1From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Hewson, 8 July 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I arrived here yesterday in my Return from the North. This Morning I had the Pleasure of receiving yours of the 6th. I am sorry that my Engagements here will not permit to be in London on your Wedding Day, but I repeat my Wishes of Happiness to you on that Occasion, and pray that you may have many Returns of that Day each happier than its Predecessor, from...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Hewson, [late 1771?] (Franklin Papers)
AL (incomplete?): American Philosophical Society Voltaire in his Questions sur l’Encyclopedie , which I have been reading this Morning, gives Translations of several Greek Epigrams into French, to show that the latter Language was as capable of Correctness as the former. I had a mind to try if [I could] not render them more concisely in English, [but have] not succeeded; but you (or some of...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Hewson with a Postscript to Dorothea Blunt, 25 November 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I came to this Place on Saturday night right well and untir’d with a 70 miles Journey that day. I met with your and my Dolly’s joint Letter which would have refresh’d me with its Kindness if I had been ever so weary. The Account you give of a certain Lady’s having entertain’d a new Gallant in my Absence, did not surprize me: For I have been us’d to Rivals;...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [1767–1770] (Franklin Papers)
Fragment of draft: American Philosophical Society [ First part missing ] and a Train of various Amusements daily interfering, I as continually put off Writing till to-morrow; when I receiv’d the second Letter, I propos’d answering both together to-morrow; the same of the third; and now what a shameful Fault has this Procrastination led me into! a Fault which even my Polly with all her...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson Hewson, 24 July 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress I wrote a few Lines to you last Week in answer to yours of the 15th. Since which I have been in the Country; and returning yesterday found your good Mother was come home and had got a Letter from you of the 20th. She has just put it into my hands, and desires me to write to you, as she is going into the City with Miss Barwell to buy things. Whether she will have time...
6From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson Hewson, 18 July 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Yours of the 15th. informing me of your agreable Journey and safe Arrival at Hexham gave me great Pleasure, and would make your good Mother happy if I knew how to convey it to her; but ’tis such an out-of-the-way Place she is gone to, and the Name so out of my Head, that the Good News must wait her Return. Enclos’d I send you a Letter which came before she...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [before 10 July 1770] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I send you a few of your Translations. I did not put your Name as the Translator, (which I at first intended) because I apprehended it might look like Vanity, in you, and as I shall otherwise make it known, I think the omitting it, will look like Modesty. Mr. H. is here, requesting me to speak to Mrs. Tickell, which I have promis’d to do on Friday morning....
8From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 31 May 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): Library of Congress I receiv’d your Letter early this Morning, and as I am so engag’d that I cannot see you when you come to-day, I write this Line just to say, That I am sure you are a much better Judge in this Affair of your own than I can possibly be; in that Confidence it was that I forbore giving my Advice when you mention’d it to me, and not from any Disapprobation. My...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 22 January 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received your Favour of Saturday early this Morning, and am as usual much obliged by the kind Readiness with which you have done what I requested. Your good Mother has complain’d more of her Head since you left us, than ever before. If she stoops or looks or bends her Neck downwards on any Occasion, it is with great Pain and Difficulty that she gets her...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 2 September 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library Just come home from a Venison Feast, where I have drank more than a Philosopher ought, I find my dear Polly’s chearful chatty Letter that exhilarates me more than all the Wine. Your good Mother says there is no Occasion for any Intercession of mine in your behalf. She is sensible that she is more in fault than her Daughter. She received an affectionate tender...
11From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 27 June 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress Agreable to your Orders delivered to me very punctually per Temple, I return you enclos’d Voltaire’s Verses. The Translation I think full as good as the Original. Remember that I am to have them again. I take this Opportunity to send you also a late Paper containing a melancholy Account of the Distresses of some Seamen. You will observe in it the Advantages they...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [November? 1768] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Inclos’d is a Letter from Mr. Coleman; it came under Cover of one to me, and the Seal of mine sticking to that of yours makes an Appearance as if yours had been broke open. Your Mother and I long’d indeed to know what it contain’d, but we were, as you express it, too formal , and would not poison your Crib , tho’ we think we have a Right to see it. My...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [October? 1768] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I return my dear Polly her Letters with Thanks for the Sight of them. Dr. Hawkesworth’s Account of Mr. Stanley’s Loss of Hair, is full and Satisfactory. Young Mr. Henckell has left our well-spelt Letters with me for you: but those I take the Liberty to keep. We are all well and all love you. Adieu. Yours affectionately For John Hawkesworth, LL.D., essayist,...
14From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 28 October 1768 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Princeton University Library I did not receive your Letter of the 26th till I came home late last Night, too late to answer it by the Return of that Post. I see very clearly the Unhappiness of your Situation, and that it does not arise from any Fault in you. I pity you most sincerely: I should not, however, have thought of giving you Advice on this Occasion if you had not requested it,...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 20 October 1768 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Last Night your good Mother receiv’d the enclos’d Letters from Mr. T. Henckell, and answer’d him that we should all be happy to have his Company, and appointed him to be at our House in Craven street at ½ after 7 on Saturday morning that we might set out by 8. Our Reason for going so early is, that having the Day before us, we may do our Business and dine...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 28 September 1768: phonetic spelling and transcription (Franklin Papers)
Transcribed from the text in phonetic spelling in Benjamin Vaughan, ed., Political, Miscellaneous, and Philosophical Pieces … by Benj. Franklin, LL.D. and F.R.S. (London, 1779), pp. 473–8. Dh i a bd sh ek sh yi n iu meek to rektif yi ii ng a ur alfabet, “ dh at it uil bi atended ui
17From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 20 July 1768: phonetic spelling and transcription (Franklin Papers)
Transcribed from ALS (in phonetic spelling): American Philosophical Society Many writers, from the monk Orm in the early thirteenth century to George Bernard Shaw in the early twentieth, have experimented with methods of phonetic spelling. It was perhaps natural that Franklin, with his long exposure to the printed word and his varied and practical interests, should have been drawn into this...
18From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 9 October 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Dr. William Hewson Baltzell, Philadelphia, Pa. (1957) I write this Line just to acquaint our dear Polly, that I left her amiable Friend Miss Henckel well at Calais on Wednesday noon, waiting for good Weather to come over. She has been four Months at Spa. She enquir’d concerning Miss Stevenson’s Health and Welfare in the most tender and affectionate Manner; and will be disappointed in not...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 14 September 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress; incomplete copy: American Philosophical Society I am always pleas’d with a Letter from you, and I flatter myself you may be sometimes pleas’d in receiving one from me, tho’ it should be of little Importance, such as this, which is to consist of a few occasional Remarks made here and in my Journey hither. Soon after I left you in that agreable Society at Bromley, I...
20From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 17 June 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library We were greatly disappointed yesterday that we had not the Pleasure, promis’d us, of our dear Polly’s Company. Your good Mother would have me write a Line in Answer to your Letter. A Muse, you must know, visited me this Morning! I see you are surpriz’d, as I was. I never saw one before. And shall never see another. So I took the Opportunity of her Help to put the...
21From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson: Verses on Her Birthday, 15 June 1767 (Franklin Papers)
AD (two copies): American Philosophical Society To Miss Stevenson, on her Birthday, June 15. 1767. Addressed: To / Miss Stevenson Of these two copies, both in BF ’s hand, one survives among his own papers, the other among the papers of Mary Stevenson Hewson. The Hewson Papers were inherited by her descendants, James Sydney Bradford and Miss Frances Margaret Bradford, of Philadelphia, and...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 16 May 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (two letters): American Philosophical Society I am unluckily so much engag’d that I cannot have the Pleasure of being at Bromley on Sunday or Monday. present my best Respects to the good Doctor and Mrs. Hawkesworth, and to the Miss Blounts, and to Mrs. Rogers. I should rejoice in the Opportunity of making your Journey to Town more agreable than in the Stage, if I could possibly embrace it....
23From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 26 March 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We want to hear how our dear Polly does after the Loss of her Two great Teeth together; whether the Jaw is easy and not swell’d &c. Sir Cha. Blount call’d in Cravenstreet last Night, and we learnt with Pleasure that your Friend Dolly and all that Family were well. Dr. Hawkesworth is to spend this Evening there, and I am mortified that I cannot be with them....
24From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 31 December 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Thanks to you for the Garters, and for the Lines that accompany them; the Knitting of the latter is as even and as pretty as that of the former, and the Work much more durable, for with me it will never wear out. Your Mama is pretty well, and gone abroad. We purpose to be at Kensington tomorrow and hope to have the Pleasure of finding you all well. I am...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [15 June 1765] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Mr. Franklin did not know of the Message this Morning till the Servant was gone; he has since been ready to beat Mrs. Stevenson for declining any Occasion (especially so joyful an one) of meeting the good Family of Kensington. Having made up the Quarrel, they now jointly beg to be favour’d with the Company of that Family this Day in Cravenstreet, June 15....
26From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 9 January 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Your good Mama and myself are both of Opinion that the Christmas Gambols at Bromley last a great deal too long. We expected you three Days ago. Give my Compliments to Dr. Hawksworth, and tell him I have read three or four times, and every time with great Pleasure, his Dialogue in the Magazine between Mr. Sellaway and Friends in the Club. I call the Dialogue...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [12–16 December 1764] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have once more the Pleasure of writing a Line to my dear Polly from Cravenstreet, where I arrived on Monday Evening in about 30 Days from Philadelphia. Your good Mama was not at home, and the Maid could not tell where to find her, so I sat me down and waited her Return, when she was a good deal surpriz’d to find me in her Parlour. She has this Afternoon...
28From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 4 May 1764 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Since making up my Packet for your good Mother, I have receiv’d your Favour of the 1st. of March; and have only time now to acknowledge it, the Bearer Mrs. Empson being just going to the Ship; but purpose writing to you fully per next Week’s Packet. I beg Leave to reccommend her to your Friendly Advice and Civilities, as she is a Daughter of one of my good...
29From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 14 March 1764 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have received your kind Letters of Augt. 30. and Nov. 16. Please to return my Thanks with those of my Friend, to Mr. Stanley for his Favour in the Musick, which gives great Satisfaction. I am glad to hear of the Welfare of the Blunt Family, and the Additions it has lately received; and particularly that your Dolly’s Health is mended. Present my best...
30From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, 27 June 1763 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received here your kind little Letter of April 14. with your good Mama’s Favour of the same Date. I write this Line chiefly to acknowledge it, having wrote to you lately, and little now to add. I congratulate you on your Dolly’s Recovery, which you mention as nearly compleated, assuring you that I do, as you suppose, participate your Pleasure. Tell her...