Benjamin Franklin Papers

From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 28 April 1754

To William Strahan

ALS: New York Public Library; also duplicate: Yale University Library

Philada. April 28. 1754

Dear Sir,

The above is a Copy of mine per Reeve.4 Two Ships are since arrived in New York, but I hear nothing yet of the Things expected,5 tho’ possibly they may be come. I enclose Mrs. Steevens second Bill for £20 Sterling.

Please to send the following Books, viz.6

2 Familiar Letters by Charles Halifax 12mo Baldwin
2 Nelson on the Government of Children 8vo Dodsley
3 Treatise on Cyder-making Cave
Letter from a Russian Officer, with some Observations
  by Arthur Dobbs Esqr
Linde
The Nutcracker, by F. Foote Esqr Cooper
The Book of Conversation and Behaviour Seed’s Sermons Griffiths
Mother Midnight’s Works compleat 3 Vols Matho 2 Vols 8vo Carnan

I am, Dear Sir, very affectionately, Your most humble Servant

B Franklin

P.S. I am not certain whether I before wrote to you for the following, viz.

 2 Green’s Maps of America
 Philosophical Principles of Nat. and Reveal’d Religion, by
 Ramsay.

Astronomical Rotula, a Print, per Ferguson

2 Fry and Jefferson’s Maps of Virginia, Maryland &c.

I now enclose Mrs. Steevens’s second Bill.

Mr. Strahan

Addressed: To  Mr William Strahan  Printer  London  Per the Tryal vCapt. Cuzzins

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

4BF’s letter of April 18 (above, p. 263).

5The “Things expected” were the press, type, and other materials for the printing office at New Haven. See above, pp. 82–3, and below, p. 440.

6The books referred to are: Charles Hallifax, Familiar Letters on Various Subjects of Business and Amusement (London, 1753); James Nelson, An Essay on the Government of Children, under three general heads: viz. Health, Manners and Education (London, 1753); Sir Hugh Stafford, A Treatise on Cyder-Making (London, 1753); A Letter from a Russian Sea-Officer … containing his remarks upon Mr. de l’Isle’s chart and memoir relative to the new discoveries northward and eastward from Kamtschatka. Together with some observations on that letter by Arthur Dobbs Esq. (London, 1754); Ferdinando Foot, pseud. [Christopher Smart], The Nut-cracker (London, 1751); The Book of Conversation and Behaviour. Written by a person of distinction (London, 1754); Jeremiah Seed, The Posthumous Works … consisting of sermons, letters, essays, &c. (2 vols., London, 1750); Mary Midnight, pseud. [Christopher Smart], The Midwife, or the Old Woman’s Magazine (3 vols., London, 1751–53); [Andrew Baxter], Matho; or, the Cosmotheoria Puerilis (2d edit., London, 1745); John Green, A Chart of North and South America, with a printed volume of Remarks (London, 1753); Andrew M. Ramsay, The Philosophical Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion (2 pts., London, 1751); James Ferguson, The Astronomical Rotula (Edinburgh, 1741); Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson, A Map of the most Inhabited part of Virginia (London, dated 1751, but issued 1753). On Ferguson’s Rotula, see E. Henderson, Life of James Ferguson, F.R.S. (Edinburgh, 1867), pp. 40–2.

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