From Benjamin Franklin to William Smith, 4 July 1771
To William Smith
ALS: Huntington Library
London, July 4. 1771
Reverend Sir,
I received the Box containing eleven Copies of the Transactions sent me by order of the Society, and have already delivered most of them as directed.2 There should be more care taken by the Binder in collating the Sheets, particularly of Books sent so far. The Book for the Society of Arts had one Sheet twice over, and the Duplicate was return’d to me on a Supposition that it might be wanting in some other Volume. This I did not find: But the Book for Dr. Fothergill wanted a Sheet in the Appendix to the Astronomical Papers, from p. 33 to 40 inclusive, and the other Sheet would not supply the Defect. When the other Box arrives, I shall take care to deliver and dispose of the Books agreable to the Intentions of the Society. I am, Sir, Your humble Servant
B Franklin
Dr. Smith, Secry. to Philosl. Society
2. For the dispatch of the first volume of the APS Trans. see Smith to BF above, May 3. Smith eventually sent the missing sheet and more copies for distribution; see his letter to BF below, May 16, 1772. On the title page of a copy in the APS is a note in BF’s hand, “Proposed and Set on foot, 1744 by B.F. —dormant some Years: resum’d in 1768—united to a new one 1769.” For the revival and reunion see above, XV, 259–61.