From Benjamin Franklin to Witel & Fauche, 15 November 1784
To Witel & Fauche
LS,5 AL (draft), and incomplete press copy of LS: American Philosophical Society
Passy Nov. 15. 1784.
Gentlemen,
I have attentively considered your Project communicated to me in yours of the 24th. past, & of which you desire my Opinion.
I have some Doubts whether you will find your Bookselling and Printing Business sufficiently profitable at first for the Support of three Families; because the French Language, in which I suppose your Books chiefly are, is not yet much extended in North America. It is however, since the alliance with France, daily increasing, Schools being established in all the great Towns for teaching it.6 But if you can add to the Sale of Books the different Manufactures of your Country and settle such Correspondence before you leave it as may keep you constantly supply’d with them, it is possible the Gains may be very considerable.
I inclose a little Pamphlet which will give you some Information respecting our Country,7 and if I can be of any Service to you there, it will be a Pleasure to, Gentlemen, Your most obedient & most humble Servant
B. Franklin
Messrs Wital [& Pauche.]8
Endorsement by Witel: Cette lettre m’a été écrite il y a 6 ans par monsieur Franklin j’ai eu l’honneur de le voir à Passi dans [torn] a Paris [depuis]
5. In the hand of L’Air de Lamotte.
6. In 1781, BF had judged that there were sufficient schools and masters teaching French around Philadelphia for his grandson William Bache to learn the language without venturing abroad: XXXV, 472.
7. “Information to Those Who Would Remove to America”: XLI, 597–608.
8. The sheet is torn; the missing text is supplied from the press copy. BF had misread the signatures on the Oct. 24 letter, and L’Air de Lamotte copied the misspellings from BF’s draft.