41From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 3 September 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Hearing just now of this Opportunity, I write a Line to acquaint you that I am well and hearty, Thanks to God, as I hope you are. It seems likely now that I shall stay here another Winter; you will therefore be kind in continuing to write to me. My Love to Jenney, &c. I am ever, Your affectionate Brother For reasons explained in the preceding document. Jane...
42From Benjamin Franklin to John Bartram, 11 January 1758 (Franklin Papers)
Extract: The Royal Society I thank you for your Account of the Aurora. A very considerable one appear’d here the same Evening, being Saturday, Nov. 12. I did not see it, but have heard of it from several. If it was the same that you saw; it must have been very high, or very extensive, as the two Places are 1000 Leagues asunder. In BF ’s hand. Read before the Royal Society, Feb. 25, 1762, and...
43From 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.
44From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 7 February 1770: extract (Franklin Papers)
Extract: translated and printed in Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, ed., Œuvres de M. Franklin … (Paris, 1773), II , 314. Il est bien vrai, comme on vous l’a mandé d’Amérique, que les Trembleurs y ont donné la liberté à tous leurs esclaves, mais il est à remarquer qu’ils n’en avoient pas beaucoup. Cependant si l’effort en est moins surprenant de leur part, l’action n’en est pas moins belle en elle-même.
45From Benjamin Franklin to Anthony Todd, 18 March 1775 (Franklin Papers)
AL (letterbook draft): Library of Congress Dr. Franklin presents his Compliments to Mr. Todd, and sends the above Extracts of Letters from Mr. Foxcroft to show what reason Dr. F. had to suppose the Accts might now have been settled. In reply to the preceding letter. Above, Nov. 2, 5; Dec. 7, 1774; Jan. 4, 1775.
46From Benjamin Franklin to William Dillwyn, 20 July 1774: résumé (Franklin Papers)
Summary printed in Sotheby & Co. auction catalogue, December 6, 1965, p. 52. <Craven Street, July 20, 1774: A note in the third person, presenting his compliments and asking Dillwyn to send by the bearer “the Papers he was so kind as to offer Dr. F. the Sight of.”> The Quaker opponent of the slave trade who carried Smith’s letter above, May 13.
47From Benjamin Franklin to [Elizabeth Hubbart], [18 March 1756] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Parke-Bernet Galleries Sale Catalogue, No. 61 (November 9–10, 1938), p. 30. I forgot whose Tickets I sent you; but you can write the names of the Managers, and the Numbers sign’d by each, and the 4th Class will be sent you. … I will get your Brother’s Commission sign’d by Mr. Hunter and send it from Virginia. … See above, pp. 403–4, for the lottery and...
48From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Stevenson, [1760–1762] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Here is a Coach from your House, and no Line to me from you. I will never forgive you, if you do not immediately write me a long Letter in the room of that you stole from me yesterday. You know the Penalty of the old Law was four fold. See that you punish yourself fully, and thereby disarm the Resentment of Your injured Friend “If a man shall steal an ox,...
49From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Birch, 4 February 1762 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from The Royal Society, Philosophical Transactions , LII (1761–62), p. 456. Mr. Canton did me the favour to shew me the ingenious experiments he has described in the inclosed letter. They succeeded perfectly as he has related them; and I imagine, the communication of them must be agreeable to the curious in this branch of natural knowledge. I am, Sir, with great...
50From Benjamin Franklin to Isaac Corin, 22 December 1738 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Please to let the Bearer Stephen Potts have a pair of Leather Breeches, and charge them to the Account of your Friend Isaac Corin’s account with BF appears in Ledger D (see below, p. 232). He inserted an advertisement for a runaway servant in Pa. Gaz. , Sept. 23, 1731. Stephen Potts (d. 1758) was a member of the Junto, a book-binder, bookseller, and in his...
51From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 16 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Merwin Sales Company, Catalogue No. 557 (1914), p. 16. I wrote to you via Bristol and desired you to bespeak some Letter and a Press for me. I desired Mr. Hall to look out for such a Bill for me, but he has not been able to procure one at any reasonable rate. Among the lost [long?] list of type is 300 lb. long Primer with Figures and Signs sufficient for...
52From Benjamin Franklin to a Committee of the Managers of the Philadelphia Silk Filature, 6 January 1773: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress <London, January 6, 1773. Has paid Mr. Wheeler twenty guineas, pursuant to the instructions of November 16, and encloses his receipt. > Richard Wheeler had been the agent for Evans and James in their land purchase the year before; see above, XIX , 97–9, 168–9, 413, 421.
53From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 23 March 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society A violent Cold which affects my Head and Eyesight, makes it inconvenient to me to write much; yet I would not miss the Opportunity of giving you this Line just to let you know that I am otherwise as usual. I hope you and yours are well, and am ever Your affectionate Brother
54From Benjamin Franklin to John Canton, [1757–1772] (Franklin Papers)
AL : The Royal Society Mr. Franklin’s Compliments to Mr. Canton, and requests he would procure for him two more of the long Glass Tubes such as he formerly did him the favour to procure for him. On John Canton, electrical experimenter, see above, IV , 390 n. This note might have been written at virtually any time before Canton’s death, March 22, 1772, except, of course, during one of BF ’s...
55From Benjamin Franklin to James Logan, 20 January 1750 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from extract in Sparks, Works , VI , 100. The magical squares, how wonderful soever they may seem, are what I cannot value myself upon, but am rather ashamed to have it known I have spent any part of my time in an employment that cannot possibly be of any use to myself or others.
56From Benjamin Franklin to Alexander Colden, 3 March 1773: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress <London, March 3, 1773: Has received Colden’s letter of Jan. 7 enclosing Ritchie on Hyndman, Lancaster & Co. for £100, and hopes it will be paid, for “we have had too many bad ones of late.”>
57From Benjamin Franklin to Library Company Subscribers, 25 March 1732 (Franklin Papers)
MS Minute Book: Library Company of Philadelphia The Directors, in Town, met with the Treasurer and Secretary at Nicholas Scull’s, as was agreed at last Meeting, B. Franklin having sent a Messenger about with printed Notes in these Words Vizt. “Sir. Next Saturday Evening Attendance will be given at N. Scull’s, to receive the Money subscribed to the Library, of those who have not yet paid; when...
58From Benjamin Franklin to John Canton, [December 1771?]: résumé (Franklin Papers)
AL : The Royal Society <An undated note in the third person. Business prevents Franklin from visiting him that afternoon as expected; Mr. Collinson, who was to have come with him, is out of town. They will call instead next week. > In the volume of Canton’s papers this note follows BF ’s letter to him above, Aug. 15; its placing warrants a guess that it was written after that date, and it was...
59From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 31 January 1756 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Duane, Works , VI , II . I wrote a line to you yesterday, and having this opportunity, write another, just to let you know that we all continue well, and much the better from the refreshments you have sent us: in short we do very well, for though there are a great number of things, besides what we have, that used to seem necessary to comfortable living, yet we have...
60From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Preston Moore, 13 August 1761 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library Company of Philadelphia Inclosed I send the Account of Charges in Solliciting your Act, amounting to £36 15 s. 0 d. The Act itself with the Royal Approbation engross’d on Parchment, I sent you per Mr. Wells, and hope it will get safe to hand. I am, with great Esteem, Dear Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant Addressed: To / Samuel Preston Moore Esqr / Philadelphia / Per favour...
61From Benjamin Franklin to Richard Jackson, 6 June 1763 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Supposing the Catalogue of our American Ores and Minerals collected by the late Mr. Hazard, might afford you some Amusement, I send my Letter to Mr. Tissington open to you, and give you the Trouble of forwarding it to him when you have perus’d it. The Bearer of this is Mr. James Logan Son of my Learned Friend of that Name. I beg Leave to recommend him to...
62From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 30 August 1769 (Franklin Papers)
Extract printed from Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, ed., Œuvres de M. Franklin … (Paris, 1773), p. 314. Cette lettre vous sera remise par le Docteur Lettsom, jeune Médecin Amériquain de beaucoup de mérite, qui est de la paisible secte des Trembleurs, et que vous regarderiez conséquemment au moins comme une rareté à contempler, quand même vous auriez épousé toutes les préventions de la plupart de vos...
63From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 4 February 1748 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Huntington Library Enclos’d is a second Bill for £19 7 s. 1½ d. Sterling. The first I sent you some time since. Mr. Hall will write, tho’ neither of us have much Time, the Vessel hurrying away for fear of the Ice. I shall soon send you more Bills. With my best Respects to Mrs. Strahan, in which my Dame joins, and hearty Wishes for the Welfare of you and yours, I am, Dear Sir, Your...
64From Benjamin Franklin to William Robertson, 4 March 1765 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Yale University Library I rejoice to hear by my friend Mr. Strahan that you continue in Health and are now at the Head of the Edinburgh University. Before I leave Britain again I Promise myself the Happiness of once more seeing you and my other Friends in Scotland, having always retained a pleasing Remembrance of the time I spent in that Country, the ingenious and instructive...
65From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph-Étienne Bertier, 31 January 1768 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: American Philosophical Society With cordial Thanks for your many Civilities to me when in Paris, I take this Opportunity of acquainting you, that your Certificate has been received by the Royal Society, and ordered to be hung up the usual Time which is Ten Meetings; but it was observed to be deficient in not mentioning your Christian Name, without which it is not reckon’d regular. I...
66From 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...
67From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Galloway, 18 June 1767 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Princeton University Library With this you will receive a Power of Attorney from Messrs. Brown and Sons, Bankers, to recover a Debt of one Mitchel, which I recommend to your Care. The Case is this, When I was in Philadelphia, this Mitchel came to England on a Scheme for Purchasing some Lands in Partnership with Mr. Hughes, who desired me to give him a Letter of Credit for any Sum he...
68From Benjamin Franklin to [Peter Franklin], 7 May 1760 (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Benjamin Franklin, Experiments and Observations on Electricity (London, 1769), pp. 379–80. ******It had, indeed, as you observe, been the opinion of some very great naturalists, that the sea is salt only from the dissolution of mineral or rock salt, which its waters happened to meet with. But this opinion takes it for granted that all water was originally fresh, of...
69From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 9 November 1765 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I received yours and Sally’s kind Letters of Sept. 22. and Brother Read’s. Also one from our good Neighbour Thomson, and one from Brother Peter; one from Mr. Hall and one from Mr. Parker: All which I pray you to acknowledge for me, with Thanks, as I find I can not have time to write to them by this Packet. I honour much the Spirit and Courage you show’d,...
70From Benjamin Franklin to William Cooper, 9 March 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS and copy: New York Public Library; ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I received duly your Favour of Dec. 8. with a Copy for myself of the Proceedings of your Town Meeting, for which please to present my respectful Thanks to the Committee. I received also a Number more for different Persons, here, which I immediately deliver’d as directed. I have also reprinted the Pamphlet to...