691From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 19 March 1772 (Franklin Papers)
AL (incomplete): American Philosophical Society I received your kind Letters of Jany 5. and Feby. 3. and am glad to hear your Kingbird has gone thro’ his second Inoculation. Capt. Osborne is not yet arrived here. By this Ship I send the Curtains you write for. Mrs. Stevenson thought it best to have them made here. The enclos’d Letter to Sally will explain all. A new Bedstead is to be made with...
692From Benjamin Franklin to William Franklin, 15 March 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I wrote you pretty largely by Capt. All, and sent you sundry things, particularly the plated Boiler you wrote for. I have nothing to add, but to let you know I continue well. Enclos’d I send you the Boston Pamphlet with my Preface. I grow tired of my Situation here, and really think of Returning in the Fall. My Love to Betsey. I am ever Your...
693From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Cushing, 4 November 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress; AL (copy): Public Record Office Lord Dartmouth our new American Minister came to Town last Week, and held his first Levee on Wednesday, when I paid my Respects, acquainting him at the same time that I should in a few Days wait upon him on Business from Boston, which I have accordingly since done and have put your Petition to the King into his Hands,...
694From Benjamin Franklin to Schweighauser, 13 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress The Bearer M. De Guio having been an officier in The American Service and brought Prisoner into England, I request you would procure him a Passage to Boston if convenient in the Mercury Packet. He will pay the Captain for his passage on his arrival there; having considerable arrearages of pay due to him. I have the honour to be, Sir &c. Jean de Guio, a Canadian to...
695From Benjamin Franklin to Jean de Neufville & fils, 28 November 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter you did me the honour to write to me by the last Post, (it is without Date) and am glad to hear that Commodore Jones was so well fitted and ready for sailing. I hope he will arrive safe with his Ships in a good Port. I have wrote to Capt. Cunningham at Dunkerque, where he informed me he was soon to be.— The Letter you...
696From Benjamin Franklin to Abiah Franklin, 16 October 1747 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Duane, Works , VI , 8. This has been a busy day with your daughter and she is gone to bed much fatigued and cannot write. I send you inclosed, one of our new almanacks; we print them early, because we send them to many places far distant. I send you also, a moidore inclosed, which please to accept towards chaise hire, that you may ride warm to meetings this winter....
697From Benjamin Franklin to Robert Erskine, 16 October 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): American Philosophical Society I should sooner have acknowledged your Favour of Aug. 16. containing the Drawing of your Chevaux de Frise: but that I have been so extreamly occupy’d as to be oblig’d to postpone writing to many of my Correspondents. Please to accept my Thanks for the Communication of your Contrivance, which I am persuaded will answer the Purpose where ever the Bottom...
698From Benjamin Franklin to Joshua Johnson, 18 September 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress The Trustees of the Maryland Funds in London have at Length sent me their Answer, importing that by the Advice of Counsel learned in the Law, they find they cannot safely do what is required by the Act of the new State, and as at present the Stock cannot be sold or transferr’d but by them, the Execution of the Act seems now impossible. Nevertheless if you think you...
699From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine: Two Letters, 19 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) Copy: Library of Congress I received the Letter your Excellency did me the honour of writing to me the 14th. Inst. relating to the Claim of françois Vermeille to be payd Wages and prize money due to him from Capt. Cunyngham, Commander of the Revenge Privateer. I find on Enquiry that the Said Vermeille and several other french Sailors who Said they had belonged to that Vessel,...
700From Benjamin Franklin to the Comte de Vergennes, [before 2 March 1779] (Franklin Papers)
L (draft): American Philosophical Society J’ay eu L’honneur avec Messieurs les deputés des etats unis d’amerique de Representer a vostre excellence que le Retard des decisions en france sur Les Reprises faittes sur les anglais par les vaisseaux de guerre americains Les eloignoit des mers D’Europe, Nous avons ajoutté a Cette Consideration d’autres encore plus importantes. Il est de mon devoir,...
701From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 22 September 1781 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress Mr. de Veimerange acquaints me that a Part of the Supplies sent to America in the Rusée, have been taken by the Enemy, and that if it is thought proper to replace them, Orders should be speedily given for that Purpose. I therefore beg leave to mention to your Excellency that the Replacing those...
702From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 23 August 1760 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I receiv’d your Letters by Mr. Keene, and some others, which I shall answer fully by Capt. Faulkner, who sails in a few Days. By him I send the Eider Down Cover lid, and Bag for the Feet, which cost 12 Guineas; also the Camlet a second time for Sister Peter, to supply what was lost in Capt. House: with some other little things that I shall mention...
703From Benjamin Franklin to Sartine, 25 July 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Having received Copies of the Papers found in the English Vessel called les trois amis, taken by Captain Landais, I desired a Person conversant in Such Matters to examine them, and I have now the honour to send to your Excellency here with the Remark he has made upon them. What Weight they may have is submitted to your Excellency’s Judgement. For my own Part, I should...
704From Benjamin Franklin to John Paul Jones, 22 July 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received yours of the 12th. and one preceding. I am glad you took mine of the 5th as it was intended in friendship— It had appeared to me, that you hurt your own Views, and weaken’d your own hands by a censorious [quarellous?] Disposition that obstructed your Acquisition of … … at your Request and to prevent Mischief, the orders were not caried into Execution, I...
705From Benjamin Franklin to Kéralio, [on or after 20 November 1781] (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress I received my dear Friend’s kind Felicitations, and thank him for them, and beg him to accept mine in Return. The well founded Joy too of our excellent and most amiable Friend, doubles mine. Her great Sensibility sometimes gives her Pain, but the same must make her Pleasures more exquisite. I enjoy with her the great Honour her Sons have acquir’d in fighting so...
706From Benjamin Franklin to Arthur Lee, 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : The late Arthur Bloch The interview to which this brief note is a summons was the one that the commissioners had requested the day before, to discuss making the treaty public. Gérard met them on schedule, and opened the conversation by taking Lee to task for misquoting him to Aranda about another matter; Lee put the blame on Deane, who refused to take it. Franklin then recalled them to...
707To Benjamin Franklin from A. Sube, ——— Laporte, and P. Fauchier, with Franklin’s Note for a Reply, 14 December 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Hier treize de ce mois nous avons celebré l’anniversaire de la fete etablie en l’honneur de nos bons amis et alliés les insurgents. Nous vous faisons passer un imprimé qui vous apprendra en detail ce qui s’est fait dans cette delicieuse journée. Nous avons bu au bruit des boëtes la santé du roy, celle des insurgents, et celle du comte d’estaing. Nous...
708From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 3 October 1775 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Public Record Office Since my Arrival here I have received Four Letters from you, the last dated August 2. all filled with your Reasonings and Persuasions, and Arguments and Intimidations on the Dispute between Britain and America, which are very well written, and if you have shewn them to your Friends the Ministers, I dare say, they have done you Credit. In Answer I can only say that I...
709From Benjamin Franklin to Ferdinand Grand, 23 February 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS , copy, and press copy: Library of Congress Mr Digges has not sent me any Account of his Disbursements, on which his Drafts ought to be founded, tho’ I long since desired it of him; and I have this day heard something that makes me doubtful. I therefore desire, that if you have not already paid the Bills mentioned in these his inclosed Letters, that you would stop Payment till farther...
710From Benjamin Franklin to Richard Bache, 13 August 1768 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from Mrs. E[lizabeth] D[uane] Gillespie, A Book of Remembrance (Philadelphia and London, 1901), facsimile ALS facing pp. 22–3. I received yours of May 20, as also the preceding Letters mentioned in it. You must have been sensible that I thought the step you had taken, to engage yourself in the Charge of a Family, while your Affairs bore so unpromising an Aspect with Regard to the...
711From Benjamin Franklin to Josiah Tucker, 22 February 1774 (Franklin Papers)
Copy and transcript: Library of Congress I received your Favour of yesterday. If the Substance of what you have charged me with is right, I can have but little concern about any mistakes in the Circumstances: Whether they are rectified or not will be immaterial. But knowing the Substance to be wrong, and believing that you can have no desire of continuing in an Error, prejudicial to any Man’s...
712From Benjamin Franklin to [Madame Brillon], [29 November 1780] (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society Esperant de jour en jour d’être bientot en Etat de visiter ma trés chere Fille, j’ai omis d’écrire: car j’écris avec difficulté. Il vous coute moins de remplir une feuille toute entiere que moi un Billet de quatre Lignes. Mais comme j’entends dire que vous vous fachez un peu contre moi, à cause de ma Silence, me voici la plume à la main. J’etois charmé de...
713From Benjamin Franklin to Susanna Wright, 21 November 1751 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Mrs. David H. Stockton, Princeton, N.J. (1960); also transcript: John L. W. Mifflin, Middlebush, N.J. (1955) Your Guests all got well home to their Families, highly pleas’d with their Journey, and with the Hospitality of Hempfield. When I had the Pleasure of seeing you, I mention’d a new [kind of Candles very convenient] to read by, which I think you said you had not seen: I take the...
714From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 10 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Public Record Office; press copy of LS , and copy: Library of Congress; transcripts: Massachusetts Historical Society, National Archives I have received the honour of your Lordships Letter, dated the 28th past, by Mr Oswald, informing me that he is sent back to settle with me the Preliminaries of Time & Place. Paris as the Place seem’d to me Yesterday to be agreed on between Mr Grenville...
715From Benjamin Franklin to Joshua Babcock, 10 November 1763 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library Your Goodnature will be pleas’d to hear that your Guests went on well after they left you. We got early into New York the next Morning; staid there one Day, had a Pleasant Passage over the Bay the next Morning; spent some time with Friends in different Places of the Jerseys, and got safe and well home on Saturday Evening, where we had the additional Happiness of...
716From Benjamin Franklin to Giambatista Beccaria, 19 November 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library; AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress Having sometime since heard of your Illness with great Concern, it gave me infinite Pleasure to learn this Day, from M. Chantel, (who did me the honour of a Visit) that you were so far recover’d, as to be able to make little Excursions on Horseback. I pray God that your Convalescence may be quick and perfect, and your...
717From Benjamin Franklin to Richard Jackson, 29 March 1764 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society In my last I inform’d you that the Agreement between the Governor and Assembly was not likely long to continue. The enclos’d Paper will show you that the Breach is wider now than ever. And ’tis thought there will be a general Petition from the Inhabitants to the Crown, to take us under its immediate Government. I send you this early Notice of what is...
718From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 1 January 1756 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library A happy New Year to you, and all Friends. We arrived here, all well, about two Hours ago. Capt. Coultas tells me he purposes to start early in the Morning, so as to be at Philadelphia to morrow Evening. I have only time to write this Line, just to acknowledge the Receipt of your agreable Letters, Sally’s, Dr. Bond’s, Mr. Hughes’s, &c. and to promise particular...
719From Benjamin Franklin to Jonathan Williams, Jr., 28 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): American Philosophical Society; copy: Library of Congress I last night received together yours of the 21st & 24th.— I had before recd yours of the 19th. I am glad you have sent me so exact an Acct of the Bills you have drawn on M. de Chaumont, and that you have concluded to draw no more on him, but on me directly. I never understood the Reason of his Proposing that circuitous...
720From Benjamin Franklin to John Rutledge, 7 June 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress The Bearer of this M. Roulhac being about to establish a House of Commerce at Charlestown, his Friends here who are Persons of Distinction request me to recommend him to some Persons of Note in your Province, for their Protection and Counsel on Occasion. The Character he bears here is extreamly good; I beg leave therefore to introduce him to your Excellency, and to...