted to preach in some of our churches; but the clergy, taking a dislike to him, soon refus'd him their pulpits, and he was oblig'd to preach in the fields. The multitudes of all sects and denominations that attended his sermons were enormous, and it was matter of speculation to me, who was one of the number, to observe the extraordinary influence of his oratory on his hearers, and how much they admir'd and respected him, notwithstanding his common abuse of them, by assuring them that they were naturally half beasts and half devils. It was wonderful to see the change soon made in the manners of our inhabitants. From being thoughtless or indifferent about religion, it seem'd as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk thro' the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in different families of every street.

And it being found inconvenient to assemble in the open air, subject to its inclemencies, the building of a house to meet in was no sooner propos'd, and persons appointed to receive contributions, but sufficient sums were soon receiv'd to procure the ground and erect the building, which was one hundred feet long and seventy broad, about the size of Westminster Hall; and the work was carried on with such spirit as to be finished in a much shorter time than could have been expected. Both house and ground were vested in trustees, expressly for the use of any preacher of any religious persuasion who might desire to say something to the people at Philadelphia; the design in building not being to accommodate any particular sect, but the inhabitants in general; so that even if the Mufti of Constantinople were to send a missionary to preach Mohammedanism to us, he would find a pulpit at his service.

1739年，怀特菲尔德牧师从爱尔兰来到了我们这里，他是一位巡回传教士，在爱尔兰颇有名气。起初，他被允许在我们这儿的几个教堂内布道，但教堂的牧师不喜欢他，不久就不许他在教坛上讲道了，他只好在野外继续传道。各个教派听他传道的人都非常多，我也是听众之一。看得出，他的演讲对听众产生了巨大的影响，尽管他常常辱骂他们，说他们天生就一半是野兽，一半是魔鬼，他们还是崇拜他、尊敬他，这令我有些摸不着头脑。怀特菲尔德的演讲很快使居民们的行为习惯发生了改变，我对此感到十分惊奇。他们原本认为宗教缺乏深度、无关紧要，而现在似乎整个世界都宗教化了；傍晚时分在这座城市中行走时，人们总能听到每条街上各家各户都在唱赞美诗。

因为气候不好，露天集会常有不便，于是很快就提出了建造集会会堂的计划，还指定了专人接受捐款，这样，购买地皮建造会堂的钱款很快就募集齐了。会堂有100英尺长，70英尺宽，大小与威斯敏斯特教堂差不多。人们修建会堂的情绪十分高，工程完成时间比预计工期要短得多。会堂建筑和地皮都授权给保管委员会保管，任何教派的牧师若想对费城的民众进行布道，都可使用这座会堂。它的建造不是为了某个特定教派，而是为普通民众考虑，因此，即使是君士坦丁堡的伊斯兰学者要派传教士来向我们传授伊斯兰教教义，他也能在此讲授。

Mr. Whitefield, in leaving us, went preaching all the way thro' the colonies to Georgia. The settlement of that province had lately been begun, but, instead of being made with hardy, industrious husbandmen, accustomed to labor, the only people fit for such an enterprise, it was with families of broken shop-keepers and other insolvent debtors, many of indolent and idle habits, taken out of the jails, who, being set down in the woods, unqualified for clearing land, and unable to endure the hardships of a new settlement, perished in numbers, leaving many helpless children unprovided for. The sight of their miserable situation inspir'd the benevolent heart of Mr. Whitefield with the idea of building an Orphan House there, in which they might be supported and educated. Returning northward, he preach'd up this charity, and made large collections, for his eloquence had a wonderful power over the hearts and purses of his hearers, of which I myself was an instance.

I did not disapprove of the design, but, as Georgia was then destitute of materials and workmen, and it was proposed to send them from Philadelphia at a great expense, I thought it would have been better to have built the house here, and brought the children to it. This I advis'd; but he was resolute in his first project, rejected my counsel, and I therefore refus'd to contribute. I happened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection, and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me, I had in my pocket a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistols in gold. As he proceeded I began to soften, and concluded to give the coppers. Another stroke of his oratory made me asham'd of that, and determin'd me to give the silver; and he finish'd so admirably, that I empty'd my pocket wholly into the collector's dish, gold and all. At this sermon there was also one of our club, who, being of my sentiments respecting the building in Georgia, and suspecting a collection might be intended, had, by precaution, emptied his pockets before he came from home. Towards the conclusion of the discourse, however, he felt a strong desire to give, and apply'd to a neighbor, who stood near him, to borrow some money for the purpose. The application was unfortunately [made] to perhaps the only man in the company who had the firmness not to be affected by the preacher. His answer was, "At any other time, Friend Hopkinson, I would lend to thee freely; but not now, for thee seems to be out of thy right senses."

怀特菲尔德先生离开我们后，沿途继续布道，经过了诸多殖民地，一直到了佐治亚。佐治亚的移民潮刚刚开始，但移居去的不是强壮勤劳、惯于劳作的农夫（他们是唯一适于此项事业的人），而是些破产的商人，以及其他破产的债务人及其家属。他们大都好吃懒做、游手好闲，刚从监狱出来，在林地里住下却又不能胜任开垦土地的工作，忍受不了拓荒的艰苦，大批死亡，留下许多无依无靠的孩子。看到他们悲惨的境况，怀特菲尔德先生的慈悲之心大受触动，想在当地办一家孤儿院，这样孩子们可以有人抚养，也能接受教育。在回北方的路上，他一直宣传这项慈善事业，筹集了许多款项，因为他口才出众，能使听众们心悦诚服地慷慨解囊，我自己就是这样一个例子。

我并不反对这项计划，但当时佐治亚缺乏材料和劳力。有人建议花高额把所需的人力物力从费城运过去，我倒认为这还不如把孤儿院建在费城，把孩子们接到费城来。我向他提了这个建议，但他决意要执行原来的计划，不听我的忠告，因此我也拒绝捐款。不久之后，我恰好参加了他的一场布道会，当时我看出他打算在布道会结束时向听众募集资金，我暗暗打定主意，绝不捐给他任何钱财。当时我的口袋里有一把铜钱，三四个银元，还有五个金币。随着他布道的进行，我的决心开始软化下来，决定把铜钱捐给他；后来他的演说再次触动了我，让我深感羞愧，我决定把银元也捐出去；到了演讲末尾，他又讲得如此之妙，于是我把钱财倾囊相赠，全都放进了收款人的盘子里，包括金币在内。布道时，有个我们俱乐部的人也在场聆听，他赞同我关于在佐治亚建孤儿院一事的观点，由于原就猜想演讲的目的是要募集捐款，于是为小心起见，他在出门前就掏空了自己的口袋。然而演讲快要结束时，他感到有种捐款的强烈愿望，就向站在他附近的一位邻居借钱捐款。这个请求提得有些不巧，因为他的邻居可能是在场所有人里唯一未受布道者的影响、始终保持坚定立场的人。他回答说：“我的朋友霍普金森啊，其他任何时候我都会大方地把钱借给你，但是现在我不借，因为你看来有些不大对劲了。”

Some of Mr. Whitefield's enemies affected to suppose that he would apply these collections to his own private emolument; but I who was intimately acquainted with him (being employed in printing his Sermons and Journals, etc.), never had the least suspicion of his integrity, but am to this day decidedly of opinion that he was in all his conduct a perfectly honest man, and methinks my testimony in his favor ought to have the more weight, as we had no religious connection. He us'd, indeed, sometimes to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard. Ours was a mere civil friendship, sincere on both sides, and lasted to his death.

The following instance will show something of the terms on which we stood. Upon one of his arrivals from England at Boston, he wrote to me that he should come soon to Philadelphia, but knew not where he could lodge when there, as he understood his old friend and host, Mr. Benezet, was removed to Germantown. My answer was, "You know my house; if you can make shift with its scanty accommodations, you will be most heartily welcome." He reply'd, that if I made that kind offer for Christ's sake, I should not miss of a reward. And I returned, "Don't let me be mistaken; it was not for Christ's sake, but for your sake." One of our common acquaintance jocosely remark'd, that, knowing it to be the custom of the saints, when they received any favor, to shift the burden of the obligation from off their own shoulders, and place it in heaven, I had contriv'd to fix it on earth.

The last time I saw Mr. Whitefield was in London, when he consulted me about his Orphan House concern, and his purpose of appropriating it to the establishment of a college.

怀特菲尔德先生的几位敌人故意宣称他会把这些筹得的捐款作为个人报酬，但我与他关系很好（曾为他印刷过布道文和日志等），对他的正直品格毫不怀疑，直到今天，我依然坚定地相信，从他的一举一动来看，怀特菲尔德先生是一个非常诚实的人。我想我对他有利的证明应该更有分量，因为我们并无宗教上的联系。他的确有时会为我祈祷，希望我改信他的宗教，但我没有改信，因此他也无法因为相信上帝听到了他的祈祷从而心满意足。我们之间仅仅保持着世俗的友谊，双方诚恳相待，直至他去世。

下面这件事多少可以说明我们的友情。有一次他从英格兰来到波士顿，给我写信说很快要到费城来，但不知在费城逗留期间可以住在哪里，因为他得知老朋友兼房东贝内泽先生已搬到日耳曼城去了。我回复道：“你知道我住的地方，如果你不嫌简陋愿意将就的话，我由衷地欢迎你来我家住。”他回答说如果我看在基督的份上愿意招待他，我一定会有好报。我又回复说：“不要误会我，我可不是看在基督的份上，而是看在你的份上。”我们两人共同的一位朋友打趣地说，这是圣人们的习惯，当他们受到恩惠时，会把这人情从他们自己肩上移开，记在天上，而我却想把它记在地上。

我最后一次见到怀特菲尔德先生是在伦敦，当时他询问我孤儿院的事，他打算用那儿的建筑办一所大学。

He had a loud and clear voice, and articulated his words and sentences so perfectly, that he might be heard and understood at a great distance, especially as his auditories, however numerous, observ'd the most exact silence. He preach'd one evening from the top of the Court-house steps, which are in the middle of Market-street, and on the west side of Secondstreet, which crosses it at right angles. Both streets were fill'd with his hearers to a considerable distance. Being among the hindmost in Market-street, I had the curiosity to learn how far he could be heard, by retiring backwards down the street towards the river; and I found his voice distinct till I came near Front-street, when some noise in that street obscur'd it. Imagining then a semi-circle, of which my distance should be the radius, and that it were fill'd with auditors, to each of whom I allow'd two square feet, I computed that he might well be heard by more than thirty thousand. This reconcil'd me to the newspaper accounts of his having preach'd to twenty-five thousand people in the fields, and to the antient histories of generals haranguing whole armies, of which I had sometimes doubted.

By hearing him often, I came to distinguish easily between sermons newly compos'd, and those which he had often preach'd in the course of his travels. His delivery of the latter was so improv'd by frequent repetitions that every accent, every emphasis, every modulation of voice, was so perfectly well turn'd and well plac'd, that, without being interested in the subject, one could not help being pleas'd with the discourse; a pleasure of much the same kind with that receiv'd from an excellent piece of musick. This is an advantage itinerant preachers have over those who are stationary, as the latter can not well improve their delivery of a sermon by so many rehearsals.

怀特菲尔德先生声音洪亮清晰，他发音清楚，离他很远都能听到他说话并能理解他的意思，尤其无论听众人数多少，他们全都寂静无声地听他讲话。有天傍晚，他在法院台阶的顶端布道。法院位于市场街中部，第二街的西边（这两条街成直角交错）。两条街上都站满了听众，直到很远的地方。我当时站在市场街的尽头，好奇地想知道他的声音可以传多远，于是沿街向河的方向一直退去。我发现直到走近前街，他的声音依然清晰可闻，街上偶有嘈杂声才能把他的声音盖过去。当时我就想象出一个半圆，我与他的距离是半径，半圆中站满了听众，每人可有两平方英尺的面积，经计算得出，可能超过三万人能够听到他演讲。这使我终于相信报纸上关于他曾在野外向25,000人布道的报道，以及将军们慷慨激昂地向全军发表讲话的古老历史，以前我还不时对此持怀疑态度呢。

因为常常听他布道，我渐渐能将他新近创作的布道文和曾在旅途中多次传授的布道文轻易辨别开了。因为经过多次重复，他传授后者时演说有了很大改进，每一个重音、每一次强调、每一次声调的变化都拿捏得恰到好处，即使听者对演讲的主题不感兴趣，也忍不住会因演讲本身而倍感愉快，如同听到一首美妙的乐曲一样。比起固定在某地的牧师，这是巡回传教士的优势所在，因为前者无法通过多次演练来提高自己布道演说的水平。

His writing and printing from time to time gave great advantage to his enemies; unguarded expressions, and even erroneous opinions, delivered in preaching, might have been afterwards explain'd or qualifi'd by supposing others that might have accompani'd them, or they might have been deny'd; but litera scripta monet. Critics attack'd his writings violently, and with so much appearance of reason as to diminish the number of his votaries and prevent their encrease; so that I am of opinion if he had never written any thing, he would have left behind him a much more numerous and important sect, and his reputation might in that case have been still growing, even after his death, as there being nothing of his writing on which to found a censure and give him a lower character, his proselytes would be left at liberty to feign for him as great a variety of excellence as their enthusiastic admiration might wish him to have possessed.

My business was now continually augmenting, and my circumstances growing daily easier, my newspaper having become very profitable, as being for a time almost the only one in this and the neighboring provinces. I experienced, too, the truth of the observation, "that after getting the first hundred pound, it is more easy to get the second," money itself being of a prolific nature.

The partnership at Carolina having succeeded, I was encourag'd to engage in others, and to promote several of my workmen, who had behaved well, by establishing them with printing-houses in different colonies, on the same terms with that in Carolina. Most of them did well, being enabled at the end of our term, six years, to purchase the types of me and go on working for themselves, by which means several families were raised. Partnerships often finish in quarrels; but I was happy in this, that mine were all carried on and ended amicably, owing, I think, a good deal to the precaution of having very explicitly settled, in our articles, every thing to be done by or expected from each partner, so that there was nothing to dispute, which precaution I would therefore recommend to all who enter into partnerships; for, whatever esteem partners may have for, and confidence in each other at the time of the contract, little jealousies and disgusts may arise, with ideas of inequality in the care and burden of the business, etc., which are attended often with breach of friendship and of the connection, perhaps with lawsuits and other disagreeable consequences.

怀特菲尔德先生不时地写作并发表文章，让他的敌人有很大可乘之机。布道时轻率的言辞、甚至错误的观点，都能随后加以解释，或是再用别的话作出修正，或是直接加以否认，但白纸黑字却是不会磨灭的。批评者们猛烈抨击他的文章，而且似乎说得很有道理，以使他的信徒人数日渐减少、再无增加。所以我认为，如果他没有写过任何文章的话，他的信徒一定更多，所创的教派一定更加举足轻重，而他的名声也会继续扩大，甚至他离开人世后也会依然如此。因为没有留下什么作品，别人就没有责难和诋毁他的根据，他的皈依者们会热烈地崇拜着他，会尽情想象着他具有种种优良的品质。

这时，我的印刷生意越来越好，境况也日渐宽裕，我办的报纸获利丰厚，因为一段时间内，它几乎是本州及邻州惟一一家报纸。我也体会到了这句话的真理：“赚到第一个100镑后，再赚第二个就容易多了，”因为金钱本身就有着多生的本质。

我在卡罗来纳的合伙取得了成功，于是备受鼓舞，想继续开展其他合伙业务。我提拔了一些表现良好的工人，按卡罗来纳合伙的条件，与他们订立合约，让他们去别的殖民地开印刷所。他们大多数都干得不错，六年合约期满时，已有能力从我这儿买下铅字，独立门户了。好几户人家通过这种方式得以养家糊口，养育子女。合伙关系常以双方争执告终，但我却很高兴地看到，我与他人的合伙直至结束都进行得很顺利。我想，这很大程度上是因为我事先有所防范，在我们的合约中清楚地列出了各方应尽的义务，这样合伙双方对任何事情都毫无异议了。因此，我建议要和别人建立合伙关系的人们都事先做好防范，因为不管合伙双方如何互相尊敬，签订合约时如何互相信赖，日后都有可能心生嫉妒和嫌隙，认为对方在事务的照管和承担上不平等，等等，这常常会使得友谊破裂，往来断绝，或许还要闹出官司及引起其他不良后果。

I had, on the whole, abundant reason to be satisfied with my being established in Pennsylvania. There were, however, two things that I regretted, there being no provision for defense, nor for a compleat education of youth; no militia, nor any college. I therefore, in 1743, drew up a proposal for establishing an academy; and at that time, thinking the Reverend Mr. Peters, who was out of employ, a fit person to superintend such an institution, I communicated the project to him; but he, having more profitable views in the service of the proprietaries, which succeeded, declin'd the undertaking; and, not knowing another at that time suitable for such a trust, I let the scheme lie a while dormant. I succeeded better the next year, 1744, in proposing and establishing a Philosophical Society. The paper I wrote for that purpose will be found among my writings, when collected.

With respect to defense, Spain having been several years at war against Great Britain, and being at length join'd by France, which brought us into great danger; and the labored and long-continued endeavor of our governor, Thomas, to prevail with our Quaker Assembly to pass a militia law, and make other provisions for the security of the province, having proved abortive, I determined to try what might be done by a voluntary association of the people. To promote this, I first wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled PLAIN TRUTH, in which I stated our defenceless situation in strong lights, with the necessity of union and discipline for our defense, and promis'd to propose in a few days an association, to be generally signed for that purpose. The pamphlet had a sudden and surprising effect. I was call'd upon for the instrument of association, and having settled the draft of it with a few friends, I appointed a meeting of the citizens in the large building before mentioned. The house was pretty full; I had prepared a number of printed copies, and provided pens and ink dispers'd all over the room. I harangued them a little on the subject, read the paper, and explained it, and then distributed the copies, which were eagerly signed, not the least objection being made.

When the company separated, and the papers were collected, we found above twelve hundred hands; and, other copies being dispersed in the country, the subscribers amounted at length to upward of ten thousand. These all furnished themselves as soon as they could with arms, formed themselves into companies and regiments, chose their own officers, and met every week to be instructed in the manual exercise, and other parts of military discipline. The women, by subscriptions among themselves, provided silk colors, which they presented to the companies, painted with different devices and mottos, which I supplied.

总体来说，我有充足的理由对自己在宾夕法尼亚的立业感到满意。然而，有两件事却让我遗憾不已，一是这里没有防卫的准备，二是没有一所完整的教育年轻人的学府。这里没有军队，也没有大学。因此，在1743年时我提出了建立一所高校的议案，当时彼得斯牧师正好没有工作，我认为他是管理这样一个机构的合适人选，就把这个计划告诉了他。但是他认为为领主们服务更能赚钱，后来也谋得了这样一个职位，当时就婉拒了这个工作。我那时并不认识其他可以托付此事的人，于是把这个计划暂时搁置了。第二年，也就是1744年，我提出并成功创办了一所哲学学会。我为此所写的文章可在我以后出版的文集里找到。

至于防卫事务，当时西班牙已与英国交战数年，后来法国也加入了西班牙的阵线，使我们陷入了极度危险的境地。我们的总督托马斯不断竭力劝说以贵格会为主导的议会通过民兵法，并采取其他措施保卫本州安全，结果都以失败告终。我决定尝试招募志愿部队用于防卫。为促进此事，我先撰写并发行了一本小册子，叫做《明显的事实》。在小册子里，我强调了我们当前缺乏防卫的状态，指出我们需要征集并训练军队用以防卫。我还保证在数天内提议组织一个团体，广泛征人签名加入。这本小册子意外地产生了惊人效果。人们向我索取加入这个团体的文书，我就和几个朋友一块儿草拟了一份，并在前面提过的会堂里召开了一次市民大会。当时会堂里挤满了人，我印了很多申请书，并把笔和墨水传到会堂各处供人们使用。我就防卫问题作了个简短演说，又把申请书朗读了一遍并作了解释，然后把申请书分发下去。人们踊跃在申请书上签名，没有人提出任何反对意见。

散会之后，我们把申请书收集起来，签名的人超过1,200名。当时还有申请书被发到了本州各地，最终签名的人数达一万以上。他们立即准备武器，自行编成连队和团队，选出指挥官，每周集会一次进行武器操练或是其他军事训练。妇女们集资购买了丝制彩旗，送给各个连队，上面印有我提供的各类图案和格言。

The officers of the companies composing the Philadelphia regiment, being met, chose me for their colonel; but, conceiving myself unfit, I declin'd that station, and recommended Mr. Lawrence, a fine person, and man of influence, who was accordingly appointed. I then propos'd a lottery to defray the expense of building a battery below the town, and furnishing it with cannon. It filled expeditiously, and the battery was soon erected, the merlons being fram'd of logs and fill'd with earth. We bought some old cannon from Boston, but, these not being sufficient, we wrote to England for more, soliciting, at the same time, our proprietaries for some assistance, tho' without much expectation of obtaining it.

Meanwhile, Colonel Lawrence, William Allen, Abram Taylor, Esqr., and myself were sent to New York by the associators, commission'd to borrow some cannon of Governor Clinton. He at first refus'd us peremptorily; but at dinner with his council, where there was great drinking of Madeira wine, as the custom of that place then was, he softened by degrees, and said he would lend us six. After a few more bumpers he advanc'd to ten; and at length he very good-naturedly conceded eighteen. They were fine cannon, eighteen-pounders, with their carriages, which we soon transported and mounted on our battery, where the associators kept a nightly guard while the war lasted, and among the rest I regularly took my turn of duty there as a common soldier.

My activity in these operations was agreeable to the governor and council; they took me into confidence, and I was consulted by them in every measure wherein their concurrence was thought useful to the association. Calling in the aid of religion, I propos'd to them the proclaiming a fast, to promote reformation, and implore the blessing of Heaven on our undertaking. They embrac'd the motion; but, as it was the first fast ever thought of in the province, the secretary had no precedent from which to draw the proclamation. My education in New England, where a fast is proclaimed every year, was here of some advantage: I drew it in the accustomed stile, it was translated into German, printed in both languages, and divulg'd thro' the province. This gave the clergy of the different sects an opportunity of influencing their congregations to join in the association, and it would probably have been general among all but Quakers if the peace had not soon interven'd.

组成费城防卫队的各连队的指挥官们选我担任他们的团长，但我认为自己不适合，谢绝了这个职位，并向他们推荐了劳伦斯先生。他人品很好，很有影响力，于是他们就任命他为团长。我提议发行奖券，用于支付在费城南面修建炮台、装备大炮的费用。资金很快筹集齐了，炮台也很快建成，炮眼用圆木构成，中间填了泥土。我们从波士顿买了一些旧大炮，但还不够，于是又写信到英国订购，同时请我们的领主给予帮助，不过我们对此并没抱多大希望。

与此同时，团队派劳伦斯上校、威廉·艾伦、艾布拉姆·泰勒和我去纽约向克林顿总督借几门大炮。起初他不容分说地拒绝了我们，但是和他的参事会成员们一块儿吃饭时，根据当时当地的习惯，他们喝了很多马德拉酒，于是他的态度渐渐有些软化，说可以借给我们六尊大炮。再喝了几杯后，他说可以借10尊。最终，他爽快地答应借给我们18尊。这些大炮十分精良，能发射18磅的炮弹，还配有炮架。我们很快把大炮运了回来，装在炮台上。战争期间，团队每夜都派人站岗看护大炮，我也和其他普通士兵一样轮流执行站岗的任务。

我在这些事务中的活跃表现颇得总督和参事会欣赏。他们对我推心置腹，对于任何措施都会询问我是否对防卫队有益。为了获得宗教界的支持，我向他们提议宣布斋戒，以促进团队改革，并祈求上天赐福于我们的事业。他们接受了我的提议，但因为这是本州第一次斋戒，没有先例可以援引，州秘书不知如何起草公告。我以前是在新英格兰上学，那里每年宣布一次斋戒，我的经验在这儿就派上了些用场：我按约定俗成的格式起草了一份公告，他们把它译成德语，用两种语言在全州印发。这使得不同教派的牧师们可以借此机会鼓励教众加入防卫队。若不是战争很快结束的话，很可能除了贵格会的所有教派都会踊跃参加。

It was thought by some of my friends that, by my activity in these affairs, I should offend that sect, and thereby lose my interest in the Assembly of the province, where they formed a great majority. A young gentleman who had likewise some friends in the House, and wished to succeed me as their clerk, acquainted me that it was decided to displace me at the next election; and he, therefore, in good will, advis'd me to resign, as more consistent with my honour than being turn'd out. My answer to him was, that I had read or heard of some public man who made it a rule never to ask for an office, and never to refuse one when offer'd to him. "I approve," says I, "of his rule, and will practice it with a small addition; I shall never ask, never refuse, nor ever resign an office. If they will have my office of clerk to dispose of to another, they shall take it from me. I will not, by giving it up, lose my right of some time or other making reprisals on my adversaries." I heard, however, no more of this; I was chosen again unanimously as usual at the next election. Possibly, as they dislik'd my late intimacy with the members of council, who had join'd the governors in all the disputes about military preparations, with which the House had long been harass'd, they might have been pleas'd if I would voluntarily have left them; but they did not care to displace me on account merely of my zeal for the association, and they could not well give another reason.

Indeed I had some cause to believe that the defense of the country was not disagreeable to any of them, provided they were not requir'd to assist in it. And I found that a much greater number of them than I could have imagined, tho' against offensive war, were clearly for the defensive. Many pamphlets pro and con were publish'd on the subject, and some by good Quakers, in favor of defense, which I believe convinc'd most of their younger people.

我有些朋友认为，我积极参与这些事务会冒犯贵格会，而且会因此在以贵格会为主导的州议会中失势。有位年轻绅士在州议会里有些朋友，希望取代我成为州议会秘书。他告诉我议会已经决定在下次选举时把我撤换下去，因此他出于好心，建议我主动辞职，因为与被人解雇相比，这样更能保存我的颜面。我回答他说，我曾读过或听过某位公众人物的原则：绝不主动谋求职位，但也不拒绝别人提供的工作。我说：“我十分赞同他的原则，但实行起来还有一点增加，那就是我绝不谋求或拒绝工作，更不会主动辞职。如果他们希望由他人来做我现在的秘书工作，可以免去我的职位。但我不会主动辞职，从而失去适时报复我的对手的权利。”但是此后我再也没听到此事了。待到下次选举，我同往常一样一致通过地当选了。也许他们不喜欢我与参事会成员过从甚密，因为他们在军事准备问题的争论上总站在总督们一边，使州议会倍受其扰。如果我能主动减少和他们的往来，州议会的贵格会议员也许会十分高兴，但他们还不至于仅仅因为我热心于防卫队的事情就把我免职，而除此之外他们又找不到其他理由。

的确，我有理由相信，只要不要求他们给予援助，他们谁也不会反对加强防卫的事情。我还发现，他们中很多人尽管反对侵略性战争，但很明显是支持自我防御的，这类人比我想象的要多得多。赞成和反对双方就这一问题撰写并发表了许多小册子，有些赞成防御的小册子是由优秀的贵格会成员所写，我相信这些文章说服了大多数年轻的贵格会成员。

A transaction in our fire company gave me some insight into their prevailing sentiments. It had been propos'd that we should encourage the scheme for building a battery by laying out the present stock, then about sixty pounds, in tickets of the lottery. By our rules, no money could be dispos'd of till the next meeting after the proposal. The company consisted of thirty members, of which twenty-two were Quakers, and eight only of other persuasions. We eight punctually attended the meeting; but, tho' we thought that some of the Quakers would join us, we were by no means sure of a majority. Only one Quaker, Mr. James Morris, appear'd to oppose the measure. He expressed much sorrow that it had ever been propos'd, as he said Friends were all against it, and it would create such discord as might break up the company. We told him that we saw no reason for that; we were the minority, and if Friends were against the measure, and outvoted us, we must and should, agreeably to the usage of all societies, submit. When the hour for business arriv'd it was mov'd to put the vote; he allow'd we might then do it by the rules, but, as he could assure us that a number of members intended to be present for the purpose of opposing it, it would be but candid to allow a little time for their appearing.

While we were disputing this, a waiter came to tell me two gentlemen below desir'd to speak with me. I went down, and found they were two of our Quaker members. They told me there were eight of them assembled at a tavern just by; that they were determin'd to come and vote with us if there should be occasion, which they hop'd would not be the case, and desir'd we would not call for their assistance if we could do without it, as their voting for such a measure might embroil them with their elders and friends. Being thus secure of a majority, I went up, and after a little seeming hesitation, agreed to a delay of another hour. This Mr. Morris allow'd to be extreamly fair. Not one of his opposing friends appear'd, at which he express'd great surprize; and, at the expiration of the hour, we carry'd the resolution eight to one; and as, of the twenty-two Quakers, eight were ready to vote with us, and thirteen, by their absence, manifested that they were not inclin'd to oppose the measure, I afterward estimated the proportion of Quakers sincerely against defense as one to twenty-one only; for these were all regular members of that society, and in good reputation among them, and had due notice of what was propos'd at that meeting.

我们消防队里发生了一件事，使我对他们的普遍想法有了深入了解。当时有人提出，为了支持修建炮台的计划，我们应把消防队的约60镑资金拿出来购买奖券。根据我们的规定，如果需要动用资金，须在建议提出后的下一次会议上进行表决。消防队有30名成员，其中22名是贵格会成员，只有8人属于其他教派。我们8人准时参加了会议，尽管我们认为有几位贵格会会员会站在我们一边，但对能否得到多数支持还是毫无把握。只有一位贵格会会员反对这项提案，他就是詹姆斯·莫里斯先生。他对有人提出这样的提案深表痛心，说所有贵格会会员都对其表示反对，这种提案会造成诸多不和，可能导致消防队解散。我们告诉他这种担忧并无理由，我们只占少数，如果贵格会会员反对这项提案并且在投票表决时票数超过我们，根据所有社团的一般做法，我们必须也应当服从多数。讨论这项提案到了投票表决的时间，他承认按照规定我们当时可以进行投票，但是他肯定地说许多会员原本打算前来投下反对票的，所以我们得等他们一会儿才算公正。

我们正在争论时，一个侍者过来告诉我说下面有两位绅士想找我谈话。我下了楼，发现那是我们消防队的两位贵格会队员。他们告诉我他们有8个人聚在附近一家酒馆里，如果需要的话他们坚决会来为我们投赞成票，但如果没有他们的协助我们也能办到的话，他们不希望出席。因为如果为这个提案投赞成票，可能会引起他们的长辈和朋友的不满。在有把握能获得多数的选票后，我回到了楼上，假装犹豫了一阵后，同意将投票再推迟一个小时。这才让莫里斯先生认为公平。但他那些要投反对票的朋友一个也没出现，这让他大为惊讶。一个小时的时间到了，我们八比一通过了提案。在22位贵格会成员中，有8人打算为我们投票，13人没有出席，表示他们不反对这项提案，我事后估算了一下，真正反对加强防卫与不反对的贵格会成员之比为1∶21，因为他们都是贵格会的忠实信徒，声誉良好，对于会议上的提案也有适当关注。

The honorable and learned Mr. Logan, who had always been of that sect, was one who wrote an address to them, declaring his approbation of defensive war, and supporting his opinion by many strong arguments. He put into my hands sixty pounds to be laid out in lottery tickets for the battery, with directions to apply what prizes might be drawn wholly to that service. He told me the following anecdote of his old master, William Penn, respecting defense. He came over from England, when a young man, with that proprietary, and as his secretary. It was war-time, and their ship was chas'd by an armed vessel, suppos'd to be an enemy. Their captain prepar'd for defense; but told William Penn and his company of Quakers, that he did not expect their assistance, and they might retire into the cabin, which they did, except James Logan, who chose to stay upon deck, and was quarter'd to a gun. The suppos'd enemy prov'd a friend, so there was no fighting; but when the secretary went down to communicate the intelligence, William Penn rebuk'd him severely for staying upon deck, and undertaking to assist in defending the vessel, contrary to the principles of Friends, especially as it had not been required by the captain. This reproof, being before all the company, piqu'd the secretary, who answer'd, "I being thy servant, why did thee not order me to come down? But thee was willing enough that I should stay and help to fight the ship when thee thought there was danger."

My being many years in the Assembly, the majority of which were constantly Quakers, gave me frequent opportunities of seeing the embarrassment given them by their principle against war, whenever application was made to them, by order of the crown, to grant aids for military purposes. They were unwilling to offend government, on the one hand, by a direct refusal; and their friends, the body of the Quakers, on the other, by a compliance contrary to their principles; hence a variety of evasions to avoid complying, and modes of disguising the compliance when it became unavoidable. The common mode at last was, to grant money under the phrase of its being "for the king's use," and never to inquire how it was applied.

受人尊敬、学识渊博的罗根先生一直是贵格会信徒，他给其他信徒写了一篇文章，宣布他支持防御性战争，还列举了很多有力论据支持他的观点。他交给我60镑，用于购买奖券修建炮台，还说如若中奖，奖金也全作修炮台之用。罗根先生还告诉我他以前的领主威廉·佩恩的关于防卫的一桩轶事。罗根年轻时作为秘书跟随领主从英格兰来到这里。当时正值战争时期，他们的船被一艘军舰追逐，他们以为那是一艘敌船。他们的船长准备自我防卫，但告诉威廉·佩恩和他的贵格会同伴说不希望他们提供帮助，他们可以回到船舱里去。于是他们就回到了船舱，但詹姆斯·罗根没有，他选择留在甲板上，船长就命令他去看守一门大炮。他们所认为的敌船原来是自己一方的，结果没有发生战事。但当这位秘书下到船舱里报告消息时，威廉·佩恩却狠狠地责骂他不该留在甲板上，违反了贵格会教规去参加自卫工作，尤其是船长并未要求他这样做。佩恩是当着所有人的面责骂这位秘书的，这让他恼怒不已，于是他答道：“我是您的仆人，为什么您不命令我下来呢？您觉得情况危急的时候，倒是很愿意我留在甲板上帮他们反击那艘船。”

州议会议员一向以贵格会信徒居多，我在州议会任职多年，曾多次见到他们因国王命令他们通过军事补助议案而感到左右为难，因为贵格会是秉持反战原则的。他们一方面不愿直接反对议案从而得罪政府，另一方面，他们又不愿违反教义而触怒朋友，即贵格会的大多数人。因此，他们想出各种借口进行推托，实在推不掉了，就想法掩饰。最后，他们的常用方法是在“供国王使用”的名义下通过拨款审批，却从不询问钱款具体如何使用。

But, if the demand was not directly from the crown, that phrase was found not so proper, and some other was to be invented. As, when powder was wanting (I think it was for the garrison at Louisburg), and the government of New England solicited a grant of some from Pennsilvania, which was much urg'd on the House by Governor Thomas, they could not grant money to buy powder, because that was an ingredient of war; but they voted an aid to New England of three thousand pounds, to be put into the hands of the governor, and appropriated it for the purchasing of bread, flour, wheat, or other grain. Some of the council, desirous of giving the House still further embarrassment, advis'd the governor not to accept provision, as not being the thing he had demanded; but be reply'd, "I shall take the money, for I understand very well their meaning; other grain is gunpowder," which he accordingly bought, and they never objected to it.

It was in allusion to this fact that, when in our fire company we feared the success of our proposal in favor of the lottery, and I had said to my friend Mr. Syng, one of our members, "If we fail, let us move the purchase of a fire-engine with the money; the Quakers can have no objection to that; and then, if you nominate me and I you as a committee for that purpose, we will buy a great gun, which is certainly a fire-engine." "I see," says he, "you have improv'd by being so long in the Assembly; your equivocal project would be just a match for their wheat or other grain.

但是，如果资金需求不是直接来自国王，那种说法就不太合适了，他们就会想出别的说辞来。例如，新英格兰政府因缺乏火药（我想是为了防守路易堡）而请求宾夕法尼亚拨给一些，托马斯总督也大力劝说州议会予以批准，但他们却不能拨款去购买火药，因为火药是战争的一大要素。于是他们投票同意拨款3,000镑用于援助新英格兰，把钱款交给总督，用于购买面包、面粉、小麦或其他粮食。参事会的有些成员想给议会添更多麻烦，建议总督不要接受这笔钱，因为这不符合他的要求，但总督答道：“我要接受这笔钱，因为我很明白他们的意思，其他粮食就是火药。”于是他购买了火药，议会也没有反对。

在我们消防队里，当我们害怕购买奖券的提案无法获得通过时，我就会想到这件事，我对我的朋友辛格先生（也是消防队的队员之一）说：“如果我们的提案没有通过，那么我们就提议用这笔钱来购买消防车吧，贵格会信徒不会反对这件事的。然后我们互相提名，组成一个采购委员会，再去买一尊大炮，大炮显然也属于火器呀。”“我明白了，”他说，“原来在州议会里呆了那么久，你也有进步了。你这双关的计划简直可与他们的‘小麦或其他粮食'相媲美了。”

These embarrassments that the Quakers suffer'd from having establish'd and published it as one of their principles that no kind of war was lawful, and which, being once published, they could not afterwards, however they might change their minds, easily get rid of, reminds me of what I think a more prudent conduct in another sect among us, that of the Dunkers^[1]. I was acquainted with one of its founders, Michael Welfare, soon after it appear'd. He complain'd to me that they were grievously calumniated by the zealots of other persuasions, and charg'd with abominable principles and practices, to which they were utter strangers. I told him this had always been the case with new sects, and that, to put a stop to such abuse, I imagin'd it might be well to publish the articles of their belief, and the rules of their discipline. He said that it had been propos'd among them, but not agreed to, for this reason: "When we were first drawn together as a society," says he, "it had pleased God to enlighten our minds so far as to see that some doctrines, which we once esteemed truths, were errors; and that others, which we had esteemed errors, were real truths. From time to time He has been pleased to afford us farther light, and our principles have been improving, and our errors diminishing. Now we are not sure that we are arrived at the end of this progression, and at the perfection of spiritual or theological knowledge; and we fear that, if we should once print our confession of faith, we should feel ourselves as if bound and confin'd by it, and perhaps be unwilling to receive farther improvement, and our successors still more so, as conceiving what we their elders and founders had done, to be something sacred, never to be departed from."

This modesty in a sect is perhaps a singular instance in the history of mankind, every other sect supposing itself in possession of all truth, and that those who differ are so far in the wrong; like a man traveling in foggy weather, those at some distance before him on the road he sees wrapped up in the fog, as well as those behind him, and also the people in the fields on each side, but near him all appears clear, tho' in truth he is as much in the fog as any of them. To avoid this kind of embarrassment, the Quakers have of late years been gradually declining the public service in the Assembly and in the magistracy, choosing rather to quit their power than their principle.

贵格会信徒把“一切战争皆为非法”确立并公开宣布为他们的教义之一，尽管他们后来可能想予以修正，但一经公开宣布，就不能轻易改变了，他们常因此陷入一些两难局面。这让我想起我们中间言行更为谨慎的另一个教派，即德国浸礼会。这个教派成立不久，我就认识了它的创始人之一迈克尔·威尔菲尔。他向我抱怨说他们受到其他教派狂热分子的严重诽谤，抨击他们有一些恶劣的教义和行为，而其实他们是完全没有的。我告诉他，对于新成立的教派来说，这是常有的事儿，要想阻止这种诽谤，我想最好是公布他们的教义及教规。他说他们教徒中有人提过这个建议，但是没有达成一致，是因为：“我们最初成立这个教派时，上帝欣慰地让我们看到，我们曾经奉为真理的某些信条实为谬误，而我们以为错误的却是真理。时不时地上帝乐于赋予我们更多光明，使我们的信条不断改进，谬误不断减少。现在我们不确定是否已达到这一进程的终点，精神层面或神学方面的知识是否已臻于至善；我们担心，如果将自己的教义刊印出来，我们将受其桎梏，也许就不愿继续进步，而我们的后来者则会有过之而无不及，将他们的先辈和创始者所做的一切视作是神圣的，是绝对不能背离的。”

一个教派如此谦逊，这在人类历史上恐怕绝无仅有，所有其他教派都认为自己拥有一切真理，与他们见解不同的教派都是错误的；这就像一个人在大雾天行路，走在他前面有些距离的那些人在他看来裹于浓雾当中，走在他身后及两边田野里的人也是一样，但他近处的人看起来都很清晰，尽管事实上，他和其他人一样也是在雾中行走的。为了避免陷入这样的两难局面，近年来贵格会信徒渐渐淡出议会和政府，在权力和信条面前宁愿选择放弃前者。

In order of time, I should have mentioned before, that having, in 1742, invented an open stove for the better warming of rooms, and at the same time saving fuel, as the fresh air admitted was warmed in entering, I made a present of the model to Mr. Robert Grace, one of my early friends, who, having an iron-furnace, found the casting of the plates for these stoves a profitable thing, as they were growing in demand. To promote that demand, I wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled "An Account of the new-invented Pennsylvania Fireplaces; wherein their Construction and Manner of Operation is particularly explained; their Advantages above every other Method of warming Rooms demonstrated; and all Objections that have been raised against the Use of them answered and obviated," etc. This pamphlet had a good effect. Gov'r. Thomas was so pleas'd with the construction of this stove, as described in it, that he offered to give me a patent for the sole vending of them for a term of years; but I declin'd it from a principle which has ever weighed with me on such occasions, viz., That, as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.

An ironmonger in London however, assuming a good deal of my pamphlet, and working it up into his own, and making some small changes in the machine, which rather hurt its operation, got a patent for it there, and made, as I was told, a little fortune by it. And this is not the only instance of patents taken out for my inventions by others, tho' not always with the same success, which I never contested, as having no desire of profiting by patents myself, and hating disputes. The use of these fireplaces in very many houses, both of this and the neighboring colonies, has been, and is, a great saving of wood to the inhabitants.

Peace being concluded, and the association business therefore at an end, I turn'd my thoughts again to the affair of establishing an academy. The first step I took was to associate in the design a number of active friends, of whom the Junto furnished a good part; the next was to write and publish a pamphlet, entitled Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania. This I distributed among the principal inhabitants gratis; and as soon as I could suppose their minds a little prepared by the perusal of it, I set on foot a subscription for opening and supporting an academy; it was to be paid in quotas yearly for five years; by so dividing it, I judg'd the subscription might be larger, and I believe it was so, amounting to no less, if I remember right, than five thousand pounds.

如果按照时间顺序，我在前面就应提到过，1742年我发明了一种“开放式火炉”以改善房间供暖，同时还能节省燃料，因为新鲜空气一进入火炉便被加热了。我制作了一个火炉的模型，作为礼物送给我早年认识的一位朋友罗伯特·格雷斯先生。他有家炼铁厂，因为当时火炉的需求量渐增，他发现为这些火炉铸造铁板是有利可图的。为了进一步打开销路，我撰写并发行了一本小册子，名叫《新发明的宾夕法尼亚壁炉说明：详细解释其构造和操作方法，展示其较之其他取暖方式的优点，回应并消除与其使用有关的所有异议》。这本小册子收到了很好的效果，托马斯总督对其中描述的火炉构造非常满意，还提出要授予我一定年限的专卖权，但我婉拒了，因为这种情况下我一直秉持这样的原则：我们享受着他人发明带来的巨大好处，就应乐于有机会用自己的发明服务他人，而且这种服务应当是无偿的、慷慨的。

但伦敦的一个铁器商从我的小册子中窃取了大量信息，铸造了一个自己的火炉，对我的发明做了一些小改动，让火炉的效用大为减弱。我听说他在伦敦获得了火炉的专利，并借此发了一笔小财。我的发明被他人利用取得专利并非仅此一次，尽管并不是人人都能获得同样的成功。我从不与他们争执此事，因为我并不想通过取得专利而获利，而且也讨厌争吵。本州及邻州许多家庭都使用这种火炉，这为居民们节省了大量柴火。

战争结束了，于是防卫队的事务告一段落，我的心思再次转到建立一所学院上来。我的第一步行动是联系许多积极热心的朋友参与我的计划，其中大部分都是学习社成员；第二步是撰写并刊发了一本小册子，名叫《有关宾夕法尼亚青年教育的建议》。我把小册子免费赠给居民中的重要人士，等他们通过阅读小册子对此稍有思想准备之后，我就开始募捐，用于建立一家学院并维持其运营。捐款以五年为期，每年支付一定数额，我认为这样实行分期支付可能会使捐款额大一些。我相信，如果没记错的话，捐款额不下5,000镑。

In the introduction to these proposals, I stated their publication, not as an act of mine, but of some publick-spirited gentlemen, avoiding as much as I could, according to my usual rule, the presenting myself to the publick as the author of any scheme for their benefit.

The subscribers, to carry the project into immediate execution, chose out of their number twenty-four trustees, and appointed Mr. Francis, then attorney-general, and myself to draw up constitutions for the government of the academy; which being done and signed, a house was hired, masters engag'd, and the schools opened, I think, in the same year, 1749.

The scholars increasing fast, the house was soon found too small, and we were looking out for a piece of ground, properly situated, with intention to build, when Providence threw into our way a large house ready built, which, with a few alterations, might well serve our purpose. This was the building before mentioned, erected by the hearers of Mr. Whitefield, and was obtained for us in the following manner.

It is to be noted that the contributions to this building being made by people of different sects, care was taken in the nomination of trustees, in whom the building and ground was to be vested, that a predominancy should not be given to any sect, lest in time that predominancy might be a means of appropriating the whole to the use of such sect, contrary to the original intention. It was therefore that one of each sect was appointed, viz., one Church-of-England^[2] man, one Presbyterian^[3], one Baptist^[4], one Moravian^[5], etc., those, in case of vacancy by death, were to fill it by election from among the contributors. The Moravian happen'd not to please his colleagues, and on his death they resolved to have no other of that sect. The difficulty then was, how to avoid having two of some other sect, by means of the new choice.

在这篇建议的序言中，我把建议的提出归功于一些具有公益精神的绅士们，而非我自己。秉承我的一贯原则，我尽力避免在公众面前以公益计划发起人的形象展现。

为使计划立即执行，捐款人从他们中间推选出24名理事，并指定当时任检察长的弗朗西斯先生和我为学院起草管理章程。章程拟定并签署后，我们租了一套房屋，聘请了老师，这样学校就开学了，我记得那同样是在1749年。

学生人数迅速增加，那套房子很快就装不下了，于是我们开始物色一块位置合适的地皮，打算兴建校舍。这时承蒙上帝眷顾，有幢大房屋刚好建成，只要稍加几处改动，我们就能使用。这就是前面提过的由怀特菲尔德先生的听众修建的会堂，我们通过如下方式得到了它。

应该注意的是，这座会堂是由不同教派的信徒共同出资建造的，因此在任命负责照管会堂建筑和地皮的理事时，任何教派都不能占据支配地位，以免将来该教派利用这种支配地位将其留为己用，这就与其本意背道而驰了。因此，每个教派均指定一人担任理事，即：一位英国国教教徒、一位长老会教友、一位浸信会教友、一位摩拉维亚教会教徒等等。如果他们去世使得职位空缺，则从会堂捐助者中选举填补。那位摩拉维亚教徒恰好与同事不和，他去世以后，他们决定不再从摩拉维亚教派中选举理事。那么选举新理事时，如何避免一个教派中有两个理事就成了问题。

Several persons were named, and for that reason not agreed to. At length one mention'd me, with the observation that I was merely an honest man, and of no sect at all, which prevail'd with them to chuse me. The enthusiasm which existed when the house was built had long since abated, and its trustees had not been able to procure fresh contributions for paying the ground-rent, and discharging some other debts the building had occasion'd, which embarrass'd them greatly. Being now a member of both sets of trustees, that for the building and that for the Academy, I had a good opportunity of negotiating with both, and brought them finally to an agreement, by which the trustees for the building were to cede it to those of the academy, the latter undertaking to discharge the debt, to keep for ever open in the building a large hall for occasional preachers, according to the original intention, and maintain a free school for the instruction of poor children. Writings were accordingly drawn, and on paying the debts the trustees of the academy were put in possession of the premises; and by dividing the great and lofty hall into stories, and different rooms above and below for the several schools, and purchasing some additional ground, the whole was soon made fit for our purpose, and the scholars remov'd into the building. The care and trouble of agreeing with the workmen, purchasing materials, and superintending the work, fell upon me; and I went thro' it the more cheerfully, as it did not then interfere with my private business, having the year before taken a very able, industrious, and honest partner, Mr. David Hall, with whose character I was well acquainted, as he had work'd for me four years. He took off my hands all care of the printing-office, paying me punctually my share of the profits. This partnership continued eighteen years, successfully for us both.

有几个人被提名了，但因上述原因未能通过。后来有人提名我，他认为我为人诚实，不信仰任何教派，于是他们一致同意选我。修建会堂时的激情早已退却，理事们无法获得新的捐款以支付地租和清偿会堂修建时欠下的债务，从而陷入了极大困窘之中。这时我已是会堂保管和学院这两个理事会的理事，有很好的机会与两方协商，使双方最终达成了协议。根据这项协议，会堂保管理事会的理事们将会堂转让给学院理事会，后者则承担清偿债务的责任，并根据修建会堂的本意，将会堂的一间大厅永久开放以满足布道者的临时布道之需，同时要为穷人子弟开办一所免费学校。双方就此订立了合同，学院理事会的理事们付清了债务之后，会堂建筑和地皮就归他们所有了。他们把雄伟高大的会堂分为几层，上下又分为几个房间作为教室，还另购置了一些地，很快就把一切安排得符合我们的需要，让学生们搬进了会堂。与工人们签订合同、采购物资、监督工程的责任都由我承担，但整个过程我都非常愉快，因为这些责任并未妨碍我的私人事务，一年前我和一位非常能干、勤劳、诚实的大卫·霍尔先生合伙，他的性格我非常了解，因为他已为我工作四年了。他为我承担了印刷所的一切工作，按时将我的利润份额付给我。我们的合伙关系持续了18年，对双方来说都非常成功。

The trustees of the academy, after a while, were incorporated by a charter from the governor; their funds were increas'd by contributions in Britain and grants of land from the proprietaries, to which the Assembly has since made considerable addition; and thus was established the present University of Philadelphia. I have been continued one of its trustees from the beginning, now near forty years, and have had the very great pleasure of seeing a number of the youth who have receiv'd their education in it, distinguish'd by their improv'd abilities, serviceable in public stations and ornaments to their country.

When I disengaged myself, as above mentioned, from private business, I flatter'd myself that, by the sufficient tho' moderate fortune I had acquir'd, I had secured leisure during the rest of my life for philosophical studies and amusements. I purchased all Dr. Spence's apparatus, who had come from England to lecture here, and I proceeded in my electrical experiments with great alacrity; but the publick, now considering me as a man of leisure, laid hold of me for their purposes, every part of our civil government, and almost at the same time, imposing some duty upon me. The governor put me into the commission of the peace; the corporation of the city chose me of the common council, and soon after an alderman; and the citizens at large chose me a burgess to represent them in Assembly. This latter station was the more agreeable to me, as I was at length tired with sitting there to hear debates, in which, as clerk, I could take no part, and which were often so unentertaining that I was induc'd to amuse myself with making magic squares or circles, or any thing to avoid weariness; and I conceiv'd my becoming a member would enlarge my power of doing good. I would not, however, insinuate that my ambition was not flatter'd by all these promotions; it certainly was; for, considering my low beginning, they were great things to me; and they were still more pleasing, as being so many spontaneous testimonies of the public good opinion, and by me entirely unsolicited.

一段时间后，学院委员会的理事们得到总督颁发的执照，批准学校成立，委员会的资金也有所增加，因为有来自英国的捐款，还有领主们提供的土地，州议会也拨了许多款；费城大学就在这样的基础上建立了。我从一开始就继续担任其理事的职务，至今已近40年。看到大批青年在此接受教育，增长才干并脱颖而出，为社会机构服务，为国家增光添彩，我感到非常欣慰。

当我如上所述不再管理我的私人事务时，我颇为自得地看到自己已积累下虽不丰厚但已足够的财产，余生能有闲暇从事哲学研究和自娱自乐了。我购买了斯宾士博士的所有仪器，他是从英格兰来到这里讲学的。我兴致盎然地进行着我的电气实验，但这时公众认为我是个闲人了，于是差我为他们办事。我们政府的每个部门几乎同时都给我派了任务，总督让我担任治安委员会委员，市政当局选我为市参事会成员，不久又推我为市政委员会委员，市民们也选我为议员作为他们在州议会的代表。州议员这个职位让我比较满意，因为我已厌倦透了在担任州议会秘书时坐在那里旁听我当时不能参加的辩论，而这些辩论又常常索然无味，于是我只得通过解魔方阵或魔圈或其他东西自娱自乐，消解烦闷。我认为，成为一名议员将赋予我更多权力用于行善。但我不会假惺惺地说这些升迁没有给我带来成就感，当然我是有成就感的，因为考虑到我出身卑微，能获得此种地位实属难得；而尤其这些职位代表着公众对我的很高评价，它们是自发产生的，而非我谋营所得，这就让我更为高兴了。

The office of justice of the peace I try'd a little, by attending a few courts, and sitting on the bench to hear causes; but finding that more knowledge of the common law than I possess'd was necessary to act in that station with credit, I gradually withdrew from it, excusing myself by my being oblig'd to attend the higher duties of a legislator in the Assembly. My election to this trust was repeated every year for ten years, without my ever asking any elector for his vote, or signifying, either directly or indirectly, any desire of being chosen. On taking my seat in the House, my son was appointed their clerk.

治安法官的职务我担任了一段时间。我出席了几次庭审，坐在法官席上听诉讼，但我发现我的普通法知识并不足以使我胜任这一职位，于是借口说不得不在州议会里担任议员这一更为重要的职务，渐渐退出了。我每年都当选为州议员，连续10年之久，我从未请选民们投票给我，也从未直接或间接表示希望能够当选。我当州议员后，我的儿子被指定为州议会秘书。

The year following, a treaty being to be held with the Indians at Carlisle, the governor sent a message to the House, proposing that they should nominate some of their members, to be join'd with some members of council, as commissioners for that purpose. The House named the speaker (Mr. Norris) and myself; and, being commission'd, we went to Carlisle, and met the Indians accordingly.

As those people are extreamly apt to get drunk, and, when so, are very quarrelsome and disorderly, we strictly forbad the selling any liquor to them; and when they complain'd of this restriction, we told them that if they would continue sober during the treaty, we would give them plenty of rum when business was over. They promis'd this, and they kept their promise, because they could get no liquor, and the treaty was conducted very orderly, and concluded to mutual satisfaction. They then claim'd and receiv'd the rum; this was in the afternoon; they were near one hundred men, women, and children, and were lodg'd in temporary cabins, built in the form of a square, just without the town. In the evening, hearing a great noise among them, the commissioners walk'd out to see what was the matter. We found they had made a great bonfire in the middle of the square; they were all drunk, men and women, quarreling and fighting. Their dark-colour'd bodies, half naked, seen only by the gloomy light of the bonfire, running after and beating one another with firebrands, accompanied by their horrid yellings, form'd a scene the most resembling our ideas of hell that could well be imagin'd; there was no appeasing the tumult, and we retired to our lodging. At midnight a number of them came thundering at our door, demanding more rum, of which we took no notice.

第二年，我们将和印第安人在卡莱尔缔结条约。总督给州议会来函，提议他们指定几位议员，和几位参事会成员一起担任专员处理此事。议会指定了议长（诺里斯先生）和我，我们就奉命去了卡莱尔，与印第安人会面。

因为印第安人极好喝酒，酒醉后还吵吵闹闹，没规没矩，所以我们严格禁止向印第安人出售任何酒类。他们为此表示不满，于是我们告诉他们，如果他们能在订约期间保持清醒，事情办完后我们可以给他们许多朗姆酒。他们答应了，也信守了承诺，因为他们什么酒也买不到，于是我们很顺利地缔结了条约，双方都非常满意。他们随后向我们要酒，我们把酒给了他们，这是那天下午的事。他们共有近100人，男女老少都住在城外的临时小木屋里，木屋围起一个方形广场。晚上的时候，听到他们那边十分嘈杂，几位专员就出去看发生了什么事。我们发现他们在广场的中央燃起了一大簇篝火，男女全都喝得醉醺醺的，还相互争吵、打架。他们暗黑的肤色和半裸的身体只能在篝火那暗淡的光亮下依稀可见，他们还举着火把相互追逐、殴打，伴随着可怖的尖叫声，此番情景像极了我们所能想象的地狱。他们的喧闹没有停歇的意思，于是我们回到了自己的住处。半夜时，许多印第安人跑来大声敲打我们的门，向我们要更多朗姆酒，我们没有理睬。

The next day, sensible they had misbehav'd in giving us that disturbance, they sent three of their old counselors to make their apology. The orator acknowledg'd the fault, but laid it upon the rum; and then endeavored to excuse the rum by saying, "The Great Spirit, who made all things, made every thing for some use, and whatever use he design'd any thing for, that use it should always be put to. Now, when he made rum, he said 'Let this be for the Indians to get drunk with,' and it must be so." And, indeed, if it be the design of Providence to extirpate these savages in order to make room for cultivators of the earth, it seems not improbable that rum may be the appointed means. It has already annihilated all the tribes who formerly inhabited the sea-coast.

In 1751, Dr. Thomas Bond, a particular friend of mine, conceived the idea of establishing a hospital in Philadelphia (a very beneficent design, which has been ascrib'd to me, but was originally his), for the reception and cure of poor sick persons, whether inhabitants of the province or strangers. He was zealous and active in endeavoring to procure subscriptions for it, but the proposal being a novelty in America, and at first not well understood, he met with but small success.

At length he came to me with the compliment that he found there was no such thing as carrying a public-spirited project through without my being concern'd in it. "For," says he, "I am often ask'd by those to whom I propose subscribing, Have you consulted Franklin upon this business? And what does he think of it? And when I tell them that I have not (supposing it rather out of your line), they do not subscribe, but say they will consider of it." I enquired into the nature and probable utility of his scheme, and receiving from him a very satisfactory explanation, I not only subscrib'd to it myself, but engag'd heartily in the design of procuring subscriptions from others. Previously, however, to the solicitation, I endeavored to prepare the minds of the people by writing on the subject in the newspapers, which was my usual custom in such cases, but which he had omitted.

The subscriptions afterwards were more free and generous; but, beginning to flag, I saw they would be insufficient without some assistance from the Assembly, and therefore propos'd to petition for it, which was done. The country members did not at first relish the project; they objected that it could only be serviceable to the city, and therefore the citizens alone should be at the expense of it; and they doubted whether the citizens themselves generally approv'd of it. My allegation on the contrary, that it met with such approbation as to leave no doubt of our being able to raise two thousand pounds by voluntary donations, they considered as a most extravagant supposition, and utterly impossible.

第二天，他们知道自己的行为对我们造成了干扰，就派了三个年长的首领前来道歉。开口道歉的那个印第安人承认了他们的过错，但把责任归咎于朗姆酒，后来又竭力为酒辩解道：“上帝创造了万物，使万物皆有用处，无论这用处是什么，我们都应按此用途来使用它。现在他创造了朗姆酒，他说‘让印第安人喝朗姆酒一醉方休吧'，于是我们就得按此执行。”的确，如果上帝有心灭绝这些野蛮人，从而为地球上的拓荒者腾出地方，那么很可能朗姆酒就是注定的方法了。它已使原住在海岸边上的所有印第安人部落都灭绝了。

1751年，我的一位好朋友托马斯·邦德医生想在费城建一家医院（一个非常仁慈的计划，人们后来将其归功于我，其实最初是他的想法），用于接待并治疗穷困的病人，不论他们是本州居民还是外地人。他对募集捐款一事热心积极，但这个计划此前在美洲从未有过，人们一开始对此并不非常理解，因此他没有取得多大成功。

后来邦德医生来到我这里，称赞我说，他觉得要开展公益项目，没有我参与可不行。“这是因为，”他说，“我去募捐时，人们常常问我，‘这件事儿你和富兰克林商量过吗？他持什么意见？'我告诉他们我没有咨询过你时（我认为此事非你所长），他们就不捐款，而说他们会考虑的。”我询问他那项计划的性质和大概用途，他给了我令人非常满意的解释，我不仅自己捐了款，还热心帮他向别人募捐。不过在此之前，我就这个项目写了一篇文章发表在报纸上，使人们对此做好思想准备，这是我遇到这类事情的习惯做法，而他却忽略了此事。

后来人们捐款变得踊跃慷慨，但不久又开始减少，我意识到如果没有州议会的帮助，只靠捐款是不足以维持下去的，因此，我提议向议会申请拨款，接着便付诸实施。起初，来自乡村的议员对这个计划没有多大兴趣，他们反对说这个计划只能服务于城市，因此该让市民们自己出钱，他们还怀疑市民们自己也不一定都赞同这个计划。我的意见却与此相反，我认为这项计划将备受欢迎，肯定能募集到2,000镑捐款。他们认为我期望过高，完全是痴人说梦。

On this I form'd my plan; and asking leave to bring in a bill for incorporating the contributors according to the prayer of their petition, and granting them a blank sum of money, which leave was obtained chiefly on the consideration that the House could throw the bill out if they did not like it, I drew it so as to make the important clause a conditional one, viz., "And be it enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that when the said contributors shall have met and chosen their managers and treasurer, and shall have raised by their contributions a capital stock of—value (the yearly interest of which is to be applied to the accommodating of the sick poor in the said hospital, free of charge for diet, attendance, advice, and medicines), and shall make the same appear to the satisfaction of the speaker of the Assembly for the time being, that then it shall and may be lawful for the said speaker, and he is hereby required, to sign an order on the provincial treasurer for the payment of two thousand pounds, in two yearly payments, to the treasurer of the said hospital, to be applied to the founding, building, and finishing of the same."

This condition carried the bill through; for the members, who had oppos'd the grant, and now conceiv'd they might have the credit of being charitable without the expence, agreed to its passage; and then, in soliciting subscriptions among the people, we urg'd the conditional promise of the law as an additional motive to give, since every man's donation would be doubled; thus the clause work'd both ways. The subscriptions accordingly soon exceeded the requisite sum, and we claim'd and receiv'd the public gift, which enabled us to carry the design into execution. A convenient and handsome building was soon erected; the institution has by constant experience been found useful, and flourishes to this day; and I do not remember any of my political manoeuvres, the success of which gave me at the time more pleasure, or wherein, after thinking of it, I more easily excus'd myself for having made some use of cunning.

为此，我想出了一个办法。我请求议会准许我提出一项议案，即按捐款人的请求把他们组织起来，并给予一定金额的钱款。他们之所以允许我提出这项议案，主要是考虑到如果州议会不喜欢它，可以把它推翻，而我在议案里为这项重要条款加上了附加条件，即：“兹经议会决定，所述捐款人应集合起来，选出管理人和司库，募集捐款若干镑（捐款的年利息将用于为医院贫困患者提供帮助，免除他们的伙食、看护、就诊和药物费用），报给议会议长审批，若得通过，则议长应签署命令，准许本州司库向本医院司库拨款2,000镑，分两年付清，作医院创办、修建和装修之用。”

这一附加条件使议案得以通过；曾经反对拨款的议员见他们不花一分一厘就能赚个乐善好施的美名，就同意了议案。随后，我们在民众中募集捐款时，竭力强调法案中那项附有条件的允诺，以使人们捐款之心愈甚，这样每人的捐款都会加倍。如此一来，这一条款在两方面都起到了作用。捐款金额很快超过了所需数额，我们向议会提出请求，得到了议会拨款，将计划付诸实施。我们很快修建了一座舒适美观的大楼，后来的长期经验证明，这家医院发挥了很大作用，直至今日依然兴旺发达。在我的记忆中，没有哪项政治策略的成功在当时能让我如许满足，或是事后回忆起来时，能让我如此容易地原谅自己使用了些计谋。

It was about this time that another projector, the Rev. Gilbert Tennent, came to me with a request that I would assist him in procuring a subscription for erecting a new meeting-house. It was to be for the use of a congregation he had gathered among the Presbyterians, who were originally disciples of Mr. Whitefield. Unwilling to make myself disagreeable to my fellow-citizens by too frequently soliciting their contributions, I absolutely refus'd. He then desired I would furnish him with a list of the names of persons I knew by experience to be generous and public-spirited. I thought it would be unbecoming in me, after their kind compliance with my solicitations, to mark them out to be worried by other beggars, and therefore refus'd also to give such a list. He then desir'd I would at least give him my advice. "That I will readily do," said I; "and, in the first place, I advise you to apply to all those whom you know will give something; next, to those whom you are uncertain whether they will give any thing or not, and show them the list of those who have given; and, lastly, do not neglect those who you are sure will give nothing, for in some of them you may be mistaken." He laugh'd and thank'd me, and said he would take my advice. He did so, for he ask'd of everybody, and he obtained a much larger sum than he expected, with which he erected the capacious and very elegant meeting-house that stands in Arch-street.

Our city, tho' laid out with a beautiful regularity, the streets large, strait, and crossing each other at right angles, had the disgrace of suffering those streets to remain long unpav'd, and in wet weather the wheels of heavy carriages plough'd them into a quagmire, so that it was difficult to cross them; and in dry weather the dust was offensive. I had liv'd near what was call'd the Jersey Market, and saw with pain the inhabitants wading in mud while purchasing their provisions. A strip of ground down the middle of that market was at length pav'd with brick, so that, being once in the market, they had firm footing, but were often over shoes in dirt to get there. By talking and writing on the subject, I was at length instrumental in getting the street pav'd with stone between the market and the brick'd foot-pavement, that was on each side next the houses. This, for some time, gave an easy access to the market dry-shod; but, the rest of the street not being pav'd, whenever a carriage came out of the mud upon this pavement, it shook off and left its dirt upon it, and it was soon cover'd with mire, which was not remov'd, the city as yet having no scavengers.

大约这个时候，另一位计划发起人吉尔伯特·坦南特牧师来找我，请我协助他为建一座新教堂募集捐款。这座教堂将作他所召集的长老会教徒们集会之用，这些教徒原是怀特菲尔德先生的信徒。我不愿频繁向公众募集捐款，以免惹人厌烦，就坚决拒绝了他。于是他希望我给他列一张名单，列出我所知道的既慷慨又热心公益的人。我想这些人在我募捐时已做了善意的响应，现在我又把他们的名字挑出来，告诉别的募捐者，使他们备受烦扰，这种行为很不合适，因此我拒绝给他列这个名单。他又请我至少给他些建议。我说：“这我倒愿意。首先，我建议你向据你所知会捐钱的人募捐；然后，向你不确定是否会捐款的人募捐，并给他们看已捐款人的名单；最后，不要忽略那些你确信不会捐钱的人，因为你可能会看错他们中的一些人。”他笑着感谢我，说会采纳我的建议。他的确采纳了，他向所有人募捐，而且所获捐款比他预料的要多出很多，他用这笔钱修建了一座宽敞高雅的教堂，就座落在拱门街上。

我们的城市虽然规划得美观整齐，街道宽阔平直，纵横交错，但不雅的是路面长久不曾铺设，一到雨天，沉重的马车轮碾过，街道就成了泥沼，使人们寸步难行，而天气干燥时，街上又尘土飞扬，令人不快。我那时在泽西市场附近居住，看到居民们在市场采购时在泥泞中跋涉，心里很不是滋味。后来市场中央的一长条地面上终于铺了砖块，这样市民们到了市场之后就有稳固的落脚之处了，但他们往往还没到市场就已经满脚泥了。马路两边都有房屋，两排房屋前是铺了砖的人行道，我认为应在市场和人行道之间的道路上铺设石料。我和人议过此事，也就此写过文章，终于将其促成。这样，在一段时间内人们就可以轻易抵达市场而不把鞋子弄湿了。但街道其余部分还没有铺，每当马车从泥泞处驶到这段街面上时，其抖下的泥土落在上面，很快把这段街道弄得泥泞不堪，而且还不易清除，因为当时城市里还没有清洁工。

After some inquiry I found a poor industrious man, who was willing to undertake keeping the pavement clean, by sweeping it twice a week, carrying off the dirt from before all the neighbors' doors, for the sum of sixpence per month, to be paid by each house. I then wrote and printed a paper setting forth the advantages to the neighborhood that might be obtain'd by this small expense; the greater ease in keeping our houses clean, so much dirt not being brought in by people's feet; the benefit to the shops by more custom, etc., etc., as buyers could more easily get at them; and by not having, in windy weather, the dust blown in upon their goods, etc., etc. I sent one of these papers to each house, and in a day or two went round to see who would subscribe an agreement to pay these sixpences; it was unanimously sign'd, and for a time well executed. All the inhabitants of the city were delighted with the cleanliness of the pavement that surrounded the market, it being a convenience to all, and this rais'd a general desire to have all the streets paved, and made the people more willing to submit to a tax for that purpose.

After some time I drew a bill for paving the city, and brought it into the Assembly. It was just before I went to England, in 1757, and did not pass till I was gone and then with an alteration in the mode of assessment, which I thought not for the better, but with an additional provision for lighting as well as paving the streets, which was a great improvement. It was by a private person, the late Mr. John Clifton, his giving a sample of the utility of lamps, by placing one at his door, that the people were first impress'd with the idea of enlighting all the city. The honour of this public benefit has also been ascrib'd to me but it belongs truly to that gentleman. I did but follow his example, and have only some merit to claim respecting the form of our lamps, as differing from the globe lamps we were at first supply'd with from London. Those we found inconvenient in these respects: they admitted no air below; the smoke, therefore, did not readily go out above, but circulated in the globe, lodg'd on its inside, and soon obstructed the light they were intended to afford; giving, besides, the daily trouble of wiping them clean; and an accidental stroke on one of them would demolish it, and render it totally useless. I therefore suggested the composing them of four flat panes, with a long funnel above to draw up the smoke, and crevices admitting air below, to facilitate the ascent of the smoke; by this means they were kept clean, and did not grow dark in a few hours, as the London lamps do, but continu'd bright till morning, and an accidental stroke would generally break but a single pane, easily repair'd.

经过一番寻访，我找到一个贫穷勤快的人，他愿意承担保持街道清洁的工作，每周清扫路面两次，并把各家各户门前的尘泥清除，工资为每月六便士，由各户共同支付。然后我撰写并刊印了一篇文章，向居民们陈述这一小笔支出的种种好处，如人们脚上不再带进如此多的泥土，更易于保持屋内卫生；对于店家来说，光顾的客人会有所增加，因为人们更容易到达商店；起风时也不会有沙尘刮至他们的货物上等等。我把这篇文章每家各送一份，一两天后再去各家看谁愿意签订协议支付这六便士。人们全都签了协议，一段时期内这个计划得以顺利进行。所有市民都高兴地见到市场周围的街道变得干净清洁了，这方便了大家，也使人们普遍希望所有街道都能铺设好，他们也更加愿意为此缴纳税款了。

一段时间以后，我起草了铺设全城街道的议案，并将其提交至州议会。这就在1757年我去英格兰之前，直到我走后议案才获得通过。当时议案中估定税额的方式有所更改，我认为这并没带来什么改善，倒是其中提出除铺设街道外还要安装路灯，这是一项很大的进步。这个提议是由一个平头百姓、已故的约翰·克利夫顿先生提出的，他在自家门前装了一盏灯，向大家展示灯的用处，使人们初次产生了照亮整座城市的想法。人们把这项公益事业的荣誉也归功于我，但其实它是属于那位先生的。我只是以他为榜样，在改进灯的形状方面略有功劳。我们使用的灯与最初从伦敦购买的球形灯不太一样，那种灯我们发现在如下方面有诸多缺点：灯的下方不通空气，使烟不能从上面出去，而是在球形里流动，附在灯的内壁上，很快就会阻挡灯的光线；此外，这使得灯具需要每天擦拭保持清洁；还有如果一不小心敲一下，灯具就会毁坏，就完全没用了。因此，我建议把四块平板玻璃拼起来作为灯罩，在上方安一支长烟囱以排空烟气，在下方开裂缝使空气进入，从而促使烟气上升。这个方法既使灯具保持清洁，也不像从在伦敦买的灯一样几小时之内就变得黯淡，而是可以持续发光直至天明，不小心敲到它一般只会打破一块玻璃，易于修补。

I have sometimes wonder'd that the Londoners did not, from the effect holes in the bottom of the globe lamps us'd at Vauxhall have in keeping them clean, learn to have such holes in their street lamps. But, these holes being made for another purpose, viz., to communicate flame more suddenly to the wick by a little flax hanging down thro' them, the other use, of letting in air, seems not to have been thought of; and therefore, after the lamps have been lit a few hours, the streets of London are very poorly illuminated.

The mention of these improvements puts me in mind of one I propos'd, when in London, to Dr. Fothergill, who was among the best men I have known, and a great promoter of useful projects. I had observ'd that the streets, when dry, were never swept, and the light dust carried away; but it was suffer'd to accumulate till wet weather reduc'd it to mud, and then, after lying some days so deep on the pavement that there was no crossing but in paths kept clean by poor people with brooms, it was with great labor rak'd together and thrown up into carts open above, the sides of which suffer'd some of the slush at every jolt on the pavement to shake out and fall, sometimes to the annoyance of foot-passengers. The reason given for not sweeping the dusty streets was, that the dust would fly into the windows of shops and houses.

An accidental occurrence had instructed me how much sweeping might be done in a little time. I found at my door in Craven-street, one morning, a poor woman sweeping my pavement with a birch broom; she appeared very pale and feeble, as just come out of a fit of sickness. I ask'd who employ'd her to sweep there; she said, "Nobody, but I am very poor and in distress, and I sweeps before gentlefolkses doors, and hopes they will give me something." I bid her sweep the whole street clean, and I would give her a shilling; this was at nine o'clock; at 12 she came for the shilling. From the slowness I saw at first in her working, I could scarce believe that the work was done so soon, and sent my servant to examine it, who reported that the whole street was swept perfectly clean, and all the dust plac'd in the gutter, which was in the middle; and the next rain wash'd it quite away, so that the pavement and even the kennel were perfectly clean.

我有时觉得奇怪，在沃克斯豪尔使用的球形灯底部是有孔的，可以使灯的内部保持清洁，怎么伦敦人就没学会在他们的街灯上也开几个孔呢？但他们的孔是有其他用途的，即从中垂下一小块亚麻布，使火焰更快到达灯芯，而他们似乎没有想到通气的这种用途，因此，路灯点亮几个小时后，伦敦的街道就变得十分昏暗了。

提到这些改进，使我想起了在伦敦时向福瑟吉尔博士提议的事情。福瑟吉尔博士是我认识的最优秀的人之一，也是一位公益计划的伟大倡导者。我曾经注意到，天气干燥时，街道从来没人打扫，灰尘从来没人清走，就这么累积起来，一到下雨天便成了泥浆，几天以后，人行道上的污泥堆得如此之厚，连穿过街道都不可能，只有穷人用扫帚扫出来的小路是干净的。人们要费很大力气才能把这污泥耙到一起，倒进上端敞开的手推车中，但车子在路上行进时，每颠簸一次都会有些污泥从车的两边震落下来，掉在路上，有时让路人烦恼不已。而不清扫满是灰尘的街道的理由是，清扫时灰尘会飞进商铺和房屋的窗户里。

一次偶然事件让我了解到在很短的时间内能完成多少清扫工作。一天早上，我在克雷文街住所的门口发现一位穷苦的妇人正用一把桦木扫帚扫着我门口的人行道，她看起来非常苍白虚弱，似乎大病初愈。我问她是谁雇她来这儿扫地的，她说：“没人雇我，但我穷困潦倒，就来上流人士的家门口扫地，希望他们能施舍我点儿。”我让她把整条街都扫干净，我可以给她一先令。当时是9点钟，她12点时来拿钱了。开始时我见她动作很慢，难以相信她能这么快完成工作，于是就派我的仆人去检查，仆人回来报告说，整条街都打扫得十分干净，所有灰尘都扫到街中央的阴沟里了。后来下了一场雨，把它们都冲走了，这样整条人行道甚至阴沟都变得非常干净。

I then judg'd that, if that feeble woman could sweep such a street in three hours, a strong, active man might have done it in half the time. And here let me remark the convenience of having but one gutter in such a narrow street, running down its middle, instead of two, one on each side, near the footway; for where all the rain that falls on a street runs from the sides and meets in the middle, it forms there a current strong enough to wash away all the mud it meets with; but when divided into two channels, it is often too weak to cleanse either, and only makes the mud it finds more fluid, so that the wheels of carriages and feet of horses throw and dash it upon the foot-pavement, which is thereby rendered foul and slippery, and sometimes splash it upon those who are walking. My proposal, communicated to the good doctor, was as follows:

"For the more effectual cleaning and keeping clean the streets of London and Westminster, it is proposed that the several watchmen be contracted with to have the dust swept up in dry seasons, and the mud rak'd up at other times, each in the several streets and lanes of his round; that they be furnish'd with brooms and other proper instruments for these purposes, to be kept at their respective stands, ready to furnish the poor people they may employ in the service.

"That in the dry summer months the dust be all swept up into heaps at proper distances, before the shops and windows of houses are usually opened, when the scavengers, with close-covered carts, shall also carry it all away.

"That the mud, when rak'd up, be not left in heaps to be spread abroad again by the wheels of carriages and trampling of horses, but that the scavengers be provided with bodies of carts, not plac'd high upon wheels, but low upon sliders, with lattice bottoms, which, being cover'd with straw, will retain the mud thrown into them, and permit the water to drain from it, whereby it will become much lighter, water making the greatest part of its weight; these bodies of carts to be plac'd at convenient distances, and the mud brought to them in wheelbarrows; they remaining where plac'd till the mud is drain'd, and then horses brought to draw them away."

于是我判断，如果那个虚弱的妇人能在三小时内打扫干净一条街，那么一个身强力壮、行动迅速的男子可能只用一半的时间就能完成。这里我要说到，在这样一条窄街上，只有中间一条阴沟而非两边人行道附近各一条是有好处的，因为落在街上的所有雨水从两边汇集到中间时，能够形成一股急流冲刷掉所有遇到的泥土；而如果这股水流分为两道，那么常常力度太弱，不足以清洗掉两边的泥土，只会让这泥沾了水后变得稀软，当马车轮碾过或马蹄踏过时溅到人行道上去，弄得人行道上又脏又滑，有时还会溅到行人身上。于是我向这位优秀的博士提出了如下建议：

“为使伦敦和威斯敏斯特的街道清扫更为有效，并保持街道清洁，我建议雇用若干人手，监管干燥季节时灰尘的清扫和雨季时污泥的耙除，每人负责几条街道及附近的小巷，我们给他们提供扫帚和其他适当的清扫工具，平时保存在各自的场所，以备受雇的穷人清扫街道时使用。”

“干燥的夏季时节，应在商店和住宅的窗户打开之前打扫灰尘，每隔适当距离积成一堆，再由清洁工用上端封闭的小车把它们全部运走。”

“耙集起来的泥巴不要再堆积放置，以免被车轮或马蹄踏散开来。清洁工应配备一些小车，车身不要高高放置在车轮之上，而是低放在滑盘上，底部是格子结构，上面铺上稻草，这样既可以盛住污泥，又能使水从中排出，如此一来整个重量就要轻许多，因为水占了大部分重量。这些车辆应置放在适当距离之处，污泥用手推车送来，倒入其中，等泥巴中的水都沥干之后用马把它们拖走。”

I have since had doubts of the practicability of the latter part of this proposal, on account of the narrowness of some streets, and the difficulty of placing the draining-sleds so as not to encumber too much the passage; but I am still of opinion that the former, requiring the dust to be swept up and carry'd away before the shops are open, is very practicable in the summer, when the days are long; for, in walking thro' the Strand and Fleet-street one morning at seven o'clock, I observ'd there was not one shop open, tho' it had been daylight and the sun up above three hours; the inhabitants of London chusing voluntarily to live much by candle-light, and sleep by sunshine, and yet often complain, a little absurdly, of the duty on candles and the high price of tallow.

Some may think these trifling matters not worth minding or relating; but when they consider that tho' dust blown into the eyes of a single person, or into a single shop on a windy day, is but of small importance, yet the great number of the instances in a populous city, and its frequent repetitions give it weight and consequence, perhaps they will not censure very severely those who bestow some attention to affairs of this seemingly low nature. Human felicity is produc'd not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur every day. Thus, if you teach a poor young man to shave himself, and keep his razor in order, you may contribute more to the happiness of his life than in giving him a thousand guineas. The money may be soon spent, the regret only remaining of having foolishly consumed it; but in the other case, he escapes the frequent vexation of waiting for barbers, and of their sometimes dirty fingers, offensive breaths, and dull razors; he shaves when most convenient to him, and enjoys daily the pleasure of its being done with a good instrument. With these sentiments I have hazarded the few preceding pages, hoping they may afford hints which some time or other may be useful to a city I love, having lived many years in it very happily, and perhaps to some of our towns in America.

我后来对该建议后一部分的可行性产生了怀疑，因为有些街道很窄，要把手推车放在那儿而不阻碍交通是很困难的。但我还是认为要求在商店开门之前清扫并运走尘土的这一部分在夏季是十分可行的，因为白天时间很长。一天早晨七点时，我走过斯特兰德大道和舰队街，发现没有一家商店开门，尽管当时已经天色大亮，日上三竿。伦敦居民宁愿在烛光下生活、在阳光下睡觉，却又常常抱怨蜡烛征税太高，油脂价格太贵，真有些可笑。

有人可能认为这些微不足道的小事并不值得注意或是谈及，但如果他们认为大风天气里，灰尘吹进某个人眼睛或是刮进某家商店里并不是什么大事，那么在一个人口众多的城市里，许多人或许多商店受到风沙袭击，而且这样的事经常重复发生，这就十分严重了，也许这样他们就不会严厉责备那些对这看似无关紧要的事情有所留意的人了。人类幸福不是因鲜有发生的撞上大运而产生，而在于平日里得到的小小福利。因此，如果你能教会一个穷困的年轻人自己刮须，并好好保存剃须刀，这比赠给他1,000几尼更能给其人生带来幸福。钱财可能很快花光，剩下的只有对愚蠢挥霍金钱的懊悔；但如果你能教他刮须，那么他就能免去常常等待理发师的烦恼，不用忍受他们时常肮脏的手指、难闻的呼吸以及迟钝的剃刀，他可以选择自己最方便的时间剃须，还能每天享受使用好剃刀刮须的快乐。抱着这些想法，我冒昧写下前面几页文章，希望它们能在某些时候对我所热爱的城市有所帮助，我在这里已经快乐地生活了很多年，也许它们对我们美洲的其他城镇也有所裨益。

Having been for some time employed by the postmaster-general of America as his comptroller in regulating several offices, and bringing the officers to account, I was, upon his death in 1753, appointed, jointly with Mr. William Hunter, to succeed him, by a commission from the postmaster-general in England. The American office never had hitherto paid any thing to that of Britain. We were to have six hundred pounds a year between us, if we could make that sum out of the profits of the office. To do this, a variety of improvements were necessary; some of these were inevitably at first expensive, so that in the first four years the office became above nine hundred pounds in debt to us. But it soon after began to repay us; and before I was displac'd by a freak of the ministers, of which I shall speak hereafter, we had brought it to yield three times as much clear revenue to the crown as the postoffice of Ireland. Since that imprudent transaction, they have receiv'd from it — not one farthing!

The business of the postoffice occasion'd my taking a journey this year to New England, where the College of Cambridge, of their own motion, presented me with the degree of Master of Arts. Yale College, in Connecticut, had before made me a similar compliment. Thus, without studying in any college, I came to partake of their honours. They were conferr'd in consideration of my improvements and discoveries in the electric branch of natural philosophy.

In 1754, war with France being again apprehended, a congress of commissioners from the different colonies was, by an order of the Lords of Trade, to be assembled at Albany, there to confer with the chiefs of the Six Nations concerning the means of defending both their country and ours. Governor Hamilton, having receiv'd this order, acquainted the House with it, requesting they would furnish proper presents for the Indians, to be given on this occasion; and naming the speaker (Mr. Norris) and myself to join Mr. Thomas Penn and Mr. Secretary Peters as commissioners to act for Pennsylvania. The House approv'd the nomination, and provided the goods for the present, and tho' they did not much like treating out of the provinces; and we met the other commissioners at Albany about the middle of June.

我受美洲邮电总长任命担任他的审计员已有一段时间，负责管理若干分局，并检查邮局职员的工作。他于1753年逝世，我和威廉·亨特先生一同被英国邮电总长指定接任他的职位。此前美洲邮局从未向英国邮局缴纳任何钱款。我们两人的年薪一共为600镑，如果我们能从邮局利润中获得这一数目的话。为实现这一点，我们对邮局工作作了各种必要改进，有些措施一开始必然要花费些金钱，因此在开始的四年里，邮局欠了我们900多镑薪金，但是很快就还给了我们。在我被某个狂妄的大臣免职之前（我稍后会提到），我们使邮局缴纳给英王的净税收额是爱尔兰邮局缴纳的三倍。在我被他们草率地免职之后，他们从那儿得到的收入——居然降为零！

邮局事务让我这一年有机会去了一趟新英格兰，那里的剑桥大学主动授予我文学硕士学位。康涅狄格的耶鲁大学此前也授予我一项类似的学位。就这样，我从未在任何大学学习过，却享有它们的荣誉。这些学位的授予是因为我在自然科学的电学分支学科上有所改进和发现。

1754年，我们与法国再次开战，贸易大臣命令各殖民地派出代表委员在奥尔巴尼举行集会，与印第安人六部落的首领就共同防卫的方式进行协商。汉密尔顿总督收到命令后，通知了议会，请求他们提供适当礼物，在开会时送给印第安人，还提名议长诺里斯先生和我会同托马斯·佩恩先生及彼得斯秘书先生一起担任宾夕法尼亚的代表委员。议会通过了这项提名，还提供了礼物，尽管议员们并不太乐意在外地招待别人；我们大约在六月中旬时与其他委员们在奥尔巴尼会面。

In our way thither, I projected and drew a plan for the union of all the colonies under one government, so far as might be necessary for defense, and other important general purposes. As we pass'd thro' New York, I had there shown my project to Mr. James Alexander and Mr. Kennedy, two gentlemen of great knowledge in public affairs, and, being fortified by their approbation, I ventur'd to lay it before the Congress. It then appeared that several of the commissioners had form'd plans of the same kind. A previous question was first taken, whether a union should be established, which pass'd in the affirmative unanimously. A committee was then appointed, one member from each colony, to consider the several plans and report. Mine happen'd to be preferr'd, and, with a few amendments, was accordingly reported.

By this plan the general government was to be administered by a president-general, appointed and supported by the crown, and a grand council was to be chosen by the representatives of the people of the several colonies, met in their respective assemblies. The debates upon it in Congress went on daily, hand in hand with the Indian business. Many objections and difficulties were started, but at length they were all overcome, and the plan was unanimously agreed to, and copies ordered to be transmitted to the Board of Trade and to the assemblies of the several provinces. Its fate was singular: the assemblies did not adopt it, as they all thought there was too much prerogative in it, and in England it was judg'd to have too much of the democratic.

The Board of Trade therefore did not approve of it, nor recommend it for the approbation of his majesty; but another scheme was form'd, supposed to answer the same purpose better, whereby the governors of the provinces, with some members of their respective councils, were to meet and order the raising of troops, building of forts, etc., and to draw on the treasury of Great Britain for the expense, which was afterwards to be refunded by an act of Parliament laying a tax on America. My plan, with my reasons in support of it, is to be found among my political papers that are printed.

在我们前往奥尔巴尼的路上，我提出并拟定了一项计划，将所有殖民地联合在一个政府下，以备国防及其他重大原因之需。我们经过纽约时，我把我的计划告诉了詹姆斯·亚历山大先生和肯尼迪先生，他们是在公共事务领域颇有见识的两位绅士，他们的赞同使我增强了信念，于是我大胆地在代表大会上提了出来，当时似乎好几位委员都提出了同样的计划。我们首先讨论了一个先决问题，即是否应该成立一个联盟，这个问题得到大家一致同意。然后大会指定成立了一个委员会，每个殖民地各选一人，来考虑这几个计划和报告。我的计划凑巧获得了委员会的青睐，在经过几处修改后，就向大会作了报告。

根据这项计划，联邦政府将由一位总统管理，总统由英王指定，受其支持，另外还应选举出一个大理事会，由各殖民地的人民代表在各自议会里开会选举产生。大会上关于这个问题的辩论每日进行，与印第安人事务的讨论齐头并进。会上出现了许多反对意见和困难，但最终都被驳倒和克服，这项计划获得了一致通过，其副本被送至贸易委员会和各州议会处。这个计划的命运非常奇特：各州议会并不采纳它，因为他们都认为按此计划，联邦政府拥有太多特权，而英国方面却认为这计划使他们下放了太多权力。

因此贸易委员会没有批准这个计划，也不提请英王批准，但是这时却形成了另一项计划，应能更好地服务于同一目的。根据这个计划，各州总督应与各参事会成员集会，决定招募军队、修建堡垒等等事宜，所有花费由大不列颠王国国库支付，事后由英国议会颁布一项向美洲征税的法令来偿还。我的计划书和支持这项计划的理由可以在我已经刊印的政治论文中找到。

Being the winter following in Boston, I had much conversation with Governor Shirley upon both the plans. Part of what passed between us on the occasion may also be seen among those papers. The different and contrary reasons of dislike to my plan makes me suspect that it was really the true medium; and I am still of opinion it would have been happy for both sides the water if it had been adopted. The colonies, so united, would have been sufficiently strong to have defended themselves; there would then have been no need of troops from England; of course, the subsequent pretence for taxing America, and the bloody contest it occasioned, would have been avoided. But such mistakes are not new; history is full of the errors of states and princes.

Look round the habitable world, how few Know their own good, or, knowing it, pursue!

Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new projects. The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from previous wisdom, but forc'd by the occasion.

接下来的冬天我是在波士顿度过的，这期间我与雪利总督就这两个计划有过许多讨论。我们当时讨论的部分内容也可在那些论文中找到。对我的计划，反对者有的持不同意见，有的持相反意见，这让我怀疑这就是真正的折中之道。我也依然认为如果它能被采纳，大洋两岸的双方都会很高兴。各殖民地按照这一计划联合起来后，将足够强大以进行自我防卫，那么到时就没有必要再从英国派军队过来，以后向美洲征税的借口自然也就没有了，也不会引起血腥争夺了。但是这样的错误绝不新鲜，历史上国家和君王犯错的例子比比皆是。

环顾世界，明察自身利益之人何其少，明察并能勇敢追求之人又何其少！

执政之人有太多事务需要处理，一般不愿劳神去考虑和执行新的计划。因此，最佳公共措施很少是因先见之明而被采纳的，一般都是情势所逼而已。

The Governor of Pennsylvania, in sending it down to the Assembly, express'd his approbation of the plan, "as appearing to him to be drawn up with great clearness and strength of judgment, and therefore recommended it as well worthy of their closest and most serious attention." The House, however, by the management of a certain member, took it up when I happen'd to be absent, which I thought not very fair, and reprobated it without paying any attention to it at all, to my no small mortification.

In my journey to Boston this year, I met at New York with our new governor, Mr. Morris, just arriv'd there from England, with whom I had been before intimately acquainted. He brought a commission to supersede Mr. Hamilton, who, tir'd with the disputes his proprietary instructions subjected him to, had resign'd. Mr. Morris ask'd me if I thought he must expect as uncomfortable an administration. I said, "No; you may, on the contrary, have a very comfortable one, if you will only take care not to enter into any dispute with the Assembly." "My dear friend," says he, pleasantly, "how can you advise my avoiding disputes? You know I love disputing; it is one of my greatest pleasures; however, to show the regard I have for your counsel, I promise you I will, if possible, avoid them." He had some reason for loving to dispute, being eloquent, an acute sophister, and, therefore, generally successful in argumentative conversation. He had been brought up to it from a boy, his father, as I have heard, accustoming his children to dispute with one another for his diversion, while sitting at table after dinner; but I think the practice was not wise; for, in the course of my observation, these disputing, contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their affairs. They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which would be of more use to them. We parted, he going to Philadelphia, and I to Boston.

宾夕法尼亚总督将我的计划交给议会，并对计划大加赞赏，“在他看来，这个计划逻辑清晰，观点合理，因此他认为值得议员们仔细阅读，认真对待。”但是，有个议员耍了个手段，趁我不在时在议会讨论这个计划，这让我觉得不是很公平。结果议会对这项计划毫不重视，将其否决了，让我极为懊恼。

这一年在去波士顿的途中，我在纽约见到了我们的新总督莫里斯先生。他刚从英格兰来到这里，我以前和他关系很好。他奉命来此接替汉密尔顿先生，后者厌倦了因领主指令的约束而与议会发生争执，于是辞职了。莫里斯先生问我他是否会在政府管理上遇到同样的困难，我说：“不会，相反，只要你小心不与议会发生任何争论，你当政会非常顺利。”“我亲爱的朋友，”他客气地说，“你怎么能建议我避免争论呢？你知道我很爱争论，这是我的最大乐趣之一。但是，为了表示我对你建议的尊重，我向你保证，如果可能的话，我会避免争论的。”他热爱争论是有些理由的，他口才很好，是一个精明的诡辩家，因此在论证性谈话中常常能够胜出。他孩童时代起就学习辩论，我听说他父亲吃完晚饭坐在桌旁时，会让孩子们相互争论，以此为乐。但我认为这么做并不高明，因为通过观察，这些爱好争论、反驳和驳斥的人们在自己的事务中一般都很不幸。他们有时会取得胜利，但从来得不到人们的善意对待，而这善意对待要比赢得争论更为有用。我们分开之后，他去了费城，我到了波士顿。

In returning, I met at New York with the votes of the Assembly, by which it appear'd that, notwithstanding his promise to me, he and the House were already in high contention; and it was a continual battle between them as long as he retain'd the government. I had my share of it; for, as soon as I got back to my seat in the Assembly, I was put on every committee for answering his speeches and messages, and by the committees always desired to make the drafts. Our answers, as well as his messages, were often tart, and sometimes indecently abusive; and, as he knew I wrote for the Assembly, one might have imagined that, when we met, we could hardly avoid cutting throats; but he was so good-natur'd a man that no personal difference between him and me was occasion'd by the contest, and we often din'd together.

One afternoon, in the height of this public quarrel, we met in the street. "Franklin," says he, "you must go home with me and spend the evening; I am to have some company that you will like" ; and, taking me by the arm, he led me to his house. In gay conversation over our wine, after supper, he told us, jokingly, that he much admir'd the idea of Sancho Panza, who, when it was proposed to give him a government, requested it might be a government of blacks, as then, if he could not agree with his people, he might sell them. One of his friends, who sat next to me, says, "Franklin, why do you continue to side with these damn'd Quakers? Had not you better sell them? The proprietor would give you a good price." "The governor," says I, "has not yet blacked them enough." He, indeed, had labored hard to blacken the Assembly in all his messages, but they wip'd off his coloring as fast as he laid it on, and plac'd it, in return, thick upon his own face; so that, finding he was likely to be negrofied himself, he, as well as Mr. Hamilton, grew tir'd of the contest, and quitted the government.

These public quarrels were all at bottom owing to the proprietaries, our hereditary governors, who, when any expense was to be incurred for the defense of their province, with incredible meanness instructed their deputies to pass no act for levying the necessary taxes, unless their vast estates were in the same act expressly excused; and they had even taken bonds of these deputies to observe such instructions. The Assemblies for three years held out against this injustice, tho' constrained to bend at last. At length Captain Denny, who was Governor Morris's successor, ventured to disobey those instructions; how that was brought about I shall show hereafter.

在回来的路上，我在纽约看到了议会的表决结果。从表决结果来看，尽管他向我许了诺，他和议会已经争论不休了。在他任职期间，他们之间的斗争一直没有休止。我也参与其中，因为我一回到州议会，每个委员会都让我答复他的演说和咨文，而委员会则总是让我起草这些文件。我们的答复和他的咨文往往尖酸刻薄，有时还有无礼的谩骂。他知道我为议会撰写回复文章后，人们可能会认为我们见面时免不了会斗个你死我活，但他的性情如此之善良，以至于我和他之间从未因争论而心生嫌隙，我们还常常一块儿吃饭呢。

一天下午，正当这场公务上的争论处于高潮之时，我们在街上相遇了。“富兰克林，”他说，“你今天晚上一定得和我去我家，我有些朋友你会喜欢的。”于是，他挽着我的胳膊，把我带去了他家。晚饭后，我们把酒言欢之时，他戏谑地告诉我们他非常喜欢桑乔·潘沙的想法，有人提出要让桑乔·潘沙来管理一个政府时，他则要求这个政府统治的是黑人，这样的话，当他和他的人民意见不一时，他还可以卖掉他们。他的一位坐在我身边的朋友说道：“富兰克林，为什么你还要站在那些该死的贵格会信徒一边呢？你把他们卖了不是更好吗？领主会给你开个好价钱的。”我说：“总督还没把他们涂得够黑啊。”他在他所有的咨文中的确都极力抹黑议会的名声，但他刚把颜色涂上去他们就将它擦拭干净了，还把它狠狠回敬到他自己脸上；就这样，当他发现自己很有可能被涂为黑人时，也像汉密尔顿先生一样，厌倦了争论，从政府中辞职了。

这些公务上的争论其实都起源于领主，他们是我们世袭的统治者。每当需要为本州防卫支付费用时，他们表现出来的吝啬让人难以置信，他们会叮嘱代理人，让他们不要通过征收必要税款的法案，除非同一法案中明文批准他们数额巨大的财产可以免税；他们甚至还和这些代理人订立合约，确保他们遵照其命令。议会连续三年抵抗这种不公平的做法，但最终还是被迫让步。终于，莫里斯总督的继任者丹尼上尉大胆地没有服从那些命令，这件事情的经过我会稍后说明。

But I am got forward too fast with my story: there are still some transactions to be mention'd that happened during the administration of Governor Morris.

War being in a manner commenced with France, the government of Massachusetts Bay projected an attack upon Crown Point, and sent Mr. Quincy to Pennsylvania, and Mr. Pownall, afterward Governor Pownall, to New York, to solicit assistance. As I was in the Assembly, knew its temper, and was Mr. Quincy's countryman, he appli'd to me for my influence and assistance. I dictated his address to them, which was well receiv'd. They voted an aid of ten thousand pounds, to be laid out in provisions. But the governor refusing his assent to their bill (which included this with other sums granted for the use of the crown), unless a clause were inserted exempting the proprietary estate from bearing any part of the tax that would be necessary, the Assembly, tho' very desirous of making their grant to New England effectual, were at a loss how to accomplish it. Mr. Quincy labored hard with the governor to obtain his assent, but he was obstinate.

I then suggested a method of doing the business without the governor, by orders on the trustees of the Loan Office, which, by law, the Assembly had the right of drawing. There was, indeed, little or no money at that time in the office, and therefore I propos'd that the orders should be payable in a year, and to bear an interest of five per cent. With these orders I suppos'd the provisions might easily be purchas'd. The Assembly, with very little hesitation, adopted the proposal. The orders were immediately printed, and I was one of the committee directed to sign and dispose of them. The fund for paying them was the interest of all the paper currency then extant in the province upon loan, together with the revenue arising from the excise, which being known to be more than sufficient, they obtain'd instant credit, and were not only receiv'd in payment for the provisions, but many money'd people, who had cash lying by them, vested it in those orders, which they found advantageous, as they bore interest while upon hand, and might on any occasion be used as money; so that they were eagerly all bought up, and in a few weeks none of them were to be seen. Thus this important affair was by my means compleated. Mr. Quincy return'd thanks to the Assembly in a handsome memorial, went home highly pleas'd with the success of his embassy, and ever after bore for me the most cordial and affectionate friendship.

但是我的故事讲述得太快了，在莫里斯总督任职期间，还有一些事情应该谈到。

从某种意义上来说我们与法国的战争已经开始了。马萨诸塞湾政府打算袭击克朗波因特，派昆西先生和波纳尔先生（后来的波纳尔总督）分别去宾夕法尼亚和纽约请求援助。因为我是州议员，了解议会的情况，又和昆西先生是同乡，所以他希望我利用自己的影响帮助他。我向昆西先生口述了他要向议员们发表的演讲，那篇演讲反响良好。议员们投票通过了一万镑的援助款，用于购买粮草。但总督却拒绝批准这一议案（该议案包含这项援助，以及其他为英王所用的款项），除非其中加上领主的财产可免交所有必要税款的条款，尽管议会极其希望能对新英格兰施以有效援助，但此时却束手无策。昆西先生竭力劝说总督批准法案，但总督还是固执己见。

于是我提出了一个绕开总督的行事办法，即向贷款办公室理事开具汇票，根据法律，议会是有这项权利的。其实那时贷款办公室没什么资金，于是我提议，汇票应在一年内支付，并支付5%的利息。有了这些汇票，我想购买粮草应当不是什么难事。议会没怎么犹豫就采纳了这一提议。汇票很快付印了，我被指定为签署并发行汇票的委员之一。收购汇票的资金是当时全州所有纸币贷款的利息以及消费税所得，人们知道要收购汇票，这二者之和是绰绰有余的，于是汇票很快获得了人们的信任，它们不仅被用来购买粮食，很多手头有现钱的富人还将钱投入那些汇票，他们发现这样有利可图，因为持有汇票可以获得利息，又随时可当现金使用，因此他们都积极购买，几个星期后所有证券就全都卖光了。就这样，这一重大事件按我的方法就完成了。昆西先生写了一篇典雅的文章向议会表示感谢，顺利完成了使命后，兴高采烈地回家了。从此以后，他对我总是怀着最真挚、最深切的友情。

We found the general at Frederictown, waiting impatiently for the return of those he had sent thro' the back parts of Maryland and Virginia to collect waggons. I stayed with him several days, din'd with him daily, and had full opportunity of removing all his prejudices, by the information of what the Assembly had before his arrival actually done, and were still willing to do, to facilitate his operations. When I was about to depart, the returns of waggons to be obtained were brought in, by which it appear'd that they amounted only to twenty-five, and not all of those were in serviceable condition. The general and all the officers were surpris'd, declar'd the expedition was then at an end, being impossible, and exclaim'd against the ministers for ignorantly landing them in a country destitute of the means of conveying their stores, baggage, etc., not less than one hundred and fifty waggons being necessary.

I happened to say I thought it was a pity they had not been landed rather in Pennsylvania, as in that country almost every farmer had his waggon. The general eagerly laid hold of my words, and said, "Then you, sir, who are a man of interest there, can probably procure them for us; and I beg you will undertake it." I ask'd what terms were to be offer'd the owners of the waggons; and I was desir'd to put on paper the terms that appeared to me necessary. This I did, and they were agreed to, and a commission and instructions accordingly prepar'd immediately. What those terms were will appear in the advertisement I publish'd as soon as I arriv'd at Lancaster, which being, from the great and sudden effect it produc'd, a piece of some curiosity, I shall insert it at length, as follows:

我们在弗雷德里克敦见到了这位将军，他当时正在焦急地等待派往马里兰和弗吉尼亚边境地区征集车辆的人回来。我和他共处了几天，每天和他一起吃饭，有充足的机会消除他的所有偏见，我告诉他议会在他抵达之前所做的一切，现在他们依然愿意这样做以协助他的行动。我正要离开时，所征车辆情况的材料呈递了进来，报告上说只征集到25辆车，其中有些已不能使用。将军和所有的军官都大感意外，宣布这次出征就此终结，任务不能完成了，他们还大声斥责那些大臣们愚蠢地让他们在这样一个地方登陆，这里连运送军需品和行李等等的工具都没有，而他们至少需要150辆车才能进行运输。

我无意中提到，他们要是在宾夕法尼亚登陆就好了，因为在那儿，几乎每个农夫都有自己的马车。将军立即接我的话说道：“那么先生，您在那儿是个有影响的人，很可能可以帮我们征到车辆，我请您担下此事。”我问他对马车车主有何报酬，他让我将我认为必要的报酬写在纸上。我写了下来，他同意这些条件，于是立即把相应的委任书和通告令准备好。这些报酬是什么可以在我抵达兰开斯特后立即发布的公告上看到，从它迅速引起的巨大反响来看，这公告倒是很有意思，我把全文插在此处，如下所示：

"ADVERTISEMENT. "LANCASTER, April 26, 1755.

"Whereas, one hundred and fifty waggons, with four horses to each waggon, and fifteen hundred saddle or pack horses, are wanted for the service of his majesty's forces now about to rendezvous at Will's Creek, and his excellency General Braddock having been pleased to empower me to contract for the hire of the same, I hereby give notice that I shall attend for that purpose at Lancaster from this day to next Wednesday evening, and at York from next Thursday morning till Friday evening, where I shall be ready to agree for waggons and teams, or single horses, on the following terms, viz.: 1. That there shall be paid for each waggon, with four good horses and a driver, fifteen shillings per diem; and for each able horse with a pack-saddle, or other saddle and furniture, two shillings per diem; and for each able horse without a saddle, eighteen pence per diem. 2. That the pay commence from the time of their joining the forces at Will's Creek, which must be on or before the 20th of May ensuing, and that a reasonable allowance be paid over and above for the time necessary for their travelling to Will's Creek and home again after their discharge. 3. Each waggon and team, and every saddle or pack horse, is to be valued by indifferent persons chosen between me and the owner; and in case of the loss of any waggon, team, or other horse in the service, the price according to such valuation is to be allowed and paid. 4. Seven days' pay is to be advanced and paid in hand by me to the owner of each waggon and team, or horse, at the time of contracting, if required, and the remainder to be paid by General Braddock, or by the paymaster of the army, at the time of their discharge, or from time to time, as it shall be demanded. 5. No drivers of waggons, or persons taking care of the hired horses, are on any account to be called upon to do the duty of soldiers, or be otherwise employed than in conducting or taking care of their carriages or horses. 6. All oats, Indian corn, or other forage that waggons or horses bring to the camp, more than is necessary for the subsistence of the horses, is to be taken for the use of the army, and a reasonable price paid for the same.

"Note.—My son, William Franklin, is empowered to enter into like contracts with any person in Cumberland County. "B. FRANKLIN."

公　告
兰开斯特　1755年4月26日

兹因英王陛下的军队将在威尔斯克里克集结，需150辆马车，每辆马车需配马四匹，还需1,500匹驯马或驮马，尊敬的布雷多克将军阁下授权我为他租马并订立合约。因此，我将于今日至下周三晚在兰开斯特、于下周四上午至周五晚在约克办理此事，特此公告。另车辆、马车联队及单匹马的租金如下：1. 配有四匹良马及一位马夫的马车，每日付给15先令；配有驮鞍或其他马鞍及装备的健壮马匹，每日付给两先令；无马鞍的健壮马匹，每日付给18便士。2. 租金从车辆和马匹加入位于威尔斯克里克的军队之时开始计算，报到时间为接下来的5月20日或此日期之前。除租金外，就往返路途的必要时间也会给予适当补贴。3. 每辆车及马车联队、每匹驯马或驮马将由我和车马主人选择的中立人士进行估价，如若车辆、马车联队或其他马匹在服役时有所损失，应根据估价给予赔偿。4. 订立合约时，如车马主人需要，可由我预先支付七日租金，余下部分由布雷多克将军或军队出纳员在车马服役结束时支付，或根据需要择期支付。5. 在任何情况下，绝不要求驾车人或马夫履行士兵职责，也不使其承担驾车或养马以外的任务。6. 凡由车马运至军营的所有燕麦、玉米或其他饲料，如满足饲养马匹需要之外还有剩余，可由军队按照合理价格收购。

注：我的儿子威廉·富兰克林亦有权与坎伯兰郡任何一人订立此类合同。

本杰明·富兰克林

"To the inhabitants of the Counties of Lancaster, York and Cumberland.

"Friends and Countrymen,

"Being occasionally at the camp at Frederic a few days since, I found the general and officers extremely exasperated on account of their not being supplied with horses and carriages, which had been expected from this province, as most able to furnish them; but, through the dissensions between our governor and Assembly, money had not been provided, nor any steps taken for that purpose.

"It was proposed to send an armed force immediately into these counties, to seize as many of the best carriages and horses as should be wanted, and compel as many persons into the service as would be necessary to drive and take care of them.

"I apprehended that the progress of British soldiers through these counties on such an occasion, especially considering the temper they are in, and their resentment against us, would be attended with many and great inconveniences to the inhabitants, and therefore more willingly took the trouble of trying first what might be done by fair and equitable means. The people of these back counties have lately complained to the Assembly that a sufficient currency was wanting; you have an opportunity of receiving and dividing among you a very considerable sum; for, if the service of this expedition should continue, as it is more than probable it will, for one hundred and twenty days, the hire of these waggons and horses will amount to upward of thirty thousand pounds, which will be paid you in silver and gold of the king's money.

"The service will be light and easy, for the army will scarce march above twelve miles per day, and the waggons and baggage-horses, as they carry those things that are absolutely necessary to the welfare of the army, must march with the army, and no faster; and are, for the army's sake, always placed where they can be most secure, whether in a march or in a camp.

"If you are really, as I believe you are, good and loyal subjects to his majesty, you may now do a most acceptable service, and make it easy to yourselves; for three or four of such as can not separately spare from the business of their plantations a waggon and four horses and a driver, may do it together, one furnishing the waggon, another one or two horses, and another the driver, and divide the pay proportionately between you; but if you do not this service to your king and country voluntarily, when such good pay and reasonable terms are offered to you, your loyalty will be strongly suspected. The king's business must be done; so many brave troops, come so far for your defense, must not stand idle through your backwardness to do what may be reasonably expected from you; waggons and horses must be had; violent measures will probably be used, and you will be left to seek for a recompense where you can find it, and your case, perhaps, be little pitied or regarded.

"I have no particular interest in this affair, as, except the satisfaction of endeavoring to do good, I shall have only my labor for my pains. If this method of obtaining the waggons and horses is not likely to succeed, I am obliged to send word to the general in fourteen days; and I suppose Sir John St. Clair, the hussar, with a body of soldiers, will immediately enter the province for the purpose, which I shall be sorry to hear, because I am very sincerely and truly your friend and well-wisher, B. FRANKLIN."

致兰开斯特、约克及坎伯兰郡居民书

朋友们，同乡们：

几天前，我偶然去了弗雷德里克军营，发现将军和军官们因缺乏马匹和车辆供给而极为恼怒，他们希望能从本州获得供给，因为本州最具备这种能力。但因总督和议会不和，未能提供资金，也未为此采取任何措施。

有人提议立即派遣一支军队进入诸郡，按其所需数量，抢夺优良车马，强迫必要数量的人们到军队驾车养马。

我担心英国士兵在此情景下行经诸郡，尤其考虑到他们此刻的情绪及对我们的憎恶，会给居民们造成诸多巨大不便，因此，我更加愿意不辞劳苦，尝试先用公平合理的办法解决此事。诸郡人民近来向议会抱怨缺乏足够货币，现在你们有机会获得并分享一大笔财产，如此一次远征服役能持续120天（这是极有可能的），这些车马的租金将高于三万镑，并将以英王的金币和银币支付。

服役工作将会轻松容易，因为军队每天行进的路程很少超过12英里，而车辆及运输行李的马匹所运之物对军队福利而言必不可少，必须与军队共同行进，不能更快，不管是在行进中还是军营里，为了军队自身考虑，车马一定始终处于最安全的位置。

如你们像我相信的那样，的确是英国善良而忠诚的子民，你们现在可以承担这项最受欢迎的服役，自己也不至为难；如果有三四户人家无法从其种植工作中单独抽出一辆车、四匹马和一位车夫，那么他们可以合力，一家提供马车，一家提供一两匹马，再有一家提供车夫，并将所获租金按比例分配。如果给你们提供这样优厚的租金、这样合理的条件，你们仍然不愿为你们的国王和国家服务，那么你们的忠心就会遭到强烈质疑了。国王的任务必须完成，如此多英勇的军队千里迢迢前来保卫你们，如果你们迟迟不肯做些该做的事情，他们也一定要得到车马，便可能会采取过激手段，到时你们就只能自寻出路，而且在这种情况下，也许没人会同情和关心你们了。

此事并未牵涉我本人的具体利益，除了让我拥有尽力行善的满足感外，我只能不辞辛劳，努力促成此事。如果这种征集车马的方法不成功，14天后我只能将此事向将军报告，我想轻骑兵约翰·圣克莱尔爵士会立即率领一队士兵来本州搜寻车马，这会令我非常遗憾，因为我是你们非常诚恳真实的朋友和祝福者。

本杰明·富兰克林

I received of the general about eight hundred pounds, to be disbursed in advance-money to the wagon owners, etc.; but, that sum being insufficient, I advanc'd upward of two hundred pounds more, and in two weeks the one hundred and fifty waggons, with two hundred and fifty-nine carrying horses, were on their march for the camp. The advertisement promised payment according to the valuation, in case any waggon or horse should be lost. The owners, however, alleging they did not know General Braddock, or what dependence might be had on his promise, insisted on my bond for the performance, which I accordingly gave them.

我从将军处得到大约800镑用于向车主们预付租金等等，但这笔钱还不够，我又垫付了200多镑。两周后，征集到的150辆车和259匹马就启程前往军营了。通告中允诺，如果车马折损，将根据估价予以赔偿。但车马主称他们不认识布雷多克将军，不知他的承诺是否可靠，坚持让我为此担保，我就依了他们的话。

While I was at the camp, supping one evening with the officers of Colonel Dunbar's regiment, he represented to me his concern for the subalterns, who, he said, were generally not in affluence, and could ill afford, in this dear country, to lay in the stores that might be necessary in so long a march, thro' a wilderness, where nothing was to be purchas'd. I commiserated their case, and resolved to endeavor procuring them some relief. I said nothing, however, to him of my intention, but wrote the next morning to the committee of the Assembly, who had the disposition of some public money, warmly recommending the case of these officers to their consideration, and proposing that a present should be sent them of necessaries and refreshments. My son, who had some experience of a camp life, and of its wants, drew up a list for me, which I enclos'd in my letter. The committee approv'd, and used such diligence that, conducted by my son, the stores arrived at the camp as soon as the waggons. They consisted of twenty parcels, each containing

These twenty parcels, well pack'd, were placed on as many horses, each parcel, with the horse, being intended as a present for one officer. They were very thankfully receiv'd, and the kindness acknowledg'd by letters to me from the colonels of both regiments, in the most grateful terms. The general, too, was highly satisfied with my conduct in procuring him the waggons, etc., and readily paid my account of disbursements, thanking me repeatedly, and requesting my farther assistance in sending provisions after him. I undertook this also, and was busily employ'd in it till we heard of his defeat, advancing for the service of my own money, upwards of one thousand pounds sterling, of which I sent him an account. It came to his hands, luckily for me, a few days before the battle, and he return'd me immediately an order on the paymaster for the round sum of one thousand pounds, leaving the remainder to the next account. I consider this payment as good luck, having never been able to obtain that remainder, of which more hereafter.

我在军营中时，有天晚上和邓巴上校部队的军官们共进晚餐，邓巴上校向我诉说了他对部下们的关切，他说他们基本都不富裕，在这个物价高昂的地方，他们无力购买并储存足够数量的物品以备长途跋涉所需，穿越荒野时又无处去买了。我对他们的境况表示同情，决心设法为他们减轻些负担。但我并没告诉他我的打算，只是第二天早上给议会负责管理一些公款的委员会写了封信，热忱希望他们能考虑这些军官的情况，建议给他们赠送些必需品和食物作为礼物。我的儿子曾有过军营生活的经验，了解其所需之物，就给我列了张清单，我也随信附上了。委员会同意了此事，并予以迅速办理，以至车马的队伍抵达军营时，由我的儿子护送的必需品也到了。运去的必需品共有20袋，每袋中有：

这20大袋东西包装完好，由20匹马驮着，每袋东西和一匹马一起作为礼物送给一名军官。军官们收下了这些礼物，十分感激，两个团的上校都写信给我，感谢我们的善举，言辞间充满了感激之情。将军也对我为他征得车辆等物十分满意，欣然把我垫付的钱支付给我，还再三感谢我，请我继续协助他运输粮草。我将此事也承担了下来，并一直为此忙碌，直至听说他战败。我为此垫付了1,000英镑，把账单寄给了他。幸运的是，账单在开战前几天到了他手里，他立即寄给我一张汇单，让我向军队出纳员支取1,000镑整，余下数目并入下次账目。我认为能收回这笔钱款十分幸运，因为余数就再也没能收回，这是后话了。

This general was, I think, a brave man, and might probably have made a figure as a good officer in some European war. But he had too much self-confidence, too high an opinion of the validity of regular troops, and too mean a one of both Americans and Indians. George Croghan, our Indian interpreter, join'd him on his march with one hundred of those people, who might have been of great use to his army as guides, scouts, etc., if he had treated them kindly; but he slighted and neglected them, and they gradually left him.

In conversation with him one day, he was giving me some account of his intended progress. "After taking Fort Duquesne," says he, "I am to proceed to Niagara; and, having taken that, to Frontenac, if the season will allow time; and I suppose it will, for Duquesne can hardly detain me above three or four days; and then I see nothing that can obstruct my march to Niagara." Having before revolv'd in my mind the long line his army must make in their march by a very narrow road, to be cut for them thro' the woods and bushes, and also what I had read of a former defeat of fifteen hundred French, who invaded the Iroquois country, I had conceiv'd some doubts and some fears for the event of the campaign. But I ventur'd only to say, "To be sure, sir, if you arrive well before Duquesne, with these fine troops, so well provided with artillery, that place not yet completely fortified, and as we hear with no very strong garrison, can probably make but a short resistance. The only danger I apprehend of obstruction to your march is from ambuscades of Indians, who, by constant practice, are dexterous in laying and executing them; and the slender line, near four miles long, which your army must make, may expose it to be attack'd by surprise in its flanks, and to be cut like a thread into several pieces, which, from their distance, can not come up in time to support each other."

我认为这位将军是个勇敢的人，在某些欧洲战争中，他也许能成为一位优秀的军官。但他过于自信，对常规军的战斗力估计过高，而又太过蔑视美洲军队及印第安军队的战斗力。我们的印第安语翻译乔治·克罗根带着100名印第安人加入了他的行军队伍，如将军能善待他们，他们也许能担任向导、侦察员等，对他的军队发挥很大作用，但他轻视、忽略了他们，他们也就渐渐离开了他。

有天我和他谈话，他告诉了我他的一些计划。他说：“夺取迪尤肯堡后，我要进军尼亚加拉，攻下尼亚加拉后，如果季节合适，就进攻弗隆特纳克。我想这可以实现，因为攻下迪尤肯堡最多需要三四天时间，然后就没有什么能够阻挡我向尼亚加拉进发了。”我早就想到他的军队得在一条很窄的路上行进，队伍必然拉得很长，一定会被树林和灌木丛隔断，此外我在书上读到，之前法国一支1,500人的部队攻打易洛魁郡时吃了败仗，因此对他的这次作战能否取胜有些怀疑和担忧。但我只敢对他说：“当然，先生，如果您带领这样一支备有足够火炮的精锐之师顺利抵达迪尤肯堡，而那里的防御工事又尚未筑好，加上我们听说那儿的驻军力量也并不强大，所以他们可能抵抗不了多久。我所担心阻碍行军的唯一危险是印第安人的埋伏，他们不断练习，在设陷阱、伏击方面行动敏捷灵巧，到时您的军队一定绵延近四英里，两侧可能会遭遇突然袭击，如一条线一样被切为数截，由于距离太远，他们也不能及时相互支援。”

He smil'd at my ignorance, and reply'd, "These savages may, indeed, be a formidable enemy to your raw American militia, but upon the king's regular and disciplin'd troops, sir, it is impossible they should make any impression." I was conscious of an impropriety in my disputing with a military man in matters of his profession, and said no more. The enemy, however, did not take the advantage of his army which I apprehended its long line of march expos'd it to, but let it advance without interruption till within nine miles of the place; and then, when more in a body (for it had just passed a river, where the front had halted till all were come over), and in a more open part of the woods than any it had pass'd, attack'd its advanced guard by a heavy fire from behind trees and bushes, which was the first intelligence the general had of an enemy's being near him. This guard being disordered, the general hurried the troops up to their assistance, which was done in great confusion, thro' waggons, baggage, and cattle; and presently the fire came upon their flank: the officers, being on horseback, were more easily distinguish'd, pick'd out as marks, and fell very fast; and the soldiers were crowded together in a huddle, having or hearing no orders, and standing to be shot at till two-thirds of them were killed; and then, being seiz'd with a panick, the whole fled with precipitation.

The waggoners took each a horse out of his team and scamper'd; their example was immediately followed by others; so that all the waggons, provisions, artillery, and stores were left to the enemy. The general, being wounded, was brought off with difficulty; his secretary, Mr. Shirley, was killed by his side; and out of eighty-six officers, sixty-three were killed or wounded, and seven hundred and fourteen men killed out of eleven hundred. These eleven hundred had been picked men from the whole army; the rest had been left behind with Colonel Dunbar, who was to follow with the heavier part of the stores, provisions, and baggage. The flyers, not being pursu'd, arriv'd at Dunbar's camp, and the panick they brought with them instantly seiz'd him and all his people; and, tho' he had now above one thousand men, and the enemy who had beaten Braddock did not at most exceed four hundred Indians and French together, instead of proceeding, and endeavoring to recover some of the lost honour, he ordered all the stores, ammunition, etc., to be destroy'd, that he might have more horses to assist his flight towards the settlements, and less lumber to remove. He was there met with requests from the governors of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, that he would post his troops on the frontiers, so as to afford some protection to the inhabitants; but he continu'd his hasty march thro' all the country, not thinking himself safe till he arriv'd at Philadelphia, where the inhabitants could protect him. This whole transaction gave us Americans the first suspicion that our exalted ideas of the prowess of British regulars had not been well founded.

他笑我无知，答道：“这些野蛮人对你们那未经训练的美洲民兵团来说可能的确是个可怕的敌人，但是先生，对英国国王训练有素的常规军而言，他们根本不值一提。”我意识到自己与一位军人就他的本行争论并不妥当，于是没再多说。但是敌人并没利用我担忧的行进队伍太长这一点进行攻击，而是任其前进至离目的地9英里以内的地方，不加阻挠。当时部队已基本集中起来（因为部队刚刚渡河，前方士兵停止了行进，等待后面部队全都过河），来到一处比之前途径的任何地方都更为开阔的林间空地上，就在此处，敌人从树木和灌木丛后用重型火力向其前哨部队发起袭击，而直至此时，将军才知道敌人就在附近。前哨部队方寸大乱，将军立即派大部队前去支援，由于要穿过马车、行李和牲口，部队陷入极大混乱中。此时敌人已向他们侧翼开火，军官们骑在马上，更易被辨认出来当成射击目标，很快就摔落马下。士兵们挤作一堆，没人向他们发号施令，或是根本听不到，只是站在那里挨枪子儿，直到三分之二的人被杀死，这时人们才都惊慌失措，仓促逃散了。

车夫们各自从马车联队上解下一匹马，急忙逃走了，其他人立即效仿，于是所有马车、粮食、炮弹和其他储备都留给了敌人。将军负了伤，被艰难救出，他的秘书雪利先生在他身边中弹身亡，86名军官中有63名伤亡，1,100名士兵中有714名丧命。这1,100名士兵是从全军中挑选出来的，余下部队还在后面，由邓巴上校率领，他押运着大部分储备物资、粮食和行李跟随在后面。逃走的士兵没有人追赶，逃到了邓巴的军营里，他们的恐慌立即传给了邓巴和他的部下，尽管他现在麾下拥有1,000多名士兵，而打败布雷多克的敌军加起来最多不超过400名的印第安人和法国人。邓巴命令军队停止前进，并没有努力挽回一些失去的颜面，反而下令将所有物资储备、军火等全都毁掉，以腾出更多马匹助他逃回驻地，不至于太过累赘难以前进。他在那儿接到弗吉尼亚、马里兰和宾夕法尼亚总督们的请求，请他驻军于前线，为居民们提供保护。但邓巴上校仍然匆忙前进，穿过诸州，直到抵达费城才感到安全，因为费城居民可以保护他。我们美洲人一向认为英国常规军英勇善战，对他们充满敬意，这整件事情使我们第一次产生怀疑，原来心怀的敬意是毫无理由的。

In their first march, too, from their landing till they got beyond the settlements, they had plundered and stripped the inhabitants, totally ruining some poor families, besides insulting, abusing, and confining the people if they remonstrated. This was enough to put us out of conceit of such defenders, if we had really wanted any. How different was the conduct of our French friends in 1781, who, during a march thro' the most inhabited part of our country from Rhode Island to Virginia, near seven hundred miles, occasioned not the smallest complaint for the loss of a pig, a chicken, or even an apple.

Captain Orme, who was one of the general's aids-de-camp, and, being grievously wounded, was brought off with him, and continu'd with him to his death, which happen'd in a few days, told me that he was totally silent all the first day, and at night only said, "Who would have thought it?" That he was silent again the following day, saying only at last, "We shall better know how to deal with them another time;" and dy'd in a few minutes after.

也是在英国常规军第一次行军中，从登陆美洲直到离开驻地，他们抢掠居民的财物，使一些穷困家庭完全破产；如遇反抗，他们则对反抗者大肆辱骂，虐待囚禁，无所不用。即使我们果真需要保卫者，如此行径也足以使我们对这等保卫者心生厌烦了。这与1781年我们法国朋友的表现是多么不一样啊！我们的法国朋友从罗得岛向弗吉尼亚前进，途径本州人口密度最大的地区，全程近700英里，却丝毫未引起人们的任何抱怨，连丢失一头猪、一只鸡、甚至一个苹果的怨言也未曾听说。

奥姆上校是这位将军的一位副官，他受了重伤，和将军一起得救，直至几天后将军去世，他们一直都在一起。他告诉我，将军头一天一言不发，直到夜里才说：“谁能想得到啊！”第二天，将军仍然沉默不语，最后只说了一句：“我们下次就知道如何对付他们了。”几分钟后他就去世了。

The secretary's papers, with all the general's orders, instructions, and correspondence, falling into the enemy's hands, they selected and translated into French a number of the articles, which they printed, to prove the hostile intentions of the British court before the declaration of war. Among these I saw some letters of the general to the ministry, speaking highly of the great service I had rendered the army, and recommending me to their notice. David Hume, too, who was some years after secretary to Lord Hertford, when minister in France, and afterward to General Conway, when secretary of state, told me he had seen among the papers in that office, letters from Braddock highly recommending me. But, the expedition having been unfortunate, my service, it seems, was not thought of much value, for those recommendations were never of any use to me.

As to rewards from himself, I ask'd only one, which was, that he would give orders to his officers not to enlist any more of our bought servants, and that he would discharge such as had been already enlisted. This he readily granted, and several were accordingly return'd to their masters, on my application. Dunbar, when the command devolv'd on him, was not so generous. He being at Philadelphia, on his retreat, or rather flight, I apply'd to him for the discharge of the servants of three poor farmers of Lancaster county that he had enlisted, reminding him of the late general's orders on that bead. He promised me that, if the masters would come to him at Trenton, where he should be in a few days on his march to New York, he would there deliver their men to them. They accordingly were at the expense and trouble of going to Trenton, and there he refus'd to perform his promise, to their great loss and disappointment.

As soon as the loss of the waggons and horses was generally known, all the owners came upon me for the valuation which I had given bond to pay. Their demands gave me a great deal of trouble, my acquainting them that the money was ready in the paymaster's hands, but that orders for paying it must first be obtained from General Shirley, and my assuring them that I had apply'd to that general by letter; but, he being at a distance, an answer could not soon be receiv'd, and they must have patience, all this was not sufficient to satisfy, and some began to sue me. General Shirley at length relieved me from this terrible situation by appointing commissioners to examine the claims, and ordering payment. They amounted to near twenty thousand pound, which to pay would have ruined me.

秘书的文件全都落入敌军手里，包括将军的命令、指示以及来往信函等，他们从中挑选了许多文章并将其翻译成法语，刊印出来以证明英国王室在宣战之前已怀有敌意。其中我看到有几封将军写给内阁的信，他在信中对我为军队所做的一切赞誉有加，并请内阁对我多加注意。大卫·休姆数年后成为时任驻法公使的赫特福德特勋爵的秘书，后来康韦威将军担任国务卿时又为他担任秘书，他也告诉我，他曾在那间办公室的文件之中看到布雷多克将军极力举荐我的信。但是这次远征以失败告终，人们似乎认为我所做的工作没什么价值，因为那些推荐从未对我起过什么作用。

至于将军本人对我的酬谢，我只向他要求过一件事，那就是请他命令他的军官不要再征募我们的雇工，已被征用的请将他们释放。他立即答应了，根据我的要求，有几位雇工被送还到他们的主人那儿。将军把职权移交给邓巴后，邓巴就没那么慷慨了。他撤退或者说逃奔至费城时，我请他释放他所征募的兰开斯特郡三位贫农的雇工，还提醒他已故将军曾对此有过指示。他答应我说，他即将前往纽约，几天后应该能到特伦顿，如果这些雇工的主人们去特伦顿找他，他可以在那把雇工还给他们。于是他们花费金钱不辞辛苦地赶到特伦顿，他却拒绝履行自己的承诺，使他们蒙受极大的损失，也十分失望。

车辆和马匹受到折损的消息一传开，所有车马主都来找我，让我根据担保给予赔偿。他们的要求给我造成很大麻烦，我告诉他们那笔钱已在军队出纳员手中，但还需等待雪利将军的命令才能支付，我向他们保证已写信向将军申请，但由于相距遥远，回信到来还需时日，请他们一定要有耐心。这一切还不能使他们满意，有人开始要起诉我。终于，雪利将军指定了几位委员前来审查这些要求，并下令支付赔款，这才使我从那可怕的局面中解脱出来。全部赔款接近两万镑，如果由我来付，我只能破产了。

Before we had the news of this defeat, the two Doctors Bond came to me with a subscription paper for raising money to defray the expense of a grand firework, which it was intended to exhibit at a rejoicing on receipt of the news of our taking Fort Duquesne. I looked grave, and said it would, I thought, be time enough to prepare for the rejoicing when we knew we should have occasion to rejoice. They seem'd surpris'd that I did not immediately comply with their proposal. "Why the d—l!" says one of them, "you surely don't suppose that the fort will not be taken?" "I don't know that it will not be taken, but I know that the events of war are subject to great uncertainty." I gave them the reasons of my doubting; the subscription was dropt, and the projectors thereby missed the mortification they would have undergone if the firework had been prepared. Dr. Bond, on some other occasion afterward, said that he did not like Franklin's forebodings.

Governor Morris, who had continually worried the Assembly with message after message before the defeat of Braddock, to beat them into the making of acts to raise money for the defense of the province, without taxing, among others, the proprietary estates, and had rejected all their bills for not having such an exempting clause, now redoubled his attacks with more hope of success, the danger and necessity being greater. The Assembly, however, continu'd firm, believing they had justice on their side, and that it would be giving up an essential right if they suffered the governor to amend their money-bills. In one of the last, indeed, which was for granting fifty thousand pounds, his propos'd amendment was only of a single word. The bill expressed "that all estates, real and personal, were to be taxed, those of the proprietaries not excepted." His amendment was, for not read only: a small, but very material alteration. However, when the news of this disaster reached England, our friends there, whom we had taken care to furnish with all the Assembly's answers to the governor's messages, rais'd a clamor against the proprietaries for their meanness and injustice in giving their governor such instructions; some going so far as to say that, by obstructing the defense of their province, they forfeited their right to it. They were intimidated by this, and sent orders to their receiver-general to add five thousand pounds of their money to whatever sum might be given by the Assembly for such purpose.

我们得知战败的消息之前，有两位邦德医生带着募捐册前来找我，为一场盛大的烟火表演集资，准备在我们得知攻下迪尤肯堡的消息后举办的庆祝会上展示。我表情严肃地说，我认为等我们确认有庆祝的机会时再来筹备也不迟。他们似乎对我没有立即响应他们的提议感到惊奇，其中一位说：“见鬼！你不会认为这堡垒我们攻不下吧？”“我不认为我们攻不下这堡垒，但我知道战争之事变数太多。”我告诉了他们使我心存疑虑的原因，于是募捐就此作罢，也使募捐发起者避免了若果真准备了烟火所产生的窘迫。后来在另一个场合，邦德医生说他不喜欢富兰克林对不祥之事的预知。

布雷多克战败之前，莫里斯总督发表了一篇又一篇咨文烦扰议会，想促使议会制定法案为本州防卫筹集资金，但征税对象不包括领主的财产，凡是没有这一免税条款的议案，总督一律否决。后来情势愈加危急，防卫也变得愈加必要，总督自认为成功的希望加大，就变本加厉，对此事催得更紧了。但议会依然固守立场，相信正义属于他们，如果他们任由总督修改财政法案，那么议会就放弃了一项基本权利。最后各议案中，有一项议案是关于拨款五万镑的，的确，总督只修改了其中一个字。议案是这样表述的：“所有财产，无论不动产或动产，都应缴税，领主的财产不可例外。”总督的改动非常小，但却十分关键：他把“不”字改成了“唯”字。我们一直都将议会对总督文章的所有答复特地寄给我们在英格兰的朋友。战败的消息传至英格兰后，朋友们都义愤填膺，纷纷指责领主们卑鄙吝啬，违背公义，居然向总督下达这样的指示，有人甚至说他们既然阻碍本州的防卫事务，实际就是放弃他们在该州的权利。此种言论让他们备感压力，于是命令他们的财务总管从他们的收入中捐出5,000镑给议会，不管议会通过用于防卫的款项到底是多少。

This, being notified to the House, was accepted in lieu of their share of a general tax, and a new bill was form'd, with an exempting clause, which passed accordingly. By this act I was appointed one of the commissioners for disposing of the money, sixty thousand pounds. I had been active in modelling the bill and procuring its passage, and had, at the same time, drawn a bill for establishing and disciplining of a voluntary militia, which I carried thro' the House without much difficulty, as care was taken in it to leave the Quakers at their liberty. To promote the association necessary to form the militia, I wrote a dialogue, stating and answering all the objections I could think of to such a militia, which was printed, and had, as I thought, great effect.

While the several companies in the city and country were forming and learning their exercise, the governor prevail'd with me to take charge of our North-western frontier, which was infested by the enemy, and provide for the defense of the inhabitants by raising troops and building a line of forts. I undertook this military business, tho' I did not conceive myself well qualified for it. He gave me a commission with full powers, and a parcel of blank commissions for officers, to be given to whom I thought fit. I had but little difficulty in raising men, having soon five hundred and sixty under my command. My son, who had in the preceding war been an officer in the army rais'd against Canada, was my aid-de-camp, and of great use to me. The Indians had burned Gnadenhut, a village settled by the Moravians, and massacred the inhabitants; but the place was thought a good situation for one of the forts.

议会得知此事后，接受了这笔款项，用以代替领主们的应缴税款。议会还制定了一项含免税条款的新议案，也得到通过。根据这一议案，我被指定为委员之一，负责处理这笔六万镑的钱款。我积极参与了议案的起草工作，并使其获得通过，同时我还提出一项建立并训练志愿部队的议案，也毫不费力地使它在议会中通过了，因为议案特别注意了贵格会信徒可自由选择是否应征。为了尽快成立一个建立部队所需的筹备委员会，我写了一篇问答文章，列举并回答了所有我能想到的反对成立此部队的意见，并将它刊印出来，我认为这篇文章产生了很好的效果。

当城市和乡村已有数支连队组织起来并进行操练时，总督说服我管理我们饱受敌军骚扰的西北边界，并组织军队、修建堡垒、保卫人民。我承担了这项军事任务，尽管我认为自己并不怎么够格。总督向我授予了全权委任状，还有一沓空白委任状，可授予我认为合适的人。在征募军队上我没遇到什么困难，很快就召集了560人在我麾下。之前的战争中，我的儿子在对抗加拿大的部队里担任军官，这时成为我的副官，对我帮助很大。印第安人烧毁了纳登赫特村，这是摩拉维亚教徒的居住地，还屠杀了村民，但此地却是一个修建堡垒的有利位置。

In order to march thither, I assembled the companies at Bethlehem, the chief establishment of those people. I was surprised to find it in so good a posture of defense; the destruction of Gnadenhut had made them apprehend danger. The principal buildings were defended by a stockade; they had purchased a quantity of arms and ammunition from New York, and had even plac'd quantities of small paving stones between the windows of their high stone houses, for their women to throw down upon the heads of any Indians that should attempt to force into them. The armed brethren, too, kept watch, and reliev'd as methodically as in any garrison town. In conversation with the bishop, Spangenberg, I mention'd this my surprise; for, knowing they had obtained an act of Parliament exempting them from military duties in the colonies, I had suppos'd they were conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms. He answer'd me that it was not one of their established principles, but that, at the time of their obtaining that act, it was thought to be a principle with many of their people. On this occasion, however, they, to their surprise, found it adopted by but a few. It seems they were either deceiv'd in themselves, or deceiv'd the Parliament; but common sense, aided by present danger, will sometimes be too strong for whimsical opinions.

It was the beginning of January when we set out upon this business of building forts. I sent one detachment toward the Minisink, with instructions to erect one for the security of that upper part of the country, and another to the lower part, with similar instructions; and I concluded to go myself with the rest of my force to Gnadenhut, where a fort was tho't more immediately necessary. The Moravians procur'd me five waggons for our tools, stores, baggage, etc.

Just before we left Bethlehem, eleven farmers, who had been driven from their plantations by the Indians, came to me requesting a supply of firearms, that they might go back and fetch off their cattle. I gave them each a gun with suitable ammunition. We had not march'd many miles before it began to rain, and it continued raining all day; there were no habitations on the road to shelter us, till we arriv'd near night at the house of a German, where, and in his barn, we were all huddled together, as wet as water could make us. It was well we were not attack'd in our march, for our arms were of the most ordinary sort, and our men could not keep their gun locks dry. The Indians are dextrous in contrivances for that purpose, which we had not. They met that day the eleven poor farmers above mentioned, and killed ten of them. The one who escap'd inform'd that his and his companions' guns would not go off, the priming being wet with the rain.

为向纳登赫特进军，我把军队集中在伯利恒，这是摩拉维亚教徒最主要的居住区。我很惊讶地发现，此地防卫准备非常齐全，因为纳登赫特村被毁，这里的人们也意识到了危险。他们的主要建筑都用栅栏围住，还从纽约购买了许多武器和军火，他们甚至还在高大石屋的窗户间放置了许多小铺路石，如有印第安人想强闯入室，妇女们可以用石子砸他们的头。武装的弟兄们也站岗放哨，和城里的驻军一样按时换班。与斯庞博格主教交谈时，我说这里的防卫令我感到惊讶，因为我知道他们已获得议会的豁免法案特许，免除他们在殖民地的兵役，我以为他们从内心并不愿意拿起武器武装起来。主教回答我说，反对兵役并不是他们的教义之一，但那项豁免法案通过时，人们以为他们的许多信徒是反对兵役的。但是这一次，他们惊讶地发现只有少数人秉持这一原则。看来他们不是欺骗了自己，就是欺骗了议会，但现在身处险境之中，常识的力量有时会变得非常强大，足以克制住那些古怪念头。

一月初，我们开始着手修建堡垒。我派了一支小分队前往密尼辛克，命令他们修建一座堡垒，保护该郡的高地地区，然后又派了一支小分队前往低洼地区，执行同样的命令。最后，我自己率领剩余部队前往纳登赫特，那儿更是需要立即修建一座堡垒。摩拉维亚教徒为我准备了五辆马车，驮着我们的工具、物资以及行李等。

有11位农民被印第安人从自己的农场里赶了出来，就在我们离开伯利恒前，他们前来找我，请我为他们提供一些武器，这样他们可以回去把他们的牲口抢回来。我给他们每人一把枪和相配的子弹。我们还没有走多少英里的路，天就开始下雨了，一整天都没停。我们在路上没有找到避雨的地方，直到快要入夜，才到了一个德国人家里，我们在他家的谷仓里挤在一起，浑身湿透了。还好我们路上没有遭遇袭击，因为我们的武器都是最普通的，士兵们无法使枪机部位保持干燥。印第安人深谙保持武器干燥之道，我们却不知如何是好。那天，印第安人遇到了那11位可怜的农民，杀了其中10位。得以逃脱的那个人告诉我们，他和同伴们的枪打不出子弹来，因为点火器已被雨淋湿了。

The next day being fair, we continu'd our march, and arriv'd at the desolated Gnadenhut. There was a saw-mill near, round which were left several piles of boards, with which we soon hutted ourselves; an operation the more necessary at that inclement season, as we had no tents. Our first work was to bury more effectually the dead we found there, who had been half interr'd by the country people.

The next morning our fort was plann'd and mark'd out, the circumference measuring four hundred and fifty-five feet, which would require as many palisades to be made of trees, one with another, of a foot diameter each. Our axes, of which we had seventy, were immediately set to work to cut down trees, and, our men being dextrous in the use of them, great despatch was made. Seeing the trees fall so fast, I had the curiosity to look at my watch when two men began to cut at a pine; in six minutes they had it upon the ground, and I found it of fourteen inches diameter. Each pine made three palisades of eighteen feet long, pointed at one end. While these were preparing, our other men dug a trench all round, of three feet deep, in which the palisades were to be planted; and, our waggons, the bodys being taken off, and the fore and hind wheels separated by taking out the pin which united the two parts of the perch, we had ten carriages, with two horses each, to bring the palisades from the woods to the spot. When they were set up, our carpenters built a stage of boards all round within, about six feet high, for the men to stand on when to fire thro' the loopholes. We had one swivel gun, which we mounted on one of the angles, and fir'd it as soon as fix'd, to let the Indians know, if any were within hearing, that we had such pieces; and thus our fort, if such a magnificent name may be given to so miserable a stockade, was finish'd in a week, though it rain'd so hard every other day that the men could not work.

第二天天气晴朗，我们继续前进，抵达了荒凉的纳登赫特。附近有一家锯木厂，周围留下了几堆木板，我们很快就用这些木板搭了棚屋来栖身。这在天气恶劣时更为必要，因为我们没有帐篷。我们的首要工作是把我们见到的尸体更妥善地安葬，此前当地乡民们只是将他们草草埋了。

第二天早上，我们对要建的堡垒作好规划，并在地基上标记了出来，其周长为455英尺，这需要455根木块做成栅栏，一一排开，每根木块直径为一英尺。我们有70把斧头，全都立即派上了用场，用来砍树，士兵们斧头用得都很熟练，很快就砍伐了很多木材。看到树木这么快地倒下，当两个人开始砍一棵松树时，我好奇地读表计时。他们只用6分钟就把树伐倒了，而我发现那棵树直径为14英寸。每株松树的木材可制三根18英尺长的木块，一端为尖头。他们正在准备这些时，其他人在四周挖掘3英尺深的壕沟，把木制栅栏插进去。我们把马车车身卸下，把连接车辆两段连杆的销子拔出来，以使前后轮分开，这样我们就有10辆马车了，每辆车配有两匹马，可以把木块从树林里运至修建地点。栅栏修建起来后，我们的木匠沿着栅栏在其内部搭建了一个木制的台子，约6英尺高，供人们透过枪眼开火时站在上面。我们有一尊旋转炮，我们把它架在一个角上，放置好后立即开了一炮，如果附近有印第安人能听到的话好让他们知道，我们也有这样的武器。就这样，我们的堡垒——如果“堡垒”这样一个宏大的名词能用来形容这么简陋的栅栏的话——在一周之内就修建完毕，尽管这里每隔一天就下一场大雨，使人们无法工作。

This gave me occasion to observe, that, when men are employ'd, they are best content'd; for on the days they worked they were good-natur'd and cheerful, and, with the consciousness of having done a good day's work, they spent the evening jollily; but on our idle days they were mutinous and quarrelsome, finding fault with their pork, the bread, etc., and in continual ill-humor, which put me in mind of a sea-captain, whose rule it was to keep his men constantly at work; and, when his mate once told him that they had done every thing, and there was nothing further to employ them about, "Oh," says he, "Make them scour the anchor."

This kind of fort, however contemptible, is a sufficient defense against Indians, who have no cannon. Finding ourselves now posted securely, and having a place to retreat to on occasion, we ventur'd out in parties to scour the adjacent country. We met with no Indians, but we found the places on the neighboring hills where they had lain to watch our proceedings. There was an art in their contrivance of those places, that seems worth mention. It being winter, a fire was necessary for them; but a common fire on the surface of the ground would by its light have discovered their position at a distance. They had therefore dug holes in the ground about three feet diameter, and somewhat deeper; we saw where they had with their hatchets cut off the charcoal from the sides of burnt logs lying in the woods. With these coals they had made small fires in the bottom of the holes, and we observ'd among the weeds and grass the prints of their bodies, made by their laying all round, with their legs hanging down in the holes to keep their feet warm, which, with them, is an essential point. This kind of fire, so manag'd, could not discover them, either by its light, flame, sparks, or even smoke: it appear'd that their number was not great, and it seems they saw we were too many to be attacked by them with prospect of advantage.

这件事使我有机会观察到，人们工作时是最为满足的。那些工作的日子里，人们和蔼可亲，十分愉快，意识到自己很好地工作了一天后，他们晚上会非常快乐；而无所事事的日子里，人们暴躁不已，总想争吵，挑剔猪肉、面包等食物，经常发脾气。这使我想起一位船长，他的原则是使水手们不停地工作，有一次大副告诉他说水手们干完了所有的活儿，再没别的工作可做了，他说：“哦，让他们擦擦铁锚吧。”

这种堡垒不管如何简陋，抵御没有大炮的印第安人已是绰绰有余。我们现在已经做好安全防备，有情况发生时也有路可退，于是就大胆地结队在附近搜寻。我们没有遇到印第安人，但在附近小山上发现了他们的潜伏之处，他们就在此监视我们的活动。他们的藏身之所设计精妙，值得一提。当时是冬天，生火对他们来说是必需的，但如果在地面上用平常方法生火，其光亮在远处也能看得见，他们的位置就因此暴露了。于是他们在地上凿了一些直径约为三英尺、深度超过三英尺的大坑，我们在坑里发现了木炭，那是他们用短斧在树林里被火烧过的木头边缘砍下的，他们就用这些木炭在坑底生起小火。我们还在杂草丛中发现了他们身体留下的痕迹，他们躺在坑边，两腿垂到坑里取暖，对他们来说，双腿的保暖是十分重要的。如此设计的生火方式就不会使他们暴露，不会让我们看到火光、火焰、火星，甚至是升起的烟。他们似乎人数并不多，可能见我们人多势众，觉得袭击我们也没有取胜的希望。

We had for our chaplain a zealous Presbyterian minister, Mr. Beatty, who complained to me that the men did not generally attend his prayers and exhortations. When they enlisted, they were promised, besides pay and provisions, a gill^[6] of rum a day, which was punctually serv'd out to them, half in the morning, and the other half in the evening; and I observ'd they were as punctual in attending to receive it; upon which I said to Mr.Beatty, "It is, perhaps, below the dignity of your profession to act as steward of the rum, but if you were to deal it out and only just after prayers, you would have them all about you." He liked the tho't, undertook the office, and, with the help of a few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to satisfaction, and never were prayers more generally and more punctually attended; so that I thought this method preferable to the punishment inflicted by some military laws for non-attendance on divine service.

I had hardly finish'd this business, and got my fort well stor'd with provisions, when I receiv'd a letter from the governor, acquainting me that he had call'd the Assembly, and wished my attendance there, if the posture of affairs on the frontiers was such that my remaining there was no longer necessary. My friends, too, of the Assembly, pressing me by their letters to be, if possible, at the meeting, and my three intended forts being now compleated, and the inhabitants contented to remain on their farms under that protection, I resolved to return; the more willingly, as a New England officer, Colonel Clapham, experienced in Indian war, being on a visit to our establishment, consented to accept the command. I gave him a commission, and, parading the garrison, had it read before them, and introduc'd him to them as an officer who, from his skill in military affairs, was much more fit to command them than myself; and, giving them a little exhortation, took my leave. I was escorted as far as Bethlehem, where I rested a few days to recover from the fatigue I had undergone. The first night, being in a good bed, I could hardly sleep, it was so different from my hard lodging on the floor of our hut at Gnaden wrapt only in a blanket or two.

我们有一位热心的长老会牧师比蒂先生担任我们的随军牧师，他向我抱怨说，士兵们基本不来听他祈祷和布道。士兵们应征入伍时，除了薪水和伙食外，我们还允诺每天发给他们一吉耳朗姆酒。酒每天按时分发，早晚各发一半，我观察到士兵们总是准时领酒，就对比蒂先生说：“也许让您给他们发酒太辱没了您，但如果由您来分发，且只在祈祷会后发酒的话，他们全都会参加的。”比蒂先生认为这个办法很好，就担下了这个工作，有几个人帮他斟量，整件事情都很圆满，士兵们从未这样齐整、这样准时地参加祈祷会。因此我认为，对于不出席宗教仪式的人，用这个办法比用军法惩治要好。

我刚完成这项任务，为堡垒储备好粮草，就收到了总督的一封来信，他告诉我他已召集议会，如果边境事务进行顺利，无需我留在此处的话，那么他希望我回去出席。我在议会的朋友们也写信给我，催促我如果可能的话，就回去参加议会会议。当时我计划兴建的三座堡垒已经完工，居民们有了堡垒的保护，也安居于自家农场，于是我决定回去。更幸运的是，一位曾参加过印第安战争的新英格兰军官克拉彭上校正在我们的驻地访问，他答应接替我担任指挥官，这使我更能放心回去了。我把委任状授予克拉彭上校，部队检阅时，又把委任状当众宣读出来，并向士兵们介绍了他，说他拥有很高的军事才能，比我更能胜任指挥官一职，然后我向士兵们作了一番训诫，就离开了。我被护送到伯利恒，在此休息了几日，从疲劳中恢复了过来。躺在舒适的床上，第一夜我难以入睡，在纳登赫特时，仅仅裹着一两条毯子在棚屋内席地而睡，十分艰苦，现在与那时真是天差地别啊。

While at Bethlehem, I inquir'd a little into the practice of the Moravians: some of them had accompanied me, and all were very kind to me. I found they work'd for a common stock, eat at common tables, and slept in common dormitories, great numbers together. In the dormitories I observed loopholes, at certain distances all along just under the ceiling, which I thought judiciously placed for change of air. I was at their church, where I was entertain'd with good musick, the organ being accompanied with violins, hautboys, flutes, clarinets, etc. I understood that their sermons were not usually preached to mixed congregations of men, women, and children, as is our common practice, but that they assembled sometimes the married men, at other times their wives, then the young men, the young women, and the little children, each division by itself. The sermon I heard was to the latter, who came in and were plac'd in rows on benches; the boys under the conduct of a young man, their tutor, and the girls conducted by a young woman. The discourse seem'd well adapted to their capacities, and was deliver'd in a pleasing, familiar manner, coaxing them, as it were, to be good. They behav'd very orderly, but looked pale and unhealthy, which made me suspect they were kept too much within doors, or not allow'd sufficient exercise.

I inquir'd concerning the Moravian marriages, whether the report was true that they were by lot. I was told that lots were us'd only in particular cases; that generally, when a young man found himself dispos'd to marry, he inform'd the elders of his class, who consulted the elder ladies that govern'd the young women. As these elders of the different sexes were well acquainted with the tempers and dispositions of their respective pupils, they could best judge what matches were suitable, and their judgments were generally acquiesc'd in; but if, for example, it should happen that two or three young women were found to be equally proper for the young man, the lot was then recurred to. I objected, if the matches are not made by the mutual choice of the parties, some of them may chance to be very unhappy. "And so they may," answer'd my informer, "if you let the parties chuse for themselves;" which, indeed, I could not deny.

在伯利恒时，我稍微了解了一些摩拉维亚教徒的习俗。他们有几个陪伴着我，都对我很友好。我发现他们集体劳动，吃集体伙食，许多人一起住在集体宿舍里。我看到他们宿舍靠近天花板的四周墙上，每隔一定距离就有些小孔，我想这是为了使空气流通。我还去了他们的教堂，在那儿欣赏到了美妙的音乐，是管风琴与小提琴、双簧管、长笛、单簧管等乐器的合奏。我知道他们不像我们通常那样，把男女老少各类人群集合起来统一传道，他们有时召集已婚男子进行布道，有时召集已婚妇女，还有年轻男子、年轻女子以及儿童，全都分开布道。我听过的那次是向儿童布道，孩子们进入教堂，成排坐在长凳上，男孩由一位年轻男子指导，他是他们的老师，女孩则由一位年轻女性指导。布道内容似乎很适合孩子们的理解能力，讲解方式令人感到愉快亲切，似乎在哄他们做个好孩子一样。孩子们举止规范，但看起来脸色苍白，并不健康，这让我怀疑他们在室内时间过长，或是没有得到足够的锻炼。

我打听了摩拉维亚教徒的婚俗，想知道他们是否如传闻所说，依靠抽签决定婚事。别人告诉我，抽签只在特定情况下使用，一般而言，年轻男子想成家时，先把自己的意愿告诉指导他们的长辈，再由长辈与管理年轻女性的年长妇女们商量。因为这些长辈对各自学生的脾气性格非常了解，所以他们能最准确地判断谁与谁结婚最合适，一般而言，年轻男女双方是遵从他们的判断的。但比如说，如果有两三位姑娘都同样适合一个年轻小伙儿，这时就采用抽签的办法。我对此有不同意见，如果结婚大事不由双方自己选择，有些婚姻可能不会幸福。告知我此事的人回答说：“如果你让男女双方自己选择，他们还是可能会不幸福的。”这句话我也的确不能否认。

Being returned to Philadelphia, I found the association went on swimmingly, the inhabitants that were not Quakers having pretty generally come into it, formed themselves into companies, and chose their captains, lieutenants, and ensigns, according to the new law. Dr. B. visited me, and gave me an account of the pains he had taken to spread a general good liking to the law, and ascribed much to those endeavors. I had had the vanity to ascribe all to my Dialogue; however, not knowing but that he might be in the right, I let him enjoy his opinion, which I take to be generally the best way in such cases. The officers, meeting, chose me to be colonel of the regiment, which I this time accepted. I forget how many companies we had, but we paraded about twelve hundred well-looking men, with a company of artillery, who had been furnished with six brass field-pieces, which they had become so expert in the use of as to fire twelve times in a minute. The first time I reviewed my regiment they accompanied me to my house, and would salute me with some rounds fired before my door, which shook down and broke several glasses of my electrical apparatus. And my new honour proved not much less brittle; for all our commissions were soon after broken by a repeal of the law in England.

During this short time of my colonelship, being about to set out on a journey to Virginia, the officers of my regiment took it into their heads that it would be proper for them to escort me out of town, as far as the Lower Ferry. Just as I was getting on horseback they came to my door, between thirty and forty, mounted, and all in their uniforms. I had not been previously acquainted with the project, or I should have prevented it, being naturally averse to the assuming of state on any occasion; and I was a good deal chagrin'd at their appearance, as I could not avoid their accompanying me. What made it worse was, that, as soon as we began to move, they drew their swords and rode with them naked all the way. Somebody wrote an account of this to the proprietor, and it gave him great offense. No such honor had been paid him when in the province, nor to any of his governors; and he said it was only proper to princes of the blood royal, which may be true for aught I know, who was, and still am, ignorant of the etiquette in such cases.

回到费城后，我发现防卫队的事务进行得很顺利，非贵格会信徒的居民们基本都加入了，并根据新的法律自行组成连队，选出了上尉、中尉和少尉。邦德医生前来拜访我，向我叙述了他为使新法得到普遍支持所付出的辛苦努力，并认为新法能得到支持，很大程度上要归功于他的付出。此前我一直将此归功于我的那篇问答文章，但他说的或许是对的，所以我没有反驳他的观点，我认为在这种情况下，这一般是最好的办法。防卫队的军官集会时选我为上校，这次我接受了任命。我忘了当时我们有多少个连队，但我们列队集合时约有1,200名健壮士兵，还有一个炮兵连队，配有6门铜制野战炮，均能熟练使用，一分钟能开炮12次。第一次检阅部队后，他们护送我到住所，还要在我家门前向我鸣炮致敬，结果把我电学仪器上的几块玻璃震坏了。我的新荣誉也和这玻璃差不多脆弱，因为没过多久英国就废除了我们的法律，我们的所有职位也因此不存在了。

在担任上校的这段短暂时间内，有一次我要去弗吉尼亚，团里的军官认为应由他们护送我出城，直至下渡口。我正要上马时，他们大约三四十人来到我家门口，骑着马，全都穿着制服。我先前并不知道他们要这样做，否则会阻止他们，因为我一向不喜欢在任何场合摆架子，他们的出现让我大为不安，因为这时我已经无法避免让他们护送了。更糟糕的是，我们刚一出发，他们就拔剑出鞘，一路举着剑骑马前进。有人写信把此事告诉了领主，他对此十分不悦。他在本州从未受过这种礼遇，即使他的上级也从未有人向他们表示过这样的敬意，他说只有皇室的王公们才有资格享受，这也许不假，因为我以前对礼节之事一无所知，现在也依然如此。

This silly affair, however, greatly increased his rancour against me, which was before not a little, on account of my conduct in the Assembly respecting the exemption of his estate from taxation, which I had always oppos'd very warmly, and not without severe reflections on his meanness and injustice of contending for it. He accused me to the ministry as being the great obstacle to the king's service, preventing, by my influence in the House, the proper form of the bills for raising money, and he instanced this parade with my officers as a proof of my having an intention to take the government of the province out of his hands by force. He also applied to Sir Everard Fawkener, the postmaster-general, to deprive me of my office; but it had no other effect than to procure from Sir Everard a gentle admonition.

无论如何，这件蠢事使领主对我的敌意大增。他以前就非常讨厌我，因为我在州议会里一直强烈反对向领主免征财产税一事，还曾言辞激烈地批评他谋求此种权利是卑鄙自私、罔顾正义的。他向内阁指控我，说我严重妨碍英王的公务，利用自己在议会的影响，阻挠正当的筹款法案顺利通过，他还援引军官列队护送我一事，证明我有意从他手中强行夺取本州政权。他还请求邮电总长埃弗拉德·福克纳爵士免去我的职务，但埃弗拉德爵士只是温和地告诫了我一番，别无其他。

Notwithstanding the continual wrangle between the governor and the House, in which I, as a member, had so large a share, there still subsisted a civil intercourse between that gentleman and myself, and we never had any personal difference. I have sometimes since thought that his little or no resentment against me, for the answers it was known I drew up to his messages, might be the effect of professional habit, and that, being bred a lawyer, he might consider us both as merely advocates for contending clients in a suit, he for the proprietaries and I for the Assembly. He would, therefore, sometimes call in a friendly way to advise with me on difficult points, and sometimes, tho' not often, take my advice.

We acted in concert to supply Braddock's army with provisions; and, when the shocking news arrived of his defeat, the governor sent in haste for me, to consult with him on measures for preventing the desertion of the back counties. I forget now the advice I gave; but I think it was, that Dunbar should be written to, and prevail'd with, if possible, to post his troops on the frontiers for their protection, till, by re-enforcements from the colonies, he might be able to proceed on the expedition. And, after my return from the frontier, he would have had me undertake the conduct of such an expedition with provincial troops, for the reduction of Fort Duquesne, Dunbar and his men being otherwise employed; and he proposed to commission me as general. I had not so good an opinion of my military abilities as he profess'd to have, and I believe his professions must have exceeded his real sentiments; but probably he might think that my popularity would facilitate the raising of the men, and my influence in Assembly, the grant of money to pay them, and that, perhaps, without taxing the proprietary estate. Finding me not so forward to engage as he expected, the project was dropt, and he soon after left the government, being superseded by Captain Denny.

尽管总督和州议会之间一直争论不断，作为议会议员，我也很大程度上参与其中，但我和总督先生之间仍然保持着友好交往，从未有过任何私人矛盾。我有时认为，他知道议会对他的答复都由我起草，却没有或极少对我心存怨恨，这可能是出于职业习惯；他是律师出身，可能仅把我俩看成一场诉讼中对抗双方的律师而已，他代表领主，而我代表议会。因此，他有时会友好地拜访我，就一些难题给我些建议，有时他也会听取我的意见，尽管这并不经常发生。

我们共同行动，为布拉多克的军队供应粮草，当他战败的惊天消息传来之时，总督让我迅速去见他，与他商议防止偏远市郡居民弃城逃亡的办法。现在我已经忘了我提了什么建议，但我想自己是提议给邓巴写信，如果可能说服他在边境驻军，保卫这些市郡，等到殖民地援军赶到，他也许就能继续征伐。我从边境回来后，总督让我率领本州部队进行远征，去攻下杜肯堡，而邓巴及其下属则另有任用，他还提出要任命我为将军。我对自己的军事才能并没有他那么高的评价，也相信他一定是把自己的真实想法加以夸大才说出来，但很可能他认为我的声望会有助于招募士兵，我在议会的影响则能促使议会拨款支付军饷，也许还能免除向领主征财产税。总督发现我不像他预料的那样热衷此事后，就放弃了这项计划，不久他就不再担任总督一职了，由丹尼上校接任。

Before I proceed in relating the part I had in public affairs under this new governor's administration, it may not be amiss here to give some account of the rise and progress of my philosophical reputation.

In 1746, being at Boston, I met there with a Dr. Spence, who was lately arrived from Scotland, and show'd me some electric experiments. They were imperfectly perform'd, as he was not very expert; but, being on a subject quite new to me, they equally surpris'd and pleased me. Soon after my return to Philadelphia, our library company receiv'd from Mr. P. Collinson, Fellow of the Royal Society of London, a present of a glass tube, with some account of the use of it in making such experiments. I eagerly seized the opportunity of repeating what I had seen at Boston; and, by much practice, acquir'd great readiness in performing those, also, which we had an account of from England, adding a number of new ones. I say much practice, for my house was continually full, for some time, with people who came to see these new wonders.

To divide a little this incumbrance among my friends, I caused a number of similar tubes to be blown at our glass-house, with which they furnish'd themselves, so that we had at length several performers. Among these, the principal was Mr. Kinnersley, an ingenious neighbor, who, being out of business, I encouraged to undertake showing the experiments for money, and drew up for him two lectures, in which the experiments were rang'd in such order, and accompanied with such explanations in such method, as that the foregoing should assist in comprehending the following. He procur'd an elegant apparatus for the purpose, in which all the little machines that I had roughly made for myself were nicely form'd by instrument-makers. His lectures were well attended, and gave great satisfaction; and after some time he went thro' the colonies, exhibiting them in every capital town, and pick'd up some money. In the West India islands, indeed, it was with difficulty the experiments could be made, from the general moisture of the air.

在我继续讲述新任总督当政时我从事的公务活动之前，我先在此谈谈我的学术声望是如何产生并日渐积累起来，这应当不为过。

1746年我在波士顿时，遇见了一位斯宾斯博士，他刚从苏格兰来，做了一些电气实验给我看。实验做得不算太好，因为他并不在行，但这项内容对于我而言却非常新鲜，同样让我又惊又喜。回到费城后不久，我们的图书馆收到伦敦皇家学会会员柯林森先生赠送的一根玻璃管，内附利用玻璃管做实验的说明书。我立即借此机会重复了我在波士顿见到的实验，多次练习之后，我做这些英国寄来的说明书上提到的实验已经游刃有余了，此外我还添加了许多新实验。我说“多次练习”，因为有段时间我家常常挤满了人，他们都来瞧这些新奇玩意儿。

为使朋友们帮我稍稍分担一些这样的负担，我请我们的玻璃厂制造了许多类似的玻璃管，这样他们也有了玻璃管，我们就能有多人来演示实验了。其中最为主要的是一位非常聪明的邻居金纳斯利先生，他当时正失业，于是我鼓励他以向人展示实验赚钱，还给他写了两篇讲稿，其中各实验安排有序，还配有解释说明及操作方法，这样前面的实验有助于观察者对后面实验的理解。他为此还买了一台美观的仪器，仪器上所有小机件都是由仪器制造师精心制造，而我原来自己做的很粗糙。他的演讲听众很多，反响都非常满意，一段时间后，他去了各个殖民地，在各主要城镇进行演示，也赚了些钱。在西印度群岛，演示这些实验确实很难，因为那里空气一般都很潮湿。

Oblig'd as we were to Mr. Collinson for his present of the tube, etc., I thought it right he should be inform'd of our success in using it, and wrote him several letters containing accounts of our experiments. He got them read in the Royal Society, where they were not at first thought worth so much notice as to be printed in their Transactions. One paper, which I wrote for Mr. Kinnersley, on the sameness of lightning with electricity, I sent to Dr. Mitchel, an acquaintance of mine, and one of the members also of that society, who wrote me word that it had been read, but was laughed at by the connoisseurs. The papers, however, being shown to Dr. Fothergill, he thought them of too much value to be stifled, and advis'd the printing of them. Mr. Collinson then gave them to Cave for publication in his Gentleman's Magazine; but he chose to print them separately in a pamphlet, and Dr. Fothergill wrote the preface. Cave, it seems, judged rightly for his profit, for by the additions that arrived afterward they swell'd to a quarto volume, which has had five editions, and cost him nothing for copy-money.

It was, however, some time before those papers were much taken notice of in England. A copy of them happening to fall into the hands of the Count de Buffon, a philosopher deservedly of great reputation in France, and, indeed, all over Europe, he prevailed with M. Dalibard to translate them into French, and they were printed at Paris. The publication offended the Abbe Nollet, preceptor in Natural Philosophy to the royal family, and an able experimenter, who had form'd and publish'd a theory of electricity, which then had the general vogue. He could not at first believe that such a work came from America, and said it must have been fabricated by his enemies at Paris, to decry his system. Afterwards, having been assur'd that there really existed such a person as Franklin at Philadelphia, which he had doubted, he wrote and published a volume of Letters, chiefly address'd to me, defending his theory, and denying the verity of my experiments, and of the positions deduc'd from them.

我们对柯林森先生送我们玻璃管等物非常感激，我想应该告诉他我们成功地使用玻璃管做了实验，就给他写了几封信，描述了我们所做的实验。他在皇家学会朗读了这些信件，一开始人们认为信件所述内容没多大价值，不值得发表在他们的学报上。我为金纳斯利先生撰写的文章中有一篇是论述闪电与电的同一性，我把这篇文章寄给我的朋友米切尔博士，他也是皇家学会的会员，他写信告诉我这篇文章已在学会宣读，但被那些行家嘲笑了。但是，福瑟吉尔博士看了这些文章后，认为它们极有价值，绝不能埋没，还建议将它们刊印出来。于是柯林森先生把文章交给凯夫，让他刊登在《绅士杂志》上，但凯夫却把它们单独印成一本小册子，由福瑟吉尔博士作序。从获利的角度来看，凯夫的决定似乎是正确的，因为此后不断交给他新的文章，使那本小册子扩展为四开本，还不得不出了五版，他却完全不用支付稿费。

但是一段时期内，这些文章并未在英国引起注意。在法国乃至整个欧洲享有盛誉的哲学家德布丰伯爵偶然得到这本论文集，他说服达利巴德先生将其翻译成法语，并在巴黎刊印。这本论文集的出版惹恼了皇室自然哲学的导师诺莱神父，他也是一位能干的实验家，提出并发表过一套电学理论，当时还颇为流行。他起初不相信这样一部作品来自美洲，还说这一定是他在巴黎的对手为贬低他的学术体系而捏造的。后来，当他确信费城真有富兰克林这样一个人后（他原先怀疑这点），他撰写并发表了很多信件，主要是写给我的，为他的理论辩护，并否认我的实验及从实验中推导出结论的真实性。

I once purpos'd answering the abbe, and actually began the answer; but, on consideration that my writings contain'd a description of experiments which any one might repeat and verify, and if not to be verifi'd, could not be defended; or of observations offer'd as conjectures, and not delivered dogmatically, therefore not laying me under any obligation to defend them; and reflecting that a dispute between two persons, writing in different languages, might be lengthened greatly by mistranslations, and thence misconceptions of one another's meaning, much of one of the abbe's letters being founded on an error in the translation, I concluded to let my papers shift for themselves, believing it was better to spend what time I could spare from public business in making new experiments, than in disputing about those already made. I therefore never answered M. Nollet, and the event gave me no cause to repent my silence; for my friend M. le Roy, of the Royal Academy of Sciences, took up my cause and refuted him; my book was translated into the Italian, German, and Latin languages; and the doctrine it contain'd was by degrees universally adopted by the philosophers of Europe, in preference to that of the abbe; so that he lived to see himself the last of his sect, except Monsieur B—, of Paris, his eleve and immediate disciple.

What gave my book the more sudden and general celebrity, was the success of one of its proposed experiments, made by Messrs. Dalibard and De Lor at Marly, for drawing lightning from the clouds. This engag'd the public attention every where. M. de Lor, who had an apparatus for experimental philosophy, and lectur'd in that branch of science, undertook to repeat what he called the Philadelphia Experiments; and, after they were performed before the king and court, all the curious of Paris flocked to see them. I will not swell this narrative with an account of that capital experiment, nor of the infinite pleasure I receiv'd in the success of a similar one I made soon after with a kite at Philadelphia, as both are to be found in the histories of electricity.

我曾打算回复这位神父，事实上也已经提笔，但考虑到我的文章包含对实验过程的描述，任何人都能对此进行重复和检验，如果不予检验，也就不可能为其辩护，而文章中的观点只是推测而已，并没有独断地表述，因此我也没有为其辩护的必要。想到争论双方是用不同语言写作的人，可能由于误译或对对方意思的误解而争论不休，神父有一封信中的大部分论述就是因为一处误译引起，因此我决定不再为我的论文辩护，我相信与其为已经做过的实验争论不休，还不如把处理公务剩下的时间用来做新的实验呢。因此我没有给诺莱先生回复，而有件事情让我毫不后悔自己保持了缄默，因为我的朋友、皇家科学学院的勒罗伊先生出来替我驳斥了他的观点。我的论文集被翻译成意大利语、德语及拉丁语，其中包含的学说逐渐得到欧洲科学家们的普遍认可，神父的观点则逐渐失势，因此，神父成了有生之年这个学派的最后一位支持者，除了他的学生和门徒——巴黎的B先生外。

我的论文集之所以很快受到普遍欢迎，还因为书中所提的一个实验获得了成功。这个实验是要将云中的闪电引到地上来，是由在马莱的达利巴德先生和勒罗伊先生做的，在当时引起了社会的广泛关注。勒罗伊先生有一台实验科学仪器，并讲授实验科学，他重复进行所谓的“费城实验”。他们在国王和王室面前表演后，所有好奇的巴黎人都蜂拥而至，要来观摩实验。我不再详细叙述那次重要实验的情形了，不久之后我在费城用风筝进行了类似的实验，这次成功带给我的无穷快乐也不再多提，因为这两件事已在电学史中有所记载。

Dr. Wright, an English physician, when at Paris, wrote to a friend, who was of the Royal Society, an account of the high esteem my experiments were in among the learned abroad, and of their wonder that my writings had been so little noticed in England. The society, on this, resum'd the consideration of the letters that had been read to them; and the celebrated Dr. Watson drew up a summary account of them, and of all I had afterwards sent to England on the subject, which be accompanied with some praise of the writer. This summary was then printed in their Transactions; and some members of the society in London, particularly the very ingenious Mr. Canton, having verified the experiment of procuring lightning from the clouds by a pointed rod, and acquainting them with the success, they soon made me more than amends for the slight with which they had before treated me. Without my having made any application for that honor, they chose me a member, and voted that I should be excus'd the customary payments, which would have amounted to twenty-five guineas; and ever since have given me their Transactions gratis. They also presented me with the gold medal of Sir Godfrey Copley^[7] for the year 1753, the delivery of which was accompanied by a very handsome speech of the president, Lord Macclesfield, wherein I was highly honoured.

Our new governor, Captain Denny, brought over for me the before-mentioned medal from the Royal Society, which he presented to me at an entertainment given him by the city. He accompanied it with very polite expressions of his esteem for me, having, as he said, been long acquainted with my character. After dinner, when the company, as was customary at that time, were engag'd in drinking, he took me aside into another room, and acquainted me that he had been advis'd by his friends in England to cultivate a friendship with me, as one who was capable of giving him the best advice, and of contributing most effectually to the making his administration easy; that he therefore desired of all things to have a good understanding with me, and he begg'd me to be assur'd of his readiness on all occasions to render me every service that might be in his power. He said much to me, also, of the proprietor's good disposition towards the province, and of the advantage it might be to us all, and to me in particular, if the opposition that had been so long continu'd to his measures was dropt, and harmony restor'd between him and the people; in effecting which, it was thought no one could be more serviceable than myself; and I might depend on adequate acknowledgments and recompenses, etc., etc. The drinkers, finding we did not return immediately to the table, sent us a decanter of Madeira, which the governor made liberal use of, and in proportion became more profuse of his solicitations and promises.

英国的一位叫赖特的医生当时正在巴黎，给他的一位皇家学会的朋友写信，描述了我的实验在外国学者中得到的高度评价，他们纳闷儿我的论文在英国却少人问津。因此，皇家学会重新考虑了曾向他们宣读的信件，著名的沃森博士对这些信件及此后我寄至英国的有关这一内容的所有文章作了概要报告，还附上了对作者的一些赞誉。这一概要报告随后刊登在他们的学报上，有几位在伦敦的学会成员，尤其是非常聪明的坎顿先生，已经证实了用一根尖针可从云中得到电的实验，并告知皇家学会他们的实验取得了成功，于是，皇家学会很快改变了此前对我的轻蔑态度。在我没有提出申请的情况下就把我选为学会会员，投票同意免除我的例行入会费25几尼，以后还会免费将他们的学报赠给我。他们还把戈弗雷·科普利爵士1753年的金质奖章赠给我，学会主席迈克莱斯菲尔德勋爵就此发表了非常精彩的演说，其中给了我极高的赞誉。

我们的新任总督丹尼上校为我把英国皇家学会颁发的上述奖章带回了美洲，在费城为他举行的招待会上把奖章授予我，还极有礼貌地向我表示敬意，如他所说，他早已了解我的为人了。晚餐后，当众人如惯常一样开始饮酒时，丹尼上校把我带入另一个房间，告诉我说他的英国朋友建议他和我成为朋友，因为我能给他最好的建议，能最有效地帮助他，使他顺利治政，因此他极力希望与我交好，并请我相信在任何情况下，凡是他力所能及的，他都愿为我提供帮助。他也和我就领主对本州所怀的善意谈了很多，说若能放弃对领主各项措施长久以来的反抗，双方重新建立和谐关系，将会对大家都有好处，尤其是对我。为实现这一目标，他认为没人能比我发挥更大的作用，而我也会得到可观的酬金和回报等等。饮酒的人们见我们没有很快回到桌上，就派人给我们送了一瓶马德拉酒，于是总督开怀畅饮起来，而他喝得越多，请求和许诺也就越多。

My answers were to this purpose: that my circumstances, thanks to God, were such as to make proprietary favors unnecessary to me; and that, being a member of the Assembly, I could not possibly accept of any; that, however, I had no personal enmity to the proprietary, and that, whenever the public measures he propos'd should appear to be for the good of the people, no one should espouse and forward them more zealously than myself; my past opposition having been founded on this, that the measures which had been urged were evidently intended to serve the proprietary interest, with great prejudice to that of the people; that I was much obliged to him (the governor) for his professions of regard to me, and that he might rely on every thing in my power to make his administration as easy as possible, hoping at the same time that he had not brought with him the same unfortunate instruction his predecessor had been hamper'd with.

On this he did not then explain himself; but when he afterwards came to do business with the Assembly, they appear'd again, the disputes were renewed, and I was as active as ever in the opposition, being the penman, first, of the request to have a communication of the instructions, and then of the remarks upon them, which may be found in the votes of the time, and in the Historical Review I afterward publish'd. But between us personally no enmity arose; we were often together; he was a man of letters, had seen much of the world, and was very entertaining and pleasing in conversation. He gave me the first information that my old friend Jas. Ralph was still alive; that he was esteem'd one of the best political writers in England; had been employ'd in the dispute between Prince Frederic and the king, and had obtain'd a pension of three hundred a year; that his reputation was indeed small as a poet, Pope having damned his poetry in the Dunciad; but his prose was thought as good as any man's.

我的回答大意如此：感谢上帝，我的经济情况使我无需接受来自领主的任何财产恩惠，作为一名议员，我也不可能接受任何恩惠，但我与领主没有私人恩怨，凡他提出有助于公益的措施，没有人会比我更热烈地表示支持，过去之所以反对，全因其采取的措施显然是从领主自身的权益出发，严重损害了人民的利益。我非常感谢总督对我怀有这般敬意，他可以相信，我会尽我所能使他顺利治政，同时也希望他不会像他的前任那样下达不幸的指示，他的前任就是被这种命令拖累了。

对这一点他当时没有解释，但后来他开始和议会一起处理公务时，这样的指示再次出现，双方的争论又一次产生了，而我还如往常一般积极表示反对，首先，请求总督向议会传达领主有关命令的文件是我起草的，然后，议会对这些命令的意见书也是我起草的，这两份文件可在当时的表决书和我后来发表的《历史评论》中找到。但我们之间并没有私人怨恨，我们经常在一起，他属于文人雅士，见过很多世面，和他交谈令人感到轻松愉快。他最先告诉我，我的老朋友詹姆斯·拉尔夫仍然在世，他在英国被尊为最杰出的政治作家之一，曾参与过弗雷德里克王子和国王之间的纷争，并获得每年300英镑的养老金。作为诗人，他的名望确实不大，蒲柏曾在《愚人志》里抨击过他的诗歌，但是他的散文可与任何名家匹敌。

The Assembly finally finding the proprietary obstinately persisted in manacling their deputies with instructions inconsistent not only with the privileges of the people, but with the service of the crown, resolv'd to petition the king against them, and appointed me their agent to go over to England, to present and support the petition. The House had sent up a bill to the governor, granting a sum of sixty thousand pounds for the king's use (ten thousand pounds of which was subjected to the orders of the then general, Lord Loudoun), which the governor absolutely refus'd to pass, in compliance with his instructions.

I had agreed with Captain Morris, of the paquet at New York, for my passage, and my stores were put on board, when Lord Loudoun arriv'd at Philadelphia, expressly, as he told me, to endeavor an accommodation between the governor and Assembly, that his majesty's service might not be obstructed by their dissensions. Accordingly, he desir'd the governor and myself to meet him, that he might hear what was to be said on both sides. We met and discuss'd the business. In behalf of the Assembly, I urg'd all the various arguments that may be found in the public papers of that time, which were of my writing, and are printed with the minutes of the Assembly; and the governor pleaded his instructions; the bond he had given to observe them, and his ruin if he disobey'd, yet seemed not unwilling to hazard himself if Lord Loudoun would advise it. This his lordship did not chuse to do, though I once thought I had nearly prevail'd with him to do it; but finally he rather chose to urge the compliance of the Assembly; and he entreated me to use my endeavors with them for that purpose, declaring that he would spare none of the king's troops for the defense of our frontiers, and that, if we did not continue to provide for that defense ourselves, they must remain expos'd to the enemy.

议会终于发现，领主们还是冥顽不化地用这样的命令束缚他们的代理人，这不仅违反人民的利益，也与为英王服务的使命背道而驰，于是议会决定向英王请愿，并指定我作为他们的代理人去英国提交并解释我们的请愿书。议会向总督提交了一份议案，拨款六万镑供国王使用（其中一万镑应由当时的罗顿勋爵支配），但遵照领主的命令，总督坚决拒绝批准这项议案。

我与一艘纽约邮船的莫里斯船长商定乘他的船前往英国。我的物品都已搬上船，这时罗顿勋爵抵达了费城，他告诉我，他此行目的很明确，即努力使总督和议会之间达成和解，不要因双方意见不合而阻碍了英王的事务。于是，他希望我和总督都去见他，这样他就能听听我们双方的说法。我们见了面，讨论了这件事情。我代表议会强调了当时政府公共文件中的各种理由，那些文件由我起草，随议会会议记录一起印了出来。总督则以领主的命令为由，说自己有义务遵守这些命令，否则会被免职。如果当时罗顿勋爵提议让他冒险一试，他似乎并非不情愿，但罗顿勋爵却没有这么做，尽管有一次我觉得我就快说服他了，但最后他还是希望议会能够服从，还恳求我运用自己的影响达到这个目的，宣称他绝不会让英王的任何军队来保卫我们的边境，如果我们自己不继续为防御做准备，那么我们的边境定会受到敌人的袭击了。

I acquainted the House with what had pass'd, and, presenting them with a set of resolutions I had drawn up, declaring our rights, and that we did not relinquish our claim to those rights, but only suspended the exercise of them on this occasion thro' force, against which we protested, they at length agreed to drop that bill, and frame another conformable to the proprietary instructions. This of course the governor pass'd, and I was then at liberty to proceed on my voyage. But, in the meantime, the paquet had sailed with my sea-stores, which was some loss to me, and my only recompense was his lordship's thanks for my service, all the credit of obtaining the accommodation falling to his share.

He set out for New York before me; and, as the time for dispatching the paquet-boats was at his disposition, and there were two then remaining there, one of which, he said, was to sail very soon, I requested to know the precise time, that I might not miss her by any delay of mine. His answer was, "I have given out that she is to sail on Saturday next; but I may let you know, entre nous, that if you are there by Monday morning, you will be in time, but do not delay longer." By some accidental hinderance at a ferry, it was Monday noon before I arrived, and I was much afraid she might have sailed, as the wind was fair; but I was soon made easy by the information that she was still in the harbor, and would not move till the next day. One would imagine that I was now on the very point of departing for Europe. I thought so; but I was not then so well acquainted with his lordship's character, of which indecision was one of the strongest features. I shall give some instances. It was about the beginning of April that I came to New York, and I think it was near the end of June before we sail'd. There were then two of the paquet-boats, which had been long in port, but were detained for the general's letters, which were always to be ready to-morrow. Another paquet arriv'd; she too was detain'd; and, before we sail'd, a fourth was expected. Ours was the first to be dispatch'd, as having been there longest. Passengers were engag'd in all, and some extremely impatient to be gone, and the merchants uneasy about their letters, and the orders they had given for insurance (it being war time) for fall goods! But their anxiety avail'd nothing; his lordship's letters were not ready; and yet whoever waited on him found him always at his desk, pen in hand, and concluded he must needs write abundantly.

我把事情经过告知议会，并向他们提交了我起草的一系列决议，其中申明了我们的权利，宣布我们绝不放弃这些权利，此次被武力胁迫，我们只是暂停行使这些权利，我们反对这种以武力相威胁的做法。议会最终同意放弃原先的议案，制定了服从领主命令的另一项议案。这项议案总督当然批准了，于是我也可以踏上旅途，没人限制了。但这时，那艘邮船已经载着我的物品启航了，这对我造成了一定损失，而我所得到的唯一补偿只是罗顿勋爵的几句感谢致辞，调解双方矛盾的功劳全都落在了他身上。

他在我之前动身前往纽约。因为邮船的出发时间由他决定，当时还有两艘邮船在纽约，他说其中有一艘很快就会启航，于是我询问他邮船出发的具体时间，免得耽误错过。他的回答是：“我已经宣布这艘船将于下周六启航，但我可以告诉你，如果你周一早上到那儿也能赶得及，但不能再晚了，这个你可别告诉别人。”由于渡口突然有些事情延误，我到码头时已是周一中午了，我很担心邮船已经启航，因为当天行船顺风，但我很快松了一口气，因为得知邮船仍在港口停泊，直到周二才会启航。人们可能会想我现在即将出发前往欧洲了。我也这么认为，但我那时还不太了解罗顿勋爵的脾性，不知道犹豫不决是他最大的特点之一。我可以举几个例子。我到纽约时大约是四月初，我想直到六月底我们才启航。当时有两艘邮船在港口停泊已久，但因等将军的信函迟迟未能出发，每次问起，回答总是说信函明天就到。另一艘邮船抵达了港口，也只能在此停留。我们的船出发之前，预计第四艘船也要到了。我们的船在港口等得最久，因此首先出发。乘客们都为各类事宜忙碌着，有些人已迫不及待地要出发了，商人们在为他们的信函和秋季货物保险的订单（当时是战时）担忧，但他们的忧虑是无济于事的，罗顿勋爵的信函还未准备好，但去拜访他的人却发现他总是伏在案上，手里握着钢笔，以为他一定有很多东西要写呢。

Going myself one morning to pay my respects, I found in his antechamber one Innis, a messenger of Philadelphia, who had come from thence express with a paquet from Governor Denny for the General. He delivered to me some letters from my friends there, which occasion'd my inquiring when he was to return, and where be lodg'd, that I might send some letters by him. He told me he was order'd to call to-morrow at nine for the general's answer to the governor, and should set off immediately. I put my letters into his hands the same day. A fortnight after I met him again in the same place. "So, you are soon return'd, Innis?" "Returned! No, I am not gone yet." "How so?" "I have called here by order every morning these two weeks past for his lordship's letter, and it is not yet ready." "Is it possible, when he is so great a writer? for I see him constantly at his escritoire." "Yes," says Innis, "but he is like St. George^[8] on the signs, always on horseback, and never rides on!" This observation of the messenger was, it seems, well founded; for, when in England, I understood that Mr. Pitt gave it as one reason for removing this general, and sending Generals Amherst and Wolfe, that the minister never heard from him, and could not know what he was doing.

This daily expectation of sailing, and all the three paquets going down to Sandy Hook, to join the fleet there, the passengers thought it best to be on board, lest by a sudden order the ships should sail, and they be left behind. There, if I remember right, we were about six weeks, consuming our sea-stores, and oblig'd to procure more. At length the fleet sail'd, the General and all his army on board, bound to Louisburg, with intent to besiege and take that fortress; all the paquet-boats in company ordered to attend the General's ship, ready to receive his dispatches when they should be ready. We were out five days before we got a letter with leave to part, and then our ship quitted the fleet and steered for England. The other two paquets he still detained, carried them with him to Halifax, where he stayed some time to exercise the men in sham attacks upon sham forts, then alter'd his mind as to besieging Louisburg, and return'd to New York, with all his troops, together with the two paquets above mentioned, and all their passengers! During his absence the French and savages had taken Fort George, on the frontier of that province, and the savages had massacred many of the garrison after capitulation.

有天早上，我亲自去拜访他，在他的会客室里看到一位来自费城名叫因尼斯的邮差，他从费城来为丹尼总督送个包裹给这位将军。他还交给我几封我的费城朋友写来的信，于是我问他什么时候回去、住在哪里，好托他帮我带几封信回去。他告诉我，将军命他第二天九点来取写给总督的回信，然后他就立即动身。于是当天我就把信交到了他手里。两周以后，我在同一个地方又见到了他。

“因尼斯，你这么快就回来了？”

“回来？没呢，我还没走呢！”

“怎么会呢？”

“这两个星期里，我每天上午都奉命来取将军的信，但直到现在信也没写好。”

“这不可能呀，将军非常喜欢写作的，我总是看到他伏在书桌旁。”

“是的，”因尼斯说：“但他就像画像上的圣乔治一样，总是骑在马上，却永远不会前进。”

邮差的这个评论似乎颇有道理。因为在英国的时候，我就知道皮特先生之所以免除这位将军的职务，派阿默斯特将军和乌尔夫将军取代他，其原因之一就是内阁从来都听不到他的消息，也不知道他在做些什么。

每天盼着开船，而三只邮船都要开到桑迪胡克与舰队会合，旅客们认为最好还是呆在船上，免得邮船突然接到命令启航，他们就上不了船了。如果我没记错的话，我们在那儿等了大约六个星期，把准备的粮食消耗殆尽，只得再另行购买。舰队终于启航了，将军和他的全部部队都在船上，他们要去往路易斯堡，打算围攻并夺下此地，随行的所有邮船都按照命令与将军的船同行，将军一把公文写好，他们就立即准备离开。我们启程五天后才接到一封信，允许我们离开，于是我们的船就离开舰队，驶向英国。另两艘邮船还被他留在舰队里随行，不能离开，就这样一直随他到了哈利法克斯。将军在那儿停留了一段时间，训练士兵们对模拟堡垒作模拟袭击，然后又改变了围攻路易斯堡的想法，回到了纽约，他的所有部队，还有上述两艘邮船和所有旅客，就这样跟着他回到了纽约！而在他离开纽约期间，法国人和印第安人已夺取了本州边境的乔治堡，印第安人还屠杀了许多投降的驻军官兵。

I saw afterwards in London Captain Bonnell, who commanded one of those paquets. He told me that, when he had been detain'd a month, he acquainted his lordship that his ship was grown foul, to a degree that must necessarily hinder her fast sailing, a point of consequence for a paquet-boat, and requested an allowance of time to heave her down and clean her bottom. He was asked how long time that would require. He answer'd, three days. The general replied, "If you can do it in one day, I give leave; otherwise not; for you must certainly sail the day after to-morrow." So he never obtain'd leave, though detained afterwards from day to day during full three months.

On the whole, I wonder'd much how such a man came to be intrusted with so important a business as the conduct of a great army; but, having since seen more of the great world, and the means of obtaining, and motives for giving places, my wonder is diminished. General Shirley, on whom the command of the army devolved upon the death of Braddock, would, in my opinion, if continued in place, have made a much better campaign than that of Loudoun in 1757, which was frivolous, expensive, and disgraceful to our nation beyond conception; for, tho' Shirley was not a bred soldier, he was sensible and sagacious in himself, and attentive to good advice from others, capable of forming judicious plans, and quick and active in carrying them into execution. Loudoun, instead of defending the colonies with his great army, left them totally expos'd while he paraded idly at Halifax, by which means Fort George was lost, besides, he derang'd all our mercantile operations, and distress'd our trade, by a long embargo on the exportation of provisions, on pretence of keeping supplies from being obtain'd by the enemy, but in reality for beating down their price in favor of the contractors, in whose profits, it was said, perhaps from suspicion only, he had a share. And, when at length the embargo was taken off, by neglecting to send notice of it to Charlestown, the Carolina fleet was detain'd near three months longer, whereby their bottoms were so much damaged by the worm that a great part of them foundered in their passage home.

我后来在伦敦见到了邦内尔船长，他掌管这其中的一艘邮船。他告诉我，他的船被扣留一个月时，曾向将军报告船底长满了水草，一定会妨碍邮船行驶的速度，这对邮船来说是非常严重的，请求将军给他一些时间，好让他把船倾翻过来，把船底清扫干净。将军问他需要多长时间，他说需要三天，将军回答他说：“如果你能在一天内完成，我就批准，否则不行，因为后天你一定要启航了。”所以，他的请求没有得到允许，尽管后来他的船还是一天一天被扣留在那里，足足扣了三个月。

总体而言，我非常奇怪，这样的人如何能被委以执掌大军的重任，但后来随着我阅历的加深，看多了世间的种种钻营方法和封官授爵的动机后，我心中的疑问才渐渐解开。布雷多克死后，雪利将军接替他执掌了军队大权，我认为如果雪利将军留任此职，1757年战争中他所取得的战绩一定比罗顿要辉煌得多。罗顿办事轻率，铺张浪费，给我们的民族带来了难以想象的耻辱。尽管雪利并未学过如何作战，但他通情达理，富有远见，善于听取他人好的意见，能够作出明智的计划，并迅速主动地将计划付诸行动；而罗顿非但没有率领大军保卫诸殖民地，还在哈利法克斯懒散地练兵，使各殖民地在此期间毫无防备，遭遇重创，以致乔治堡失陷。此外，他还以防止粮食落入敌军之手为借口，对粮食出口实行长期禁运，扰乱我们所有的商业活动，阻挠贸易往来，而实际上，其目的在于压低粮价，使其有利于军粮承包商，据说（可能只是猜测）他也能从承包商所得的利润中分得一杯羹。当最终禁运被取消时，他又忘记把这一消息通知查尔斯敦，于是卡罗莱纳舰队被多扣留了近三个月，船底生了蛀虫，受损严重，许多船就在归途中沉没了。

Shirley was, I believe, sincerely glad of being relieved from so burdensome a charge as the conduct of an army must be to a man unacquainted with military business. I was at the entertainment given by the city of New York to Lord Loudoun, on his taking upon him the command. Shirley, tho' thereby superseded, was present also. There was a great company of officers, citizens, and strangers, and, some chairs having been borrowed in the neighborhood, there was one among them very low, which fell to the lot of Mr. Shirley. Perceiving it as I sat by him, I said, "They have given you, sir, too low a seat." "No matter," says he, "Mr. Franklin, I find a low seat the easiest."

While I was, as afore mention'd, detain'd at New York, I receiv'd all the accounts of the provisions, etc., that I had furnish'd to Braddock, some of which accounts could not sooner be obtain'd from the different persons I had employ'd to assist in the business. I presented them to Lord Loudoun, desiring to be paid the ballance. He caus'd them to be regularly examined by the proper officer, who, after comparing every article with its voucher, certified them to be right; and the balance due for which his lordship promis'd to give me an order on the paymaster. This was, however, put off from time to time; and, tho' I call'd often for it by appointment, I did not get it. At length, just before my departure, he told me he had, on better consideration, concluded not to mix his accounts with those of his predecessors. "And you," says he, "when in England, have only to exhibit your accounts at the treasury, and you will be paid immediately."

I mention'd, but without effect, the great and unexpected expense I had been put to by being detain'd so long at New York, as a reason for my desiring to be presently paid; and on my observing that it was not right I should be put to any further trouble or delay in obtaining the money I had advanc'd, as I charged no commission for my service, "O, sir," says he, "you must not think of persuading us that you are no gainer; we understand better those affairs, and know that every one concerned in supplying the army finds means, in the doing it, to fill his own pockets." I assur'd him that was not my case, and that I had not pocketed a farthing; but he appear'd clearly not to believe me; and, indeed, I have since learnt that immense fortunes are often made in such employments. As to my ballance, I am not paid it to this day, of which more hereafter.

对于不谙军务的人来说，管理一支军队一定是沉重的负担，因此我相信，雪利对自己被免职一事一定感到由衷地高兴。我参加了纽约为罗顿将军接任统帅一职举行的招待会，雪利尽管已不再担任这一职务，但也出席了。招待会上来了很多军官、市民和外地人，有些椅子是从附近居民家借来的，其中有一把非常矮，恰好雪利先生坐了。我坐在他旁边看到了，便说：“先生，他们给您的椅子太矮了。”他说：“不要紧，富兰克林先生，我发觉矮的座位最舒适。”

正如我前面所提到的，被扣留在纽约时，我收到了为布雷多克采购粮食等物的所有账单，其中有些账单我还没能及时从我雇来协助采购的人那里得到。我把账单送到罗顿勋爵那里，希望他如数支付我垫付的差额。他命令主管军官仔细检查账单，这位军官将每一项内容与其单据进行核对，证明账单准确无误，罗顿答应给我开张汇单，让我向军队出纳员提取应付的余额。但此事再三拖延，尽管我常常如约前来拿钱，但一直没有拿到。终于，在我离开之前，罗顿告诉我，经过更仔细的考虑，他决定不要把他的账目和其前任们的混淆起来。他说：“你到英国后，只要把你的账单送交国库，他们就会立即付给你钱。”

我提到我被迫长期滞留纽约时，有许多意外的花销，因此希望他们能立即把钱付给我，但他们无动于衷。我指出如果收回预支钱款时我还要遭遇更多麻烦或者拖延，这就太不公平了，因为我没有从中赚取佣金。他说：“哦，先生，你不会想让我们相信你没有从中赚钱吧，我们对这种事情再了解不过了，我们知道每一个为军队采购的人都中饱私囊。”我肯定地告诉他我没有，我连一分钱都没有私吞，但他很明显不相信我。的确，我后来知道干这一行的人常常从中发了大财。至于我垫付的那笔钱，至今也没有拿到，稍后我会再讲述。

Our captain of the paquet had boasted much, before we sailed, of the swiftness of his ship; unfortunately, when we came to sea, she proved the dullest of ninety-six sail, to his no small mortification. After many conjectures respecting the cause, when we were near another ship almost as dull as ours, which, however, gain'd upon us, the captain ordered all hands to come aft, and stand as near the ensign staff as possible. We were, passengers included, about forty persons. While we stood there, the ship mended her pace, and soon left her neighbor far behind, which prov'd clearly what our captain suspected, that she was loaded too much by the head. The casks of water, it seems, had been all plac'd forward; these he therefore order'd to be mov'd further aft, on which the ship recover'd her character, and proved the sailer in the fleet.

The captain said she had once gone at the rate of thirteen knots, which is accounted thirteen miles per hour. We had on board, as a passenger, Captain Kennedy, of the Navy, who contended that it was impossible, and that no ship ever sailed so fast, and that there must have been some error in the division of the log-line, or some mistake in heaving the log. A wager ensu'd between the two captains, to be decided when there should be sufficient wind. Kennedy thereupon examin'd rigorously the log-line, and, being satisfi'd with that, he determin'd to throw the log himself. Accordingly some days after, when the wind blew very fair and fresh, and the captain of the paquet, Lutwidge, said he believ'd she then went at the rate of thirteen knots, Kennedy made the experiment, and own'd his wager lost.

The above fact I give for the sake of the following observation. It has been remark'd, as an imperfection in the art of ship-building, that it can never be known, till she is tried, whether a new ship will or will not be a good sailer; for that the model of a good-sailing ship has been exactly follow'd in a new one, which has prov'd, on the contrary, remarkably dull. I apprehend that this may partly be occasion'd by the different opinions of seamen respecting the modes of lading, rigging, and sailing of a ship; each has his system; and the same vessel, laden by the judgment and orders of one captain, shall sail better or worse than when by the orders of another. Besides, it scarce ever happens that a ship is form'd, fitted for the sea, and sail'd by the same person. One man builds the hull, another rigs her, a third lades and sails her. No one of these has the advantage of knowing all the ideas and experience of the others, and, therefore, can not draw just conclusions from a combination of the whole.

在我们启航前，我们那艘邮船的船长常常夸耀自己的船行驶得如何之快，不幸的是，我们出海后，这艘邮船是96艘帆船中最为迟缓笨拙的，这让他大失颜面。对此我们曾多次猜测其原因，有一次我们附近有艘船几乎和我们一样行驶迟缓，但超过了我们，船长就命令所有人站到船尾去，并尽量靠近旗杆。包括我们乘客在内大约40人。我们站在那儿时，船的行驶速度加快了，很快就把那艘船远远抛在后面，这也清楚地证实了船长的猜测，即船头载重太大了。原来水桶似乎都放在船头，因此船长命令把水桶移到船尾来，这样我们的船就再次显示了她的特点，证明了它的确是舰队中最好的帆船。

船长说这艘船曾以13节的速度行驶过，折算一下，也就是每小时13英里。我们船上的乘客里有位海军的肯尼迪船长，他认为这是不可能的，没有哪艘船能行驶得那么快，一定是计程绳上的刻度有错误，或是投掷计程绳时出了什么问题。两位船长打了个赌，留待风足够大时来决定。肯尼迪对计程绳做了严格检查，认为没有问题后，他决定亲自把计程绳抛下去。过了几天后，风势变强了，邮船船长勒特威奇说他相信这时船正以13节的速度行驶着，肯尼迪做了实验测量后，承认自己输了。

我之所以提到上面这个事实，是为了说明下面这一点。人们已经指出，造船术中有个缺陷，即一艘新船是否是一艘好船要待试水后才知道。因为尽管新船是严格模仿好船的模型建造的，但结果却往往相反，造出来的新船十分笨重。我认为部分原因是水手们对于装货、装帆和航行的方式有着不同意见，每人都各有一套方法，同样一艘船，根据一位船长的判断和命令进行装货，其行驶速度与在另一位船长指令下进行装货后的行驶速度相比大为不同。此外，一艘船的制造、装备和航行很少是由同一人完成的，一人建造船身，一人负责装配，再有一人负责装货和驾驶。他们没有谁能了解别人的所有想法和经验，因此，把这几方面综合起来时，也就无法得出正确结论了。

Even in the simple operation of sailing when at sea, I have often observ'd different judgments in the officers who commanded the successive watches, the wind being the same. One would have the sails trimm'd sharper or flatter than another, so that they seem'd to have no certain rule to govern by. Yet I think a set of experiments might be instituted, first, to determine the most proper form of the hull for swift sailing; next, the best dimensions and properest place for the masts: then the form and quantity of sails, and their position, as the wind may be; and, lastly, the disposition of the lading. This is an age of experiments, and I think a set accurately made and combin'd would be of great use. I am persuaded, therefore, that ere long some ingenious philosopher will undertake it, to whom I wish success.

We were several times chas'd in our passage, but outsail'd every thing, and in thirty days had soundings. We had a good observation, and the captain judg'd himself so near our port, Falmouth, that, if we made a good run in the night, we might be off the mouth of that harbor in the morning, and by running in the night might escape the notice of the enemy's privateers, who often crus'd near the entrance of the channel. Accordingly, all the sail was set that we could possibly make, and the wind being very fresh and fair, we went right before it, and made great way. The captain, after his observation, shap'd his course, as he thought, so as to pass wide of the Scilly Isles; but it seems there is sometimes a strong indraught setting up St. George's Channel, which deceives seamen and caused the loss of Sir Cloudesley Shovel's squadron. This indraught was probably the cause of what happened to us.

即使是海上航行的简单操作，我常常注意到尽管风势相同时，在相邻时段值班的船员也会做出不同的判断。一个船员可能会比另一个把帆调得或陡一些，或平一些，因此他们似乎并非有章可循。但我想也许可以先设计一组实验，首先决定最适宜快速航行的船身样式，再来确定桅杆的最佳尺寸和最恰当位置，然后根据风势，确定帆的样式、数量和位置，最后还要想好货物装船的方法。这是个实验的时代，我想一组设计严谨、相得益彰的实验是大为有用的。因此我相信不久以后会有一位聪颖灵巧的哲学家进行这项研究，我祝他成功。

我们在航行途中数次被敌人追逐，但我们的船行驶得比他们都快，30天后我们行至了浅水区域。我们的测量非常准确，船长判断我们离法尔茅斯港已经很近了，如果我们夜里能顺利行进的话，第二天一早我们也许就能到达港口了，而且夜间行驶能逃过敌方私掠船的注意，这种船多数是在海峡入口处巡航的。于是我们尽可能扬起所有的帆，由于风势很强，我们顺风而驶，行进迅速。船长经观察之后确定了航线，他以为那样可以避开锡利群岛，但有时圣乔治海峡处似乎有一股强劲的洋流，欺骗了不少水手，还造成了克劳兹利·肖维尔爵士的舰队在此失事。这股洋流很可能就是我们遭遇险情的原因。

We had a watchman plac'd in the bow, to whom they often called, "Look well out before there," and he as often answered, "Ay ay; " but perhaps had his eyes shut, and was half asleep at the time, they sometimes answering, as is said, mechanically; for he did not see a light just before us, which had been hid by the studdingsails from the man at the helm, and from the rest of the watch, but by an accidental yaw of the ship was discover'd, and occasion'd a great alarm, we being very near it, the light appearing to me as big as a cart-wheel. It was midnight, and our captain fast asleep; but Captain Kennedy, jumping upon deck, and seeing the danger, ordered the ship to wear round, all sails standing; an operation dangerous to the masts, but it carried us clear, and we escaped shipwreck, for we were running right upon the rocks on which the light-house was erected. This deliverance impressed me strongly with the utility of light-houses, and made me resolve to encourage the building more of them in America, if I should live to return there.

In the morning it was found by the soundings, etc., that we were near our port, but a thick fog hid the land from our sight. About nine o'clock the fog began to rise, and seem'd to be lifted up from the water like the curtain at a playhouse, discovering underneath, the town of Falmouth, the vessels in its harbor, and the fields that surrounded it. This was a most pleasing spectacle to those who had been so long without any other prospects than the uniform view of a vacant ocean, and it gave us the more pleasure as we were now free from the anxieties which the state of war occasion'd.

I set out immediately, with my son, for London, and we only stopt a little by the way to view Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, and Lord Pembroke's house and gardens, with his very curious antiquities at Wilton. We arrived in London the 27th of July, 1757. ^[9]

我们在船头安排了一个看守，他们常常冲他喊：“在那儿好好看着！”看守总是回答：“是，是。”但也许有时他闭上了眼睛在半睡半醒之间吧，答话只是机械的反应而已，因为他就连在我们前方的灯都没有看见，这座灯被副帆遮住了，所以掌舵人和其他值班人员都没有看到，但船身偶然偏了一下，于是人们发现了它，都惊慌不已，因为我们离它已经很近了，灯光在我看来有车轮般大。当时是半夜，船长正在熟睡之中，这时肯尼迪船长跳上了甲板，看到险情后下令张起所有的帆，掉转船头，这个动作对桅杆来说非常危险，但却让我们安然度过危险，幸免遇难，因为当时我们正向建有灯塔的礁石全力驶去。这次成功脱险让我深深感受到灯塔的作用，我决心如果还能活着回到美洲，一定要大力倡导在美洲多修灯塔。

早上时，通过测量水深等方法，我们发现已离港口不远，但当时起了浓雾，看不见陆地。大约九点钟时，浓雾渐渐散去，如同剧院里的帷幕一样，从水面升了起来，露出幕下的法尔茅斯镇，还有在港口里停靠的船舶和四周的田野。对于长期以来眼前除了单调的茫茫大海别无其他景象的人而言，这幅画面实在赏心悦目，我们现在也不用再为战争而忧心忡忡，这让我们更深深感到愉快。

我和我的儿子立即出发前往伦敦，途中只稍作停留，去索尔兹伯里平原上看了巨石阵，去威尔顿参观了彭布罗克勋爵的房屋、花园以及他收藏的珍稀文物。1757年7月27日，我们抵达了伦敦。

[1] 德国浸礼会，该教派系德美浸礼会一支派，反对兵役和宣誓。

[2] 英国国教会，又称英国圣公会，是英国在宗教改革中建立的民族教会，属于新教。

[3] 长老会教友，长老会是基督更正教的一派，源自16世纪的西欧改革运动。

[4] 浸信会教友，基督教新教的一派教徒，该派主张成年后始可受洗，受洗者应全身浸入水中。

[5] 摩拉维亚教会教徒，摩拉维亚教会乃基督教胡斯派后继者的组织，前身为波西米亚弟兄会。

[6] 吉耳，液量单位，一吉耳相当于四分之一品脱或四盎司。

[7] 科普利奖章，为英国皇家学院所颁发的最古老的科学奖之一，起于戈弗雷·科普利爵士在1709年捐赠100英镑作为实验研究的基金，于1731年开始颁发，是当时科学界的最高荣誉之一。

[8] 圣乔治（约260—303），出生于巴勒斯坦，为罗马骑兵军官，骁勇善战。他因试图阻止戴克里先皇帝治下对基督徒的迫害，公元303年被杀。公元494年被教皇格拉修一世封圣。

[9] 由富兰克林之孙威廉·坦普尔·富兰克林及其后人发表的《富兰克林自传》到此终结。后面的文字是富兰克林博士于生命的最后一年所写，在比奇洛先生1868年出版的《富兰克林自传》里首次发表。