of the province lived amongst us, under the protection of our government. This gave me a great deal of employment; for as the rioters threatened further mischief, and their actions seemed to be approved by an increasing party, I wrote a pamphlet, entitled 'a Narrative, &c.,' which I think I sent you, to strengthen the hands of our weak government, by rendering the proceedings of our rioters unpopular and odious. This had the desired effect; and afterwards when a great body of them with arms marched towards the capital, in defiance of the government, with an avowed resolution to put to death 140 Indian converts then under its protection, I formed an association, at the governor's request, for his and their protection, we having no militia. Nearly 1000 of the citizens accordingly took arms: Governor Penn made my house his head-quarters, and did everything by my advice; so that for about forty-eight hours I was a very great man, as I had been once some years before, in a time of public danger: but the fighting face we put on, and the reasonings we used with the insurgents (for I went at the request of the governor and council, with three others, to meet and discourse with them), having turned them back and restored quiet to the city, I became a less man than ever, for I had by these transactions made myself many enemies among the populace, and the governor (with whose family our public disputes had long placed me in an unfriendly fight, and the services I had lately rendered him not being of the kind that make a man acceptable), thinking it a favourable opportunity, joined the whole weight of the proprietary interest to get me out of the Assembly, which was accordingly effected at the last election, by a majority of about 25 in 4000 voters. The House, however, when they met in October approved of the resolutions taken while I was speaker, of petitioning the crown for a change of government, and requested me to return to England to prosecute that petition, which service I accordingly undertook."

There being no money in the treasury, that could be immediately appropriated to defray the agent's expenses, the Assembly voted that these expenses should be provided for in the next bill that should be passed for raising money. Upon the strength of this pledge, the merchants in two hours, subscribed eleven hundred pounds as a loan to the public for this object. On the 7th of November, only twelve days after his appointment Franklin left Philadelphia accompanied by a cavalcade of three hundred citizens who attended him to Chester, where he was to go on board the vessel. "The affectionate leave taken of me

by so many dear friends at Chester," said he, "was very endearing; God bless them, and all Pensylvania." He sailed the next day, but the ship was detained over night at Reedy Island in the Delaware. At that place he wrote a letter to his daughter from which the following is an extract:

"My dear child, the natural prudence and goodness of heart God has blessed you with, make it less necessary for me to be particular in giving you advice. I shall therefore only say, that the more attentively dutiful and tender you are towards your good mamma, the more you will recommend yourself to me. But why should I mention me, when you have so much higher a promise in the commandments, that such conduct will recommend you to the favour of God. You know I have many enemies, all indeed on the public account, (for I cannot recollect that I have in a private capacity given just cause of offence to any one whatever), yet they are enemies and very bitter ones, and you must expect their enmity will extend in some degree to you, so that your slightest indiscretions will be magnified into crimes, in order the more sensibly to wound and afflict me. It is, therefore, the more necessary for you to be extremely circumspect in all your behaviour, that no advantage may be given to their malevolence.

"Go constantly to church, whoever preaches. The act of devotion in the Common Prayer Book is your principal business there, and if properly attended to, will do more towards amending the heart than sermons generally can do; for they were composed by men of much greater piety and wisdom, than our common composers of sermons can pretend to be; and therefore I wish you would never miss the prayer days; yet I do not mean you should despise sermons, even of the preachers you dislike; for the discourse is often much better than the man, as sweet and clear water comes through very dirty earth. I am the more particular on this head, as you seemed to express, a little before I came away, some inclination to leave our church, which I would not have you do."

After a tempestuous voyage of thirty days, he landed at Portsmouth, and proceeded immediately to London. When the news of his safe arrival came back to Philadelphia, his friends celebrated the event by the ringing of bells and other demonstrations of joy

THIRD VISIT TO ENGLAND, IN 1764.

It seems proper here to notice, that during the last sitting of the Pensylvanian Assembly, before Franklin left America at this time, intimations had been given from the ministers at home, that they should certainly lay a stamp duty on the colonies in the next session of parliament. The colonial agents then in London, were desired to communicate this fact to their constituents in America. The observations then made upon this notice, says Franklin, were, that the principle was entirely new; that the colonists had been ever liberal of their money, when required to advance it in the regular way; and that to tax them in parliament where they were not represented was both cruel and unjust. In fact the Assembly came ultimately to this resolution of which Franklin was the bearer to England, "that as they always had, so they always should think it their duty to grant aid to the crown, according to their abilities, whenever required of them in the usual and constitutional manner." Other colonies forwarded similar resolutions, with which the British ministers were furnished before the celebrated Stamp Act was brought in.

Franklin, shortly after his arrival in England, received separate commissions of agency for the respective colonies of New Jersey, Georgia, and Massachusetts. But before following him into the important consequences of these appointments, let it be mentioned that he made an excursion to the continent of Europe at this period. Hither his wellearned reputation as an experimental philosopher had preceded him, so that he was received throughout Holland and Germany, as well as in Paris, with the most distinguished and respectful attention. In Holland, the watermen explained to him the effect which a diminution of the quantity of water in canals has in impeding the progress of boats, which upon his return to England, led him to make a number of interesting and instructive experiments on the subject. These, with an explanation of the phenomena, he communicated to his friend Sir John Pringle. In Paris he was introduced to a number of literary and scientific characters, to Louis XV., and to his sisters, Mesdames de France. He was also elected a foreign associate of the Academy of Science.

We are now come to the most interesting period of Franklin's life as well as of the general history of America, Henceforth the career of our

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statesman is to be pursued on a broader theatre of action. Although he went to England as a special agent for Pensylvania, yet circumstances soon led him to take an active part in the political affairs of all the colonies, for they were soon involved in the famous Stamp Act. The ostensible ground of the proposed enactment was the expenses to which the mother country had been put in conducting the war with the French in Canada, which was for the protection of the colonies. To this project the provincial agents at once demurred, Franklin making strenuous opposition to its passing into a law. In spite of every remonstrance, however, the bill was passed by the House of Commons in March, 1765, by a vote of 250 members against 50. Franklin beheld the measure with consternation. Writing an account of it to Charles Thomson, an American gentleman,

he says, 66 Depend upon it, my good neighbour, I took every step in my power to prevent the passing of the Stamp Act. Nobody could be more concerned and interested than myself to oppose it sincerely and heartily; but the tide was too strong against us. The nation was provoked by American claims of independence, and all parties joined by resolving in this act to settle the point. We might as well have hindered the sun's setting. That we could not do. But since it is down, my friend,—and it may be long before it rises again,-let us make as good a night of it as we can. We may still light candles. Frugality and industry will go a great way towards indemnifying us. Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments. If we can get rid of the former, we may easily get rid of the latter."

This letter was dated in London, July 11th, 1765. Thomson said, in his answer, "The sun of liberty is indeed fast setting, if not down already in the American colonies. But I much fear instead of the candles you mention being lighted, you will hear of the works of darkness. They are in general alarmed to the last degree. It is not property only we contend for. Our liberty and most essential privileges are struck." The result of the passing of the Stamp Act, as is well known, excited the Americans to passive obedience, the law in fact proving inoperative.

Under the administration of the Marquis of Rockingham, it appeared expedient to endeavour to calm the minds of the colonists; and the reneal of the odious tax was contemplated. Amongst other means of collecting information on the disposition of the people to submit to it, Dr. Franklin was called to the bar of the House of Commons. The examination which he here underwent was published, and contains a striking proof of the extent and accuracy of his information, and the facility

with which he communicated that information, together with his sagacious views. For example, having been asked "if no regulation with a tax would be submitted to by the colonists ?" he answered :-" their opinion is, that when aids to the crown are wanted, they are to be asked of the several assemblies, according to the old established usage, who will as they have always done, grant them freely; and that their money ought not to be given away without their consent by persons at a distance, unacquainted with their circumstances and abilities. The granting of aids to the crown is the only means of recommending themselves to their sovereign; and they think it extremely hard and unjust that a body of men in which they have no representation, should make a merit to itself by giving and granting what is not its own, but theirs; and thus deprive them of a right they esteem of the utmost value and importance, as it is the security of all their other rights." It was in this manner that Franklin represented facts and the principles of resistance in so strong a light, that the inexpediency of the Stamp Act could not but have appeared manifest to any unprejudiced mind. The consequence was, that after considerable opposition, the act was repealed about a year after it had been passed, greatly to the chagrin of its projectors.

In 1773 Franklin was involved in an affair of diplomacy which proved very annoying to him, although there can be no doubt now of his integrity and innocence, in relation to the vexatious matter. Certain letters written by Governor Hutchinson, and others in the British interest in the colonies, to individuals in authority in England, came somehow into the possession of a person unknown, who thought it right to put them into the hands of the Doctor. These documents were filled with the most violent invectives against the principal men in the province of Massachusetts, intemperately counselling the home government to have recourse to the severest and promptest measures, so as to reduce to implicit obedience the provincialists. The sentiments and principles set forth in these letters, struck directly at the foundation of the colonial interests, privileges, and rights; so that Franklin did not consider that he would honestly act if he did not transmit such dangerous documents to the legislature of Massachusetts, by whom they were received with the utmost indignant feelings and consternation, and forthwith published. Attested copies of them were also sent to England, with an urgent address, praying the king to discharge from office the individuals who had rendered themselves so odious to the colonists. A duel also between two gentlemen, arose out of the publication of the obnoxious