LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF OBADIAH BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BLOOMFIELD, M. D. A NATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INTERSPERSED WITH EPISODES, AND REMARKS, RELIGIOUS, MORAL, PUBLIC SPIRITED, WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. "O gentlemen, the time of life is short: SHAKSPEARE. “O England! model to thy inward greatness, Like little body with a mighty heart, What might'st thou do, that honour would thee do, Were all thy rulers kind and sensible." DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, TO WIT: BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the twenty-sixth day of January, in the forty second year of the independence of the United States of America, A. D. 1818, Edward Franklin, of the said district, hath deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as proprietor, in the words following, to wit: The Life and Adventures of Obadiah Benjamin Franklin Bloomfield, M. D. a native of the United States of America, now on the tour of Europe. Interspersed with episodes, and remarks, religious, moral, public spirited, and humorous. Written by himself. "O gentlemen, the time of life is short: To spend that shortness basely were too long, SHAKSPEARE. "O England! model to thy inward greatness, What might'st thou do, that honour would thee do, Neither Vice nor Folly shall escape me. IBID. OBADIAH. In conformity to the act of the congress of the United States, intituled, "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to the act, entitled, "An act supplementary. to an act, entitled, "An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the au, thors and proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned," and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the district of Pennsylvania. ASTOR LIF NOV 18X% ADVERTISEMENT OF THE PROPRIETOR. I PRESENT to the American public the first volume of the life and adventures of a particular friend. It is a production which has little more than eccentricities and good humour to recommend it. Of this the author is fully aware. He has made a feeble effort to imitate the manner of Sterne, which has afforded such general gratification. But he is fearful that he has approached with more success to the faults than to the beauties of that author. The eloquence, the pathetic sentiment, and strange humour of Sterne, give a gloss to his defects which rebs them of their real character. If the morality and religious reflections which are involved in this production, should effect a similar influence, both my friend and self will have reason to be satisfied with the event of our enterprise. If we should fail, our consciences at least will repose in the purity of our intentions. The author entertains some doubt and solicitude, lest some passages might be esteemed indelicate, and produce offence. But the proprietor feels that the work is wholly impregnable on this score. There are so many |