51To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 9 August 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Massachusetts Historical Society To avoid pressing you with conversation, & to shew how little I expect you to enter into any answer or dispute, I leave with you upon paper, my thoughts concerning your American confiscations; that you may take as much or as little of them as you please. I know of two principles, which your American friends will say influenced them in this matter;...
52To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 31 January 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin … (3 vols., 4to, London, 1817–18), I , 59–63. When I had read over your sheets of minutes of the principal incidents of your life, recovered for you by your Quaker acquaintance; I told you I would send you a letter expressing my reasons why I thought it would be useful to complete and publish it...
53To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 3 January 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society A person has been named to me for some time past, as about to depart for Paris, by whom I designed writing in preference to the post; but as he delays, and you will think me dilatory in the mean time, I write under cover to M. le Grand. I communicated with Mr. Burke on the subject of your letter. He said that he had received it, but knowing that ministry...
54To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 27 January 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Having a convenient opportunity I have sent you the publications you desired. The maps I hope you will do me the favor to accept of. Upon a reconsideration of the matter I shall cancel the whole impression of your political works, and wait for the additional pieces. I shall then have it my power to give a new arrangement, with a total omission of all notes,...
55To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 24 June 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Having an opportunity of writing you by the Dutch envoy from London, I cannot omit sending you a line to tell you that I see nothing more that is amiss here than you know of, notwithstanding Mr Knox & two or three people pretend that the Loyal Colonies are to have the trade to the islands. If you keep firm, & good humored, I hope you will in the end lose...
56From Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Vaughan, 15 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received duly the large Parcel of Letters and Papers you favoured me with by Mr. Austin, to which I shall when I can get a little time, answer particularly. I received also a Box, containing 12 of the 4tos. and 4 of the 8vos. in boards, with the spanish Dictionary and Grammar, and I think some Pamphlets. A bound 4to. is also come to hand, I know not whether from you...
57To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 30 April 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I sent you a pacquet with a number of sheets of your printed papers; which I suppose you have received, though as yet I have not had it signified to me. I send you more sheets which now lie by me; and have still another or two finished, which I believe are with the printer. I send you also all that I have written out of my remarks on motion &c &c: it...
58To Benjamin Franklin from [Benjamin Vaughan], 5 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society I beg to recommend the bearer to your best patronage, friendship, and advice. I shall say nothing more of him, than that to warm benevolence and good parts, there have been joined a virtuous education and public principles. In these times and upon the plan on which he goes, his success is fundamentally important to his family. Particulars he will explain;...
59To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 20 October 1781 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I now fulfil a part of the promise I lately made you, of a communication upon the subject of natural history & philosophy. Arthur’s seat you know to be a considerable hill in the neighborhood of Edinburgh. While I was in that city, my excellent friend Professor Dugald Stewart informed me, that Dr. Hutton (one of the philosophical society of that place) had...
60To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 17 June 1779 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society In about 3 weeks time I hope to send you every thing complete, relative to a certain collection. There will be an engraving of the head of the party, taken from the larger medallion, of which you sent a miniature-size to Miss G: S.— The motto, given by her father at my request, is “His country’s friend, but more of humankind.” I wanted something that should...
61To Benjamin Franklin from [Benjamin Vaughan], 3 July 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society You will be a little out of humor with a set of your friends here, though secretly but little so, as you must understand the history of their pompous language. For my own part, I think it right to keep up the characters of the men into whose hands the country is likely to fall; for the sake of the people here and in America, and of our enemies; for their...
62To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 31 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I inclose you an extract of a letter from Dr. Priestley to my brother William, on the subject of his late supposed discovery. At the same time I inform you that I have procured a small glass jar, for the purpose of observing the cause of the phœnomenon of the small bits of tea-leaves, which you find whirled to the centre of the bottom of your breakfast cup,...
63To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 8 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Library of Congress I beg to introduce to your kind regards one of my best respected friends, Mr Dugald Stewart, who though as yet little known out of Scotland, is one of the best known men in it. He stands in the very first class of their mathematicians & literary men. He has twice at a day’s warning taken up Dr. Adam Ferguson’s lectures in Moral Philosophy, & twice completely excelled...
64To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 28 April 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society I am sure I shall tell you something which you will have no pleasure in repeating again, when I inform you that Lord Chatham is very ill indeed. Alarming symptoms have appeared, and no likelyhood of his getting rid of them, as he grows weaker every day. This intelligence is fresh from Hayes, where he now is. As I am afraid this great man is dying, I think it...
65From John Adams to Benjamin Vaughan, 14 February 1783 (Adams Papers)
M r Charles Storer, of Boston who has for Sometime past made one of my Family, will have the Honour to deliver you this. On Account of his amiable Qualities and his Discretion, I have presumed to introduce him to you, relying at the Sametime on your Goodness to excuse me for taking Such a Freedom. We expect every hour, and with not a little of Impatience, an Account of the Debates upon the...
66To Benjamin Franklin from Benjamin Vaughan, 9 April 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society After two and one-half years of false starts, editorial anguish, and printer’s delays, Benjamin Vaughan was finally sending Franklin the first set of sheets for Political, Miscellaneous and Philosophical Pieces . The editor’s work was far from finished. He had not yet collected all the pieces he was hoping to include, and he continued to make editorial...
67To John Adams from Benjamin Vaughan, 11 March 1783 (Adams Papers)
I have to apologize to you for having omitted to recollect to put up your two Volumes of Maps, which I beg permission to have the honor to present to you. If possible, they shall go by this opportunity. I do not learn that we have yet fixed our ministry, which does not at all concern me, provided we could fix our principles. I am happy however to find, notwithstanding the factions in...
68Benjamin Vaughan to Shelburne, 24 August 1782 (Jay Papers)
I have no knowledge of any right which I have to add to the number of letters (Already perhaps of a style that may seem improper) which I have at different times written to your lordship, but a fact or two has occurred to my knowledge which I beg to communicate in extreme confidence. On monday last, the 19th the American ministers went to communicate their late conferences with Mr. Oswald, &...
69To John Jay from Benjamin Vaughan, 18 November 1782 (Jay Papers)
I was not very easy on the noon when you first saw me; but I was still less so at dinner , to find there was no post. There was also no post the next day. Judge then my happiness, at finding M r Potter, with letters that contained a little girl, which they called very beautiful; all but the upper lip, which they said was like mine; & M rs Vaughan, as well as possible. I am not fond of ^...
70From John Jay to Benjamin Vaughan, 28 March 1783 (Jay Papers)
Whence came the Idea that the moment a Minister loses a Question in Parli ^ a ^ ment, he must be disp ^ l ^ aced? That Kings should adopt such a maxim is it not very unnatural, but that a free Parliam t . should think an influential Dictator over them necessary to the Governm t . of the kingdom seems rather a new opinion. Parhaps it arose gradually from the Practices of the Court, and the...
71To John Adams from Benjamin Vaughan, 25 February 1783 (Adams Papers)
I have to return you many thanks for your favor of the 14 th: . The renewal of my acquaintance with M r Storer, was a pleasure which I did not so soon expect; and you will find, upon his return, that we did not forget that you have expressed so much interest in him, as an additional motive for our attentions to him in every shape. I have in return to ask the favor of a couple of letters in...
72From John Adams to Benjamin Vaughan, 12 March 1783 (Adams Papers)
M r. Storer arrived yesterday with your favor of 25 th. Ult o. — I thank You for the Pamphlets, which are an Amusement in this place, how little soever there is in them of Sense or Candor. The Refugees however seem to judge right in their own Affair— Sensible that they have no Claim at all upon America for Compensation, they demand it of Great Britain, upon whom the pretensions of some of them...
73Benjamin Vaughan to William Temple Franklin, 5 March 1783 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mrs: Vaughan has ordered your glasses, and we will engage Major White or some earlier passenger, to take care of them as far as Calais. Major White has for some time past had your damping cases from Woodmason, and other articles; so that no censure will fix upon myself for delay. The gout has lately seized him, but I think he will soon be getting abroad...