30 EISEN BY FERSE VERANCE. 



State, he turned his thoughts to public affairs, beginning, 

 however, as he says, with small matters. He first occupied 

 himself in improving the city watch; then suggested and 

 promoted the establishment of a fire insurance company; 

 and afterwards exerted himself in organizing a philosophical 

 society, an academy for the education of youth, and a militia 

 for the defence of the province. In short, every part of the 

 civil government, as he tells us, and almost at the same time, 

 imposed some duty upon him. 'The Governor,' he says, 

 •put me into the commission of the peace; the corporation 

 of the city chose me one of the common council, and soon 

 after alderman ; and the citizens at large elected me a burgess 

 to represent them in assembly. This latter station was the 

 more agreeable to me, as I grew at length tired with sitting 

 there to hear the debates, in which, as clerk, I could take no 

 part, and which were often so uninteresting that I was induced 

 to amuse myself with making magic squares or circles, or 

 anything to avoid weariness ; and I conceived my oecoming 

 a member would enlarge my power of doing good. I would 

 not, however, insinuate that my ambition was not flattered 

 by all these promotions,^t certainly was ; for considering my 

 low beginning, they were great things to me ; and they were 

 still more pleasing as being so many spontaneous testi- 

 monies of the public good opinion, and by me entirely 

 unsolicited.' 



It is time, however, that we should introduce this extra- 

 ordinary man to our readers in a new character. A much 

 more important part in civil affairs than any he had yet 

 acted was in reserve for him. He lived to attract to 

 himself on the theatre of politics, the eyes not of his own 

 countiymen only, but of the whole civilised world ; and to 



