BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. 49 



the gold medal of Sir Godfrey Copley, for the year 1753, the 

 delivery of which was accompanied with a very handsome 

 speech of the President, Lord Macclesfield, wherein I was 

 highly honoured.' Some years afterwards, when he was in 

 this country with his son, the University of St. Andrews con- 

 ferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws ; and its 

 example was followed by the Universities of Edinburgh and 

 Oxford. He was also elected a member of many of the learned 

 societies throughout Europe. 



No philosopher of the age now stood on a prouder eminence 

 than this extraordinary man, who had originally been one of 

 the most obscure of the people, and had raised himself to all 

 this distinction almost without the aid of any education but 

 such as he had given himself. Who will say, after reading his 

 story, that anything more is necessary for the attainment of 

 knowledge than the determination to attain it ? — that there is 

 any other obstacle to even the highest degree of intellectual 

 advancement which may not be overcome, except a man's own 

 listlessness or indolence ? The secret of this man's success in 

 the cultivation of his mental powers was, that he was ever 

 awake and active in that business ; that he suffered no oppor- 

 tunity of forwarding it to escape him unimproved; that, 

 however poor, he found at least a few pence, were it even by 

 diminishing his scanty meals, to pay for the loan of the books 

 he could not buy; that, however hard wrought, he found a 

 few hours in the week, were it by sitting up half the night 

 after toiling all the day, to read and study them. Others may 

 not have his original powers of mind ; but his industry, his 

 perseverance, his self-command, are for the imitation of all ; 

 and though few may look forward to the rare fortune of 

 achieving discoveries like his, all may deviv^j both instruction 



