53911To Benjamin Franklin from William Withering, [before 17 April 1784] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in William Withering, The Miscellaneous Tracts of the Late William Withering; to Which is Prefixed a Memoir of His Life, Character, and Writings (2 vols., London, 1822), II , 485–6. Believing the passing of the stone to be impossible, the extraction of it unadvisable, and that no known medicine can dissolve it, I shall turn my attention to such methods as will be most likely to prevent...
53912From Benjamin Franklin to David Hartley, 17 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: William L. Clements Library The Commissioners have received the Letter you did them the honour of writing to them the 9th Instant, and are glad to learn that they may expect the Pleasure of seeing you soon again at Paris. It is a particular Satisfaction to me, as it will give me an opportunity of communicating an Idea to you in Conversation which may tend to promote your excellent views...
53913From Benjamin Franklin to Henry Laurens, 17 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : New York Public Library I have received your Favours of March 28. and April 7.— I am glad that Mr Hartley’s being luckily at Bath, sav’d you the Fatigue of a Journey to London. His Letter to you, of which you sent us a Copy, was very satisfactory. By one he has written to us, of the 9th Instant, we find that he expects to be here in a few Days.— I have not yet had the Pleasure of seeing...
53914From Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Vaughan, 17 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: American Philosophical Society Since I wrote to you respecting Dr. Withering, I have received a very satisfactory Letter from him. So this Affair need not give you father [farther] Trouble.— I am sorry to hear you are hurt by a Fall from your Horse. I hope the Effects will not be lasting; and that by this time you are recover’d. It will give me great Pleasure to hear that our...
53915From Benjamin Franklin to John Walter, 17 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Copy and transcript: Library of Congress I have received a Book for which I understand I am obliged to you, the Introduction to Logography.— I have read it with Attention, and as far as I understand it am much pleas’d with it. I do not perfectly comprehend the Arrangement of his Cases; but the Reduction of the Number of Pieces, by the Roots of Words and their different Terminations is...
53916To Benjamin Franklin from Edward Nathaniel Bancroft, 17 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I have received your two very kind letters of which the first was not dated & the last dated Passy March 26th. 1784 & I am very happy to find that you are well & I hope your Grandson Benjamin Franklin Bache is also. I received Mr Bache’s letter & answered it & which I hope, by this time, he has received.— My dear Mama, whom I have seen not long ago, has...
53917To Benjamin Franklin from Louis de Boislandry and Other Offerers of Goods and Schemes, 18 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Between March and mid-August, 1784, Franklin received far fewer unsolicited letters concerning commerce with America than he did during and immediately following the peace negotiations. The one from Louis de Boislandry, printed as a sample, is from an already established firm. As before, a number of authors sent or threatened to send copies of their work,...
53918To Benjamin Franklin from Henry Laurens: Two Letters, 18 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
(I) and (II) ALS : Library of Congress; copy: University of South Carolina Library I beg leave to refer to my Letter of the 7th. Inst. by the hands of Mr. Bourdieu. Mr. Hartley call’d upon me the 13th. at Bath & return’d a verbal answer. “The King had ordered him immediately to Paris for exchanging the Ratifications.” & he accordingly goes & will do me the honor of delivering this. Nothing...
53919To Benjamin Franklin from Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, [19 April 1784?] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Mon Illustre docteur Je comptois bien avoir Lhonneur de vous aller voir ce Soir et de me dèdommager du tems que jai passe Sans aller vous attaquer ou me deffendre aux echcs Mais malheureusement un petit accès de fièvre m’empeche de Sortir. Une autre raison qui me faisoit desirer d’avoir Lhonneur de vous voir ce Soir c’etoit pour vous rappeller que Les...
53920To Benjamin Franklin from Charles Thomson, 19 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society In my last I informed you that I had taken measures to gain information respecting Mr Marggrander and the other persons enquired after. The enclosed is a copy of letter I have received from our old neighbour Reuben Haines in answer to my enquiries touching Marggrander. With respect to the others I have yet heard nothing— Give me leave my dear Sir to...
53921From Benjamin Franklin to Jonathan Williams, Sr., 20 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Biblioteca Labronica The Bearer, Mr Biederman, is recommended to me by Persons of Distinction, as a Gentleman of Worth & very respectable Character, charged with the Concerns and Interest of many principal Manufacturers and Merchants in Saxony, between which Country and ours I should be glad to see a commercial Intercourse opened and established, as it might be advantageous to both. I...
53922John Adams to Franklin and John Jay, 20 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Columbia University Library; copy: Massachusetts Historical Society I have just now received the Letter which Dr Franklin did me the Honour to write me on the 16th. with the Copy of the Treaty with Sweeden. I have before inclosed the King of Prusisas Project of a Treaty, prepared as I am assured by his Minister with his own Hand in his private Cabinet. I believe it has been reserved to...
53923To Benjamin Franklin from William Carmichael, 20 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society Inclosed I have the honor to send you a Letter from the house of Drouilhet advising me of their having drawn upon your Excellency for £s [ l.t. ] 13447.5. s. at 60 days date making the Sum of 54000 Rials de Vn. [Veillon] or 2700 Dollars for the payment of a bill drawn by Mr Morris on me which bill became due since my Departure from Madrid.— I intended to...
53924To Benjamin Franklin from David Barclay, 21 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society My Nephews Daniel Bell & David Barclay being likely to spend a few days at Paris, I take the freedom to introduce them to Thee, as well for the favour of Thy Countenance, as to bring me Information of Thy Welfare— The long Winter and uncommonly late Spring have been disadvantageous to many Constitutions, in wch I have had a Share, & hope, Thine has not...
53925To Benjamin Franklin from Jacob Duché, Jr., 21 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I take the Liberty of addressing your Excellency on a Subject, in which I am sure you will find your Philosophy as well as Humanity not a little interested. The eldest Daughter of Mr George Meade, a respectable Merchant & Citizen of Philadelphia,—a young Lady of about 15 Years of Age, has now been above Six Months in England, under the Care of some of the...
53926To Benjamin Franklin from Gaetano Filangieri, 21 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Translation of ALS in Italian: Historical Society of Pennsylvania On the 20th of November of last year, 1783, I sent you the fourth volume of my work on La scienza della legislazione, and a few days later I shipped, via Marseille, a trunk containing more copies of the same volume, in the same quantity as the other volumes you had previously received through Mr. Pio. Before that, I had sent you...
53927To Benjamin Franklin from Samuel Cooper Johonnot, 21 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I arriv’d here the 12th Jany., after a Voyage, & Journey, exceedingly laborious, & disagreeable.— Fourteen Days sooner, I could have had the Satisfaction, of seeing my Grandpappa.— Why did I arrive later?— I acknowledge the Fault. It will not bear Reflection:— May the Lesson prove as useful, as ’tis severe. I really deserv’d a harder Stroke, than Your...
53928From Benjamin Franklin to Benjamin Webb, 22 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
Transcript: Library of Congress I received your’s of the 15th. Instant, and the Memorial it inclosed. The account they give of your situation grieves me. I send you herewith a Bill for Ten Louis d’ors. I do not pretend to give such a Sum. I only lend it to you. When you shall return to your Country with a good Character, you cannot fail of getting into some Business that will in time enable...
53929If Life’s Compared to a Feast, 22 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
AD : New York Public Library; transcript: Library of Congress William Temple Franklin found this poem among his grandfather’s papers and claimed that it was entitled “B. F.’s Adieu!” The sole extant autograph, written on a small sheet of paper, has no title. Beautifully penned, as though intended for presentation, it fills the sheet, with the dateline placed in the bottom left corner. Whether...
53930To Benjamin Franklin from Robert Pigott, [between 22 April 1784 and 18 May 1784?] (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I had proposed myself the honor of dining to day at Passy, but Business of the day has prevented me of having that Pleasure As I propose going to England early on Sunday morning, I shall be proud to receive your commands and of executing any of your orders As I am with the greatest Respect & Regard dear Sir Your most faithful & obed Sert. Addressed: A Son...
53931From Benjamin Franklin to Jan Ingenhousz, 23 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Myron Kaller & Associates, Inc., Asbury Park, New Jersey (1989) I did intend to have written you a long Letter by the good Bishop, but cannot now accomplish it.— You will however have it very soon.— Fearing that the Seeds for your Friend might not arrive in time, to be planted this Spring, and having received a Box for some of my Acquaintance here, I sent a Part to you, to be dispos’d of...
53932To Benjamin Franklin from Cadet de Vaux, 23 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society J’ai l’honneur de vous Envoyer l’Epreuve de la lettre que vous avés eu la complaisance de me remettre. Je vous prie de la faire repasser au Bureau du journal de Paris (rue Grenelle St honoré) DIMANCHE AVANT 9 HEURES , afin qu’elle paraisse dans la feuille du lundi, le dimanche nous laissant un peu plus d’espace dans le Journal du lundi, par la Suppression...
53933Franklin et al.: Report to the Académie Royale des Sciences, 24 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
D : Académie des sciences, Procès-verbaux, CIII (1784), 90–5. M.M. Franklin, Le Roy, Coulomb, Delaplace et l’abbé Rochon, ont fait le rapport suivant. M. le Marêchal de ségur ayant envoyé à l’Acade. deux projets, pour armer de paratonnerres, les magasins à poudre de la ville de Marseille et mandé dans la Lettre qui les accompagnoit, que le Roi desiroit que la compagnie les fit examiner et en...
53934To Benjamin Franklin from Pierre-Isaac Poissonnier, 26 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
AL : American Philosophical Society On March 12, 1784, the French government ordered the Faculté de médecine to conduct an investigation of animal magnetism. It had been six years since the man who claimed to have discovered it, Franz Anton Mesmer, had established an independent medical practice in Paris, and three years since the last of several attempts to examine his methods had failed....
53935David Hartley’s “Project of a Treaty,” [after 27 April 1784] (Franklin Papers)
AD : Library of Congress On September 4, 1783, the day after signing the definitive treaty of peace with the United States, the British negotiator David Hartley put in writing the assurance he had given the American peace commissioners during the signing ceremony: that “in a very short time” the parties would renew the suspended negotiations for a commercial convention. Hartley delivered this...
53936To Benjamin Franklin from Richard Bache, 28 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I take this opportunity Via Amsterdam with pleasure to acquaint you, of Sally’s safe delivery of a fine boy, whom we intend calling Richard; and that she is well down Stairs again, and the Child perfectly hearty— We have no Letters from you since Barney’s arrival, we are however flattering ourselves with the pleasure of seeing you this approaching Summer;...
53937From Benjamin Franklin to John Jay, 29 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
AL : Columbia University Library Mr Franklin presents his respectful Compliments to Mr Jay, and sends a rough Draft of a Letter to Mr Adams, which he prays Mr Jay to correct to his Mind, and then permit the Bearer to copy it fair in his House, that it may receive his Signature, as Mr F. must send it away early to-morrow morning. He requests to know how the Family does, fearing there may be...
53938Franklin and John Jay to John Adams, 29 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Massachusetts Historical Society We received the Letter you did us the honour of writing to us the 10th. Inst, with the project of a Treaty that had been transmitted to you by the Baron de Thulemeier, which we have examined, & return herewith, having made a few small Additions or Changes of Words to be proposed, such as Citoyens for Sujets and the like, and intimated some Explanations as...
53939From Benjamin Franklin to Mary Hewson, 29 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : American Philosophical Society I receiv’d yours of the 2d Inst. dated at Blackfriars. I had but just receiv’d the Wheels you mention. The Ice had prevented their coming up the River. I shall write to Mr Viney as soon as I can. In the mean time please to acquaint him that they came to hand well and that I like them.— I enclose a Specimen of a new Work by the Author of L’Ami des Enfans,...
53940From Benjamin Franklin to Henry Laurens, 29 April 1784 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Yale University Library; press copy of ALS : Library of Congress I received your Favour by Mr Bourdieu, and yesterday another of the 18th. per Mr Hartley, who also gave me the Gazette with the Proclamation. I am with you very little uneasy about that, or any other Measures the Ministry may think proper to take with respect to the Commerce with us. We shall do very well.— They have long...