45961From Benjamin Franklin to William Greene, 8 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress If M. le Prince de Broglie in passing thro’ your State should happen to be near you, I request you would show him all the Civilities that are due to Strangers of Merit & Character. His good Will to our Country and Zeal for its Cause, join’d to his amiable personal Qualities, will make it a Pleasure to you to render him any Services he may stand in need of.— You will...
45962From Benjamin Franklin to Joshua Babcock, 26 February 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library It is a long time since I have had the Pleasure of a Line from you; indeed I have not deserv’d it; for I am a Debtor on Account of several of your Favours that remain unanswer’d. The Truth is, I have too much Writing to do. It confines me so much, that I can scarcely find time for sufficient Bodily Exercise to keep me in Health. Hence I grow more and more averse...
45963From Benjamin Franklin to Gourlade & Moylan, 14 February 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Two copies: Library of Congress I received the Letter you honoured me with of the Instant, relating to the Arms left by Capt. Jones. They are to be shipt on board the Marquis de la Fayette; and it may be done as soon as she arrives, if Mr. Williams who has the Care of loading her, has not other Goods that he chuses should be placed lowest. I have the honour to be, with much Esteem, Gentlemen,...
45964From Benjamin Franklin to Henry Laurens, 25 May 1782 (Franklin Papers)
LS : South Carolina Historical Society; copy: Library of Congress; transcript: National Archives I am now honour’d with yours of the 17th. I had before receiv’d one of the 17th. which remain’d unanswer’d, because from the Words in it, “when I reach the Continent, which will probably happen in a few Days,” I flatter’d myself with the Pleasure of seeing you here. That Hope is disappointed by...
45965From Benjamin Franklin to Durival, 24 July 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England Being much oppress’d by the Heat of this Weather, I dare not attempt the Journey to Versailles. I therefore send my Grandson, who will affix my Seal to the Instruments, and bring that which appertains to me. I am to request at the same time that you would give Directions to the Tresor Royal, &c, for Returning to me all the Promises I have heretofore...
45966Preface to Joseph Galloway’s Speech, [11 August 1764] (Franklin Papers)
The Speech of Joseph Galloway, Esq; One of the Members for Philadelphia County; In Answer To the Speech of John Dickinson, Esq; Delivered in the House of Assembly, of the Province of Pennsylvania, May 24, 1764. On Occasion of a Petition drawn up by Order, and then under the Consideration of the House; praying his Majesty for a Royal, in lieu of a Proprietary Government . (Philadelphia: Printed...
45967Concerning Mr. Merckle, [after 2 June? 1777] (Franklin Papers)
AD : University of Pennsylvania Library J. P. Merckle had arrived in Bordeaux on the Dispatch and had contracted, but not paid for, a small consignment of goods for her return voyage. He had then gone to the Netherlands, and ordered supplies worth far more than the secret committee had authorized him to spend. In February Lee had complained that the Dispatch was waiting in Bordeaux for a...
45968From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 28 June 1751 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library I receiv’d yours of March 26. with the Books per Smith in good Order: And your Account, which agrees with mine except in a Trifle, the Share of the Charges on Ainsworth carried to J. Read’s Account. I am concern’d at your laying so long out of your Money, and must think of some Way of making you Amends. I have wrote to Smith at Antigua to quicken him in...
45969From Benjamin Franklin to Jane Mecom, 26 February 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I hope you continue well, as I do, Thanks to God. Be of good Courage. Bad Weather does not last always in any Country. Supposing it may be agreable to you, I send you a Head they make here and sell at the China Shops. My Love to your Children, and to Cousin Williams and Family. I am ever Your affectionate Brother BF , in writing Bowdoin the day before, had...
45970From Benjamin Franklin to Hugh Roberts, 7 July 1765 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Historical Society of Pennsylvania Your kind Favour of May 20th. by the Hand of our good Friend Mr. Neave, gave me great Pleasure. I find on these Occasions, that Expressions of Steady continued Friendship such as are contain’d in your Letter, tho’ but from one or a few honest and sensible Men who have long known us, afford a Satisfaction that far outweighs the clamorous Abuse of 1000...
45971From Benjamin Franklin to John Tyler, 22 August 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): American Philosophical Society I received yours of May 16. and am glad to hear you are well. I hope your Nailing Scheme may answer. I was lately in Birmingham, and saw your Friends there who are well. A Box has been committed to my Care for you, which I send herewith. I should have been glad of an Opportunity of rendring any Service or Pleasure to the young Man you...
45972From Benjamin Franklin to Noble Wimberly Jones, 4 August 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I hope you continue well tho’ I have not had the Pleasure of hearing from you since your Favour of Jan. 13. The Seeds I sent you last Year were not as you supposed from that Mr. Ellis who had been your Governor, but from another of the Name, Author of the enclos’d Pamphlet. I now send you a few more East India Seeds which I had from another Quarter....
45973From Benjamin Franklin to Catharine Greene, 1 August 1763 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I ought to acquaint you that I feel myself growing daily firmer and freeer from the Effects of my Fall; and hope a few Days more will make me quite forget it. I shall however never forget the Kindness I met with at your House on that Occasion. Make my Compliments acceptable to your Mr. Greene, and let him know that I acknowledge the Receipt of his obliging...
45974From Benjamin Franklin to Dumas, 9 May 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library; copy: Library of Congress I received yours with a Copy of the Resolution of the 26th past which gave me a great deal of Pleasure. If one Nicholas Davis, who lodges in the Warmoes Straat Amsterdam, at the House of Jan Hendrik Consé, should apply to you for Assistance as an American, I desire you to take no Notice of him for he has already cheated us of considerable...
45975From Benjamin Franklin to Josiah Tucker, 12 February 1774 (Franklin Papers)
Copy and transcript: Library of Congress Being informed by a Friend that some severe Strictures on my Conduct and Character had appeared in a new Book published under your respectable Name, I purchased and read it. After thanking you sincerely for those Parts of it that [are so] instructive on Points of great Importance to the common Interests of mankind, permit [me to] complain, that if by...
45976From Benjamin Franklin to John Winthrop, 1 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): Library of Congress I received your kind Letter of Feb. 28. which gave me great Pleasure. I forwarded your Letter to Dr. Price, who was well lately, but his Friends, on his Acct., were under some Apprehensions from the Violence of Government, in consequence of his late excellent Publications in favour of Liberty. I wish all the Friends of Liberty and Man would quit that Sink of...
45977From Benjamin Franklin to Caroline Edes, 13 December 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Press copy of ALS : Library of Congress I return enclos’d the Letter from my Friend Mr Bridgen, which I receiv’d from you last Night. You will be so good as to acquaint him in answer to his first Question, If any Fund was establish’d for the Support of Mr Laurens? that being informed about the Middle of last Month by a Friend in London of Mr L’s being in want of Money, I wrote on the 19th. to...
45978From Benjamin Franklin to Nathan Blodget, 19 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I lately received yours of the 3d inst. I conceive that it is with the Capt. alone to give his Officers Leave of Absence; and that If I had such a Power it would be very improper for me to exercise it, especially at this Distance, unacquainted as I must be with the Persons & Circumstances. For it might be attended with great Inconveniencies to the Service & would...
45979From Benjamin Franklin to La Rochefoucauld, 8 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Bibliothèque municipale, Mantes M. Franklin presents his Respects to M. le Duc de Rochefoucauld, and will, with his Grandson, have the honour of Dining with Made. la Duchesse d’Enville on Monday the 16th. agreable to her obliging Invitation. He will also mention it to Mr. Deane. M. Franklin will expect with Pleasure, the Honour intended him by M. le Duc, of taking a Breakfast with him to...
45980From Benjamin Franklin to David Sears, 16 February 1779 [i.e., 17] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress There is no Article in the Treaty between France & the U. S. which entitles us to the Payment of such Duties only as the Subjects of France are liable to. The Stipulation is, that We shall not be obliged to pay greater Duties than are paid by the most favor’d foreign Nations. Your Correspondent at Rochelle by informing himself what those Duties are respecting furs,...
45981From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Templeman, 12 August 1763 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Royal Society of Arts In my Journey from Philadelphia hither, I have had the Pleasure of meeting with sundry Persons in different Places, who are attempting the Produce of Silk from the Encouragement offered by the Society: And am persuaded that in time you will see very considerable Effects of that Encouragement. The Produce of Potash, cheap enough to be exported with Profit to Britain,...
45982The Reply of Homo Trium Literarum, 16 February 1774 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Public Advertiser , February 16, 1774. This is one of the many contributions to the press that may or may not have been Franklin’s. The only evidence is internal, and it supports nothing more than the most tentative conclusion. One bit of evidence that he was the author is the signature: who would assume the character of Wedderburn’s victim except the victim himself? Who else,...
45983From Benjamin Franklin to John Ross, 28 August 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received yesterday your favour of the 23d. proposing a Ship to be freighted for our Goods. I some time since put that Business into the Hands of M. Williams, who has agreed for a Ship accordingly, that is large enough to take all we have to send. He will inform you of the Particulars. I am nevertheless thankful to you for your Obliging Attention to this important...
45984From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 18 October 1748 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Pierpont Morgan Library I have receiv’d your several Favours of April 1. June 2. June 14 and Augt. 20, and some others, with all the Books and Pamphlets you have sent at sundry Times for the Library Company: We wish it were in our Power to do you or any Friend of yours some Service in Return for your long-continued Kindness to us. I am pleas’d to hear that my Electrical Experiments were...
45985From Benjamin Franklin to Michel, 19 February 1785 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft): Library of Congress The Humanity you have shown to that miserable young Female, Elizabeth Tingis, is very laudable, notwithstanding the Depravity of her Character. If it be true that she is of a respectable Family in America, there can be no doubt but they will repay the Expence with Thanks; but I never knew there any Family of that Name, and I question her being an American; I...
45986From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Percival, [June? 1771] (Franklin Papers)
Extract printed in Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester , II (1785), 110–13. The following letter marks the beginning, as far as we know, of Franklin’s interest in the question of where and how raindrops grow. This question, one of the key ones in modern cloud physics, had been posed two years earlier in a form that threw investigators off the track for years to...
45987From Benjamin Franklin to Isaac Norris, 19 March 1759 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Yale University Library This unusually full and explicit letter describes more clearly than virtually any other contemporary document the attitude of leading members of the ministry on some of the constitutional questions which were to become increasingly important in the relations between the colonies and the mother country during the next fifteen or sixteen years. In the light of what...
45988From Benjamin Franklin to Schweighauser, 19 March 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have just received your favour of the 16 inst. I think it right that those poor Prisoners who want necessary Clothing shou’d be supply’d. Humanity requires it. I send you herewith Copies of several Letters written to Capt. Landais by which you will see that he has for some Time had the most positive Orders from me to take your Directions and make the greatest...
45989From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 2 June 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society This just informs you I am well and received yours by the April Packet. I shall write fully to you and all Friends by Osborn. My Love to Sally, Mr. Bache, the Child, and all that love us. I can now only add, that I am ever Your affectionate Husband
45990From Benjamin Franklin to the Marquis de Lafayette, 3 August 1779 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received two Letters you did me the honour of writing to me from Havre but have never Since had any News worth communicating to you.— Here is indeed a little Vessel arriv’d at Brest, which brings me a great many old Letters and newspapers, but no Dispatches of Importance.— I have the Pleasure however of seeing by the address of Congress which I send you inclos’d...