21Four Letters of Introduction for Joseph Priestley, 20–21 August 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (drafts): Library of Congress In late August Joseph Priestley left with his patron, Lord Shelburne, for a Continental tour. It included the Low Countries and the Rhineland and ended in October in Paris, where Priestley demonstrated some of his experiments with gases and discussed them with Lavoisier in the first meeting between those two giants of chemistry. Franklin gave Priestley...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 5 December 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library With this I send you a new Pamphlet just published here, written by a Friend of mine. The Subject of it grows every hour more and more serious. No Advice is yet received of the Result of the Congress, which during its whole Sitting has kept all its Deliberations a profound Secret. Mr. Bennet, who will deliver this to you, is a Gentleman of Distinction here, and my...
23From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 4 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
Translation: Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères Franklin’s crossing on the Reprisal with his two grandsons, William Temple Franklin and Benjamin Franklin Bache, was imprinted on his memory as long as he lived. He “was badly accommodated,” he wrote years later, “in a miserable vessel, improper for those northern seas, (and which actually foundered in her return,) was badly fed, so...
24From Benjamin Franklin to [Barbeu-Dubourg], [after 2 October? 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress You know, my dear Friend, that I am not capable of refusing you any Thing in my Power, which would be a real Kindness to you or any Friend of yours: But when I am certain that what you request would be directly the contrary, I ought to refuse it. I know that Officers going to America for Employment will probably be disappointed: That our armies are...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Barbeu-Dubourg, 19 June 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress The great Point is to obtain the Consent of this Government to the making such an Equipment as is proposed. We apply’d yesterday for that Consent, and hope to have an Answer today. If favourable, your friend shall be gratified with a Commission immediately, on giving the necessary Security to observe our naval Regulations, and not to commit hostilities against any...
26From Benjamin Franklin to Barbeu-Dubourg, 13 August 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Having begun the affair of our Loan by the Means of our friend M. Ferdinand Grand Banker Rue Monmartre, he is in possession of all the Particulars relating to it, and can fully satisfy the Curiosity of the Person who enquires thro’ you. I need only mention in Answer to your 8th Query, that the Money borrow’d being to be laid out in France for Arms Ammunitions Soldiers...