The late Dr. Franklin, in the memoirs
of his own life, states the case that should
an oflfer be made him of living life over
again, he would accept it, on condition of
being allowed the privilege of an author,
to correQ: in a second edition of iife the er-
rors of the first : but concludes with say-
ing, that he would not decline the offer,
though that privilege were denied him, and
he should be limitted to the identical steps
he had already trod. I think it was child-
ish in the dodor to state such a case, though
I would allow to suth a lucky life as his some
perquisites of joy. — ^But the case was so im-
probable, not to say impossible, that it re-
minds me of an old saying among the
Scotch (intended, I suppose, to ridicule
something like that of Franklin (" if the
sky should fall, it would kill the larks.''—
However, I imagine what the doftor in-
tended was to express his wish of continu-
ing in this world another three-score years
and ten, at least j and perhaps the plea«
sure he had enjoyed in being serviceable to
his country and individuals might, with
some propriety, dictate such a wish. But

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142 THE LIFE OF THE

1 cannot say that I am of this great man's
mind in this. I would rather say, vfith St
" Paul, What I should choose I wot not : \ have
lived long enough to know there is no per-
manent happiness in this world-^-^hat all
its comforts and enjoyments are fleeting
and unsatisfying-**-mixed with many bitter
ingredients, and attended with many a
«ting.
