BIRCH'S VIEW OF THE OLD LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA, 1799. Original in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

numbers make 260.-Also the parallel bent rows next to the above-mentioned, which are shortened to 3 numbers ascending, and 3 descending, &c. as from 53 to 4 ascending, and from 29 to 44 descending, make, with the 2 corner numbers, 260.— Also the 2 numbers 14, 61 ascending, and 36, 19 descending, with the lower 4 numbers situated like them, vis. 50, 1, descending, and 32, 47, ascending, make 260.—And, lastly, the 4 corner numbers, with the 4 middle numbers, make 260."

Not contented with this, he "composed also a magic circle, consisting of 8 concentric circles and 8 radial rows, filled with a series of numbers from 12 to 75 inclusive, so disposed as that the number of each circle, or each radial row, being added to the central number 12, they make exactly 360."

The brief time spent by Franklin in London as a journeyman printer was very important to him in an intellectual sense, because of an opportunity it afforded him. "While I lodg'd in Little Britain I made an

acquaintance with one Wilcox, a bookseller, whose shop was at the next door. He had an immense collection of second-hand books. Circulating libraries were not then in use; but we agreed that, on certain reasonable terms, which I have now for-gotten, I might take, read, and return any

This I

of his books.
esteem'd a great ad-
vantage, and I made.

as much use of it as
I could."

In this arrangement probably lay the germ of one of Franklin's worthiest undertakings. Upon his return to Philadelphia after his London sojourn he "form'd most of my ingenious acquain

tance into a club of mutual improvement," called the Junto, of a half-debating and half-social character, "which was the best school of philosophy, morality, and politics that then existed in the province; for our queries, which were read the week preceding their discussion, put us upon reading with attention upon the several subjects, that we might speak more to the purpose; and here, too, we acquired better habits of conversation, every thing being studied in our rules which might prevent our disgusting each other." About 1730,

"A proposition was made by me, that, since our books were often referr'd to in our disquisitions upon the queries, it might be convenient to us to have them altogether where we met, that upon occasion they might be consulted; and by thus clubbing our books to a common library, we should, while we lik'd to keep them together, have each of us the advantage of using the books of all the other members, which would be

nearly as beneficial as if each owned the whole. It was lik'd and agreed to, and we fill'd one end of the room with such books as we could best spare. The number was not so great as we expected; and tho' they had been of great use, yet some

THE Subfcribers towards a Library in

this City, are hereby advertis'd, That Monday the Firft of May enfuing, is the Day appointed for the Choice of the proper Officers of the Company, for the following Year; and that the Meeting for that Purpose will be at the Houfe of Nicholas Scull in the Market Street, at Two in the afternoon. Philad. April 20. 1732.

Jofeph Breintnall.

THE Subfcribers of the Library Company of

Philadelphia, are berely advertised, that Monday the Seventh of May enfuing; is the Day appointed for the Choice. of Directors and Treasurer for the fucceeding Fear; And for the Subscribers to bring their first annual Payment of Ten Shillings a piece; AdvancèMokey. And that the Place and Time for this Meeting on the faid 7th of May, will be at the Houfe of Mr. Louis Timothee, where the Library is kept, in the Ally next the Boar's-Head Tavern, as Two in the Afternoon. Jofeph Breintnal, Secr

N. B. The Subfcribers are defired to remember the Penalty Non-payment of the Ten-Shillings upon the Day appointed.

THE TWO EARLIEST ADVERTISEMENTS CONCERNING THE
LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA.

From Franklin's “Pennsylvania Gazette," in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

inconveniences occurring for want of due care of them, the collection, after about a year, was separated, and each took his books home again.

"And now I set on foot my first project of a public nature, that for a subscription library. I drew up the proposals, got them put into form by our great scrivener, Brockden, and, by the help of my friends in the Junto, procured fifty subscribers of forty shillings each to begin with, and ten shillings a year for fifty years, the term our company was to continue. We afterwards obtain'd a charter, the company being increased to

one hundred; this was the mother of all the North American

subscription libraries, now so numerous. It is become a great thing itself, and continually increasing. These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans, made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelligent as most gentlemen from other countries, and perhaps have contributed in some degree to the stand so generally made throughout the colonies in defence of their privileges."

After the library was well started, Franklin continued to work for it in many ways. He aided it to obtain books from Europe, served as secretary for several years, and was for long a director; but the institution amply repaid his trouble, for, in his own words: "This library afforded me the means of improvement by constant study, for which I set apart an hour or two each day, and thus repair'd in some degree the loss of the learned education my father once intended for me. Reading was the only amusement I allow'd myself." In the last year of his life the Library Company outgrew its quarters, and he was asked by the then board of trustees, in recognition of the fact that the people of Philadelphia were "indebted to Dr. Franklin for the first idea as well as execution of the plan of a Public Library," to write an inscription to be placed in the new building, which should "perpetuate a grateful remembrance of it." Franklin accordingly prepared a draft, but carefully omitted "any mention of himself in the proposed Inscription," and he even "wrote it at first without the words 'cheerfully, and at the instance of one of them.'" However, in compliance with the urging of the members, he added them, "though he still thinks it would be better without them." The commit