From Benjamin Franklin to Michael Hillegas, 5 January 1769
To Michael Hillegas7
Reprinted from The Historical Magazine, III (1859), 212.
London, Jan. 5, 1769.
Sir:
I received yours of Nov. 3, and was very sorry to find you had been disappointed of your Glasses by their being broken in going over.8 I have given Orders to have the Loss repair’d, agreeable to the Directions in your Letter, and hope it will not be long before they are executed. Make no Apology as if you gave me Trouble, for I assure you it is a Pleasure to me, when in my Power to do a Friend any little Service. With great regard, I am, Sir, Your most obedient, Humble Servant,
B. Franklin.
Mr. Hillegas.
7. Hillegas (1728–1804), a wealthy Philadelphia merchant of German extraction, later became the first treasurer of the United States. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly (1765–75) and had recently been elected to the APS. DAB. He was one of the group of speculators, to which BF belonged, that was seeking settlers for lands in Nova Scotia; see his answer to this letter below, April 15.
8. The glasses were for his armonica, which BF must have had made for him in London. Ibid. For the instrument that BF had designed see above, X, 116–30.