22 December, 1745. SIR:-The above is a copy of what I wrote you, per Mesnard, who sailed about ten days ago from this port. This goes per Capt. Hargrave, who is soon to sail from Maryland. Enclosed I send you a bill for £15 75. Id., which I hope will be readily paid. Enclosed is also a letter to Mr. Collinson, containing an order for books for the library, which, when you deliver, you will have an opportunity of proposing to furnish them. Please to add to the enclosed list the following books for me, viz.: Starkey's Pyrotechny Assorted, an old book; 6 Echard's Gazetteer, 6 Watts' Lyric Poems, 6 Watts' Logic, with Supplement; 1 Watts' Essays; also 5 or 6 lbs. of long-primer fractions, i. e., to use with long primer in arithmetic work. Mr. Hall and all your friends here are well, as I hope this will find you [indistinct]. TO WILLIAM STRAHAN PHILADELPHIA, 22 May, 1746. SIR: This is only to enclose a third bill for £15 sterling, the second and first of which went from this port and Annapolis; and to desire you to send me two sets of Popple's maps of North America, one bound, the other in sheets. They are for our Assembly, who also want the statutes at large; but as I hear they are risen to an extravagant price, I would have you send me word what they will cost before you send them. We are all well. Mr. Hall has not time to write, the post just going. I am, sir, your humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. TO WILLIAM STRAHAN PHILADELPHIA, 25 September, 1746. SIR:-Your favors of February 11th and May 1st are come to hand. Mesnard arrived safe this morning, and I suppose I shall have the trunks out in a day or two. Our other ships, Lisle and Houston, not yet come, but daily expected. I am much obliged to you for your ready compliance with my requests. I sent you in the spring a bill on Messrs. Hoare and Arnold for £15, which I hope came to hand and was as readily paid as that on Geo. Rigge for £15 7s. Id. I now send you the following bills, viz.: I wish the sum had been all in one bill, as the trouble to you would be less; but bills have been scarce lately, and we were glad to get any. I think, however, to send you no more such small ones. I shall, as you desire, deliver one of Ainsworth's Dictionaries to Mr. Read. You will take the charge of it from my account and add it to his in your book. Please to send me, per next vessel, 6 doz. of Dyche's and as many of Owen's Spelling Books, with a dozen of post horns of different sizes. I shall speedily send you another bill. My wife joins with me in thanks to you and good Mrs. Strahan and young master, for your kindness to our daughter. She shall make her acknowledgments herself as soon as she is able. I congratulate you on the defeat of Jacobitism by your glorious Duke, and the restoration of peace and good order within the kingdom. We have just now an account that a French fleet of thirty sail were lately seen off Cape Sable. They are supposed to be that from Brest. I hope they are followed by one of superior force from England, otherwise a great deal of mischief may be done in North America. Our friends, Messrs. Hall and Read continue well. I am, sir, your most obliged humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. 25 September, (2). P. S.-I am sorry it so happened that Mr. Collinson had bespoke the books. The next catalogue sent to him will be accompanied with a request from the directors that he purchase them of you only. PHILADELPHIA, 1 January, 1746, 7. SIR: This is only to enclose a bill of exchange for £25 sterling, and wish good Mrs. Strahan, with your children, etc., many happy New Years. Mr. Hall continues well. We shall both write largely per Seymour. This via New York. I am, etc., B. FRANKLIN. PHILADELPHIA, 4 January, 1746, 7. SIR:-I wrote to a line you some days since, via New York, enclosing a bill of £25 sterling; the second in a copy to go by some other vessel from that port; the third you have herein; together with a bill of £60 sterling, which I hope will be duly honored. My wife wrote to you per Mesnard for 6 Nelson's Justice, 6 Dyche's Dictionaries, 12 Cole's English Ditto, 6 Female Fables, 6 Croxall's Ditto, and Mrs. Rowe's works complete. If not sent before, please add them to the within invoice, and send the whole per first ship; and also Lenery on Foods, and Dr. Moffat on Health. Please to deliver the enclosed procuration to Mr. Acworth with the bill. The books you sent per Mesnard turned out all right, and in good order, except that the Prayer-Books had all wrong psalms, the old version. I do not know if they will ever sell. The paper should not have been cut at the edges, being to be bound in account books. Our friends Hall and Read continue well. My wife joins me in best respects to Mrs. Strahan and yourself. She will write per Seymour, as will Mr. Hall. The Life of Du Renty, charged at 6s. per dozen, has Price, stitched, fourpence, under the title-page. Is there not a mistake in the charge? I am, sir, your obliged humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. Your government sent no fleet to protect us against the French under D'Anville. But they have been defeated by the hand of God. TO WILLIAM STRAHAN Philadelphia, 29 July, 1747. SIR: Your favors of March 18th and April 1st are come to hand, with all the books, etc., mentioned in the invoice in good order, and am much obliged to you for your ready compliance with all my requests. I believe I could have got subscriptions for twenty sets of the Universal History, and perhaps more; but unluckily a ship from Ireland has, since the receipt of your letter, brought in twenty sets complete, and they are offered at a lower rate than the English edition can be afforded at, even if I paid but 4s. per volume. I do what I can to lessen the credit of that piratical edition, and talk much of the improvements made in this; but that being to be had entire immediately, and this not till after many months, weighs a good deal with some; and others object, that it is to be apprehended the London booksellers will either curtail the folio edition greatly to save money, or put the subscribers at last to the expense of a greater number of volumes than twenty; seeing the volumes are much less than the Irish edition, the three first of the one containing but little more than the first of the other. If they think fit to venture a parcel here, Hall will do his best to dispose of them, and I will assist him what I can. They may send a parcel also |