47671From Benjamin Franklin to Castries, 30 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress Tho’ late, it is with great Pleasure that I congratulate your Excellency, on the high and most important Office in which the discerning Eye of your souveireign has lately thought fit to place you. A severe Access of the Gout which has kept me for a fortnight past in continual Pain & Fever, prevented my sooner waiting on you with my Respects. They are however not the...
47672From Benjamin Franklin to David Hartley: Two Letters, 22 February 1779 (Franklin Papers)
(I) LS , AL (draft), copy, and transcript: Library of Congress; (II) transcript and incomplete copy: Library of Congress I received your Favor of Jany 23d containing the Answer you had received from the Board of Sick and Hurt, in which they say they are taking Measures for the immediate Sending to France the Number of Americans first proposed to be changed, &c. I have heard nothing since of...
47673From Benjamin Franklin to David Hartley, 8 June 1778 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Stanley R. Becker, East Hampton, New York (1976); transcript: Library of Congress I wrote you a few Lines the 25th of last Month, mentioning that we had here 200 English Prisoners, and desiring you to propose an Exchange. I hope you receiv’d my Letter and that I shall soon be favour’d with an Answer. We are oblig’d to keep the Prisoners on Shipboard where I doubt they cannot be...
47674Paragraph on the Treatment of Massachusetts, 14 March 1774 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Public Advertiser , March 14, 1774. It is proper the Public should be informed, that while every Species of Falshood, Invective and Abuse is daily uttered in every Newspaper against the People of Massachusetts Bay; while they are branded as Rebels, Insurgents, &c. while W——e is hired to calumniate them in Speeches and M——t in Pamphlets; the Representatives are absolutely...
47675From Benjamin Franklin to Francis Bernard, 21 April 1764 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : The Hyde Collection, Mrs. Donald F. Hyde, Somerville, N.J. (1955) Mr. Williams has acknowledg’d the Receipt of the £12 12 s. 0 d. Dr. Allison is out of Town, and not expected home these 10 Days. As soon as he returns I will speak to him, and write you his Answer. I communicated your Favour of the 1st. ult. to my Son, who desired me to return his grateful Acknowledgements for your kind...
47676[Elegy on My Sister Franklin, 1722] (Franklin Papers)
Copy: University of Pennsylvania Library The University of Pennsylvania acquired in 1934 an eighty-six line “Elegy on my Sister Franklin,” undated but written in an eighteenth-century hand, and signed “B.F.” The Elegy opens as follows: The manuscript is a sheet of four pages and appears to be a copy of an earlier version, for the penman inadvertently skipped lines 35 and 36, but put them in at...
47677To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 7 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have been honoured with the following Letters from your Excellency during the last Month, viz. of the 4th. 10th. 18th. 22d. 22d. 25th. 26th. and 27th. which I should have answered sooner, but that I waited for a safe Opportunity, having reason to believe that all your Letters to me by the post are opened, and apprehending the same of mine to you. I send herewith the Covers and Seals of those...
47678From Benjamin Franklin to Deborah Franklin, 15 January 1756 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society We move this Day for Gnadenhutten. If you have not Cash sufficient, call upon Mr. Moore, the Treasurer, with that Order of the Assembly, and desire him to pay you £100 of it. If he has not Cash in hand Mr. Norris, (to whom my Respects) will advance it for him. We shall have with us, about 130 Men, and shall endeavour to act cautiously, so as to give the...
47679New Fables, 2 January 1770 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Public Advertiser , January 2, 1770 The first ascription of these fables to Franklin was by Verner Crane, and his evidence is conclusive. When the second and third fables were composed, as distinct from published, is impossible to say; the genesis of the first goes back almost two years, although in the intervening period it changed considerably. NEW FABLES , humbly inscribed to...
47680From Benjamin Franklin to Henry Wilmot, 9 May 1761 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have received the Act you mention, and if tis convenient to you to call at my House on Monday morning any Hour before One, I shall be glad to see you and converse with you on the Subject; being with great Esteem, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant. As in the case of Wilmot’s letter of May 8 (above, p. 314), to which this is a reply, I. Minis Hays...
47681From Benjamin Franklin to Jacques Barbeu-Dubourg, 29 June 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): American Philosophical Society I wrote to you by favour of M. Poissonnier, on the 22d Instant, since which I have received yours of the 20th. with some more Sheets. I have now gone through all that are come to hand, and the following are all the Corrections that occur to me to propose for your Errata, some of which are scarce worth Notice. Premiere Partie Page 295 line 11. from...
47682From Benjamin Franklin to Vergennes, 5 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères I have the honour to communicate to your Excellency herewith three Articles proposed between Mr. Hartley and the American Commissioners, respecting Commerce. He has sent them to his Court for their Approbation. I doubt their Obtaining it; But we shall see. I am with Respect, Sir, Your Excellency’s Most obedient & most humble Servant In the...
47683From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Reed, 1 November 1779 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and two copies: Library of Congress A Gentleman from Holland, one of the Senators of Ziricsee, M. Van Noemer, being desirous of settling in our State, with his Family, and being well recommended to me, as a Person of Character, for Learning & Virtue, & likely to make a good & useful Citizen, I beg leave to present him to your Excellency, and to request for him those Civilities &...
47684From Benjamin Franklin to James Lovell, 30 September 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : National Archives; copies: National Archives, Library of Congress; transcript: National Archives I have within these few Days received a Number of Dispatches from you which have arrived by the Mercury and other Vessels. Hearing but this Instant of an Opportunity from Bordeaux, and that the Courier Sets out from Versailles at 5 this Evening, I embrace it just to let you know that I have...
47685From Benjamin Franklin to Lenoir, 19 August 1781 (Franklin Papers)
AL (draft) and copy: Library of Congress In October last, there came to me a Person who call’d himself Thierry de Lavau, a Frenchman, representing that he had lived some Years in America, had married there & acquired a small Fortune, & had left Virginia with his Wife to come to France, but that the Vessel foundered at Sea, that the People were saved by another Ship in Company, but that he lost...
47686From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Digges, 9 October 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I received the China portrait of Washington in good order, But no other you mention. Nor has the Picture of the good Bishop ever yet appeared, I begin to be in pain about it, having heard nothing of it from any Place on this Side of the Water, and I have more than one Reason for setting a high Value on it. Your Favour of the 20th. & 29th. past came duly to hand, and...
47687From Benjamin Franklin to the Earl of Shelburne, 26 November 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Reprinted from Christie’s auction catalogue “Important Autograph Letters from the Historical Archives of Bowood House” (London, Oct. 12, 1994), p. 35. Mr Vaughan brought me some time since from your Lordship a Remedy you were so kind as to send me for my Gravel. I intended to thank you by him. He staid here much longer than I expected, and when he went it was so suddenly that I had not...
47688From Benjamin Franklin to [American Merchants in France], [after 15 February 1783] (Franklin Papers)
Press copy of ADS : Library of Congress By the 22d Article of the Preliminaries of Peace between the Kings of France & Great Britain, signed the 20th of January 1783. it is agreed that all Vessels should be restored that might be taken In the Channel & North Seas 12 Days after the Ratification of the Articles. Thence as far as the Canaries, whether in the Ocean or Mediterranean, after one...
47689From Benjamin Franklin to John Ellicott, 13 April 1763 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : The London Hospital I yesterday receiv’d your Favour of Jany. 8. and as it would be a particular Pleasure to me to be any way serviceable to your Hospital, I shall cause the Enquiry you desire to be carefully made at New York; and to that end I write to a Friend there by this Post: But as the Father of Capt. Holland is said in the Will to have been of James River, which is in Virginia,...
47690From Benjamin Franklin to Humphry Marshall, 22 April 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I duly received your Favours of the 4th. of October and the 17th. of November. It gave me Pleasure to hear, that tho’ the Merchants had departed from their Agreement of Non-Importation, the Spirit of Industry and Frugality was likely to continue among the People. I am obliged to you for your Concern on my Account. The Letters you mention gave great Offence here;...
47691From Benjamin Franklin to Joseph Galloway, 6 September 1758 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library I have been much in the Country this summer, travelling over great Part of the Kingdom, partly to recover my Health, and partly to improve and increase Acquaintance among Persons of Influence. Being just come to Town, I find this Ship on the Point of Sailing; so can only now say, that I have receiv’d your Favour of July 28. with the Papers enclos’d which I am very...
47692From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Life, 5 June 1775: extract (Franklin Papers)
Extract: Papers of the Earl of Dartmouth deposited in the Staffordshire County Record Office I have just received your Favor of April 5. giving me an Account of the Progress of my Suit. I called at your House just before I came away to settle Matters with You, and it was no small Disappointment to me that I did not meet with You. I did then propose returning in October, but I find Things here...
47693From Benjamin Franklin to Nathaniel Falconer, 18 June 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Historical Society of Pennsylvania I received your kind Letters of May 15. and June 7. and was glad to hear of your Welfare and safe Arrival in England.— I wish you much Success in entring again upon your old Occupation, and should be happy if I could be ready to return in a Ship under your Care. But I have not yet receiv’d the Permission I requested from Congress, nor do I know...
47694From Benjamin Franklin to James Lovell, 7 October 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I receiv’d your Favour (without Date) communicating a Method of Secret Writing, for which I am oblig’d to you. I have since receiv’d yours of July 4. I was very sensible before I left America, of the Inconveniencies attending the Employment of Foreign Officers, and therefore immediately on my Arrival here I gave all the Discouragement in my Power to their...
47695From Benjamin Franklin to William Hodgson, 26 February 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I have just received your favour of the 11th. Instant. I am much oblig’d by your immediate Application to The Board of sick and hurt after the Receipt of mine of Jan. 20th. and Very glad to hear that another Cartel is soon to sail from Plymouth with 100 Americans. The English Prisoners to exchange for them, will be ready at morlaix.— And I am authoriz’d to repeat what...
47696From Benjamin Franklin to Henry Laurens, 19 August 1782 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Massachusetts Historical Society I had the honour of receiving yours of the 7th Instant. The Account you give of your bad State of Health alarms your Friends. Mr Oswald informs me, that the Waters of Bath used to recover you effectually. And tho’ we are very sensible that if you could get well to America, you might be of great Service to the Publick, yet we think the Hazard is too great,...
47697From Benjamin Franklin to Van der Oudermeulen, 22 June 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Two copies: Library of Congress I received the Letter you did me the Honour of writing to me, the 15th. Inst. containing the Sketch of a Plan for commerce with America by establishing there and in Europe Companies with Privileges for that Purpose, upon which you desire my Sentiments. I cannot from so small a Sketch understand fully the Extent of your Plan: But I will mention what occurs to me...
47698To John Adams from Benjamin Franklin, 18 May 1787 (Adams Papers)
I received by D r White the Letter you did me the honour of writing to me the 27th of January, together with two Copies of your Defence of the American Constitutions, one for myself for which I beg you would accept my Thanks, the other for the Philosophical Society, whose Secretary will of course officially acknowledge the Obligation. That Work is in such Request here, that it is already put...
47699From Benjamin Franklin to the Eastern Navy Board, 15 March 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress I acquainted you in a former Letter, that there were great Misunderstandings between Capt. Landais and the other Officers of his ship. These Differences arose to such a Height, that the Captain once wrote me, he would quit the Command rather than continue with them. Some of them leaving the Ship, that Disturbance Seem’d to be quieted. But there has Since arisen...
47700From Benjamin Franklin to William Temple Franklin, 13 June 1775 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I wonder’d it was so long before I heard from you. The Packet it seems was brought down to Philadelphia, and carry’d back to Burlington before it came hither. I am glad to learn by your Letters that you are happy in your new Situation, and that tho’ you ride out sometimes, you do not neglect your Studies. You are now in that time of Life which is the...