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US Culture and Society Class Work28 March
Colonial America
Letter from Benjamin Franklin
I received your letter which gave me the greater pleasure, as
twas so long since I had heard
from you. I congratulate you on your Return to your beloved
Retirement: I too am taking the
proper Measures for obtaining Leisure to enjoy Life and my
Friends more than heretofore,
having put my Printing house under the Care of my Partner David
Hall, absolutely left off
Bookselling, and removd to a more quiet Part of the Town, where
I am settling my old
Accounts and hope soon to be quite a Master of my own Time, and
no longer (as the Song has
it) at every ones Call but my own. If Health continues, I hope
to be able in another Year to visit
the most distant Friend I have, without Inconvenience.
With the same Views I have refusd engaging further in publick
Affairs; The Share I had in the
late Association, &c. having given me a little present Run
of Popularity, there was a pretty
general Intention of choosing me a Representative for the City
at the next Election of
Assemblymen; but I have desired all my Friends who spoke to me
about it, to discourage it,
declaring that I should not serve if chosen. Thus you see I am
in a fair Way of having no other
Tasks than such as I shall like to give my self, and of enjoying
what I look upon as a great
Happiness, Leisure to read, study, make Experiments, and
converse at large with such ingenious
and worthy Men as are pleasd to honour me with their Friendship
or Acquaintance, on such
Points as may produce something for the common Benefit of
Mankind, uninterrupted by the
little Cares and Fatigues of Business.
Among other Pleasures I promise my self, that of Corresponding
more frequently and fully withDr. Colden is none of the least; I
shall only wish that what must be so agreeable to me, may not
prove troublesome to you. . . .
Journal of William Byrd II
January, 1740
1. I rose about 6, read Hebrew and Greek. I prayed and had tea.
Idanced. The weather cleared
up and was warm but blowing fiercely at southwest and then
northwest. I settled some
accounts tilldinner when I ate beefsteak. After dinner I put
things in order butit was too cold towalk. I talked with my people
[his slaves] andplayed piquet [a card game played with 32
cards]
and prayed.
2. I rose about 6, read Hebrew and Greek. I prayed and hadtea. I
danced. The weather was cold
and clear, the wind northwest. My people carted gravel. I
settled some accounts and
readrecords till dinner, when I ate venison pasty. In the
afternoon weplayed billiards and then
walked a little. In the evening came thesloop for my wheat. I
prayed.
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3. I rose about 6, read Hebrew and Greek. I prayed and
hadcoffee. I danced. The weather
continued very cold, the wind west.We put the wheat on board the
sloop. I read English till
dinnerwhen I ate roast beef. After dinner we talked and walked,
notwithstanding it was very
cold. Old Joe [a white servant whom Byrdhad brought from
England] died and was buried. I
talked with mypeople and prayed. It was exceedingly cold.
George Washingtons Rules of Etiquette
4. In the Presence of Others Sing not to yourself with a humming
Noise, nor Drum with your
Fingers or Feet
5. If You Cough, Sneeze, Sigh, or Yawn, do it not Loud but
Privately; and Speak not in your
Yawning, but put Your Handkerchief or Hand before your face and
turn aside.
15. Keep your Nails clean and Short, also your Hands and Teeth
Clean yet without Showing anygreat Concern for them
16. Do not puff up the Cheeks, Loll not out the tongue rub the
Hands, or beard, thrust out the
lips, or bite them or keep the Lips too open or too Close
54. Play not the Peacock, looking every where about you, to See
if you be well Deckt, if your
Shoes fit well if your Stockings Sit neatly, and Cloths
handsomely.
56. Associate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem
your own Reputation; for tis
better to be alone than in bad Company
61. Utter not base and frivolous things amongst grave andLearnd
Men nor very Difficult
Questions or Subjects, among theIgnorant or things hard to be
believed, . . .
70. Reprehend not the imperfections of others for thatbelong[s]
to Parents Masters and
Superiors
71. Gaze not on the marks or blemishes of Others and ask nothow
they came. What you may
Speak in Secret to your Frienddeliver not before others
94. If you Soak bread in the Sauce let it be no more than what
you [pu]t in your Mouth at a timeand blow not your broth at Table
[bu]t Stay till Cools of it Self.
108th : When you Speak of God or his Attributes, let it
beSeriously & [with] Reverence. Honor
&Obey your NaturalParents although they be Poor
