1To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 20 March 1768 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I hope you will excuse the liberty I take of enclosing to you two copies of a paper I wanted to send to Dr. Kippis and Mr. Price, and beg the favour of your transmitting them the first convenient opportunity. Do not imagine, from the nature of this paper, that I am deserting philosophy. I am now chiefly employed in perusing the books you sent me in High...
2To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 1 November 1768 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I take the opportunity of giving you [my letter by?] Mr. Lee of Lincoln’s inn, a very worthy [and s]ensible man, a friend of mine, who wishes to be introduced to you. If you will please to deliver to him the plates belonging to your last work, he will have many opportunities of transmitting them to me. I can hardly say that I have begun to make any...
3To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 28 November 1768 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society According to my promise, I send you the other paper, containing an account of experiments, which I desire you would lay before the Royal Society. I have material for another short paper of Miscellaneous experiments , but I think it better to wait till I have enlarged on it, and completed some of the courses particularly that concerning Magnetism. I made use...
4To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 14 February 1769: résumé (Franklin Papers)
ALS (fragmentary copy): American Philosophical Society [A few lines at the end of a letter, which convey Priestley’s best wishes “for the success of your laudable endeavours in the cause of science, truth, justice, peace , and, which comprehends them all, and everything valuable in human life, LIBERTY .”]
5To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 24 February 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I sincerely ask your pardon for the trouble I gave you with my last. The dedication was written, and sent to you, before I had taken time to reflect upon it. I shall confine myself to the inscription I first proposed, and shall be obliged to you if you will throw the dedication into the fire without showing it to any person whatever. I am, Dear Sir your...
6To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 2 June 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I inclose a few copies of my Proposals , with the catalogues much inlarged. I therefore beg you would destroy the former, and dispose of these as you shall think most conducive to the design. I shall send a greater number soon to Mr. Johnson, from whom you may have whatever you want. In the mean time, I am obliged to take the liberty to inclose a small...
7To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 26 October 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (transcript): the Royal Society I think myself happy in an opportunity of giving you a species of pleasure, which I know is peculiarly grateful to you as the father of modern electricity , by transmitting to you an account of some very curious and valuable improvements in your favourite science. The author of them is Mr. Henly, in the Borough, who has favour’d me with the communication of...
8To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 21 November 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I took the liberty to trouble you with a line the last post, and being but just able to finish my letter in time, I recollect a mistake in the catalogue of books wanted, which I beg you would rectify as follows, I also very much want De la Hire’s diffirens Accidents de la vue . But I should think it might be got without a public advertisement. I have...
9To Benjamin Franklin from Joseph Priestley, 19 April 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Haverford College Library I am glad that you have received your Comm Bonon . safe. I thank you for the use of them, and think myself [fortunate] in having an opportunity of doing you the smallest favour. I told you I either had or expect very soon to be possessed of the memoirs of all the philosophical societies, of note , in Europe, and the following account of the price of them will, I...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Priestley, [July 1772]: extract (Franklin Papers)
Extract: printed in Joseph Priestley, “Observations on Different Kinds of Air,” the Royal Society, Philosophical Transactions , LXII (1772), 199–200. Priestley’s growing sprigs of mint in foul air might not seem like serious science, but it led to one of his major discoveries. A question had long plagued eighteenth-century scientists: how is the atmosphere repurified after being rendered...