1From 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,...
2From 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...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 13 September 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library Dr. Mitchel, a Gentleman from Virginia, came to Town this Morning with Mr. Bertram, and we have been together all Day, which has hindred my Writing to you as I intended. We are to go to Mr. Logan’s tomorrow, when I shall have an Opportunity of knowing his Sentiments of your Piece on Fluxions. I am Sir Your most humble Servant Addressed: To The Honbl Cadwalr...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 25 October 1744 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I communicated your Piece on Fluxions to Mr. Logan, and being at his House a few Days after, he told me, he had read it cursorily, that he thought you had not fully hit the Matter, and ( I think ) that Berkley’s Objections were well founded: but said he would read it over more attentively. Since that, he tells me there are several Mistakes in it, two of which...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 15 August 1745 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I receiv’d your Favour of the 20th past, with your medical Piece enclos’d, the Reading of which gave me a great deal of Pleasure. I show’d it to our Friend Mr. Bertram, who carried it home, and, as he since tells me, is taking a Copy of it; His Keeping of it for that End has prevented my Showing it to any other Gentlemen as you desired; and hitherto prevented...
6From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 28 November 1745 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I shall be very willing and ready, when you think proper to publish your Piece on Gravitation, &c., to print it at my own Expence and Risque. If I can be a Means of Communicating anything valuable to the World, I do not always think of Gaining, nor even of Saving by my Business; But a Piece of that kind, as it must excite the Curiosity of all the Learned, can...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, [February 1746] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I receiv’d yours with others enclos’d for Mr. Bertram and Mr. Armit, to which I suppose the enclos’d are Answers. The Person who brought yours said he would call for Answers, but did not; or, if he did, I did not see him. I understand Parker has begun upon your Piece. A long Sitting of our Assembly has hitherto hinder’d me from beginning the Miscellany. I...
8From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 10 July 1746 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I have your Favours of June 2d. and the 7th Instant. I thank you for your little Treatise. I have interleav’d it, and am Reading it and Making Remarks as Time permits. I deliver’d one, as you directed, to Mr. Evans; another to Mr. Bertram. The former declares he cannot understand it; the latter told me the other Day, that he could not read it with the...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 16 October 1746 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I have receiv’d your Favour of the 13th. Instant, and am glad to hear you are return’d well from Albany, which I understand has been a very sickly Place this Fall. I did not imagine you would have been detain’d there so long, or I should have done my self the Pleasure of writing to you by my Son. Our Interpreter Mr. Weiser is return’d. He tells me that as soon...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 5 June 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society Mr. Harrison tells me you are still in New York, as deeply engag’d in Publick Affairs, I suppose, as ever. When I consider your present Disposition to Retirement and Philosophical Meditation, I pity you: But I hope that Success will attend your Cares for the Publick Good; and the Satisfaction arising thence will make you some Amends. The Deserters who are come...
11From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 30 July 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I receiv’d your Favour of the 26th. which I shall answer at large per next Post. In the mean time please to send me, if you have it with you, my Paper of Observations on Baxter’s Book, which I want to make some present Use of, and have no other Copy. Mesnard sail’d this Day for London. But here is a Vessel bound to Bristol, which the next Post will reach. In haste...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 6 August 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society; draft: American Philosophical Society The Observations I sent you on Baxter’s Book were wrote on a Sheet or two of Paper in Folio. He builds his whole argument on the Vis Inertiae of Matter: I boldly deny’d the Being of such a Property, and endeavour’d to demonstrate the contrary. If I succeeded, all his Edifice falls of course, unless some other way...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 13 August 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I am glad the electrical Observations please you. I leave them in your hands another Week. Our Workmen have undertaken the Electrical Apparatus, and I believe will do it extreamly well: It being a new Job they cannot say exactly what their Work will come to, but they will charge reasonably when done, and they find what Time it has taken. I suppose the whole...
14From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 27 August 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library This just serves to enclose you a Letter from our Friend Bertram; and to request you would deliver my Papers on Electricity to the Bearer Mr. Darling. I have not Time to add, but that I am, with great Respect, Sir, Your most humble Servant P.S . I think you wrote me Word you had lent Watson’s Book on Electricity which I sent you last Winter to Dr. Bard. Please to...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 24 September 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I have one of your Histories come in among some Books sent me per Mr. Strahan: But Osborne I understand has sent 50 to Mr. Read per Recommendation of Mr. Collinson. I should sell them more readily than he can, I imagine; and he talks of putting them into my hands. Are any of them arriv’d in N York? Enclos’d are two Letters for you. No others are yet come to...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 1 October 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I send you herewith the History of the Five Nations. You will perceive that Osborne, to puff up the Book, has inserted the Charters &c. of this Province, all under the Title of History of the Five Nations , which I think was not fair, but ’tis a common Trick of Booksellers. Mr. James Read, to whom Mr. Osborne has sent a Parcel of Books by Recommendation of Mr....
17From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 27 November 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society The violent Party Spirit that appears in all the Votes &c. of your Assembly, seems to me extreamly unseasonable as well as unjust, and to threaten Mischief not only to your selves but to your Neighbours. It begins to be plain, that the French may reap great Advantages from your Divisions: God grant they may be as blind to their own Interest, and as negligent...
18From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 27 January 1748 (Franklin Papers)
AL : New-York Historical Society I received your Favour relating to the Cannon. We have petitioned our Proprietors for some, and have besides wrote absolutely to London for a Quantity, in case the Application to the Proprietors should not succeed; so that, Accidents excepted, we are sure of being supply’d some time next Summer. But as we are extreamly desirous of having some mounted early in...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 29 September 1748 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I received your Favour of the 12th Inst. which gave me the greater Pleasure, as ’twas so long since I had heard from you. I congratulate you on your Return to your beloved Retirement: I too am taking the proper Measures for obtaining Leisure to enjoy Life and my Friends more than heretofore, having put my Printing house under the Care of my Partner David Hall,...
20From 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...
21From 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...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 11 October 1750 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I have learnt by different hands, that Dr. Mitchel continues in a bad State of Health, which I suppose obliges him to drop his Correspondencies. ’Tis a Loss to us all. Messrs. Bertram and Evans did not go their intended Journey to Lake Erie, but are both safe at home. Mr. Weiser is just return’d from Onondago, and gives a melancholly Account of the declining...
23From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 31 October 1751 (Franklin Papers)
Letter: ALS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania; enclosure: AD : New-York Historical Society I enclose you Answers, such as my present Hurry of Business will permit me to make, to the principal Queries contain’d in your Favour of the 28th Instant, and beg Leave to refer you to the latter Piece in the printed Collection of my Papers for farther Explanation of the Difference between what are...
24From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 23 April 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society; also draft: American Philosophical Society In considering your Favour of the 16th. past, I recollected my having wrote you Answers to some Queries concerning the Difference between Electrics per se, and Non Electrics, and the Effects of Air in Electrical Experiments, which I apprehend you may not have received. The Date I have forgot. We have been us’d to...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 14 May 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I find Parker has been indiscreet enough, to print a Piece in his Paper, which has brought him into a great deal of Trouble. I cannot conceive how he was prevail’d on to do it, as I know him to be a thorough Believer himself, and averse to every thing that is commonly called Freethinking. He is now much in his Penitentials, and requests me to intercede with...
26From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 14 September 1752 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society When I had read your Favour of May the 14th. I resolved to read and consider more carefully Sir Isaac Newton’s Optics, which I have not look’d at these many Years. I delay’d answering, till I should have an Opportunity of doing this; but one thing or other has hitherto hindred. In the Winter I may possibly have more Leisure. In the mean time I would just...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 28 February 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I return you herewith Professor Kanster’s Remarks. As far as I am able to judge, the Translation is just, and your Answer a good one. I am pleas’d with the Omission of that part of a Paragraph relating to the German and Pensilvanian Electricians, and have corrected the Copy as you direct. I have but one other Alteration to propose, which is, to omit some Part...
28From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 12 April 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society I received your Favour of March 20. and a subsequent one without Date, containing the Description of Lord Macclesfield’s Mural Quadrant. No Vessel has sail’d hence for England these three Months, but one goes next Week by which I shall send your Answer to the German Professor, corrected as you direct. I see it is not without Reluctance that the Europeans will...
29From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 25 October 1753 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New-York Historical Society This last Summer I have enjoy’d very little of the Pleasure of Reading or Writing. I made a long Journey to the Eastward, which consum’d 10 Weeks; and two Journeys to our Western Frontier: One of them to meet and hold a Treaty with the Ohio Indians, in Company with Mr. Peters and Mr. Norris. I shall send you a Copy of the Treaty as soon as ’tis printed. I...
30From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 6 December 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Letter: ALS : New-York Historical Socity; enclosure: draft: American Philosophical Society I receiv’d your Favour of the 29th past, with some Remarks on my meteorological Paper, for which I thank you, and return some Observations on those Remarks, hoping by this Friendly Intercourse of Sentiments and Objections, some Advantage will arise to the Increase of true Knowledge. I sent you our Treaty...