Page:Works of the Late Doctor Benjamin Franklin (1793).djvu/67

57 was entitled, a Diſſertation on Liberty and Neceſſity, Pleaſure and Pain. I dedicated it to my friend Ralph, and printed a ſmall number of copies. Palmer upon this treated me with more conſideration, and regarded me as a young man of talents; though he ſeriouſly took me to talk for the principles of my pamphlet, which he looked upon as abominable. The printing of this work was another error of my life. While I lodged in Little Britain I formed acquaintance with a bookſeller of the name of Wilcox, whoſe ſhop was next door to me. Circulating libraries were not then in uſe. He had an immenſe collection of books of all ſorts. We agreed that, for a reaſonable retribution, of which I have now forgotten the price, I ſhould have free acceſs to his library, and take what books I pleaſed, which I was to return when I had read them, I conſidered this agreement as a very great advantage; and I derived from it as much benefit as was in my power. My pamphlet falling into the hands of a ſurgeon, of the name of Lyons, author of a book entitled, Infallibility of Human Judgment, was the occaſion of a conſiderable intimacy between us. He expreſſed great eſteem for me, came frequently to ſee me, in order to converſe upon metaphyſical ſubjects, and introduced me to Dr. Mandeville, author of the Fable of Bees, who had inſtituted a club at a tavern in Cheapſide, of which he was the ſoul: he was a facetious and very amuſing character. He alſo introduced me, at Batſon's coffee-houſe, to Dr. Pemberton, who promiſed to give me an opportunity of ſeeing Sir Iſaac Newton, which I very ardently deſired; but he never kept his word.

I had brought fſme curioſities with me from America; the principal of which was a purſe made of the. aſbeſtos, which fire only purifies.