smaller body, for the Gazette on my account. Enclosed is a bill for £109 8s. 4d. sterling, drawn on the Rev. Mr. Saml. Chandler, which I doubt not will be readily paid. I know not well how my account stands with you, and should be glad to see it, but suppose this bill will leave a balance in your hands after paying for those founts, so have taken the freedom to draw a small bill on you, payable to Nathl. Voogdt & Co., Merchants, London, for £2 17s. 6d. sterling, which they are to remit to Germany on a particular occasion.

My compliments to Mrs. Strahan, and to your promising son, perhaps one day mine. God send our children good and suitable matches, for I begin to feel a parent's cares in that respect, and fondly wish to see them well settled before I leave them. Adieu, my dear friend, and believe me to be yours most affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

P. S.-The enclosed pamphlet is lately printed in Boston. You will find a number of interesting facts in it. At the end a little piece of mine.

[Endorsed in pencil in Franklin's handwriting]

Observations on the late and present conduct of the French with regard to their encroachments upon the British colonies in North America. Together with remarks on the importance of those colonies to Great Britain, by William Clarke.

To which are added by another hand,"Observations concerning the increase of mankind, peopling of colonies," etc.

TO WILLIAM STRAHAN

PHILADELPHIA, 27 November, 1755.

DEAR SIR:-I have yours of October 3d; Bolitha being just arrived, the things not yet come on shore.

By the account sent I find I was then £59 4s. 6d. sterling in your debt. I hope you have since received the bills I sent you per Joy & Budden for £109 8s. 4d. sterling, which will leave a balance in my favor.

I do not at all approve of B. Mecom's being so much in your debt, and shall write to him about it. The people of those islands expect a great deal of credit, and when the books are out of his hands, if he should die, half would not be collected. This I have learned by experience in the case of poor Smith, whom I first settled there. I am glad, therefore, that you declined sending him the other things he wrote for. Pray write to him for the pay and make him keep touch; that will oblige him to dun quick and get in his debts; otherwise he may hurt himself, and you in the end. Remember I give you this caution and that you venture on your own risk.

I shall be glad to be of any service to you in the affair you mention relating to the Gentleman's Magazine, and our daughter (who already trades a little in London) is willing to undertake the distributing of them per post from this place, hoping it may produce some profit to herself. I will immediately cause advertisements to be printed in the papers here, at New York, New Haven, and Boston, recommending that magazine and proposing to supply all who will

subscribe for them at 13s. this currency, a year, the subscribers paying down the money for one year beforehand; for otherwise there will be a considerable loss by bad debts. As soon as I find out what the subscription will produce I shall know what number to send for. Most of those for New England must be sent to Boston. Those for New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland must be sent to New York or Philadelphia, as opportunities offer to one place or the other. As to Virginia, I believe it will scarce be worth while to propose it there, the gentlemen being generally furnished with them by their correspondents in London. Those who incline to continue, must pay for the second year three months before the first expires, and so on from time to time. The postmaster in those places to take in the subscription money and distribute the magazines, etc. These are my first thoughts. I shall write further. That magazine has always been, in my opinion, by far the best. I think it never wants matter, both entertaining and instructive, or I might now and then furnish you with some little pieces from this part of the world.

My wife and daughter join in sincerest good wishes of prosperity to you and all yours, with, dear sir, your most obedient humble servant,

B. FRANKLIN. My respects to Mr. Newberry, of whom you give so amiable a character.

TO WILLIAM STRAHAN

NEW YORK, 2 July, 1756.

DEAR SIR:-Being here I take this opportunity of the pacquet boat to write you a line, acknowledging the receipt of your favor of March 13th, and of the brevier fount, which is come to hand in good order, and pleases Mr. Hall and me very much. I am much indebted to you for your care in that matter, as well as many others. I think our account now stands thus:

My nephew, B. Mecom, finding that the business did not answer to his mind in Antigua, has determined to quit the place, and has accordingly sent home to me the press and letters. He writes me that he has lately sent you a bill for £100 sterling, and being now employed only in collecting his debts, he hopes soon to send you a bill for the balance of your account, about £50 more. As the £40 bill you received of me in November, 1753, was only lent to his account, and he will now pay his whole balance without reckoning that £20, you will please to take it back to my account when he has settled

and paid off his; whereby a balance will remain in my favor. But, in the meantime, lest that should not be so soon done as he proposes, that you may not be longer in advance for me, I enclose a little bill on Mr. Collinson, for £11 10s. 94d. the balance due to you, but desire you would not forget to take back the £20 into your hands for me, when you settle finally with B. Mecom, who writes me that he proposes going for England this present July.

You judge rightly that my many employments and journeys of late have prevented my carrying into execution the proposed scheme of circulating your magazine. But I think now to write to the postmaster as soon as I get home, and order the advertisements into the papers. With the greatest respect and esteem, I am, dear sir, your obliged and most obedient servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

NEW YORK, 27 July, 1756.

DEAR SIR:-The above is a copy of my last. Since which I have received from Philadelphia one of our newspapers, printed on the new letter you sent us, and find that it is not a brevier body, but larger, and is really and truly no other than the burgeois, No. I of Carlon's specimen now lying before me, which burgeois is marked by a pen with his own hand, Price 25. So that the charging it as brevier at 2s. 6d. is an imposition of twenty-five per cent., which is too much to bear, and, therefore, I do insist on his