I gave, but I think it was that Dunbar should | were well attended, and gave great satisfac be written to and prevailed with, if possible, tion; and after some time he went through to post his troops on the frontiers for their the colonies exhibiting them in every capital protection, until by reinforcements from the town, and picked up some money. In the colonies, he might be able to proceed in the West India Islands indeed, it was with diffiexpedition and after my return from the culty the experiments could be made, from frontier, he would have had me undertake the general moisture of the air. the conduct of such an expedition with pro- Obliged as we were to Mr. Collinson, for vincial troops, for the reduction of fort Du- the present of the tube, &c., I thought it quesne; (Dunbar and his men being other-right he should be informed of our success wise employed ;) and he proposed to commis- in using it, and wrote him several letters consion me as general. I had not so good an opinion of my military abilities as he professed to have, and I believe his professions must have exceeded his real sentiments: but probably he might think that my popularity would facilitate the business with the men, and influence in the assembly the grant of money to pay for it; and that perhaps without taxing the proprietary. Finding me not so forward to engage as he expected, the project was dropt; and he soon after left the government, being superseded by captain Denny.

Before I proceed in relating the part I had in public affairs under this new governor's administration, it may not be amiss to give here some account of the rise and progress of my philosophical reputation.

taining accounts of our experiments* Ile got them read in the Royal Society, where they were not at first thought worth so much notice as to be printed in their transactions. One paper which I wrote for Mr. Kinnersly, on the sameness of lightning with electricity, I sent to Mr. Mitchel, an acquaintance of mine, and one of the members also of that society; who wrote me word that it had been read, but was laughed at by the connoisseurs. The papers however being shown to Dr. Fothergill, he thought them of too much value to be stifled, and advised the printing of them. Mr. Collinson then gave them to Cave for publication, in his Gentleman's Magazine; but he chose to print them separately in a pamphlet, and Dr. Fothergill wrote the preface. Cave, it seems, judged rightly for his profession, for by the additions that arrived afterwards, they swelled to a quarto volume; which has had five editions, and cost him nothing for copy-money.

In 1746, being at Boston, I met there with a Dr. Spence, who was lately arrived from Scotland, and showed me some electric experiments. They were imperfectly performed, as he was not very expert; but being on a subject quite new to me, they equally sur- It was, however, some time before those prised and pleased me. Soon after my re- papers were much taken notice of in Engturn to Philadelphia, our library company re- land. A copy of them happening to fall into ceived from Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. Š. of the hands of the count de Buffon, (a philosoLondon, a present of a glass tube, with some pher deservedly of great reputation in France, account of the use of it in making such ex- and indeed all over Europe,) he prevailed with periments. I eagerly seized the opportunity monsieur Dubourg to translate them into of repeating what I had seen at Boston; and French; and they were printed at Paris. by much practice acquired great readiness in The publication offended the Abbé Nollet, performing those also which we had an ac- preceptor in Natural Philosophy to the royal count of from England, adding a number of family, and an able experimenter, who had new ones. I say much practice, for my house formed and published a theory of electricity, was continually full for some time, with per- which then had the general vogue. He could sons who came to see these new wonders. not at first believe that such a work came To divide a little this incumbrance among my from America, and said it must have been friends, I caused a number of similar tubes to fabricated by his enemies at Paris, to oppose be blown in our glass-house, with which they his system. Afterwards, having been assured furnished themselves, so that we had at length that there really existed such a person as several performers. Among these the prin- Franklin, at Philadelphia, (which he had cipal was Mr. Kinnersly an ingenious neigh- doubted,) he wrote and published a volume bour, who being out of business, I encouraged of letters, chiefly addressed to me, defending to undertake showing the experiments for his theory, and denying the verity of my exmoney, and drew up for him two lectures, in periments, and of the positions deduced from which the experiments were ranged in such them. I once purposed answering the Abbé, order, and accompanied with explanations in and actually began the answer; but on consuch method, as that the foregoing should as- sideration that my writings contained a desist in comprehending the following. He scription of experiments, which any one might procured an elegant apparatus for the pur-repeat and verify, and if not to be verified, pose, in which all the little machines that I could not be defended; or of observations had roughly made for myself, were neatly formed by instrument makers. His lectures

*See Letters and Papers on Philosophical Subjects. Vol II. of this edition.

offered as conjectures, and not delivered dogmatically, therefore not laying me under any obligation to defend them; and reflecting that a dispute between two persons, written in different languages, might be lengthened greatly by mistranslations, and thence misconceptions of another's meaning, much of one of the Abbé's letters being founded on an error in the translation; I concluded to let my papers shift for themselves; believing it was better to spend what time I could spare from public business, in making new experiments, than in disputing about those already made. I therefore never answered monsieur Nollet; and the event gave me no cause to repent my silence; for my friend, monsieur Le Roy, of the royal academy of sciences, took up my cause and refuted him: my book was translated into the Italian, German, and Latin languages; and the doctrine it contained was by degrees generally adopted by the philosophers of Europe, in preference to that of the Abbé; so that he lived to see himself the last of his sect; except monsieur B- of Paris, his eléve and immediate disciple.

any application for that honour, they chose me a member; and voted that I should be excused the customary payments, which would have amounted to twenty-five guineas; and ever since have given me their transactions gratis.* They also presented me with the gold medal of sir Godfrey Copley, for the year 1753, the delivery of which was accompanied by a very handsome speech of the president, lord Macclesfield, wherein I was highly honoured.

Our new governor, captain Denny, brought over for me the beforementioned medal from the Royal Society, which he presented to me at an entertainment given him by the city He accompanied it with very polite expressions of his esteem for me, having, as he said, been long acquainted with my character.After dinner, when the company, as was customary at that time, were engaged in drinking, he took me aside into another room, and acquainted me that he had been advised by his friends in England to cultivate a friendship with me, as one who was capable of giving him the best advice, and of contributing most effectually to the making his administration easy. That he therefore desired of all things to have a good understanding with me, and he begged me to be assured of his readiness on all occasions to render me every service that might be in his power. He said much to me also of the proprietors'

What gave my book the more sudden and general celebrity, was the success of one of its proposed experiments, made by messieurs Dalibard and Delor, at Marly; for drawing lightning from the clouds. This engaged the public attention every where. Monsieur Defor, who had an apparatus for experimental philosophy, and lectured in that branch of science, undertook to repeat, what he called the Philadelphia experiments; and after they were performed before the king and court, all the curious of Paris flocked to see "We have had an ugly affair at the Royal Society latethem. I will not swell this narrative with ly. One Dacosta, a Jew, who, as our clerk, was entrusted with collecting our monies, has been so unfaithan account of that capital experiment, nor of ful as to embezzle near thirteen hundred pounds in the infinite pleasure I received in the success four years. Being one of the council this year as well of a similar one I made soon after with a kite as the last, I have been employed all the last week in attending the inquiry into and unravelling his acat Philadelphia, as both are to be found in the counts, in order to come at a full knowledge of his histories of electricity. Dr. Wright, an Eng-frauds. His securities are bound in one thousand

* Dr. Franklin gives a further account of his election, in the following extract of a letter to his son, governor

Franklin.

"London, Dec. 19, 1767.

pounds to the society, which they will pay, but we are

like to lose the reat. He had this year received twentysix admission payments of twenty-five guineas each, which he did not bring to account.

lish physician, when at Paris, wrote to a friend who was of the Royal Society, an account of the high esteem my experiments "While attending this affair, I had an opportunity of were in among the learned abroad, and of looking over the old council books and journals of the their wonder that my writings had been so society, and having a curiosity to see how I came in, (of which I had never been informed,) I looked back little noticed in England. The society on for the minutes relating to it. You must know it is this resumed the consideration of the letters not usual to admit persons that have not requested to that had been read to them; and the cele-vour of the candidate, signed by at least three of the be admitted; and a recommendatory certificate in fabrated Dr. Watson drew up a summary ac-members, is by our rule to be presented to the society, count of them, and of all I had afterwards sent to England on the subject; which he accompanied with some praise of the writer. This summary was then printed in their transactions: and some members of the society in London, particularly the very ingenious Mr. Canton, having verified the experiment of procuring lightning from the clouds by a pointed rod, and acquainted them with the success; they soon made me more than amends for the slight with which they had before treated me. Without my having made

expressing that he is desirous of that honour, and is so and so qualified. As I had never asked or expected the honour, I was, as I said before, curious to see how the business was managed. I found that the certificate, lord Macclesfield, then president, lord Parker, and lord worded very advantageously for me, was signed by Willoughby; that the election was by an unanimous vote; and the honour being voluntarily conferred by the society unsolicited by me, it was thought wrong to demand or receive the usual fees or composition; so that my name was entered on the list with a vote of council, nothing has ever been demanded of me. Those who are that I was not to pay any thing. And, accordingly, admitted in the common way, pay five guineas admis sion fees, and two guineas and a half yearly contribu tion, or twenty-five guineas down, in lieu of it. In my case a substantial favour accompanied the honour.

good disposition towards the province, and petition the king against them, and appointed of the advantage it would be to us all, and to me their agent to go over to England, to preme in particular, if the opposition that had sent and support the petition. The house been so long continued to his measures was had sent up a bill to the governor, granting a dropped, and harmony restored between him sum of sixty thousand pounds for the king's and the people; in effecting which, it was use, (ten thousand pounds of which was subthought no one could be more serviceable jected to the orders of the then general, lord than myself; and I might depend on adequate Loudon,) which the governor, in compliance acknowledgments and recompenses, &c. The with his instructions absolutely refused to drinkers finding we did not return immedi- pass. I had agreed with captain Morris, of ately to the table, sent us a decanter of Ma- the packet at New York, for my passage, and deira, which the governor made liberal use my stores were put on board; when lord of, and in proportion became more profuse of Loudon, arrived at Philadelphia, expressly as his solicitations and promises. My answers he told me, to endeavour an accommodation were to this purpose; that my circumstances, between the governor and assembly, that his thanks to God, were such as to make pro- majesty's service might not be obstructed by prietary favours unnecessary to me; and that their dissensions. Accordingly he desired being a member of the assembly, I could not the governor and myself to meet him, that he possibly accept of any; that, however, I had might hear what was to be said on both sides. no personal enmity to the proprietary, and We met and discussed the business: in bethat whenever the public measures he pro- half of the assembly, I urged the various arguposed, should appear to be for the good of the ments that may be found in the public papers people, no one would espouse and forward of that time, which were of my writing, and them more zealously than myself; my past are printed with the minutes of the assembly; opposition had been founded on this, that the and the governor pleaded his instructions, the measures which having been urged, were bond he had given to observe them, and his evidently intended to serve the proprietary ruin if he disobeyed; yet seemed not unwilinterest with great prejudice to that of the ling to hazard himself if lord Loudon would people. That I was much obliged to him advise it. This his lordship did not choose to (the governor) for his profession of regard to do, though I once thought I had nearly preme, and that he might rely on every thing in vailed with him to do it; but finally he rather my power to render his administration as easy chose to urge the compliance of the assembly; to him as possible, hoping, at the same time, and he intreated me to use my endeavours that he had not brought with him the same with them for that purpose, declaring that he unfortunate instructions his predecessors had would spare none of the king's troops for the been hampered with. On this he did not defence of our frontiers, and that if we did not then explain himself, but when he afterwards continue to provide for that defence ourselves, came to do business with the assembly, they they must remain exposed to the enemy. I appeared again; the disputes were renewed, acquainted the house with what had passed, and I was as active as ever in the opposition, and presenting them with a set of resolutions being the penman, first of the request to have I had drawn up, declaring our rights, that we a communication of the instructions, and then did not relinquish our claim to those rights, of the remarks upon them, which may be but only suspended the exercise of them on found in the Votes of the Times, and in the this occasion, through force, against which HISTORICAL REVIEW I afterwards published; we protested; they at length agreed to drop but between us personally no enmity arose, that bill, and frame another conformably to we were often together; he was a man of let-the proprietary instructions; this of course ters, had seen much of the world, and was the governor passed, and I was then at liberty entertaining and pleasing in conversation. to proceed on my voyage. But in the mean He gave me information that my old friend Ralph, was still alive, that he was esteemed one of the best political writers in England; had been employed in the dispute between prince Frederick, and the king, and had ob-commodation falling to his share. tained a pension of three hundred pounds ayear; that his reputation was indeed small as a poet, Pope having damned his poetry in the Dunciad; but his prose was thought as good as any man's.

The assembly finally finding the proprietary obstinately persisted in shackling the deputies with instructions, inconsistent not only with the privileges of the people, but with the service of the crown, resolved to

time the packet had sailed with my sea stores, which was some loss to me, and my only recompense was his lordship's thanks for my service; all the credit of obtaining the ac

He set out for New York before me; and as the time for dispatching the packet boats was in his disposition, and there were two then remaining there, one of which, he said, was to sail very soon, I requested to know the precise time, that I might not miss her, by any delay of mine. The answer was, "I have given out that she is to sail on Saturday next, but I may let you know, entre nous, that if you are there by Monday morning,

you will be in time, but do not delay longer!" | to join the fleet there, the passengers thought By some accidental hindrance at a ferry, it it best to be on board, lest by a sudden order, was Monday noon before I arrived, and I was the ships should sail, and they be left behind. much afraid she might have sailed, as the There, if I remember, we were about six wind was fair; but I was soon made easy by weeks, consuming our sea stores, and obliged the information that she was still in the har- to procure more. At length the fleet sailed, bour, and would not move till next day. One the general and all his army on board bound would imagine that I was now on the very to Louisburg, with intent to besiege and take point of departing for Europe; I thought so, that fortress; all the packet-boats in company, but I was not then so well acquainted with ordered to attend the general's ship, ready to his lordship's character, of which indecision receive his dispatches when they should be was one of the strongest features; I shall give ready. We were out five days before we some instances. It was about the beginning got a letter with leave to part; and then our of April, that I came to New York, and I ship quitted the fleet and steered for England. think it was near the end of June before we The other two packets he still detained, sailed. There were then two of the packet- carried them with him to Halifax; where he boats which had been long in readiness, but staid some time to exercise his men in sham were detained for the general's letters, which attacks upon sham forts; then altered his were always to be ready to-morrow. An- mind as to besieging Louisburg, and returned other packet arrived, she too was detained, to New York, with all his troops, together and before we sailed a fourth was expected. with the two packets abovementioned, and all Ours was the first to be dispatched; as hav- their passengers! During his absence the ing been there longest. Passengers were French and savages had taken Fort George, engaged for all, and some extremely impatient on the frontier of that province, and the Into be gone, and the merchants uneasy about dians had massacred many of the garrison their letters, and for the orders they had given after capitulation. I saw afterwards in Lonfor insurance (it being war time) and for au- don, captain Bound, who commanded one of \ tumnal goods; but their anxiety availed no- those packets; he told me that when he had thing, his lordship's letters were not ready: been detained a month, he acquainted his and yet whoever waited on him found him lordship that his ship was grown foul, to a always at his desk, pen in hand, and conclud-degree that must necessarily hinder her fast ed he must needs write abundantly. Going sailing, (a point of consequence for a packetmyself one morning to pay my respects, I boat,) and requested an allowance of time to found in his anti-chamber, one Innis, a mes- heave her down and clean her bottom. His senger of Philadelphia, who had come thence lordship asked how long time that would reexpress, with a packet from governor Denny, quire. He answered three days. The genfor the general. He delivered to me some eral replied, "if you can do it in one day, I letters from my friends there, which occasion- give leave; otherwise not; for you must cered my inquiring when he was to return, and tainly sail the day after to-morrow." So he where he lodged, that I might send some let- never obtained leave, though detained afterters by him. He told me he was ordered to wards from day to day during full three call to-morrow at nine for the general's an- months. I saw also in London, one of Bonell's swer to the governor, and should set off im- passengers, who was so enraged against his mediately; I put my letters into his hands lordship for deceiving and detaining him so the same day. A fortnight after I met him long at New York, and then carrying him to again in the same place. "So you are soon Halifax and back again, that he swore he returned, Innis!" "Returned; no, I am not would sue him for damages. Whether he gone yet." "How so?" "I have called here did or not I never heard ; but as he representthis and every morning these two weeks pasted it, the injury to his affairs was very confor his lordship's letters, and they are not yet ready." "Is it possible, when he is so great a writer; for I see him constantly at his escritoir." Yes," said Innis, "but he is like St. George, on the signs, always on horseback but never rides on.' This observation of the messenger was it seems well founded; for when in England, I understood, that Mr. Pitt, (afterwards lord Chatham,) gave it as one reason for removing this general, and sending generals Amherst and Wolf, that the minister never heard from him, and could not know what he was doing.

This daily expectation of sailing, and all the three packets going down to Sandy Hook, VOL L...I

*9

siderable. On the whole, I wondered much how such a man came to be intrusted with so important a business as the conduct of a great army: but having since seen more of the great world, and the means of obtaining, and motives for giving places and employments, my wonder is diminished. General Shirley, on whom the command of the army devolved upon the death of Braddock, would in my opinion, if continued in place, have made a much better campaign than that of Loudon, in 1756, which was frivolous, expensive, and disgraceful to our nation beyond conception. For though Shirley was not bred a soldier, he was sensible and sagacious in himself, and

immense fortunes are often made in such employments: as to my balance, I am not paid it to this day; of which more hereafter.

attentive to good advice from others, capable | vanced, as I charged no commission for my of forming judicious plans, and quick and ac- service; “O," said he, “you must not think tive in carrying them into execution. Lou- of persuading us that you are no gainer: we don, instead of defending the colonies with understand better those matters, and know his great army, left them totally exposed, that every one concerned in supplying the while he paraded idly at Halifax; by which army, finds means in the doing it, to fill his means Fort George was lost; besides, he de- own pockets." I assured him that was not ranged all our mercantile operations, and dis- my case, and that I had not pocketed a fartressed our trade by a long embargo on the thing: but he appeared clearly not to believe exportation of provisions, on pretence of keep-me; and, indeed, I afterwards learned, that ing supplies from being obtained by the enemy, but in reality for beating down their price in favour of the contractors, in whose profits, it was said, (perhaps from suspicion only,) he had a share; and when at length the embargo was taken off, neglecting to send notice of it to Charleston, where the Carolina fleet was detained near three months; and whereby their bottoms were so much damaged by the worm, that a great part of them foundered in their passage home. Shirley was, I believe, sincerely glad of being relieved from so burdensome a charge, as the conduct of an army must be to a man unacquainted with military business. I was at the entertainment given by the city of New York, to lord Loudon, on his taking upon him the command. Shirley, though thereby superseded, was present also. There was a great company of officers, citizens, and strangers, and some chairs having been borrowed in the neighbourhood, there was one among them very low, which fell to the lot of Mr. Shirley. I sat by him, and perceiving it, I said, they have given you a very low seat. "No matter, Mr. Franklin, said he, I find a low seat the easiest."

While I was, as beforementioned, detained at New York, I received all the accounts of the provisions, &c., that I had furnished to Braddock, some of which accounts could not sooner be obtained from the different persons I had employed to assist in the business; I presented them to lord Loudon, desiring to be paid the balance. He caused them to be examined by the proper officer, who, after comparing every article with its voucher, certified them to be right; and his lordship promised to give me an order on the paymas ter for the balance due to me. This was, however, put off from time to time, and though I called often for it by appointment, I did not get it. At length, just before my departure, he told me he had, on better consideration, concluded not to mix his accounts with those of his predecessors. "And you," said he, “when in England, have only to exhibit your accounts to the treasury, and you will be paid immediately." I mentioned, but without effect, a great and unexpected expense I had been put to by being detained so long at New York, as a reason for my desiring to be presently paid; and, on my observing that it was not right I should be put to any further trouble or delay in obtaining the money I had ad

Our captain of the packet, boasted much before we sailed of the swiftness of his ship; unfortunately, when we came to sea, she proved the dullest of ninety-six sail, to his no small mortification. After many conjectures respecting the cause, when we were near another ship, almost as dull as ours, which however gained upon us, the captain ordered all hands to come aft, and stand as near the ensign staff as possible. We were, passengers included, about forty persons; while we stood there, the ship mended her pace, and soon left her neighbour far behind, which proved clearly what our captain suspected, that she was loaded too much by the head. The casks of water, it seems, had been placed forward; these he therefore ordered to be moved further aft, on which the ship recovered her character, and proved the best sailer in the fleet. The captain said she had once gone at the rate of thirteen knots, which is accounted thirteen miles per hour. We had on board, as a passenger, captain Archibald Kennedy, of the royal navy, afterwards earl of Cassilis, who contended that it was impossible, and that no ship ever sailed so fast, and that there must have been some error in the division of the log-line, or some mistake in heaving the log. A wager ensued between the two captains, to be decided when there should be sufficient wind: Kennedy, therefore examined the log-line, and being satisfied with it, he determined to throw the log himself. Some days after, when the wind was very fair and fresh, and the captain of the packet (Lutwidge) said, he believed she then went at the rate of thirteen knots; Kennedy made the experiment, and owned his wager lost. The foregoing fact I give for the sake of the following observation: it has been remarked, as an imperfection in the art of shipbuilding, that it can never be known till she is tried, whether a new ship will, or will not be a good sailer; for that the model of a good sailing ship has been exactly followed in a new one, which has been proved on the contrary remarkably dull. I apprehend that this may partly be occasioned by the different opinions of seamen respecting the modes of loading, rigging, and sailing of a ship; each has his method, and the same vessel laden by

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