81“The Morals of Chess”, [before 28 June 1779] (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from The Columbian Magazine , I (December, 1786), 159–61; incomplete copy: American Philosophical Society Franklin and chess have long been associated in the popular mind largely because of this bagatelle, which was the most widely reprinted product of his Passy press. Made public for the first time in 1786, it would be reprinted at least a dozen times by the end of the century, and...
82Report of a Committee on By-Laws for St. John’s Lodge, [5 June 1732] (Franklin Papers)
MS not found; reprinted from Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Abstract of the Proceedings … 1885 , pp. 37–9. The Committee you have been pleased to appoint to consider of the present State of the Lodge, and of the properest Methods to improve it, in obedience to your commands have met, and, after much and mature Deliberation, have come to the following Resolutions: 1. That since the excellent...
83[Louis Timothée?] to the Reader, 24 June 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in Philadelphische Zeitung , June 24, 1732. Wiewohl ich geglaubet hätte, dass sich unter denen teutschen Einwohnern dieses Landes mehr Liebhaber solten gefunden haben, die dieses zumahl vor junge Persohnen so nützliche werck, die ausgabe der Zeitungen nehmlich, befördern, und dazu mit anstehen würden; so erstrecket sich doch die anzahl derer die sich dazu unterschrieben haben vor jetzo...
84Query to the Casuist: A Case of Conscience, 26 June 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , June 26, 1732; also draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I am puzzled with a certain Case of Conscience, which I would gladly have well solved; and if the acute Gentleman who has sometimes in your Paper assum’d the Name of Casuist , would undertake the Discussion, it will exceedingly oblige, Your Friend and Reader, &c. The Case is this; Suppose A...
85From the Casuist: A Case of Conscience, 3 July 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 3, 1732; also draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The Case of Conscience propos’d to me in you last Gazette, does not require much Consideration to give an Answer. It should seem that the Proposer of that Case, is either no Christian, or a very ill instructed one; otherwise he might easily have learnt his Duty from these positive Laws of...
86Anti-Casuist: A Case of Conscience, [3 July 1732] (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania Anti Casuist says: I allow the Heighnousness of the Crime, &c. Whether I am a Christian or a Man of Reason, I am not unjustifiable in doing it, from these Considerations. If my Wife commits Adultery with him, she thereby dissolves the Bond of Marriage between her and me, and makes us two separate and single Persons. The Laws of every Country and even...
87Anthony Afterwit, 10 July 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 10, 1732; also draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I am an honest Tradesman, who never meant Harm to any Body. My Affairs went on smoothly while a Batchelor; but of late I have met with some Difficulties, of which I take the Freedom to give you an Account. About the Time I first address’d my present Spouse, her Father gave out in Speeches, that...
88Celia Single, 24 July 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 24, 1732; also draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I must needs tell you, that some of the Things you print do more Harm than Good; particularly I think so of my Neighbour the Tradesman’s Letter in one of your late Papers, which has broken the Peace of several Families, by causing Difference between Men and their Wives: I shall give you here...
89Alice Addertongue, 12 September 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , September 12, 1732; also draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I was highly pleased with your last Week’s Paper upon Scandal , as the uncommon Doctrine therein preach’d is agreeable both to my Principles and Practice, and as it was published very seasonably to reprove the Impertinence of a Writer in the foregoing Thursdays Mercury , who at the...
90Joseph Breintnall to Peter Collinson, 7 November 1732 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum; also MS Minute Book: Library Company of Philadelphia Your Goodness in assisting Mr. Hopkinson in the Choice and Purchase of our Books, and the valuable Present you have so generously made us, demand our most grateful Acknowledgements. An Undertaking like ours, was as necessary here, as we hope it will be useful; there being no Manner of Provision made by the Government...
91Reply to a Complaining Reader, 9 November 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 9, 1732. As you sometimes take upon you to correct the Publick, you ought in your Turn patiently to receive publick Correction. My Quarrel against you is, your Practice of publishing under the Notion of News, old Transactions which I suppose you hope we have forgot. For Instance, in your Numb. 669, you tell us from London of July 20. That the...
92Agreement between Louis Timothée and Directors of Library Company, 14 November 1732 (Franklin Papers)
DS : New York Public Library Memorandum of Agreement indented and made the fourteenth Day of November Anno Dom. One thousand seven hundred and thirty two between Louis Timothée of the City of Philadelphia Gentleman Of the one part and Benjamin Franklin Robert Grace Thomas Godfrey William Maugridge John Nicholas John Jones junr Hugh Roberts Anthony Nicholas William Parsons and Henry Pratt a...
93On Colds, 30 November 1732 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 30, 1732. From all Parts of this Province, and even from Maryland, People complain of Colds, which are become more general than can be remember’d in these Parts before. Some ascribe this Distemper to the sudden Change of Weather into hard Frost, which we had about the middle of November; but others believe it contagious, and think ’tis...
94Poor Richard, 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1733. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1733, … By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, at the New Printing-Office near the Market. (Reprinted from the copy of the first impression in the Rosenbach Foundation. A copy of the third impression is in Historical Society of Pennsylvania.) A successful almanac was a valuable source of income to a...
95Extracts from the Gazette, 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 4 to December 31, 1733 Yesterday, being Market Day, Watt who was concern’d in the Counterfeit Money, as mentioned in one of our late Papers, receiv’d part of his Punishment, being whipt, pilloried and cropt. He behaved so as to touch the Compassion of the Mob, and they did not fling at him (as was expected) neither Snow-balls nor any Thing else. We...
96Slippery Sidewalks, 11 January 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 11, 1732/3. Walking the Street on one of these late slippery Mornings, I caught two terrible Falls, which made me, by way of Precaution for the future, get my Shoes frosted before I went home: for I am a stiff old Fellow, and my Joints none of the most pliant. At the Door before which I fell last, stood a Gentleman-like Looby, with a couple of...
97Directors of Library Company to Thomas Penn and Reply, 16 May 1733 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : Friends Library, London; also MS Minute Book, Library Company of Philadelphia; printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , May 31, 1733. Franklin and the Directors of the Library Company had learned that the Proprietor would welcome an address praying his “Countenance and Protection” of their young institution, and on May 14 a committee composed of Franklin, Thomas Hopkinson, William Coleman,...
98Agreement of Directors of Library Company, 28 May 1733 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : Historical Society of Pennsylvania We the Subscribers hereto, Directors of the Library Company of Philadelphia, do hereby agree and promise each one of us with and to the rest that we will endeavour at all Times hereafter to duly attend at the Monthly Meetings of the said Directors and at such intervening Meetings as shall at such Monthly Meetings be by the Directors present agreed on....
99Remarks on a South Carolina Currency Scheme, 31 May 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , May 31, 1733. As there are frequently Things published in the neighbouring Provinces, which to see would be agreeable to my Readers, but being of too great a Length, I have been obliged either to retail ’em Piecemeal, which disjoints or breaks the Connection of Thoughts, or wholly to omit them; I am therefore lately advised to abstract and give the...
100Receipted Bill to the Proprietors, 25 June 1733 (Franklin Papers)
ADS : Friends Library, London 1. For printing 5 Sheets at 30 s. per Sheet £ 7 10 – 2. For Paper 5 Ream, and 5/6 of a Ream at 20 s. 5 16 8 3. For Stitching 500 Books, and pasting the Maps at 6 s. per Hund. 1 10 – 4. For cutting the Mapp in Wood
101A Scolding Wife, 5 July 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 5, 1733. In the copy of this issue of the Gazette in the Yale University Library a typographical error in the essay has been corrected in a hand that appears to be Franklin’s. The presumed source of this correction and the style of the essay are the reasons why the editors believe it may have been written by Franklin. ’Tis an old Saying and a true...
102On Ill-Natured Speaking, 12 July 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 12, 1733; also draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. To the Printer of the Gazette . ’Tis strange that among Men, who are born for Society and mutual Solace, there should be any who take Pleasure in speaking disagreeable Things to their Acquaintance: But such there are, I assure you, and I should be glad if a little publick Chastisement might be...
103[A Meditation on a Quart Mugg, 19 July 1733] (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , July 19, 1733. This essay was first printed by Smyth ( Writings , 11, 198), who considered it a “highly characteristic production.” The present editors, however, believe that the essay is not sufficiently characteristic of Franklin’s style to be attributed to him. No external evidence of authorship has been found and it is therefore omitted here.
104On Literary Style, 2 August 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , August 2, 1733; also draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania. To the Printer of the Gazette . There are few Men, of Capacity for making any considerable Figure in Life, who have not frequent Occasion to communicate their Thoughts to others in Writing; if not sometimes publickly as Authors, yet continually in the Management of their private Affairs, both...
105Power of Attorney to Deborah Franklin, 30 August 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed form with MS insertions in blanks: American Philosophical Society Know all Men by these Presents, That I Benjamin Franklin of the City of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, Printer have constituted, made and appointed, and by these Presents do constitute, make and appoint my trusty and loving Friend [Friend struck out ] Wife Deborah Franklin to be my true and lawful Attorney, for me and in...
106Half-Hour’s Conversation with a Friend, 16 November 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , November 16, 1733. Andrew Hamilton, speaker of the Assembly, recorder of Philadelphia, and a trustee of the Loan Office, was one of the most powerful public figures in Pennsylvania from 1727 until his death in 1741. Resentful and jealous enemies bitterly attacked him in Bradford’s American Weekly Mercury , especially during the campaign of 1733. These...
107Articles of Agreement with Louis Timothée, 26 November 1733 (Franklin Papers)
Draft: Historical Society of Pennsylvania Articles of Agreement indented [and] made the 26th Day of November Ao. Di. 1733 Between Benjamin Franklin of the City of Philadelphia in the Province of Pensilvania Printer of the one Part and Lewis Timothée of the said City Printer (now bound on a Voyage to Charlestown in South Carolina) Of the other Part: Whereas the said BF and LT have determined to...
108[Parents and Boyhood] (Adams Papers)
My Father married Susanna Boylston in October 1734, and on the 19th of October 1735 I was born. As my Parents were both fond of reading, and my father had destined his first born, long before his birth to a public Education I was very early taught to read at home and at a School of Mrs. Belcher the Mother of Deacon Moses Belcher, who lived in the next house on the opposite side of the Road. I...
109Poor Richard, 1734 (Franklin Papers)
Poor Richard, 1734. An Almanack For the Year of Christ 1734 … By Richard Saunders, Philom. Philadelphia: Printed and sold by B. Franklin, at the New Printing-Office near the Market (Yale University Library). Your kind and charitable Assistance last Year, in purchasing so large an Impression of my Almanacks, has made my Circumstances much more easy in the World, and requires my grateful...
110Extracts from the Gazette, 1734 (Franklin Papers)
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette , January 8 to December 26, 1734. [ Advertisement ] A Servant Lad’s Time for near Five years to be disposed of, on Reasonable Terms. He is by Trade a Taylor, and can work very well. Enquire of the Printer hereof. [January 30] Saturday last a Marriage was consummated between Wm. Allen, Esq; one of the Principal Merchants of this City; and Mrs. Margaret...