From Benjamin Franklin to Richard Bache, 1 December 1772
To Richard Bache
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress
London, Dec. 1. 1772
Loving Son,
I have received yours of Oct. 6 and 13. and Sally’s of Oct. 25.4 It rejoices me to hear that you are all well, and that Benja. is recovered of the Measles. I will write him a little print Letter, as soon as I hear that he can read Print.5
Thanks to God, I am perfectly well at present, but being so far advanced in Life, I cannot expect a long Continuance of Health free from the usual Infirmities of Age.
The Mr. Coombes to whom you wrote, was burnt out a few Days before your Letter came to hand, but sav’d enough of his Stock to come within his Insurance. He will pay the Charge you mention, tho’ he has not yet.6
I am pleas’d you follow’d the Advice of your Brother, relating to the Money due from Goddard; for tho’ I think with you that the Company is bound in Honour to make it good, I suppose there may be reasons for not making the Demand at present, which your Brother may be acquainted with tho’ I am not.7
Mrs. Stevenson is pleas’d that her Care in procuring the Things for Sally, has given Satisfaction: and I am glad they proved agreable. My Love to your Wife and Son. If I hear that he continues a good Boy, I shall love him very much, and send him something by Capt. All.8 I am, my dear Children, Your affectionate Father
B F
Mr Bache
Decemr Packet.
4. Only the first is extant, and the loss of the other two leaves in mystery some of the matters that BF is discussing.
5. BF as a grandfather expected precocity: the boy had just turned three. He was lucky to be alive; William Marchant’s son of the same age had died of measles. See Marchant to BF above, Nov. 21.
6. The unfortunate merchant was William Combes, a mercer in Chandos Street, Covent Garden: Public Advertiser, Nov. 17, 1772.
7. Richard had consulted Theophylact Bache, we assume, about some debt left over from one of William Goddard’s two partnerships, with Galloway and Thomas Wharton or with Benjamin Towne. The reference is too oblique to establish that this was the debt from Galloway about which Strahan had written BF: above, Aug. 21.
8. For Isaac All, master of the Richard Penn and BF’s nephew by marriage, see above, XII, 31 n.