1Benjamin Franklin and Robert Grace to Elliott Benger: Bond, 25 April 1744 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Land Office, Department of Internal Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Know all Men by these Presents, That We Benjamin Franklin Deputy-Postmaster of the City of Philada. in the Province of Pennsilvania, and Robert Grace of the same Place Merchant are Held and firmly Bound unto the Honourable Elliott Benger, Esqr; Sole Deputy-Postmaster General of all his Majesty’s Dominions in...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 4 November 1743 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society; also transcript: Library of Congress I received the Favour of yours, with the Proposal for a new Method of Printing, which I am much pleased with: and since you express some Confidence in my Opinion, I shall consider it very attentively and particularly, and in a Post or two send you some Observations on every Article. My long Absence from home in the Summer,...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 5 April 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society; also transcript: Library of Congress Happening to be in this City about some particular Affairs, I have the Pleasure of receiving yours of the 28th past, here. And can now acquaint you, that the Society, as far as relates to Philadelphia, is actually formed, and has had several Meetings to mutual Satisfaction; assoon as I get home, I shall send you a short...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 25 October 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I communicated your Piece on Fluxions to Mr. Logan, and being at his House a few Days after, he told me, he had read it cursorily, that he thought you had not fully hit the Matter, and ( I think ) that Berkley’s Objections were well founded: but said he would read it over more attentively. Since that, he tells me there are several Mistakes in it, two of which...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 13 September 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library Dr. Mitchel, a Gentleman from Virginia, came to Town this Morning with Mr. Bertram, and we have been together all Day, which has hindred my Writing to you as I intended. We are to go to Mr. Logan’s tomorrow, when I shall have an Opportunity of knowing his Sentiments of your Piece on Fluxions. I am Sir Your most humble Servant Addressed: To The Honbl Cadwalr...
6From Benjamin Franklin to Isaac Corin, 22 December 1738 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Please to let the Bearer Stephen Potts have a pair of Leather Breeches, and charge them to the Account of your Friend Isaac Corin’s account with BF appears in Ledger D (see below, p. 232). He inserted an advertisement for a runaway servant in Pa. Gaz. , Sept. 23, 1731. Stephen Potts (d. 1758) was a member of the Junto, a book-binder, bookseller, and in his...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Josiah and Abiah Franklin, 13 April 1738 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I have your Favour of the 21st of March in which you both seem concern’d lest I have imbib’d some erroneous Opinions. Doubtless I have my Share, and when the natural Weakness and Imperfection of Human Understanding is considered, with the unavoidable Influences of Education, Custom, Books and Company, upon our Ways of thinking, I imagine a Man must...
8From Benjamin Franklin to Josiah and Abiah Franklin, 6 September 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I apprehend I am too busy in prescribing, and meddling in the Dr’s Sphere, when any of you complain of Ails in your Letters: But as I always employ a Physician my self when any Disorder arises in my Family and submit implicitly to his Orders in every Thing, so I hope you consider my Advice, when I give any, only as a Mark of my good Will, and put no more of...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Josiah Franklin, [May 1738?] (Franklin Papers)
Incomplete draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received your kind Letter of the 4th of May in answer to mine of April 13. I wrote that of mine with a Design to remove or lessen the Uneasiness you and my Mother appear’d to be under on Account of my Principles; and it gave me great Pleasure when she declar’d in her next to me that she approv’d of my Letter and was now satisfy’d with me....
10From Benjamin Franklin to John Ladd, 12 June 1738 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Historical Society of Haddonfield (N.J.) I send you the Ladies Library and the other two Vols. of Don Quixote. The Homers I have are done by Pope. The Iliads are in 6 Vols. 12mo price 45 s. The Odysseys 5 Vols. 12mo price 37 s. 6 d. I will not part with them till I hear from you. I am Sir Your most humble Servant John Ladd (d. 1770), of Gloucester Co., N.J.; surveyor; justice of...
11From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 1737 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Harvard College Library (Sparks) Having read the Chapter on Moral Good or Virtue, with all the Attention I am Capable of, amidst the many little Cares that Continually infest me, I shall, as the Author Condescends to desire, give my Opinion of it, and that with all Sincerity and Freedom, neither apprehending the Imputation of Flattery on the one hand, nor that of Ill Manners on the...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Edward and Jane Mecom, [1744–45] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin (Boston, 1833), p. 10. If you still continue your inclination to send Benny, you may do it by the first vessel to New York. Write a line by him, directed to Mr. James Parker, Printer, on Hunter’s Key, New York. I am confident he will be kindly used there, and I...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 28 July 1743 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I took your Admonition very kindly, and was far from being offended at you for it. If I say any thing about it to you, ’tis only to rectify some wrong Opinions you seem to have entertain’d of me, and that I do only because they give you some Uneasiness, which I am unwilling to be the Occasion of. You express yourself as if you thought I was against...
14From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 July 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library; also duplicate: University of Pennsylvania Library I receiv’d your Favour per Mr. Hall, who arriv’d here about two Weeks since, and from the short Acquaintance I have had with him, I am persuaded he will answer perfectly the Character you had given of him. I make no doubt but his Voyage, tho’ it has been expensive, will prove advantageous to him: I have already...
15From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 10 July 1743 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library Mr. Read has communicated to me part of a Letter from you, recommending a young Man whom you would be glad to see in better Business than that of a Journeyman Printer. I have already three Printing-Houses in three different Colonies, and purpose to set up a fourth if I can meet with a proper Person to manage it, having all Materials ready for that purpose. If...
16From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 31 July 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library The above is a Copy of my last (via Corke). This encloses Bills for Twenty Pounds Thirteen Shillings Sterling, for which when receiv’d please to give my Account Credit, and send me by the first Ship a Fount of about 300 lb. weight of good new English Letter, which I shall want to compleat a little Printing house for our common Friend Mr. Hall. I send...
17From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 18 September 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wrote to you per Capt. Evans, and enclos’d you Bills for £20.13.0 Sterlg. of which I now send you the Seconds. I sent you also a Box containing 300 Books I had printed, and by this Ship I send you 200 Copies of our late Indian Treaty which I hope will come to hand and sell with you. I will take Books of you in Exchange for as much of them as you can [get]...
18From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 2 November 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Chicago Historical Society I have wrote to you by several Opportunities to acknowledge the Receipt of yours per Mr. Hall with the Things you sent me. I have also remitted you Bills for £20.13.0. Sterl. of which you have the fourths enclos’d. I desired you to send me a Fount of about 300 wt. English and the best Newspapers and Pamphlets constantly. I hope some of my Letters have come to...
19Poor Richard, 1743 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1743. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1743 ,... By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, at the New Printing-Office near the Market. (Yale University Library) Because I would have every Man make Advantage of the Blessings of Providence, and few are acquainted with the Method of making Wine of the Grapes which grow wild in our Woods, I do here...
20[Shavers and Trimmers; and To the Publick, 23 and 30 June 1743] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , June 23 and 30, 1743. The first of these pieces, to which Smyth gave the title “Shavers and Trimmers” when he reprinted both ( Writings , ii , 232–6), appeared in the Gazette , June 23, 1743. It was inspired by a barber’s advertising the week before that he intended to give up shaving and trimming to confine himself to wigmaking. The essay is a...
21Preface to Cato’s Moral Distichs, [18 December 1735] (Franklin Papers)
Cato’s Moral Distichs Englished in Couplets. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by B. Franklin, 1735. Pp. iii–iv. (Yale University Library) The Printer to the Reader . The Manuscript Copy of this Translation of Cato’s Moral Distichs , happened into my Hands some Time since, and being my self extreamly pleased with it, I thought it might be no less acceptable to the Publick; and therefore...
22On Amplification, 17 June 1736 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , June 17, 1736. Amplification, or the Art of saying Little in Much , seems to be principally studied by the Gentlemen Retainers to the Law. ’Tis highly useful when they are to speak at the Bar; for by its Help, they talk a great while, and appear to say a great deal, when they have really very little to say. But ’tis principally us’d in Deeds and every...
23Statement of Editorial Policy, 24 July 1740 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 24, 1740. George Whitefield’s doctrine and eloquence had sensational effects throughout the colonies. One of those who resisted him, strongly disapproving his excessive religious emotionalism, was Ebenezer Kinnersley, a Baptist lay preacher in Philadelphia. In a sermon on July 6, 1740, Kinnersley expressed abhorrence of “Enthusiastick Ravings ... that...
24Poor Richard, 1736 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1736. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1736 , ... By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, at the New Printing-Office near the Market. (Yale University Library) Your kind Acceptance of my former Labours, has encouraged me to continue writing, tho’ the general Approbation you have been so good as to favour me with, has excited the Envy of some,...
25[The Waste of Life, 18 November 1736] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 18, 1736. First printed by Duane ( Works , IV , 367–70) and later by William Temple Franklin, Sparks, and Bigelow, but not by Smyth, this essay is omitted here for the reasons given above, I, 170.
26Advertisement of the General Magazine, 13 November 1740 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 13, 1740. The American Weekly Mercury , November 6, 1740, printed a long, ambitious “Plan of an Intended Magazine,” to be called The American Magazine, or A Monthly View of The Political State of the British Colonies . John Webbe, who was to be the editor, probably composed it, though it was signed by Andrew Bradford. Each issue would contain four...
27On the Death of His Son, 30 December 1736 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , December 30, 1736. Understanding ’tis a current Report, that my Son Francis, who died lately of the Small Pox, had it by Inoculation; and being desired to satisfy the Publick in that Particular; inasmuch as some People are, by that Report (join’d with others of the like kind, and perhaps equally groundless) deter’d from having that Operation perform’d on...
28Poor Richard, 1744 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1744. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1744 ,... By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin. (Yale University Library) This is the Twelfth Year that I have in this Way laboured for the Benefit—of Whom?—of the Publick, if you’ll be so good-natured as to believe it; if not, e’en take the naked Truth, ’twas for the Benefit of my own dear self; not...
29Extracts from the Gazette, 1743 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 4 to December 29, 1743. On Wednesday the 5th Instant, about Two in the Morning, a Fire broke out in Water-Street, at the Blockmaker’s Shop, near the Rose and Crown; and the Chief Buildings thereabouts being Wood, it presently got to such a Head, that tho’ no Industry was wanting, it could not be mastered till 6 or 7 Dwelling Houses, besides Stores,...
30Extracts from the Gazette, 1736 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 6 to December 30, 1736. [ Advertisement ] This is to certify, that I Robert Jesson, late Merchant of Philadelphia, having been afflicted with a Dropsey, insomuch that my Life was despaired of, am now effectualy cured by an Elixir which Mr. Edward Jones of this City, Gent. has the Secret of making. In Gratitude for the Favour, and for the Benefit of...