"Enlightened and free, Europe at least owes its remembrance and its regret to one of the greatest men who has ever served the cause of philosophy and of liberty.

"I propose, that a decree do now pass, enacting, that the National Assembly shall wear mourning during three days for Benjamin Franklin.”

M. M. de la Rochefoucault and La Fayette immediately rose, in order to second this motion.

The Assembly adopted it, at first by acclamation; and afterwards decreed, by a large majority, amidst the plaudits of all the spectators, that on Monday the 14th of June it should go into mourning for three days; that the discourse of M. Mirabeau should be printed; and that the President should write a letter of condolence, upon the occasion, to the Congress of America.s

The following character of Dr. Franklin, by one of his intimate friends, is so ably and accurately drawn, that we cannot refrain adding it to the foregoing.

"There is, in the character of every distinguished person, something to admire, and something to imitate. The incidents, that have marked the life of a great man, always excite

a The Congress of the United States thus expressed their sentiments in return.

RESOLVED, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress ussembled, That the President of the United States be requested to cause to be communicated to the National Assembly of France, the peculiar sensibility of Congress, to the tribute paid to the memory of Benjamin Franklin, by the enlightened and free representatives of a great nation, in their decree of the eleventh June, one thousand seven hundred and ninety.

curiosity, and often afford improvement. If there be talents, which we can never expect to equal; if there be a series of good fortune, which we can never expect to enjoy, we still need not lose the labor of our biographical inquiries. We may probably become acquainted with habits, which it may be prudent to adopt-and discover virtues, which we cannot fail to applaud. It will be easy for the reader to make a full application of these remarks in his contemplations upon the late celebrated DR. FRANKLIN. By his death one of the best lights of the world may be said to be extinguished. I shall not attempt any historical details of the life of this illustrious patriot and philosopher, as I have nothing further in view than to make a few comments upon the most striking traits 'of his character.

66

Original genius was peculiarly his attribute. The native faculties of his mind qualified him to penetrate into every science: and his unremitted diligence left no field of knowlege unexplored. There were no limits to his curiosity. His inquiries were spread over the whole face of nature. But the study of man seemed to be his highest delight:* and if his genius had any special bias, it lay in discovering those things that made men wiser and happier. As truth was the sole object of his researches, he was of course no sectary: and as reason was his guide, he embraced no system which that did not authorise. In short, he laid the whole volume of nature open before him, and diligently and faithfully perused it.

"Nor were his political attainments less conspicuous than his philosophical. The antients usually ranked good fortune among those circumstances of life which indicate merit. In this view Dr. Franklin is almost unrivalled, having seldom undertaken more than he accomplished. The world are too well acquainted with the events of his political career, to require, at this time, a particular enumeration of them. It may be presumed the historians of the American revolution will exhibit them in proper colors.

"If Dr. Franklin did not aspire after the splendor of eloquence, it was only because the demonstrative plainness of

his manner was superior to it. Though he neither loved political debate, nor excelled in it, he still preserved much influence in public assemblies, and discovered an aptitude in his remarks, on all occasions. He was not fond of taking a leading part in such investigations, as could never terminate in any degree of certainty. To come forward in questions, which, in their nature, are indefinite, and, in their issue, problematical, does not comport with the caution of a man, who has taught himself to look for demonstration. He reserved his observations, for those cases, which science could enlighten, and common sense approve. The simplicity of his style was well adapted to the clearness of his understanding. His conceptions were so bright and perfect, that he did not choose to involve them in a cloud of expressions. If he used metaphors, it was to illustrate, and not to embellish the truth. A man, possessing such a lively imagery of ideas, should never affect the arts of a vain rhetorician, whose excellence consists only în a beautiful arrangement of words.

"But whatever claims to eminence Dr. Franklin may have, as a politician, or a scholar, there is no point of light, in which his character shines with more lustre, than when we view him as a man or a citizen. He was eminently great in common things. Perhaps no man ever existed, whose life can, with more justice, be denominated useful.-Nothing ever passed through his hands, without receiving improvement: and no person ever went into his company, without gaining wisdom. His sagacity was so sharp, and his science so various, that, whatever might be the profession or occupation of those, with whom he conversed, he could meet every one upon his own ground. He could enliven every conversation with an anecdote, and conclude it with a moral.

"The whole tenor of his life was a perpetual lecture against the idle, the extravagant, and the proud. It was his principal aim to inspire mankind with a love of industry, temperance, and frugality; and to inculcate such duties as promote the important interests of humanity. He never wasted a moment of time, or lavished a farthing of money, in folly or dissipa

tion. Such expenses as the dignity of his station required, he readily sustained, limiting them by the strictest rules of propriety. Many public institutions experienced his well-timed liberality; and he manifested a sensibility of heart by numerous acts of private charity.

"By a judicious division of time, Dr. Franklin acquired the art of doing every thing to advantage; and his amusements were of such a nature, as could never militate with the main objects of his pursuit. In whatever situation he was placed by chance or design, he extracted something useful for himself or others. His life was remarkably full of incident. Every circumstance of it turned to some valuable account. The maxims, which his discerning mind has formed, apply to innumerable cases and characters. Those who move in the lowest, equally with those who move in the most elevated rank in society, may be guided by his instructions. In the private deportment of his life, he, in many respects, has furnished a most excellent model. His manners were easy and accommodating, and his address winning and respectful. All, who knew him, speak of him as a most agreeable man; and all, who have heard of him, applaud him as a very useful one. A man so wise, and so amiable, could not but have many admirers, and many friends."

The following are extracts from the will and codicil of Dr. Franklin:

"With regard to my books, those I had in France and those I left in Philadelphia, being now assembled together here, and a catalogue made of them, it is my intention to dispose of the same as follows. My History of the Academy of Sciences in sixty or seventy volumes quarto, I give to the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, of which I have the honor to be president. My collection in folio of Les Arts et les Metiers, I give to the American Philosophical Society established in New England, of which I am a member. My quarto edition of the same Arts et Metiers, I give to the Library Company of Phi

ladelphia. Such and so many of my books as I shall mark on the said catalogue with the name of my grandson Benjamin Franklin Bache, I do hereby give to him, and such and so many of my books as I shall mark in the said catalogue with the name of my grandson William Bache, I do hereby give to him, and such as shall be marked with the name of Jonathan Williams, I hereby give to my cousin of that name.-The residue and remainder of all my books, manuscripts, and papers, I do give to my grandson William Temple Franklin. My share in the Library Company of Philadelphia, I give to my grandson Benjamin Franklin Bache, confiding that he will permit his brothers and sisters to share in the use of it.

I was born in Boston, New England, and owe my first instructions in literature to the free grammar schools established there: I therefore give one hundred pounds sterling to my executors, to be by them, the survivors or survivor of them, paid over to the managers or directors of the free schools in my native town of Boston, to be by them, or those person or persons who shall have the superintendance and management of the said schools, put out to interest, and so continued at interest for ever, which interest annually shall be laid out in silver medals, and given as honorary rewards annually by the directors of the said free schools for the encouragement of scholarship in the said schools, belonging to the said town, in such manner as to the discretion of the select men of the said town shall seem meet.-Out of the salary that may remain due to me as president of the state, I do give the sum of two thousand pounds to my executors, to be by them, the survivors or survivor of them, paid over to such person or persons as the legislature of this state by an act of assembly shall appoint to receive the same in trust, to be employed for making the river Schuylkill navigable.

*

"During the number of years I was in business as a stationer, printer, and postmaster, a great many small sums became due to me for books, advertisements, postage of let