1From Benjamin Franklin to Joshua Babcock, 26 February 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library It is a long time since I have had the Pleasure of a Line from you; indeed I have not deserv’d it; for I am a Debtor on Account of several of your Favours that remain unanswer’d. The Truth is, I have too much Writing to do. It confines me so much, that I can scarcely find time for sufficient Bodily Exercise to keep me in Health. Hence I grow more and more averse...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 7 February 1770: extract (Franklin Papers)
Extract: translated and printed in Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, ed., Œuvres de M. Franklin … (Paris, 1773), II , 314. Il est bien vrai, comme on vous l’a mandé d’Amérique, que les Trembleurs y ont donné la liberté à tous leurs esclaves, mais il est à remarquer qu’ils n’en avoient pas beaucoup. Cependant si l’effort en est moins surprenant de leur part, l’action n’en est pas moins belle en elle-même.
3From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 2 October 1770: extract (Franklin Papers)
Extract: reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin, LL.D., F.R.S. &c. (quarto ed., London, 1817–18), III , 319. I see with pleasure that we think pretty much alike on the subjects of English America. We of the colonies have never insisted that we ought to be exempt from contributing to the common expences necessary to support the...
4From Benjamin Franklin to John Bartram, 11 January 1770 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from William Darlington, ed., Memorials of John Bartram and Humphry Marshall (Philadelphia, 1849), pp. 404–5. I received your kind letter of Nov. 29, with the parcel of seeds, for which I am greatly obliged to you. I cannot make you adequate returns, in kind; but I send you, however, some of the true Rhubarb seed, which you desire. I had it from Mr. Inglish, who lately received a...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Michael Collinson, [8 February 1770] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Philosophical Society Understanding that it is intended to give the Publick, some Account of our dear departed Friend Mr. Peter Collinson, I cannot omit expressing my Approbation of the Design, as the Characters of good Men are exemplary, and often stimulate the well-disposed to an Imitation beneficial to Mankind, and honourable to themselves. And as you may be unacquainted with...
6Thomas Coombe, Jr., to His Father, 8 October 1770: extract (Franklin Papers)
Extract of ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I dined with Dr. Franklin the Day before yesterday, when he desired to be kindly remembered to you. My Affection for the good old Dr. increases every Time I visit him, which I do very frequently. An Anecdote just occurs which will make you smile. Calling to’ther Day to ask Dr. Franklin “how he did,” I found him sitting, with only a single Cap...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 14 April 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum I suppose Govr. Pownall acquaints you with what has pass’d this Session relating to our American Affairs: All Europe is attentive to the Dispute between Britain and the Colonies; and I own I have a Satisfaction in seeing that our Part is taken every where; because I am persuaded that that Circumstance will not be without its Effect here in our Favour. At the same time the...
8From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 8 June 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum This letter contains Franklin’s first extant response to the Boston Massacre. He mentions it in closing, almost in passing, but news of it certainly underlay his discussion of the larger issue of a standing army in America. That discussion led him on to the argument, more carefully worked out than ever before, that for a century past Parliament had usurped an authority...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 30 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum The letter below belongs with those above to Cooper of June 8 and to Cushing of December 24, for in each Franklin discusses a different aspect of the constitution as he sees it. In the earliest he stresses the colonists’ recourse of petitioning their sovereign for protection against an arbitrary and corrupt Parliament. In the second he argues that Parliament has no right...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 24 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., The Works of Benjamin Franklin … (10 vols., Boston, 1836–40) VII , 492–4. In his letter to Samuel Cooper six months before, Franklin had put more emphasis on loyalty to the King than was perhaps welcome to leaders of the Massachusetts House. During the debate over the agency he had been criticized for being, as a postal official and the father of a colonial...
11From Benjamin Franklin to Pierre du Pont de Nemours, 2 October 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Henry Francis DuPont Wintherthur Museum I received with great Pleasure the Assurances of your kind Remembrance of me, and the Continuance of your Goodwill towards me, in your Letter by M. le Comte Chreptowitz. I should have been happy to have rendred him every Civility and Mark of Respect in my Power (as the Friend of those I so much respect and honour) if he had given me the...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwalader Evans, 17 March 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Miss Harriet V. C. Ogden, Bar Harbor, Me. (1958). I received your Favour of Nov. 27. and thank you for the Information it contained relating to the Society. Mr. Ewing has transmitted to me Copies of the Observations of the Transits of Venus and Mercury which were made in Pensilvania. Those you sent me, made by Messrs. Biddle & Bayley, will, with the others, be printed, I suppose, in the...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwalader Evans, 27 August 1770 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Samuel Hazard, ed., Hazard’s Register of Pennsylvania , XVI , No. 5 (Aug. 1, 1835), 92. I am favoured with yours of June 10. With this I send you our last Volume of Philosophical Transactions, wherein you will see printed the Observations of Messrs. Biddle and Bayley on the Transit, as well as those of Messrs. Mason and Dixon relating to the Longitude of Places. When you and...
14From Benjamin Franklin to John Ewing, 27 August 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I received your Favour of June 14. with several Copies of your Observations of the Transit of Venus, for which I thank you. I have sent one of them to Mr. Maskelyne as you desired, with an Extract from your Letter, and another to Paris. I have not yet obtain’d from him the Estimate he promis’d me, but hope to have it soon; tho’ by what I hear from others I begin...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Timothy Folger, 14 April 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Enclos’d with this, I send you a Map of the Island of St. John’s made from actual Survey, with a particular Map of one of the Shares, which the Owner desires to have settled, and will give you any Terms you please. In haste, I am, Yours affectionately Endorsed: Dr. Benjn. Franklin’s letter to Timothy Folger Folger had been interested in acquiring land on...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Timothy Folger, 21 August 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Folger Library I received yours of June 28. and immediately sent the same to the Proprietor Capt. Campbell, who was in the Country, desiring he would enable me to give you an explicit Answer. Yesterday being in Town he call’d upon me, and said, that he look’d upon his Lot to be full as good as Mr. Pownal’s which was sold for £500 but after some Discourse he agreed that to save Time, as...
17From Daniel Roberdeau to Benjamin Franklin or John Fothergill, 27 February 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have been for weeks past meditating a Voyage to London, which would be attended with very great inconvenience, to sell my Estate in St. Christophers, as a long lease thereon is now almost expired, when a presumptious thought occurred, that if you would condescend to look down from Affairs of the highest publick concern, to an Affair of the highest private...
18From Daniel Roberdeau to Benjamin Franklin, John Fothergill, and Charles Pearce, 27 February 1770 (Franklin Papers)
AL (letterbook copy): Historical Society of Pennsylvania Please to be refered to what I wrote you the 27th. Ulto, on considering the possibility of your not obtaining £6,500 Sterl. for my Estate the Sum by which you were then limited, and as I would not have my purpose mared by failing of the above sum, and in Case you cannot obtain an intermediate Sum I even consent to take Six Thousand...
19Daniel Roberdeau to Benjamin Franklin, John Fothergill, and Charles Pearce, 2 October 1770 (Franklin Papers)
AL (letterbook draft): Historical Society of Pennsylvania You’ll please to be refered to what I wrote you some Months past respecting the Sale of my Estate in St. Christophers, since which I have not been favoured with any answer but an obliging kind Letter from Doctor Franklin informing that you had appointed a meeting to converse on that subject, so that I am ignorant of the steps you have...
20From Daniel Roberdeau to Benjamin Franklin, John Fothergill, and Charles Pearce, 27 February 1770 (Franklin Papers)
AL (letterbook draft): Historical Society of Pennsylvania However reluctant a man may be within his sprere of action to give trouble to another, yet the circumstance of distance of place lays him under an indispensable necessity, and when that happens his first thought leads to the object of his confidence, and he is exercised therein in proportion to the trust he is to repose. I have motives...
21From Daniel Roberdeau to Benjamin Franklin, John Fothergill, and Charles Pearce, 27 February 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society If by this time you have not succeeded in [the sale of my Plantation,] according to what I wrote you the 27th. Feby. and 20th. March, as [I am anxious to] transfer my Property from the West-Indies to the more eligible Situa[tion of my] own residence, and as a last effort, although I have little doubt that by [the time] this gets to your hands, that you will...
22To Benjamin Franklin from John Whitehurst, 18 January 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The natural tendency of philosophical minds to promote useful knowledge, seems to render an apology to you quite needless for the favour I’m going to request. I’m inform’d Sir, that the truely eminent Artist Mr. West is one of that Class of men who cultivates the Science he professes for the Sake of the Art only. A most laudable example indeed. A Young...
23To Benjamin Franklin from Robert Alexander, 3 September 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Since my return to Scotland, I have been some days in the Country by which means I did not receive your Letter before yesterday. I return you a Thousand Thanks for the Trouble you have taken about the Harpsichord, the one you describe at 33 Guineas is precisely what is wanted and therefore you will please give orders to have it immediately packt up and Sent...
24To Benjamin Franklin from William Robertson, 30 January 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Princeton University Library By some unlucky accident I could find no person to take the charge of Dr. Haven’s Diploma. I have therefore got my Brother to put it into a box which he was sending by the waggon to his correspondents Messrs. Poole & Buckenton Jewellers in Bartholemew Closs. I suppose it will be in London by the time you receive this letter, and if you take the trouble of...
25To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Cooper, 6 November 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): British Museum My State of Health, and Excursions upon that Account into the Country must be my Excuse for not taking an earlier Notice of your very obliging Packet of 8th June, for which I return you my particular Thanks. Your Letter and Replies to Mr. Strahan’s Questions gave me great Pleasure, tho the closing and prophetic Part coming from one so capable of discerning amidst...
26To Benjamin Franklin from Edward Nairne, 19 March 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania When You did me the pleasure of calling on me last week, I mention’d to You that I had been trying to freeze water in which different quantities of Sea Salt had been dissolv’d, You then said You wish’d I had tasted the Ice, for it was thought to be fresh; At that time I had not tasted it, but since have tried the following Experiment; I took two ounces...
27To Benjamin Franklin from Mary Hopkinson, 6 September 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania My Son Thomas will have the Honor to deliver this to you; shall I beg you will condescend to advise and instruct a young Man; although honest and open hearted, yet intirely unacquainted with the world and the Dispositions of those whome it is his Interest to please. Any other Man in your place and Station I could not ask such a Favor of engaged, as you...
28To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Williams, Sr., 16 November 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Since I Clos’d my letter I Received your Verry agreeable favour adviceing of the good fortune of Our Cousin Nancey in her Maraige too Capt. Clark. We Wish them all Happiness We are much Pleased With the Connection. Our Young folks are aquanted With his Late Uncles Famley that Lives at Salem. I Will take Particular Care to have a thrrough Repaire to the...
29To Benjamin Franklin from the New Jersey Assembly Committee of Correspondence, 27 March 1770 (Franklin Papers)
LS : American Philosophical Society In our last we inform’d you of a Bill, that pass’d the House and Council for amending the practice of the Law which the Governor did not then think proper to assent to, and directed you not to solicit the Royal Assent to a Bill pass’d and sent over in 1765; In this Session a Bill has been agreed upon by the whole Legislature, Intitled “An Act to provide a...
30To Benjamin Franklin from Thomas Fitzmaurice, 10 September 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I promised Dr. Hawkesworth that I w’d by this post acquaint you how eagerly we expect your arrival here, we were in hopes that possibly you might have arrived yesterday with Sir Chas. Knowles who means to make a stay of some days here. I flatter myself that you and he will meet yet; he purposes to make a very curious Experiment upon the force and direction...