your remembrance of them) in best wishes for your health and prosperity, and that of your whole amiable fireside. You will allow an old friend of fourscore to say he loves your wife, when he adds, and children, and prays God to bless them all. Adieu! and believe me, ever, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN.

Dr. Franklin to Count de Buffon, Paris.

DEAR SIR,

Philadelphia, Nov. 19, 1787.

I AM honoured by your letter desiring to know by what means I am relieved in a disorder with which you are also unfortunately afflicted. I have tried all the noted prescriptions for diminishing the stone, without perceiving any good effect. But observing temperance in eating, avoiding wine and cider, and using daily the dumb-bell, which exercises the upper part of the body, without much moving the parts in contact with the stone, I think I have prevented its increase. As the roughness of the stone lacerates a little the neck of the bladder, I find that, when the urine happens to be sharp, I have much pain in making water, and frequent urgencies. For relief under this circumstance, I take (going to bed) the bigness of a pigeon's egg of jelly of blackberries: the receipt for making it is inclosed. While I continue to do this every night, I am generally easy the day following, making water pretty freely, and with long intervals. Ĭ wish most sincerely that this simple remedy may have the same happy effect with you. Perhaps currant jelly, or the jelly of apples or of raspberries, may be equally serviceable; for I suspect the virtue of the jelly may lie principally in the boiled

sugar, which is in some degree candied by the boiling of the jelly. Wishing you, for your own sake, much more ease, and, for the sake of mankind, many more years, I remain, with the greatest esteem and respect, dear sir, your most obedient and affectionate servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

Dr. Franklin to Dr. Rush.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Philadelphia, [without date, but supposed to be in 1789.]

DURING our long acquaintance, you have shown many instances of your regard for me; yet I must now desire you to add one more to the number, which is, that, if you publish your ingenious discourse on the moral sense, you will totally omit and suppress that most extravagant encomium on your friend Franklin, which hurt me exceedingly in the unexpected hearing, and will mortify me beyond conception if it should appear from the press. Confiding in your compliance with this earnest request, I am ever, my dear friend, yours most affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

Dr. Franklin to David Hartley, Esq.

MY VERY DEAR Friend,

Philadelphia, Dec. 4, 1789.

I RECEIVED your favour of August last. Your kind condolences on the painful state of my health are very obliging. I am thankful to God, however that, among the numerous ills human life is subject to, one only of any importance is fallen to my lot;

and that so late as almost to insure that it can be but of short duration.

The convulsions in France are attended with some disagreeable circumstances; but, if by the struggle, she obtains and secures for the nation, its future liberty and a good constitution, a few years' enjoyment of those blessings will amply repair all the damages their acquisition may have occasioned. God grant, that not only the love of liberty, but a thorough knowledge of the rights of man, may pervade all the nations of the earth; so that a philosopher may set his foot anywhere on its surface, and say, This is my country! Your wishes for a cordial and perpetual friendship between Britain and her ancient colonies are manifested continually in every one of your letters to me. Something of my disposition on the same subject may appear to you, in casting your eye over the inclosed paper. I do not by this opportunity send you any of our gazettes; because the postage from Liverpool would be more than they are worth. I can now only add my best wishes of every kind of felicity for the three amiable Hartleys, to whom I have the honour of being an affectionate friend and most obedient humble servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

To

[Without date.]

DEAR SIR,

I HAVE read your manuscript with some attention. By the argument it contains against a particular Providence, though you allow a general Providence, you strike at the foundation of all religion. For, without the belief of a Providence that

takes cognizance of, guards and guides, and may favour particular persons, there is no motive to worship a Deity, to fear its displeasure, or to pray for its protection. I will not enter into any discussion of your principles, though you seem to desire it. At present, I shall only give you my opinion, that, though your reasonings are subtle, and may prevail with some readers, you will not succeed so as to change the general sentiments of mankind on that subject; and the consequence of printing this piece will be a great deal of odium drawn upon yourself, mischief to you, and no benefit to others. He that spits against the wind, spits in his own face. But, were you to succeed, do you imagine any good would be done by it? You yourself may find it easy to live a virtuous life without the assistance afforded by religion-you having a clear perception of the advantages of virtue and the disadvantages of vice, and possessing a strength of resolution sufficient to enable you to resist common temptations. But think how great a portion of mankind consists of weak and ignorant men and women, and of inexperienced, inconsiderate youth of both sexes, who have need of the motives of religion to restrain them from vice, to support their virtue, and retain them in the practice of it till it becomes habitual, which is the great point for its security. And perhaps you are indebted to her originally—that is, to your religious education-for the habits of virtue upon which you now justly value yourself. You might easily display your excellent talents of reasoning upon a less hazardous subject, and thereby obtain a rank with our most distinguished authors. For, among us, it is not necessary, as among the Hottentots, that a youth, to be raised into the company of men,

should prove his manhood by beating his mother. I would advise you, therefore, not to attempt unchaining the tiger, but to burn this piece before it is seen by any other person, whereby you will save yourself a great deal of mortification from the enemies it may raise against you, and perhaps a good deal of regret and repentance. If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be if without it! I intend this letter itself as a proof of my friendship, and therefore add no professions to it, but subscribe simply yours,

B. FRANKLIN.

Lord Howe to Dr. Franklin.

Eagle, June the 20th, 1776. I CANNOT, my worthy friend, permit the letters and parcels, which I have sent, (in the state I received them,) to be landed, without adding a word upon the subject of the injurious extremities in which our unhappy disputes have engaged us.

You will learn the nature of my mission from the official dispatches which I have recommended to be forwarded by the same conveyance. Retaining all the earnestness I ever expressed to see our differences accommodated, I shall conceive, if I meet with the disposition in the colonies which I was once taught to expect, the most flattering hopes of proving serviceable in the objects of the king's paternal solicitude, by promoting the establishment of lasting peace and union with the colonies. But, if the deep-rooted prejudices of America, and the necessity of preventing her trade from passing into foreign channels, must keep us still a divided people, I shall, from every private, as well as public motive, most heartily lament that this is not the