one in Albany.

In 1761, at the age of ten, Thomas had set up as his "'Prentice's
Token," a primer issued by A. Barclay in Cornhill, Boston, entitled "Tom
Thumb's Play-Book, To Teach Children their letters as soon as they can
speak." Although this primer was issued by Barclay, Thomas had already
served four years in a printer's office, for according to his own
statement he had been sent at the age of six to learn his trade of
Zechariah Fowle. Here, as 'prentice, he may have helped to set up the
stories of the "Holy Jesus" and the "New Gift," and upon the cutting of
their rude illustrations perhaps took his first lessons in engraving.
For we know that by seventeen hundred and sixty-four he did fairly good
work upon the "Book of Knowledge" from the press of the old printer.
Upon the fly-leaf of a copy of this owned by the American Antiquarian
Society, founded by Thomas, is the statement in the Worcester printer's
handwriting, "Printed and cuts engraved by I. Thomas then 13 years of
age for Z. Fowle when I.T. was his Apprentice: bad as the cuts are
executed, there was not at that time an artist in Boston who could have
done them much better. Some time before, and soon after there were
better engravers in Boston." These cuts, especially the frontispiece
representing a boy with a spy-glass and globe, and with a sextant at his
feet, are far from poor work for a lad of thirteen. "The battered
dictionary," says Dr. Nichols, "and the ink-stained Bible which he found
in Fowle's office started him in his career, and the printing-press,
together with an invincible determination to excel in his calling,
carried him onward, until he stands to-day with Franklin and
Baskerville, a type of the man who with few educational advantages
succeeds because he loves his art for his art's sake."

In supplying to American children a home-made library, Thomas, although
he did no really original work for children, such as his English
prototype, Newbery, had accomplished, yet had a motive which was not
altogether selfish and pecuniary. The prejudice against anything of
British manufacture was especially strong in the vicinity of Boston; and
it was an altogether natural expression of this spirit that impelled the
Worcester printer, as soon as his business was well established, to
begin to reprint the various little histories. These reprints were all
pirated from Newbery and his successors, Newbery and Carnan; but they
compare most favorably with th