The Autobiography of Ben Franklin | Page 9

those against whom I used it; therefore I took a delight
in it, practis'd it continually, and grew very artful and expert in drawing
people, even of superior knowledge, into concessions, the
consequences of which they did not foresee, entangling them in
difficulties out of which they could not extricate themselves, and so
obtaining victories that neither myself nor my cause always deserved. I
continu'd this method some few years, but gradually left it, retaining
only the habit of expressing myself in terms of modest diffidence;
never using, when I advanced any thing that may possibly be disputed,
the words certainly, undoubtedly, or any others that give the air of
positiveness to an opinion; but rather say, I conceive or apprehend a
thing to be so and so; it appears to me, or I should think it so or so, for
such and such reasons; or I imagine it to be so; or it is so, if I am not
mistaken. This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me when
I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men into
measures that I have been from time to time engag'd in promoting; and,
as the chief ends of conversation are to inform or to be informed, to
please or to persuade, I wish well-meaning, sensible men would not
lessen their power of doing good by a positive, assuming manner, that

seldom fails to disgust, tends to create opposition, and to defeat every
one of those purposes for which speech was given to us, to wit, giving
or receiving information or pleasure. For, if you would inform, a
positive and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may
provoke contradiction and prevent a candid attention. If you wish
information and improvement from the knowledge of others, and yet at
the same time express yourself as firmly fix'd in your present opinions,
modest, sensible men, who do not love disputation, will probably leave
you undisturbed in the possession of your error. And by such a manner,
you can seldom hope to recommend yourself in pleasing your hearers,
or to persuade those whose concurrence you desire. Pope says,
judiciously:
"Men should be taught as if you taught them not, And things unknown
propos'd as things forgot;"
farther recommending to us
"To speak, tho' sure, with seeming diffidence."
And he might have coupled with this line that which he has coupled
with another, I think, less properly,
"For want of modesty is want of sense."
If you ask, Why less properly? I must repeat the lines,
"Immodest words admit of no defense, For want of modesty is want of
sense."
Now, is not want of sense (where a man is so unfortunate as to want it)
some apology for his want of modesty? and would not the lines stand
more justly thus?
"Immodest words admit but this defense, That want of modesty is want
of sense."
This, however, I should submit to better judgments.

My brother had, in 1720 or 1721, begun to print a newspaper. It was
the second that appeared in America, and was called the New England
Courant. The only one before it was the Boston News-Letter. I
remember his being dissuaded by some of his friends from the
undertaking, as not likely to succeed, one newspaper being, in their
judgment, enough for America. At this time (1771) there are not less
than five-and-twenty. He went on, however, with the undertaking, and
after having worked in composing the types and printing off the sheets,
I was employed to carry the papers thro' the streets to the customers.
He had some ingenious men among his friends, who amus'd themselves
by writing little pieces for this paper, which gain'd it credit and made it
more in demand, and these gentlemen often visited us. Hearing their
conversations, and their accounts of the approbation their papers were
received with, I was excited to try my hand among them; but, being
still a boy, and suspecting that my brother would object to printing
anything of mine in his paper if he knew it to be mine, I contrived to
disguise my hand, and, writing an anonymous paper, I put it in at night
under the door of the printing-house. It was found in the morning, and
communicated to his writing friends when they call'd in as usual. They
read it, commented on it in my hearing, and I had the exquisite pleasure
of finding it met with their approbation, and that, in their different
guesses at the author, none were named but men of some character
among us for learning and ingenuity. I suppose now that I was rather
lucky in my judges, and that perhaps they were not really so very good
ones as I then esteem'd them.
Encourag'd, however, by this, I