To imitate even
two destroys all the bad effects of imitation.
Franklin, himself a great writer, well describes the method in his
autobiography:
How Franklin Learned to Write.
"A question was once, somehow or other, started between Collins and me,
of the propriety of educating the female sex in learning, and their
abilities for study. He was of the opinion that it was improper,
and that they were naturally unequal to it. I took the contrary side,
perhaps a little for dispute's sake. He was naturally more eloquent,
having a ready plenty of words, and sometimes, as I thought, I was
vanquished more by his fluency than by the strength of his reasons.
As we parted without settling the point, and were not to see one another
again for some time, I sat down to put my arguments in writing, which
I copied fair and sent to him. He answered, and I replied.
Three or four letters on a side had passed, when my father happened to
find my papers and read them. Without entering into the subject in
dispute, he took occasion to talk to me about the manner of my writing;
observed that, though I had the advantage of my antagonist in correct
spelling and pointing (which I owed to the printing-house),
I fell far short in elegance of expression, in method, and in
perspicuity, of which he convinced me by several instances.
Pages:
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159