201I Sing My Plain Country Joan, 1742 (Franklin Papers)
MS : American Philosophical Society There can be little doubt that Franklin composed these verses to his wife. They are assigned to him in two different anecdotes, which, though the incidents described are separated by forty years, are not inconsistent. The first, from the family of Franklin’s friend John Bard, relates how, at a meeting of some club, possibly the Junto, someone jokingly took...
202Extracts from the Gazette, 1742 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 6 to December 30, 1742. [ Advertisement ] Eben aus der Presse gekommen, Authentische Relation von dem Anlass, Fortgang und Schlusse der am 1sten und 2ten Januarii Anno 1741, 2. in Germantown gehaltenen. Versammlung einiger Arbeiter derer meisten Christlichen Religionen und vieler vor sich selbst Gott-dienenden Christen-Menschen in Pennsylvania;...
203Articles of Agreement with James Parker, 20 February 1742 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : American Philosophical Society Articles of Agreement indented made the twentieth Day of February in the year of our Lord, One Thousand seven Hundred and Forty-One, Between Benjamin Franklin, of the City of Philadelphia in the Province of Pennsylvania Printer, of the One Part, and James Parker of the said City, Printer, of the other Part: Whereas the said Benjamin Franklin, and James...
204Library Company: Acceptance of the Charter, 3 May 1742 (Franklin Papers)
DS : Haverford College Library The increasing property of the Library Company suggested that the time had come to incorporate it. On June 21, 1739, Rev. Richard Peters informed the Directors that the Proprietor was willing to grant a charter, and he proposed to have one drafted for their perusal. “This Discourse of Mr. Peters’s was very pleasing to the Directors present,” the minutes noted....
205Directors of Library Company to Proprietors and Reply, July 1742 (Franklin Papers)
ADS (address) and draft (reply): Historical Society of Pennsylvania; also MS Minute Book (address): Library Company of Pennsylvania. The charter having been accepted, the Directors of the Library Company on May 10 named Franklin, Thomas Hopkinson, and William Coleman to prepare an address of thanks to the Proprietors. On June 14 a draft was presented, read, and approved; but apparently it was...
206To Benjamin Franklin from Jacob Spicer, 20 September 1742 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The difficulty I have Labour’d under Some time in the management of my Fathers affairs, for want of giving publick notice, Obliges me to desire you would Insert the advertisement Inclos’d, and for defraying the Charge thereof, I have also Inclos’d Five Shillings, if I mistake not the usual Sum that is Generally given for Services of that Kind, But if in...
207Card to the Public, 23 September 1742 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , September 23, 1742. It being asserted in a printed Paper, directed to the Freeholders of Pennsylvania , that the Assembly had concealed the State of the publick Accounts from the People, by artfully deferring the Publication of their Minutes, in order to prevent a Detection of some suppos’d Mismanagement of the publick Money; I think I owe this Justice to...
208Receipt Book, 1742–64 (Franklin Papers)
MS Record Book: American Philosophical Society As a man of affairs who frequently made large cash payments, Franklin kept a book for receipts, in which he or the creditor would write out a form of acknowledgment which the creditor would sign on receiving payment. He used this book from 1742 until 1757, when he went abroad; his wife kept it until his return in 1762, when he himself resumed it....
209Poor Richard, 1743 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1743. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1743 ,... By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, at the New Printing-Office near the Market. (Yale University Library) Because I would have every Man make Advantage of the Blessings of Providence, and few are acquainted with the Method of making Wine of the Grapes which grow wild in our Woods, I do here...
210Extracts from the Gazette, 1743 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 4 to December 29, 1743. On Wednesday the 5th Instant, about Two in the Morning, a Fire broke out in Water-Street, at the Blockmaker’s Shop, near the Rose and Crown; and the Chief Buildings thereabouts being Wood, it presently got to such a Head, that tho’ no Industry was wanting, it could not be mastered till 6 or 7 Dwelling Houses, besides Stores,...
211Articles of the Union Fire Company, 31 January 1743 (Franklin Papers)
MS Minute Book, Union Fire Company: Library Company of Philadelphia The Union Fire Company’s Articles of Agreement of January 31, 1743, are substantially the same as those of 1736 (see above, pp. 150–3), and will not be printed here in full. There are, however, three noteworthy differences. Article I increased the required equipment for each member from two leather buckets and four linen bags...
212Distribution of the Mail, April 1743 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: American Philosophical Society This document obviously belongs to the period of Franklin’s Philadelphia postmastership, 1737–53. The date 1743 is tentatively ascribed on the basis of a marginal note that the John , Captain Mesnard, for New York arrived at Deal on February 10. Stephen Mesnard was captain of the Britannia sailing between New York and England in 1740–41, and of the...
213A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge, 14 May 1743 (Franklin Papers)
Broadside: Yale University Library A proposal Franklin drafted in 1743 to found an academy in Philadelphia, he wrote in his autobiography, came to nothing and was laid aside. “I succeeded better the next Year, 1744, in proposing and establishing a Philosophical Society.” Franklin did take a leading part in founding this Society, but the implications that it was his idea and that the Society...
214[Shavers and Trimmers; and To the Publick, 23 and 30 June 1743] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , June 23 and 30, 1743. The first of these pieces, to which Smyth gave the title “Shavers and Trimmers” when he reprinted both ( Writings , ii , 232–6), appeared in the Gazette , June 23, 1743. It was inspired by a barber’s advertising the week before that he intended to give up shaving and trimming to confine himself to wigmaking. The essay is a...
215From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 10 July 1743 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library Mr. Read has communicated to me part of a Letter from you, recommending a young Man whom you would be glad to see in better Business than that of a Journeyman Printer. I have already three Printing-Houses in three different Colonies, and purpose to set up a fourth if I can meet with a proper Person to manage it, having all Materials ready for that purpose. If...
216From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 28 July 1743 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I took your Admonition very kindly, and was far from being offended at you for it. If I say any thing about it to you, ’tis only to rectify some wrong Opinions you seem to have entertain’d of me, and that I do only because they give you some Uneasiness, which I am unwilling to be the Occasion of. You express yourself as if you thought I was against...
217To Benjamin Franklin from Cadwallader Colden, [October 1743] (Franklin Papers)
Draft: New-York Historical Society Ever since I had the Pleasure of a Conversation with you tho very short by our accedental Meeting on the Road I have been very desirous to engage you in a Correspondence. You was pleas’d to take some notice of a Method of Printing which I mentioned to you at that time and to think it practicable. I have no further concern for it than as it may be usefull to...
218From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 4 November 1743 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society; also transcript: Library of Congress I received the Favour of yours, with the Proposal for a new Method of Printing, which I am much pleased with: and since you express some Confidence in my Opinion, I shall consider it very attentively and particularly, and in a Post or two send you some Observations on every Article. My long Absence from home in the Summer,...
219Bill from Alexander Annand, [December 1743] (Franklin Papers)
AD : American Philosophical Society Mr Benjamin Franklin to Alexr Annand Dr To James and William Franklins Schooling from Decr 12th 1738 [to] Decr 1739 £6 00 0 To Wms Do from Decr 12th 1739 to Decr 1743 12 00 0 To firing £1 2 s. 01 02 0 To Ovids Epistles 3 s. 00
220From Benjamin Franklin to Edward and Jane Mecom, [1744–45] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin (Boston, 1833), p. 10. If you still continue your inclination to send Benny, you may do it by the first vessel to New York. Write a line by him, directed to Mr. James Parker, Printer, on Hunter’s Key, New York. I am confident he will be kindly used there, and I...
221Poor Richard, 1744 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1744. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1744 ,... By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin. (Yale University Library) This is the Twelfth Year that I have in this Way laboured for the Benefit—of Whom?—of the Publick, if you’ll be so good-natured as to believe it; if not, e’en take the naked Truth, ’twas for the Benefit of my own dear self; not...
222Verses from A Pocket Almanack, 1744 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in A Pocket Almanack For the Year 1744. Fitted to the Use of Pennsylvania, and the neighbouring Provinces .... By R. Saunders, Phil. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin. (Yale University Library) The 1741 issue of A Pocket Almanack had proved so successful that Franklin continued for some years to publish it. Only about two inches by four in size, it sometimes appeared in red...
223Extracts from the Gazette, 1744 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 3 to December 25, 1744. Wednesday last a Fire broke out in the Roof of a House in Second Street near the Church, but there being sufficient Help at hand, it was presently extinguished. Axes were observ’d to be of great Use; for when Holes were made in the Shingling, the Water from Engines and Buckets readily enter’d, and did ten times the Service...
224To Benjamin Franklin from James Logan, 26 February 1744 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Harvard College Library (Sparks); another transcript: American Philosophical Society I have this day read over my version of Cicero’s Cato Major in thy Print, with my Notes on it, and cannot but applaud thy care but wish thou hadst not begun in pa: 49 with Greek Letter, since thou hadst not enough of the same character to go on with it, for to this alone I must impute the failure....
225Preface to Logan’s Cato Major, 29 February 1744 (Franklin Papers)
M.T. Cicero’s Cato Major, or His Discourse of Old-Age: With Explanatory Notes. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by B. Franklin, MDCCXLIV . (Yale University Library) Franklin’s edition of James Logan’s translation of Cicero’s Cato Major is one of the best known issues of his press, and many have considered it also the handsomest. “I translated that piece,” Logan told a friend, “in the Winter of...
226From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 5 April 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society; also transcript: Library of Congress Happening to be in this City about some particular Affairs, I have the Pleasure of receiving yours of the 28th past, here. And can now acquaint you, that the Society, as far as relates to Philadelphia, is actually formed, and has had several Meetings to mutual Satisfaction; assoon as I get home, I shall send you a short...
227Benjamin Franklin and Robert Grace to Elliott Benger: Bond, 25 April 1744 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Land Office, Department of Internal Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Know all Men by these Presents, That We Benjamin Franklin Deputy-Postmaster of the City of Philada. in the Province of Pennsilvania, and Robert Grace of the same Place Merchant are Held and firmly Bound unto the Honourable Elliott Benger, Esqr; Sole Deputy-Postmaster General of all his Majesty’s Dominions in...
228From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 July 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library; also duplicate: University of Pennsylvania Library I receiv’d your Favour per Mr. Hall, who arriv’d here about two Weeks since, and from the short Acquaintance I have had with him, I am persuaded he will answer perfectly the Character you had given of him. I make no doubt but his Voyage, tho’ it has been expensive, will prove advantageous to him: I have already...
229From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 31 July 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : University of Pennsylvania Library The above is a Copy of my last (via Corke). This encloses Bills for Twenty Pounds Thirteen Shillings Sterling, for which when receiv’d please to give my Account Credit, and send me by the first Ship a Fount of about 300 lb. weight of good new English Letter, which I shall want to compleat a little Printing house for our common Friend Mr. Hall. I send...
230From Benjamin Franklin to Josiah and Abiah Franklin, 6 September 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I apprehend I am too busy in prescribing, and meddling in the Dr’s Sphere, when any of you complain of Ails in your Letters: But as I always employ a Physician my self when any Disorder arises in my Family and submit implicitly to his Orders in every Thing, so I hope you consider my Advice, when I give any, only as a Mark of my good Will, and put no more of...