Expectation that it would be accepted. We are, nevertheless, oblig'd to the Officer for his friendship in making the proposition, and I request that my thanks, in behalf of my country may be presented to him.

I have the honour to be, sir, etc.,

B. FRANKLIN.

1052. TO THE COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE OF CONGRESS (D. S. W.)

Passy, Oct. 21, 1779

GENTLEMEN, I received the honour of yours dated the 21st of July, containing an Extract from Mr. Pollock's Letter to you, in which he mentions his Drafts on Mr. Delap for 10,897 Dollars, and his Expectation that in case of any difficulty I will see those Bills paid.' I should certainly do every thing in my power to support the Credit of the States, and every Person acting under their authority: But I have been so exhausted by great and unexpected Drafts and Expences that I am glad those Bills have never been proposed to me, as I could not have taken upon myself to pay them. And I beg that you would not in future have any dependance of that kind upon me without knowing beforehand from me that I shall be able to pay what is desired. I hope you will excuse my giving this Caution, which is forc'd from me by the Distress and Anxiety such occasional and unforeseen demands have occasioned me.

I have the honour to be, gentlemen, etc.,

B. FRANKLIN.

1 Oliver Pollock, merchant, made a claim upon Congress in 1786 for the payment of these unpaid bills. The drafts had been drawn upon Samuel and J. H. Delap, U.S. commercial agents at Bordeaux.- ED.

1053. TO A FRIEND IN AMERICA1

Passy, October 25, 1779.

I RECEIVED your kind letter of February 14th, the contents of which gave me a kind of melancholy satisfaction. The greater ease you will now enjoy makes some compensation in my mind for the uncomfortable circumstance that brought it about. I hope you will have no more affliction of that kind, and that, after so long and stormy a day, your evening may be serene and pleasant.

The account you have had of the vogue I am in here has some truth in it. Perhaps few strangers in France have had the good fortune to be so universally popular; but the story you allude to, mentioning "mechanic rust," is totally without foundation. But one is not to expect being always in fashion. I hope, however, to preserve, while I stay, the regard you mention of the French ladies; for their society and conversation, when I have time to enjoy them, are extremely agreeable.

The enemy have been very near you indeed. When only at the distance of a mile, you must have been much alarmed. We have given them a little taste of this disturbance upon their own coasts this summer; and, though we have burnt none of their towns, we have occasioned a good deal of terror and bustle in many of them, as they imagined our Commodore Jones had four thousand troops with him for descents.

I am glad to learn that my dear sister continued in good

1 From "A Collection of the Familiar Letters and Miscellaneous Papers of Benjamin Franklin" (Sparks), Boston, 1833, p. 171.- ED.

health, and good spirits, and that she had learnt not to be afraid of her friend, fresh air. With the tenderest affection, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

1054. TO SAMUEL COOPER

DEAR SIR,

(L. C.)

Passy, Oct. 27, 1779.

It is a long time since I have had the Pleasure of hearing from you. The Intelligence you were us'd to favour me with was often useful to our Affairs. I hope I have not lost your Friendship, together with your Correspondence. Our excellent Mr. Winthrop,' I see, is gone. He was one of those old Friends, for the sake of whose Society I wish'd to return and spend the small Remnant of my Days in New England. A few more such Deaths will make me a Stranger in my own Country. The Loss of Friends is the Tax a man pays for living long himself. I find it a heavy one.

You will see by the Newspapers that we have given some Disturbance to the British Coasts this Year. One little Privateer out of Dunkerque, the Black Prince, with a Congress commission, and a few Americans mix'd with Irish and English smugglers, went round their Islands and took 37 Prizes in less than 3 Months. The little Squadron of Commodore Jones, under the same Commission and Colours, has alarmed those Coasts exceedingly, occasioned a good deal of internal Expence, done great Damage to their Trade, and taken two Frigates, with 400 Prisoners. He is now with his principal Prizes in Holland, where he is pretty well 1 John Winthrop died May 3, 1779. — ED.

receiv'd, but must quit that neutral Country as soon as his Damages are repaired. The English watch with a superior Force his coming out, but we hope he will manage so as to escape their Vigilance. Few Actions at Sea have demonstrated such steady, cool, determined Bravery, as that of Jones in taking the Serapis.

There has been much Rumour this Summer throughout Europe, of an approaching Peace, thro' the Mediation of Russia and Holland; but it is understood to arise from the Invention of Stockjobbers and others interested in propagating such an opinion. England seems not to be yet sufficiently humbled, to acknowledge the Independence of the American States, or to treat with them on that Footing; and our Friends will not make a Peace on any other. So we shall probably see another Campaign.

By the Invoices I have seen and heard of, sent hither with Congress Interest Bills of Exchange to purchase the Goods, it should seem that there is not so great a want of Necessaries as of Superfluities among our People. It is difficult to conceive that your Distresses can be great, when one sees that much the greatest Part of that Money is lavish'd in Modes, Gewgaws, and Tea! Is it impossible for us to become wiser, when by simple Economy, and avoiding unnecessary Expences, we might more than defray the Charge of the War. We export solid Provision of all kinds, which is necessary for the Subsistence of Man, and we import Fashions, Luxuries, and Trifles. Such Trade may enrich the Traders, but never the Country.

The Good Will of all Europe to our Cause as being the Cause of Liberty, which is the Cause of Mankind, still continues, as does the universal Wish to see the English Pride

humiliated, and their Power curtailed. Those Circumstances

are encouraging, and give hopes of a happy Issue. Which may God grant, and that you, my Friend, may live long a Blessing to your Country. I am, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

1055. TO JEAN HOLKER 1

1

(D. S. W.)

Passy, Oct. 28, 1779

DEAR SIR:

Inclos'd I send you a Packet I have just received from Morlaix, containing some of the Papers you requested me to recover, and a Receipt for the Rest. You will see what M Diot says about the Trunks of Clothes. It will be best, I imagine, for the person who desires to have them, if he knows which they are, to describe them to M. Diot or some other Person, and order them to be bid for at the Sale. I received a quantity of apple Gelly, but no Letter. If it was for me, 1000 Thanks to good Mad Holker. I am ever, my dear friend, etc.,

B. FRANKLIN.

1056. TO MESSRS. FIZEAUX AND GRAND (D. S. W.) Passy, October 28, 1779.

GENTLEMEN, I have advice from England that eight boxes of printing Characters are sent from London to your care for

1 Merchant at Rouen, and French consul-general in the United States.— ED.

2 Holker had written on behalf of a Mrs. Bullen who had "been took by the Black Prince and lost some Bonds and Affects the Vallue of which she esteems at 50, pounds, and offers that sum to have them back" (October 2, 1779). — ED.