1To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 19 November 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have been long, very long, without receiving a Letter from you—or hearing of you:—but I suppose you & my other Correspondents, have not wrote in expectation of soon seeing me. This will be my last from this Country.— We set out on Monday or Tuesday. I could have departed a few days earlier, but Mrs. H. requested I would delay it that she might be able to...
2To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 15 October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am got thus far on my Journey, much fatigued by the Vehicle in which we travelled; We set off from Paris at 12 the Night I left you, & have been, ’till an hour ago, on the Road to this Place. No stopping for Sleep, & no means of taking any in so Rough a Machine. It is the first, & I hope will be the last time, I shall ever climb into such a Thing. I made,...
3To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 24 December 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr. Gerrad not being in town, I waited upon Count Vergennes, and delivered him the Letters, which he put in his Pocket, and desired I would call upon him for his answer, at 9 OClock tomorrow morning; so that I purpose staying here to night and have taken the Liberty of keeping the Carriage and Servants. Present my respects to Messrs. Deane and Lee and...
4To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 1 November 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am here in the middle of that Family you so much love, and who I can assure you, make you most ample Returns.— My Expectations of the Worthy Bishop, Mrs. Shipley & her Daughters—however exalted,—have been fully satisfied. The Dean his Son, is also here on a Visit—and is every way agreable. I did intend to have visited Lord Shelburne on my Return to...
5To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 9 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mr. Chaumont desires me to inform you, that he has received a Letter from Mr. Montaudoin (whom you saw at Nantes) in which he mentions, and desires you may be informed of it; that there is a Scotchman arrived at Nantes, in a Dutch Vessel from New-York, who says, that General Howe had embarked ten thousand Men for the purpose of attacking Philadelphia. Mr....
6To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, [25 October 1781] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have been endeavouring, almost ever since my Arrival here, to find the means of Returning to Passy, at the Expiration of the Time you were pleas’d to permit me to be absent: but hitherto my Endeavours have not been successful. I have sent to Blois, & have been myself to Amboise, & even to Tours (which is 36 Miles distant) & have not been able to procure a...
7To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 18 October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Notwithstanding I left Orleans on Tuesday Morg, I did not get here ’till this Day at 11 .00— The shortness of the Days, & the Loire being at this Time extreamly low, occasioned our being so long on the Water: there are so many Sand Banks in the River that it was impossible for us to proced but from Sunrise to sunset: & notwithstanding; our Boat often got on...
8To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 22 October 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am still without a Line from you in ansr to several of my Letters:— I have I hope sufficiently cleared up my apparent Neglect:— You must I think have recd four of my Letters since yours by the Abbé Morellet:— In my last I believe I mentioned that Mrs. Hewson had at length determined to accept yr. Invitation,— She had really told me so, and I had begun to...
9To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 27 August 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Fearing least you should be uneasy about me, as the Weather has been very Stormy; I think it well to inform you, that we are still kept here by contrary Winds:— There is Hopes of our sailing at high Water this Afternoon, but there is no certainty: The Weather is become fair—& the Wind much abated but still contrary.— The Post is near setting off, & this...
10To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 17 August 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society It being rather late when I got to Mr. Duffields and the Road from there to Mr. Galloways being very bad; by the kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Duffield I staid that Night and waited on Mr. Galloway in the Morning, and proceeded on my way to this place where I arrived yesterday afternoon with out any accident. Let Mrs. Bache know that her Son William has...
11To Benjamin Franklin from Jean-Jacques Bachelier, with William Temple Franklin’s Note for a Reply, 3 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Il y a longtems que je désire vous faire mon compliment sur la paix qui vient d’etre Signée entre L’Europe Et L’amerique, J’ai même a ce Sujet des observations qui peuvent vous intéresser. Comme Made. Bachelier désire autant que moy, vous faire Son compliment, nous nous proposons de vous demander a diner le jour qui vous conviendra le mieux de Vendredy ou...
12To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 26 October 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society The Day after the Date of my last, I recd your kind Letter of the 18th. Inst.—for which I am very thankful, as it so far prolongs my Stay here as to permit me to visit a Family—of whom I have heard so much—and who so sincerely love and respect you.— I had already taken Engagements ’till Friday—as I informed you in my last,—so that it will not be in my Power...
13To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 27 November 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society After various Delays we are at length arrived here, all well, and very anxious to embrace you at Passy; where we hope to be Wednesday or Thursday next.— We might have cross’d the Water to Night in the Packet, by which this goes,—but none of us like to pass the Night at Sea—& particularly in a Public Vessel: we have therefore freighted a Boat entirely for...
14To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 21 September 1776 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I am very sorry to find, that my intended visit to my Father, does not meet with your approbation; and it likewise makes my Mother very uneasy; as she will not now be able to communicate the situation of her Family concerns, nor get that advice she is desirous of having, and without which she knows not how to act. The method you mention of encloseing her...
15To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 12 October 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I this Instant receiv’d your Letter of the 2d.— It gives me inexpressible Grief to learn that you have been so long without receiving any Letter from me, & that you attribute it to my neglect! I can assure you—you wrong me,—for I have wrote, I think constantly every Week;—some of my Letters went by Private Hands, others by the Post: the former may have been...
16To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 13 October 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Fearing my Letters by this Conveyance might be long in reaching you, I wrote by last Nights Post. With this you will receive several Pamphlets, some of which have been given, the others purchas’d. I likewise forward you a Letter which was left here Yesterday, I know not by whom.— In the Packet from Dr. Price, is likewise a Letter from that worthy—but at...
17To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 26 September 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Having just now learnt by young Mr. Alexander, that his Uncle purposes setting off for France tomorrow Morg at 5 a Clock, I set down to acknowledge the rect of your kind Letter of the 13. Inst, and to return you my sincerest Thanks for your acquiescing so readily with my Request of a longer leave of Absence: I found hower that I should not be able to get...
18To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 9 November 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society You may recollect, my dear Sir, when I informed you of Mrs. Hewsons having deviated from her first Determination, I said, or hinted, that it was not impossible that she might change again:— It has turn’d out so. On my Return from Chilbolton I found a Letter from her, informing me that I had staid so long, that I had given her time to Change her Mind again—&...
19To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 5 October 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society My last went by Mr. J. Alexander, who I suppose forwarded it from Calais, where he purposed remaining some time, to endeavor, if possible, to enter into some Arrangement with the Bank here. I understand Mr Pigott has given him some Reason to hope for success.— I wish it with all my heart, both for his sake and the amiable Family of which he is the Support.—...
20To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 28 August 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society After a very disagreable Passage, which lasted from 8 last Night to 8. this Morning, we arrived here safe. I was sick the whole Passage—& I think more so than in either going or returning from America.— Mais comme en toutes Choses, “il faut toujours regarder la Belle Jambe ”.— I flatter myself with the Notion that it will prove a Crise salutaire, as Mesmers...
21To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 2 September 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Little did I imagine, when I wrote you from Dover, of the Inconveniences I had experienced on the Passage, and of the Uneasiness I then felt, & which I supposed was caused by the Sea Sickness, that the Result would be, a fever and Ague! But Alas! it is too true.— That very Night on my Arrival at Cantorberry I was seized with a shivering; it did not however...
22To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 7 September 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have now the Pleasure of informing you, (and indeed it is a great one) that I have got the better of that stubborn Monster the Fever & Ague. I thought myself exceedingly unfortunate when I was taken with it,—but I esteem myself fortunate to a much greater Degree in being so soon quit of it. It is to the excellent Advice of Dr. Jefferies, the constant &...
23To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 26 [i.e., 25] August 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I arrived here at Noon this Day,—and Safe! —which is rather extraordinary considering the Situation of my Wheels; they certainly could not have gone a Post farther without a thorough Repair: Before I got to Chantilly one of the Iron Circles broke, & precisely over the joining of the Timber, this occasiond several of the Spokes to get loose; & made me lose a...
24Franklin’s Passport for British Ships, 1 February 1783 (Franklin Papers)
DS : Massachusetts Historical Society, American Philosophical Society Exchanging ships’ passports was the first official act between the former belligerent nations, whose vessels needed protection until the news of the armistice was generally known, and whose merchants were anxious to race their cargo to newly opened ports. But were those ports truly open? Franklin maintained that until the...