Benjamin Franklin Papers

From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Mather, 4 June 1773

To Samuel Mather7

ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress

London, June 4. 1773

Reverend Sir,

I received your respected Favour of March 18. with the valuable Pamphlets it enclosed for which I thank you: By the next Opportunity I shall do myself the Honour of writing to you fully.8 At present I can only add that I am, with great Esteem and Respect, Reverend Sir, Your obliged and most obedient humble Servant

B Franklin

[In the margin:] I send you a Pamphlet, that shows the Spirit of some Missionaries towards the Colonies that encourage them. And a French one wherein you will find some liberal Sentiments on Commerce, Taxes, &c.9

Mr Mather

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

7The Rev. Samuel Mather (1706–85), Governor Hutchinson’s brother-in-law, was third and last in the family line of distinguished Congregational clergymen. Like his father and grandfather, Cotton and Increase, he was for a time minister of the Second Church in Boston; but he was dismissed in 1741 and founded a church of his own. He was a man of greater erudition than intellectual power. DAB.

8Below, July 7, where BF discussed two of Mather’s pamphlets.

9The first pamphlet we cannot identify; the second was the one that BF sent to Cooper with his note of June 4, above.

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