From Benjamin Franklin to Richard Bache, 11 November 1784
To Richard Bache
ALS: British Library
Passy, Nov. 11. 1784
Dear Son,
I received your Letters of the 28th. of August, and 10th of September, with the Newspapers by M. Sailly, but they were very incompleat and broken Sets, many being omitted perhaps the most material, which is disagreable to me who wish to be well inform’d of what is doing among you. I was glad to receive the good Account B & S6 have given of their good Treatment of those trifling Correspondents.— Your Family having pass’d well thro’ the Summer gives me great Pleasure. I still hope to see them before I die. Benny continues well, and grows amazingly. He is a very sensible and a very good Lad, and I love him much. I had Thoughts of bringing him up under his Cousin, and fitting him for Public Business, thinking he might be of Service hereafter to his Country; but being now convinc’d that Service is no Inheritance, as the Proverb says,7 I have determin’d to give him a Trade that he may have something to depend on, and not be oblig’d to ask Favours or Offices of any body. And I flatter my self he will make his way good in the World with God’s Blessing. He has already begun to learn his Business from Masters who come to my House,* and is very diligent in working and quick in learning.— He will write by this Opportunity.—8
I can say nothing certain with respect to my Return at present. In the Spring I may see clearer. My Malady tho’ it does not permit my using a Carriage, is otherwise tolerable. I enjoy the Company of my Friends, and pass my time as well as can be expected for an Exile. My Love to Sally and the Children, from Your affectionate Father
B. Franklin
Mr R Bache
6. RB’s firm, Bache and Shee.
7. Poor Richard never said it, but the proverb was well known. BF must be alluding to his disappointment in failing to secure a diplomatic post for WTF: XLII, 242; Outline of an Unsent Letter to Charles Thomson, [before Nov. 11], above.
8. BFB had learned to print in 1783; his first broadside is in XLI, facing p. 353. Hémery began teaching BFB typefounding in October, 1784. (For that arrangement see the headnote to Pierres’ letter of Oct. 12.) BFB briefly mentions the training in his Nov. 11 letter to his father: “I am now learning to cast types and am casting a set of types which amounts to 43120.” He devotes more space to explaining how BF might be able to travel home: “My Grandpapa is well & I hope he will be able to go to America next Summer he has only to walk from his house of Passy to the river & that is a quater of a Mile, and from the port of Philadelphia to his house the rest of the Voyage he can do by water which is an easy Way by following the Stream of the river and crossing the Ocean.” APS.