| With Governor Keith's promise of support, the nineteen-year old Franklin
set sail for London with his close friend James Ralph, a merchant's clerk
who aspired to establish a literary career in England. Unfortunately, Keith's
lack of trustworthiness became evident, and he did not provide Benjamin
with any letters of recommendation or funds. Consequently, the young printer,
arriving penniless and without any sources of credibility, made the best
of a bad situation. Finding work at Samuel Palmer's printing office and
lodging with Ralph, he managed to experience the spectacle and many attractions
of London-the theater, the taverns, the libraries, and the brothels. Soon
afterward, he forgot all about Deborah and their future engagement. Taking
advantage of the liberal nature of his employer, he published a pamphlet
refuting the tenets of The Religion of Nature Delineated, by William
Wollaston. Entitled A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure
and Pain, the Franklin rejoinder argued that free will was nonexistent,
for everything in the world happened as it was fated to happen, thus leaving
no reason for men to act virtuously.
Franklin in London The end of the reign of King George I brought upon an atmosphere of noisy merrymaking and overwhelming chaos in the great city of London. A series of violent brutalities, murders, and other immoralities swept the city, all to the fancy and delight of the English press. Newspapers such as the London Journal wildly exaggerated these public outrages, and those like Benjamin Franklin tasted the charm of this wonderful and colorful life. However, he did not approve of the cruelty and sights that were plaguing London. After a bitter dispute with James Ralph, concerning Ralph's mistress and a matter of money, Franklin and his companion parted ways. Benjamin, who was now destitute, left Palmer's printshop for employment at Watt's, who was an even more famous printer. By erasing the past incidents that had recently occurred, he gathered his moral strength and came to live on Duke Street with a Catholic widow who embraced his stocky figure as protection from the dangers of London.
The city of London Meanwhile, Franklin was contemplating his future in England: should he remain in Europe and make his pay by teaching swimming or should he return to his homeland, the United States? His good friend and Quaker, the merchant Mr. Denham, suggested that Benjamin work for him in Pennsylvania as a clerk. The young and ambitious publisher, possessing limited funds and yearning to return to the colonies, graciously accepted and on July 2, 1726, he left London, England on board the Berkshire. Philadelphia was his destination, and success had become his motivation.
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