A Valuable Lesson Cotton Mather & Ben Franklin Taught Me Some Things are Timeless

[revrandy]

Ben Franklin a young man wrote a letter that was seen by Govener Sir William Keith...
The Govener was so impressed he sent for Ben and publically recognized Ben's Talent.
He urged Ben to open up his own print shop. He told Ben to contact Ben's Father and get
him to sponser young Franklin.

Young Franklin did not leave home on the best of terms and when he went back home he was proudly
displaying the money and the letter of approval the Govener had given him.
He met with Minister Cotton Mather and when they were walking out the door Cotton said, "Stoop, Stoop"
Whereupon Ben not understanding him hit his head soundly on a hanging sign..
Cotton Mather not wasting a moment turned the incident into a Homily..

"Let this be a caution to you not always to hold your head so high. Stoop, Young Man, Stoop-
as you go thru this world- and you'll miss many hard thumps"

Ben Franklin told Cotton Mathers son years later, "This advice, thus beat into my head,
has frequently been of use to me, and I often think of it when I see pride mortified and misfortunes
brought upon people by carrying their heads to high"

Franklins dad was impressed by the letter but chose instead not to sponser Ben Franklin.
The Governer was suprised and told young Franklin he (the Govener) would sponser him, himself.
He would send along with Ben Franklin a letter of credit and Ben could purchase the materials he needed.
Ben Franklin travelled to London for the Materials but the letter of Credit never came.

Franklin was puzzled because the recomendation or letter had never arrived after waiting for weeks.
It was after a short time he talked with Thomas Denham.

Denham explained to Franklin that Keith was incorriagibly capricious, and he "laughed
at the idea of the Govener's giving me a letter of credit, having, as he said, NO Credit
to give" For Franklin it was an insight into human foibles rather than evil.

This is where I am so impressed with Franklin
This is what Ben Franklin said about the Govener who lied and let him down

"He wished to please everybody" Franklin later said of Keith, "And having little to give,
He gave expectations"...

I think he was taking the Stoop route here..
So many of us might have been angry or upset and willing to tell others what people do to us at times... even using words that cost us...

But I like what Ben Franklin said... and have learned of recent it's much
better to stoop than to walk tall and proud..

Just some thoughts...

I read a portion of this in Ben Franklin An American Life by Walter Isaacson..

[SDG]

Cotton Mather is over-rated.

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Cotton Mather is over-rated.

So are you and I sometimes but it is good advice...

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by revrandy

So are you and I sometimes but it is good advice...

If only more than a few would heed it.

[Newman]

Originally Posted by revrandy

Ben Franklin a young man wrote a letter that was seen by Govener Sir William Keith...
The Govener was so impressed he sent for Ben and publically recognized Ben's Talent.
He urged Ben to open up his own print shop. He told Ben to contact Ben's Father and get
him to sponser young Franklin.

Young Franklin did not leave home on the best of terms and when he went back home he was proudly
displaying the money and the letter of approval the Govener had given him.
He met with Minister Cotton Mather and when they were walking out the door Cotton said, "Stoop, Stoop"
Whereupon Ben not understanding him hit his head soundly on a hanging sign..
Cotton Mather not wasting a moment turned the incident into a Homily..

"Let this be a caution to you not always to hold your head so high. Stoop, Young Man, Stoop-
as you go thru this world- and you'll miss many hard thumps"

Ben Franklin told Cotton Mathers son years later, "This advice, thus beat into my head,
has frequently been of use to me, and I often think of it when I see pride mortified and misfortunes
brought upon people by carrying their heads to high"

Franklins dad was impressed by the letter but chose instead not to sponser Ben Franklin.
The Governer was suprised and told young Franklin he (the Govener) would sponser him, himself.
He would send along with Ben Franklin a letter of credit and Ben could purchase the materials he needed.
Ben Franklin travelled to London for the Materials but the letter of Credit never came.

Franklin was puzzled because the recomendation or letter had never arrived after waiting for weeks.
It was after a short time he talked with Thomas Denham.

Denham explained to Franklin that Keith was incorriagibly capricious, and he "laughed
at the idea of the Govener's giving me a letter of credit, having, as he said, NO Credit
to give" For Franklin it was an insight into human foibles rather than evil.

This is where I am so impressed with Franklin
This is what Ben Franklin said about the Govener who lied and let him down

"He wished to please everybody" Franklin later said of Keith, "And having little to give,
He gave expectations"...

I think he was taking the Stoop route here..
So many of us might have been angry or upset and willing to tell others what people do to us at times... even using words that cost us...

But I like what Ben Franklin said... and have learned of recent it's much
better to stoop than to walk tall and proud..

Just some thoughts...

I read a portion of this in Ben Franklin An American Life by Walter Isaacson..

Food for thought. Thanks for sharing. I read the Autobiography of Franklin so very long ago. It was timeless and one of my all time favorite things to have read. He was an interesting man because he was always looking at the big picture in life and modified his actions accordingly. He understood human nature and used it to his advantage many times over.

I am not so sure there would have been a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal if Franklin had not been in the picture. A most interesting man for sure!