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vague terms, when you desire to be informed whether you may expect 'd'étre reçu d'une maniére convenable' in our troops? As it is impossible to know what your ideas are of the maniere convenable, how can one answer this? And then you demand, whether I will support you by my authority in giving you letters of recommendation? I doubt not your being a man of merit; and knowing it your self, you may forget that it is not known to every body; but reflect a moment, sir, and you will be convinced, that if I were to practise giving letters of recommendation to persons of whose character I knew no more than I do of yours, my recommendations would soon be of no authority at all.

"I thank you, however, for your kind desire of being serviceable to my countrymen; and I wish, in return, that I could be of service to you in the scheme you have formed of going to America. But numbers of experienced officers here have offered to go over and join our army, and I could give them no encouragement, because I have no orders for that purpose, and I know it is extremely difficult to place them when they come there. I cannot but think, therefore, that it is best for you not to make so long, so expensive, and so hazardous a voyage, but to take the advice of your friends, and stay in Franconia.

"I have the honour to be, sir, &c.

"B. 'FRANKLIN.”

Before we return to political occurrences, as connected with the memoirs of Dr. Franklin, we have to notice an attempt that was made in 1777, by a soi-disant English philosopher, to detract, if not to annul, the great discovery of the American philosopher, for the protection of buildings and ships from the effects of lightning. Mr. B. Wilson, F. R. S. who had formerly, at a meeting of the Royal Society, protested unsuccessfully against the pointed conductors of Franklin, now endeavoured by certain experiments publicly exhibited at the Pantheon, to prove the superior advantage of kabs to points, or the greater safety to be derived from blunt to sharp lightning conductors. These experiments, it is said, were much countenanced by the king, who attended them, with some of the royal family; but their deception was soon detected, as appears by the following article on the subject, in the London Evening Post of the 16th September, 1777:

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Monday, Mr. B. Wilson repeated his experiments at the Pantheon, before several fellows of the Royal Society, and other per

sons.

Lord Viscount Mahon,* F. R. S., being present, had a great dispute with Mr. Wilson concerning his experiments, and showed him that he was wrong in both his assertions: 1st, that knobs are better than points; and 2dly,

* Afterwards earl Stanhope, since deceased.

that low conductors are better than high ones His lordship proved both those assertions to be false, and showed also that Mr. Wilson had entirely misunderstood, and had consequently misrepresented the philosophical opnions of Dr. Franklin. Lord Mahon repeated several experiments of his own to prove his assertions, and by invariably succeeding in them, at the same time that those of Mr Wilson failed repeatedly, his lordship proved this to demonstration, and by so doing, gave great satisfaction to the best informed persons present. Mr. Wilson went to the other end of the room, as if to avoid seeing lord Mahon's experiments.

He afterwards said that he had not changed his opinions, and would publish his own hypothesis; upon which lord Mahon told Mr. Wilson, in a most candid and gentleman-like manner, that he was very sorry to be obliged to differ in opinion from him, but that as the question about conductors for lightning, was of so great importance to this country, and to society in general, that if Mr. Wilson should publish an erroneous opinion upon this subject, that he would also pledge himself to the public to refute him in print."

A few days after, Mr. Wilson's pretended improvement, founded on deceptive experi ments, was completely destroyed by the dis covery and exposure of the tricks he had employed to obtain a partial success. This took bers of the Royal Society, and other gentleplace on the 2d October, when several memmen conversant in electricity, went to see him repeat his experiments; among these, of the Royal Society, who fully detected and were Mr. Henly and Mr. Nairne, both fellows exposed the frauds and deceptions employed by cal reputation, on the ruins of that of Dr. Wilson, for establishing his own philosophi

Franklin.

of most of the learned societies of Europe) Another member of the Royal Society (and the ingenious Dr. Ingenhausz, who had a sisted at these experiments, and in the detection of the fraud, afterwards wrote a very vehement letter on the subject, addressed to a friend on the continent; giving a full account of what he calls "la charlatanerie du fourbe Wilson décelée." The letter is too long and violent for insertion here; it concludes thus

"Voilà donc toute la tracasserie de

Wilson exposée à la connoissance du public, tàchez de le rendre public pour le bien génémontrez ceci à notre ami, (Dr. Franklin,) et qu'on m'a assuré que les conducteurs du ral. Mais ce qu'il y a de plus drôle, c'est palais de la reine à Buckingham house, ont été abattus, depuis que le roi a vu les expériences de Wilson! A présent que la char

*This was a fact: and they have never since been re-established, notwithstanding the condemnation of the pretended improvement by the Royal Society, in

latanerie et la mauvaise foi de ce coquin se | jected them altogether as ineffectual. For it trouve décelée, et reconnue, on voudra pallier is only since he thought himself and family cette absurdité; et quoique Wilson devroit safe from the thunder of heaven, that he dared être puni pour avoir trompé et imposé au roi, to use his own thunder in destroying his inpeut être tâchera-t-on de le soutenir, comme nocent subjects."* un vrai don Quixote, qui a attaqué le philosophe Américain, de même que les héros militaires qui attaquent son pays; (et qui probablement n'auront pas plus de succes) et qu'il sera également récompensé par une nation dupée.

This letter being communicated to Dr. Franklin, and his opinion asked with respect to the propriety of publishing it in Paris, he thus replied:

"PASSY, Oct. 4, 1777.

During the months of March, April, and July, 1778, various schemes were fallen upon by the English ministry, privately to sound Dr. Franklin on the subject of peace with America. The correspondents or agents employed by them on this occasion, were principally, Mr. Hutton, William Pulteney, and David Hartley, esquires; the two latter members of parliament. A full account of these attempts, and others that took place at subsequent periods of the war, with the view to induce America to abandon her alliance with France, or to treat for peace on terms short of her independence, or of the formal acknowledgment of it by Great Britain; together with all the letters, memorials, and diplomatic documents exhibited on the occasion, will be found in the PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.

"SIR,-I am much obliged by your communication of the letter from England. I am of your opinion, that it is not proper for publication here. Our friend's expressions concerning Mr. Wilson, will be thought too angry to be made use of by one philosopher when speaking of another, and on a philosophical question. He seems as much heated about this one point, The alliance with France was considered as the Jansenists and Molinists were about in America, as a pledge of the safety and the five. As to my writing any thing on the liberty of the country. The immediate fruit subject, which you seem to desire, I think it of it was the powerful aid sent thither by not necessary, especially as I have nothing to France, in the squadron of the count d'Es add to what I have already said upon it in a taing, consisting of eleven ships of the line, paper read to the committee, who ordered six frigates, and considerable land forces. the conductors at Purfleet; which paper is Previous to its departure, Dr. Franklin had printed in the last French edition of my furnished the French government with a writings. I have never entered into any con- plan for surprising the British fleet and troversy in defence of my philosophical opin-army then in the Delaware; and count d'Esions; I leave them to take their chance in the world. If they are right, truth and experience will support them; if wrong, they ought to be refuted and rejected. Disputes are apt to sour one's temper, and disturb one's quiet. I have no private interest in the reception of my inventions by the world, having never made nor proposed to make, the least profit by any of them. The king's changing his pointed conductors for blunt ones, is therefore a matter of small importance to me. If I had a wish about it, it would be that he had re

their reports in favour of pointed conductors, and their
being consequently generally employed for the protec-
tion of the powder magazines throughout the country.
Behold at last the dirty tricks of Wilson are
tade manifest to the world: show this to our friend,
(Dr. Franklin,) and prevail upon him to make it more
generally known for the public benefit. But what is
more amusing than all is, as I am assured, that one
of the conductors at the queen's palace at Buckingham
house, has been stricken down by lightning, since the
king has seen the experiments of Wilson! Now that
the quackery and deception of this rascal are exploded
and notorious, they are seeking to escape the derision
which they have merited, by saying that Wilson ought
to be punished for having imposed upon and deceived
the king, notwithstanding he was sustained like a
genuine don Quixotte, in his attacks on the philoso-
phical American; as they uphold their military heroes
who attack his country, (and who will probably meet
a similar fate,) and who are likely to meet a similar
recompense from a duped nation.

Report on Lightning Conductors for the powder magazines at Purfleet, drawn up by Dr. Franklin, August 21, 1772.

taing was directed to execute this important enterprise. A better choice of a commander could not have been made; he united uncommon ardour and intrepidity, great military knowledge, vigilance, and circumspection, a quick decision, and a perfect command of himself in the most trying moments.

The enterprise would in all probability have proved successful, had it not been for an unexampled series of bad weather and contrary winds.

The count took his departure from Toulon the 13th April, 1778. In the Mediterranean he had to encounter with such contrary winds, that it was not in his power to pass the straits of Gibraltar till the 17th May. The calms and light winds that afterwards attended him on the ocean, prevented the arrival of his fleet at the mouth of the river Delaware before the 7th July. In consequence of these unforeseen obstacles, the French admiral arrived too late, for the English army had evacuated Phila

* The foregoing circumstances, united with the then state of the British nation, gave rise to the following epigram, which possesses more than a common share of point.

"While you, great GEORGE! for safety hunt,
And sharp conductors change for blunt,
The empire's out of joint.

FRANKLIN a wiser course pursues;
And all your thunder fearless views,
By sticking to-the point."

delphia after their defeat at Monmouth, and the fleet was then riding in perfect safety at Sandy Hook.

But fleets and armies were not the only support to the American cause, derived from the alliance with France, through the influence of Dr. Franklin; for military stores and large sums of money were placed at his disposal by the French government, in consequence of his representations and pressing solicitations. These timely succours were of infinite use, and greatly assisted America in sustaining her independence. By means of the pecuniary advances, which were chiefly gifts, Dr. Franklin was enabled for several years to honour bills drawn from America to a large amount, and to pay the interest of a loan the congress had effected, on the express stipulation of the interest being paid in cash, in Europe. He also paid the salaries of all the American ministers or agents employed in Europe, and gave considerable assistance to the American prisoners in England, and to those who escaped or were exchanged, to aid their return to the United States.

In June, 1778, Dr. Franklin's old friend, Mr. Hutton, secretary to the Moravian society, applied to him for a protection against American cruisers, for a vessel the society annually dispatched to their missionaries on the coast of Labrador: this Dr. Franklin, with his usual humanity, readily acquiesced in; and immediately forwarded to Mr. Hutton a pass, which he afterwards annually renewed during the war: the present was accompanied by the following note:

To all captains and commanders of vessels of war, privateers and letters of marque, belonging to the United States of Ame

rica.

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"To Mr. Hutton, London.

My dear old friend has here the paper he desired. We have had a marble monument made at Paris for the brave general Montgomery, which is gone to America. If it should fall into the hands of any of your cruisers, I expect you will exert yourself to get it restored to us, because I know the generosity of your temper, which likes to do handsome things, as well as to make returns. You see we are unwilling to rob the hospital, we hope your people will be found as averse to pillaging the dead. Adieu. Yours,

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"B. FRANKLIN.

'Passy, June 23, 1778."

With the same wonted philanthropy, and with a view to the advancement of science. natural history, and navigation, Dr. Franklin, shortly after, as minister plenipotentiary from the United States of America, issued a protection for captain Cooke, his vessel and people, against all American cruisers.

LETTER RESPECTING CAPTAIN COOK.

To all captains and commanders of armed ships, acting by commission from the congress of the United States of America. now in war with Great Britain.

GENTLEMEN,—The religious society commonly called the Moravian Brethren, having established a mission on the coast of Labra- GENTLEMEN,-A ship having been fitted dor, for the conversion of the savages there to out from England, before the commencement the Christian religion, which has already had of this war, to make discoveries of new counvery good effects in turning them from their tries in unknown seas, under the conduct of ancient practices of surprising, plundering, that most celebrated navigator, captain Cook. and murdering such white people, Americans an undertaking truly laudable in itself, as and Europeans, as, for the purposes of trade the increase of geographical knowledge fa or fishery, happened to come on that coast; cilitates the communication between distant and persuading them to lead a life of honest nations, in the exchange of useful products industry, and to treat strangers with humanity and manufactures, and the extension of arts and kindness: and it being necessary for the whereby the common enjoyments of huma support of this useful mission, that a small life are multiplied and augmented, and scienc vessel should go thither every year to furnish of other kinds increased, to the benefit supplies and necessaries for the missionaries mankind in general.-This is therefore mos and their converts; which vessel for the pre- earnestly to recommend to every one of you sent year is a of about seventy-five that in case the said ship, which is now ex tons, called the whereof is master pected to be soon in the European seas on he captain return, should happen to fall into your hand This is to request you, that if the said ves- you would not consider her as an enemy, n sel should happen to fall into your hands, you suffer any plunder to be made of the effec would not suffer her to be plundered, or hin-contained in her, nor obstruct her immedia

=return to England, by detaining her or send-| ing her into any other part of Europe or America, but that you would treat the said captain Cook and his people with all civility and kindness, affording them, as common friends to mankind, all the assistance in your power, which they may happen to stand in need of. In so doing, you will not only gratify the generosity of your own dispositions, but there is no doubt of your obtaining the approbation of the congress, and of your own American owners.

I have the honour to be, &c.

B. FRANKLIN, Minister plenipotentiary from the congress of the United States to the court of France. At Passy, near Paris, this 10th day of March, 1779.

Dr. Kippis, a distinguished literary character, who published a Biographical Dictionary, had asserted, in his Life of captain Cooke, upon what he deemed authority, that Dr. Franklin's orders, as above, were instantly reversed, and that it was directed by congress, to seize captain Cooke, if an opportunity of doing it occurred: but Dr. Kippis finding that the information he had published was false, addressed a letter to the editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, in September, 1795, and therein publicly acknowledged his mistake. Indeed the magnanimous proceeding of Dr. Franklin in writing the passport was so well known in England, and the sentiments it manifested so much approved by the British government itself, that, when Cooke's Voyage was printed, the admiralty board sent a copy of the work, in three volumes quarto, to Dr. Franklin, accompanied with the elegant collection of plates, and a very polite letter from lord Howe, signifying, that the present was made with the king's express approbation: and the Royal Society having, in honour of that illustrious navigator, one of their members, struck some gold medals, to be distributed among his friends and the friends of his Voyage; one of these medals was also sent to Dr. Franklin, by order of the society, together with a letter from their president, sir Joseph Banks, expressing likewise, that it was sent with the approbation of the king.

Another opportunity occurred some time after, for Dr. Franklin to give an additional proof of his benevolence; in granting a similar protection to a vessel sent with provisions and clothing, as a charitable donation from the citizens of Dublin, to certain sufferers in the West Indies. :

In short, Dr. Franklin, through life, let no opportunity escape him, either in a public or private situation, in which, by any act of his, he could be useful to his fellow creatures,

whether friends or enemies. VOL. L...U

No one who did not witness it, can conceive how much his reputation as a philosopher, and his situation as American minister, subjected him to the applications of projectors, speculators, and adventurers of all descriptions. The following memorandums of only one day's annoyance of this nature, taken from a little journal he kept, may tend to give some idea of it.

"Passy, Sunday, Dec. 13, 1778, A. M.

"A man came to tell me he had invented a machine, which would go of itself, without the help of a spring, weight, air, water, or any of the elements, or the labour of man or beast; and with force sufficient to work four machines for cutting tobacco; that he had experienced it; would show it me if I would come to his house, and would sell the secret of it for two hundred louis. I doubted it, but promised to go to him in order to see it.

"A Mons. Coder came with a proposition in writing, to levy 600 men, to be employed in landing on the coast of England and Scotland, to burn and ransack towns and villages, in order to put a stop to the Eng lish proceedings in that way in America. I thanked

him, and told him I could not approve it, nor had I any it would not be permitted by the government here.

money at command for such purposes; moreover that

"A man came with a request that I would patronize whereby a hussar might so conceal his arms and habili pear a common traveller; by which means a consider

and recommend to government, an invention he had, ments, with provision for twenty-four hours, as to ap able body might be admitted into a town, one at a time, unsuspected, and afterwards assembling, surprise it. I told him I was not a military man, of course no judge of such matters, and advised him to apply to the Bureau de la guerre. He said he had no friends, and so could procure no attention.-The number of wild schemes proposed to me is so great, and they have heretofore taken so much of my time, that I begin to reject all, though possibly some of them may be worth notice.

who submits to my consideration a memoir on the "Received a parcel from an unknown philosopher,* subject of elementary firo, containing experiments in a dark chamber. It seems to be well written, and is in English, with a little tincture of French idiom. I wish to see the experiments, without which I cannot, well judge of it."

About the commencement of the year 1781, Dr. Franklin, from his age, infirmities, and the confinement of business, began to be weary of his situation as minister at the court of France, and requested leave to retire; as will appear by the following extract from one of his public dispatches to the president of

congress.

"To the President of Congress.

"PASSY, March 12, 1781.

"SIR,-I had the honour of receiving, on the 13th of last month, your excellency's letter of the first of January, together with the instructions of November 28th and December 27th, a copy of those to colonel Laurens, and the letter to the king. I immediately drew up a memorial, enforcing as strongly as I could, the request contained in that letter, and directed by the instructions, and delivered the same with the letter, which were both well received; but the ministry being extremely occupied with other weighty affairs, and I obtaining for some time only general

* Afterwards discovered to be Marat, of future notorious memory.

that as the sum was intended for the supply
of the army, and could not be so large as we
had demanded for general occasions, it was

that it might not get into those of the differ
ent boards or committees, who might think
themselves under the necessity of diverting it
to other purposes. There was no room to
dispute on this point, every donor having the
right of qualifying his gifts with such terms
as he thinks proper. I took with me the in-
voice, and having examined it, I returned it
immediately with a letter, of which a copy is!
enclosed, and I suppose its contents will be
followed, unless colonel Laurens, on his ar
rival, should make any changes. I hope he
and colonel Palfrey are safe, though as yet
not heard of.

"After the discourse relating to the aid
was ended, the minister proceeded to inform
me, that the courts of Petersburg and Vienns
had offered their mediation, that the king had
answered it would to him personally be agree
able, but that he could not yet accept it, be
cause he had allies whose concurrence was
necessary. And that his majesty desired that
I would acquaint the congress with this offer
and answer, and urge their sending such in-
structions as they may think proper to their
plenipotentiary, it being not doubted that they
would readily accept the proposed mediation,
from their own sense of its being both useful
and necessary. I mentioned that I did sup-
pose Mr. Adams was already furnished with
instructions relating to any treaty of peace
that might be proposed.

answers, that something would be done for us, &c. and Mr. Laurens not arriving, I wrote again, and pressed strongly for a decision on the subject, that I might be able to write ex-thought best to put it in the general's hands, plicitly by this opportunity, what aids the congress were or were not to expect, the regulation of their operations for the campaign depending on the information I should be enabled to give. Upon this I received a note appointing Saturday last for a meeting with the minister, which I attended punctually. He assured me of the king's good will to the United States; remarking, however, that being on the spot, I must be sensible of the great expense France was actually engaged in, and the difficulty of providing for it, which rendered the lending us twenty-five millions at present impracticable, but he informed me that the letter from the congress, and my memorial, had been under his majesty's consideration, and observed, as to loans in general, that the sum we wanted to borrow in Europe was large, and that the depreciation of our paper, hurt our paper on this side of the water, adding that the king could not possibly favour a loan for us in his dominions, because it would interfere with, and be a prejudice to those he was under the necessity of obtaining himself to support the war; but in order to justice, states a signal proof of his friendship, his majesty had resolved to grant them the sum of six millions, not as a loan, but as a free gift; this sum, the minister informed me, was exclusive of the three millions which he had before obtained for me, to pay the congress drafts, for interest, &c. expected in the current year. He added, that "I must now beg leave to say something as it was understood the clothing, &c. with relating to myself, a subject with which l which our army had been heretofore supplied have not often troubled the congress. I have from France, was often of bad quality, and passed my seventy-fifth year, and I find that dear, the ministers themselves would take the long and severe fit of the gout which I care of the purchase of such articles as should had the last winter, has shaken me exceedbe immediately wanted, and send them over, ingly, and I am yet far from having recoverand it was desired of me to look over the ed the bodily strength I before enjoyed. I great invoice that had been sent hither last do not know that my mental faculties are imyear, and mark out those articles; that as to paired, perhaps I shall be the last to discover the money remaining after such purchases, it that; but I am sensible of great diminution in was to be drawn for by general Washington, my activity, a quality I think particularly upon M. d'Harvelay, garde du tresor royal, necessary in your minister for this court. i and the bills would be duly honoured, but it am afraid, therefore, that your affairs, may was desired that they might be drawn gradu- some time or other suffer by my deficiency ally, as the money should be wanted, and as I find also, that the business is too heavy for much time given for the payment, after sight, me and too confining. The constant attendas could be conveniently, that the payment ance at home which is necessary for receiv might be the more easy. I assured the min- ing and accepting your bills of exchange, (a ister, that the congress would be very sensi- matter foreign to my ministerial functions) to ble of this token of his majesty's continued answer letters and perform other parts of my goodness towards the United States, but re-employment, prevents my taking the air and marked, that it was not the usage with us for the general to draw, and proposed that it might be our treasurer who should draw the bills for the remainder, but was told that it was his majesty's order. And I afterwards understood from the secretary of the council,

exercise, which my annual journies formerly used to afford me, and which contribute much to the preservation of my health: ther are many other little personal attentions whic the infirmities of age render necessary to a old man's comfort, even in some degree to th

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