Benjamin Franklin, printer, statesman, philosopher and practical citizen, 1706-1790 . e wasreal affection for the mother-country in the heartsof her American children; everything seemed topoint to a continuation of the bonds existing be-tween them. Philadelphia herself was well-to-do,conservative, a little dull, and fond, even then, ofgood living, and the Quakers still retained an influ-ence which would not be impaired until the enemiesof their non-combative theory, with Franklin attheir head, should strike a mighty blow. The in-tellectual life of the city was not exactly brilliant,and conditi
Benjamin Franklin, printer, statesman, philosopher and practical citizen, 1706-1790 . e wasreal affection for the mother-country in the heartsof her American children; everything seemed topoint to a continuation of the bonds existing be-tween them. Philadelphia herself was well-to-do,conservative, a little dull, and fond, even then, ofgood living, and the Quakers still retained an influ-ence which would not be impaired until the enemiesof their non-combative theory, with Franklin attheir head, should strike a mighty blow. The in-tellectual life of the city was not exactly brilliant,and conditions were, of necessity, more or lessprimitive, but men of liberal education could befound. Franklin himself, by the establishment (1731-32)of the Philadelphia Library, had done a great dealto stir up the mental activity of his institution forms to-day one of the most endur-ing monuments to his enterprise and then, a public library was undreamt of in thephilosophy of Philadelphians. Good books werehard to obtain unless one went to the trouble of im- L i. I740] An Editor of the Old School 57 porting them from England, an expensive andtedious method, and one seldom employed. Thefact was that the majority of the thrifty citizenswere so much immersed in the carrying on of theirrespective trades that they gave little attention,before the organising of the library, to the demandsof literature. So it remained for Franklin to put theright kind of reading within their reach. This hedid in a way that was almost accidental. It appears that the members of the Junto, whonaturally prided themselves on their knowledge ofthe liberal arts, had each a few books. When theygave up a tavern as their place of meeting andrented a club-room of their own, the precious vol-umes, at Franklins suggestion, were placed in thenew quarters, and were borrowed, taken home, andread. It was a club-circulating library, and theventure proved so admirable a one that its origina-tor made u
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