291From Benjamin Franklin to George Whitefield, 6 July 1749 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from The Evangelical Magazine , XI (1803), 27–8; also AL (fragment): American Philosophical Society. Since your being in England, I have received two of your favours, and a box of books to be disposed of. It gives me great pleasure to hear of your welfare, and that you purpose soon to return to America. We have no kind of news here worth writing to you. The affair of the building...
292On the Need for an Academy, 24 August 1749 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , August 24, 1749. By 1740 Franklin was well satisfied with his condition and prospects in Pennsylvania, but he regretted that no provision was made “for a compleat Education of Youth.” He “therefore in 1743, drew up a Proposal for establishing an Academy,” which he discussed with Rev. Richard Peters, whom he considered suitable to head such an institution....
293From Benjamin Franklin to Abiah Franklin, 7 September 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from London Magazine: and Monthly Chronologer , XII (1825), 606. We received your kind Letter by this Post, and are glad to hear you still continue to enjoy such a share of Health. Cousin Josiah and his Spouse arrived here hearty and well last Saturday noon; I met them the Evening before at Trenton, 30 miles off and accompany’d them to Town. They went into their own...
294From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 12 September 1749 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (fragment): Historical Society of Pennsylvania [ First part missing ] [Ad]vertisement, by which you will see the Language of the Picts is now under Consideration at home. If I had a Copy of what you have wrote on that Subject, I would take Care it should not be lost. Please to favour me with the short Account of your Library, contain’d in the Paper I read the other Day at your House, that...
295From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 18 September 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VII , 40. For the reason you mention, I am of the same opinion, that Dr. Free has not considered the Picts’ language as you have done, but imagines with other writers that the Pict nation was totally destroyed and its language with it. See above, p. 390. John Free wrote of the Pictish language that, with “the Saxon to the South, and the...
296From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 23 October 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Bigelow, Works , X , 253–4. I hope before this can reach you your Parliament will have met and ordered payment of what has been so long due on account of the Canada expedition. In the settling our account I will make you a reasonable allowance for the disappointment occasioned by the delay of my son’s bill. J. Read has removed into a house of less rent, which I was...
297Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania, [October 1749] (Franklin Papers)
Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania. Philadelphia: Printed in the Year, M,DCC,XLIX . (Yale University Library) This pamphlet was printed after September 13, 1749, when Logan wrote the account of his library which Franklin printed in a footnote. It was printed before October 23, if, as seems likely, he enclosed it to Strahan, to whom he wrote on that day, “I am now...
298Constitutions of the Academy of Philadelphia, [13 November 1749] (Franklin Papers)
MS Minutes: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania; another MS version: University of Pennsylvania Archives This document was drawn up by Franklin and Tench Francis. The final and official version, spread on the Trustees’ Minutes and printed here, contains corrections and additions by Franklin and his insertion of James Logan’s name at the head of the list of trustees. It is of further...
299From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 16 December 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VII , 40. I send you herewith a new French piece on electricity, in which you will find a journal of experiments on a paralytic person. I also send Neal on Electricity, and the last Philosophical Transactions, in which you will find some other pieces on the same subject. If you should desire to see any of the experiments mentioned in...
300From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 17 December 1749 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VII , 40. I send the Dialogues on Education, which I ascribed to Hutcheson, but am since informed they were wrote by Mr. Forbes, Professor of Philosophy in the University of Aberdeen; the same who wrote the Inquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer. I also send Milton. BF and his informant were both mistaken in ascribing the “Dialogues...
301Proposals for Preparing the Academy Building, [December 1749?] (Franklin Papers)
AD (fragment): American Philosophical Society With by-laws signed and funds promised for the Academy, the trustees had next to decide on its location. Some (including Franklin at first) favored a country town as less corrupting to students’ morals; others preferred Philadelphia, where James Logan offered a lot in Sixth Street. In either case a suitable building would cost a good deal of money....
302Poor Richard Improved, 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard improved: Being an Almanack and Ephemeris … for the Year of our Lord 1750 . … By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by B. Franklin, and D. Hall. (Yale University Library) To the Reader . The Hope of acquiring lasting Fame , is, with many Authors, a most powerful Motive to Writing. Some, tho’ few, have succeeded; and others, tho’ perhaps fewer, may succeed...
303From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 20 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VI , 100. The magical squares, how wonderful soever they may seem, are what I cannot value myself upon, but am rather ashamed to have it known I have spent any part of my time in an employment that cannot possibly be of any use to myself or others.
304From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 29 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Harvard College Library (Sparks) Enclosed I send you a Copy of the Constitution of the Academy. Your agreeing to be one of the Trustees gave great pleasure to all concerned. I shall wait on you with Mr. Kalm on Wednesday next, if the Weather be tolerable, and nothing extraordinary prevents. I am with great respect Sir Your Affectionate humble Servant See below, p. 469.
305From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 13 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania I receiv’d your very kind Letter relating to my Proposals for the Education of our Youth, and return you the Thanks of the Gentlemen concern’d, for the useful Hints you have favour’d us with. It was long doubtful whether the Academy would be fix’d in the Town or Country; but a Majority of those from whose generous Subscriptions we expected to be able to...
306From Benjamin Franklin to Jared Eliot, 13 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Mrs. Richard D. Wood, Jr., Wawa, Pa. (1957); printed in American Journal of Science, and Arts , V (1822), 364–6. You desire to know my Thoughts about the N.E. Storms beginning to Leeward. Some Years since there was an Eclipse of the Moon at 9 in the Evening, which I intended to observe, but before 8 a Storm blew up at N E. and continued violent all Night and all next Day, the Sky thick...
307From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 17 February 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VII , 40. I send Whiston’s Life. He seems to me to have been a man of great industry and little prudence. I have been lame these two weeks past, but am now so much better, that I think I shall be able to wait on you next week with Mr. Kalm. We had a very bright appearance of the Aurora Borealis last night. When I have the pleasure of...
308From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, [2 March 1750] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Gentleman’s Magazine , XX (1750), 208. I was very much pleased with some ingenious papers in the late Transactions on the subject of electricity. There is something however in the experiments of points, sending off, or drawing on, the electrical fire, which has not been fully explained, and which I intend to supply in my next. For the doctrine of points is very...
309From Benjamin Franklin to Abiah Franklin, 12 April 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Boston Athenaeum We received your kind Letter of the 2d Instant, and are glad to hear you still enjoy such a Measure of Health, notwithstanding your great Age. We read your Writing very easily; I never met with a Word in your Letters but what I could readily understand; for tho’ the Hand is not always the best, the Sense makes every thing plain. My Leg, which you enquire after, is now...
310From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 2 June 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; facsimiles of ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania and Boston Public Library The Person from whom you had the Power of Attorney to receive a Legacy, was born in Holland, and at first call’d Aletta Crell; but not being Christen’d when the Family came to live among the English in America, she was baptiz’d by the Name of Mary . This Change of Name probably might be unknown to...
311Last Will and Testament, 22 June 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ADS (mutilated): American Philosophical Society I Benjamin Franklin of the City of Philadelphia Printer, being in perfect Health of Body and Mind, (blessed be God) do this twenty second Day of June, in the Year 1750, make, publish, sign and seal this my last Will and Testament, viz. First, I give to my honoured Mother Abiah Franklin, Twenty Pounds per Annum during her Life, to be paid...
312From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 28 June 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I wrote a Line to you last Post, and sent you some Electrical Observations and Experiments. You formerly had those Papers of mine out of which something has been taken by Mr. Watson, and inserted in the Transactions: If you have forgot the Contents of those Papers, I am afraid some Things in that I last sent you will be hardly understood, as they depend on...
313From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 27 July 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences Mr. Watson I believe wrote his Observations on my last Paper in Haste; without having first well considered the Experiments related in §17 *Of the third Letter. which still appear to me decisive in the Question; Whether the Accumulation of Electrical Fire be in the Electrified Glass, or in the Non-electric Matter connected with the Glass? and to...
314From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 29 July 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences As you first put us on Electrical Experiments by sending to our Library-Company a Tube with Directions how to use it; and as our honourable Proprietor enabled us to carry those Experiments to a greater Height, by his generous Present of a complete Electrical Apparatus; ’Tis fit that both should know from Time to Time what Progress we make. It was in...
315Opinions and Conjectures, [29 July 1750] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences Opinions and Conjectures concerning the Properties and Effects of the Electrical Matter, arising from Experiments and Observations made in Philadelphia, 1749. §1. The Electrical Matter consists of Particles extreamly subtile, since it can permeate common Matter, even the densest Mettals, with such Ease and Freedom, as not to receive any perceptible...
316Paper on the Academy, [31 July 1750] (Franklin Papers)
MS Minutes of the Common Council: Free Library of Philadelphia Within a few weeks of their organization, Nov. 13, 1749, the Academy trustees had received subscriptions amounting to more than £700. Twenty-three trustees alone subscribed £383 annually for five years—William Allen’s pledge of £75 a year was the largest; and some forty or fifty other citizens promised a total of £322 8 s. the...
317From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 9 August 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library At my Return home I found your Favour of June the 28th. with the Bishop of Cloyne’s Letter enclos’d, which I will take care of, and beg Leave to keep a little longer. Mr. Francis, our Attorney General, who was with me at your House, from the Conversation then had with you, and reading some of your Pieces, has conceiv’d an Esteem for you equal to mine: The...
318From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 23 August 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Port Folio , n.s., II (1809), 115–16. We received your favour of the 16th instant. Mr. Peters will hardly have time to write to you per this post, and I must be short. Mr. Francis spent the last evening with me, and we were all glad to hear that you seriously meditate a visit after the middle of next month, and that you will inform us by a line when to expect...
319From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 13 September 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library I am sorry to hear of your Illness: If you have not been us’d to the Fever and Ague, let me give you one Caution. Don’t imagine yourself thoroughly cur’d, and so omit the Use of the Bark too soon. Remember to take the preventing Doses faithfully. If you were to continue taking a Dose or two every Day for two or three Weeks after the Fits have left you, ’twould...
320From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 20 September 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Jared Sparks, ed., A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin (Boston, 1833), pp. 19–20. I received yours the 11th instant, with one enclosed for cousin Benny; but he, I suppose, is in Boston with you before this time, as he left New York fifteen days since with a fair wind for Rhode Island. I do not know how long his master...