211From Benjamin Franklin to William Vassall, 19 June 1746 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Harvard College Library I received your Favour of the 9th Inst. with the New System of Morality. We have nothing lately publish’d here fit to send you in Return. A few Copies of the Enclos’d have been just printed at New York, at the Expence of the Author, who is a Friend of mine. His Intention in this small Impression, is, by distributing the Pieces among the few Learned and Ingenious...
212From 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...
213From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 25 September 1746 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (2): Western Reserve Historical Society and Pierpont Morgan Library; also duplicate: Yale University Library Your Favours of Feb. 11. and May 1. are come to hand. Mesnard arrived safe this Morning, and I suppose I shall have the Trunks out in a Day or two. Our other Ships Lisle and Houston not yet come, but daily expected. I am much oblig’d to you for your ready Compliance with my...
214From Benjamin Franklin to [Thomas Hopkinson?], [16 October 1746] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress; also transcripts: Library of Congress and American Philosophical Society Vaughan ( Political, Miscellaneous, and Philosophical Pieces , London, 1779, pp. 478–86) thought the addressee was Andrew Baxter; Duane ( Memoirs, … with a Postliminious Preface , Phila., 1834, II , 383–5) thought it was Francis Hopkinson; Sparks ( Works , vi, 87–93) and Bigelow ( Works , II ,...
215From 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...
216Receipt to Sarah Read, 21 October 1746 (Franklin Papers)
MS Receipt Book: American Philosophical Society Among Franklin’s papers in the American Philosophical Society is a receipt book of his mother-in-law, containing 27 receipts between 1715 and 1760, most of them between 1733 and 1747. Payments are recorded to William Rakestraw for carpentry, to Samuel Alford for making a silver spoon, to Anthony Nicholas “for Iron work Done too pump & Seller...
217Poor Richard, 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1747. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1747 , … By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin. (Yale University Library) This is the 15th Time I have entertain’d thee with my annual Productions; I hope to thy Profit as well as mine. For besides the astronomical Calculations, and other Things usually contain’d in Almanacks, which have their daily Use...
218From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 1 January 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Duplicate: Yale University Library This is only to enclose a Bill of Exchange for £25 Sterling, and to wish you and good Mrs. Strahan, with your Children &c. many happy new Years. Mr. Hall continues well. We shall both write largely per Seymour. This via New York. I am, &c.
219From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 January 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Mrs. Thomas S. Gates, Philadelphia (1957); also duplicate: Yale University Library I wrote a Line to you some days since, via New York, enclosing a Bill of £25 Sterling; the second in a Copy by some other Vessel from that Port; the third you have herein, together with a Bill of £60 Sterling, which I hope will be duly honour’d. My Wife wrote to you per Mesnard for 6 Nelson’s Justice, 6...
220Extracts from the Gazette, 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 6 to December 29, 1747. Extracts from The Pennsylvania Gazette have been printed for each of the years that Franklin personally conducted his printing office (see above, I, 164). With the establishment of the partnership of Franklin and Hall on January 1, 1748, however, the latter took over the daily oversight of the office, though Franklin, of...
221From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Darling, 27 January 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I receiv’d yours of the 26th past, which I shall endeavour to answer fully per next Post. In the mean time please to tender my best Respects and Service to good Mr. and Madam Noyes, and the most agreable Ladies their Daughters, with Thanks for the Civility they were pleased to shew me when at Newhaven. We have printed nothing new here lately, except the Enclos’d...
222From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Darling, 10 February 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Miss S. Berenice Baldwin, Woodbridge, Conn. (1959) I wrote a Line to you per last Post, which I hope came to hand. The Ingredients of Common Window and Bottle Glass are only Sand and Ashes. The Proportions of each I do not exactly know. The Heat must be very great. Our Glasshouse consumes Twenty-four Hundred Cords of Wood per Annum tho’ it works but Seven Months in the Year. (But the...
223From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Darling, 27 March 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Noël J. Cortés, Philadelphia (1954) There are, I am informed, Six Hands employed in blowing Glass; at first there were but two, who instructed the Rest. The two first Workmen were taken in as Partners by the Person who found Stock, and set up the Business, the others are Servants, therefore there are no Workmen to be engag’d here for you. They work seven Months in the Year, and ’tis said...
224From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 28 March 1747 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Benjamin Franklin, Experiments and Observations on Electricity (London, 1769), pp. 1–2. This is the earliest surviving letter in which Franklin alludes to his electrical investigations. It introduced the fourth edition of his Experiments and Observations in 1769. That edition, its predecessors and its successor, will be discussed below, under their...
225From Benjamin Franklin to [John Franklin], 2 April 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: American Philosophical Society I should be glad you’d send me the first informations you receive, of what Admiral Warren is doing or like to do in England. And whether the wasted[?] is returning in Orders. We want much to hear that the Fleet is preparing to come from England, in Order to carry on the Expedition. Billy is so fond of a military Life, that he will by no means hear of...
226The Speech of Miss Polly Baker, 15 April 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The General Advertiser , April 15, 1747. When Franklin wrote The Speech of Miss Polly Baker is not now known, though 1746 is a likely date. How a copy found its way to London is also a matter for speculation. All that is certain is that the earliest printing of the piece yet discovered was in a London newspaper, the General Advertiser , of April 15, 1747. Within a week five London...
227From Benjamin Franklin to [William Strahan?], 1 May 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Utica, N.Y. (1955) This is only to cover a Bill of Exchange for Eleven Pounds 2 s. 2½ d. Sterl. drawn on Richd. Atkinson of Colthouse by Wm. Satterthwaite, and to inform you that we are all well, as I hope this will find you and yours. I am Your most humble Servant This via New York. Copy with first Bill and Letter of Advice via Boston by the Mermaid...
228From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 25 May 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences In my last I informed you that In pursuing our Electrical Enquiries, we had observ’d some particular Phaenomena, which we lookt upon to be new, and of which I promised to give you some Account; tho’ I apprehended they might possibly not be new to you, as so many Hands are daily employed in Electrical Experiments on your Side the Water, some or other...
229Verses on the Virginia Capitol Fire, 1 June 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The New-York Gazette, revived in the Weekly Post-Boy , June 1, 1747, Supplement. The capitol at Williamsburg, Virginia, was destroyed by fire on January 30, 1747. Addressing a special session of the General Assembly on April 1, Governor Sir William Gooch plunged directly into the matter: “The astonishing Fate of the Capitol occasions this meeting, and proves a Loss the more to be...
230From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 1 June 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr. Hall will acquaint you of the Footing we are about to go upon &c. &c. I have only time to acquaint you, that I have sent you several Bills lately, and will speedily remit you whatever shall be due to you after the Receipt of the Parcel of Books some time since wrote for. My best Respects to Mrs. Strahan and Wishes of Happiness to you and all Yours, in...
231From 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...
232From Benjamin Franklin to Jared Eliot, 16 July 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I receiv’d your Favour of the 4th Instant. I ought before this Time to have acknowledg’d the Receipt of the Book, which came very safe and in good Order, to hand. We have many Oil Mills in this Province, it being a great Country for Flax. Linseed Oil may now be bought for 3 s. per Gallon; sometimes for 2 s. 6 d: But at New York I have been told it generally holds...
233From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 28 July 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: American Academy of Arts and Sciences The inclosed is a Copy of my last, which went by the Governour’s Vessel: since which we have received, by Mesnard and Ouchterlony, Hill’s Theophrastus, Pemberton’s Dispensatory, Wilson’s Electricity and some other Pamphlets. The Proprietor’s handsome Present of a complete Electrical Apparatus &c. is also come to Hand in good Order, and is put up in...
234From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 29 July 1747 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Atlantic Monthly , LXI (1888), 26. Your Favours of March 18 and April 1 are come to Hand with all the Books, &c. mentioned in the invoice, in good Order, and am much obliged to you for your ready Compliance with all my Requests. I believe I could have got Subscriptions for 20 Sets of the Universal History, and perhaps more, but unluckily a Ship from Ireland...
235From 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...
236From 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...
237From Benjamin Franklin to John Franklin, 6 August 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am glad to hear that Mr. Whitefield is safe arriv’d, and recover’d his Health. He is a good Man and I love him. Mr. Douse has wrote to me per this Post at Mrs. Steele’s Request desiring an Explanation from me with regard to my Dissatisfaction with that Lady. I have wrote him in answer, that I think a Misunderstanding between Persons at such a Distance,...
238From 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...
239From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 14 August 1747 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pierpont Morgan Library I have lately written two long Letters to you on the Subject of Electricity, one by the Governor’s Vessel, the other per Mesnard. On some further Experiments since, I have observ’d a Phenomenon or two that I cannot at present account for on the Principles laid down in those Letters, and am therefore become a little diffident of my Hypothesis, and asham’d that I...
240From 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...