COMMUNICATION OF J. FRANCIS FISHER. 159 



them the example and name of the old Society which 

 had already been found so useful to complete the 

 deficient Education of a circle of intelligent and 

 ambitious tradesmen. 



His set had derived all the expected advantage 

 from it, and tho' they still met together they could 

 hardly have the same objects but rather desired to 

 enjoy convivially at their meetings the result of their 

 early thrift and reading to talk of old times and 

 friends, or of favourite books, or the politicks of 

 the day, but no longer to task their minds in subtle 

 disputes or ingenious essays. And in confirmation of 

 this view, see what D r Franklin says " Since we have 

 held that Club till we are grown gray together, let 

 us hold it out to the end. For my own part, I find I 

 love company, chat, a laugh, a glass, and even a 

 song, as well as ever; and at the same time relish 

 better than I used to do the grave observations and 

 wise sentences of old men's conversation; so that I 

 am sure the Junto will be still as agreeable to me 

 as it ever has been. I therefore hope it will not be 

 discontinued as long as we are able to crawl together " 

 This is nothing like Charles Thomson's Society. One 

 would not infer that there had been any attempt to 

 revive the club by the election of younger and more 

 active members. It seems many of his old associates 

 had dropped off into the grave, that the survivors 

 were infirm but still able to enjoy a temperately 

 jovial evening. The chat the laugh the glass the 



