Page:Works of the Late Doctor Benjamin Franklin (1793).djvu/104

94 happy. Thus I corrected, as well as I could, this great error of my youth.

Our club was not at that time eſtabliſhed at a tavern. We held our meeting at the houſe of Mr. Grace, who appropriated a room to the purpoſe. Some member obſerved one day, that as our books were frequently quoted in the courſe of our diſcuſſions, it would be convenient to have them collected in the room in which we aſſembled, in order to be conſulted upon occaſion; and that, by thus forming a common library of our individual collections, each would have the advantage of uſing the books of all the other members, which would nearly be the ſame as if he poſſeſſed them all himſelf. The idea was approved, and we accordingly brought ſuch books as we thought we could ſpare, which were placed at the end of the club-room. They amounted not to ſo many as we expected; and though we made considerable uſe of them, yet ſome inconveniences reſulting, from want of care, it was agreed, after about a year, to deſtroy the collection; and each took away ſuch books as belonged to him.

It was now that I firſt ſtarted the idea of eſtabliſhing, by ſubſcription, a public library. I drew up the propoſals, had them ingroſſed in form by Brockden the attorney, and my project ſucceeded, as will be ſeen in the ſequel

 

[The life of Dr Franklin, as written by himſelf, ſo far as it has yet been communicated to the world, breaks off in this place. We underſtand that it was continued by him ſomewhat farther, and we hope that the remainder will, at ſome future period, be communicated to the pulicpublic [sic]. We have no heſitation in ſuppoſing that