Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; Written by Himself. [Vol. 2 of 2]

by Benjamin Franklin

With his Most Interesting Essays, Letters, and Miscellaneous Writings; Familiar, Moral, Political, Economical, and Philosophical, Selected with Care from All His Published Productions, and Comprising Whatever Is Most Entertaining and Valuable to the General Reader

This second volume of the Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin is given over to the shorter writings that made him famous as a moralist and wit. It opens with "The Way to Wealth," Father Abraham's speech built from the sayings of Poor Richard, and continues with essays such as "The Whistle," "The Ephemera," "The Art of Procuring Pleasant Dreams," "Advice to a Young Tradesman," "Rules of Health" and "Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America," with pieces on freedom of the press, smuggling and the criminal laws. A large selection of letters follows, beginning with those to his mother and his sister Jane. The tone moves easily from homely advice to satire and public argument. The full text is available to read online in your browser on Vinteuil, and the first essay is free.