Benjamin Franklin Papers

From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 1 October 1747

To Cadwallader Colden

ALS: New-York Historical Society

Philada. Oct. 1. 1747

Sir

I send you herewith the History of the Five Nations. You will perceive that Osborne, to puff up the Book, has inserted the Charters &c. of this Province, all under the Title of History of the Five Nations, which I think was not fair, but ’tis a common Trick of Booksellers.4

Mr. James Read, to whom Mr. Osborne has sent a Parcel of Books by Recommendation of Mr. Collinson, being engag’d in Business of another kind, talks of declining to act in Disposing of them, and perhaps may put them into my Hands. If he should, I will endeavour to do Mr. Osborne Justice in disposing of them to the best Advantage, as also of any other Parcel he may send me from your Recommendation.

Mr. Armit is return’d well from N England; As he has your Power of Attorney, and somewhat more Leisure at present than I have, I think to put your Letter to J. Hughes into his Hands, and desire him to manage the Affair of your Servant. I shall write a Line besides to Hughes, that he would assist in obliging the Servant to do you Justice, which may be of some Service, as he owns himself oblig’d to me for recovering a Servant for him that had been gone above a 12 month. I am, Sir Your most humble Servant

B Franklin

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

4Osborne’s edition of Colden’s History had a second, separately paged, section of 283 pages containing the author’s early papers on the Indian trade in New York; reports of Indian treaties at Philadelphia, 1742, at Lancaster, 1744, and at Albany, 1746; and—the particular object of BF’s scorn—the charters and other basic laws of Pennsylvania.

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